Antiques Shows______

Saturdays: Woodbury’s Famous Antiques & Flea Market, Rte 6 near Rte 64, Woodbury, 7 am-1 pm, 150± vendors each week, event runs weekly through mid-Dec; 203-263-2841.

Sundays (through Dec 19): Elephant’s Trunk Country Flea Market, Rte 7, New Milford, 7 am-2:30 pm (early buying 5:45 am, $20), adm $1.

July 24: 44th Guilford Keeping Society Antiques Festival & Sale, Thomas Griswold House Museum, 171 Boston St, Guilford, 9 am-4 pm rain or shine, adm $4, 100 dealers; 203-795-6465, 203-458-2887.

Aug 7: 31st Annual Antiques Festival on the Green, Main St at Hubbard St, Glastonbury, 9 am-4 pm rain or shine, adm $4 (early buying 7 am, $10); 860-633-6890.

Art Exhibits, Museums Historic Places__ _____

Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, 258 Main St, Ridgefield. Hours: Tues-Thurs & Sat-Sun 1-5 pm, Fri 12-8 pm. Call 203-438-4519.

Through Sept 1, “Wall Drawing ##1123, Planes with broken bands of color,” original work created specifically for grand reopening of museum by Sol LeWitt covers the 1,800 sq ft south, west & north elevations of museum’s new Project Gallery.

Through Sept 1, “Big Baby,” Nina Levy’s 7-ft-tall sculpture of a toddler is back by popular demand, now situated in museum’s new entrance terrace.

Through Sept 1, “Ann Lislegaard: Passing By,” new project, “a sonic map of the museum’s transformation” in collaboration w/ Jacob Kirkegaard, inaugurates museum’s new sound gallery.

Through Sept 1, “Interchange,” collaboration betw artist Mary Lum & high school students in last year’s Art Lab program, a collage of floor plans from old & new museum buildings, presented on partial exterior surface of Old Hundred (part of Aldrich’s original building).

Through Sept 1, “The Beginning of the End,” outdoor sculpture based on Robert Indiana’s iconic “Love” series offers a decayed and weed-infested take on the “Love” sculpture.

Through Sept 1, “Paint Pours,” site-specific installation by Paul Henry Ramirez uses solid blocks of color paint that were squeezed into precise lines & appear to animate the walls of museum store.

Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10 am-8 pm, Fri 12-5 pm, Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 12-5 pm. Call 426-4533.

In Olga Knoepke Meeting Room: Through July 31, “Place of Rest,” photographs & complementary poetry by John Ulatowski.

Brookfield Craft Center, 286 Whisconier Rd (Rte 25), Brookfield. Hours: Mon-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 12-5 pm. Call 775-4526.

Through Aug 8, “Poetic Spirit,” fine multi-media craftwork by 10 nat’l profile artists, each asked to provide pcs that “emulate their personal spirit & poetry,” incl works by Jamie Bennett, Bob Ebendorf, Jim Fawcett, Klindt Houlberg, Ron Isaacs, Thomas Mann, Tommy Simpson, Missy Stevens, Roy & Mara Superior, & David & Roberta Williamson.

Bruce Museum of Arts & Sciences, One Museum Dr, Greenwich. Hours: Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 1-5 pm. Call 203-869-0376.

Through Aug 1, “Simply Sensational: An Exploration of The Senses,” family-oriented exhibition illustrates how people & animals use their senses to survive in & strive to understand the world.

Easton Public Library, 691 Morehouse Rd (at corner of Center St), Easton. Hours: Mon & Fri 10 am-5 pm, Tues & Wed 10 am-8 pm, Thurs 10 am-6 pm, Sat 10 am-3 pm. Call 261-0134.

Through Aug 31, “Fields of Gossamer,” photographs by Connecticut artist Lucy Sander Sceery.

Flanders Nature Center Welcome Center, Church Hill at Flanders Rd, Woodbury. Call 203-263-3711.

