Some fun events leading up to the 34th annual Branford Festival. If you haven’t checked out either of the town’s breweries – Thimble Island and Stony Creek –now’s a good time. There are always some fun events held in conjunction with some great brews to sample. Farmers’ markets are reving up for the season and the Dudley Farm in Guilford has locally made goodies along with fun activities – check it out. And don’t forget the Strawberry Festival in Stony Creek! Got a cool event? Email [email protected] by Wednesday noon.
Saturday, June, 9
Strawberry Festival
Come to the Stony Creek Congregational Church, 192 Thimble Islands Road, to feast on hamburgers, hot dogs, and delicious strawberry shortcake — with homemade whipped cream. Drinks and other items will be available, and don’t forget to stop by the Eunice Medlyn Cookie Walk for an assortment of homemade cookies! Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tuesday, June 12
Puzzled Pint: A Social Puzzling Event
Puzzled Pint is a casual, social puzzling event for those who like original wordplay and logic puzzles.
The events take place in cities throughout the world and it’s coming to Branford on Tuesday, June 12, at 6 p.m. at Donovan’s Reef restaurant. Teams of two to six people solve puzzles that typically take 30 minutes to 2 hours to solve. Bring friends or arrive solo and be matched with a team! The puzzles will be provided. Takes place on Tuesday, June 12 @ 6pm
To RSVP, call 203 – 488-1441 x 318 or visit www.blackstonelibrary.org. Free.
Wednesday, June 13
Nautical Paint & Sip
Painted by the Shore will host a nautical Paint & Sip event at Thimble Islands Brewing Co., 16 Business Park Drive, from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 13. Participants will paint nautical coasters for their home or patio. Ticket price, $35, includes materials and instruction from Painted by the Shore, plus a glass of wine or beer from Thimble Islands Brewing Co. Feel free to bring food to the event. For tickets, visit www.paintedbytheshore.com.
Friday, June 15 to Sunday, June 17
Branford Festival Weekend
For the 34th year, friends and neighbors, businesses, food vendors, and entertainers will gather on the Branford green for the Branford Festival.
Musical performances are a big highlight, this year with Bon Jovi and David Bowie tribute bans, along with performances by local talent and lots of band. Saturday’s highlight is the line-up of local businesses. Sunday features the Father of the Year Contest, Baking Contest, Road Race, and Car Show.
Details at branfordfestival.com. The Eagle will see you there.
Saturday, June 16
Dudley Farm Farmers’ Market
The Dudley Farm Farmers’ Market, 2351 Durham Road, Guilford, meets from 9 a.m.to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, June 16. Susan Peak, songwriter, singer, and instrumentalist, of Studio Blue Guitar, will perform. The free Children’s Corner (10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.) activity will be story-telling with Barbara Kiesel, narrating Native American Animal Stories with puppets, and Susan Peak will sing some children’s songs as well.Vendors will offer local and organic produce, meats, maple syrup, jams, baked breads, pastries and pies, honey, butter, goats milk soap, bees wax candles, alpaca yarn, natural body products, dog products, and a wide variety of exquisite hand-made crafts.
For more information, call 203 – 457-0770, visit www.dudleyfarm.com, or onFacebook, Dudley Farm Farmers’ Market.
Thursday, June 21
Make Music Day
The Henry Whitfield State Museum, 248 Whitfield St. Guilford, invites the public to bring a picnic and enjoy an evening of outdoor music performances for Make Music Day, a free global celebration of music on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The event takes place Thursday, June 21, from 4 to 8 p.m.
A variety of musicians – including the Stony Creek Fife & Drum Corps, Lisa Carlucci and Justin Paglino, and the Skunk Misery Ramblers – will be playing on the lawn in front of the Whitfield House, rain or shine.
The latest performance schedule details will be posted on the museum’s Facebook page, and a tent will be set up in case of rain. There is no charge for attending the performances and the Visitor Center. The Whitfield House will be open for self-guided tours – $6 admission and free for children ages 12 and younger.
