Fairfield, CT - The Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield, 2325 Burr Street, invites the public to its Spring Programs & Events:  

Fairfield, CT - Connecticut Audubon is celebrating 125 years of protecting Connecticut’s birds, other wildlife, and their habitats with a Spring Gala in Fairfield, Saturday April 22, from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at Brooklawn Country Club. The public is invited to mark this milestone with a festive fundraiser event that includes dinner, dancing, fantastic auction items and more. Most importantly, your support will enable the continuation of Connecticut Audubon’s award-winning science-based education, community conservation programs and legislative advocacy for generations to come.

More information and tickets at: www.ctaudubon.org/2021/09/springgala/.  

Westport, CT - VersoFest 2023 will feature two headlining concerts and an array of experts in the fields of music, media, and more, providing a multitude of opportunities to explore and create over a four-day immersive experience. 

And if they play their cards right, attendees could leave with an autographed album to boot.

Some of VersoFest’s headliners and guests, including legendary producer Steve Lillywhite, Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler, and Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth, will be autographing copies of their vinyl records that will be up for giveaway and auction during the festival.

Two of those albums will be part of the VersoFest record giveaway. Festivalgoers can submit their entries for the giveaway starting with the March 30 kickoff concert featuring rising American rock band Sunflower Bean, with submissions open through the festival’s completion on Sunday April 2 — a day that will include a record fair, presented by Record Riots, from 11 am to 4 pm, and a vinyl record panel brunch featuring WPKN DJ Alec Cumming, producer Dooley-O, Kraftjerkz Records’ Kid Ginseng, WFUV DJ andHouse of Wax host Eric Holland, New Haven Independent arts reporter Karen Ponzio, and moderated by the Zambonis’ Dave Schneider.

Additionally, there will be a silent auction held Saturday and Sunday of the festival (April 1-2). Those in attendance will be given an opportunity to bid on a wide variety of signed albums associated with several of the festival’s speakers and guests. The highest bidder will receive the signed copy, with all proceeds going to support future VersoFest endeavors.

“This is a really cool opportunity to bring home some of the best vinyl albums produced in the last 50 years,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “Beyond that, these signed copies are collector’s items — a keepsake to enjoy for its own sake, to commemorate what we think will an unforgettable four days celebrating music, media, and creativity, and a unique way to raise money so we can bring this festival back to Westport and the tri-state area next year and again in the years to come.”

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Story link: https://westportlibrary.org/versofest-2023-to-feature-autographed-vinyl-record-giveaway-silent-auction/

VersoFest 2023 landing page: https://westportlibrary.org/services/verso-studios/versofest2023/

Tickets and Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/versofest-2023-1725919

Westport, CT - In order to stage its productions every season, Westport Country Playhouse relies on more than ticket revenue alone. In fact, only about 40% of the theater’s budget is covered by box office sales. The remaining 60% is contributed by individuals, foundations, government and corporations.

A supporter of the arts throughout Southern Connecticut, Bank of America is the Playhouse’s longest-standing Corporate Production Sponsor, a partnership that spans 20 seasons. Dedicated to building cultural understanding through the arts, Bank of America believes that cultural institutions, from museums to theaters, play a key role in enriching local communities.

“Ensuring that the theater arts continue to flourish in Southern Connecticut is critical for engaging local communities and expanding our horizons through powerful performances and stories on stage,” said Bill Tommins, President, Bank of America Southern Connecticut. “The Westport Country Playhouse is a local gem and valued community partner. As returning Corporate Production Sponsor (for our twentieth year), we look forward to seeing this season’s impact on newcomers and seasoned theatergoers alike.”

Bank of America’s latest sponsorship at Westport Country Playhouse is “Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fats Waller Musical,” winner of the 1978 Tony Award® for Best Musical, from April 11 through April 29. The musical revue is an exciting new vision directed and choreographed by Jeffrey L. Page, a Broadway director and choreographer for Beyoncé. Page’s production received a “Critic’s Pick” in The New York Timeswhen it played Barrington Stage Company in Massachusetts last summer. The versatile, five-member cast features a contestant from “X Factor” and “The Voice” and two finalists from “American Idol.” 

With a score of 30 songs primarily composed by Fats Waller, the musical revue is a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance and the jazz, blues, and swing music of the 1920s and 1930s. The tunes of Fats Waller will energize, enlighten, and entertain as well as provide insight into a vibrant time in American history and music.

