Maritime Aquarium's Winter Cruises Spot Seals, Birds Out On The Sound Maritime Aquarium's Winter Cruises Spot Seals, Birds Out On The Sound
Maritime Aquarium's Winter Cruises Spot Seals, Birds Out On The Sound NORWALK, Conn. – It's never too cold to hit Long Island Sound for the chance to see some of the seals and waterfowl that spend their winter just off our shores during Seal-Spotting & Birding Cruises with The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. These invigorating 2½-hour outings take place aboard the aquarium’s R/V Spirit of the Sound, the country’s only research vessel with hybrid-electric propulsion. Outings are planned through March 26, with dates and departure times varying by low tide. (For the full schedule, go to www.maritimeaquarium.org.) Tickets can be purchased in advance — even as …
Santa Trades Polar Express For Polar Plunge At Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium Santa Trades Polar Express For Polar Plunge At Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium
Santa Trades Polar Express For Polar Plunge At Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium NORWALK, Conn. — Santa Claus may be acclimated to the icy climate of his home at the North Pole. But at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, he swims with the fishes — and the sharks.  Six times a week, Santa joins the show at the “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit as a deep-sea diver — taking the plunge into the aquarium’s 110,000-gallon shark tank. “Santa is coming,” were the excited words of about 40 children who, along with their parents, gathered in the dim room by the tank recently.  As part of the exhibit — which is led by the aquarium's volunteer shark divers — Santa dives in and greets…
Westport Violist Headlines String Ensemble's Holiday Concert Westport Violist Headlines String Ensemble's Holiday Concert
Westport Violist Headlines String Ensemble's Holiday Concert WESTPORT, Conn. — The Pizzazz Strings Ensemble, featuring Westport violist Sarah Smale, will perform a holiday concert Sunday in the Westport Library's McManus Room. The ensemble will perform holiday selections that include Baroque master Vivaldi, Strauss waltzes and jazzy and pop Christmas and Hanukkah favorites. The program is free and open to the public. In addition to Smale, the quintet includes Pizzazz director and cellist Andrea Mills, violinists Andrew Smith and Jeanine Wynton, and harpist Jane Zopf. Members of Pizzazz have made recordings and performed concerts at Lincoln Center,…
Stratford's Fright Haven Puts Scary Spin On Christmas Stratford's Fright Haven Puts Scary Spin On Christmas
Stratford's Fright Haven Puts Scary Spin On Christmas STRATFORD, Conn. – During four nights this holiday season he’ll know when you’ve been screaming, he’ll know when you’re afraid. "A Frightmare Before Christmas," the creepy twist on the holiday, will be hosted by Fright Haven in Stratford, according to a release from the business, which said it offers the largest indoor Halloween Haunted House across the state. The event is scheduled Friday, Dec. 9; Saturday, Dec. 10; Friday, Dec. 16; and Saturday, Dec. 17, and features several new experiences and attractions in the haunted house, which will be decked out for the holiday season. T…
Farmers Market Moves Indoors For The Winter In Shelton Farmers Market Moves Indoors For The Winter In Shelton
Farmers Market Moves Indoors For The Winter In Shelton SHELTON, Conn. — The calendar may say it's December, but it's the season for farmers markets in Shelton. An indoor farmers market, that is. Dec. 3 is the start of the 1st Saturdays Winter Farmers Market — which is held inside with the heat.  You can stock up on locally grown vegetables as well as non-GMO meats and eggs, or grab some gifts with soaps, wool, hand-made fiber products and more available for sale.  The hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 100 Canal St. 
