Tag: things to do in CT

Finding Your Bearings October 15 @ Institute For American Indian Studies

Did you know there was something besides Google Maps or Waze for directions? For centuries people around the world have used a variety of techniques to mark their boundaries, measure distances, and find their sense of place.

Native Americans used many different means to navigate their environment. Different methods were used to mark tribal territories and hunting boundaries, as well as to designate their trails and, to convey important messages. It is fascinating to learn how the natural environment was used for directions.

If you want to learn about the various ways to find directions, including traditional indigenous techniques as well as how to read a map and a compass, don’t miss the “Find Your Bearings Orienteering Workshop” on Sunday, October 15 at 1 p.m. at the Institute for American Indian Studies at 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.

Participants will join IAIS educator and ecologist, Susan Scherf for an interactive in-person workshop to learn how to get their bearings should their GPS lose its signal! A highlight of the workshop is to practice these newly acquired skills by completing an orienteering scavenger hunt on the Museum’s colorful autumn trails, which add to the fun.

Most of this program is being held outside, and some of the woodland terrain may be uneven, so wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. Space is limited and pre-registration is requested at http://www.iaismusueum.org or by calling 860-868-0518 or via email at events@iaismuseum.org. This program costs $10 for non-members and $5 for members.

About the Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

JanetLeave a comment

Have a Spooktacular Time on Saturday October 7 @ Whiting Mills and Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art

On Saturday, October 7th, ghosts, goblins, witches, and other heroes of horrors will abound in Whiting Mills located at 100 Whiting Street, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thirty Artists’ Studios will be open and brimming with frightful delights, oddities, tantalizing treats, and whimsically spooky creations. In addition to exploring working artist studios decked out for Halloween, there will be scavenger hunts, a costume contest for adults and children, an interactive monster display, and candy for all trick-or-treaters!

One studio not to be missed is Tina’s Baskets and Woven Arts which has been expertly decorated with the help of certified balloon artist, Shelley Thibault, owner of Cuz We Can Balloons. Shelley has been creating spectacular and in this case spooktacular balloon art for more than 22 years throughout the country.

Tina Puckett is an internationally award-winning woven artist specializing in everything from intricate baskets and bowls to woven sculptures and wall hangings. When visiting her studio don’t miss the chance to enter the drawing to win a festively colored Halloween basket, full of goodies that is clutched by an artfully shaped balloon cat replete with iridescent green eyes created by Shelly!

If you can’t make it to the Spooktacular event @ Whiting Mills on October 7th, no worries, Tina’s studio will remain decorated through October and will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about this award-winning artist as well as information about her classes visit tinasbaskets.com.

JanetLeave a comment

Enjoy the Harvest Celebration and Fall Foliage @ Husky Meadows Farm Stay

Some of the most stunning fall foliage in the Litchfield Hills and Southern Berkshires peak during the second and third week of October making it an age-old New England tradition to celebrate the harvest. This autumn, Husky Meadows, a certified organic farm, is capping off the season with a Harvest Celebration Farm Stay from Friday, October 20, through Sunday, October 22 – think wool sweaters, beautiful colors, walking the splendor of the garden and orchard, sipping a cocktail around the fire pit, cooking classes with the season’s latest hits, and unwinding in one of our luxurious suites.

On this farm stay, Husky Meadows is honoring our staff’s amazing labor-intensive work on our certified organic farm by treating guests to an unforgettable weekend that includes farm-to-table food, cooking classes, and plenty of downtime to enjoy the landscape – artfully painted in fire colors by Mother Nature. Many guests enjoy the short walk on one of Husky Meadows’s many trails. A favorite is the walk to Wood Creek Pond, where guests find the canoe, compliments of Husky Meadows, and wildlife provided by Wood Creek Pond.

The Harvest Celebration Farm Stay at Husky Meadows means so much more than just a few colorful gourds! There are real health benefits of working and enjoying the great outdoors and, when combined with cooking classes celebrating the certified organic produce of the season, the experience becomes a time of regeneration with the joy of doing things together – with friends, old and new.

Guests will have a sneak peek at Husky Farm’s root cellar which is brimming with tasty root vegetables along with a guided walk through the garden to learn how we harvest winter squash, onions, garlic, and hardy winter vegetables like kale, Swiss chard, and chicories. A highlight will be visiting the greenhouses and helping to plant next season’s garlic crop. And, this weekend’s cooking classes, using veggies from the harvest will show guests how to eat farm to table, at home, during the cold New England winter.

