Tag: norwalk

Norwalk Oyster Festival September 7-9

Fun for families and friends from nine to ninety, the 35th annual Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival will be held this year from Friday, September 7 through Sunday, September 9. This year’s entertainment highlights include music from nationally known-bands such as: The Rising on Friday, Village People on Saturday and Lou Gramm on Sunday. Festivalgoers will enjoy a wide variety of rides, cooking competitions, arts and crafts and a diverse assortment of attractions and entertainment that promise unforgettable fun.

New this year the festival will feature the action packed Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Festival that will feature world champion lumberjacks demonstrating their log rolling, axe throwing, chopping, sawing, tree climbing and dragster chainsaw skills. Another new event venue will offer hands on interactive race-themed attractions by nationally recognized Fast Action Motorsports Entertainment. These dynamic additions to the Oyster Festival are awe inspiring and unforgettable.

For the Kids

The festival’s Pirates Coast Adventure will wow children of all ages. Here, kids can meet real life pirates and look for booty in treasure hunts, hear storytelling and join in other fun-filled activities. The Kids’ Cove includes games, rides and entertainment. This interactive pirate encampment gives kids a taste of what seafaring was like during the golden age of piracy from 1650-1750. In addition, there will be an action-packed performance by Marvel Super Heroes.

Sunday is Family Day with special family and children’s packages for entrance, rides and meals. The perk of family day on Sunday is that one child under 12 gets in free with each adult paid admission and for a mere $15 can ride all the amusement rides free from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. To round out the family fun there will be live shows for kids on the festival’s main stage.

For the Whole Family

The festival offers a wide array of attractions the whole family will enjoy, including continuous entertainment by local musicians and national acts. A multitude of fine artists and crafters display whimsical as well as practical items that appeal to all tastes, budgets and ages. For on the water fun, head to the festival docks to tour historic vessels and to cruise the scenic and historic Norwalk Harbor.

For the Foodies

Food demonstrations and competitions, including the always-popular chowder and chili cook-offs will take place throughout the fesitval. A highlight of the Festival is the wide variety of great food from around the world that is available at the International Food Court. This culinary fare is prepared by dozens of local nonprofit organizations allowing them to raise vital funds for their charitable causes. At the Oyster Pavilion, learn about Norwalk’s oystering history while watching slurping and shucking contests.

The event is held at Veteran’s Park, adjacent to Norwalk Harbor on Seaview Avenue in Norwalk, CT. Admission for adults is $5 on Friday, $12 on Saturday and Sunday. Senior tickets are $10 all days. Children 5-12 year’s old are $5. Children under 5 and U.S. military personnel on active duty are free. Sunday is Family Day with special pricing on that day only — 1 child (age 5-12) free with each paid adult admission. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.seaport.org. Free Parking and Free Shuttle Bus service is provided from four (4) local parking lots, just follow the signs to Oyster Festival Parking.

Festivalgoers can save on admission and rail fare when they purchase the Metro-North Railroad/Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival discount package. Packages are available at all ticket offices and ticket machines (except South Norwalk Station) or by visiting www.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_oyster_fest.htm

About the Norwalk Seaport Association

The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, education and public awareness of Norwalk’s maritime environment and heritage. The Seaport Association and its volunteers are solely responsible for organizing and financing the Oyster Festival. In addition to the Oyster Festival, the Norwalk Seaport Association owns Sheffield Lighthouse and its volunteers maintain the lighthouse and grounds as a museum and nature preserve. For more information, visit www.seaport.org or call (203) 838-9444.

For area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

JanetLeave a comment

Maritime Aquarium’s Cruises Go Daily in July

Study Cruise aboard the Oceanic

Share a memorable boat ride with crabs, fish, lobsters and other creatures brought up right out of Long Island Sound right before your eyes during daily study cruises this summer with The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

The Aquarium’s exciting Marine Life Study Cruises will begin their daily schedule on July 1, departing at 1 p.m. each day through Labor Day. (In June, they push off at 1 p.m. on Saturdays.)

During each 21/2-hour Marine Life Study Cruise aboard the research vessel Oceanic, animals are collected from different water levels and bottom habitats of the Sound. A video microscope provides a magnified look at wriggly plankton gathered at the sunlit surface. Tiny crabs and worms emerge from a sampling of the anaerobic muddy bottom. A biodredge reveals a hidden world of sponges, snails and mollusks. And everyone inspects the trawl net’s bounty – varieties of fish and crabs, lobsters, sea stars, squid and always a few surprises.

The outings are much more than a boat ride. Maritime Aquarium educators involve participants in the processes, from sorting through samples to helping to pull in the trawl net and returning animals to the water. These animal encounters have immediate and incredible value in showing participants that the Sound is very much alive and worthy of our protection.

Besides being fun and eye-opening, Marine Life Study Cruises also contribute to local scientific research. Water-chemistry and weather readings are taken. And details about the animals brought onboard are entered into the Aquarium’s Long Island Sound Biodiversity Project, a database on the physical and biological features of the Sound. The database, available online for teachers and researchers, will reveal any changes in the Sound over time.

