Community Calendar

The 1830s witnessed the emergence of abolitionism: the interracial political and social movement that demanded an immediate end to slavery in the United States. Remarkably ahead of its time, the movement also sought legal rights and integration for free Blacks and the formerly enslaved, putting it at odds with many Americans and with the colonization movement, which sought the emigration of Blacks to Africa. Through anti-slavery societies, publications, lectures, and legal channels, abolitionists forced the controversial topics of slavery and integration into the open, provoking derision and mob violence, but also launching the movement that would ultimately lead to emancipation. This exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the legacy of these brave men and women and to consider how their activism can continue to inspire.
Free and open to the public Monday through Friday 10–6, late hours Thursday; Saturday 10–4.

Experience the sights, sounds and aromas of the electrifying midway with exciting rides and games and favorite fair food for the whole family.

Admission and parking are free.

Unlimited ride wristbands (for riders 36" & taller) are $37 on site ($35 cash price) or online before 5 pm Wed., May 7 for $29 each, 2/$55 or 4/$99.

Ride tickets are also available on the midway. Online pre-sale special: $45/50 tickets + 1 free ride. (Rides take 2 or more tickets each.)

Visit the website for coupon savings on rides and food and event updates.

Midway hours: 5-10 pm Wednesday - Thursday, 5-11 pm Friday, noon-11 pm Saturday, noon-10 pm Sunday. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult age 21+.

More information: 866-666-3247 or DreamlandAmusements.com
https://dreamlandamusements.com/upcoming-events-amusement-carnival/hudson-valley-fair/

This family-fun annual event features live entertainment, spectacular Fireworks by Grucci both Saturday nights, exciting rides for all ages (including a 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel), and plenty of tantalizing carnival eats.

Free with fair admission are Victoria Circus high-wire, aerial and motorcycle thrill shows, Big Bee Transforming Robot Car, The Escape Explosion show, and World of Wonders Amazement Show featuring 10 old-time sideshow acts under the big top including a sword swallower and a fire eater, plus over 30 bizarre exhibits in the Museum of Marvels.

Fair admission: $5 (free for kids under 36" tall). Parking is free.

Unlimited ride wristbands (for riders 36" & taller) are $42 ($40 cash) or online before 5 pm May 8 for $29, 2/$55 or 4/$99. Visit the website for pre-sale ride tickets, group discounts and specials including Carload Night Thursdays (admission & unlimited rides for $60/vehicle for all seat-belted occupants).

Fair hours: 5-10 pm Monday - Thursday, 5-11 pm Friday, noon-11 pm Saturday, noon-10 pm Sunday. Guests under 21 must be accompanied by an adult age 21+.

More information: 866-666-3247 or BaldHillFair.com

Stratford’s Square One Theatre Company and the Westport Community Theatre join forces in presenting Square One’s celebrated 2023 production of Agnes of God offering a taut and compelling revival of the Broadway classic. Square One closed its mainstage theatre after 35 years last month but is continuing theatre programs at the Stratford Library and other venues.

The Westport performances of Agnes of God, reimagined for the Westport Community Theatre stage by original director, Tom Holehan, are Fridays through Sundays beginning March 28 and continuing through April 13 at the Westport Community Theatre located in the lower level of the Westport Town Hall at 110 Myrtle Avenue in Westport, Connecticut.

There will be post-performance talkbacks with the actors, director and Music Therapist Jennifer Sokira following Sunday performances on March 30 and April 6.

There is also one weeknight performance offered on Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 PM.

Agnes of God is a 1979 drama by American playwright John Pielmeier which tells the story of a novice nun who gives birth but does not believe she has. After the child is found dead, a psychiatrist and the mother superior of the convent clash during the resulting investigation. The cast of Agnes of God features Lucy Babbitt (Stratford), Céline Montaudy (Norwalk) and Priscilla Squiers (Danbury) directed by Stratford’s Tom Holehan.

The Connecticut Critics Circle hailed this production of Agnes of God with: “Fasten your seat belts for a wildly dramatic ride that will expose you to what theater is capable of presenting!”

Performances are Friday/Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. An additional performance is offered Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for seniors and students; group rates are also available.

To reserve tickets, scan the QR code, visit westportcommunitytheatre.com or call the Box Office at 203-226-1983.

"Radio Golf" is August Wilson’s last play in his famous American Century Cycle. It is a fast-paced, dynamic and wonderfully funny play about the world today and the dreams we have for the future. Set in Pittsburgh in the late 1990s, it’s the story of a successful entrepreneur who aspires to become the city’s first Black mayor. On the verge of an almost-guaranteed win, he finds his identity shaken when his morals and ideals are questioned by those around him. Ultimately, he must recognize what the price of his success is and decide whether he is willing to pay it. Directed by Rae Janeil, auditions for 5 roles are coming up Feb. 23 & 24.

