Antiques Shows______

March 14-15: 36th annual Connecticut Spring Antiques Show, CT Expo Center, 265 Rev Moody Overpass, Hartford, Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 11 am-4 pm, adm $10, free parking, 60-plus dealers from New England, also DE, IL, KY, MD, NJ, NY, OH & PA, also Booth Chats (Sat 2 pm on stoneware; Sun 1 pm on CT vs MA furnisture styles, also 2 pm on 1690-1830s memorial & Georgian jewelry; call for details), proceeds benefit Haddam Historical Society & The Thankful Arnold House Museum; 860-345-2400.

March 28: 24th Annual Newtown Antiques Show, Reed Intermediate School, 3 Trades Lane, Newtown, 10 am-4 pm, $7, dealers from CT, New England, NY, et al, presented by & fundraiser for Newtown Historical Society; 426-0376.

Art Exhibits____ _____

Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, 258 Main St, Ridgefield; 203-438-4519.

*(new show) Through May 24: “Frank Poor: Enon Cemetery Main Street Sculpture Project,” outdoor installation taking form of 19th Century cemetery from artist’s hometown in Woodstock, Ga.

*(new show) Through May 31: “Dave Cole: Flags of the World,” American flag cut & resewn from official UN “Flags of the World” set.

*(new show) Through May 31: “David Taylor: Frontier/Frontera,” photos & video works offering a real-time glimpse into the dynamics of the US-Mexico border.

*(new show) Through June 7: “Alejandro Diaz: Blame it on Mexico,” lg & sm scale language related works created 2003-09 incl selections from artist’s campy-political cardboard signs series.

*(new show) Through Sept 13: “Robert Lazzarini: Guns and Knives,” artist’s reconfigured objects incl 5 .38 Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolvers & cluster of kitchen knives, offering distortion & altered perspectives.

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

Through March 29: “Freedom Dancing,” works by Bridgeport painter & poet Shanna Melton, whose imagery reflects an intimate response to the African diaspora.

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

In Olga Knoepke Meeting Room — Through March 30: “A World in Transition: Three Women’s Views,” works by Beverly Branch , Linda Dohanos & Julia Provey.

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

*(new show) Through May 11: “Common People in Uncommon Places,” black & white images by Southbury photographer Hy Charniak taken w/ Rollei he purchased after WWII, depicting people in more than 12 countries betw 1949-1997; March 15, opening reception, 3-5 pm.

Housatonic Museum of Art at Housatonic Community College, 900 Lafayette Blvd, Bridgeport; 203-332-5000.

Through March 22: “Ann Chernow: Picasso Project,” prints by the Westport artist that follow the printing techniques of Pablo Picasso, collaborative project done w/ master printer James Reed to replace toxic media used in Picasso’s printer’s workshop.

Mattatuck Museum Art & History Center, 144 West Main St, Waterbury; 203-753-0381.

Through March 22: “Lest We Forget: Images of the Civil Rights Movement,” compelling presentation of work by the late Woodbury artist Robert Templeton, who devoted two-plus decades to creating portraits of those who personified the Civil Rights Movement.

Through April 12: “Travelers’ Tales: Artists at Home and Abroad,” 65 works by 12 artists from first half of 20th Century exploring architectural & landscapes of sites from Istanbul & Florence to Woodbury, artists incl Taylor Arms, Orr, Roth, Balthazar, et al.

Visual Impact Gallery, 4 Eagle Rd, Danbury; 790-9650.

*(new show) Through March 31: portraits of President Lincoln by Wendy Allen.

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main St, Hartford; 860-278-2670, TDD 860-278-0294.

Through March 31: “What Lies Beneath? Revealing Painters’ Secrets,” works from museum’s permanent collection that have been examined using X-radiology & infrared imaging for underimages, or images hidden under the final surface painting, incl works of van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Rousseau, et al.

Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop, 317 Federal Rd/Rte 7, Brookfield. Call 775-4888.

*(new show) Through April 30: nature photos by members of Candlewood Camera Club.

 

Auditions, Juried Events  _____

Connecticut Symphonic Band, Stratford High School, 445 N Parade St, Stratford. Call 203-386-1625.