“The Playhouse is extremely proud of our partnership with Bank of America, celebrating its 20-year milestone,” said Gretchen Wright, interim managing director. “Together we have produced memorable productions, including ‘In the Heights’ and ‘Man of La Mancha’ in recent years. The mutual support has helped the Playhouse increase our visibility in the community, achieve visionary artistic goals, and enrich the cultural mark we make here in Connecticut.”

Wright noted, “While many corporations withdrew community grants and partnerships during the peak of the pandemic, Bank of America made a point to continue supporting the Playhouse. For that we are extremely grateful.”

“Ain’t Misbehavin’” is conceived by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr. Co-producers are Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, MA, and Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, NY. The play is recommended for age 12 and up. Running time is approximately two hours with one intermission.

More info on “Ain’t Misbehavin’” at https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/aintmisbehavin/

All play titles, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.org, or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse) and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

Photo: Westport Country Playhouse’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’” cast members Jay Copeland and Paris Bennett. Photo by Ron Heerkens Jr.

Fairfield, CT - Sacred Heart University will host the third annual Connecticut Esports Showcase. This collegiate tournament will allow Connecticut's premier collegiate esports programs to compete for the Connecticut Esports Showcase title. 

For the first time, the showcase will be offered as a hybrid event with matches taking place online on Saturday, April 1, and at the Dr. Michelle C. Loris ’70 Forum at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield on Sunday, April 2.

The two-day event will feature four games: Rocket League, Overwatch, Valorant and Smash Ultimate. These games will be played throughout the weekend via single and double-elimination brackets with an in-person championship held on Sunday to declare a winner. You can find the brackets here: https://ctesportsshowcase.com/. The showcase will feature an in-person spectator arena, a live broadcast, as well as prizes for individual performances and team achievements. The tournament will be a great opportunity for Connecticut universities and colleges to compete against each other and demonstrate the industry’s rapid growth. Local high schools are invited to view the event. 

Organized by SHU’s academic esports program, the event will feature the following returning schools and teams competing: Sacred Heart University, Albertus Magnus College, Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut College, University of Connecticut, Fairfield University, University of Hartford, Mitchell College, Post University and Southern Connecticut State University.

Join via Twitch to view the showcase or in SHU’s Dr. Michelle C. Loris ‘70 Forum at 5401 Park Avenue, Fairfield, CT. The in-person portion is only available on Sunday. Those interested can tune in on Twitch on both Saturday and Sunday. 

The event will be held Saturday, April 1, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sunday, preliminary rounds will take places from 10 a.m. to noon. The finals for all four games will begin at 12:30 p.m. An awards ceremony will close out the weekend.

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About Sacred Heart University

As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers nearly 90 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has a campus in Dingle, Ireland, and offers online programs. More than 10,000 students attend the University’s nine colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Social Work; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 388 Colleges–2023 Edition, and Best Business Schools–2023 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu

Fairfield, CT - Please join Fairfield University's College of Arts and Sciences for a celebration of the publication of Orienting Italy: China through the Lens of Italian Filmmakers, written by Mary Ann Carolan, PhD, professor of modern languages and literatures and founding director of the Italian Studies program, on Monday, March 27 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Kelley Center Presentation Room.

This book, published by SUNY Press in September 2022 and winner of the 2022 Book Award for Performance and Visual Culture from the American Association of Teachers of Italian, explores contemporary Italian filmmakers' fascination with China and the Chinese in both documentary and fictional films.

"In Orienting Italy Mary Ann Carolan has achieved a difficult task in the humanistic and interdisciplinary scholarship on Italy and China," said Gaoheng Zhang of the University of British Columbia. "She has provided an eminently readable and yet well-contextualized text on major Italian films about mainland China and Chinese in diaspora. This is the first book in any language that offers an at once panoramic and close-up view of Italian cinematic representations of China from the late 1950s to the early 2010s. Carolan considers both documentary and fiction films, and both widely viewed major productions and little-known gems, carefully explaining the filmmakers' diverse experiences with China. This is a must-read for anyone with an interest in understanding the Italian tradition of screening China and Chinese people over the past few decades."

