The Color Me Rad 5K takes place May 26th in Hartford

Hartford, CT – More than 6,000 Hartford runners are prepping to be hit with a tsunami of color on May 26, 2012 as they take on Connecticut’s inaugural Color Me Rad 5K and we want you to win tickets! As white-clad participants wind through Rentschler Field they’ll be bombarded with color throughout the course until their face, shirt and body cross the finish line looking like a silkscreened tie-dyed hippy. A portion of the proceeds of the race goes to support the YMCA of Greater Hartford. Read more about the race here.

To enter to win tickets, simply like us on Facebook and answer the question below. We’ll be announcing ONE winner EACH day at 7pm for the next 4 days! If you don’t win the first day be sure to come back and try again!

Friday 5/18 Winner: Lorin Richardson

Saturday 5/19 Winner: Samantha Queen

Sunday 5/20 Winner: Dave Tomczak

Monday 5/21 Winner: Alana Benito

The giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for entering!

*Only one entry per person per day will be considered.

All Proceeds to Support Mystic Rotary Club’s Community Charities

Mystic, Conn. - Mystic Seaport plans to kick off the summer season and prepare for the cracking of thousands of lobster claws at the 27th annual Lobster Days during Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday through Monday, May 26-28.

Members of the Mystic Rotary Club will serve lobsters-in-the-rough from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Diners can enjoy their picnic-style meal under Mystic Seaport’s open-air Boat Shed where they can watch boats cruising on the Mystic River.

More than 3,000 lobsters will be cooked and served over the course of the weekend with all proceeds going to support the Rotary Club’s community organizations and projects.

In addition to a great meal, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the water as the Museum’s boat rental dock opens for the season, and the 1908 steamboat Sabino and catboat Breck Marshall will be operating a regular schedule of brief cruises on the Mystic River.

On Monday, May 28, the Museum will hold its annual Decoration Day ceremony. Costumed role-players will conduct an 1876 tribute and procession to honor those killed in the Civil War beginning at 10:30 a.m.

A special combination ticket of Museum admission and a single lobster dinner is available for $39, offering a $6 savings. The youth combination ticket (ages 6-17) is $32, offering a $4 savings. A senior combination ticket (ages 65 and older) is available for $37, offering a $6 savings.

A lobster dinner can be purchased separately from Museum admission for $21 (single lobster) and $37 (twin lobster). Lobster platters include coleslaw, corn on the cob, drawn butter, and choice of iced tea or lemonade. Hot dog platters are available for $7. Coastal Gourmet, the Museum’s food service provider, will also be offering wine and beer for purchase.

In the past, Lobster Days have raised as much as $20,000 for the Rotary’s charitable causes. Recipients include community enterprises such as Little League, the Stonington Community Center and college scholarships for local students.

For more information, visit http://www.mysticseaport.org/Lobster Days

About Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world. For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org.

Free Admission on Friday, May 18

Hartford, CT, May 14, 2012 – The Wadsworth Atheneum is pleased to announce that it will offer free admission on Friday, May 18, 2012 as part of the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) Art Museum Day, also coinciding with International Museum Day.

In recognition of the important role museums play in their communities, the Wadsworth Atheneum will encourage visitors to share their museum experiences during Art Museum Day on a special printed form available at the museum and via social media with the hashtag #ArtMuseumDay in a collective public response.

“Art museums create opportunities for the public to engage directly with works of art in new and meaningful ways—from transformative educational initiatives to innovative public partnerships.” said Chris Anagnos, Executive Director of AAMD.  “AAMD believes that art should be accessible and relevant to all, and we are so pleased that the Wadsworth is joining with us and the global community of museums to celebrate the role museums play in their communities and to encourage visitors to share their museum experiences.”

The Wadsworth Museum in Hartford offers free admission on May 18 as part of the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) Art Museum Day, also coinciding with International Museum Day

AAMD’s beliefs align with the core mission of the Wadsworth’s Community Engagement Initiative (CEI). Launched in 2008 by museum Director and C.E.O., Susan L. Talbott, its overall goal is to define and measure community impact; implement sustainable programs; enhance the experience of all visitors; and improve the cultural life of greater Hartford.

AAMD member museums, located across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, include regional museums as well as large international institutions.  International Museum Day is organized annually around the world by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).  AAMD’s Art Museum Day is an opportunity to focus attention on the role of art museums in North America, as part of ICOM’s global celebration of museums.

A comprehensive list of participating AAMD member art museums will be available in the newsroom of the AAMD website, http://www.aamd.org/newsroom/.

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is located at 600 Main Street in Hartford, Connecticut. The museum is open Wednesdays to Fridays, 11 am – 5 pm and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am – 5 pm, and the first Thursday of every month 11 am – 8 pm.  Please visit www.wadsworthatheneum.org for more information.

As white-clad participants wind through Rentschler Field they’ll be bombarded with color.

