Northeastern Connecticut's Neighbors Paper

Calendar

Everything Fun for April 2007

7/1 Sun

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.   Vineyard Festival at the Coventry Farmer’ Market.  Celebrate Connecticut wines and cheeses with tastings from Jonathan Edwards Winery in North Stonington, and a chef demo by Sunil Malhotra, Owner/Executive Chef of Creative Cooking in Westport.  Included in the festival will be an opportunity to learn more about pairing wine and cheese with selections from Connecticut’s own Beltane Farm, specializing in goats milk cheese and Cato Corner Farms specializing in aged farmhouse cheeses made from cow’s milk.  Look for blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, peaches, raspberries, summer squash, beets, baby lettuce, shitake mushrooms, peppers, and more!  Held on the grounds of the Connecticut Museum of Glass in Coventry at the intersection of North River Road and Boston Turnpike.  See www.coventryfarmersmarket.com.   

1:00 - 3:00 p.m.    Open House: One-Room Schoolhouses.  Visit the Red & White Schoolhouse on the corner of 169 and 197 in Woodstock for a continuous slide show of one room schoolhouses.  Local historian Elaine LaChapelle will be on hand to answer questions.  Then visit the Old Quasset School, the oldest one-room schoolhouse in the U. S. still in continuous use, on the campus of Woodstock Elementary School, 24 Frog Pond Rd., Woodstock.  Both visits are free and open to the public.  See www.woodstockhistoricalsociety.org or contact Doug Zimmerman at 860-974-3020.

7/3 Tu

11:45 a.m.   The Art Group.  A networking group open to all artists meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the Willimantic Brewing Company, 967 Main St., Willimantic.  Bring work to show and tell if you wish.  Please RSVP at least 4 days in advance.  Call Aline at 860/916-4232, or Rhonda at 860/402-5999.

7/4 Wed

Independence Day

11:00 a.m.  Annual Boom Box Parade.  Any one can march in the largest parade of its kind in the world.  Spectators and marchers tune radios to WILI (1400 AM), which plays marching band music. There is no admission charge, no pre-registration, no “real” bands allowed. Just come and join in the fun! Call 860-456-1111 for details.  Starts at Jilson Square, Main St., Willimantic.

11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.   “President Grant” Visits Roseland Cottage and gives a free presentation at 3 p.m. on the grounds of the Cottage, 556 Rte. 169, Woodstock, CT. Museum tours, offered on the hour from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., include a display of original flags from late 19th-century garden parties; $8 per person. Call 860-928-4074.

7/5 Th

8:30 a.m.  Thursday Morning Walks.  Longtime volunteer and naturalist Fran Baranski and other Center volunteers will take you for a weekly walk on the Bafflin Sanctuary and Wyndham Land Trust properties. Walk for fun and exercise, visiting different locations each week, and a tracking lesson will no doubt present itself.  Free for CAS members; $3 non-members.  Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Pomfret, 189 Pomfret St. (Rt. 169), Pomfret Center.  Call 860/928-4948.

9:30 – 11:30 a.m.  Trails for Toddlers: Beetles, Bugs and Dragonflies (every Thursday in July). Do you have a curious toddler in need of fresh air? Join us for a walk on the Sanctuary as we follow the buzzing and fluttering of the insects of summer. A short activity or story will accompany the walk.  Fee: $5 per day, or for 4 Thursdays: $12 CAS members; $20 non-members.  Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Pomfret, 189 Pomfret St. (Rt. 169), Pomfret Center.  Call 860/928-4948.

8:00 - 10:00 p.m.  Film Night at Wrench in the Works: Winstanley (1975).  This masterpiece of British Independent Cinema relates the true story of British writer and activist Gerrard Winstanley, who, in 1949, led a small band of displaced trades people, peasants, and discharged soldiers to Saint George’s Hill, to farm the land in common and establish the first commune in modern England.  Wrench in the works, 861 Main St., Willimantic.  www.wrenchintheworks.org. 

7/6 Fri

6:30 p.m. The Windham Concert Band will be performing music for the whole family at the Guilford Smith Memorial Library, 17 Main Street, South Windham.  Bring your lawn chairs and picnic baskets and enjoy the evening!  Popcorn and treats for sale.  Tickets: $5.  860/423-5159. 

