Sally E. Bahner photo
The event that local book lovers live for is here at last! The large tents are being set up on the green and will be filled with rows and rows of books in every genre. Cat lovers can support homeless felines by dropping off food at Branford Compassion Club’s Feline Rescue and Adoption Center in North Branford; a dedicated group of volunteers cares for local feral colonies. And now that the oppressive heat of summer has passed, take advantage of the walks offered by the Branford Land Trust
Friday, Oct. 13, to Sunday, Oct. 16
Blackstone Library Annual Book Sale
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.
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; yes 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 with books 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. 15
Pumpkins Ablaze at The Stand
Carve a pumpkin at the Pumpkins Ablaze Event at The Stand from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., across from Lenny’s Seafood Restaurant, South Montowese Street. More than 100 pumpkins have been carved by Branford Art Center artists, and you can carve your own for $5. Enter to win a cash prize and a trophy for best pumpkin. Then join the free festivities that evening to celebrate the fall season and Halloween with the community at The Stand.
For more information call Yvonne Gordon-Moser at 860 – 334-4642 or email [email protected].
Food Drive and Spay/Neuter Fundraiser to Benefit Feral Cats
The Branford Compassion Club will hold its annual fall food drive and fundraiser at its Feline Rescue and Adoption Center, 2037 Foxon Road in North Branford, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. This event coincides with National Feral Cat Day, which promotes awareness of and compassion for feral cats throughout the United States. Many feline rescue organizations across the country will be hosting special events in observance of the day.
According to president and shelter manager Pat Cotton, BCC is in dire need of cat food (unopened canned and dry food) to get it through the fall and winter seasons, as well as monetary donations to fund spay/neuter programs, which reduce the feral cat population. Volunteers from the group take care of multiple feral colonies in the surrounding area every day, 365 days a year.
Wednesday, Oct. 19
Cat Care Bootcamp
Love your cat? Want to know more?
Cat Care Bootcamp, offered as part of Branford’s ERACE program, will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at Branford High School, 185 Main St., led by cat expert Sally Bahner.
This class will help cat owners unlock some of the behavioral issues they’ve puzzled over and will cover nutrition and health, grooming, kitten/cat selection and alternative modalities.
To register, go to erace-adulted.org.
Thursday, Oct. 20
Love146/Hope Is Brewing
Love146, an international organization working to end child trafficking and exploitation, will sponsor Hope Is Brewing at the Stony Creek Brewery, on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The event, geared toward people interested in Love146’s cause, will be informal enough to have some fun while earning about what the organization does and how they can get involved.
Bring a friend and a favorite board game. Families are welcome – non-alcoholic beverages will be available and children under the age of 3 are free.
Ticket prices, starting at $35, include dinner, craft beer, pub games, and a donation to Love146.
Saturday, Oct. 22
Killam’s Point Fall Foliage Walk
Photo by Jen Payne
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. 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, 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven.
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.
Admission to the museum during the Oct 22 – 23 anniversary weekend is free.
Remember Hepburn at The Kate
The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook, will welcome WTNH television personality Ann Nyberg for the launch of her new book, Remembering Katharine Hepburn: Stories of Wit and Wisdom About America’s Leading Lady, on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 4:30 p.m. Nyberg is also vice-president of the board of trustees of The Kate.
Published by Globe Pequot Press, the book will be released Oct. 15. It’s described as a sweet and captivating look at Katharine Hepburn. Proceeds will go toward The Kate’s diverse programming and community arts engagement.
A ticket to the event will include a copy of Remembering Katharine Hepburn, a reception with light snacks and wine, an excerpt reading with Nyberg and conversations about the book, and will conclude with a book signing. Tickets are $40 (plus applicable fees) in advance or at the door, space permitting. The event will begin promptly at 4:30 p.m. and will be general seating. Call 877 – 503-1286 or visit http://katharinehepburntheater.org/.
Wednesday, Oct. 26
“Genius, Grit, and Sacrifice”
Historian and author Diana Ross McCain will speak on “Genius, Grit, and Sacrifice: Connecticut’s Role in the American Revolution” at 7 p.m. at the Blackstone Library, 785 Main St.
The courage, daring, and ingenuity of Connecticut soldiers and civilians were key to winning the war for American independence. McCain will recount three examples of the state’s role in the fight for liberty in a lively, compelling talk.
McCain will draw on her book It Happened in Connecticut for these inspiring stories. Copies of the book, and others by McCain, will be available for purchase and autographing after the program.
McCain is a partner in Come Home to Connecticut, which provides historical and genealogical research services, programming, and consulting to individuals, organizations, and companies. She has been researching, writing, and speaking about Connecticut history for more than 30 years. She was on the staff of the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford for 25 years.
Sunday, Oct. 30
PuppyUp Shoreline Walk
The PuppyUp Foundation will hold an event to promote awareness of canine cancer and fundraiser for cancer research from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, at the Guilford Fairgrounds, Lovers Lane, Guilford.
In addition to the two-mile walk, there will be demonstrations, fun events, a costume contest for dogs, silent auction, food trucks, and live music by The Elwoods. The PuppyUp Foundation has awarded close to $200,000 in grants to study cancer in dogs.
For more information, go to:Puppy Up.
Iceland’s Astonishing Beauty
An opening reception for a new exhibit by award-winning photographer Fred Rosenthal will take place at the Willoughy Wallace Memorial Library, 146 Leetes Island Road, from 3 to 6 p.m. Rosenthal’s exhibit of Iceland’s unique geography includes moss-covered lava fields, steep mountains separated by beautiful fjords, glaciers, rivers, monumental waterfalls, free-roaming sheep and Icelandic horses. Lasting impressions on display will also include Lupine fields, old turf-roofed farmhouses, and beautiful blue icebergs.
A Branford native, Rosenthal has had numerous photography exhibits in the greater New Haven area. The exhibit will run through Nov. 22 in the library’s Keyes Gallery. Jan Tussing will also be exhibiting her paintings at this show.
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