Farm stays include two nights lodging in one of four elegantly appointed and very private guest suites. A favorite among guests is the Pergola Apartment because it has two bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms, a sitting area, a kitchenette, and even a balcony. This totally separate guesthouse is perfect to book with four friends or family members. Another favorite guesthouse is called The Coop, which is the most private of all the rooms. It has a cozy loft bedroom and a large sitting room replete with a rustic stone fireplace.

All meals with beverages and cocktails are included in the farm stay package. Highlights of the package include a Friday night welcome dinner around a communal table, light breakfast, and lunch, a Saturday evening cooking class dinner, and a sumptuous and healthy Sunday brunch. To book your stay visit https://huskymeadowsfarm.com

About Husky Meadows Farm
Situated on three hundred bucolic acres in Norfolk, Connecticut, Husky Meadows Farm grows certified organic produce for its kitchen, farm stand, and community-supported agriculture membership. The farm kitchen offers year-round prepared foods. At the height of the growing season from May – October the farm also offers intimate farm stays, cooking classes, community dinners, and special workshops on a variety of farm-to-table and ecological topics.

Janet1 Comment

Brew-Ski In Salisbury – Connecticut’s Most Unique Brew Fest -Sunday, October 8

Munich may be home to Oktoberfest and Frankenmuth, America’s Little Bavaria may have a Beer Expo, but something is brewing in Salisbury, Connecticut! The 14th Annual Brew-Ski Fest sponsored by Stateline Wine and Spirits returns to the Salisbury Ski Jumps on Sunday, October 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. with music, pumpkins, cornstalks, and nearly 40 craft breweries offering visitors well over 200 examples of their best brews. The brew line-up boasts popular beers and local favorites as well as a distinct selection of hard cider, hard soda, and distilled spirits by Full Moonshine, On the Rocks, and the Berkshire Mountain Distillery.

This popular event is set against the magnificent backdrop of Satre Hill on 80 Indian Cave Road, in the bucolic town of Salisbury where the oldest Ski Jump Competition on the East Coast takes place every February. The Salisbury Winter Sports Association is hosting the Brew-Ski Fest, to help defray the cost of the internationally acclaimed Salisbury Ski JumpFest and other programs for young ski jumpers this non-profit organizes. Tickets are on sale now online @ http://brewskifest.com for $30 and will be available at the gate for $35, with all proceeds going to the Salisbury Winter Sports Association.

Among the many things that make Brew-ski unique is its alpine location which helps set the mood. Best of all, Brew-ski affords the opportunity for folks to chat with the makers of the featured brews from around the country without waiting in long lines. If you love to try new things and are ready to branch out from industrial lagers then don’t miss Brew-Ski which celebrates craft beer and more. As for food, Sunday in the Country, (http://sundayinthecountry.org) a local non-profit is preparing a hardy mix of brats, hotdogs, hamburgers, and more for you to pair with your new favorite beer.

In addition to beer, there will be live music by the Steve Dunn Band, winners of the Mohegan Sun Casino’s Battle of the Bands, and nominated for the prestigious Telly Award in 2021. The fun doesn’t stop there. Make sure you participate in the only and only Ski Jump Golf Ball Roll! All you have to do is buy a numbered golf ball and watch as hundreds of them roll down the ski jump landing hill… the ball like the skier that travels the furthest wins the prize! And as for prizes, don’t forget to take your free pumpkin home when you leave the Fest!

ABOUT SALISBURY WINTER SPORTS ASSOCIATION

In the winter of 1926, John Satre a resident of Salisbury jumped off the roof of his shed wearing skis to show his friends and neighbors a sport he learned in his native homeland of Norway. Town residents were so amazed as they watched Satre soar through the air that they decided to build a proper ski run that summer, and form the Salisbury Winter Sports Association. The Association hosted the first ski jump competition in January 1927. JumpFest has become a highly anticipated event in Connecticut and throughout the East Coast.

JanetLeave a comment

Basket Weaving Classes offered by Award Winning Artist – Tina Puckett At Her Studio

Tina Puckett, owner of Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art in Winsted, Connecticut is a nationally and internationally award-winning woven artist specializing in everything from intricate baskets and bowls to woven sculptures and wall hangings. Puckett has just announced that she is offering a series of year-round classes for teens and adults on Saturday and Sunday and on Monday and Friday nights. “There is a universal and enduring appeal of baskets and woven bowls. The sensation of making something with your hands from reeds and bittersweet vines is empowering, and I want to share that feeling in my classes,” says Puckett.

Learn from an award winning artist

The classes, which are suitable for all skill levels, are offered for up to six people as well as for individuals who want an intensive session. During the weaving session, Tina will share her knowledge about the history of basket weaving and what inspires her work. This hands-on experience provides participants with the basic techniques to create their very own basket or bowl, an understanding of this time-honored craft, as well as improving their understanding of the beauty of bittersweet and reeds. Among the many things that make these classes different is that participants will learn that weaving with bittersweet defines the character and shape of the basket or bowl transforming it into a woven piece of art.

