There’s a lot to look forward to this weekend, especially in the center of town – the annual Sidewalk Sale and the Branford Art Center’s opening reception. Add in some cool events at the Blackstone Library and a chance to explore some of Guilford’s historic homes, and you have the recipe for a perfect summer staycation.
Through Sunday, July 23
Sidewalk Sale Days
Attention shoppers! Step away from the computer screen and support your local businesses. New stores in Branford include Rick’s Antique and Coin Center, Polished boutique (new location), and Sweets on Main. Other participating merchants include SoundRunner, Towne Pharmacy, Denali, G Café, and more.
Local shop owners know their customers and bring in merchandise they know will appeal to them. There’s plenty of free parking and a great selection of restaurants as well. And if you feel like venturing out of town, Guilford and Madison are also having their Sidewalk Sales.
Saturday, July 22
Arts Center Opening Reception
An opening reception with wine and lite bites will be held at on Saturday, July 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. for bird photographer Sophie Zyla and painter/calligrapher Ned Farrell at the Branford Art Center, 1229 Main St.
For more information, call Yvonne Gordon-Moser at 860 – 334-4642 or email [email protected] and visit the gallery website www.branfordartcenterct.com.
Animal Camp continues
Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter’s Animal Camp runs July 24 to July 28, Aug. 14 to Aug. 18, and Aug. 21 to Aug. 25.
The camp is a fun, educational, hands-on camp that allows children to interact and learn about all kinds of animals. The focus is to promote respect for all living creatures, including each other. Included will be games such as animal tracking, nature art, and water games.
For more information or registration forms, go to branfordanimalshelter.org, call Laura at 203 – 315-4125, or Dawn at 203 – 393-8628.
Wednesday, July 26
Stone Walls of England and New England
Andrew Pighills will speak at the Blackstone Library, on Wednesday, July 26, from 7 to 8 p.m. He will draw comparisons of the geology, building styles, and techniques of stonewalls in England and New England from colonial times to present day. He will explain how stonewalls have developed, evolved, and how they fit into the garden and wider landscape of past and present.
The lecture is sponsored by the Branford Historical Society
Thursday, July 27; Friday, July 28
Branford Jazz Series continues
The Branford Jazz Series on the town green continues at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 27, with Shawnn Montero, vocalist; Jimmy Cobb, jazz drummer; and Javon Jackson, tenor saxophonist.
Shawnn has delighted audiences from USA to Europe with her highly popular jazz repertoire laced with blues-oriented improvisations. Jazz drummer and self-taught musician, Jimmy is the elder statesman of all the incredible Miles Davis bands. Tenor Saxophonist Javon Jackson came into international prominence touring and recording with the legendary drummer Art Blakey as a member of his band, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.
The concerts run through Thursday, Aug. 24. Restaurants along Main Street will be open during the concert and attendees are invited to bring chairs and blankets and picnic suppers. The concerts are canceled in the event of rain – there is no alternate venue – and performers are invited back for next season. Details and schedule at Branfordjazz.com.
As a bonus this week, Peliroja, which was rained out earlier, has been rescheduled for Friday, July 28. Peliroja, an ensemble of musicians inspired by the sounds of Ethiopia, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Congo. Consisting of heavies from the New York City Latin and jazz scenes, Peliroja combines aspects of Cuban music with a 1970s horn-band Afro beat sound. The lyrics, mainly in Spanish, focus on day-to-day as well as political themes, all undergirded by a thick groove and an expansive improvisational ethic drawn from the jazz and Latin backgrounds of the individual members.
Saturday, July 29
National Trolley Festival
The National Trolley Festival is an all-day event celebrating the 117th anniversary of the start of trolley service on the line (the Branford Electric Railway started operating July 31, 1900) and the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the museum (on Aug. 14, 1945), taking place at the Shoreline Trolley Museum, 17 River St., East Haven. The highlight will be two parades of cars, at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
There will be food trucks in the yard and a DJ. A special feature will be a 1 p.m. tour of the old Johnson’s Quarry site, led by well-known Branford Trust member Bill Horne.
For details, go to https://shorelinetrolley.org.
Summer Food & Supply Drive
The Branford Compassion Club will hold its annual Summer Food & Supply Drive, Saturday, July 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Feline Rescue & Adoption Center, 2037 Foxon Road, North Branford.
The kitties’ wish list includes canned pate and dry cat and kitten food, paper towels, kitchen trash bags, Yesterday’s News cat litter, Tidy Cats litter, pet supply gift certificates, and small cat trees.
Stop by for lemonade and cookies, check out the popular “catio,” and meet many wonderful cats and kittens available for adoption.
