Tag: CT event

July at the Beardsley Zoo a month of Family Fun

July at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport on 1875 Noble Ave. has a host of activities that promises fun for the whole family. Take the Rainforest Reptiles for example that are back at the Zoo by popular demand from July 1- 31. These reptile shows feature exotic crawlers, unusual slitherers, and fascinating creepers, all of which are creatures of the rainforest. Participants will experience direct contact with live animals, artifacts, and hear fascinating stories about these unusual animals and their natural habitats. There are two shows daily Tuesdays – Thursdays and three shows on Friday – Sunday.

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To celebrate July 4, take part in the Red, White and Blue Animal Scavenger Hunt from 9 am – 4 pm. This self-guided hunt will challenge visitors to find all of the animals sporting patriotic colors. (Ex. red wolf, white swans, (blue) poison dart frog) – and many more! Don’t miss the special “Animal Bytes” presentation about the American Bald Eagle.

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There are five sessions of “Zoo Patrol”, the first from July 7-11 and the second from July 14-18. These sessions are followed by a Zoo Patrol from July 20-26; July 21 – 25 and July 28- August 1. The Zoo Patrol offers children ages 6 – 8 the opportunity to participate in keeper talks, behind-the-scenes tours, animal related games, and crafts. Hands-on lab activities and nature studies may also be a part of the program. Sessions run on zoo grounds Monday through Friday. Each week is $140/child for Zoo members and $165/child for non-members.Advance registration is required. For more information and to register, please call 203-394-6563.

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An evening lecture series is offered on July 16 at 7 p.m. on Coyotes in Connecticut. Guest lecturer Chris Vann will share the latest information about Connecticut’s growing population of coyotes, the risk they pose, and popular misconceptions about them. A $5 suggested donation is recommended. Refreshments will be served. This lecture, taking place in the Hanson Exploration Station, is part of the Evening Lecture Series, sponsored by Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Volunteer Association.

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To round out the month, the ever popular and family favorite Chris Rowlands will be at the Zoo at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily. Rowlands is famous for getting everyone involved, as he brings animals to life through kid-friendly songs, dance, puppets, and colorful props. Chris creatively blends music, comedy, and education to create fast paced, interactive shows that teach and inspire young people. Children are invited to wear fun hats and sing along with Rowlands on stage as he shares his self- penned songs about animals and their environment. Best of all these performances scheduled on July 26 and 27 and July 31 are free with paid admission to the Zoo. Each performance is 30-35 minutes long.

The Beardsley Zoo is located on 1875 Noble Ave. in Bridgeport. Connecticut’s only zoo features 300 animals representing primarily North and South American species. Visitors won’t want to miss our Amur (Siberian) tigers and leopard, Brazilian ocelot, Mexican wolves, and Golden Lion tamarins. Other highlights include our South American rainforest with free-flight aviary, the prairie dog exhibit with “pop-up” viewing areas, the New England Farmyard with goats, cows, pigs, sheep, and other barnyard critters, plus the hoofstock trail featuring bison, pronghorn, deer, and more. Visitors can grab a bite at the Peacock Café, eat in the Picnic Grove, and enjoy a ride on our colorful carousel. For more information, visit www.beardsleyzoo.org. For information on Fairfield County www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Categories: General

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Summer Stroll in New Preston on July 5

The summer stroll taking place on July 5 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the riverside village of New Preston is offering more activities this year than ever before. “Downtown” on this quaint Main Street (Rte. 45) will feature a a barbecue with hot dogs in front of Nine Main. The Smithy will be serving fresh, local lemonade and cookies, and Dawn Hill & Upstairs Antiques will host a sparkling Prosecco Porch Party with nibbles.

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Across the street in “Midtown” you can feast courtesy of the White Horse Country Pub. “Audrey” the vintage English taxi, there will there with bite size nibbles of British Raj chicken salad on chili dusted tortilla chips, and Key Lime and Raspberry Margarita pie bites. Pergola & J. Seitz & Co will be pouring a variety of beverages including refreshing Japanese grapefruit chuhai.

On the “Uptown” side, there will be Candy Bags at Sweets, Pamplemousse Royale at DK Shulman, and trays of Focaccia courtesy of Oliva Restaurant, while Privet House supplies the adult libations and New Preston Kitchen Goods sparkles with a summery white Sangria.

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A live band, The Social Gents Club, will perform on the corner of Main Street & East Shore Road, next to Dawn Hill Antiques. County Wines and Spirits, just down the road, will host an in-store cheese tasting.

Privet House and Vol.1 will throw open the doors of their two story shop stocked full of antiques and great finds for summer entertaining. Pergola will be offering their usual great mix of everything for the garden, and treasures from their last trip to Kyoto. D.K Schulman, will feature the best of summer gift ideas plus stationery and cards. J. Seitz will offer 25% off selected Men’s, Women’s and Infant clothing during Stroll hours.

