Antiques Shows __________________________

Feb 6: 18th Annual Antiques & Collectibles Show, Naugatuck High School, 543 Rubber Ave, Naugatuck, 9 am-3:30 pm (no early birds), $4, $2 children, 60+ dealers; 203-217-8005.

Feb 6: 45th Annual Tolland Historical Society Antiques Show, Tolland Middle School (formerly Tolland High School), Old Cathole Rd, Tolland, 10 am- 4 pm (early buying 8:30 am, $15), $8, 65 booths, free parking, lunch, proceeds benefit historical society; 860-870-9599.

Art Exhibits, Museums Historic Places ____________________________

The Barnum Museum, 820 Main St, Bridgeport; 203-331-1104.

Permanent exhibitions incl "Come One Come All: The Barnum Festival," highlighting the history & significance of the festival as an event & an organization in constant operation since 1949 incl ballgowns, portraits of past Ringmasters, pins, posters & props, photos, etc to reflect upon as symbols of community spirit & historical significance the festival has given to city of Bridgeport; "Grand Adventure: A Celebration of the American Spirit in Bridgeport," in-depth exploration of city’s 19th Century industrialization & urbanization w/ emphasis on P.T. Barnum's role in the city's growth; "P.T. Barnum: Bethel To Broadway To Bridgeport," artifacts incl reproduction of Barnum's Fejee Mermaid, souvenir pc of cake from Tom Thumb's 1863 wedding & personal items from Barnum family; re-creation of library from Barnum's first Bridgeport mansion Iranistan; "Baby Bridgeport," preserved 6'8" 700-lb elephant, 2nd elephant born in captivity & 1st to be preserved; "P.T. Barnum Presents the 'Divine Jenny' Lind," "General Tom Thumb," & others.

Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-4533.

In Olga Knoepke Meeting Room (lower meeting room): Through Jan 31: pastel portraits by Frank Arena.

Danbury Railway Museum, 120 White St, Danbury; 778-8337.

Permanent exhibitions on railroad history (museum is along old New Haven RR line & housed in former Danbury station & railyard), also original & restored rolling stock incl a New Haven RR Mack FCD railbus, Alco RS-1 diesel locomotive, fully operating turntable, etc.

Discovery Museum & Planetarium, 4450 Park Avenue, Bridgeport; 203-372-3521.

Through Jan 30: “Giant Worlds: A Voyage To The Outer Solar System,” hands-on collection allows visitors to learn about Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune incl their formation, atmosphere, comparisons to Earth & more.

Easton Public Library, 691 Morehouse Rd (at corner of Center St), Easton; 203-261-0134.

Through Feb 15: “Methods in Botanical Art,” watercolors & colored pencil artwork, needle arts  (incl pcs incorporating antique methods) & jewelry by local botanical artist Christine Leddy.

Through Feb 26: “Easton Arts Council’s Annual Member Show,” 113 works by 67 artists, photographers & sculptures from 22 CT towns.

The Gallery at Hunt Hill Farm, 44 Upland Hill Rd, New Milford; 860-355-0300.

Through Jan 30: “Six Views,” photographs by NHS students Casey Rose-Kearns, Casey Hill & Melissa Destaphano, plus 3 Brookfield HS students, who have mentored w/ photographer Laurie Klein & assistant Nicole Cudzilo.

Good News Café & Gallery, 684 Main St/Rte 6, Woodbury; 203-266-4663.

Through March 28: “Recent Works in Oil & Pastel,” loosely representational landscape paintings by Ariane Luckey.

Through March 28: “Stars and Stripes: new work by Patricia Brace,” new work by grad student who uses craft & minimalism to align concepts of American patriotism & feminism.

Gunn Memorial Museum, 5 Wykeham Road (at Rte 47), Washington Green; 860-868-7756.

The Stairwell Gallery: Through Feb 19: “Through the Eyes of Robert Andrew Parker,” works by the Cornwall artist incl still life oils on wood panel & hand-colored etchings from his travels through Spain & Ireland, also reinterpretation of the alphabet by Mr Parker.

Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Rd, Washington; 860-868-0518.

The Artist’s Corner (within Museum Shop, can be visited without paying full museum adm): Through Jan 29: ”Red Bear’s Frontier,” finely crafted personal accessories by Daniel Bosques (Taino descent), of buffalo, elk, deer & other quality leathers, that replicate goods that would have served frontiersmen & Native American peoples during 16th & 17th Century.

Mattatuck Museum, 144 West Main St, Waterbury; 203-753-0381.