Through Aug 30, “In The Natural State: The Nude in the Art of Natalie Van Vleck,” major exhibition of 21 works (paintings, drawings & woodcuts) by the founder of Flanders Nature Center offers works that comprise a significant proportion of Ms Van Vleck’s oeuvre.

Good News Café, 684 Main St/Rte 6, Woodbury. Hours: Mon, Wed-Sat 11:30 am-10 pm, Sun 12-10 pm. Call 203-266-4663.

Through Aug 8, “Wanderings,” paintings based on the around-the-world travels of CT artist Erin Walrath.

Through Aug 8, evocative figurative works & subdued landscapes by CA-based artist & attorney Gwen Freeman.

Grey Horse Gallery, 3 Washington Ave/Rte 34 (in old Masonic Temple, 1st floor; behind St John’s Episcopal Church), Sandy Hook. Hours: Tues-Sat 10 am-4 pm. Call 270-1199.

Permanent display of oils & pastels by Dick McEvoy.

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

Through Aug 29, “Edward S. Curtis: Photographs from the Matus Collection,” 34 framed & 7 matted images by Edward S. Curtis, one of the most celebrated photographers of Native Peoples, loaned from collection of Bernard & Nancy Matus.

Through Aug 31, “Northern Hunters and Fishermen: Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic, Sub-Arctic and Northwest Coast,” objects reflecting Native American peoples’ lives in, reliance on & respect for the plant & animal life that surrounded them in homes of northernmost North America.

Minor Memorial Library, 23 South St, Roxbury. Hours: Sat 10 am-2 pm, Mon & Wed 10 am-7 pm, Thurs-Fri 10 am-5 pm. Call 860-350-2181.

*(new show) July 31-Sept 8, “Portraits And More,” portraits, nudes & landscape paintings by Roxbury resident Brandon Soloff; July 31, opening reception, 2-4 pm.

New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington St, New Britain. Hours: Tues, Thurs-Fri & Sun 12-5 pm, Wed 12-7 pm, Sat 10 am-5 pm. Mu-seum Highlights Tour offered each Sun at 2 pm. Call 860-229-0257.

*(new show) Through Nov 23, “Seeing Is Believing: American Trompe l’Oeil,” 60± playful & serious works of trompe l’oeil showcasing artists’ ability to depict objects so precisely they seem real, works from private & public collectors, also loaned works recently included in recent popular exhibition of same theme at National Gallery in Washington, D.C.; Aug 4, “Art Happy Hour: Focus on Trompe l’oeil,” 5:30-7 pm (guest speaker 6 pm), call for details.

New Canaan Historical Society, 13 Oenoke Ridge/Rte 124, New Canaan. Hours: Tues-Fri 10 am-4 pm, Sat 10 am-noon & 2-4 pm. Call 203-966-1776.

Through July 31, “Silvermine Art Colony: The Knockers, The Silvermine Group of Artists, The Silvermine Guild,” Celebration of one of CT’s most important art colonies offers 50+ examples of works by early Silvermine Art Colony members, many on view for first time in 80+ years, incl paintings of D. Putnam Brinley, Charles Reiffel, Hamilton Hamilton, Bernhard Gutmann, Addison Millar, Edmund Ashe, Carl Schmitt, Helen Hamilton & Dorothy Byard, sculpture by Solon Borglum & jewelry by Emma Borglum.

Ridgefield Guild of Artists (RGA) Gallery, Halpin La, Ridgefield. Hours: Thurs-Sun 1-5 pm. Call 203-438-8863.

Through Aug 8, “Where In The World,” annual themed show has artists answering, with 2 of their original works, “where in the world (or universe) do you want to visit?”

Sadelier, 69 West Wooster St, Danbury. Hours: Tues-Thurs, Sat 11 am-5 pm, Fri 11 am-6 pm, Mon by appt. Call 743-4830.

Through Aug 12, abstract photographs by Caryn B. Davis.

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main St, Hartford. Hours: Tues-Sun 11 am-5 pm. Call 860-278-2670.