7/7 Sat

11 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. 6th Annual JesusFest  Largest annual Christian festival in Connecticut will be held rain or shine at the Tolland County Agricultural Center Fairgrounds, 24 Hyde Avenue (Route 30),  Vernon, 1/2-mile from I-84 Exit 67.  This year's festival will feature live Christian entertainment on the Main Stage and in the Coffeehouse Cafe, Kids' Barn and Dramatic Arts Theatre; displays by churches, ministries, businesses, and non-profit community organizations; workshops; games; dunking tank; classic car rally; hayrides; used Christian music and book tent; and a special Youth Night.  New this year are an American Red Cross Blood Services Blood Drive, a live animal presentation by the Lutz Children's Museum, and a Kids' Train.  While admission is free, attendees are being asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the first-ever Cornerstone Foundation Food Drive.  

7/8 Sun

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.  The Connecticut Volkswagen Association’s 3rd Annual New England Volks-Meet, Woodstock Fairgrounds, Woodstock.  Show and Swap-meet will be open to all Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, BMW and Mercedes Benz owners and fans. There will be dash plaques and goody bags to the first 300 cars. Trophies will be awarded by people’s choice in many different classes.  Camping is available on Saturday night. Plus live bands and entertainment for the kids. Rain or shine.  Call Jeremy Clayton (860) 539-9704 Vwadct@comcast.net or Joe Hughes (203) 982-6257 vwjoehughes@yahoo.com.

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.  Sustainable Living Program: Dairy Goats and Cheese making at the Coventry Farmer’ Market.  Join us today for a full farmers’ market and a sustainable living program featuring dairy goats and cheese making.  Connie Swetz will demonstrate milking techniques and Jane Kerstetter from Rich Valley Farm will demonstrate the process of turning the rich goat’s milk into fresh and aged cheeses. Connie and Jane will answer your questions about selecting and caring for dairy goats.  Also, shop for sweet corn, free range eggs, farmhouse cheeses, rustic breads, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, peaches, raspberries, summer squash, beets, baby lettuce, shitake mushrooms, peppers, herbal insect repellent and more!  Held on the grounds of the Connecticut Museum of Glass in Coventry at the intersection of North River Road and Boston Turnpike.  Visit www.coventryfarmersmarket.com.    

12:00 noon - 3:00 p.m.   Connecticut Historic Gardens Trail Day at Roseland Cottage, 556 Rte. 169, Woodstock, CT. Free staff-led tours of the garden will be offered on the hour.  Learn about the historic design and boxwood restoration project.  Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy.  The event is held in conjunction with 10 sites throughout CT. Visit www.flogris.org for details.

7/9 Mon

9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.  Blood drive, sponsored by Gerber Technologies, at 24 Industrial Park Road West, in Tolland, located off Route 30 at the Tolland/Vernon line.  The drive will be held on the Red Cross bus.  All donors will receive a free tee shirt.  For an appointment please contact Donna at 871-8082, x3745 or call the American Red Cross at 1-800-448-3543. Walk-ins are welcome after 10 a.m.

7:00 p.m.   Babcock Library, Book Discussion: Garlic and Sapphires, The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, by Ruth Reichl.  This is Reichl’s third memoir, focusing on her life as a restaurant reviewer for the New York Times. Original reviews from the Times are included. Humorous and light reading.  Call Babcock Library, 487-4420 for more information. Multiple copies of the book at available at the library located at 25 Pompey Hollow Road, Ashford.

7/10 Tu

8:00 a.m.  Bird Walk.  Join property manager Andy Rzeznikiewicz as he leads you around Trail Wood in search of our feathered friends: various warblers, vireos, thrushes, woodpeckers and possibly some nesting Hooded Warblers, to name a few.  Fee: $4 CAS members; $9 non-members.  Connecticut Audubon Society at Trail Wood, 93 Kenyon Road, Hampton.  Call 860/928-4948.

