Archive for the ‘Outdoors’ Category

Out and about: Things to see and places to be this weekend

Friday, June 14, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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With a sunnier scene set to welcome those who will be out and about this weekend, there will be plenty of outdoor festivities to enjoy, from the inaugural Artwalk in Stamford, a free concert from Aaron Neville in New Haven, a car show at Tilley Pond Park in Darien, the opening weekends of Shakespeare on the Sound and the Summer Theatre of New Canaan, an Irish festival in Fairfield, an art festival in New Milford and a strawberry festival in Monroe.

As always, there is almost too much to do in a 48-hour period (with some stragglers set to entertain into next week). The Last Bison are set to perform in Fairfield, On My Honor will be in Danbury, Suzanne Sheridan will be in Westport. The Danbury Symphony will launch the free concert series on the green on Saturday. The Platters’ Myles Savage will be in Greenwich with members of classic doo-wop groups. Meanwhile, an Old School Hip Hop Jam takes place at Foxwoods. The Outlaws will be in Tarrytown and Chris Coogan and the Good News Gospel Choir will be in Wetsport.

A number of communities are beginning to enjoy their summer concert series, including Fairfield, Seymour, Trumbull and Ridgefield.

If one is looking to share some arts and ideas with others, the place to be this weekend is New Haven where the International Festival of Arts and Ideas kicks off for a two-week run. If you are looking to celebrate the marvels of nature, Mystic Aquarium and Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo have lots in store for you.

The Shore Line Trolley Museum is putting you in the driver’s seat this weekend. The Barnum Festival is planning a parade. And SoundWaters continues its Saturdays series. The circus comes to Trumbull.

Several art exhibitions will be opening this weekend, including “Durer, Rembrandt & Whistler: Prints from the Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly” at the Bruce Museum and “#smART … digitally speaking” at the Old Town Hall Museum in Stamford. You can see art from a “Bird’s-eye” perspective in Westport.

On stage, “The Show-Off” plays in Westport. “Tartuffe” has a run in New Haven. “Billy Elliot” comes to the Bushnell. “Frost/Nixon,” is being performed in Westport. And, the Irish Heritage Society of Milford’s Tara Theatre Company will present “Remembrance.”

Until next time …

Out and about:Things to see and places to be this weekend

Friday, June 7, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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The state may be awash with rain for most of Friday and into Saturday, but it also will boast a flood of entertainment. Nearly every musical genre will be featured on stages throughout the state. A number of festivals will feature yummy culinary traditions. Attractions, venues and sites around the state will be offering free and discount admission and special events to mark Open House Day. There will be movies, movies and more movies New Milford will be awash with paint.

First off, make sure to check out a few of the events scheduled for Open House Day on Saturday, when the state’s tourism office coordinates a day to celebrate the treasures in our backyards. Local institutions such as the Greenwich Historical Society, Stamford Museum and Nature Center, the Trumbull Historical Society, the Fairfield Museum and History Center, the Gallaher Mansion and Carriage House Theater and others, will be participating. The full list is here.

Musical fans have a wide choice of concerts and events from which to choose. You can see Aztec Two-Step in Westport. Mostly Motown is coming to Danbury. Stratford’s Sister Cities Chorus will be inspired by the movies for their next concert. Flamenco guitarist Ottmar Liebert will perform in Ridgefield with his band Luna Negra. The Fairfield Theatre Company has a full weekend schedule, as always. Mandy Patinkin will be in New Haven. The Old Crow Medicine Show sets up shop in Port Chester, N.Y.

The Kent Singers will be celebrating their 40th anniversary with a concert on Sunday. A Sea Music Festival lands in Mystic. The Pine Leaf Boys kick off a summer music series in Ridgefield. And a musical tribute to Eric Von Schmidt is set for Sunday in Westport. Those who want to travel farther afield can make it to Brooklyn to see The Remains.

Film fans have a whole festival to enjoy in Hartford. The Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will play through Saturday at a number of venues. Meanwhile, live music will accompany a screening of the 1927 silent film “Wings” in Stratford.

In New Milford, paint will flow at the “Paint the People” event at Young’s Field, while soup and music will flavor an all-day festival in Shelton. Cultural traditions will flood the senses at a number of weekend festivals. There is the Feast of St. Anthony in Bridgeport; the June Food Fest hosted by St. Dimitrie Romanian Orthodox Church in Easton; the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Stamford, as well as one by the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Danbury, and Juneteenth African-American Caribbean Parade and Festival in Bridgeport. There’s also Black Rock Day and the Soldiers Fair in Ridgefield.