Through Aug 1, “kid size: The Material World of Childhood,” everyday objects designed for children over three centuries and around the world through 130 pcs of furniture & other artifacts, comparing & contrasting familiar forms from Europe & US w/ objects from sub-Saharan Afica, China, Papua New Guinea, India & indigenous peoples of the Americas; July 31, “Down With Design,” 10 am-5 pm (incl w/ museum adm), self-guided gallery tours, display of low-rider bicycles designed by a Hartford youth club, drop-in art activities.

Walsh Art Gallery at Quick Center, Fairfield Univ, North Benson Rd, Fairfield. Hours: Tues-Sat 11 am-5 pm, Sun 12-4 pm. Call 203-254-4000 x2969.

Through Aug 1, “75th Annual Connecticut Women Artists’ Open Juried Exhibition,” juried exhibit open to all female artists in CT presented by Connecticut Women Artists, Inc. features original works in oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, mixed media, collage, graphics, photography, sculpture & video, as selected by juror Joanna Marsh (curator of contemporary art, Wadsworth Atheneum), artists incl Ruth Newquist & Virginia Zic of Newtown.

Washington Art Association, Bryant Plaza, Rte 47, Washington Depot. Hours: Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 12-5 pm. Call 860-868-2878.

Through July 31, works by collage artist Joy Floyd, sculpture by Eli Noyes & ink on paper drawings by Augusta Talbot.

West Wind Studio, 35 Calhoun St, Washington Depot. Hours: Fri-Sun 1-5 pm or by appt. Call 860-354-6518.

Through Aug 8, “Escapes & Double Takes,” paintings by Mary Frank, who is celebrated for her highly charged mythological & metaphorical landscapes.

Wilton Art Gallery & Framing, 379 Danbury Rd/Rte 7, Wilton. Hours: Mon-Fri 10 am-6 pm, Sat 9:30 am-5 pm, Sun by appt. Call 203-762-8311.

Through July 30, “Natural Reflections: recent works by Amy Foster & Roger Hendricks,” oil paintings & sculpture by local artist & teacher Ms Foster & nationally acclaimed artist Mr Hendricks.

Wilton Historical Society/Wilton Heritage Museum, 224 Danbury Rd/Rte 7, Wilton. Hours: Mon-Thurs 12-4 pm, some Sundays 1-4 pm (call ahead). Call 203-762-7257.

Through Sept 1, “Folk Art On The Floor: Expressions of Women’s Lives,” antique rugs incl rare examples of 19th C & contemporary counterparts made by women following the tradition of earlier generations, works by well-known artisans as well as works by regional & local women (note: rugs will change mid-July); Aug 1, “American Folk Rugs: Anonymous Folk Art By Women,” 2 pm, $10 incl slide lecture plus tour of exhibit & museum’s 14 period rooms.

Wooster Community Art Center, 73 Miry Brook Rd, Danbury. Gallery hours: M-F 9:30 am-6:30 pm. Call 744-4825.

Through July 31, paintings by Earl Hamilton, who uses his works to communicate basic human emotions or conditions.

Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St at York, New Haven. Hours: Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 1-6 pm. Masterpiece Tours of Permanent Collection every Sat 1:30 pm, Sun 3 pm. Call 203-432-0600.

Through Aug 15, “Stagestruck in America: Artists, Entertainers, and Audiences, 1906-1956,” celebration of YUAG’s acquisition of Shinn’s “The Orchestra Pit, Old Proctor’s Fifth Avenue Theatre” & Kuhn’s “Chorus Captain” couples those works w/ paintings, drawings, photos & prints from gallery’s collection sharing the glitzy allure of vaudeville, burlesque, music halls, jazz clubs & early movies incl works of Mabel Dwight, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Reginald Marsh & James Van Der Zee.

Auditions, Juried Events  _____

Bridgewater Fair Art Show, Bridgewater Firehouse, Rte 133, Bridgewater. Call 860-350-1409, 860-350-1121.

