Congratulations to two clever Bees! Lynn Remson and Shannon Hicks shared the honors last week when the results were announced for our 2022 Newtown Bee Peeps Diorama Contest. By a landslide, Lynn’s “Santa Peep” creation — which included Santa in a sleigh, driving reindeer Peeps (rein-Peeps?) led by Rudolph, complete with a red nose; and an oversize ornament filled with fun surprises — picked up the in-house honors. Lynn is now hosting our Peeps Diorama Contest trophy until next year’s competition. Shannon, meanwhile, who did “LiMu Emu & Peep,” based on the Liberty Mutual commercials, won the Peep-le’s Choice honor. She picked up that honorary title thanks to those who selected her work as the diorama of their choice on our Facebook page Friday morning. While this was not the first time the honors went to two different dioramas (in-house and reader voting usually pick the same diorama), we did have something new happen for the first time last Friday: two readers stopped by the office to vote in person. Now that’s dedication! Thank you to everyone who offered comments and/or votes.

It is a big weekend this weekend. Not only is Newtown’s Earth Day Festival happening on Saturday, April 23, from 10 am until 4 pm at Newtown Middle School’s front lawn, 11 Queen Street — with family friendly events and organizations, groups, musicians, and vendors — but WorkspaceCT and Love/Art/Play announced an Earth Day event at Theatre Education and Development, 16 Trowbridge Drive in Bethel, also taking place on Saturday. Jim Allen of Newtown, who was featured on NBC’s The Voice late last year with his son Sasha, will headline the evening’s entertainment starting at 6:45 pm. The day event runs from 12:30 to 3:30 pm, and the evening event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Events and activities will be held throughout the day event. Janelle Robinson and Leland Williams will perform poetry and songs before Jim takes the stage that evening. Tickets for the day event are $10 for individuals and $20 for families; tickets for the evening event are $20 for individuals. For tickets for the day event see eventbrite.com/e/earth-day-happening-celebrating-community-day-event-tickets-311471408367, for tickets for the evening event see eventbrite.com/e/earth-day-happening-celebrating-community-with-jim-allen-tickets-311488549637.

Also on Saturday, Candlewood Valley Trout Unlimited (CVTU) is inviting readers of all ages to join them celebrating Earth Day “the right way,” according to organizers of a special event: Stream Cleanup will take place this Saturday, April 23, from 8:30 am to noon. Anyone interested in getting their feet wet and hands (and boots and clothing) dirty can meet the group in the southernmost section of the parking lot at 100 Church Hill Road (behind PJ’s Laundromat) to spend all or part of the morning cleaning sections of Pootatuck River and Deep Brook. Bring your own gloves and wear boots and clothing that can get wet and dirty; CVTU will provide water, bug spray, garbage bags and tools. Registration is requested and can be done by visiting CVTU.org, under Events & Meetings.

The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) will present its next artist demo on Wednesday, April 27, at 1:30 pm. Jacqueline Jones, a nationally recognized landscape and seascape painter, will share her passion of painting oils when she creates a scene of water lilies using oils. Those planning to attend the free program should know that SCAN continues to meet away from its traditional location. Jones’s program will be in The Great Room of Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West Street. Reservations are not taken for SCAN programs but additional information, including the group’s latest COVID precautions, is available at SCANart.org.

Beth Anesi, Nathalie Bennett, Suzanne Candee, and Cynthia Caraway will all be among those performing in “Celebrate! A Lifetime of Middle Eastern Dance,” a special event planned for Sunday afternoon at WCSU’s Ives Concert Hall. Riskallah Riyad, who will be hosting the afternoon event, will be joined by the four Newtown residents mentioned, along with additional local students and at least five professional guest dancers. The performance will begin at 2 pm. Tickets are $30 for adults, $10 for ages 12 and under, and can be reserved at riskallah.com or WCSUtickets.ticketspice.com/celebrate.

Frandango, a classic rock cover band, is set to play at Aquila's Nest Vineyards, 56 Pole Bridge Road, on Sunday, May 8, which is Mother’s Day this year. The band’s full lineup of events is available on its Facebook page, @Frandangoband. The May 8 event is the only Newtown event planned in the coming months, but there are other events throughout the area.

Newtown High School’s girls’ lacrosse team defeated its third straight unbeaten opponent with a 15-2 win over Stratford-Bunnell on April 18. The Nighthawks were coming off a 14-13 thriller over Cheshire two days earlier. Read all about the action in this week’s Sports section. And, did you know that when The Newtown Bee Sports Editor Andy Hutchison isn’t covering Newtown athletics, he is playing hockey? His team earned a Southern Connecticut Hockey League winter season championship this past week by winning quarterfinal, semifinal, and title games. Congratulations to both the girls’ lacrosse team and Hutchison!

Are you tuned in to the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement’s “ChooSELove Movement” podcast? The latest episode honored Autism Awareness Month with Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement Founder Scarlett Lewis interviewing Newtown Senior Center Assistant Director Judy Thomas, whose son has a pervasive development disorder. “Both Scarlett and Judy shed light on the need for change in the school system to better serve children who have autism or other developmental conditions,” a description for the podcast’s 64th episode reads. Tune in online at anchor.fm/jesse-lewis-choose-love-m/episodes/64-Judy-Thomas-mother-of-Lyle-Vetare—advocate-for-Autism-e1hb3j1?fbclid=IwAR1mxWYYQmfb4cjal_udVQWWcPe3AXXwq2OY2XXYomSPlB5JtwSgQfLI990. And if you are a Newtown-based podcast, e-mail Education Editor Eliza Hallabeck at eliza@thebee.com to potentially be featured in the paper.

I know June is a little while away, but I just heard that EverWonder Children’s Museum will host EverWonder-Land at Holcombe Hill Preserve for a “Mad Hatter’s Tree Party” on Saturday, June 11, from 10 am to 2 pm. It will be a family friendly free community event with guided nature walks by forestry experts and live animal demonstrations by Christine’s Critters. There will be giant yard games, science crafts, and a Tea Party with Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, and more. Costumes are encouraged, and registration — which opens in late May — is required at everwondermuseum.org. All ages welcome. Dare I go as the Cheshire Cat?

I’ll be grinning at least as much as the Cheshire Cat if you promise next week to ... Read me again.