Former First Selectman Unk DaRos
Did you catch a glimpse of the snowflakes Thursday morning? Did you turn on your heat when the temperature hovered in the 30s? It’s that time of year. We’re sure to have some warmer temperatures, and after our long, hot summer, the cooler weather is welcomed by many. There still time to enjoy outside activities (including trick or treating for the kids and a tour of the Stony Creek Quarry) – just be sure to add a layer or two!
Friday, Oct. 28
Witches Brew and Midnight Songs: A Halloween Cabaret
Legacy Theater will present a Halloween Cabaret, “Witch’s Brew and Midnight Songs,” at 7 p.m. at the Branford Art Center, 1229 Main St. Donations will help support Legacy Theater and Branford Art Center. An opening reception for small paintings in the studio will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct 29, also at the Branford Art Center.
The event is a fun night of songs to celebrate Halloween. Come in costume or as you are – enjoy the Branford Arts Center while passing through the Gallery to the performance space. There will be performances by various cabaret artists, sharing their gifts to benefit the Branford Arts Center and Legacy Theatre.
Saturday, Oct. 29
Stony Creek Quarry Tour
If you haven’t yet explored the iconic Stony Creek Quarry, now’s the time.
Former Branford First Selectman Anthony “Unk” DaRos and Carl Balestracci of Guilford, will lead the tour, which takes place at 10 a.m. and is limited to 100 people.
As descendants of quarrymen, both are well versed in the history of the quarry. They will lead participants into the quarry itself, including the current quarry that will supply enough pink granite to keep architects happy for the next 350 years.
Children under the age of 10 will not be admitted due to the rough terrain and visitors will be asked to sign a liability waiver. Tickets are $15. Parking is available inside the quarry gates. For more information, go to guilfordkeepingsociety.com or call 203 – 453-2263.
Howl-O-Ween Bash
Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter will celebrate Howloween with a Howl-O-Ween Bash fundraiser at the Branford Elks Club, from 7 to 11 p.m.
Featured will be Halloween-themed dancing, a photo booth to capture costumes, costume contest, food, silent auction, and cash bar. The event is limited to 21 and over.
The event will help fund medical care for pets cared for by the shelter, which serves Branford and North Branford.
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the shelter, 749 Main St., or through its website, branfordanimalshelter.org.
New Haven Chorale Performs
Head for New Haven to hear the New Haven Chorale, all decked out for Halloween and eager to perform their Halloween concert, including music by Handel. Audience sing-ins are scheduled, too. Concert starts at 2 p.m. at the Trinity Church on the New Haven Green. Admission is $10.00, seniors are $8.00. Students are free with ID.
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: http://events.puppyup.org/site/TR?fr_id=1120&pg=entry.
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.
Monday, Oct.31
Halloween!
Thursday, Nov. 3
Trail to Tavern Event to Benefit the Branford Land Trust
Branford Land Trust Photo
Join the Branford Land Trust for a special Trail to Tavern event hosted by Trailblazer/Denali, 1004 Main St., on Thursday, Nov. 3, starting with an optional 5 p.m. hike at the Red Hill Woods preserve, and a wine tasting provided by Votto Vines of Hamden from 6 to 8 pm. Sponsored by Toad&Co, the event is open to the public and includes light snacks, a raffle, and free wine glasses for the first 50 people. A $5 donation gets you in the door. All proceeds benefit the Branford Land Trust’s Red Hill Woods/Spectacle Island fundraiser.
The 5 p.m. walk at Red Hill Woods preserve, led by Matt Reed and Bill Horne, will be approximately one mile in length. Walkers should expect moderate terrain, with some sloping trails and inclines. Walking sticks welcome. To get there, take I-95 to Exit 56 and head south on Leetes Island Road. Turn onto Red Hill Road and continue past Van Wie Pond to the very end of the road. Park along the gravel lane.
Walkers will have time to drive across town for the Tavern event at Trailblazer/ Denali, 1004 Main St.
Red Hill Woods is a stunning 29-acre parcel at the end of Red Hill Road, just north of 950 acres of protected open space currently protected by the Branford Land Trust, the Guilford Land Conservation Trust, and the Town of Branford. Spectacle Island, just a half mile offshore from Indian Neck, is a bare granite outcrop island west of the Thimble Islands. “Spec” is undeveloped and remains an active nesting area of several species of sea birds, and is a popular resting spot for migrating seals. To date, the Land Trust has raised more than $80,000 toward its goal of $200,000 to protect both of these properties.
For more information about the Branford Land Trust and the Red Hill Woods/Spectacle Island fundraiser, please visit www.branfordlandtrust.org. For information about the event, call Trailblazer/Denali at 203-458-1639, ext. 208.
Saturday, Nov. 5
Showdown 2016
Mary Johnson Photo
The Branford Police Department will host Showdown 2016 on from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Shoreline Athletics, 57 East Industrial Road.
Showdown 2016, a Law Enforcement Torch Run® event, is a competition consisting of four workouts with prizes awarded to the top teams. T‑shirts and lunch will be provided to participants. All proceeds will be donated to Special Olympics Connecticut to support its year-round sports, health and fitness programs for athletes of all abilities. The Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics Connecticut is one of the movement’s largest grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicles
Register teams at www.classy.org/showdown2016. To learn more, visit www.soct.org, email [email protected] or call 203 – 230-1201.
Showdown 2016 is a Law Enforcement Torch Run® event to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut.
Tuesday, Nov. 15
The Purple Heart Battalion: The Story of the Japanese American Nisei and Their Fight for Citizenship
Col. (ret.) Richard Young, Connecticut Army National Guard will review the battle history of the 442nd, Presidential Order 9066 establishing relocation camps for Americans of Japanese Ancestry, and subsequent Supreme Court ruling at the Blackstone Library, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was all Nisei (second generation Japanese Americans), who distinguished themselves in fierce combat in Italy, France, and the South Pacific in World War II. The 442nd earned its name, “Purple Heart Battalion,” because the majority of the soldiers were wounded in combat (9,486 of 14,000 Soldiers). The unit was awarded eight Presidential Unit Citations; 21 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor. The 442nd is the most highly decorated unit (for its size) in the history of the United States Army.
Information will be provided about visiting Manzanar, a National Park Service Historical Site dedicated to the memory of the Japanese Americans internees.
Refreshments will be served. Registration required. To register, go to http://www.blackstone.lioninc.org/events/the-purple-heart-battalion-the-story-of-the-japanese-american-nisei-and-their-fight-for-citizenship/.
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