Shows are at the theatre on Route 25, next to Brookfield Library, on April 25 thru May 10 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Reserved seating tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors 65 and older. They are available online at www.BrookfieldTheatre.org or at the box office. There will also be a free preview on Thursday, April 24 at 8 p.m. for area senior citizens.

Brookfield Theatre's 2025 Season is made possible with the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of Arts; Support has also been provided to Brookield Theatre from CT Humanities (CTH), with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature; Along with the generous donations of our many supporters and subscribers.

TheatreWorks New Milford will present the world premiere of Upstate, written, directed, and starring Emmy© Award-winner Dorothy Lyman from May 2nd to 24th (weekends).
The play centers around three generations of women who meet upstate over President’s Day weekend to decide the fate of their family farm and its matriarch.
Dorothy Lyman is a two-time Emmy© Award-winner for her work as Opal Gardner on “All My Children” and is widely known for her co-starring role on “Mama’s Family,” alongside Vicki Lawrence and Carol Burnett. In addition to her numerous film and television appearances, Ms. Lyman also directed 75 episodes of Fran Drescher’s sitcom “The Nanny.” Her other plays are Enemy (an adaptation of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People), A Rage in Tenure and Soft Landing (directed by John Tillinger) were all developed and produced by Players Workshop in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
In addition to Ms. Lyman playing the role of Elizabeth, the cast includes Jamie Spannhake as Betsy and Thomas Ovitt as Jason, both from Washington, CT, Kevin Sosbe as Tom, Kay Mickelson as Liz and Patti Reese as Christie, all from New Milford, CT. Keli Solomon is producer.

Join us for a night of dancing, cocktails, and unforgettable vibes — all supporting the Bruce Museum’s exhibitions, school programs, and community outreach.

Every ticket helps us spark creativity, inspire future scientists and artists, and make art + science accessible for all.

DJ, dancing, mini milkshakes, cookies, and late bites

Let’s glow for a good cause!

Romney: Brilliant Contrasts in Georgian England, co-organized by the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art to celebrate the YCBA’s reopening, features the work of the British portrait painter George Romney (1734–1802). Remembered today for his fashionable likenesses of wealthy patrons, Romney was rivaled in late 18th-century London only by the now better-known artists Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds. His aspirations to be a history painter were never realized, but his many drawings serve as a testament to those greater ambitions. These swiftly executed sketches reveal a mastery of form, line, and light, while his proficiency as a musician and early experience building musical instruments distinguish him among his polymath contemporaries. To fully explore the era’s subjects and sensibilities, paintings and drawings by Romney from both museums are shown alongside selections from the Morris Steinert Collection of Musical Instruments. Unveiling the contrasts in his artistic practice, the exhibition presents a forceful vision—one that has resonated with admirers through the centuries, from William Blake in Romney’s own time to the portraitist Kehinde Wiley today.

David Goldblatt: No Ulterior Motive is a major traveling retrospective exhibition that spans the seven decades of this South African photographer’s career, from the 1950s to the 2010s, demonstrating Goldblatt’s commitment to showing the realities of daily life in his country. The exhibition and accompanying publication bring together roughly 150 works by Goldblatt from the collections of the Yale University Art Gallery and the Art Institute of Chicago—two major Goldblatt repositories—including his early black-and-white photography and his post-apartheid, large-format color photography. Also included in the exhibition are photographs by some of Goldblatt’s peers, such as Ernest Cole, Santu Mofokeng, and Jo Ractliffe, as well as a generation of younger South Africans, many of whom Goldblatt mentored, including Lebohang Kganye and Zanele Muholi, placing Goldblatt within a broader and intergenerational network of photographers. This ambitious project honors the life and career of an artist who used his work to celebrate his country’s working-class people, the landscape, and the built environment.

GAC Gallery Exhibition “Dear Mother,” Celebrates Relationship of Art & Earth

The newest gallery exhibition at Guilford Art Center, “Dear Mother,” will present artworks which honor our relationship to the natural world through a variety of mediums and practices. This exhibition will explore and embrace our most ancient connections through one of our most human behaviors – artmaking.

The exhibition will be open May 2 – June 1, 2025. Over 100 works will be included by local artists, including painting, photography, drawing, ceramics, woodworking, fiber, woodcut, mixed media, and encaustic.

The community is invited to the Welcoming Reception on Sunday, May 4, from 2-4pm. This event is free and open to all.

The GAC gallery is free to enter and open 7 days a week. Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12-4pm. The Shop, which carries handcrafted work by hundreds of artists, is also open.

Guilford Art Center is located at 411 Church Street, Guilford. For more information contact Guilford Art Center at www.guilfordartcenter.org or 203-453-5947.