Art Exhibits, Museums Historic Places__ _____

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

Permanent exhibitions: “Come One Come All: The Barnum Festival,” exhibit 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 & other paraphernalia 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,” permanent exhibit on museum’s 2nd floor provides in-depth exploration of Bridgeport’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.

Also,“Baby Bridgeport,” preserved 6’8” 700-lb elephant, 2nd elephant born in captivity & 1st to be preserved; re-creation of drawing room from Harral-Wheeler mansion, considered one of most outstanding examples of Gothic Revival in America, ca 1847; “P.T. Barnum Presents the ‘Divine Jenny’ Lind,” artifacts from American tour of opera star reveals impact of Barnum-Lind collaboration on culture & society & Barnum’s promotional talents & other permanent exhibitions exploring Barnum & related subjects.

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.

*(new show) Feb 15-May 15: “Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked The World,” touring exhibition from The National Guitar Museum will debut in Bridgeport w/ showcase of the unique legacy of the guitar in entertaining, engaging & hands-on experiences.

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.

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 Feb 27: “Traditional Abenaki Beadwork,” beaded bags by Rhonda Besaw, who is of Abenaki descent.

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.

Concerts, Musical Events ____

Feb 18: Cillian & Nial Vallely, with John Doyle in concert, Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St, Newtown, 8 pm, $20, $5 children, traditional Irish music hosted by The Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society; 203-256-8453.

Newtown Friends of Music, at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown; 203-426-6470.

Concerts at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown, 3 pm, tickets $20, free ages 5-14 w/ ticket-holding adult, reception follows performances: Feb 13, Walden Chamber Piano Quintet concert, performance by quintet from Walden Chamber Players will incl works of Schubert & Beethoven.

For Kids & Families _________

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.

Feb 12: “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Program,” Bethel Historical Society, 40 Main St, Bethel, 12:30-3 pm, $15, ages 5 & up invited to candle dipping, baking, butter & doll making, stories, games & songs based on late 19th Century life on western frontier, costumes encouraged, registration requested by Feb 7; 203-730-2726.

Feb 13: FUN Meeting & Activities Outing, Club NewFit, 23 Commerce Rd, Newtown, 2-3:30 pm, free Families United in Newtown event for families with children who have special needs or disabilities (or special needs adults under parental care), supervised activities with local Honors Society students for children, socializing & refreshments for parents, reservations requested; 203-512-6284.

Feb 13: “If Walls Could Talk,” Naugatuck Historical Society Museum, 195 Water St, Naugatuck, 1-3 pm, $5 donation requested, unveiling of miniature mansion recently donated by Mary Cay Hill, also stories of the home, family & 1930s era Naugatuck, refreshments, snow date Feb 20; 203-729-9039.

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

Feb 19, Kids’ Day: A Woodland Adventure, 1-2:30 pm, $6, join IAIS educators for afternoon outdoors following woodland animal tracks to find secret treasure, then warm up while roasting marshmallows at outdoor Algonkian village, reservations requested; Feb 22, Kids’ Day: Dancing & Stories, 12:30-2 pm, $8, learn about Native American dances & create your own dance stick, also hear traditional stories, reservations requested.

Miscellaneous ___________

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.

Feb 11: Fundraiser Dinner Dance & Silent Auction, Crowne Plaza hotel, 1284 Strongtown Rd/Rte 188, Southbury, 6:30-10:30 pm, $25, fundraiser to help Southbury residents Dave & Robin Mazerolle, who lost their home in Jan to structure fire; 203-267-7524, 203-264-3450.

Feb 13: FUN Meeting & Activities Outing, Club NewFit, 23 Commerce Rd, Newtown, 2-3:30 pm, free Families United in Newtown event for families with children who have special needs or disabilities (or special needs adults under parental care), supervised activities with local Honors Society students for children, socializing & refreshments for parents, reservations requested; 203-512-6284.

Feb 13: “Abolition Day: more on the Campaign to End the Death Penalty,” 10 am, Trinity Episcopal Church, 36 Main Street, CT Network to Abolish the Death Penalty (CNADP) Executive Director Ben Jones will show film on the death penalty in Connecticut, to be followed by discussion; 203-426-9070.

Feb 19: 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 26: 6th Annual Chocolate Carnival, The Heritage Hotel, 522 Heritage Rd, Southbury, 6-10:30 pm, $75, full dinner featuring inspired Creole cuisine w/ dark chocolate & accents of the Caribbean by Executive Chef Carol Byer-Alcorace (New Morning Natural & Organic, Woodbury), also music by The Zydecats, wine from 3 CT vineyards, representatives of 2 chocolatiers & hosted by Connecticut magazine Editor Charles Monagan, proceeds to benefit Bent of the River Audubon Center; 203-264-5098 (reservations & special diet considerations).

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

Feb 15, “Sunset Series: Let Me Show You How Much I Love You — I Have An Advanced Directive,” 7 pm, program by Dr Daniel G. O’Hare (consultant ethicist) & Julia MacMillan, APRN (palliative care coordinator & co-chair, Danbury Hospital Ethics Committee) on the legal documents that allow one to convey medical decisions about life care ahead of time (second/optional program March 1); Feb 16, “The Ropes of Life” Book Group, 7:30 pm, discussion led by Julie Stern concerning Howard’s End by E.M. Forster (new date); newcomers welcome; Feb 17, Evening Book Discussion Group, 7:30 pm, discussion of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, newcomers welcome; Feb 18, “Babes on Broadway,” 7 pm (snow date Feb 25), evening of song & laughs by Susan Mirwis to incl performances from My Fair Lady, South Pacific, Kiss Me Kate & others, light refreshments (or BYO), reservations strongly encouraged.

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

(FILM) Feb 11-17: Winter’s Bone (R), Fri-Sat 7 & 9 pm, Sun-Thurs 7 pm, mat Sat 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: Feb 12, Lake Mohegan Open Space, Fairfield (Cassie Brown, 203-313-7161); Feb 19, Rockefeller Estates, Tarrytown, N.Y. (Nancy Zigler, 203-732-2618); Feb 26, Sherwood Island State Park, Westport (Zina Rosenbaum, 203-743-2442).

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 16.

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.

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

Seasonal: Observation area open to March 16 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; 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.

Treehouse Comedy Productions. Call 203-702-7577.

Shows at Savin Rock Roasting Company, 946 Ferry Blvd, Stratford, 9 pm, $15 unless noted: Feb 12, Rob Falcone headlining, Tim Young & Tony Liberati opening; Feb 19, Eddie Clarke headlining, Darren Fillon & EJ Murphy opening; Feb 26, Bob “The Football Guy” Nelson, headlining, special guest TBA.

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 16, Brian Clements & Nii Ayikwei Parkes; Feb 23, Zork and LV.

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.

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

Parade, March 4-April 2, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun 2 pm, $26, $22 students & seniors.

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.

DEADLINE INFORMATION

Press releases for Enjoy must be received by MONDAY NOON for publication in that week’s edition of The Newtown Bee. Send to Associate Editor Shannon Hicks, Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown CT 06470, or shannon@thebee.com.