Through March 25: Wind, brass & percussion players invited to join other musicians from Fairfield County who make up CSB’s Upper Level Wind Ensemble, rehearsals Wed 7:30 pm, concerts held in Fairfield & New Haven county venues, repertoire incl symphonic band compositions, classical pcs, light music, Pops, Broadway & occasional march, open to musicians of all ages who can play at level of repertoire, visit ConnecticutSymphonicBand.com or call for details.

Kent Art Association, KAA Gallery, 21 South Main St/Rte 7, Kent. Call 860-927-3989.

March 14: Call for artists for 86th Season KAA Member Show, memberships available at receiving (Sat 10 am-2 pm), $20 for up to 2 pcs, opening March 20, awards reception March 31, all works must be available for purchase, show on view until April 12, visit KentArt.org or call for prospectus.

Concerts, Musical Events ____

March 14: Hugh Devlin at Danbury Library, 170 Main St, Danbury, 3 pm, free family program of Irish music incl traditional & sing-along; 796-8061.

March 14: Fred Gillen Jr & Matt Turk at Roots Music Coffeehouse, Common Ground Annex dance studio, 345 Main St, Danbury, $10/adv, $12/door, first set at 7 (family appropriate), open mic at 8; 417-9607.

March 14: “A NIght of Passion” by Greater Bridgeport Symphony, Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, 8 pm, $24-$58 (student, group discounts), works of Johann Strauss, Richard Strauss & Tchaikovsky; 203-576-0263.

March 15: The Mendelssohn Piano Trio at Heritage Village Sarah Cooke Hall, Southbury, 3 pm, $15, works of Haydn, Ching-ju Shih & Mendelssohn; 264-1102.

March 15: “Fanfare for the Common Man” by CT Symphonic Band, Roger Ludlowe Middle School, 689 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield, 3 pm, free performance by 60-pc ensemble w/ professional & amateur musicians from Fairfield County; 203-386-1625.

March 17: St Patrick’s Day Celebration: Irish Fluter on the Green, Western CT State University Quadrangle, 181 White St/Rte 6, Danbury, noon, free performance by Dr David Machell (flutes, whistles, pipes & other Celtic instruments) & Dr David Smith (field drum); 837-8696.

March 18: Afternoon at the Opera: Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio, Pomperaug Woods, 80 Heritage Rd, Southbury, 1 pm, free screening of 2002 Italian performance conducted by Z. Mehta; 262-0651, 262-6557.

March 20: Glen Tilbrook and the Flutters, Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge Ave, Ridgefield, 8 pm, $35; 203-438-5795.

March 21: “Zoe’s Musical Fairy Tale, Upon A Time,”  Merwinsville Hotel, 1 Browns Ford Rd, Gaylordsville, 7:30 pm, $25 (reservations suggested), operatic concert performance by Zoe Vandermeer w/ pianist Timothy Alexandre Wallace, reception follows, proceeds benefit hotel restoration; 860-350-4301.

March 22: “The Softer Side of Percussion,” Keeler Tavern Museum, 132 Main St./Rte 35, Ridgefield, 3 pm, $15, $12 students; 203-438-5485.

March 22: Pianist Katia Skanavi, Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown, 3 pm, $18, $16 seniors, free ages 5-14 w/ adult, works of Shubert, Carl Vine & Chopin, reception follows; 426-6470.

For Kids & Families _________

March 14: Mother Holle: A Marionette Play for the young child, Housatonic Valley Waldorf School, 40 Dodgingtown Rd, Newtown, 10 am, free, puppet play for families of all ages; 364-1113.

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

Children’s programs, free unless specified: March 14, St Patrick’s Day Craft, 1-2 pm, $3 materials fee, register in person.

Miscellaneous ___________

March 13: St Rose Annual Friday Knight Fish Fry, St Rose Gathering Hall, 46 Church Hill Rd, Newtown, 5-8 pm, $10 adults, $5 children, $30 max family (parents & children), Knights of Columbus annual Lent event also has drive-up/take-out service available; 270-3314, 426-1014.

March 13: Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner, Danbury United Methodist Church, 5 Clapboard Ridge Rd, Danbury, 5-8 pm, $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 ages 10 & under; 746-2262.

