Cool Events This Weekend, Here & Beyond

Now that the cooler weather has kicked in, did you hear that collective sigh of relief? Time to pull up the comforter and maybe even kick on the electric blanket. A great time to snuggle with our beloved pets. Speaking of which… Sunday brings Branford Compassion Club’s Blessing of the Animals after a one-year hiatus. It’s a mecca for animal advocates and pet lovers alike. So bring your favorite critter for the blessing at 1:30 p.m. – they need all they can get! Lots of other cool events coming up in the next few weeks as well!

Saturday, Oct. 1

Mystery Buildings Tour

The Guilford Keeping Society, owners of the Thomas Griswold House Museum and the Medad Stone Tavern Museum, will sponsor a self-guided ​“Mystery Buildings Tour” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The tour will feature 13 buildings and barns, including the Griswold Museum, corn cribs, a bowling alley, Guilford’s Regicide Cellar, a cider mill, and other historic buildings in downtown Guilford that are usually not open to the public.

Tickets are $10, free for children 16 and under, and are available in advance tickets at Breakwater Books on the Guilford Green, the Guilford Visitors Information Kiosk on Church Street, and the Medad Stone Tavern on Three Mile Course. On the day of the event, programs and tickets will be available at the Thomas Griswold Museum, 170 Boston St.

The Thomas Griswold house, built in 1774, is white saltbox home featuring furniture and china of the period along with an extensive collection of clothing. The property includes a working blacksmith shop with demonstrations, a three-hole privy, otherwise known as an outhouse, corncribs and a barn. Among the buildings are barns, some in the English tradition and nine of which are on the list of ​“Historic Barns in Connecticut.” In addition, there are corn cribs, a bowling alley, Guilford’s Regicide Cellar, and a cider mill.

The cider mill, dating from 1817, is in a typical 19th century English style barn. Its purpose was to house the equipment, cider presses, and the apple grinding mill that produced the cider. Since the mill used a horse-driven sweep, the barn needed ample space for the operation.

Another attraction is Guilford’s own Regicide Cellar on River Street. Regicide means killing a king. In the 1700s in England, during the reign of Charles I, a movement arose to kill the King. A death warrant was written and signed. Among the signers were three judges: John Dixwell, William Goffe, and Edward Whalley. When the plot was discovered, Charles II sent his emissaries to capture the judges, but by then they had fled to the New Haven Colony.

Walk Like MADD

Walk to end Drunk Driving! Branford’s 3.5 mile walk starts at Branford Town Hall, 1019 Main St., at 8:30 a.m.. Rain or shine. For information click here.

Sunday, Oct. 2

Animal Awareness Day Returns to Branford Green  

After a one-year hiatus, the Branford Compassion Club feline rescue and adoption organization is bringing back the popular Animal Awareness Day to the Branford Town Green, rain or shine, from noon to 4 p.m.

Activities include live music, children’s activities with Branford Art Center and The Drunken Palette of Westbrook, food truck, live animals, kissing booth, bake sale, booths featuring a variety of animal care and rescue groups, businesses, vendors whom area pet owners patronize to give their animals the best life possible, plus many surprises.

The highlight of the day will be the Blessing of the Animals at 1:30 p.m., which is why the event is always held as close as possible to the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of all animals. In past years, dogs, cats, gerbils, horses, rabbits, birds and more have made their way through the line, and those who couldn’t make it in person often were represented in photos. It’s a gleeful as well as touching part of the day.

This year, courtesy of the Stony Creek Quarry, visitors also will get the chance to bring home a unique piece of town history. The quarry has donated pieces of its famous classic pink granite, available for $25, with or without paw prints, with all proceeds going to BCC. Donors who give $100 or more will get a guided tour of the quarry, and a $250 or more donation garners a one-on-one tour of the Mesozoic Age gorge, which is rarely open to the public (cash or checks only, payable to Branford Compassion Club).

Saturday, Oct. 8, to Monday, Oct. 10

Connecticut Renaissance Faire

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire, taking place at the North Haven Fairgrounds, 290 Washington Ave., is an old-world amusement park with eight stages of non-stop entertainment, arts and crafts made by local artisans, a jousting tournament and feasting. Watch shows on stages around the faire, listen to minstrels playing in the streets, and experience the ageless, old-world charm of a 16th century village filled with laughter, romance, and good, old-fashioned family fun in Connecticut.
Tickets start at $15. Various special VIP packages are available. For details go to http://ctfaire.com/

Saturday, Oct. 8

Shoreline Harvest Art Festival

The 2nd Annual Shoreline Harvest Art Festival with 40 artists and artisans will take place on the Branford Green along Main Street, on Saturday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., under the Big Tent, rain or shine. The event is free.

There will be live jazz music with John Brasil & Friends, pumpkin painting, and community garden displays and sale. The event is sponsored by the Branford Education Fund and Branford Art Center.

For more information call Yvonne Gordon-Moser at 860 – 334-4642 or email [email protected].