Orienting Italy begins by considering documentaries shot in China in the 1950s and 1970s by Carlo Lizzani and Michelangelo Antonioni as a way of offering the West images of this physically and culturally remote land. The investigation continues with Bernardo Bertolucci’s Academy Award-winning view of a historical Middle Kingdom in The Last Emperor (1987) and Gianni Amelio's stark depiction of Italian economic exchange with contemporary China in The Missing Star (2006).

Dr. Carolan's book concludes with both fictional tales and documentaries that recount the wave of Chinese migration to Italy in the late 20th century in the works of Stefano Incerti (Gorbaciof, 2010) and Andrea Segre (Shun Li and the Poet, 2011) and Riccardo Cremona and Vincenzo De Cecco (Miss Little China, 2009). Today, a new chapter in the relationship between Italy and China has emerged in the form of transnational collaborations in the art and business of filmmaking.

This event, which is sponsored by the Humanities Institute, the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, and the Italian Studies Program, is free and open to the public. No registration is required.

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Fairfield University is the modern Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University’s five schools.  In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.

Fairfield, CT - Theatre Fairfield, Fairfield University’s resident production company, will complete its 2022-2023 season with Eurydice, by Sarah Ruhl, a feminist twist on the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Eurydice will be performed Wednesday, April 19 through Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23.

Performances will be held in person in the Wien Black Box at the Quick Center for the Arts. Tickets are now on sale at the Quick Center Box Office: $10 general admission, $5 for all students. Call the box office at 203-254-4010 or buy tickets online at quickcenter.fairfield.edu. 

In Ruhl’s play, Eurydice is the protagonist; she is searching for her identity and her truth as a woman and as a human being. Although Eurydice is still defined by her relationship to the two men in her life — her father and husband — she is making her own choices of how she will live, die, and deal with her grief, loss, and love. Martha S. LoMonaco, PhD, professor of theatre, in her final production as resident director for Theatre Fairfield, is pleased to conclude her work as a feminist theatre historian, activist, and director with this production.

“Ruhl has evolved into a fiery feminist dramatist in the 20 years since she wrote Eurydice but the seeds of that emergence are clearly in this play,” said Dr. LoMonaco. “[It’s] a softly feminist play which follows the journey of a young woman, not unlike all the young woman at Fairfield University, seeking to figure out who she is and what she wants on her terms: not on society’s, not on her parents’, not on her partner’s, but in her own way. It’s very empowering and very, very beautiful.”

Dr. LoMonaco also hopes that their production captures the beauty of Ruhl’s script.

“I think anyone, especially a college student, can relate to the idea of discovering yourself despite the obstacles when you’re thrown into a new environment,” says Lillie Kortrey ’23, the student-actor playing Eurydice. “[She] spends the duration of the play finding her own identity, all while experiencing love, loss, and grief, which is something the classical Greek myth and subsequent interpretations don’t give her the opportunity to do.”

The Eurydice cast features Ben Dressel ’26, Nora Jacobi ’25, Lillie Kortrey ’23, Anthony Lupercio ’26, Emily Sheridan ’24, Alyssa Suarez ’25, and Liam Tuohey-Kay ’26. The production’s artistic team includes Producer Lynne Porter, Costume Designer Julie Leavitt, Movement Choreographer Brad Roth, Set Designer Karl Ruling, Lighting Designer Lynne Chase, Technical Director Anne Kendall, Stage Manager Margot Weiss, Assistant Stage Managers Grace Galasso ’26 and Cara Rommeney ’26, and Intimacy Director Jamie Monahan. An original score for the production is being composed and will be performed live by Michael A. Ciavaglia ’04, DMA, co-director of the Music program in the College of Arts and Sciences, with Violist Elizabeth Messier ’26 and Bass Guitarist Andrew Margaritis ’26 of Fairfield’s Music Program.

Theatre Fairfield is Fairfield University’s resident theatre company, run by the Theatre Program. Theatre Fairfield produces four productions every year. It also serves as a platform for community engagement. It is a positive and professional learning environment, run on a professional theatre model. The Wien Blackbox Theatre in The Quick Center for the Arts is their performing home and their theatre classroom is in Canisius Hall on Fairfield’s campus. For more information on how the original Orpheus and Eurydice evolved and for Theatre Fairfield’s dramaturgical work, visit theatre-fairfield.org.

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Fairfield University is a modern, Jesuit Catholic University, rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University’s five schools.  In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.