March 14: Annual Maple Sugaring Festival, Institute for AMerican Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Rd, Washington, 11 am-3 pm, $8, $6 children/adv ($10, $8 day of), ongoing sugar making demos, pancakes w/ local syrup (11-1 only), games & crafts (1-3); 860-868-0518.

March 14: Annual Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner, Second Meeting House, 450 Main St, Bethel, continuous servings 5-8 pm, $15, $10 ages 7-12, free ages 6 & under, all you can eat dinner incl vegetables, drinks & dessert, cash bar, sponsored by Bethel Historical Society & VFW Post 935; 748-6112.

March 14: Annual St Patrick’s Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner, Center Firehouse, 461 Main St South, Southbury, 5-8 pm, $12, $11 seniors (5-6 pm only), $6 ages 12 & under, proceeds to benefit Soutbury Volunteer FD; 262-0615.

March 15: Historical Society Open House & Program at Matthew Curtiss House, 44 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown, 12-4 pm, , free, tours by junior & senior docents, also presentation by Revolutionary War reenactor Brian W. McCoy; 426-5937.

March 15: St Patrick’s Day Fun Bowl, Brookfield Lanes, 840 Federal Rd/Rte 7, Brookfield, 12-3 pm, teams, individuals & sponsors invited to raise funds for Brookfield Rotary Club fundraiser for MADD-CT; 203-234-6524.

March 15: “Global Warming Update: What the News Media and Your Government Won’t Tell You,” Brookfield Public Library, 182 Whisconier Rd/Rte 25, Brookfield Center, 2 pm, free program by meteorologist & TV weatherman Art Horn will offer scientific evidence of decades of global warming, also alternative to Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth; 775-3934.

March 15: “Landscaping with Native Plants,” Roxbury Town Hall, Rte 67, Roxbury, 3 pm, free illustrated lecture by Lisa Turoczi (co-owner, Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery, Woodbury) will cover why native plants are important for insects, birds, mammals & biodiversity, also problems w/ invasives; 860-350-4148.

March 17: “Women and The Economy,” WCSU Warner Hall, Fifth Ave, Danbury, 12:30 pm, panel discussion & lunch, part of Women’s History Month events; 837-8482.

March 17: “What Makes Humans Unique?” at Univ of Connecticut-Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Room 333, 99 East Main St, Waterbury, 12:30 pm, free lecture by Dr Stephen Trumbo at 200th anniv of Darwin’s birth, also historical & modern perspectives on human uniqueness thanks to DNA, reservations required; 203-236-9924.

March 18: “How Do We Know the Climate is Changing?” Western CT State Univ Science Building Room 125, Osborne St at Dr James Roach Ave, Danbury, 7 pm, free lecture by WCSU Prof of Biological & Environmental Sciences Dr Mitch Wagener; 837-8773.

March 21: Saturday Morning Bird Walk, Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave, Derby, 9 am, free walk to observe birds in the wild, sharpen bird ID skills or just for enjoyment of leisurely morning hike, may last up to 2 hours, all levels of birders welcome, meet in parking lot; 734-2513.

March 21: Artist Festival & Wine Tasting, St Peter’s Episcopal Church, 175 Old Tannery Rd, Monroe, $15 donation, $25/couple, work by local artists Barb Lopez, Jo Ann Frawley, Mary Jaeger, Mary Lou Wagner & Greg Karas, wines from local vineyards & distributors, door prizes & light food; 268-4265.

March 22: PHD Spring Psychic Fair, Maron Hotel, Mill Plain Rd, Danbury, 11 am-6 pm, free, area psychics, clairvoyants, astrologers, tarots & mediums readers featured, also pet psychic (bring photos, not pets); 4 70-1806.

March 22: “The Calming, Centering Influence of Meditation: Observations from Practice,” Woodbury Yoga Center, 122 West Side Rd, Woodbury, 7 pm, free presentation by Susi Stone, tea reception & group meditation to follow; 263-2254.

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

Misc programs, free unless noted: March 15, Author Talk: Kristin Delfau, 2 pm, discussion of Turbo-Mom’s Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time, registration requested; March 17, Great Fireside Reads, 7:30 pm, discussion of The Age of Innocence will be led by Julie Stern; March 19, Job Search Workshop: The Resume, 3-4:30 pm, registration required, Cheryl Schwartz, MS, MSW, LCSW, CRC, will cover format, contents, “The Powerful Resume” & writing accomplished statements.