Through March 25: “Suburban Dreams: Middlebury in the 20th Century,” survey of historic sites & buildings in Middlebury combined w/ links between industrial leaders of Naugatuck Valley & growth of Middlebury from farm town into Valley suburb.

Through March 30: “Quiet Spirit, Skillful Hand: The Graphic Work of Clare Leighton,” works by the CT artist (1898-1989) who was a leading figure in the revival of the art of wood engraving in early 20th Century.

Through Nov 30: “Precision and Beauty: 100 Years of Risdon,” cosmetic packaging by Risdon Manufacturing Company, reflecting changing styles from 1930s Art Deco to 1960s Pop Art, to commemorate 100 years of the manufacturer.

Minor Memorial Library, 23 South St, Roxbury; 860-350-2181.

Through Feb 19: “Inside Out,” watercolors by Rosemary Benivegna & oils by Souby Boski.

Morrison Gallery, 5 Maple St, Kent; 860-927-4501.

Through Feb 28: “Four Giants,” works on paper by Hans Hofmann, oils & pastels by Wolf Kahn, oils & acrylics by Cleve Gray and steel & stone sculpture by Jonathan Prince.

Auditions, Juried Events _________________

Clear The Clutter Tailgate Tag Sale, at Newtown Middle School, 11 Queen Street, Newtown; 203-426-1035.

March 26: Deadline to register in advance for tag sale being organized by Newtown Woman’s Club Inc., to run 8 am-4 pm, parking spaces to be used as space markers, $25/adv fee ($35/day of, cash only), residents & organizations invited to clean closets, basements, attics, etc & sell off whatever they can, unsold items must leave w/ vendors at end of day (nothing to be left on school grounds), proceeds to benefit club’s philanthropic efforts, mail checks w/ note of vehicle size (up to small SUV can use one space; large SUVs, vans & trucks will need to reserve 2 spaces) & license plate to Newtown Woman’s Club GFWC Inc, PO Box 101, Newtown CT 06470, contact Anna Wiedemann at above phone # for details & addt’l info.

CT Choral Society, South Britain Congregational Church Parish Hall, Rte 172 at East Flat Hill Rd, South Britain; 203-206-7186.

Singers in all voices invited to audition for 30th anniv spring season (by appt only), season to incl April 10 benefit concert in Danbury, May 21-22 performances in Newtown & Naugatuck (respectively), auditions continue all month, rehearsals each Mon 7:30 pm, group led again this season by Conductor Eric Dale Knapp, visit CTChoralSociety.org or call phone # above to set audition appt.

Waterbury Chorale, rehearsals at United Methodist Church of Watertown, 305 Main St (Rte 63 at Rte 6), Watertown; 860-567-5721.

 Singers w/ experience in choral singing, high school age & up, invited to join as guest members for spring concert (to be May 1 in Naugatuck), rehearsals Mon 7-9:30 pm, spring concert to incl Gloria by Mark Hayes, excerpts from Mozart’s Requiem in D minor(K 626), and Karl Jenkins’s Requiem (2005), visit WaterburyChorale.org or call Peggy Sullivan at above # for details.

Concerts, Musical Events ____

Jan 29: Monthly Ballroom Dance at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 4040 Park Ave, Bridgeport, 7 pm-midnight, $17, singles & couples welcome, dance lesson at 8 (led by teachers from Fred Astaire Studio, Orange), performance at 9:30 by “America’s Got Talent” finalists & US National Jr reigning champs Anna Kaczmarski & Patryk Ploszak; 203-374-7308.

Jan 30: Doug Hartline & Friends at Long Ridge United Methodist Church, 201 Long Ridge Rd, Dan-bury, 3 pm, free concert by guitarist & composer Doug Hartline, w/ keyboardist Nick Bariluk, bassist George Skidd & vocalist Ginny Hartline, program to incl traditional music & church hymns played in jazz, folk & country styles, reception to follow, goodwill collection will benefit continued aid to Haiti & Daily Bread Food Pantry; 203-744-2337.

Feb 3: First Thursdays: Helen Sung, The Mattatuck Museum, 144 West Main St, Waterbury, 5:30-7:30 pm, $15 ($7 museum members), live jazz, accompanied by vocalist Carolyn Leonhart; 203-753-0381 x10.

Feb 4: Terence Martin at Lyrics Coffeehouse, Redding Community Center, 37 Lonetown Rd, Redding, 7:30 pm, $12/door, ($10/adv), half-price adm for seniors & children/students, performance by singer-songwriter & poet Martin, who will feature works from latest CD (The Last Black & White TV), refreshments & WiFi available; 203-938-2551.