Planning a barbecue? New Preston Kitchen Goods has everything you need and Dawn Hill Antiques is featuring The Grilling Book, published by Bon Appetit and photographed on location in Sharon, CT., plus a beautiful collection of celadon pottery by Frances Palmer. Upstairs Antiques welcomes a new addition, Antique Wicker and Garden, be sure to visit their cozy room filled with comfy 1920’s wicker that is ready for a porch or garden room.

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Music Mountain Celebrates 85th Concert Season

Concert aficionados from around the country will want to mark their calendars for Music Mountain, America’s oldest continuing summer chamber music festival that is celebrating their 85th concert season this summer through September 14. To commemorate the milestone, Music Mountain located in the scenic Litchfield Hills of Connecticut will continue their season past Labor Day – making the 85th Anniversary Season the longest running season since the 1930s! The summer will include returning chamber ensembles, first time guests and the ever-popular Saturday Evening Twilight Series featuring Jazz, Country, and Folk Music. Concerts are scheduled through September 14.

Music Mountain, photo credit Joan Walden
Music Mountain, photo credit Joan Walden

The Saturday Evening Twilight Series begins on June 14 (6:30PM) with The West Point Alumni Glee Club. Evening concerts continue with New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players (and the first of several pre-concert dinners, June 21); Jive By Five (June 28); The Sharon Playhouse (July 5); Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks (July 12); Gunsmoke (July 19); Swingtime Big Band (July 26); The New Black Eagle Jazz Band (August 2); The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (August 9); The Galvanized Jazz Band (August 16); Baroque Italian Opera Arias & Duets (August 23); and Michael Berkeley (September 6).

This year, the twilight series will broaden its variety of musical offerings to include folk music, opera and the golden age of Broadway. A special concert of Old Time Country Music by Tater Patch, whose bass player Richard Gordon is a grandson of Jacques Gordon, Music Mountain’s Founder, and the only descendant of the Founder ever to appear at Music Mountain, will also be presented as the final Twilight concert on September 13.

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Music Mountain’s 85th Anniversary Season will also include their annual Teaching Program — bringing master teachers and aspiring young musicians together. Artistic Director of The Next Festival of Emerging Artists at Music Mountain, composer, c. “America’s leading oboe recitalist,” Humbert Lucarelli returns to Music Mountain for his master Oboe Seminar Sunday, July 20 through Friday, July 25. Returning for the second year, Carol Kastendieck, faculty member at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, will teach an actors vocal training program in August.

Music Mountain is located in Falls Village, Connecticut on Music Mountain Road, where a short scenic drive will bring you to Gordon Hall atop Music Mountain. Free parking and picnic facilities are available. Food, wine & beer are also available for purchase.

Tickets for the Season Opening Concert & Reception on Saturday, June 7 and End of Season Benefit Concert & Reception on Sunday, August 31 are $75 and include a voucher for one regularly priced concert. Two special mid-summer benefit concerts on Sunday, June 22 with the Juilliard String Quartet and on Sunday, July 20 with Peter Serkin and the Orion String Quartet are $60 per ticket. Pre-concert dinners are $60 and include concert ticket. Chamber Music Concerts are $35 at the door/$30 in advance. Twilight Series Concerts are $30 at the door/$27 in advance. Children ages 5-18 are admitted FREE for ALL CONCERTS when accompanied by a ticket holder (Music Mountain gratefully acknowledges children admission support by the Hellen Plummer Foundation for a gift in memory of James Merrill, Connecticut’s first Poet Laureate).

Saturday Twilight Concerts are at 6:30pm. Chamber Music concerts are at 3pm on Sundays. Group rates and pre season ticket vouchers are available. Discounts apply through participating organizations. For a complete summer schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form visit www.musicmountain.org or call 860-824-7126.

For information on Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

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Over There: Washington and The Great War at the Gunn Historical Society

The Gunn Memorial Museum, on 5 Wykehem Rd in Washington Connecticut has organized a new exhibition that commemorates the 100th anniversary of World War One, one of the largest and bloodiest conflicts in history, where over 70 million military personnel were mobilized around the world and more than 10 million combatants and 7 million civilians were killed, including several from Washington, CT. Over 100 men and women from Washington, and more than 150 alumni and faculty from The Gunnery served in The Great War.

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Letters, pictures, and an interesting array of period artifacts from the museum, local families, and collectors, including Peter Tragni and Dr. Robert Jacobs, among others, are used to explore the dramatic experiences of Washington’s soldiers, along with the extensive support efforts that were happening on the home front in Washington through such organizations as the Sister Susie Society, the Red Cross, the Women’s Land Army, and the Home Guard. All of their fascinating stories will be shared in this exhibit and a diverse series of public programs (see below) through the year, sponsored in part by the Connecticut Community Foundation.

