Community Calendar

The 49th Annual Friends of the C.H. Booth Library Book Sale from July 11-15 will once again deliver everything and more that visitors look forward to at this popular event. Recognized as “One of the largest and most well-run book sales in the country" by the Boston Globe Magazine in its 2025 Spring Arts Preview, the book sale is the Friends’ biggest fundraising event of the year. It is held in an air-conditioned venue with plentiful, accessible parking.

The sale will feature some 120,000 items--books in all genres for all ages, jigsaw puzzles, CDs, DVDs and vinyl LPs ---filling four rooms and covering some 20,000 square feet at Reed. As always, prices are very reasonable. All proceeds from the sale benefit Newtown's Cyrenius H. Booth Library.

Clinton Placemakers presents the International Food and Beer Festival on the grounds of the Clinton Town Hall. Sample delicious fare from around the world and enjoy a perfectly curated selection of beer and Italian wines. Music fills the air. Headline performers are the acclaimed Reggae musicians The Anthem Band. Guests can learn to Salas dance or get a henna tattoo. Admission is free

The legendary love triangle of King Arthur, Guenevere and Sir Lancelot leaps from the pages of T.H. White’s novel in Lerner and Loewe’s award-winning, soaring musical "Camelot". The musical explores the themes of love, betrayal, and the quest for a just society in a mythic time. It will be directed by Jane Farnol with musical director Sarah Fay. Auditions will be held April 27 & 28 for a cast of 8 roles plus ensemble.

Shows are at the theatre on Route 25, next to Brookfield Library, on July 11 thru Aug 2 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Reserved seating tickets are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors 65 and older, and $25 for students. They are available online at www.BrookfieldTheatre.org or at the box office. There will also be a free preview on Thursday, July 10 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.

Musicals at Richter (MAR), celebrating 41 seasons as the longest-running outdoor theater in Connecticut, presents Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s blockbuster musical “Evita” July 5 through July 19.

Featuring a live band and a cast of 43 talented local actors, performances take place outdoors under the stars Friday (please note no show Friday, July 4) through Sunday evenings at 8:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Richter Arts Center, 100 Aunt Hack Road, in Danbury, with an additional specially discounted performances on Thursday July 10 and 17.

ASL interpretation will be offered at the Sunday, July 13 performance.

Grounds open at 7:00 p.m. for picnicking, with the show at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors (65+) and students (with ID) and $15 for children 10 and under. For the Thursday performance (July 10 and 17), tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and students, and $10 for children 10 and under. Limited front row VIP seating is also available for purchase at every performance. Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets for lawn seating. A limited number of chairs are available free of charge at the venue, and a cash-based snack/soft drink concession is on site.

For tickets and further information, visit the website at www.musicalsatrichter.org, leave a message at 203-748-6873 or e-mail info@musicalsatrichter.org

Birding for Pleasure has announced the dates of the second Connecticut Bobolink and Wildlife Festival in Durham . The Festival begins on Saturday July 12, 2025 with a nature walk at 8:00 AM followed by presentations and displays by partner organizations at the Durham Community Center.

This free festival brings together some of the best experts and artists in Connecticut. It is a celebration of the rich grasslands of Durham that is home to a number of endangered birds and butterflies.

Experience the thrill of listening to the songs and counting the grassland Bobolinks!

The free Connecticut Bobolink and Wildlife Festival in Durham is made possible with grants from Connecticut Ornithological Society and Hartford Audubon Society and a partnership with the Durham Public Library and Birding For Pleasure in Durham & Middlefield.

Register for one or all sessions through the Durham Public Library links below. 🐧

Session 1: Saturday, July 12 7:55 AM - 9:15 AM
Count the Bobolinks and More About Habitats - A guided bird walk at Frederick White Farm. Free.
https://durhamlibrary.libcal.com/event/14558215

Session 2: Saturday, July 12 at 9 AM - 3:30 PM
Keynote Presentations, Exhibits, free prizes at the Durham Community Center and an afternoon bird walk around 2:15PM. Free.
https://durhamlibrary.libcal.com/event/14558448

Session 3: Saturday, July 12 at noon.
The Making of The Fledgling 4 with Joe Gowac Photography.
Free. Register to attend this workshop at the Durham Community Center.
https://durhamlibrary.libcal.com/event/14558492

LOCATIONS:
Bird/nature walks at Frederick White Farm - 70 Maple Ave, Durham, CT
Indoor sessions at Durham Community Center - 144 Pickett Lane, Durham, CT

On Saturday, July 12, hundreds of kayakers and paddle boarders will take to Long Island Sound for the SoundWaters Flotilla, a four-mile community paddle supporting SoundWaters’ environmental education programs and the protection of Long Island Sound.

Paddlers will launch from Cove Island Park in Stamford, journeying around Shippan Point to the Cohen SoundWaters Harbor Center at Boccuzzi Park, where a beach party awaits with music, lunch and camaraderie. For most paddlers, the course should take two hours or less.

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, the route will be supported by kayak guides, support boats and a floating rest stop. After the event, a shuttle service will return paddlers and their gear to their original launch sites. Participants may bring their own kayaks or paddle boards or rent equipment through SoundWaters during registration.

The 2025 Flotilla is made possible thanks to the generous support from Franklin Templeton, along with Kaster Moving Company, Hey Stamford!, 95.9 The Fox, and WEBE 108. Register now at SoundWaters Flotilla '25 and paddle for a cleaner, healthier Long Island Sound.

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.

Where Culture and Conversation Percolate

Join us for an intimate morning conversation with Samantha Greene Woodruff, author of two Amazon best-selling historical fiction novels. Enjoy coffee and light refreshments while hearing about Woodruff's creative journey from media executive to acclaimed author.

Space is limited for this special Meet for Coffee event. Books will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of Diane's Books of Greenwich.

The Bruce Museum's Meet for Coffee series brings creative voices to our community for engaging morning conversations in an intimate setting.

Katharine Hepburn was married once, to Ludlow Ogden Smith, in 1928. She kept her Babani gown, which was sold after she passed away and stored for twenty years. The Katharine Hepburn Museum has brought this dress back home to Connecticut and it will be exhibited alongside two others - one from the play "The Lake" (1933) and one from the film "The Sea of Grass" (1947) to create a stunning trio. This beautiful exhibit brings together Kate’s stage, screen, and personal lives in a never-before-seen way.

Museum Hours:
Tuesday through Friday 10 AM to 4 PM and one hour prior to performances. Closed major holidays.

Additional Summer Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 12 to 4 PM in July & August only

Fiber Art Gets a Bold New Look at Guilford Art Center: "Fiber Reimagined III" Opens July 1

Prepare to rethink everything you thought you knew about fiber art. This summer, Guilford Art Center unveils Fiber Reimagined III, a striking new exhibition that showcases contemporary fiber art —from sculptural forms and abstract wall pieces to inventive works crafted from repurposed and recycled materials.

On view from July 1–27, 2025, this juried exhibition features work by fiber artists who push the boundaries of texture, form, and imagination. Each piece on display challenges conventional notions of what fiber can be—transforming soft materials into powerful, provocative works of art.

Presented in collaboration with Fiber Art Now, a leading voice in the fiber art world, Fiber Reimagined III is the latest in a series of groundbreaking exhibitions brought to life both in print and in gallery spaces. This third installment continues to elevate fiber from traditional craft to bold, contemporary art form.

The show culminates with a closing reception on Sunday, July 27 from 2–4pm. This event is free and open to the public.

The gallery is open 7 days a week and is always free entry: Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 12-4pm.

Location:
Guilford Art Center
411 Church Street (Route 77)
Guilford, CT 06437