Hartford, CT - More than 6,000 Hartford runners are prepping to be hit with a tsunami of color on May 26, 2012 as they take on Connecticut’s inaugural Color Me Rad 5K. As white-clad participants wind through Rentschler Field they’ll be bombarded with color throughout the course until their face, shirt and body cross the finish line looking like a silkscreened tie-dyed hippy. Finishers, coated from head to toe in blue, green, pink, purple and yellow, will then toss individual bags of color in the air every fifteen minutes—not to summon rain from heaven—but to create a final “blitzkrieg of color” in celebration of their accomplishment.

Click here for your chance to win tickets!

As race organizer Scott Crandall explains, “You’ll start off with a shirt as pure and white as your grandpa’s dentures and you’ll wind up looking like a pack of Skittles.” While the color dust dowsing each participant is made of non-toxic colored cornstarch, most will likely pass on tasting this rainbow.

“We just want to brighten your day, your life...but probably not your teeth."

This race continues Color Me Rad’s nation-wide tour, which was created by four friends who wanted to make colored tears of joy run down the faces of the masses. “We just want to brighten your day, your life…but probably not your teeth,” Crandall said. “We also hope to get a lot of people involved in fitness who maybe otherwise wouldn’t come out for your typical 5K. If you make it about fun instead of about shin splints, you’re more likely to want to give running a shot.”

A portion of the proceeds of the race goes to support the YMCA of Greater Hartford. Waves of 1,000 people will take off every five minutes beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday May 26, 2012. Participants of all ages can run or walk the course, as it’s not a timed event. “As long as they finish before sundown,” Crandall advised.

Color Me RadTM holds races across the US and Canada in over 20 cities. For more information on this event and to see additional race locations, visit www.colormerad.com or check out what fans have to share on Facebook at www.facebook.com/colormerad5k.

Click here for tickets and additional information!

Prepare for a final “blitzkrieg of color” in celebration of your accomplishment.

Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day in Westport, CT

Westport, CT- Are you looking for some outdoor family fun this weekend?  Then Sherwood Island State Park, in Westport, CT will be a great place for you and your family on Saturday, May 5.  The  Audubon CT, CT Audubon Society, will be at the park to help the state Department of Energy and Environmental Conservation’s No Child Left Inside program celebrate the 20th anniversary of International Migratory Bird Day.

There are no fees except for park entrance fees which are $13.00 for Connecticut residents or $22.00 for Non-residents per vehicle.

Where: Sherwood Island State Park- Westport, CT

When: Saturday, May 5, 2012  9AM – 3PM

The Connecticut Audubon Society staff  will be leading birds walks and showing off several of our birds of prey, including a Barn Owl and perhaps a Broad-Winged Hawk and Peregrine Falcon.  The event is part of the No Child Left Inside initiative, introduced in 2006 in an effort to help more children make a stronger connection to nature through showcasing the recreational opportunities available in Connecticut’s state parks and forests.

Click here for directions to Sherwood Island State Park |  Click here for more info on the CT Audubon Society

Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day with Your Family in CT

Photo Credit: ctaudubon.org

Senator Richard Blumenthal will be speaking at the Beyond Pesticides Forum on Saturday at 1:00 pm in Yale’s Kroon Hall.

Pesticide-Free Lawns and Landscapes

With the CT General Assembly considering legislation that would repeal the state’s pesticide ban on school grounds, pesticide-free lawns and landscapes will be a central theme at the conference. Speakers on this topic include: Chip Osborne, national organic turf expert; Warren Porter, PhD, Univ. of Wisconsin environmental toxicologist with expertise in lawn chemical mixtures; Patti Wood, director of Grassroots Environmental Education, a key player in the state pesticide bans; Paul Tukey, founder of the SafeLawns Foundation and author of The Organic Lawn Care Manual; Sarah Little, PhD, editor of the NOFA Standards For Organic Land Care.

Pesticides and Health

Research continues to link pesticide exposure to health effects like learning disabilities, cancer, hormone disruption and more. Nationally renowned scientists will present their work and perspectives on the pesticide problem. Speakers include: Sandra Steingraber, PhD, ecologist and author of Living Downstream and Raising Elijah; John Wargo, PhD, Yale professor and author of Our Children’s Toxic Legacy and Green Intelligence; Routt Reigart, MD, Medical University of South Carolina professor and the nation’s top pediatric expert on pesticides; Julia Brody, PhD, breast cancer researcher and director of the Silent Spring Institute; Allison Aiello, PhD, University of Michigan School of Public Health epidemiologist with expertise in antibacterials and infectious disease.

Other major conference themes include organic food and farming, and protecting honey bees and wild pollinators. Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm co-founder and chairman, David Hackenberg, the beekeeper to first “discover” colony collapse disorder, and others will speak on these topics.

Full lecture details can be found here.