Also during the study cruises, as part of a Horseshoe Crab Census conducted by Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, The Maritime Aquarium tags and records data about all horseshoe crabs collected.

Cost of a Marine Life Study Cruise is $20.50 per person ($18.50 for Maritime Aquarium members). All passengers must be at least 42 inches tall. Reservations are strongly recommended; walk-up tickets will be sold space permitting. The Oceanic can accommodate 29 passengers. Marine Life Study Cruises also are available for private 9 a.m. charters for summer camps, Scouts and other groups. Cruises depart from the dock near the Aquarium’s IMAX Theater entrance. To reserve your spot on a Maritime Aquarium Marine Life Study Cruise, or for more details, call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206. For more information visit www.MaritimeAquarium.org. For regional information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

JanetLeave a comment

Art in Parking Places Opens Exhibit at Maritime Garage Gallery Senses of SoNo Begins in May

Fisherman’s Restaurant, I Ryan

The Norwalk Parking Authority will be launching another Art in Parking Places when The Maritime Garage Gallery opens The Senses of SoNo, Anatomy of a Bustling Hub with an opening reception on Wednesday, May 16 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm. The event is free and open to the public and parking will be free for the event. The Gallery is located at 11 North Water Street in the Maritime Parking Garage in South Norwalk.

Senses of SoNo exhibit, which runs through July 27, kicks off a yearlong series of exhibits themed on a variation of the traditional five senses: sight= urban elements, smell= food, touch=music, taste= fashion, hearing (sound)= LI Sound. Senses of SoNo includes works of all media from selected artists, including Dana Laird, Joan Jardine, Phyllis Sinrich, Lisa Black, Donna Cassarro Hughes, John Hetzel, Jana Ireijo, David Hollier, Jane Bennett, Loren DePalma, Lynn Stevens Massey, Lorraine Ryan, Mari Gyorgyey, Debra Schaffer, Ellen Hackl Fagan, and Mary Jo Lombardo.

Norwalk Parking Authority Director Kathryn Hebert said, “This exhibit is another exciting project of the Authority’s ‘Art In Parking Places’ series that is being implemented in various parking venues around Norwalk. The Parking Authority and the City of Norwalk are delighted to be bringing artistic creative place making activities for residents and visitors to Norwalk to enjoy.” Currently, another Art in Parking Places exhibit is being installed at the South Norwalk Railroad Station.

Jardine

The Maritime Garage Art Gallery is collaboration between the Norwalk Parking Authority and the Norwalk Arts Commission in an effort to support art in public spaces. The gallery is free and open to the public from 9:00am -5:00pm daily. For more information call 203- 831-9063 or e-mail: maritimegallery@norwalkpark.org.

The Norwalk Parking Authority is a financially self-sustaining organization responsible for the operation and maintenance of the municipal parking system in Norwalk. It is not financed by taxpayer dollars. The Authority is committed to collaborating with community organizations while providing exceptional customer service to parking customers. The Norwalk Parking Authority can be reached at (203) 831-9063 or at the website: http://www.norwalkpark.org

Sound!

JanetLeave a comment

Study Cruises at Maritime Aquarium Opens Through June 20

Oceanic Research Vessel

Share a memorable boat ride with crabs, fish, lobsters and other creatures brought up right out of Long Island Sound right before your eyes in a new season of hands-on study cruises with The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

The Aquarium’s exciting Marine Life Study Cruises will depart on Saturdays at 1 p.m. through June 30. They’ll push off at 1 p.m. daily in July and August.

The recent ‘FINtastic RefurbFISHment,’at The Maritime Aquarium’s exhibits are devoted to teaching visitors about Long Island Sound. The best exhibits can’t top the immediacy and impact when study-cruise participants see these animals come up onto the boat right in front of them.

During each 21/2-hour Marine Life Study Cruise aboard the research vessel Oceanic, animals are collected from different water levels and bottom habitats of the Sound. A video microscope provides a magnified look at wriggly plankton gathered at the sunlit surface. Tiny crabs and worms emerge from a sampling of the anaerobic muddy bottom. A biodredge reveals a hidden world of sponges, snails and mollusks. And everyone inspects the trawl net’s bounty – varieties of fish and crabs, lobsters, sea stars, squid and always a few surprises.

The outings are much more than a boat ride. Maritime Aquarium educators involve participants in the processes, from sorting through samples to helping to pull in the trawl net and returning animals to the water. These animal encounters have immediate and incredible value in showing participants that the Sound is very much alive and worthy of protection.

Besides being fun and eye-opening, Marine Life Study Cruises also contribute to local scientific research. Water-chemistry and weather readings are taken. And details about the animals brought onboard are entered into the Aquarium’s Long Island Sound Biodiversity Project, a database on the physical and biological features of the Sound. The database, available online for teachers and researchers, will reveal any changes in the Sound over time.