View Masterpieces From Local Artists At Redding's Champagne Gala View Masterpieces From Local Artists At Redding's Champagne Gala
View Masterpieces From Local Artists At Redding's Champagne Gala REDDING, Conn. -- The community is invited to preview art and sip champagne at the Mark Twain Library in Redding. The Art Show Champagne Preview Gala takes place 7-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2 at the library and is considered one of Redding's most celebrated fundraisers, organizers said. General ticket pricing is $75 for individuals and $55 for seniors.  The theme of this year's juried show is art deco. The show is headed by Rochelle Williston and Angela Matsuoka and juried by artist Claudia Seymour. Seymour decided which pieces to feature this year. A widely collected artist, she has juried mu…
Stratford Welcomes The Holidays With Lighting Festival At Town Hall Stratford Welcomes The Holidays With Lighting Festival At Town Hall
Stratford Welcomes The Holidays With Lighting Festival At Town Hall STRATFORD, Conn. -- The Town of Stratford will host its Holiday Lighting Festival on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall. The festival will be preceded by a 4 p.m. family show featuring magician Debbie O’Carroll at the Stratford Library. The lighting festival will kick off with performances by the Stratford High School Select Choir and Wilcoxson School Choir. The event will also include holiday arts and crafts with the Honey Bear Learning Center. Free doughnuts and hot chocolate will be provided. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus are slated to arrive by fire truck and pose for photos. …
Santa Swims With Sharks At Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium Santa Swims With Sharks At Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium
Santa Swims With Sharks At Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium NORWALK, Conn. -- A holiday highlight at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is when Santa Claus in scuba gear swims with sharks. The swim will be twice each day Saturday and Sunday and then most Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays in December. The diving Santa will enter the aquarium’s 110,000-gallon “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit, a tiger and lemon shark tank. The special event is to demonstrate that sharks are not "bloodthirsty killers of myth," said a news release. The dives Sunday are at 12:15 and 2:15 p.m. and will be a chance for visitors to talk with the diving Santa. There…
Stratford Actors Star In Westport Production Of Agatha Christie Mystery Stratford Actors Star In Westport Production Of Agatha Christie Mystery
Stratford Actors Star In Westport Production Of Agatha Christie Mystery STRATFORD, Conn. --  Stratford residents Geoffrey Gilbert, Tom Rushen and Dave Rylander are contributing their talents to the Westport Community Theatre's latest production of Agatha Christie’s "Witness for the Prosecution." The murder mystery, which takes place in London in the 1950s, is a “whodunit” with numerous plot twists and turns. Performances will be from Friday, Nov. 25, through Sunday, Dec. 11. Rushen directs the cast of 14 local actors in the psychological thriller, where a brutal murder has taken place in a handsome London townhouse. This production merges talent and …
Fairfield Troop Tradition: Boy Scouts Start Tree & Wreath Sale Saturday Fairfield Troop Tradition: Boy Scouts Start Tree & Wreath Sale Saturday
Fairfield Troop Tradition: Boy Scouts Start Tree & Wreath Sale Saturday FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield’s Boy Scout Troop 82 is set to open its 51st annual Christmas tree and wreath sale at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, in the back parking lot of the First Church Congregational. Money collected during this year’s sale, which takes place at 148 Beach Road, will go toward Boy Scout activities, community service projects and events aimed at shaping the community and its future. According to the Boy Scouts, the sale will take place throughout late November and early December, including these dates and times: Saturday, Nov. 26, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27, 11 a.m. t…
Art Meets Crime In Lecture At Bridgeport's Housatonic Museum Of Art Art Meets Crime In Lecture At Bridgeport's Housatonic Museum Of Art
Art Meets Crime In Lecture At Bridgeport's Housatonic Museum Of Art BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- The Housatonic Museum of Art in Bridgeport will present a lecture with Richard Vine, the managing editor of Art in America, on Tuesday, Nov. 29.The lecture, titled “Art, Crime and SoHo Sins,” will highlight Vine's debut novel "SoHo Sins" followed by a book signing and reception with the author. The lecture relates to the museum’s latest exhibition, "Rendezvous In Black," featuring two solo shows by artists Cindy Sherman and Ann Chernow. The entirely black-and-white exhibition is inspired by film noir, a dark and edgy film style that emerged in the …
Westport Community Theatre Stages 'Witness For The Prosecution' Westport Community Theatre Stages 'Witness For The Prosecution'
Westport Community Theatre Stages 'Witness For The Prosecution' WESTPORT, Conn. — Murder, mystery and more are coming to the Westport Community Theatre as Agatha Christie's play "Witness for the Prosecution" is set to hit the stage. Tom Rushen directs a cast of 14 local actors in performances from Nov. 25 through Dec. 11. A psychological thriller, "Witness for the Prosecution" is about a brutal murder of glamorous and rich Emily French.  The evidence points to Leonard Vole, a young opportunist to whom the heiress left her vast fortune, although Vole insists his wife, Romaine, can prove his innocence. Rushen, a veteran director, als…