Aug 19: Entries sought for annual art show to be part of 53rd Annual Bridgewater Country Fair, receiving & registration 4-7 pm, all work must be original, work by adults must arrive properly framed, matted & ready to hang, children’s art should be matted (not necessary to have framed), accepting original works in oils, acrylics, pastels, watercolors, etchings, lithos, monotypes, monoprints & woodcuts, will be on view Aug 20-22, pick-up must be Aug 22 betw 6-7 pm, contact Classic Photography (first phone # above) or art show superintendent Pamela Hochstetter (second #) for addt’l info.

Diaz Memorial Video Festival, c/o Charter Communications, 11 Commerce Rd, Newtown. Call 860-350-4630, 860-354-8930.

Sept 15: Videos due for festival, awards in 2 age groups (students/ages 14-18 & adult), contact Charter for full competition details, winners will be announced in Nov, non-winning entries from last year may be resubmitted.

Newtown Congregational Church Flea Market, at Fairfield Hills, off Wasserman Way, Newtown. Call 426-4174.

Aug 21-22: Spaces available for annual event, $35 each, organizers welcome groups w/ tag sale items, artists & crafters, vendors, etc, sale will run 9 am-4 pm each day, contact Barbara or Lee Field for details.

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

July 24: Children’s auditions for Medea, 11 am-3 pm, director Jane Farnol needs 2 boys (or girls who can play boys) approx 30-42” tall, production will run weekends Sept 25-Oct 23, call for details.

Aug 2-3: Adult auditions for Medea, 7-9 pm, director Jane Farnol seeking men & women of all age ranges, readings from script, all roles available, professionals & amateurs welcome, rehearsals will be Mon-Thurs eves beginning late Aug, production will run weekends Sept 25-Oct 23.

Concerts, Musical Events ____

July 23: The Enao Ensemble at Trinity Episcopal Church, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown, 7:30 pm, free adm (donations accepted & will support Bishop’s Fund for Children), performance by string quartet will incl works of Brahms, Mendelssohn & Shostakovich, also continues church’s ongoing Music At Trinity series; 426-9070.

July 23: Time For Three at The Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge Ave, Ridgefield, 8 pm, tickets $30, concert by violin-violin-bass trio that performs repertoire of Beatles to favorite hymns & original compositions will be hosted by Joanne Woodward & Paul Newman, part of Westport Country Playhouse Arts Festival season (temporarily located at Ridgefield venue); 203-227-4177.

July 24: “Sophisticated Ladies: WSO’s 15th Annual Picnic & Pops Concert,” The Hollow, Hollow Rd (off Rte 6/Main St South), Woodbury, 4 pm, gen adm $10/adv, $15/gate adults, free ages 18 & under, reserved tent seating $50, selections from Carmen, Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Waltz & modern pcs saluting sophisticated ladies; 203-574-4283.

July 25: First Annual Newtown G-Fest, Dickinson Park pavilion, Elm Dr, Newtown, 11:30 am-10 pm, adm $10, celebration of music for all ages will feature at least 8 local bands including headliners Dan Bailey, refreshments, raffles, proceeds will be donated to The American Heart Association; 270-9700.

July 29: Don Hurteau at The Village at Brookfield Commons, 246-A Federal Rd, Brookfield, performance of showtunes, swing & pop by Mr is open to public free of charge; 775-8696.

July 29: Weston Summer Chorus concert, Norfield Congregational Church, Weston, 8 pm, free adm (donations accepted at door), 40-voice chorus will perform Ein Deutsches Requiem w/ chamber orchestra & soloists; 227-7886 x 14.

July 30: Lineage Dance Company at Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Rd/Rte 7, Wilton, 7 pm, adm $25 adults, $10 students & seniors, contemporary dance, poetry & storytelling by members of Los Angeles-based company performing fundraiser (partial proceeds to library, partial to dance company touring country for non-profit & charitable organizations); 203-762-3950.

July 31: Ballroom dance at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 4070 Park Ave, Bridgeport, 7 pm-midnight, adm $15 (singles & couples welcome), dance lesson at 8, performance by Latin dance stars Ilya Ifraimov & Nadia Goulina at 9:30, remainder of evening dancing to DJ selections,

July 31: “Valerie Tutson: Stories n’ Stuff,” Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, Rte 25, Brookfield Center, 8 pm, tickets $10; 775-0023.