Do you want to laugh? Jim Breuer will be in Ridgefield. Kevin Meaney and Michael “Motts” Pelazza will be in Stamford. And Stand-Up for Newtown gets under way on Friday.

You can enjoy the outdoors with events such as the Bartlett Arboretum’s Spring Garden Tour or the Danbury Mad Hackers Social Media Conference, Mini Maker Faire and Party of the Dome. Dogs get the spotlight at the Canine Carnival at Stepping Stones Museum for Children and and an outdoor festival for their dogs and owners in New Canaan.

Those who want to check out some art have the 55th annual Art Show and Sale or the iCreate exhibition in Greenwich, as well as the “SameSex” exhibition at the City Lights Gallery in downtown Bridgeport.

Until next time …

 

 

Concert Happenings in Ridgefield’s Parks announces 2013 line-up

Tuesday, June 4, 2013 by:Scott Gargan
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Sure, there’s Alive @ Five, Downtown Thursdays and 2013 Ives Concert Park Celebrity Series.

But none of those concert series lasts all summer. CHIRP does.

The line-up for Concert Happenings in Ridgefield Parks — better known to festival-goers as CHIRP — has been announced, and it brings a heady mix of folk, blues, bluegrass, country, Latin and Americana bands to Ballard Park through Aug. 29.

The concerts, which start at 7 p.m., are free to all. Picnics and blankets are encouraged.

Check out the line-up, below:

  • The Pine Leaf Boys — Tuesday, June 11
  • Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds — Tuesday, June 18
  • Three Penny Acre — Tuesday, June 25
  • Matuto — Tuesday, July 2
  • Slaid Cleaves (with fireworks) — Thursday, July 4
  • The Holmes Brothers — Tuesday, July 9
  • Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers — Tuesday, July 11
  • The Duhks — Tuesday, July 16
  • Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line — Tuesday, July 23
  • Hot Club of Cowtown — Thursday, July 25
  • Solas — Tuesday, July 30
  • The Claire Lynch Band — Thursday, Aug. 1
  • Eliza Gilkyson — Tuesday, Aug. 6
  • Jimmy Lafave — Thursday, Aug. 8
  • C.J. Chenier & His Red Hot Louisiana Band — Tuesday, Aug. 13
  • The Fairfield Counts — Thursday, Aug. 15
  • Cherish The Ladies — Tuesday, Aug. 20
  • Baskery — Thursday, Aug. 22
  • To be announced — Tuesday, Aug. 27
  • Max Baca & Los Texmaniacs — Thursday, Aug. 29

Out and about: Things to see and places to be this weekend

Friday, May 31, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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In a matter of hours, Norwalk’s Crystal Theatre will be getting their 25th anniversary under way, which will feature alumni who made the successful leap from local stages to venues far and wide. Cheryl Kemeny, the nonprofit community theater program’s co-founder, said in a recent article that she was looking forward to the reunion. Others likely will be too. For ticket information, visit the organization’s website.

This is just one of many events taking place throughout our area. For instance, one can find places to listen to music, reminisce, help raise funds or watch a tale of inspiration.

When it comes to music, Stratford native and winner of the first season of NBC’s “The Voice, Javier Colon, will host the Barnum Festival’s first “Got Talent” vocal competition for middle school students at Klein Memorial next week. Moe will be in Danbury. 4ontefloor will perform in New Haven. Gary Louris, The Machine Unplugged and Devon Allman Band will be swinging through Fairfield this weekend. The Bacon Brothers come together in Ridgefield. A number of summer concert series begin, too, including ones in Fairfield and Seymour. If you still want more music, you can check out some classical selections from Cypress Ensemble or enjoy some jazz in Greenwich or Stamford.

If you are in the mood to look back, the Nelson twins, Matthew and Gunnar, will be in Westchester County, N.Y., with a show that celebrates the life and music of their late father Ricky Nelson. If you want to help to raise funds for Dana’s Angels Research Trust, you can enjoy the sounds of the Beach Boys in Stamford. If you want to see perseverance and hope in the face of a debilitating medical condition, make sure to check out “Gutless & Grateful” at the Bijou.

Those who love theater may choose from “West Side Story” in New Haven, “8″ in Stamford, “Becoming Dr. Ruth” in Hartford. “Dreamgirls” in Waterbury, “Lucky Me” in New Haven and “I Do! I Do!” in Ridgefield.

