A typically eclectic collection of events this week – no special theme, just something for everyone – wine lovers, foodies, bibliophiles, art lovers (viewers, painters and colorists), music lovers, nature lovers, and historians. Did we leave anyone out? Got a cool event? Email [email protected] by Wednesday noon.
Friday, Oct. 20 – Saturday, Oct. 21
Celebrate the Reformation
Tabor Lutheran Church, 45 Tabor Drive, will celebrate 500 Years of the Reformation with a variety of activities on the church property, 45 Tabor Drive.
An Art & Talent Show takes place at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20. Farmers Market & Vendor Fair with live music is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21, along with a Kid’s Fest, with petting zoo, hay rides, crafts, games, prizes, and a bounce house. A German Style Pork Roast Dinner follows, from 5 to 7 p.m. Adult tickets are $14. The 2nd Company Governor’s Foot Guard performing under the tent outdoors and Bobby Jo Valentine, a two-time West Coast Songwriter’s Association “Songwriter of the Year,” will perform at 7 p.m.
For more information, call 203 – 488-2541.
Saturday, Oct. 21
A Walk Through Natural History
Join the Branford Land Trust and the First Congregational Church on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon for “A Walk Through Natural History” at Killam’s Point.
Jimmy Goggin will lead the walk where participants will the fall colors, the ospreys feeding for their long migration, the granite bluffs against the sparkling Sound, schools of bunker fleeing a bluefish frenzy, chipmunks and squirrels harvesting acorns, and through it all, the peace and order of an undisturbed ecological system.
Killam’s Point is an ecological treasure, habitat for many species of bird and animals, with healthy forested uplands, expansive salt marshes, inviting sandy beaches and spectacular granite bluffs. The Branford Land Trust and the First Congregational Church to collaborate to provide programs open to the public sharing the stunning beauty, serenity and fragility of the Point.
Killam’s Point is located along Shore Drive just west of the Orchard House Adult Day Care Center.
Opening Reception
Shoreline artists Sandy Kensler and Jay Babina, will be featured at the opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21, at Branford Art Center, 1229 Main St. The show runs through Nov. 14.
Babina has been painting for over 50 years while working as a graphic designer and illustrator. His mediums are watercolor, acrylic and oil. He paints both “en plein air” (in the open air) and in the studio. He is also a painting instructor at the Killingworth Art Center and the Branford Art Center.
Kensler initially studied with Terry Oakes-Bourret and matriculated at the Lyme Art Academy with continuing training at workshops throughout the Northeast. She has exhibited at New Haven Paint and Clay, where two of her works are in the permanent collection, and she holds artist memberships in the Guilford Art League and the Madison and Clinton Art Societies. Her body of her work includes paintings of animals and people of Kenya.
For more information, email [email protected].
Sunday, Oct. 22
Branford Hills – Party at the Park
Celebrate the opening of the new Branford Hills Park on Sunday, Oct. 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sitting on 13 acres, the Branford Hills park located on Jefferson Road and Burban Drive, is nestled between densely populated neighborhoods and picturesque, accessible hiking trails that lead to the Farm River, preserved by the Branford Land Trust. The park is on the site of the former Branford Hills School. (See top photo)
There will be food trucks, music, sports and dancing at the free party, which is co-sponsored by the town’s Parks and Recreation department. Call 203 – 415-5613 to volunteer, make donations, or participate.
Men Who Cook
Judith Barbosa Photo
The 23rd annual Men Who Cook takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22, at the Guilford Yacht Club, 379 New Whitfield St., Guilford. Guests will dine on three small plate courses at this festive cocktail party, emceed by celebrity chef and past Chopped champion Ric Orlando, and featuring fun chef competitions between 30 prominent and talented volunteer chefs.
Live and silent auction items range from South African photo safaris and sailing trips to jewelry, theater tickets, gift baskets, and more. Proceeds will benefit Women & Family Life Center, which helps shoreline residents in crisis due to major life events. For tickets call 203 – 458-6699, email [email protected], or visit www.womenandfamilylife.org.
Tuesday, Oct. 24
The UFO Experience
“The UFO Experience,” an illustrated lecture by Stephen Spignesi, author of “The UFO Book of Lists” and “The Big Book of UFO Facts, Figures & Truth,” takes place at the Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Spignesi looks at the continuing mystery of UFOs, alien abductions, Project Blue Book, what happened at Roswell, celebrity and astronaut UFO sightings, and more. To reserve a spot, call the library at 203 – 488-1441.
Saturday, Oct. 28
Stony Creek Quarry Tour Digs into Past and Future
File Photo
Visitors to the Stony Creek Quarry in Branford on Saturday, Oct. 28, will view the past, present, and future of this famous site. The tour begins at 10 a.m. and will be limited to 100 people.
