Tag: Fairfield County

Vintage Children’s Book Fair in Southport

Over 300 vintage children’s books from the early-19th – mid-20th centuries will be included in Pequot Library’s 54th Annual Summer Book Sale, including more than 100 different editions on Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Variations on this classic children’s book offered at this sale include multiple versions produced by different publishers of Robinson Crusoe rewritten in one syllable words, as well as unusual adaptations of the story, including Dog Crusoe, Little Robinson Crusoe of Paris, and Arctic Crusoe. Typical of what is being offered is a beautifully illustrated 1882 edition.

Robinson Crusoe was first published on April 25, 1719. The first edition credited the work’s fictional protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents. Despite its simple narrative style, Robinson Crusoe was well received in the literary world and is often credited as marking the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre.

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Pequot Library’s 54th Annual Summer Book Sale runs from Friday, July 25 – Tuesday, July 29, 2014. It is known as “The Best Book Sale in New England.” Admission is free and all Sale proceeds help fund Pequot Library’s over 400 yearly inter-generational programs and events. High quality books at reasonable prices, with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted.

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Over 40 categories, including the favorites: Children’s Books; Art and Photography; Business; Biography; Several sections of History (USA, European, World, and Military); Computer Software and Books; Cooking; Crafts and Style; Foreign Language; Gardening; Mystery and Thriller; Romance; Science; Sports; Science Fiction; Current Fiction; Classic Fiction; Poetry and Drama; Trade Paperbacks; CDs, DVDs, records, tapes, and Audiobooks; Sheet music, music books, comic books, prints.

Please visit http://www.pequotlibrary.org to learn more about this vibrant library, educational, arts and cultural institution. All classes and programs are open to everyone. For information: (203) 259-0346 ext. 15. The Pequot Library is located on 720 Pequot Rd. in Southport, CT.

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After enjoying the book fair, be sure to stop in at the Delamar in Southport http://delamarsouthport2-px.trvlclick.com/dining.html for lunch, dinner or a thirst quenching beverage! The restaurant combines local, seasonal flavors through New England inspired cuisine. Dine in the elegant yet relaxed dining room or on the outdoor patio with a lovely garden that is the perfect place for dining al fresco. For more information 203-307-4222.

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SummerFest – Rewind in Ridgefield July 18 & 19

This year the theme for Ridgefield’s “Summerfest” is 1964 and it will take place in Ballard Park on Friday and along the Main Street on Saturday. This fun filled family event kicks off on Friday, July 18 in Ballard Park at 5:30 p.m. with Sgt. Leffert’s Phoney Hearts Club Band that will perform Beatles music until 7 p.m. If you are ready to dance, the Fred Astaire Dance Studios will perform dances of the 60’s from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. that are sure to inspire you. The Groove Zone featuring the sounds of Motown will entertain festival goers from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. and the night will finish off with a movie from 1964 at the “lawn blanket drive -in” from 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

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On On Saturday, the Main Street comes alive with shops decorated to re-create Ridgefield in 1964. Festive retro windows, great sales and special discounts will abound. Look for the merchants that will be offering special retro merchandise from the period including recreated jewelry that Jackie O wore! Pop-up shops and art booths will also feature vintage style artwork, paintings and much more.

There will also be a car show that will feature Mustangs, Corvairs, MGs, Studebakers, Jaguars, hot rods and other great vintage autos. Restaurants will even offer vintage items on their menus—some at vintage prices. The Main Street Stage will feature live 60s music, along with dance instruction (want to Frug and Watusi?), karaoke—and polish your go-go boots for the costume contest. There will also be a 1964 swap meet with great vintage items, including donated goods whose proceeds will support promoting Ridgefield tourism. Enjoy vintage candy and Good Humor bars, and get your snapshot from the photo booth.

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For an up to date event schedule visit http://www.destinationridgefield.com/july-18th-to-19th-summerfest-64-ridgefield-rewinds. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

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Westport Arts Festival July 19 & 20

This year marks the 41st for the popular Westport Arts Festival that is taking place this year in the center of Westport in Parker Harding Plaza and on Gorham Island on July 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on July 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Festival goers can expect original juried works in Painting, Watercolor, Photography, Sculpture, Drawing, Printmaking, Mixed Media, Glass, Ceramics, Fiber, Jewelry, Wood and Digital Art dispayed along the lovely Saugatuck River in the heart of this charming riverside community.

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Best of all, visitors will experience more than just the visual arts at the Westport Fine Arts Festival: there will be unique street performances, live music, hands-on art activities, and delicious food from local restaurateurs. As for kids, they will enjoy the special Beach Bonanza Children’s Tent Zone provided by the Westport Arts Center. This area will feature both collaborative and individual hands-on projects, all with a seashore inspired theme! From string murals to large-scale jellyfish, kids will be sure to have a blast; just look for the the palm trees to find the Kid Zone.