Calan Performs at Branford Folk Music Society

Fiddles, guitar, Welsh harp, accordion, bagpipes and step dancing explode into life when Welsh group Calan takes the stage at 8 p.m. This is the first time in 43 years that BFS has welcomed a Welsh group to its stage.
Calan gathers together the talents of five young musicians who give a fresh and vibrant sound to traditional Welsh music. With a contemporary and lively approach they breathe new life into the old traditions through their sparkling melodies, foot tapping tunes and spirited and energetic performances of Welsh step dancing. They blast their way through some of the old favorite reels, jigs and hornpipes with fast paced and uplifting arrangements before melting into some of the most beautiful and haunting songs.
Following release of their 2008 debut album Bling, the five-piece band has been playing to large audiences and rave reviews at concerts and festivals around Britain and Europe, including the coveted Cambridge Festival and Celtic Connections soirees. Concert tours have taken them to Italy, Austria, Brittany and Belgium. They released their second album Dinas last year.
Admission: $20 non-members; $17 members, $5 children 12 and under. For more information, call 203 – 488-7715.

Sunday, Oct. 9

Voices, an Art Show 

Meet the artists behind ​“Voices” at an art show and opening Sunday Oct. 9, 1 to 3 p.m., at Branford Art Center, 1229 Main St. Voices is an experiential art exhibit representing the work of more than 30 talented young people affected by mental health challenges.
The goal of the exhibit is to expose and destroy the myths surrounding mental illness thereby reducing the stigma, negative attitudes, and hurtful behavior toward youth living with mental health challenges.
The show is sponsored by Ann Nelson Advocacy, NAMI Shoreline, and Branford Art Center. For more information email Ann Nelson at [email protected].

Columbus Day Parade in Hamden

The Columbus Day Parade is scheduled to take place on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 1 p.m. in the Town of Hamden. Hamden Mayor Curt Balzano Leng recently met with Mayor Joseph A. Maturo, Jr., of East Haven, to receive the Italian Flag, an annual tradition that signifies the passing of the Columbus Day Parade festivities from the previous host, Town of East Haven, to the present host, Town of Hamden.

Wednesday, Oct. 12

Impact of Sea-level Rise On Coastal Marshes of Long Island Sound

The Menunkatuck Audubon Society will present a program on Long Island Sound’s salt marshes at the Blackstone Library, 785 Main St. from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. presented by David Kozak, senior coastal planner for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Office of Long Island Sound Programs.

The salt marshes provide critically important habitat for a variety of water birds, yet are the among the most vulnerable habitats to climate change. To effectively evaluate coastal marsh conservation and management opportunities through the lens of climate change, a basic understanding of the science of climate change, saltmarsh ecology and the models used to predict a marsh’s potential response to climate change, particularly sea level rise (SLR), is necessary.

This presentation will provide an overview of saltmarsh ecology, how saltmarshes respond to a rising sea, marshes most and least resilient to sea-level rise, the factors leading to such change and the benefits and uncertainties associated with using computer models for conservation planning. Included will be a demonstration of the EPA Long Island Sound’s SLR Affecting Marshes (SLAMM) marsh conservation planning tool.

For more information, call Carl R. Harvey at 203 – 389-6076 or email [email protected].

Friday, Oct. 13, to Sunday, Oct. 16

Blackstone Library Annual Book Sale

This is the event that local book lovers live for! The Friends of the James Blackstone Memorial Library will hold its Used Book Sale on the Branford Green on Main Street, Oct. 13 to 16. (Note the date change from previous years.)
More than 70,000 books from a variety of genres will be available including history, biography, sports, science, cooking, vintage, gardening, art, reference, religion, mystery, and other fiction, to over 10,000 volumes for children. Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted.
Preview night is Thursday, Oct. 13, 5 to 8 p.m. Entrance is free to members of the Friends of the Library and professional dealers. There is a $15 entrance fee for others.
The general sale opens to the public and runs from Oct. 14 to 16. Free admission. Hours are as follows: Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, noon to 3 p.m.
Books are reasonably priced with trade paperback at $2; hardcover $3; coffee table $5, and pocket paperbacks 50 cents. DVDs and CDs are also available at modest prices. Children’s books are 50 cents and up.
Sunday is Bargain Day. Fill a bag for $10 with bags provided by Friends of Library. All products are in good to excellent condition.
Hot dogs, baked goods, lemonade, and water will also available for purchase at the Café Blackstone.
For further information call Mary Hally, book sale chair, 203 – 410-4951 or Hatsie Mahoney, club president, 203 – 481-4100.

Saturday, Oct. 22

Killam’s Point Fall Foliage Walk 

Enjoy a guided trail walk through the autumn woods at Killam’s Point, courtesy of the Branford Land Trust and the First Congregational Church of Branford, at 10 a.m. Local naturalist Martha Rice leads a walk through Killam’s Point’s rich habitat. The event is free and open to the public.

Killam’s Point, an ecological treasure owned by the church, has healthy forests, secluded beaches, wide salt marshes, granite bluffs, and a fascinating array of flora and fauna. Those taking advantage of the collaborative effort of the two organizations will have the opportunity to enjoy one of the largest, privately owned undeveloped tracts on Long Island Sound.

Killam’s Point is located along Shore Drive just west of the Orchard House Adult Day Care Center. Please drive SLOWLY to the end of the road to the parking area. Bring water. Walking sticks welcome. For details, call 203 – 747-4184 or visit www.branfordlandtrust.org.

Sunday, Oct. 23

Peabody Crystals Exhibit

A 2,000-pound Namibian quartz crystal will greet visitors to David Friend Hall, the state-of-the-art gem and mineral gallery opening on Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.
The massive amber-colored crystal, which visitors will be allowed to touch, is one of more than 150 of the world’s premier mineral and gem specimens that will be on display, drawn from the some of the most significant private collections in the United States. The hall will use custom lighting to emphasize each specimen’s unique, and often other worldly, features. The gallery’s opening celebrates the Peabody’s 150th anniversary.

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