Westport, CT - Broadway legend Patti LuPone will take the stage at Westport Country Playhouse for one-night-only, in her solo show, “Don’t Monkey with Broadway,” on Thursday, June 15, at 8 p.m. The three-time Tony Award winner will explore how her life-long love affair with Broadway began, and the unpredictability of the Great White Way. She’ll reflect on her theatrical career through interpretations of classic Broadway show tunes by the likes of Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Jule Styne, Stephen Schwartz, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin.  

“I can't wait to join you at the Playhouse for a special guest appearance by one of the most amazing Broadway stars ever, the incomparable Patti LuPone,” said Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director. “Since being chosen by legendary director Harold Prince to play the title part in ‘Evita’-- just shortly after she graduated from Juilliard-- this astonishing performer has continued to thrill audiences, bring them to tears of joy or emotional empathy, and always make her work both indelible and completely fresh. Like the greatest stars, she brings all of her distinctive, one-of-a-kind self to whatever she does, yet she constantly remakes herself to fit the role or the song or the show. This promises to be an evening of powerhouse entertainment you're likely never to forget.”

Lamos added, “Some wonderful sponsors and friends of the Playhouse, people who promote its continuing health during these troubled times for the performing arts, have come together to make this evening possible. Without them, we couldn't have brought Patti's blazing, now legendary, star to our stage.” 

Patti LuPone recently won her third Tony Award for her performance as Joanne in Marianne Elliott’s critically acclaimed production of the Stephen Sondheim-George Furth musical “Company.” In addition to her two previous Tony Award-winning performances in the original Broadway production of “Evita” and the 2008 Broadway production of “Gypsy,” her NY stage credits include: “War Paint” (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), “Shows for Days,” “The Seven Deadly Sins” (NY City Ballet), “Company” (NY Philharmonic), “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC Award nominations), “Sweeney Todd” (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), “Noises Off,” “The Old Neighborhood,” “Master Class,” “Anything Goes” (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award), “Oliver!,” “Accidental Death of an Anarchist,” “The Water Engine,” and “The Robber Bridegroom” (Tony and Drama Desk nominations). London: “Company” (Olivier Award, What’s on Stage Award), “Master Class,” “Sunset Boulevard” (Olivier Award nomination), “Les Misérables” and “The Cradle Will Rock” (Olivier Award for her performances in both productions). Opera: “The Ghosts of Versailles” (LA Opera), “To Hell and Back” (SF Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra), “Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny” (LA Opera-debut), “Regina” (Kennedy Center).

Film credits include: “Beau Is Afraid” opposite Joaquin Phoenix (opening April 2023), “The School for Good and Evil” (Netflix), “Last Christmas,” “Cliffs of Freedom,” “The Comedian,” “Parker,” “Union Square,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” “Witness.” TV: Marvel’s “Agatha” (upcoming), “Hollywood,” “Pose,” “Mom,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Penny Dreadful” (Critics Choice Award nomination), “Girls,” “American Horror Story” (“NYC” and “Coven”),” “30 Rock,” “Glee,” “Frasier” (Emmy nomination), three seasons as Libby Thatcher on ABCs “Life Goes On.” She is a founding member of both the Drama Division of The Juilliard School and John Houseman’s The Acting Company and the author of The New York Times best-seller “Patti LuPone: A Memoir.”

LuPone last appeared at the Playhouse in “The Ladies Who Sing Sondheim” in 2006, along with Laura Benanti, Kristin Chenoweth, and Barbara Cook. The performance saluted composer Stephen Sondheim, who began his theatrical career as an intern at the Playhouse in 1950.

Music direction for “Don’t Monkey with Broadway” is by Joseph Thalken. The production is conceived and directed by Scott Wittman.

Tickets are $75, $150, and $250.  All audience members are invited to meet and mingle together at a post-performance party.

This fundraising event is underwritten by Judy and Scott Phares, Roz and Bud Siegel, and Marietta Battaglia White. Westport Country Playhouse is a 501(c)(3) organization. All proceeds from this event will support the non-profit, professional, producing theater, its work on stage, with schools, and throughout the community.  