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

Special Events: March 21, Gilbert Gottfried, 8:30, $25-$35, w/ Tim Young & Randy Levin (call Treehouse Comedy, 268-5857).

(FILM) March 14-19: Twilight (PG-13), Sat 7 & 9:30 pm, Sun-Thurs 7 pm, mat Sat 4:30 pm, Sun 1 & 4 pm, Tues 1 & 4:30 pm.

Flagpole Camera Club, C.H. Booth Library lower meeting room, 25 Main St, Newtown. Call 364-1441.

Meetings 3rd Thurs/month, 7:30 pm, non-members always welcome: March 19, “Bellies & Babies” presentation by professional photographer Grace Crebbins: photographing expectant mothers & newborns.

Newtown Chess Club, at C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 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 788-1398 (Ester Nichols), 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: March 14, Sherwood Island State Park, Westport, easy (Ildiko Gramling, 263-0086); March 21, Huntington State Park, Redding, easy hike (Louann Chevalier, 426-2072).

Newtown VNA Thrift Shop, Edmond Town Hall (lower level), 45 Main Street, New-town. Call 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.

Shepaug Eagle Observation Area, Shepaug Housatonic Hydroelectric Station, River Rd, Southbury. Call (Tues-Fri 9 am-3 pm) 800-368-8954.

Seasonal: Observation area open to March 11 only, Wed, Sat-Sun 9 am-1 pm, free adm but reservations absolutely required (reservations line now open).

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

Treehouse Comedy Productions.

Shows at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St/Rte 25 (call 268-5857): March 21, Gilbert Gottfried, 8:30, $25-$35, w/ Tim Young & Randy Levin.

Shows at The New Sorrento, 32 Newtown Rd, Danbury (call 744-5575), shows 9 pm & tickets $15 unless noted: March 14, Tom Anzalone, Dom Fig & Owen Barness; March 21, Jim Florentine (“That Metal Show”),$19.50, w/ Eric Deskin & Sharon Simon.

Theatre ______________

March 15: The Funny Stages at Playhouse on the Green, 177 State St, Bridgeport, 7 pm, $10 (cash only, pay at door), improv comedy by members of New Haven Theater Company; 866-811-4111.

Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, Brookfield Playhouse, 182 Whisconier Rd (Rte 25, behind library), Brookfield Center. Call 775-0023.

Tea At Five, through March 21, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun (March 15 only) 2 pm, tickets $20.

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

Smoky Joe’s Café: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller, through March 19, curtain Fri 7:30 pm, Sat 8:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 5:30 pm, tickets $39-$42, group discounts.

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

On Stage II: Bad Dates, through March 22, curtain Thurs-Sat 8 pm, Tues-Wed & Sun 7 pm, mat Sat 3 pm, Sun & Wed 2 pm, tickets $32-$62.

Newtown High School Drama Dept, 12 Berkshire Rd/Rte 34, Sandy Hook. Call 426-7983.

110 in The Shade, through March 15, curtain Thurs-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sun 2:30 pm, tickets $15-$17, $12-$15 students & seniors.

Ridgefield Theater Barn, 37 Halpin La, Ridgefield. Call 203-431-9850.

How I Learned To Drive, March 13-April 4, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun (March 22 & 29) 3 pm, tickets $24, $20 students & seniors.

Seven Angels Theatre, Hamilton Park Pavilion, Plank Rd, Waterbury. Call 203-757-4676.

It Had To Be You, through March 15, curtain Thurs-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat & Thurs 2 pm, call for ticket details.

TheaterWorks Hartford, 233 Pearl St, Hartford. Call 860-527-7838.

Dead Man’s Cell Phone, through March 15, curtain Tues-Thurs 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2:30 pm, tickets $37-$58.

TheatreWorks New Milford, 5 Brookside Ave, New Milford. Call 860-350-6863.

Rabbit Hole, through March 14, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun 2 pm, tickets $20.

Western CT State University’s Berkshire Theater, Osborne St, Danbury. Call 837-8732.

The Tempest, through March 14, call for details.