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As for entertainment, there is plenty with an exciting line up as follows:

Saturday July 19
10:15 – 11:30 Chris MacKay and the Tone Shifters

11:45 – 1:00 Shiny Lapel Trio

1:15 – 2:30 Paul Brockett Roadshow Band

3:00 – 4:30 Mill River Band

5:00 – 6:30 Dr. B and The Brotherhood

Sunday July 20

10:15 – 11:30 Josi Davis and Hot Damn!

11:45 – 1:00 Pete Herger Band

1:30 – 2:45 Dylan Conner

3:10 – 4:30 Washboard Slim and the Bluelights
For More information visit www.westportfineartsfestival.com. For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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Tips on NYC at Lockwood-Mathews Mansion

On Wednesday, July 16, 2014, 11 a.m. at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue in Norwalk, CT, urban historian Justin Ferate will give a talk entitled, Nooks and Crannies of New York City. Based on his popular tours, this lecture will explore some of New York City’s great, but often overlooked, treasures.

Fonthill Castle.
Fonthill Castle.

Mr. Ferate will take attendees on a virtual tour through some of New York City’s rich, secretive landmarks, many unknown to even the most diehard New Yorkers. He will reveal fascinating, yet lesser-known points of interests in one of the most iconic cities in the world, including some of New York’s more offbeat treasures, secret gardens, hidden houses, and covert byways.

Justin Ferate is an internationally known guide and the Director of Tours of the City, a specialty tour company that has created educational tours of New York City, focusing on the architectural, social, ethnic, literary, and cultural histories of New York for over 30 years. He has a background in Architectural and Social History with a B.A. in Education from Antioch College with subsequent studies in Architectural History at the University of Washington, University of London, University of Pennsylvania, and Salve Regina College. Recently The AAA Guide to New York rated Ferate’s weekly tour of the Grand Central Terminal neighborhood as New York’s “Best Walking Tour!” The New York Times described Justin Ferate as New York City’s “revered city Tour Guide among Tour Guides.”

The lectures are $25 for members, $30 for non-members per session. Please RSVP by Friday, July 11, 2014. The price includes lecture, lunch and a first floor Mansion tour. Lunch is courtesy of Michael Gilmartin’s Outdoor Cookers. The chair of the Lecture Committee is Mimi Findlay of New Canaan. Please contact info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or 203-838-9799, ext. 4.

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Extreme Habitats: Into the Deep Sea at the Bruce Museum

Extreme Habitats: Into the Deep Sea at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich explores the vast and extraordinary deep sea. This show focuses on the highly adapted survival strategies utilized by creatures of the deep and the technology that enables researchers to record ground-breaking observations of what is often called the last frontier on this planet.

Sea butterfly (Thecosomata) Photo by Larry Madin © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Sea butterfly (Thecosomata)
Photo by Larry Madin © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Museum visitors might feel like they are in a deep-sea submersible as they look through view ports to observe the mesopelagic – or twilight zone – of the sea with its bioluminescent inhabitants. The exhibit will show visitors the extremophiles that form the foundation of a hydrothermal vent as well as the bizarre appearances and adaptations of deep-sea species. One of the take aways from experiencing this exhibit is an understanding of the technology that makes deep-sea explorations possible.

Bloodbelly comb jelly (Lampocteis cruentiventer) almost 2000 meters below the surface in Monterey Canyon. Photo by MBARI ©2002 MBARI
Bloodbelly comb jelly (Lampocteis cruentiventer) almost 2000 meters
below the surface in Monterey Canyon.
Photo by MBARI ©2002 MBARI

The Bruce Museum has created highly accurate casts of deep-sea organisms such as the Pacific Viperfish, Cock-Eyed Squid, Bloodbelly Comb Jelly, Gulper Eel, Giant Tube Worms, and more, created from molds on loan from the American Museum of Natural History. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is lending preserved deep- sea specimens collected from various deep-sea explorations and dives around the globe. The University of Connecticut is assisting with interpretation of the New England seamounts, or underwater mountain ranges. Rare footage of creatures of the deep comes from Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is sharing cutting edge information on the deep-sea submersible Alvin as well as their expertise on deep-sea ecosystems around the world.

_Display Background Bruce Museum Exhibition Preparator Sean Murtha painting hydrothermal vent display background. Photo by Sean Murtha
_Display Background
Bruce Museum Exhibition Preparator Sean Murtha painting
hydrothermal vent display background.
Photo by Sean Murtha

The exhibition is the second in a series at the Bruce Museum looking at extreme biological, chemical and physical factors that affect different ecosystems around the world. Extreme Habitats: Into the Deep Sea opens runs through November 9.

And when you go, don’t forget your cell phone: This exhibition, like many others at the Bruce, will be accompanied by a compelling cell phone audio tour guide program, Guide by Cell, generously underwritten by Nat and Lucy Day. Easy to follow Guide by Cell instructions will be available at the front admissions desk.

About the Bruce Museum
The Bruce Museum is a museum of art and science and is located at One Museum Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 5
pm; closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students up to 22 years, $6 for seniors and free for members and children less than five years. Individual admission is free on Tuesday. Free on-site parking is available and the Museum is accessible to individuals with disabilities. For additional information, call the Bruce Museum at (203) 869-0376 or visit the website at www.brucemuseum.org.

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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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