Aug 1: “An Afternoon of Music,” The Homesteads at Newtown, 166 Mt Pleasant Rd/Rte 6, Newtown, 2:30 pm, $10 donation (for Alzheimer’s Assn of CT), pianist King Bosworth, mezzo-soprano Margaret Capen & violist David Vogel will perform diverse works of Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Rossini, Debussy, Chopin, & Richard Rogers; 426-8118.

Bethel Summer Concert Series, Bethel Municipal Center, 1 School St, Bethel.

Free concerts on center’s front lawn (indoors if rain), 6 pm, BYO seating, picnics welcome: July 25, The Rafterbats, bluegrass & country-inspired CT rock band; Aug 1, Tara’s Thistle, vocal duo performs Irish folk songs accompanied by keyboard, guitar, lowland smallpipes, flute, whistle & bodran; Aug 8, The Sonny Carroll Orchestra.

Gate House Coffee House, Rte 172, Southbury. Call 586-2144 (Southbury Training School).

Summer Concert Series, Tues 6:30 pm (under pavilion if rain), free adm: July 27, David Chevan’s Afro-Semitic Experience, jazzy music integrating right musical heritage of 2 cultures; Aug 3, singer-songwriter-guitarist Kate McDonnell.

Ives Concert Park, WCSU westside campus, University Blvd, Danbury. Call 837-9226 (or TicketMaster, 744-8100).

2004 Summer Concert Series, shows 7:30 unless noted, all shows rain or shine, children’s lawn tickets $12 (ages 2 & under free/lawn), all tickets $3 higher day of show: July 24, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, showtime 8 pm, tickets $41 & $56 reserved, $26 adult lawn.

Merryall Center for the Arts, Chapel Hill Rd (off Merryall Rd), New Milford. Call 860-354-7264.

Performances 8:30 pm (unless noted), tickets $15, season tickets available: July 24, program by Dr Jefferson Wiggins, who will share stories from his memoir Another Generation Almost Forgotten.

McLaughlin Vineyards, Albert’s Hill Rd, Sandy Hook. Hours: daily 11 am-5 pm. Call 426-1533.

“Garden Jazz,” Sun through Oct 10, 1-4 pm rain or shine, $10 (reservations a must), enjoy intimate jazz performance & wine tastings in garden overlooking vineyards, non-alcoholic drinks also available.

Yale Univ Guild of Carillonneurs, Harkness Tower’s Jonathan Edwards College courtyard, Elm St at Chapel, New Haven. Call 203-432-2309.

2004 Carillon Concert Series, Fri 7 pm, free concerts on Harkness Tower’s 54-bell carillon, BYO seating (indoors if inclement weather), picnics welcome, guest performers & their homes follow: July 23, George Matthew Jr (Middlebury College, Norwich Univ); July 30, Justin Ryan (Denver, Colo.).

Films _________________

July 23: Family Movie Night: Tiny Heroes, Newtown Christian Church, 210 Sugar St/Rte 302, Newtown, free screening will begin at dusk, families & all ages welcome, BYO seating; 270-9144.

Bethel Cinema, 269 Greenwood Ave, Bethel. Call 778-2100.

July 23-29: Before Sunset (R), daily 7:30 & 9:45 pm, mat Fri 5:20 pm, Sat-Sun, Wed 1:20, 3:20 & 5:20 pm; The Clearing (R), daily 7:20 & 9:35 pm, mat Fri 5:10 pm, Sat-Sun, Wed 1, 3:05 & 5:10 pm; The Door in the Floor (R), daily 7 & 9:25 pm, mat Fri 4:10 pm, Sat-Sun, Wed 1:30 & 4:10 pm; Fahrenheir 9/11 (R), daily 6:45 & 9:15 pm, mat Fri 4 pm, Sat-Sun, Wed 1:10 & 4 pm.

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

July 23-29: Van Helsing (PG-13), daily 7:30 pm, mat daily 1 & 4 pm.