Fantasy of Lights runs Friday, November 18, 2011 to Saturday, January 7, 2012

New Haven, CT - The Fantasy of Lights, presented by Easter Seals Goodwill Industries and sponsored by PSEG, has become a holiday tradition for thousands of families. This dazzling holiday light display illuminates Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven, CT for the holiday season. This year, the Fantasy of Lights will open on Friday, November 18, 2011 and run an extra week, ending on Saturday, January 7, 2012. The Fantasy of Lights is adding the extra week to be open on Three Kings Day, which is celebrated on January 6^th, twelve days after Christmas and often viewed as the last day of the Christmas season. The park opens nightly at 5pm and is open until 9pm on Sundays through Thursdays, and until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Each display is sponsored by a local area business, corporation, individual or organization. This year, the Fantasy of Lights will feature two brand new displays. A Fire Dog with Santa is sponsored by Honeywell Fire Systems and a Nativity Scene is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. The Nativity Scene display will have a sign in both English and Spanish saying “Keep Christ in Christmas.”

The Fantasy of Lights is also going green this year, with fourteen of the over 60 displays featuring LED light bulbs. These new bulbs not only save energy and electricity, they also make the displays more colorful and more vibrant. We are working with display sponsors to convert more and more displays to LED bulbs in the future.

Admission to the Fantasy of Lights is $10 for passenger cars/family fans, $25 for 15-passenger cans or mini-buses and $50 for full sized buses. All proceeds go to support Easter Seals Goodwill Industries’ mission to enhance employment, educational, social and recreational opportunities for people with disabilities and other challenges.

For more information about the Fantasy of Lights or how you can help out, contact the Development Department at (203) 777-2000 x263, email them at events@esginh.org or visit our website at www.eastersealsgoodwill.org/fantasyoflights.

New Haven, CT

The tree lighting celebration will be highlighted by over 20,000 LED lights on a 65 foot tall Norway spruce tree in the heart of the downtown area. The event will also include children’s activities, as well as food and snacks provided by multiple area organizations. Kids will also get the chance to take pictures with some great holiday characters such as Rudolph and Santa. With one of the largest tree lighting ceremonies in the state of Connecticut, this is certain to attract visitors from all over.

One great part of the December downtown celebration in New Haven is Festival Fridays. On December 3, 10 and 17 the downtown district will be home to a weekly, area wide holiday celebration. These weekly festivals will include wine tastings at multiple stores, as well as free holiday trolley rides. On these Fridays, all area shoppers will receive a 20 percent discount at a local store.

Following up the festival Fridays, the downtown area will be home to some great deals in the form of Saturday Shopping Strolls. Taking place on December 4, 11 and 18 these events will offer up the opportunity to take in over 50 shops in the downtown area. The stores will be offering up excellent promotional deals as well as some treats and beverages. Carolers will also be performing throughout the day, filling the air with holiday music.

The celebration weekends will be closed out by Sunday Singing events on December 5, 12 and 19 in downtown New Haven. A number of local school music ensembles will take to the streets and take part in great performances every Sunday. The ensembles will be singing along two separate streets, both Broadway and Chapel Street.

On top of the weekend events taking place, children will also have the chance to go downtown with their parents and take free pictures with Santa this December. The free photos will be offered at the Yale Barnes & Noble Bookstore in the Broadway District on both Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month of December. All guests will receive a digital and print photograph to keep for the holidays. Certainly the New Haven area will be home to some great holiday events throughout the month, but the downtown districts will be home to some great opportunities every weekend this December.

Jones Winery & Holiday Gatherings Gift Shop

Shelton, CT- This past weekend we kicked off the Christmas season with a visit to Jones Tree Farm in Shelton.  The 400 acre farm features harvest-your-own and pre-cut trees, wreaths, garland, tree stands, pine cones, kissing balls and other traditional Christmas décor.  We went for a short tree – about 4 feet tall, which was perfect for the corner of the living room in our apartment.

Once we cut our tree and loaded it into the back of the car we walked back down the hill to the Winery, which was transformed for the holiday season into the Holiday Gatherings gift shop. There we sampled the wines, bought a few bottles, and picked up a few ornaments for the tree.

If you plan on visiting, I recommend visiting their website for a list of things to remember before getting your tree. In 2011, the cost of a “harvest-your-own” tree is $60 (cash or check only), regardless of size.  Each family that purchases a tree receives a special dated and farm-designed pewter ornament from Woodbury Pewter.

If you’re looking for Santa – plan your visit between 10am to 4pm on Saturday December 17th and Sunday December 18th. Santa’s Annual Family Weekend at the farm will include time for kids of all ages to spend time with Santa and have their traditional pictures taken with St. Nick. Each day will have carols playing, visits from Frosty, crafts for the kids and more. For more information, visit http://www.jonesfamilyfarms.com.

Fall Fashion Show

Fairfield, CT - Enjoy a wonderful evening of fashion on Thursday, October 13th at Audi of Fairfiled where all attendees will receive an exclusive discount toward any White House Black Market purchase and $1,000* incentive toward any Audi of Fairfield vehicle purchased in October, 2011.

The event will feature refreshments, hors d’oeuvres and live music by the Brian Butler Jazz Quartet.

Please RSVP by October 7th, 2011 to tdoll@penskeautomotive.com or 203-246-0754.