Also during the study cruises, as part of a Horseshoe Crab Census conducted by Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, The Maritime Aquarium tags and records data about all horseshoe crabs collected.

Cost of a Marine Life Study Cruise is $20.50 per person ($18.50 for Maritime Aquarium members). All passengers must be at least 42 inches tall.

Reservations are strongly recommended; walk-up tickets will be sold space permitting. The Oceanic can accommodate 29 passengers.

Marine Life Study Cruises also are available for private weekday charters for schools, summer camps, Scouts and other groups at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Cruises depart from the dock near the Aquarium’s IMAX Theater entrance.

To reserve your spot on a Maritime Aquarium Marine Life Study Cruise, or for more details, call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.

JanetLeave a comment

Charlie Hewitt Cut & Printed at the Center for Contemporary Crafts Jan 22- March 12

Charlie Hewitt Woodcut

The Center for Contemporary Crafts in Norwalk CT has announced a new exhibit that will be on view from January 22 to March 12, 2012. The name of the exhibit is Charlie Hewitt: Cut and Printed, Recent Color Woodcuts. The opening reception is on Sunday, January 22 from 2 PM to 5 PM.

Charlie Hewitt is a printmaker, painter and sculptor, who has taught extensively since 1986 at schools including Dartmouth College and Fordham University. He has had many solo exhibitions and has his work in major private and public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, the New York Public Library, The Library of Congress and the Portland Museum of Art.

In addition to the exhibition, Charlie Hewitt will be leading a workshop, “Wet-On Wet Woodcut Intensive”, with Master Printer David Wolfe from February 17th – 19th at the studios located at the Center for Contemporary Crafts. They will co-teach this workshop in multi-colored woodcut and relief printing methods. Students cut and print using a wet-on-wet ink process that produces a spontaneous, immediate print. The workshop concentrates on creating unique print variations by working with a variety of cutting and inking techniques. Participants need to bring their own tools if they have them. Tools will also be available for those that do not own them. To register please visit the website at www.contemprints.org, or call 203-899-7999.

Mezzotint

Two additional workshops are offered in January. Mezzotint with Carol Wax is offered from Jan. 27 through Jan. 29 from 10 AM – 4 PM. This worshop features direct, non-toxic engraving with the resulting luminous prints with rich tones and dramatic lighting effects. Participants will learn the most efficient way to prepare a mezzotint ground, proper care and handling of tools, image making and printing techniques, alternative grounding methods (no rocking!), use of mezzotint with other intaglio techniques, color printing, registration methods, cool tricks and more.

Carborundum Aquatint

There is also a 6-week evening workshop on Carborundum aquatint that takes place on Wednesdays, from January 18 through February 21. The workshop includes 6 hours of studio time per week, during the workshop session.

Carborundum aquatint is a painterly intaglio technique in which the artist paints directly on a Plexiglas plate with a mixture of carborundum grit and acrylic medium. When dry, the plate is inked and wiped as an etching. Using a variety of sizes of grit, a printmaker can achieve a wide range of tones. Participants will also explore multiple plate registration methods and printing in color.

The Center for Contemporary Printmaking is located in Mathews Park, 299 West Avenue Norwalk, CT 06850 203.899.799. The website is www.contemprints.org.

JanetLeave a comment

ALL ABOARD FOR “THE POLAR EXPRESS AT THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK Nov. 25-Dec. 31

Polar Express at the IMAX Theatre Maritime Center Norwalk

Renew (or begin) a family tradition by securing your tickets for a magical ride to the North Pole as “The Polar Express” steams back onto the giant IMAX screen for a limited engagement at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

Based on the 1986 Caldecott Award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg, “The Polar Express” follows a young boy who doubts the existence of Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, a locomotive arrives to take him and other doubtful children to Santa’s North Pole headquarters. Their shared experiences ­– onboard with a mysterious conductor, at the North Pole and then on the return leg – make a compelling adventure.

The star of this adventure is Tom Hanks who cleverly plays five roles, including the train’s officious conductor, a ghostly hobo and Santa Claus. Hailed by critics nationwide, this film, shot entirely in Performance Capture, a process by which an actor’s live performance is digitally recorded by computerized cameras and becomes a human blueprint for creating virtual characters has been tapped to become a perennial classic that will be shared by the generations. Polar Express manages to sidestep all the tiresome Christmas cliches that children have inflicted on them this time of year and presents a fresh look at this magical time of year.

Tickets for “The Polar Express” are specially priced at $11.50 for adults, $10.50 seniors 65 and older, and $9.50 for children ages 2-12. Maritime Aquarium members save $1 and can be reserved in advance online at www.maritimeaquarium.org or by calling (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.

The show runs from November 25 – December 31st. Show times through Dec. 24 are 4 & 7:30 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays. After Christmas, “The Polar Express” will play at 4 & 7:30 p.m. Dec. 26-30 and at 4 p.m. Dec. 31.

JanetLeave a comment