Have fun making this bittersweet tray!

All classes take place in Tina’s atmospherically inspiring Studio at Whiting Mills in Winsted. Part of the fun of is to choose the type of basket or bowl you want to weave, your color palate, and how much time you want to spend weaving it. Participants can choose a class on Saturday or Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Classes are also being offered Monday and Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. All participants will leave the class with a finished basket or bowl to take home. All materials are provided including a piece of locally foraged bittersweet vine or a wooden hoop, and a choice of hand-colored, custom reeds. All classes are by advance reservation only and can be made by clicking https://www.tinasbaskets.com/classes

If you can’t make it to the studio, no worries, Tina is also offering classes via Zoom. Off-site classes are also available by special arrangement.

Learn how to make this colorful and useful basket

“I am excited to share what I know,” says Puckett. “It is a tradition that has been handed down through the centuries, in just about every culture around the world. Basketry weaving classes aren’t one of those things that are readily accessible to everybody, which is why I decided to offer classes year-round.”

About Tina’s Baskets

Tina Puckett is a nationally awarded weaver of baskets and woven art who is the owner of Tina’s Baskets which is located at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut. Tina has been weaving since 1981 using hand-dyed reeds, bittersweet, and a variety of objects like beads or seagrass. Her work is showcased at a variety of galleries across the United States as well as at her gallery/studio where you will often find her weaving on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Custom orders are accepted and appointments can be arranged by texting 860-309-6934.

JanetLeave a comment

A Touch of Monet’s Giverny @ Norfolk’s Husky Meadow Farm’s Art and Cooking Intensive Farm Stay

October is the crown jewel of months in New England which is why Husky Meadows Farm, a certified organic working farm, in Norfolk, Connecticut has put together a farm stay that embraces the beauty of the season through art, cooking, garden walks, and the harvest. At the Fall Art Intensive Farm Stay with Marie Colette-Dupont-Nivet from Thursday, October 12 through Monday, October 16, guests will be treated to a French countryside experience inspired by Claude Monet’s Giverny in France in New England.

Take an art class this fall at Husky Meadows Farm

Like Monet’s fabled home, the autumn landscape of Husky Meadows Farm’s colorful gardens and orchards inspire a sense of serenity making them the perfect setting for an art workshop with Marie Colette-Dupont-Nivet originally from the storybook area of Alsace, France. Her specialty is decorative furniture painting in the historical tradition of using milk paint on wooden panels.

Milk Paint is a traditional way to update old furniture or give new pieces a rustic, farmhouse finish, which is so popular today. Participants will learn that milk paint is made with natural ingredients like lime, casein (a milk protein), and clay, unlike regular paint. Marie-Colette will guide participants through the process of making a decorative wooden piece that they will take home as a memento of this artistic experience. A highlight of the class will be to learn how to match the wood grain with pigments, how to marbleize, and, how to paint a landscape of flowers on wood using milk paint. To finish this project, Marie Colette will guide participants through the different techniques of glazing, varnishing, and waxing to complete the final look of the piece.

To add to the country French ambiance, there will be plenty of time to explore the property, engage in the rich bounty of the harvest, and participate in hands-on French-style cooking classes. Sunday night’s dinner will be a highlight of the stay because it will feature a sumptuous meal made from Monet’s recipes from Giverny that were once served in his famed yellow dining room. Sunday night’s dinner will be long cherished as the next best thing to sitting at Monet’s table!

Guests will enjoy the comfort of Husky Meadows’s luxurious suites; each offers something a little different. The Coop is the most private cottage with a fieldstone fireplace and loft bedroom. Wildflower is spacious and beautifully appointed with a private porch overlooking a wildflower meadow; and Wolftree’s arched ceiling, views, and steam shower make it cozy.

Farm Stays include all meals, beverages, and activities. The Fall Art Intensive is $2500 per person, single occupancy, for the all-inclusive experience. A non-lodging rate that includes all activities and meals is $1200 per person. To book the farm stay, visit huskymeadowsfarm.com or contact the Culinary Director at tracy@huskymeadowsfarm.

About Husky Meadows Farm
Situated on three hundred bucolic acres in Norfolk, Connecticut, Husky Meadows Farm grows certified organic produce for its kitchen, farm stand, and community-supported agriculture membership. The farm kitchen offers year-round prepared foods. At the height of the growing season from May – October the farm also offers intimate farm stays, cooking classes, community dinners, and special workshops on a variety of farm-to-table and ecological topics.

JanetLeave a comment