Litchfield, CT

Let the 3rd Annual Litchfield Hills Winter Wine Trail games begin! The registration cards for the Litchfield Hills Winter Wine Trail is limited to the first 2,500 participation, so get your card early! The cards can be obtained at one of the following six Litchfield County wineries; DiGrazia Vineyards, Jerram Winery, Haight-Brown Vineyard, Hopkins Vineyard, Miranda Vineyard and Sunset Meadow Vineyards. The program runs from December 1, 2012 to April 1, 2013 so you should have ample time to visit the six wineries! Check out our overview of the Connecticut Wine Trail and Litchfield Hills Winter Wine Trail if you are unfamiliar with the programs! This year, the following prizes are up for grabs if you successfully finish the Litchfield Hills Winter Wine Trail by stopping in at the six participating wineries; One (1) Grand Prize – A winery tour to three participating wineries (from Vintage Vineyard Express) for four people. One (1) First Prize – An overnight stay for two people at The Mary Stuart House bed & breakfast in Gohsen, CT. One (1) Second Prize – An overnight stay for two people at Chapin Park bed & breakfast in New Hartford, CT. One (1) Third Prize – Four lift tickets to Ski Sundown in New Hartford, CT (which we are assuming will be for the 2013-2014 season, unless we get lots of snow this year!)

43 Main Street, Danbury, CT Phone: (203) 743-5200.

An Accessible Art Exhibit in conjunction with the Cultural Alliance of Western CT Opening Night: Saturday, January 19th with artwork on display through March 22nd. The Accessible Art Project is an opportunity for artists to show their work in alternative spaces and to make art more accessible to the general public.  Office hours: Tuesday through Friday 8am to 3pm Tour our historic buildings on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm Research visits are by appointment only.

Main Street, Danbury, CT Phone: (203) 743-5200.

EXHIBIT OPENING & ARTIST RECEPTION Accessible Art Project 2013 in conjunction with The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut Open January 19 through March 22, 2013 Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 4pm Come & meet the artists and celebrate the works of: Jane Bennett - Patterson, New York Christa Forrest -Stamford, Connecticut Tiffany Johnson -Danbury, Connecticut Claudine Mussuto -Danbury, Connecticut Jerome Nevins -Redding, Connecticut Daniela Kinsbourne - Ridgefield, Connecticut Randy Lagana -Brookfield, Connecticut Joan McCaffrey -Brookfield, Connecticut Honorah O'Neill - Bethel, Connecticut Peach Pair - Gaylordsville, Connecticut Dayna Wenzel - Danbury, Connecticut The exhibit is FREE & Open to the Public

195 Water Street, Naugatuck, CT Phone: 203-729-9039.

Flavors of Connecticut - This temporary exhibit featuring artifacts from Avery Soda, the oldest soda company still bottling in Connecticut, Nardelli's Grinder Shop, featured on the Travel Channel and Fascia's Chocolates, a family owned and run business for generations will only be available for two months. Explore the history of other local flavors such as Peter Paul, Naugatuck Creamery and Diamond Ginger Ale through the artifacts of the Society's archives. $2 a person, $5 a family or free for members, call or email for group tours.

89 Stone Rd., Burlington, CT Phone: 860-675-5043.

Lamothe’s Sugar House in Burlington starts the season early with the chance to see how syrup is made every weekend from February 9 to March 26 from 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.. This family owned operation began as a hobby with seven taps and has grown to over 4500 taps and a year-round showroom. Coffee and cider are complimentary to visitors. The shop has a multitude of interesting maple sugar products that includes: maple sugar spice rubs, maple candy, kettlecorn and nuts, and even maple barbeque sauce. Along with the maple syrup business the family also raise pigs, and mini-lop bunnies.

45 Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790. Phone: 860-482-5122.

Artwell spotlights the romance, passion and secret longings of love with its "More Amore" show opening on February 14 and on exhibit until March 10, 2013.  A reception open to the public will be held on Saturday, February 14 from 6 to 8PM.

Higgins Hall Gallery, 181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810. Phone: 203-7837-8410.

Western will host a retrospective exhibition featuring a body of work spanning more than 40 years by landscape painter Margaret Grimes. The exhibition will run from Thursday, Feb. 14, through Thursday, March 14, at The Gallery at Higgins Hall on the university's Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. An opening reception will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 14 in the gallery. The public is invited to the reception and to view Grimes' work. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call (203) 837-8403 or visit www.wcsu.edu/newsevents/Grimesretrospectiveexhibition.asp. Grimes also will discuss her work in an art slide lecture at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 5. The talk will be in Viewing Room 1 of White Hall on the WCSU Midtown campus. The public is invited.

229 East Litchfield Rd., Litchfield, CT Phone: 860-567-3163.

February 16-March 30, 2013.   Opening:  Saturday, February 16, 3:30 -5:30 PM.  Artist's Talk:  3:45 PM followed by a reception. Gallery hours:  Monday through Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM.  For more information call Wisdom House at (860) 567-3163, email: programs@wisdomhouse.org or visit the website.

5 Brookside Ave, New Milford, CT Phone: (860) 350-6863.

7 pm - 9 pm. Nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Best Music, Adrift in Macao is a hilarious musical parody of classic film noir movies. Everyone who comes to Macao, China in 1952 is waiting for something, and though none of them knows exactly what that is, they hang around to find out. The characters include your film noir standards, like Laureena, the curvaceous blonde, who luckily bumps into Rick Shaw, the cynical surf-and-turf casino owner her first night in town. Then along comes Mitch, the American who has just been framed for murder by the mysterious villain "McGuffin." With songs and quips, puns and farcical shenanigans, this musical parody is bound to please audiences of all ages.

140 Park Lane, New Milford, CT Phone: 860-354-4600.

At the Open House Maple Festival at the Great Brook Sugar House on Sullivan Farm, located on Rte. 202 in New Milford is a maple sugaring program for families on Saturdays and Sundays Feb. 23 - 24,  March 2,3,9 and 10 from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Participants will learn the natural and cultural history of maple sugar as well as try the bit brace drill, see sap flowing as well as cook and taste the syrup. rice: $5 per person/Family max $20.