Feb 5: Bethany & Rufus at Flagpole Radio Café, Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown, 7 pm, $18, $15 students & seniors, cello & voice folk-jazz duo will be guest musicians for evening of sketch comedy & other local musicians; 203-364-0898.

Feb 5: NUMC Coffee House, Newtown United Methodist Church, 92 Church Hill Rd, Sandy Hook, 7:45-10:30 pm, adm $4 for those attending earlier pasta dinner (see listing under Miscellaneous), $5 otherwise, live bluegrass & folk music, light refreshments; 203-426-9998.

For Kids & Families _______________________

Jan 28: Family Dinner at St Thomas’ Episcopal Church, 95 Greenwood Ave, Bethel, 5:30-7:30 pm, $10, $8 seniors, $5 children, $25 family max, pasta w/ choice of sauce, green salad, dessert & beverages; 203-743-1494.

Jan 29: My Dog Skip at The Palace Theatre, 165 Main St, Danbury, 1 pm, free screening of 2000 feature film starring Frankie Muniz, Kevin Bacon, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson & Enzo the dog; 203-794-9944.

Feb 4: Ice Skating Party, Dickinson Park Pavilion, Elm Dr, Newtown, 6:30-9:30 pm, all ages invited to Parks & Rec sponsored event with music provided by DJ Kevin Koschel, hot chocolate & coffee, small bonfire, registration requested; 203-270-4340.

Feb 5: Mid-Winter Dance, Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West St, Newtown, 6-10 pm, $10 ($30/family), hot dogs, popcorn & other light refreshments incl homemade desserts, 60s era theme, music by DJ selections, silent auction, costumes encouraged, proceeds to benefit Friends of Autistic People’s Farm Project; 203-426-9024.

Feb 11: St Rose Friday Night Bingo, St Rose School Gathering Hall, 40 Church Hill Rd, Newtown, doors open 5:45 pm, games begin at 6,  $17 covers all regular & many special games, door prizes, refreshments available for purchase, all ages welcome; 203-426-5102.

C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-4533 (children’s dept 203-426-3851).

Children’s programs, free unless specified: Feb 3, Valentine Craft, 4 pm, $3 materials fee (due at registration), ages 6-10 invited to join Marie Walker to create an edible arrangement from candy hearts for their valentine.

Miscellaneous ____________________________

Jan 29: “Develop Your Chops: Piano,” Julie’s Piano Workshop, 111 Church Hill Rd, Sandy Hook, 1:30-2:30 & 2:45-3:45 pm, free workshops to learn easy ways to improvise on the piano, even for first-timers, also short open mic session, registration requested; 203-426-7924.

Jan 29: Traditional Burns Night Celebration, St John’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 78 Green Hill Rd (opposite green; parish hall faces 9 Parsonage Lane, w/ plenty of parking), 7 pm, $95 (partial pro-ceeds to benefit church’s Community Outreach Committee), Highland Feast to honor Scotland’s most famous poet to incl 6-course meal incl Scottish fare, cocktails & hors d’oeuvres, live music, kilts & tar-tans encouraged, also recitation of Burns poems, toasts, prayers, etc; 860-868-2527.

Jan 30: FilmSnobbery Live! at The Palace Theatre, 165 Main St, Danbury, 1-6 pm, $12, screenings of short & full length films Misdirection, What’s Up Lovely, Three-Fifty & Ink, interview/Q&A w/ directors at 5 pm, new series will be presented on final Sunday of each month; 203-794-9944.

Jan 30: “Owning Our Journey and Allowing Others Their Path,” Woodbury Yoga Center, 122 West Side Rd, Woodbury, 7 pm, free program by certified yoga instructor JoAnn Livolsi, followed by silent group meditation (free instruction available) & chanting for world peace; 203-263-2254.

Jan 31: Beer Tasting Event, Greenwoods Grille & Ale House, 186 Greenwood Ave, Bethel, 7-10 pm, $20, $35/couple, 3 beers or glass of wine, hors d’oeuvres, presented by Bethel Education Foundation; 203-791-0408.

Feb 5: NUMC Monthly Pasta Dinner, Newtown United Methodist Church, 92 Church Hill Rd, Sandy Hook, 5-7:30 pm, $9 adults, $8 seniors, $3.50 children, optional coffee house w/ live music follows (see listing under Concerts); 203-426-9998.