For Kids & Families _________

July 23: Family Movie Night: Tiny Heroes, Newtown Christian Church, 210 Sugar St/Rte 302, Newtown, free screening will begin at dusk, families & all ages welcome, BYO seating; 270-9144.

July 31: “Valerie Tutson: Stories n’ Stuff,” Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, Rte 25, Brookfield Center, family performance 2 pm, tickets $10; 775-0023.

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

Children’s programs, free unless specified: Aug 3, “Real Rescue Heroes: Fire Safety,” 10:30 am, free (pre-registration required) program for ages 3-5 by firemen about what they do & some of the equipment they use.

Young Adult programs, free unless specified: July 27, “Real Rescue Heroes: Newtown Ambulance,” 10:30 am, free (pre-registration required) program for ages 6 & up by members of ambulance corps about what they do & some of the equipment they use; July 31, “Super Saturday Science Workshop: Connecting Science & Math,” 10 am-noon, $6 materials fee due at registration, program for students entering grades 3-4 will be led by teacher & artist Leslie Troy; Aug 3, “Real Rescue Heroes: Fire Safety,” 10:30 am, free (pre-registration required) program for ages 3-5 by firemen about what they do & some of the equipment they use, program repeats for ages 6 & up at 11:30.

Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Ave, Bridgeport. Call 203-394-6565.

Programs incl w/ zoo adm ($8 adults, $6 ages 3-11 & seniors, free ages 3 & under, group rates available): July 25, Truck Day, 12-3 pm, incl w/ zoo admission, local companies will display large equipment & construction trucks & local fire dept will showcase a fire truck.

Musicals at Richter Fairy Tale Theatre, at Wooster School, Ridgebury Rd, Danbury. Call 748-6873.

Off-site series by Musicals at Richter’s young actors’ ensemble, grounds open 10:30 (crafts offered), performances 11 am, all tickets $5, BYO blankets/seats: July 24, The Jungle Book; July 31, Sleeping Beauty.

Miscellaneous ___________

July 23-25: 37th Annual Connecticut Agricultural Fair, Goshen Fairgrounds, Rte 63, Goshen, Fri 10 am-9 pm, Sat 8 am-9 pm, Sun 9 am-6 pm, adm $7 adults, free ages 12 & under, performances by Mood Ring (Sat 6:30) & Ricochet (Sun 3:30), autograph booths w/ Maria Conlon (Sat 1 pm) & Diane Smith (Sun noon), Friday Night Cruise Night, crafts, games, animal exhibitions, antique & garden tractor pulls, horse & oxen pulls, Kids Fire Safety Trailer, more, presented by CT State Grange; 860-491-3628.

July 24: Open Turret Day at Military Museum of Southern New England, 125 Park Ave, Danbury, 10 am-5 pm, wear shows & clothing appropriate for climbing into museum’s collection of military vehicles (which are not usually open to the public), rain date July 25; 790-9277.

July 24: Seventh Annual Tea for Two Hundred: a garden party to benefit Northwest CT AIDS Project & Interfaith AIDS Ministry of Greater Danbury, at home of Gael Hammer, 63 River Rd, Washington Depot, 4-7 pm, tickets $50/person (Teapot Sponsorships at Silver, Gold & Platinum levels also available), honorary chairperson Joan Rivers will join guests for silent auction, tours of Mr Hammer’s award-winning cottage style gardens, fine cuisine, live music, also live birds of prey demo, guests invited to wear white; 860-482-1596.

July 24: CT ConTacts Patio Party for Singles, Colonial Tavern, off Rte 67, Oxford, 8 am-1 pm, adm $15 incl dinner & dessert buffets, dancing to DJ selections, jeans OK for relaxed summer party; 203-468-1144.

July 24: Dr Jefferson Wiggins at Merryall Center for the Arts, Chapel Hill Rd (off Merryall Rd), New Milford, 8:30 pm, tickets $15, New Fairfield resident will share stories from his memoir Another Generation Almost Forgotten, founder of Wiggins Institute for Social Integrity grew up pre-WWII in Alabama, the son of sharecroppers; 860-354-7264.

