We have a jazz bonus this week. Peliroja, which was rained out a couple of weeks ago, will perform Friday night. But the weekend belongs to trolley aficionados, cat lovers, and history buffs. If you miss the Alps Farmers Market, check out the pop-up farmers market on the green Tuesday night; it’s held in conjunction with the Community Dining Room’s Kids’ Night. Read on – there are lots more cool events coming up. If you have a cool event you’d like listed, email [email protected] by Wednesday noon.
Friday, July 28
Branford Jazz Series continues
As a bonus this week, Peliroja, which was rained out earlier, has been rescheduled for Friday, July 28, at 6:30 p.m. 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.
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.
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. See top photo.
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 Land 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.
Tuesday, Aug. 1
CDR Kids’ Nights
The Community Dining Room serves free meals on Tuesdays on the Branford Green starting at 5:30 p.m. The activity begins at about 6 p.m. Aug. 1 is YMCA night. In case of rain, the meal and activity will be held at the CDR. Meals will be served on Tuesdays through Aug. 22.
The Pop-Up Farmer’s Market will be open on the Green during CDR Kid’s Night. Families are invited for a free meal and then they can buy some farm fresh food for the rest of the week.
Thursday, Aug. 3
Beals/Morrison Organ Quartet
Combine the warmth and expressive sound from jazz guitarist Christopher Morrison with the golden saxophone sensation of organist Andrew Beals and you obtain a great night of jazz from the Andrew Beals/Christopher Morrison Organ Groove on Thursday, Aug. 3, as part of the 2017 Branford Jazz Series on the Branford Town Green.
Beals began his recording career as a leader with his compact disc “Gravy Train” on NASMusic Records. He has appeared as a leader of his own band and as a featured soloist with McDuff, and others at many renowned jazz clubs and festivals. Morrison currently leads his own trio, as well as, being an in-demand sideman.
The duo is joined by Kyle Kohler on the Hammond B3 Organ and Rudy Petschauer on the drums.
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.
Friday, Aug. 4, to Sunday, Aug. 6
Potato And Corn Festival
The Potato and Corn Festival on Forest Road in Northford will celebrate its 16th year from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6.
The free family event features are food vendors, craft and business vendors, petting zoo, entertainment, amusement rides, games and contests, car and motorcycle show, fireworks, and more. Details at https://www.facebook.com/NorthBranfordPoCoFest/.
Sunday, Aug. 6
Annual Stony Creek Summer Art Show
The opening reception for the annual Stony Creek Art Show takes place Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibit, which runs through Friday, Aug. 25, features the works of artists of all ages and focuses on the Thimble Islands and Stony Creek. The exhibit is sponsored by Friends of Willoughby Wallace Library. For more information, call 203 – 488-8702 or 203 – 481-3921.
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].
The Branford Land Trust is a non-profit organization, celebrating 50 years of protecting Branford’s open space and natural resources.
Animal Camp continues
Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter’s Animal Camp runs 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.
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.
Sunday, Aug. 20
Classic Car Show
The Branford Rotary Club’s 4th Annual Classic Car Show will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20, at Van Wilgen’s Garden Center, 51 Valley Road, North Branford.
The event benefits the club’s charities and organizations in honor and support of veterans, including Take-A-Vet Fishing and the Veterans Day Luncheon. More than 150 cars are expected; raffle prizes and trophies will be awarded, plus live music featuring “The Sin Sisters Band.” Food and beverages available. Spectator admission is free. There’s a $10 entry fee for the cars.
For sponsorships or more info, visit www.branfordrotary.org or email [email protected].
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