Feb 5: Mid-Winter Dance, Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West St, Newtown, 6-10 pm, $10 ($30/family), hot dogs, popcorn and other light refreshments, 60s era theme, costumes encouraged, silent auction, proceeds to benefit Friends of Autistic People’s Farm Project; 203-426-9024.

Feb 5: Alliance Française of NW CT Café Conversation, The Barn Club, 558 Main St South/Rte 6, Woodbury, 10:15 am-12:15 pm, send email to Noelle.Janake@schaeffler.com for conversation details & addt’l info, call if weather questionable; 203-266-5588.

Feb 7: “William Howard Taft: The Forgotten President,” C.H. Booth Library lower meeting room, 25 Main St, Newtown, 7:30 pm, free lecture by Gordon Williams on the 27th President of the United States, hosted by Newtown Historical Society, light refreshments to follow; 203-426-5937.

Feb 7: “American Military Forum: The Allied Raid on Normandy’s Coastal Port at Dieppe, France,” Brookfield Historical Society & Museum, 165 Whisconier Rd (Rte 25 at Rte 133), Brookfield Center, 7:30 pm, free multi-media presentation by Peter Cronin will cover the raid on Normandy’s coastal port in 1942, two years before D-Day Invasion; 203-740-8140.

C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-4533.

Feb 1, Non-Fiction Book Discussion Group, 1 pm, discussion of Cyber War by Richard Clarke, newcomers welcome.

Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-2475.

(FILM) Jan 28-Feb 3: Burlesque (PG-13), Fri-Sat 7 & 9:15 pm, Sun-Thurs 7 pm, mat Sat-Sun 1 & 4 pm, Tues 1 pm.

Newtown Chess Club, at C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-4533.

Weekly games, Sat 1-5 pm, drop-in chess open to all skill levels, sets & boards provided, hosted by US Chess Federation expert Glenn Budzinski.

Newtown Hikers. Call 203-788-1398 (Ester Nichols), 203-270-4340 (Newtown Parks & Rec).

Hikes leave from lower lot @Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown, ,10 am (winter start time), free, all welcome (children must be accompanied), bring bag lunch/beverage, wear sturdy shoes, destinations & leaders (in parentheses) as follows: Jan 29, bridal trail, Route 188, Oxford (Louann Chevalier, 203-426-2072); Feb 5, Huntington Park, Redding (Cassie Brown, 203-313-7161).

Newtown Toastmasters, Town Hall South Parks & Recreation Conference Room, 3 Main St, Newtown; 203-313-5507.

Local chapter (NewtownToastmasters.FreeToastHost.cc) of nat’l/international organization meets 1st & 3rd Wed/month, guests & newcomers welcome: next meeting, Feb 2.

Newtown VNA Thrift Shop, Edmond Town Hall (lower level, use rear parking lot), 45 Main Street, Newtown; 203-270-4377.

Shop is open every Wed 12-3 pm & Sat 9 am-noon, access is from town hall’s back parking lot, shop carries discounted items from local businesses & private donors incl clothing, sm home accessories & more. January 29, Special 50% Off Sale for Women’s Heart Health Month, all red merchandise will be half-price.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-6224 (ask for Betty) or 203-264-3728 (ask for Krista).

Non-profit weight loss support group meets every Mon 6:30-7:30 pm (weigh-ins 5:45-6:15, meetings 6:30-7:30), meetings $2/week, membership $24/year.

Wednesday Night Poetry Series, new location: at The Garage (Newtown teen center), 53 Church Hill Rd, Newtown. Call 203-426-6242, 203-364-0631.

Open mic 7:30 pm, featured poet at 8:45, poetry editing workshop follows featured poet: Feb 2, Ghanaian writer Nii Ayikwei Parkes.

Theatre __________________________________

Downtown Cabaret Theatre, 263 Golden Hill St, Bridgeport; 203-576-1636.

She Loves You — A Musical Tribute to the Beatles, Feb 11-27, curtain Fri 7:30 pm, Sat 5:30 & 8:30 pm, Sun 5:30 pm, tickets $39.50.

Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr, New Haven; 203-787-4282.

The Old Masters, through Feb 13, contact theater for curtain & ticket details.

Stray Kats Theatre Company, Edmond Town Hall Alexandria Room, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-514-2221.

Staged readings, 7:30 pm, $25 (season subscription available), Q&A w/ actors & reception follows: Feb 11, Arthur Miller’s The Price.

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Events that appear by date have Newtown items listed first, with additional events listed by their start time.

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