More information at https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/patti-lupone/

All play titles, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.org, or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse) and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

Photo Attached:  Patti LuPone  Credit: Michael Allan Galvez

ABOUT WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE
Founded in 1931, the mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater of the highest caliber and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The not-for-profit Playhouse provides this experience in multiple ways by offering live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos; educational and community engagement events to further explore the work on stage; the New Works Initiative, a program dedicated to the discovery, development, and production of new live theatrical works; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings to deepen relationships with audiences and artists; the renowned Woodward Internship Program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. 

April 2023

April 1, Tickets on Sale for Wild Wine, Beer, and Food Safari!

Wild Wine, Beer, and Food Safari is a great night out for couples and individuals over 18!   Join us in June for a fabulous night of great fare from local vendors and tastings of 100 different wines and more than 60 different beers from around the world and close to home. This beautiful summer evening at the Zoo sells out quickly so don’t wait to get your tickets. https://www.beardsleyzoo.org

April 2, World Autism Awareness Day

Light It Up Blue! If you have family members with sensory issues, we offer a quiet space, sensory backpacks, and an understanding of people of all abilities. 

April 5, Facebook and Instagram Live, Farmyard Animals, 1 p.m.

Join us for a discussion about all the Farmyard animals that charm children and adults year-round, and then let’s talk National Zoo Lovers’ Day. 

April 8, National Zoo Lovers Day

This would be a perfect day to visit a zoo and be one of the millions of people who visit them each year. Enjoy seeing your favorite animals and have a fun-filled day. A few zoo facts: Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo opened in 1922 and is 101 years old. The Zoo is home to more than 350 animals, primarily North and South American and northern Asian species. Many endangered species make their home at the Zoo, including an Amur tiger and Amur leopards, Mexican and red wolves, red pandas, and many more.

April 9, Easter Sunday

The Zoo is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.! Come celebrate with the children. 

April 19, Party for the Planet Facebook and Instagram Live, 1:00 p.m.

Join us online and find out what you can do to help the Zoo celebrate Earth Day.

April 20, Zoo Tots: Rainforest Adventure! 10:30-11:00 a.m.

This monthly 30-minute program, for children 22 months to four years who are accompanied by an adult, may include stories, games, crafts, and live animals. This session is “Rainforest Adventure!”  Spend your rainy April showers inside our Rainforest and discover all the animals that call this place home. $25 for one tot and up to two guardians; add another tot for $10. To reserve a space in the program, register here: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/zoo-tots.html

April 22, Earth Day, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

The Zoo is celebrating Earth Day by sharing information on the important part that each of us can play in protecting our fragile natural environment. Six tables at the Zoo will offer information on: How you can help the planet; How accredited zoos save species with our Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) programs; Citizen Science initiatives—FrogWatch and Monarch Watch; the New England Cottontail Conservation Program; Cool Blue Bridgeport with a focus on Climate Change, and teen volunteers share their plans to visit Yellowstone National Park. 

April 22-23 Party for the Planet; Pequonnock River Clean Up, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. 

Join us for our annual Earth Day program. Come join the Zoo for either of two separate Pequonnock River Cleanups in Bridgeport.  Up to 50 individuals each day can sign up to help the Zoo clean up Beardsley Park. The clean-up will be held from 9:30 am-12:00 pm. We will supply gloves, trash bags, paper pickers and companionship: you bring your energy and desire to help clean up the earth! Families are welcome. Sign up through the website at https://www.beardsleyzoo.org

In 2022, we cleaned up 800 pounds of garbage and filled 25 garbage bags!  

April 28-May 1, City Nature Challenge with the Maritime Aquarium

Invented by community science staff at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Academy of Sciences, the City Nature Challenge is an international effort for people to find and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. It’s a bio blitz-style competition where cities are in a contest against each other to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can find the most species, and who can engage the most people.Download the iNaturalist app on your phone, take a photo of an item in nature and upload it. Instructions and registration here: https://www.maritimeaquarium.org/city-nature-challenge

April 29-30, Party for the Planet; Pequonnock River Clean Up, 9:30 a.m. -12 p.m.

Up to 50 individuals each day can sign up to help the Zoo clean up Beardsley Park. The clean-up in the park will be held from 9:30am-12:00pm each day. We will supply gloves, trash bags, paper pickers and companionship: you bring your energy and desire to help clean up the earth! Families are welcome. Sign up through the website at https://www.beardsleyzoo.org

April 26, Evening Lecture Series: Animal Observation, Fairfield University,

7 p.m. 