10:30 a.m. Summer Reading Program.  Enjoy a visit and puppet show with David Costello, author of Here they Come! at the Guilford Smith Memorial Library, 17 Main St., South Windham.  Call 860/423-5159.

12:15 p.m.  Tuesday Gallery Talk:  Alpine Views exhibition of Swiss landscapes.  The William Benton Museum of Art, University of Connecticut, 245 Glenbrook Road, Storrs.  Call 860/486-4520 or visit http://www.benton.uconn.edu.
12:45 - 5:45 p.m.  10th Willington Hill Fire Station will host its annual blood drive.  The Willington Willing Workers 4-H Club will sponsor the drive, providing great volunteers, wonderful food and its famous homemade lemonade.  For an appointment please contact Jan at 429-1213 or call the American Red Cross at 1-800-448-3543.  Walk-ins will be welcome after 1:30 p.m.

7/11 Wed

12:00 noon   Wednesday Lunch Walks.  Get out of the house or office to stretch your legs and clear your head.  Join Connecticut Audubon staff for some fresh air and exercise. Seniors and parents with babies in backpacks welcome.  Free.  Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Pomfret, 189 Pomfret St. (Rt. 169), Pomfret Center.  Call 860/928-4948. 

7/12 Th

8:30 a.m.  Thursday Morning Walks.  CT Audubon Society.  See 7/5.

9:30 – 11:30 a.m.  Trails for Toddlers: Beetles, Bugs and Dragonflies.  CT Audubon Society.  See 7/5.

6:00 p.m.  Poetry in the Park.  Ken Cormier will read his poetry at the Julia de Burgos Park at the corner of Jackson St. and Terry Ave., Willimantic.  Call 860/423-5110.  Free.  See article, this issue.

8:00 - 10:00 p.m.  Film Night at Wrench in the Works: The Miami Model (2004).  In November 2003, high government officials from throughout the Western Hemisphere met in Miami, Florida, to hammer out details of the Free Trade Area of the Americas. This documentary, shot by activist journalists on the ground, examines the atmosphere around the FTAA talks, the resultant police riot, and the implications for free speech and political action in the future. Wrench in the works, 861 Main Street, Willimantic.  www.wrenchintheworks.org. 

7/13 Fri

11:45 - 4:15 p.m.  Blood drive, Mansfield Community Center, 10 S. Eagleville Road.  There will be a sign up sheet at the front desk for all those who wish to save up to three lives this summer.  You may also call the American Red Cross at 1-800-448-3543 or go on line at www.bloodct.org.  Walk-ins will be welcome after 1:00 pm.

7/14 Sat

1:00 p.m.  Butterfly Walk.  We’ll go to several locations on the Sanctuary to see as many butterflies as can be caught. We usually see 15 to 20-plus species each year. We will visit a demonstration butterfly garden as well. Fee: $4 CAS members; $9 non-members.  Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Pomfret, 189 Pomfret St. (Rt. 169), Pomfret Center.  Call 860/928-4948.

4:30 p.m.  Rhythm on the Rails: Bristol Boys will be performing folk and bluegrass at the CT Eastern Railroad Museum, Bridge St, Willimantic.  Come early and enjoy the museum and bring a picnic, too.  Call Ray at 860/228-3197.

7/15 Sun

9:00 a.m. - 12:00noon   Ashford Farmers’ Market.  Pompey Hollow Park, Tremko Lane off Rt. 44 (across from the Ashford Town Hall).  See Loretta’s article, this issue.

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.  Wellness Fair at the Coventry Farmer’ Market.  Celebrate the connection between good health and the foods we eat and actions we take in caring for our minds and bodies.  Cooking demonstrations, chair massage, hypnotherapy and much more! Shop for early apples, plums, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, peaches, raspberries, sweet corn, summer squash, beets, baby lettuce, eggplant, peppers, beeswax candles, handspun yarn, and more!  Held on the grounds of the Connecticut Museum of Glass in Coventry at the intersection of North River Road and Boston Turnpike.  Visit www.coventryfarmersmarket.com. 

7/16 Mon

7:00 p.m.  Towhee.  Towhee will play fun, Indie music for all to hear. Wrench in the Works, 861 Main St., Willimantic, www.wrenchintheworks.org.