For more information, visit www.branfordcompassionclub.org.
Saturday, July 29, and Sunday, July 30
Early Guilford Days Family Festival
Guilford’s five history museums present tours, hands-on activities, and craft demonstrations and sales during the fourth annual Early Guilford Days Family Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30. Experience the sights, sounds, and aromas of the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s at each of the sites: Henry Whitfield State Museum, Hyland House Museum, Thomas Griswold House Museum, Medad Stone Tavern Museum, and The Dudley Farm Museum.
The Henry Whitfield State Museum at 248 Old Whitfield St. will have craft demonstrations and sales, including wool spinning, 17th century reproduction furniture, and tinsmithing. The Whitfield House, built in 1639, is Connecticut’s oldest house. The museum is operated by the State of Connecticut’s State Historic Preservation Office.
The Hyland House Museum, 84 Boston St., a classic saltbox built in 1713, will feature hearth cooking (Saturday only), herb gardening, fabric dying, and storytelling.
Built circa 1774, The Thomas Griswold House Museum at 171 Boston St. will have a blacksmith working at the forge in the blacksmith shop and will present weaving demonstrations on both Saturday and Sunday.
The 1803 Medad Stone Tavern Museum, also owned by the Guilford Keeping Society, will host stenciling, paper cutting, and games each day. The 14-room, 10-fireplace building has seen little alteration since it was first constructed.
The Dudley Farm Museum at 2351 Durham Road (junction of Routes 77 & 80) in North Guilford invites visitors to the late 1800s to try their hand at doing laundry, weaving, whittling, and timber hewing, view the gardens, and visit with the sheep, chickens, and oxen.
A $10 ticket offers admission to all five sites for both days of the event. Admission is free for children 12 and younger.
Through Aug. 6
Beauty and the Beetle at the Peabody Museum
Coleoptera in Art and Science is on display through Aug. 6 at the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Whitney Avenue and Sachem Street, New Haven, as represented by artist Gar Waterman and photographer William Guth, who present dazzling representations of these incredible insects.
Of the one million species of insects known to scientists today, nearly half – about 400,000 – are beetles. These tremendously diverse animals, known by the scientific term Coleoptera, are found in habitats across the globe, and take on a wide variety of shapes and sizes (the largest is over 400 times longer than the smallest).
Their work allows us a rare glimpse of details and topographies typically the reserve of scientists and their microscopes. Artists and scientists alike are diligent students of nature, each investigating its subject in remarkably similar ways: science to document and explain, and art to interpret and express.
Tuesday, Aug. 8
Composers in Love: Piano Recital
Concert pianist Alice Michahelles illustrates and performs romantic works at the Blackstone Library, 785 Main St., on Tuesday, Aug. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m., with works by Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Frederic Chopin, George Gershwin and others.
Michahelles has appeared in recitals and chamber music concerts in Europe, the Middle East and Chile, taking part in international festivals. Her repertoire goes from Bach to contemporary music, with a particular interest for the romantic period and Felix Mendelssohn. As a composer, she has dedicated herself mostly to Children’s Opera and Piano Duets.
Registration is required for this event. To RSVP, call 203 – 488-1441.
Saturday, Aug. 12
Peach and Chowder Festival
The annual summer delight, the Peach and Chowder Festival, takes place on the lawn of Church of Christ Congregational, 192 Thimble Islands Road, Stony Creek, on Saturday, Aug. 12, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event is held rain or shine. For more information, call 203 – 488-7827.
Monday, Aug. 14
Branford Land Trust 22nd Annual Environmental Day Camp for Kids!
The Branford Land Trust will hold its 22nd Annual Hands-on Environmental Day Camp on Monday, Aug. 14. This camp, for children ages 5 – 9, is held at the Killam’s Point Conference Center in Branford.The event includes activities, presentations and games that help kids learn about such things as tide pools, woodland habitats, wildlife rehabilitation, nature crafts, and more. The cost of the camp is $45 for the day (additional children, same family $35.00), or $35 for BLT members. Scholarships available.Registration deadline is Friday, Aug. 10. Get more information and a registration form at www.branfordlandtrust.org, or call Martha Rice at 203 – 314-7128, email [email protected] Branford Land Trust is a non-profit organization, celebrating 50 years of protecting Branford’s open space and natural resources.
Friday, Aug. 18
Star Wars Under the Stars
The Blackstone Library will host a showing of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” in the amphitheater at Foote Park, Melrose Avenue, on Friday, Aug. 18, at 7:30 p.m. Bring blankets or lawn chairs, and snacks or purchase ice cream at the park from The Ice Cream Guy truck. All ages are welcome. To RSVP, call 203 – 488-1441.
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