Fairfield University’s U RIZE program students in conjunction with Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo are studying zoo animal behavior. Students studied leopard calls, behavior in red wolves, breeding behavior in white-naped cranes, and aggression in trout, among other topics. The lecture will take place at Fairfield University. 

May 2023

May 6, Photography Walkabout with Jack Bradley, 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Zoo Volunteer Jack Bradley will lead a group of 12 intermediate photographers in a hands-on morning session at the Zoo. You must have a basic working knowledge of cameras to join the group. Join Jack for tips on photographing animals from birds to bison, and tigers to trout. Class size is limited; sign up is required.  $25 fee, payable in advance, plus $19 Zoo admission. Members pay only the $25 fee. Sign up through the website at https://www.beardsleyzoo.org

May 7, Mother’s Day

Connecticut’s only Zoo wants to thank all mothers and grandmothers. Enjoy this special day by visiting animals and then having lunch together in the Peacock Pavilion.

May 10, Be Bear Aware Panel, 7:00-8:30 pm., Carousel Building

The Zoo has assembled a cadre of bear experts to answer all your questions on living safely with black bears, and more! This very informative evening will address concerns about wild bears, share information on what bears are really like, what they need, and discuss how we can help to promote bear conservation and habitat protection. Plus, learn about our new Andean bear habitat opening in just 10 days! 

May 17, Evening Lecture Series: The Bear Reality, Felicia Ortner, CT Master Wildlife Conservationist, 7 p.m.

Bears have become victims of misunderstandings, fueled by media, literature, and word of mouth. The population of black bears has increased in Connecticut over the last four decades and will continue to grow. This program will share information on the American black bear, the state’s only resident species in the wild, to improve our understanding and tolerance and reduce conflicts with our wild bear neighbors. The lecture will be presented via Zoom and in person. The cost is $10 for each lecture, with light refreshments provided. Sponsored by the Zoo’s Volunteer Council. Volunteers are free.  To purchase tickets: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/evening-lectures.html

May 19, Endangered Species Day, Facebook & Instagram Live, 1 p.m.

Endangered Species Day is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions they can take to help protect them. This year, we’re celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. A table with information on Endangered Species will be set up at the Zoo from 1 to 3 p.m. 

May 20, Grand Opening Andean Bear Habitat, 11:00 a.m.

Help us celebrate the Grand Opening of our newest habitat for Andean bears! We’ll bring the cake and beverages along with special presentations on these beautiful and endangered South American bears, returning to the Zoo after an absence of several years. This large and beautiful habitat for the arboreal (tree-climbing) bears features a very special guest viewing area. Zoo Educators will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with exciting information about these “spectacled” bears. The first 100 guests to arrivce will receive an Andean bear water bottle!

May 24, Zoo Tots: Wolf Wednesday!  10:30-11:00 a.m.

This monthly 30-minute program, for children 22 months to four years who are accompanied by an adult, may include stories, games, crafts, and live animals. This session is “Wolf Wednesday!” Have a howling good time in our Wolf Observation Learning Facility (W.O.L.F. Cabin) and join the pack for stories, crafts, and learning all about wolves here at the Zoo. $25 for one tot and up to two guardians; add another tot for $10. To reserve a space in the program, register here: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/zoo-tots.html

May 31, World Otter Day, Facebook and Instagram Live, 1 p.m.

World Otter Day brings all otter species to our attention. It focuses on raising awareness about how important otters are and also highlights the threats they face. Threats faced by otters include the huge trade in these animals for pets and fur. 

May 27-28-29, Family Favorite Chris Rowlands LIVE; 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm; May 27: Farmin’ Fever sponsored by The Farm Bureau

Chris is famous for getting everyone involved through singing and dancing—even bringing kids up on stage with him! Rowlands brings animals to life through kid-friendly songs, dance, puppets, and colorful props. Children are invited to wear fun hats and sing along on stage as he shares his self-penned songs about animals and their environment. Free with paid admission to the Zoo. Shown at 11 am, 1 and 3 pm. daily. Each performance is 30-35 minutes long. 

May 29, Memorial Day

All active service members and veterans get in free, and their families get 20% off the price of tickets. 