Parking is free at the museum, located at 248 Old Whitfield Street in Guilford (exit 58 off I‑95). For more information, call 203 – 453-2457, e‑mail [email protected], visit www.cultureandtourism.org, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/henrywhitfieldstatemuseum.
Ladies Night Out at the Trolley Museum
The third annual Ladies Night Out at Shore Line Trolley Museum takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 21 in celebration of Girl Power.
Make new friends and catch up with old ones during thesocial hour. Admission includes appetizers, beverages, and the evening’s special ambiance Climb aboard one of the antique trolleys for a sunset ride through the Farm River Estuary tidal marsh. Tour the car barns and see beautifully restored trolleys from the golden era of transportation and reflect in the 9 – 11 Memorial PATH car exhibit. Plenty of photo ops.
General admission for this event is $10 and tickets are available at the door or online at www.shorelinetrolley.org.
Saturday, June 23
BLT 50th Anniversary Event
The Branford Land Trust will host a celebration that includes the dedication of the new walkway through the Red Hill Woods marsh and a 50th Anniversary Reception on Saturday, June 23, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Admission is free.
The event presents the official unveiling of the 1,200-foot bog walk, constructed in 2017. Supported by efforts of the BLT Trails Committee and donations from Ellen Matloff and Mike Bowler, and the Branford Rotary Club, the raised walkway traverses the 29-acre property with views of the tussock sedge-red maple floodplain and adjacent streams. In the spring and summer, this wetland is sunny and filled with different species of ferns, and numerous leafy herbaceous plants growing beneath a high canopy of maples and other hardwood trees. Other property features include an upland forest with high ledge outcrops that overlook a vernal pool and a Native American rock shelter.
Following an official ribbon cutting ceremony for the bog walk, guests can enjoy a guided mile-long walk through the preserve followed by a community celebration of the BLT’s 50th anniversary featuring educational displays and refreshments.
Directions: From 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.
For more information call 203 – 483-5263 or email [email protected]. For more information about the Branford Land Trust’s 50th anniversary events, visit branfordlandtrust.org/.
Uncover Branford
Join the Uncover Branford group on Saturday, June 23, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, to share favorite Branford places and stories. Then, plan a group outing into the community to explore and uncover new places. Make new friends, have lots of fun, and discover the hidden gems of Branford.
At the planning meeting, participants will talk about their favorite places in town, and plan where they’ll venture to next. RSVP at meetup.com.
Branford’s Fireworks Display
Plans are in flux, but after announcing that the annual display will be held at Ecology Park off Tabor Drive, the Fireworks Committee says the display will be held at Foote Park. Reconstruction of the Harbor Street bridge and the associated detour limit access to Branford Point, the usual venue.
Updates will come through the Branford Fireworks Facebook page and the Recreation Department.
Begins Thursday, June 28
Branford Jazz on the Green
Branford Jazz on the Green opens Thursday, June 28 with NBIS Jazz Band. Ten concerts in all are planned; they run through Aug. 30, beginning at 6:30 on the beautiful Branford green. Be there!
Monday-Friday, July 16 – 20
Animal Camp
Registration is underway for the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter’s Animal Camp, a fun, educational, hands-on camp that allows children to interact with and learn about all kinds of animals. The camp’s focus is to promote respect for all living creatures including each other. Children will participate in fun games like animal tracking, nature art and water games, and they can learn all about FLEMDS.
Open sessions are: July 16 – 20, July 23 – 27, Aug. 13 – 17; and Aug. 20 – 24. Register soon – June slots are already filled.
Camp is for children between 6 to 11 years old and runs from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. each day. Cost is $175 and includes lunch bag, water bottle, camp shirt and field trip. Checks or credit cards only accepted as payment. For more information, go to http://www.branford-ct.gov/animalshelter/.
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