July 25: “Sexuality And Spirituality: Are They Mutually Exclusive?” program at Woodbury Yoga Center, 122 West Side Rd, Woodbury, 6:45 pm, free discussion led by Tully Moss will be followed by group meditation & tea reception; 203-263-2254.

July 28: “The Mystique of The Civil War,” Brookfield Historical Society & Museum, Rte 133 at 25, Brookfield Center, 7:30 pm, free lecture by Peter Cronin on many facets of the unique period of American history, first in a new series about the Civil War; 740-8140.

July 30-31: 37th Annual New Milford Village Fair Days, New Milford Green, Rte 202 at Main St, New Milford, 10 am-10 pm both days, free adm, 20 juried antiques dealers & 140 juried artists & craftspeople, also 100± goods & services/business booths, vendors, 8-mile road race & Children’s Fun Run, continuous entertainment, food, proceeds benefit John Pettibone Scholarship Fund, leave pets home (per organizers); 860-354-6080.

July 31: “The ABCs of Wine Tasting,” McLaughlin Vineyards, Albert’s Hill Rd, Sandy Hook, 3 pm, $25, class for novice & experienced wine tasters will offer look at how grapes are grown, how wine is made, how soil, climate & techniques affect wine, learn how to pair wines w/ foods while tasting wines of McLaughlin & other regional vineyards; 426-1533.

Aug 1: Stratford Baseball Card & Sport Memorabilia Show, Ramada Inn, 225 Lordship Blvd, Stratford, 9:30 am-3 pm, adm $3 adults, 99 CENTS ages 10 & under, special appearance by former NY Met Amos Otis (12-1 pm), also dealers from 5 states w/ sport & vintage cards, new sets & wax boxes, sport memorabilia & collectibles, autographs & more; 364-1209.

Audubon Center at Bent of the River, 185 East Flat Hill Rd, Southbury. Call 264-5098.

Free programs unless noted, reservations requested, call if weather is questionable, leave pets home: July 28, Adult Nature Walk, 8 am, approx 2-hour walk led by center volunteers will move slowly through sanctuary, pausing often to view birds & seasonal aspects of the center’s rich natural history; Aug 1, Butterfly & Dragonfly Walk, 9:30 am, suggested donation $5 (registration requested), naturalists Greg Hanisek & Mark Szantyr will lead walk to seek, capture, identify & then release insects.

Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, 9 Main St/Rte 61, Bethlehem. Hours: MAY 2-OCT 28 Wed, Fri-Sun 11 am-4 pm. Call 203-266-7596.

Special Events: July 25, Historic Garden Walk Series: Fragrance, 3 pm, $5, horticulturist Robin Zitter will lead exploration of the many fragrant perennials, herbs, shrubs & trees that give the B-F Garden its special appeal.

Bethel Public Library, 189 Greenwood Ave **temporarily at 137 Greenwood Ave (in building w/ Hauser Chocolate), Bethel. Call 794-8756.

Free public programs: July 25, author program by author, columnist & Danbury native Dr Ian Smith, discussion of Dr Smith’s new novel The Blackbird Papers (at Bethel Municipal Center, at library’s temp location if rain).

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

July 31, Tools of Native Lifeways, 11 am-1 pm, included w/ museum adm ($4 adults, $3.50 seniors, $2 ages 2-16), discussion by Wendell Deer-With-Horns (Two Kettles Band, Lakota Nation) will compare & contrast tools & implements from his Plains collection to those in museum’s collection, also learn uses of items & how they were related to survival.

Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave/Rte 34, Derby. Call 734-2513.

Tuesday Morning Bird Walks, July & Aug 7-9 am, Sept 7:30-9:30 am, free programs led by avid birder Jay Connolly: next program Aug 7, Aug 21, Sept 4, Sept 21.

Kismet, programs at Bethel Arts Junction, 5 Depot Place, Bethel. Call 748-3125.

