Tag: family fun

PJ Party and Story Time at Stepping Stones Museum for Children… with the Bears!

The life size Berenstain Bears will be the highlight at the Pajama Party hosted on Friday, Sept. 12 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk located on 303 West Ave. So put on your most furry or comfy pajamas, perfect for hibernating like a bear (!), and head over to the Museum!

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Stepping Stones is excited to bring this classic, lovable Bear Family who recently celebrated their 50th anniversary to their museum. Participants will hear the tale “The Berenstain Bears Go To School.” In the story, Sister Bear, nervous about entering kindergarten, overcomes her fears when she discovers that school is really fun.

After the story, kids will have the opportunity to meet Brother and Sister Bear! The museum’s friends at Berenstain Bears describes these two lovable characters:

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Sister Bear is a highly-competitive, born-to-win, self-reliant third-grader, who is often braver than she imagines. She loves acting, her Bearbie dolls and the color pink. Sister is very outdoorsy and sports-minded, but she also loves fairytales, writing and jump rope

Brother Bear is 10-years old and a stand-up guy. He is very sports- minded, with his favorite being soccer. He is also a big fan of T. Rex dinosaurs, model airplane building, and “wheels” of all kinds. Brother is computer literate and into video games. He often acts as protector and stands up for Sister and the smaller cubs at school.

In addition to listening to the story and meeting Sister Bear and Brother Bear, pajama party guests can participate in a variety of school-related activities throughout the evening. Practice packing a backpack with school supplies and have fun with apple stamping – stamp real apples with paint! Make a 3-D bus model out of paper and “Be the Teacher” using white boards and markers to draw and write like a teacher.

Kids can even create their own text book cover by tracing an illustration of the Berenstain Bears using a light table. In the bedtime story corner, kids can enjoy a quiet family snuggle time reading other Berenstain books while relaxing on beanbags.

At the end of the evening, kids are invited to hold their 3-D bus model high as they march and sing along with the Wheels on the Bus Parade. Then, it’s time to go home for a little hibernation, like bears do in the winter, but only for the night – and maybe some extra sleep because it’s the weekend!

Tickets for this event cost $10 per person for museum members and $15 per person for non-members. Children under the age of one will be admitted for free. Storybook Pajama Party tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Registration is required. Space is limited and tickets are selling briskly, so register early. Call 203 899 0606, ext. 264 or http://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/ to register.

Stepping Stones is located at 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT, exit 14 North and 15 South off I-95. Museum hours are: Labor Day through Memorial Day, Tuesday—Sunday and select holiday Mondays from 10 am-5pm; and Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday-Sunday from 10 am-5 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free. To learn more, visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

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Lorikeets will be eating out of your hand!

There is still time to visit the Lorikeets and step into a lush aviary to share a laugh and a squawk with beautiful tropical birds that will sip food right out of your hands. The “Lorikeets” returns is the special summer exhibit at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk through September 1.

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The exhibit will feature more than 50 free-flying lorikeets, which are colorful medium-sized parrots native to the south Pacific (SE Asia, eastern Australia, Polynesia). The birds come in a dazzling rainbow of colors – with feathers that almost radiate an iridescent glow when seen in full sunlight. Lorikeets are naturally found in rainforests and woodlands, but also in wooded urban areas, where they primarily feed on the nectars of various blossoms and fruits.

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Visitors are invited to purchase a cup of nectar for $3 that will attract lorikeets to land on you while drinking creating an unforgettable experience and photo opportunity.

Lorikeets are specially adapted to their sweet nectar diet through their specialized tongue. Tiny hair-like appendages called papillae form a U shape on the end of the tongue. When the tongue is extended, these papillae stand up like bristles on a brush, expanding the tongue’s surface area and allowing the birds to easily soak up nectar. Unique to lorikeets, these papillae have earned the birds the nickname “brush-tongued parrots.”

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Some other important items to note about “Lorikeets”: • It will be handicapped-accessible but no strollers, please. • Guests will be asked to sanitize their hands before entering. • To encourage the birds to rest, the exhibit will close for a half-hour at 1:30 p.m. daily. • The exhibit will close 30 minutes before the rest of the Aquarium: at 5:30 p.m. in July and August.

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Get more details about “Lorikeets” and other summer offerings at The Maritime Aquarium, including the new IMAX movie “Journey to the South Pacific” by calling (203) 852-0700 or logging onto www.maritimeaquarium.org.

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Concerts at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk

Each Wednesday night throughout the summer, music lovers can head to scenic Calf Pasture Beach on Calf Pasture Beach Road in Norwalk (06851) to enjoy an evening of free musical entertainment. If you don’t have a parking sticker for this beach, not to worry, there is a nominal $5.00 parking fee charged for cars without a Norwalk beach sticker.

Cash Kings
Cash Kings

To start off the month of August at 7 p.m. Cash is King is performing. Fans of the Man in Black will enjoy this recreation of performances by Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Three with June Carter Cash.

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The Classic Car Show is back on August 13 and begins at 6 p.m. This gathering of than 100 vehicles is hosted by the Coachmen Rod and Custom Club, an organization of men and women who enjoy classic cars. Owners of 1981 and older cars can participate in the shows, which attract owners from throughout the tri-state area. Each car show participant is asked to contribute canned food or make a donation to the St. Vincent De Paul food bank. At 7 p.m., Deja Vu will entertain the crowd. For ten years, this popular group has been performing “golden oldies” at events from New Haven to New York. The group includes Dominick Muro (lead vocals), Tony Masi (keyboards/lead vocals), Arthur Armstrong (lead vocals), George Gionios (saxophone/vocals), Rocco Castango (drums/vocals), John Skrensky (bass guitar/vocals) and Sal Salta (lead guitar/vocals).

Desert Highway
Desert Highway

Curious Creatures kick off the August 20 event at 6:30 p.m. and is followed by a concert by Desert Highway. This is a passionate group of six talented professions who perform the rich vocal harmonies and intricate guitar styles made famous by The Eagles. The band includes Mike Green (lead vocals, guitars), Larry Lippman (lead vocals, drums), Carl Bova (bass, vocals), Rich Naso (guitars), Ed Betancourt (guitars, vocals) and Mitch Lieb (keyboards).

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On August 27 at 7 p.m. Back to the Garden 1969 will entertain concert goers. Spotlighting music from the Woodstock era, these seasoned musicians have toured, performed and recorded nationally. Each member of the band – Gary Adamson, Bob Fonseca, Mike Garner, Larry Kelly and Annie Masciando — plays multiple instruments and also is a lead vocalist.

For area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.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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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
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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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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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