The weekend just keeps churning out more things to do, however. You can enjoy an ice cream social in New Canaan or  the Pop Shop Market in Fairfield. Gardens won’t stay too hidden this weekend in Westport. Or, check out some local dancers when the Ballet School of Stamford presents “Peter and the Wolf” and “Don Quixote Suites.”

The Mercurial Gallery will veer a bit from the season and feature a Halloween-inspired show. In Easton, a show inspired by the Newtown tragedy opens. In Norwalk, the Center for Contemporary Printmaking will be celebrating a miniature print exhibition.

There’s bound to be something that inspires a trip out of the house. Whatever you decide to do, enjoy.

Until next time …

Out and about: Things to see and places to be this weekend

Friday, May 24, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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It is the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, which means many different things to many different people. Of course, at its core is a remembrance for the men and women who died in service to this country. Parades, ceremonies and special events will be held throughout the area to honor those individuals.

And, while it is not mutually exclusive, the weekend also is a time that many celebrate the unofficial arrival of the summer season. Summer, at least according to the calendar, does not arrive for some weeks. Around this area, there are plenty of activities to help wile away a rainy and gray or bright and sunny day.

You can walk like a dinosaur or eat lobster this weekend. You can spot a few lorikeets or some of the state’s inventions and innovations. The Hollywood All Stars will be making an appearance in Bridgeport, while the Shuk will be making a stop in Westport. The University of Notre Dame Folk Choir also plans to raise its collective voices in song this weekend, while The Thermals will heat it up in Hamden. The Blind Boys of Alabama bring their music to Fairfield. George Clinton will be in Mashantucket. And 90s powerhouse boy bands, now men, New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men will be in Uncasville. The Stray Birds are landing in Ballard Park.

For many, the late 1980s, early ’90s was one of the golden eras of “Saturday Night Live,” with the likes of Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz and Nora Dunn. Carvey, Nealon and Miller will be in Connecticut this weekend for an evening of comedy at the MGM Grand Theater in Foxwoods. Their show tops a weekend of comedy, which includes appearances by Lue Avent and Kevin Downey Jr. and a number of events from the Treehouse Comedy showcases.

Families will likely want to check out Farming Fever over at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo or Family Farm Fridays at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. There will be a “Turtle Time” hike in Greenwich and a WalkCT Family Ramble in Hamden. Marine Life Study cruises are underway in Norwalk, as are trips out to Sheffield Island. And the Strawberry Festival returns to Brookfield.

Several art shows are wrapping up this weekend, so make sure to save some time to check them out. They include “The Art of the Northeast,” “The Drawing Show IV – Marks on A Page,” “Avant-Garde Persuasion: The Photographs of Harold Haliday Costain,” “Imagine” and “Nightwatch: The Art of Greg Mort.” Several other shows are opening, including “Play Ball,” “reclAimed peRspecTive,” “Allison Smith: Rudiments of Fife & Drum” and “Art In The Country.” Dancer and visual performing artist Adelka Polak will present an afternoon performance in Ridgefield. Meanwhile, the Rowayton Arts Center will be hosting its annual Art in Pinkney Park.

On stage, one can catch “The Wedding Singer” and “Twelfth Night.”

Enjoy this long weekend. Until next time …

I know what you’re doing this summer

Friday, May 17, 2013 by:Jonathan Lucas
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Basic CMYK

Where are the fans of summer plans?

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, area residents will have just about 100 days to find ways to enjoy what this “unofficial” stretch of summer has to offer. Will you stay to play or travel some distance away to find your bliss?

Do you plan to take a hike, stroll along a main street, take in the sun and surf, hike up a mountain, listen to some music or give outdoor theater a try? Will you be sailing into the sunset or scaling a rock wall? Will you take to the roads, the rails or the water to arrive at your favored destination?

We want to hear from readers about their favorite summer activities and destinations, whether close to home or within a day or two away. Do these activities or places have special meanings? Are they part of a family tradition? Do you have plans to try something new this year?

Send your suggestions to localnews@scni.com by Wednesday, May 22. Please include your name and phone number. We plan to publish the entries during the Memorial Day weekend, which begins Saturday, May 25. Memorial Day is May 27.

Here are a few categories to get you thinking — or daydreaming — about where you’ll be putting your beach blanket or just chilling out this summer. Hit the comments link below to share your suggestions.