Dinner programs 4th Sat/month, $35/adv, $40/door, reservations required: July 24, dinner engagement at Union Buffet, 60 Newtown Rd (Rte 6), $35 w/ adv registration, $40/door.

Newtown VNA Thrift Shop, Edmond Town Hall (lower level), 45 Main Street, Newtown. Call 270-4377.

Shop is open every Wed 12-3 pm & Sat 9 am-noon, access is from town hall’s back parking lot (separate door for thrift shop), shop carries discounted items from local businesses & private donors incl clothing & sm home accessories, etc.

Sacred Grounds/Trinity Productions workshops, 24 Alpine Circle, Sandy Hook, or Brookfield Commons, 246 Federal Rd, Suite C-23A, Brookfield (call for location), or by appt, or in-home by appt. Call 426-9448.

Programs at Brookfield Commons: July 24, “More Than Aromatherapy,” 10 am-noon, $15, program w/ Kathanna Knapp about essential oils & how they may be powerful additions to any medicine cabinet.

Society of Creative Arts of Newtown, Inc. (SCAN), Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-6654.

Meetings 4th Wed/month, 1:30 pm, public welcome, artist demonstrations, refreshments: July 28, critique session by Hank McLaughlin.

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

Non-profit weight loss support group meets every Mon 6-8 pm (weigh-ins 6-6:45, meetings 7-8), meetings $2/week, membership $20/year.

Tarrywile Park, 70 Southern Blvd, Danbury. Call 744-3130.

Guided hikes led by volunteers Dawn Guevares & Jane Hiller, cancelled if heavy rain, registration suggested (group size limited), dress appropriately for hiking & bring light snack & water: July 24, 8 am, 1-hour hike; July 31, 6 pm, 3-hour hike to watch the sunset from beacon, bring flashlights & cameras for great photo ops.

Theatre ______________

Congregational Church of New Fairfield, 20 Gillotti Rd, New Fairfield. Call 746-2855.

The Music Man, July 30-Aug 8, curtain Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 3 pm, tickets $10-$13, *($5 seats available for seniors during Aug 1 mat), annual production by youth of church & surrounding towns is fundraiser for church.

Musicals At Richter, 100 Aunt Hack Rd, Danbury. Call 748-6873.

Mainstage performances: State Fair, through July 24, curtain Fri-Sun 8:30 pm (grounds open 7:15), tickets $18 adults, $15 seniors, $12 students & children (group rates available; chair rentals available w/ advance reservation).

Annie, July 29-Aug 14, curtain Fri-Sun 8:30 pm (grounds open 7:15), tickets $18 adults, $15 seniors, $12 students & children (group rates available; chair rentals available w/ advance reservation); Aug 5 & 22, rain dates if needed.

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

Little Me, through Aug 14, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun (Aug 1 & 8) 2 pm, tickets $25.

Town Players of Newtown, Little Theatre, theatre is on Orchard Hill Rd (mailing address is PO Box 211), Newtown. Call 270-9144.

Tartuffe, through July 24, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun (July 18 only) 2 pm, tickets $15 eves, $12 mat.

Westport Country Playhouse at Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and Performing Arts, 80 East Ridge Ave, Ridgefield. Call 203-226-0153.

The School for Husbands, July 29-Aug 15, curtain Tues 7 pm, Wed-Thurs 8 pm, Fri-Sat 4 & 8:30 pm, Sun 7 pm, mat Sun 2 pm, tickets $45; July 31 (Sat), 7:30 curtain.

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Events that appear by date have Newtown events listed first, with additional events listed by their start time. At the time of printing, the information here is accurate as presented; a call ahead is always a good idea to be safe.

DEADLINE INFORMATION

Press releases for the Enjoy calendar of events or the Enjoy section must be received by MONDAY NOON for publication in that week’s edition of The Newtown Bee. Send to the attention of Shannon Hicks, Arts Editor, Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown 06470, or to shannon@thebee.com. Photos are welcome and can be black & white or color, but must be in sharp focus. Please call for specs if you plan to email digital photo files.