7/17 Tu

12:15 p.m.  Tuesday Gallery Talk: Arpilleras exhibition of Chilean Women’s Protest Tapestries.  The William Benton Museum of Art, University of Connecticut, 245 Glenbrook Road, Storrs.  Call 860/486-4520 or visit http://www.benton.uconn.edu.
6:00 p.m.  Evening Bird Walk.   We will be in search of the young and post-breeding birds of summer. By early August, southbound sandpipers and plovers are moving through the area. Previously, we have had luck spotting Great-horned and Barred Owls at this time of year. 

Fee: $4 CAS members; $9 non-members. Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Pomfret, 189 Pomfret St. (Rt. 169), Pomfret Center.  Call 860/928-4948.

7/18 Wed

12:00 noon   Wednesday Lunch Walks. CT Audubon Society.  See 7/11.

7/19 Th

8:30 a.m.  Thursday Morning Walks.  CT Audubon Society.  See 7/5.

9:30 – 11:30 a.m.  Trails for Toddlers: Beetles, Bugs and Dragonflies.  CT Audubon Society.  See 7/5.

6:00 p.m.  Third Thursday Street Fest.  Enjoy great food, music, dancing and more!  See www.willimanticstreetfest.com.

 

7/20 Fri

3:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.  Games Evening at Wrench in the Works.  Come down to the Wrench to play your favorite old board or role-playing game, or discover a new one.  Game might include, but are not limited to chess, checkers, Scrabble, Risk, cards, Pictionary, Connect Four.  Located at 861 Main St., Willimantic.  Call Sam at 860/303-5646 or visit www.wrenchintheworks.org.

7/22 Sun

9:00 a.m. - 12:00noon   Ashford Farmers’ Market.  Pompey Hollow Park, Tremko Lane off Rt. 44 (across from the Ashford Town Hall).  See Loretta’s article, this issue.

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.   Brewer’s Festival at the Coventry Farmer’ Market.  Celebrate Connecticut beers at a one-of-a-kind brewer’s festival, with tastings from several Connecticut breweries including Trout Brook, Cottrell, Farmington River and New England Brewing.  We will also be joined by the Hop River Brewers, who will offer information on how to brew beer from home.  Enjoy a traditional German oompah band and sausages and kraut for lunch!  Shop for early apples, plums, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, peaches, raspberries, sweet corn, new potatoes, summer squash, beets, onions, baby lettuce, eggplant, peppers, herbal soap, free range eggs, glazed stoneware, and more!  Held on the grounds of the Connecticut Museum of Glass in Coventry at the intersection of North River Road and Boston Turnpike.  Visit www.coventryfarmersmarket.com. 

7/24 Tu

10:30 a.m.  The Mystery of Music.  Enjoy the melodic folksongs of Maria Sangiolo at the Guilford Smith Memorial Library, 17 Main St., South Windham.  Call 860/423-5159. 

12 noon    Benton Garden Concert featuring jazz saxophonist Tom Wise.  The William Benton Museum of Art, University of Connecticut, 245 Glenbrook Road, Storrs.  Call 860/486-4520 or visit http://www.benton.uconn.edu.

7/25 Wed

12:00 noon   Wednesday Lunch Walks. CT Audubon Society.  See 7/11.

7:00 p.m.   Chimpanzees in Western Tanzania.  Mike and Beverly Cristina will present an overview of seven trips to Tanzania with an emphasis on Western Tanzania and visits to Katavi National Park and Mahale National Park on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. A real treat for anyone enthralled with Africa and her wildlife! Fee: $3 for CAS and QVCP members; $6 non-members.  Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Pomfret, 189 Pomfret St. (Rt. 169), Pomfret Center.  Call 860/928-4948.

7/26 Th

8:30 a.m.   Thursday Morning Walks.  CT Audubon Society.  See 7/5.

9:30-11:30 a.m.  Trails for Toddlers: Beetles, Bugs and Dragonflies.  CT Audubon Society.  See 7/5.