June 2023

June 1, Photography Goes Wild Photo Contest Begins

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is proud to announce its fifth annual photography contest is open for submissions, an opportunity for the Zoo’s many dedicated amateur and professional photographers to submit their best work for public viewing. The contest is sponsored by Milford Photo.  Judging will take place mid-July, with an in-person show held on Thursday, July 27 in the Zoo’s Hanson Building. 

June 3, Wild Wine, Beer, and Food Safari, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Wild Wine, Beer, and Food Safari is a great night out for couples and individuals over 18!   Join us for a fabulous night of great fare from local vendors and tastings of 100 different wines and more than 60 different beers from around the world and close to home. This beautiful summer evening at the Zoo sells out quickly so don’t wait to get your tickets. Tickets go on sale April 1, 2023. 

June 10, Milford Photo Day at the Zoo, 10 am. to 2 p.m.

Join the photography professionals from Milford Photo at the Zoo as they demonstrate new cameras, lenses, and techniques for the best animal photos. 

June 14, Zoo Tots: Farmyard Fun!  10:30-11:00 a.m.

This monthly 30-minute program, for children 22 months to four years who are accompanied by an adult, may include stories, games, crafts, and live animals. This session is “Farmyard Fun!”  Cultivate a sense of wonder in our fabulous farmyard! Tots will explore domestic breeds, enjoy stories on the family farm, and enjoy a craft near our big red barn in the Adventure Amphitheater. $25 for one tot and up to two guardians; add another tot for $10. To reserve a space in the program, register here: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/zoo-tots.html

June 18, Father’s Day

Come spend the day at the Zoo with your family!

June 21, Evening Lecture Series: Horseshoe Crab Monitoring, Jo-Marie Kasinak, M.S., 7 p.m.Sacred Heart University Biology Professor Jo-Marie Kasinak will present Project Limulus: a community-based research study examining the ecology of the Long Island Sound horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) population. “Horseshoe crabs are a foundational species for their ecosystem. They are invaluable to human health, because their blood is used to make Limulus amebocyte lysate, which tests vaccines and other medical devices to ensure they are not contaminated with bacteria. Anyone who has received a flu shot or a COVID-19 vaccine can thank horseshoe crabs,” says Kasinak.  The lecture will be presented via Zoom and in person. The cost is $10 for each lecture, with light refreshments provided. Sponsored by the Zoo’s Volunteer Council. Volunteers are free.  To purchase tickets: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/evening-lectures.html

June 22, World Rainforest Day, Facebook & Instagram Live, 1 p.m.

World Rainforest Day celebrates the importance of healthy, standing rainforests for climate, biodiversity, culture, and livelihoods, and convenes a global movement to protect and restore them. 

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About Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo:

Let Your Curiosity Run Wild! Connecticut’s only zoo, celebrating its 101st year, features 350 animals representing primarily North and South American and Northern Asian species. Guests won’t want to miss our Amur tiger and leopards, maned wolves, Mexican gray wolves, and red wolves.  Other highlights include our Spider Monkey Habitat, the prairie dog exhibit, and the Pampas Plain with giant anteaters and Chacoan peccaries. Guests can grab a bite from the Peacock Café and eat in the Picnic Grove.  As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and participant in its Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs, the non-profit Zoo is committed to the preservation of endangered animals and wild habitats. Tickets must be purchased on the Zoo’s website at beardsleyzoo.org. 

Why Small Businesses Matter

Shop small, do big things for your community

Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!

You're IT Background Coffee Company!

Three questions with Jim McCaffrey and Phil Ambrosino, owners of Background Coffee Company.

Why did you start your business?

We started our coffee business to sell freshly roasted specialty coffee and do some good in the background. My friend and I started this business because we have always loved coffee and shared so many road trips where coffee was the spark to great conversations and ideas. We both were also inspired by companies such as Bombas, Tom’s Shoes, and others that have used their profits to give back to society in a meaningful way.

We started small by donating $1 per bag of coffee sold and would donate in $200 increments to charities we felt a strong connection with. After about two years of bouncing around from charity to charity, we decided to focus our donations on pediatric cancer. Currently, 50% of our proceeds go to Infinite Love of Kids Fighting Cancer an NJ-based charity with a local CT chapter. Most recently we were able to donate $1,000 to them with the help of our amazing customers. Currently, Jim McCaffrey (co-owner) is vice president of Infinite Love for Kids Fighting Cancer & I joined their board in 2023.

This video goes a great job summing up where we have been and where we are now. Watch it here.