First will be a look into the past to view the cavernous quarry that yielded the world-famous Stony Creek granite for historic projects. Next, those on tour will ride a shuttle up to the current quarry site that now provides “pink” granite to the country’s top architects.
Former Branford First Selectman Unk DaRos (pictured) and Former Guilford First Selectman Carl Balestracci, both quarry historians and descendants of quarrymen, will share stories of the quarry’s history. They’ll describe the lives and work of the quarrymen and the dangers they faced on a daily basis. At their peak around 1900, the quarries along the Branford-Guilford shoreline employed over 1,800 men. Builders used Stony Creek granite for the West Point Battle Monument and the steps of Yale’s Woolsey Hall, as well as parts of the Brooklyn Bridge and Grant’s Tomb.
There will be new stories from Carl Balestracci, who has just completed a book on the neighboring Beattie Quarry, which provided the stone for the base of the Statue of Liberty. His book, John Beattie and His Quarrymen: Building America Stone by Stone, will be available for sale at the quarry. All proceeds from the book will be shared by the Guilford Keeping Society and The Stony Creek Museum.
Tickets, $15, are available at Page Hardware and Breakwater Books in Guilford, as well as the quarry itself and Taken for Granite in Stony Creek. Because of the rough terrain, children 10 and under will not be admitted. On arriving at the quarry, visitors will be asked to sign a liability waiver. Organizers suggest that those who might have trouble standing for an hour might like to bring a folding chair.
Parking will be available inside the quarry gates at the end of Quarry Road. For more information, visit the GKS website, guilfordkeepingsociety.com, or call 203 – 453-2263.
Pine Orchard Nursery School Fall Festival
Pine Orchard Nursery School’s Fall Festival takes place at the school, 149 S. Montowese St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Food, games, silent auction, bounce house, pumpkin painting. Call Ericka Shanley, 203 – 488-3769.
Tuesday, Oct. 31
Annual Halloween Parade
The Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., will host Miss Mary and Miss Carly’s annual Halloween Parade from 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Oct. 31. Kids are welcome to come in full costume to partake in Halloween rhymes, books, movement activities and even apps. The hour will conclude with a parade around the building to show off costumes and share in a couple of non-food based treats. Babies through children age 5 are invited and registration is not required.
Saturday, Nov. 4
Autumn Jazz: American & Cuban Jazz
Cuban jazz pianist, Carlos Manuel Gomez, performs an hour of both American and Cuban jazz songs on piano from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Blackstone Library, 785 Main St.
A Cuban-born jazz pianist, Carlos Gomez was trained in classical piano at the National School of Art in Havana and the Carl Nielson International Conservatory in Moscow. Gomez’s passion turned to Jazz in his late teens, influenced by Irakere and the rapidly growing jazz movement in Cuba in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Much of his inspiration has come from Cuban pianists such as Chucho Valdez and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and also American pianist, Chick Corea. After graduating from the NSA, Gomez was a music professor at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogota for over a decade. In Miami he managed a Jazz Trio for two years at the St. Regis Wine Bar in Bal Harbour and has played Jazz at numerous events at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, including the popular Jazz @ MOCA series. Gomez has also played several concerts at Amadeus Piano in Stamford, where he is currently recording a CD with Amadeus Records.
Registration required. Call 203 – 488-1441, extension 318.
An Evening With Adam Greenberg
Adam Greenberg, famous for the one pitch that changed his life forever, appears at the Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Saturday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m.
A 93-mile-an-hour first pitch fastball to the back of the head on his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs gave Adam the record for being one of the only two players in history to have an official at-bat without ever taking the field. After seven years of continued hustle to get back, Greenberg signed a one-day contract with the Miami Marlins in 2012. He was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
Tickets are $75, include a signed copy of Greenberg’s book plus wine/whiskey/beer tasting by Wine 101. Proceeds benefit the Campaign for the Blackstone. Purchase tickets at colinsheehanevents.com.
Tuesday, Nov. 7
Color Away Your Stress
The adult coloring phenomenon has provided an island of calm in a stressful world. Sally Bahner will host a workshop at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Branford Art Center, 1229 Main St.
There are hundreds of books on the market, tailored to all interests and skill levels, designs simple and complicated, mandalas, animals, florals, landscapes and more. Artists such as Joanna Basford and Hanna Karlzon have gained huge followings. Some handouts and supplies will be available. Feel free to bring your own. Donation, $5.
To register or for more information, call Yvonne, 860 – 334-4642 or Sally, 203 – 488-3495
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