Summer, in waves

Fairfield County residents have no lack of waterways in which to play this summer. From the broad expanse of Long Island Sound to the many rivers and streams that crisscross the area, be ready to get your toes wet.

Making a day of it

Connecticut features a multitude of attractions and activities, and there are even more beyond the state’s borders. Whether you take to the roads, the rails or the water to achieve your destination, where are people going?

Having some fun, naturally

Trails, forests, parks, campgrounds and other open spaces will be feeling the tread of visitors’ feet this summer.

Entertaining evenings

Summer nights will be alive with the sound of music, stage craft and cinema.

Youthful pursuits

When the inevitable complaint of boredom crosses your youngsters’ lips, you will be well served to know there are more than a few activities and venues that can turn that frown upside down.

Out and about: Things to see and places to be this weekend

Friday, May 17, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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There are other events, of course, too, some of which stretch into the next week.

Aspiring illustrators plan to gather in Westport to enjoy the town library’s first comics convention. Musical fans have several year-end concerts to enjoy, including a performance by the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic. Christine Lavin will make a return to the Edmond Town Hall in Newtown. Jean-Michel Cousteau will be at the Maritime Aquarium early next week. James McCartney (yes, Paul’s son) will be in New Haven. And, Melissa Ferrick will feature songs from her new record during an appearance in Fairfield.

Like the “American Idol(s)” of today, Jenny Lind captured the attention of America back in 1850, during a tour of the country organized by P.T. Barnum. The singer’s influence continues today with Saturday’s Jenny Lind competition that is part of the Barnum Festival. Meanwhile, Danbury band Standby hopes to attract some attention during a release party at Heirloom Arts Theatre. The Connecticut Choral Society delivers some music, as well.

On stage, A.R. Gurney’s “Black Tie” will receive its Connecticut premiere this weekend in Stratford. And community dancers will take to the stage to raise funds for Curtain Call.

Phew! But, wait …

You can see Pilobolus at the Shubert Theater in New Haven. There will be a full weekend for endangered species at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo. A parody of “Harry Potter” comes to Hartford. You can see the stars in Stamford or Danbury. Singer Summer Williams will entertain in Bethel. Westfair Singers will put on a concert in Greenwich. The Travelin’ McCourys and Karla Bonoff will be in Mamaroneck, N.Y. The Capitol Theatre will welcome Iron & Wine and Secret Sisters. Or, perhaps it is a spring doo wop you seek. Motley Crue anyone? Soundgarden? Rave On will be in Westport. And, Connecticut Playmakers will begin two weekends of popular hits.

“Connecticut Inventions and Innovations” will open in Bridgeport. Lidia Bastianich and Faith Middleton will be in Simbsury. And Boothe Memorial Park will mark the beginning of a season in style. You can help the Norwalk Seaport Association open its season on Saturday. You can check out Adopt-A-Dog and Westhill High School’s combined cause. Or, you can walk in support of breast cancer research.

Until next time …

P.S. The Bruce Hornsby show, originally scheduled for Sunday, May 19, at the Ridgefield Playhouse has been postponed because the singer is coping with a “persistent vocal issue,” according to the Playhouse. The show has been rescheduled to Sept. 29. A recent news statement indicated that previously purchased tickets will be honored.

Bridgeport’s Downtown Thursdays line-up announced

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 by:Scott Gargan
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Live music is returning to McLevy Green this summer.

Downtown Thursdays, Bridgeport’s free annual concert series, kicks off on Thursday, June 6 and continues every Thursday — with the exception of July 4 — until Aug. 29. Concerts start at 6 p.m.

The 12-week series brings a mix of rock, reggae, funk and folk acts from across the Tri-State area to Downtown Bridgeport, creating a carnivalesque atmosphere that lures families and young professionals alike.

“Downtown Thursdays brings top local acts from a variety of musical genres to the heart of our walkable, vibrant downtown neighborhood in historic McLevy Green,” Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said in a statement. “I invite Bridgeport residents and visitors from our neighboring towns to check out a concert this summer, have dinner at one of our excellent restaurants and enjoy a Thursday evening in downtown.”

Check out the line-up, below:

  • June 20 – Natural Wonder (Bridgeport/Stevie Wonder covers); The Chords

  • July 11 – Special guest to be announced…

  • Aug. 29 – Lovewhip (Boston/disco pop, world rock)

 

 

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