What is your best-selling product/service?

We offer blended coffees and single-origin coffees, both of which are always 100% specialty coffee. Our blend names are a call to our mission to help raise funds for pediatric cancer and our single-origin coffees focus on the story of the origin, producer, and process.

We have two best-selling coffees, the first one is #MoreThan4 which is our light/medium roast consisting of a blend of Guatemalan and Ethiopian coffees. The name of this blend is a call to bring attention to the way federal funding for pediatric cancer is distributed. Only 4% of the funding for federal cancer research goes to pediatrics. #MoreThan4 is the rallying cry to change that.

Our other best-selling coffee is our dark roast blend Bellringer. This blend is made from Sumatran coffee and will give you the full flavors of cocoa, dark cherry, and a hint of toastiness. The name of this blend is a hat tip to the moment when a cancer patient’s treatment cycle is over and upon leaving the hospital they get to ring a bell. Bellringer is a celebration of that moment.

Have you "reimagined" your small business?

We are always looking for ways to increase our impact. My friend and I started this business while holding down 9-5 jobs. We would like to increase our wholesale customers to show more people how delicious specialty coffee can be and raise awareness (and funds) for pediatric cancer research. We would love for local businesses that serve coffee to consider switching to our coffees and help do some good in the background.

Jim and Phil would like to nominate Fairfield School of Music to be featured next!

Visit Background Coffee Company online here, and make sure to check out their Facebook, and Instagram pages as well!

HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!

Today, Tuesday, March 21, 2023 is World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), a global awareness day that has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.

The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome, according to WDSD official website.

The Prospector Theater says, “Happy World Down Syndrome Day! This year's theme is "with us, not for us." We want YOU to work with us in creating more competitive and inclusive employment for people with disabilities!” 

Check out the Prospector’s video featuring several Prospects including 40-year-old Kris Mann who says, “I have Down Syndrome, and I love it… if they don’t like it… that’s them, not me.”

Learn more about the Prospector: www.ProspectorTheater.org

Westport, CT - On Sunday, March 26, Tom Henske, Westport resident and a leader in the financial industry for nearly three decades, will bring hisTotal Cents program to the Library’s Trefz Forum for a talk, followed by a panel discussion with fellow experts. The goal: to help parents, grandparents, and guardians get comfortable with teaching their kids about money and the importance of finances. 

The event, Raising Financially Savvy Kids with Tom Henske, will begin at 2 pm in the Library’s Trefz Forum. The event is free; registration is encouraged.

“It's fitting that The Westport Library jumped at the chance to bring financial literacy to the forefront of parents in our community,” said Henske. “Everyone sees the clear value and importance of developing good financial habits in our children. It's time for parents to take ownership of this part of their child's development, and that effort is going to start on March 26.

“My hope is that Westport becomes the epicenter for teaching parents how to talk to their kids about money, and in doing that, we will change the way our entire country addresses this important topic.”

Joining Henske in conversation will be Caroline Barney, author, inspirational speaker, and parent of two Staples High School students; John Lanza, author of The Art of Allowance and an expert of youth financial literacy; and Kathy Soderholm, former Wilton High School personal finance teacher and founder of The Good Bookkeeper, a full-service bookkeeping company specializing in nonprofit organizations.

Henske’s efforts with Total Cents include a book, It Makes Total Cents: 12 Conversations to Change Your Child’s Financial Future, published in 2022, and a podcast he developed in collaboration with the Library. Total Cents is also active on TikTok, with videos produced in collaboration with Total Cents interns from Staples High School.

“Tom’s knowledge and expertise is exceeded only by his passion for finance and teaching kids how to be responsible stewards of their own futures,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “Add that up and you have a session that promises to be informative, engaging, and fun. Plus, Tom brings with him an all-star panel well-versed on communicating to parents and with kids from the youngest ages. You won’t want to miss this event.”

Event information at a Glance:

Raising Financially Savvy Kids with Tom Henske

Sunday, March 26 

2 pm

The Westport Library, 20 Jesup Road, Westport, CT 06880

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Story: https://westportlibrary.org/event/raising-financially-savvy-kids-w-tom-henske/

Event listing: https://westportlibrary.org/event/raising-financially-savvy-kids-w-tom-henske/

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/raising-financially-savvy-kids-w-tom-henske-tickets-537933923847