6:00 p.m.   Poetry in the Park.  Rhonda Ward will read her poetry at the Julia de Burgos Park at the corner of Jackson St. and Terry Ave., Willimantic.  Call 860/423-5110.  Free.  See article, this issue.

7:00 p.m.   Open Mic hosted by Song-a-Day Music Center at the Meet Me on Main Café, 1265 Main St., Coventry.  Sign-up at 6:30 p.m.  Pastries, coffee, and other refreshments will be available for purchase.  Your $3 suggested donation will benefit the Podunk Bluegrass Festival KidsKamp held in August.  All types of music, spoken-word performers, and listeners are welcome.  Call 860-742-6878 or 742-5835.  

7:30 - 9:15 p.m.   Film Night at Wrench in the Works: Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989).  Set in Brooklyn during the 1950s against a backdrop of union corruption and violence. A prostitute falls in love with one of her customers. Also a disturbed man discovers that he is homosexual.  Based on the novel by Hubert Selby.  Wrench in the works, 861 Main Street, Willimantic.  www.wrenchintheworks.org. 

7/27 Fri

3:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.   Benton Museum Annual Tanglewood Trip.  The evening’s performance of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 and Violin Concerto No. 1 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 will feature Kurt Masur, conductor, and Joshua Bell, violinist.  The Tanglewood Festival Chorus under the direction of John Oliver will perform a Prelude Concert at 6 pm in Ozawa Hall. The cost of the trip is $65 for Benton members and $72 for non-members.  For complete trip details, call Lynn Eriksson, Benton Museum Membership Coordinator, at 860/486-1709.
8:00 p.m.  Open Mic Night.  Here’s your chance to show off your creative talents, whatever they may be.  Come down, sign up, and perform!  Wrench in the Works, 861 Main St., Willimantic, www.wrenchintheworks.org.

7/28 Sat

10:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.  3rd Annual Arts & Wellness Fair at Meiklem Kiln Works.

Join us for a day of Arts & Wellness!  The fair will showcase the talents of over 20 local artisans and business owners who promote wellness through their work.  The clay studio will feature wheel thrown pottery demonstrations throughout the day while our Artisan Gallery currently features pottery, furniture and paintings in “Father / Daughter Collaborations.”  Held outdoors at Meiklem Kiln Works Clay Studio 46 Lebanon Rd, Bozrah, 860/886-8562, or  www.meiklemkilnworks.com.  Rain date 7/29.

4:30 p.m.  Rhythm on the Rails: Charter Oak Bluegrass will be performing at the CT Eastern Railroad Museum, Bridge St, Willimantic. Come early and enjoy the museum and bring a picnic, too.  Call Ray at 860/228-3197.

7:30 p.m.  Walk Under the Silvery Moon.  Join caretaker Vern Pursley as you walk Trail Wood under the magical light of the moon.  Listen for the denizens of the night and rejoice in the sights, smells and sounds of a summer night. Campfire with marshmallows before or after guided walk depending on moonrise times.  Fee: $2 CAS members; $5 non-members.  Connecticut Audubon Society at Trail Wood, 93 Kenyon Road, Hampton.  Call 860/928-4948.

7/29 Sun

9:00 a.m. - 12:00noon   Ashford Farmers’ Market.  Pompey Hollow Park, Tremko Lane off Rt. 44 (across from the Ashford Town Hall).  See Loretta’s article, this issue.

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.   Growing Mushrooms: Sustainable Living Program at the Coventry Farmers’ Market.  Join Jim Peppin from Maggie’s Farm to learn about growing shitake mushrooms.  From start to finish, Jim walks us through the fascinating process of growing these earthy treats!  Look for early apples, nectarines, plums, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, peaches, raspberries, sweet corn, new potatoes, summer squash, beets, baby lettuce, eggplant, peppers, farmhouse cheeses, rustic breads, and more!  Held on the grounds of the Connecticut Museum of Glass in Coventry at the intersection of North River Road and Boston Turnpike.  More information is available at www.coventryfarmersmarket.com.

 

7/31 Tu

6:30 p.m.   Masters of Disguise, with a mystery movie.  Guilford Smith Memorial Library, 17 Main St., South Windham.  Call 860/423-5159.