Art director Chris Zaima, designer Sandy Booth, and painter Keith Templeton, along with a team of other volunteers and staff, have created another visual masterpiece. Local history will come alive as visitors step back in time and explore the lives of Washington’s residents during World War One, through their own words, and the impact this war had on our small town.

Admission to the exhibit is free, and this exhibit will be on display through January 18, 2015. For more information, call the Museum at 860-868-7756 or view www.gunnlibrary.org for more information or email gunnmuseum@sbcglobal.net.

On June 28 at 11 a.m. at the Gunn Library, there will be a lecture, The Beginning of the End: The Origins of World War I. Dr. Michael Nolan, a professor of European History at Western Connecticut State University, will present a lecture to mark the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austrian Empire, the spark that ignited World War One. On June 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist who was a Black Hand Terrorist as they visited the city of Sarajevo. This assassination was the catalyst of World War One, a four-year event that claimed the lives of over 10 million soldiers and 7 million civilians around the globe.

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Dr. Nolan will discuss the contentious years leading up to the assassination, how the events of that day unfolded, the impact the resulting war had on the 20th century, and who was really to blame for the origins of the war, the answer to which is not as clear cut as many might think and has vexed historians for the past century. Dr. Nolan is a 2001 graduate of Brandeis University and is the author of The Inverted Mirror: Mythologizing the Enemy in France and Germany, 1898-1914 (New York, Berghahn Books, 2005).

On Tuesday, July 14 & 28 and August 11 & 25 at 1:00 p.m. at the Gunn Library and Museum there will be a WWI Film Series featuring: The African Queen, A Farewell to Arms, Fly Boys, and War Horse.

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Torrington is New Home for Karen Rossi Studios

Internationally known artist Karen Rossi is excited to call Torrington her new home. Rossi’s grand opening is scheduled for June 28 and 29, to coincide with the Open Your Eyes studio tour sponsored by the Northwest Arts Council. The Allen Building at 27 East Main Street will house a gallery, showroom, workspace and classroom area.

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Rossi is highly regarded for her original metal sculptures has created more than 500 original characters… celebrating the seasons, holidays, professions, friends and family, children, hobbies and a host of other life-inspired themes. Her whimsical work features metal as well as broken crystals, charms and other embellishments that make them eye catching and unique.

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Rossi is most known for her giftware designs known as Fanciful FlightsTM, which she has licensed to major companies, enjoying worldwide sales. Fanciful Flights are metal caricatures of people adorned by charms that tell the story of a person’s hobby or profession. Long before Rossi was involved with arts licensing, her originals were commissioned and collected by the likes of Neiman Marcus, Booz, Allen & Hamilton, lobbies of Hospitals, and the Hartford Courant.

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Karen’s themed groupings of artwork include: Animal Kingdom, On the Road, Celestial, Christmas, Halloween, the Glorious Garden, Just for Kids, Paradise Island, Ladies with Red Hats, Festivities of Faith, Bistro, Girlfriends, Celebration and Fanciful Flights TM. For details of this artwork visit http://www.karenrossi.com.

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The 27 East Main Street destination will feature demos and crafting workshops including painting on glass and Mosaics. Rossi has been hosting Art Parties for over 30 years and is particularly excited to offer, “Make your own T-town ballerinas and Mad River Mermaids.” The artist has been involved with several CT Art communities and is excited to showcase the work of comrades and guest Artisans from Hartford, New Haven, South, and the Litchfield Hills. The new studio will also feature a clearance area for sales of retired Rossi giftware.

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15th Annual Ice Cream Social Woodbury CT

Bring your family, bring your friends and co-workers – come to New Morning Market located on 129 Main Street in Woodbury for the 15th Annual Ice Cream Social that is not only deliciously fun but also a benefit for Safe Haven Shelter for Victims of Domestic Abuse.

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The Ice Cream Social will take place on Friday June 20th, from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. New Morning is generously donating 100% of your $5.00 donation to Safe Haven Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence.

Get ready to build your own delicious ice cream sundaes (including dairy or gluten free options) with an array of scrumptious toppings while enjoying the live performance of Bill and Martha Bless. There is even a chance to enter a drawing to win a free folding bike courtesy of Seasnax!

New Morning will be Collecting Your Donations for Safe Haven all Month! The shelter is in need of pantry stuffs, personal care items, toiletries, new clothing and cleaning supplies. You can pick up a wish list at the store!

About New Morning Market
New Morning Market of Woodbury, CT is a leading natural and organic, independent retailer for healthy sustainable living. Owner John Pittari and his staff continually create an environment that fosters meaningful exchanges of knowledge, services and products. New Morning has been in business for well over 40 years and has been in their brand new facility at 129 Main Street North in Woodbury for almost 2 years. Boasting more than 9,000 square feet of retail space and a large community room for classes and presentations, New Morning has become a popular destination and an important part of the local community. More information can be found at www.newmorn.com, on Facebook or by calling 203-263-4868.

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