Take It To Go: CT Events September 6 – 8

With the arrival of September, there’s no shortage of happenings and events all over the state. Here are a few of our favorites for this upcoming weekend.

All That Jazz
Ridgefield Jazz, Funk & Blues Weekend

Various Ridgefield locations (Check website for specifics)
Friday, September 6 through Sunday, September 8 (Times vary)

It’s a weekend-long music event in scenic Ridgefield when a talented lineup of jazz, blues, and funk artists perform in various locations around town.

Among the performers is jazz singer Jane Monheit, who’ll appear at the Ridgefield Playhouse Friday night and Mavis Staples, Prince collaborator and gospel singer, who performs Saturday (Sept 7).

Other artists include the Carlos Manuel Gomez Quartet, the Brian Butler Quartet, and Shere Khan and the Funky Cats.

For specific performances, dates, and times, visit the website at: www.jazzfunk.org.

Furr-Ever Art
Paint Your Pet Night
Essex Paint and Sip, 12 Main St., Essex
Friday, September 6, 5:30 p.m.

If you’ve always dreamed of immortalizing Fluffy or Fido on canvas, here’s your chance. Essex Paint and Sip is hosting a Paint Your Pet fundraiser to benefit the Connecticut Humane Society.

Attendees will receive the materials and artist instruction necessary to create a furrever masterpiece of your favorite cuddle bug.

Please email a photo of your pet to essexpaintandsip@gmail.com at least 48 hours in advance, as well as making a reservation.

The cost is $50 and proceeds will go to providing medical care for pets in need.

For more information visit: www.essexpaintandsip.com.

Starry, Starry Night
Guitar Under The Stars

Bushnell Park Pavilion Stage, 99 Trinity St., Hartford
Saturday, September 7 (Rain date: Sunday, September 8)
Pre-festival activities begin at 4:00 p.m. Concert at 7:30 p.m.

Acclaimed guitarist Daniel Salazar performs his original compositions during an outdoor concert event on the Bushnell Park Pavilion Stage.

In what’s become an end-of-summer tradition, Guitar Under the Stars is a full evening of music and activities including face painting, Salsa and Latin dancing.

Members of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra join Salazar in this multicultural celebration of Spanish and Latin melodies and rhythms.

Admission is free. Audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. No coolers or outside food may be brought to the event, but food and beverages will available for purchase.

For more information: http://www.danielsalazar.com/guitar-under-the-stars.

Prohibition Returns!
Gillette Castle 100^th Anniversary Speakeasy Gala

Gillette Castle State Park, 67 River Rd., East Haddam
Saturday, September 7, 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Don’t miss the opportunity to do your best Gatsby or flapper impression at the Gillette Castle 100^th Anniversary Speakeasy Gala.

Attendees are invited to dress up in costume and enjoy hors d’oeuvres, Roaring ‘20s cocktails, a champagne toast, silent auction and dancing to the music of the Screamin’ Eagles Jazz Band.

The event will be held rain or shine, so prepare for weather.

Tickets are $100 per person.

For more information: https://www.gillettecastlefriends.org/events/100-year-gala-celebration-of-the-castle.

Go Green
The Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo
Edgerton Park, 75 Cliff St., New Haven
Saturday, September 7, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Rain or shine)

With an emphasis on sustainability and earth-friendly practices, the Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo is a full-day celebration with music, food, activities, and more than 75 “Green Living” exhibitors, artisans, and vendors.

Performances by Donna the Buffalo, Birds of Chicago, Ghost of Paul Revere, Jim Allyn Band, and others.

The festival is dedicated to creating an unforgettable experience, presenting great music and innovative environmental resources.

Admission is free with a $10 suggested donation.

For more information: https://ctfolk.com/event/2019ctfolkfest/.

Hello, It’s Fair Food Calling
Local Connecticut Fairs

Hebron, South Windsor, Ledyard, Bethlehem, North Haven
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, September 6 – 8

The Big E doesn’t start for another week, so if you’re itching to get your hands on something deep-fried, hit one of these local fairs to get your fix.

Hebron Harvest Fair (www.hebronharvestfair.org), 347 Gilead St., Hebron.
The Wapping Fair (www.wappingfair.org), 75 Brookfield St., South Windsor.
The Ledyard Fair (www.ledyardfair.org), 740 Colonel Ledyard Hwy., Ledyard.
The Bethlehem Fair (www.bethlehemfair.com), 384 Main Street North, Bethlehem.
The North Haven Fair (www.northhaven-fair.com) 290 Washington Ave., North Haven.

Ongoing Events
Be Seen: Portrait Photography Since Stonewall
Wadsworth Atheneum, 600 Main St., Hartford
Through September 15

The Stonewall Riots serve a turning point in the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. Be Seen explores how artists have used portrait photography to challenge, subvert, and play with societal norms of gender and sexuality.

In the past 50 years, photographers have documented the experiences of the queer community. They have also examined how gender identity and sexual orientation were viewed historically and how they are constructed today.

The exhibit features photography by Tad Beck, Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, and others.

Tours are available Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

For more information: www.thewadsworth.org/be-seen-portrait-photography-since-stonewall.

Tom Burr/ MATRIX 182/Hinged Figures
Wadsworth Atheneum, 600 Main St., Hartford
Through September 8

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Tom Burr / MATRIX 182 / Hinged Figures features a selection of the artist’s reclining figures that often make reference to notable individuals from queer history and Modernism.

The Wadsworth’s prominent role in the history of Modernism is directly addressed in several portrait subjects, including Chick Austin, Gertrude Stein, and Virgil Thomson. Burr began the series in 2005, and this MATRIX presentation constitutes the largest assemblage of the reclining figures in a museum exhibition to date.

For more information: www.thewadsworth.org/tom-burr-matrix-182

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Game Of Olde England
The Connecticut Renaissance Faire

Lebanon County Fairgrounds, 122 Mack Rd., Lebanon
Saturdays and Sundays through October 14, Columbus Day
10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Ahem. Calling all lords, ladies, dukes, duchesses, knights, kings, queens, and peasants: Come one, come all to the 21st Annual Connecticut Renaissance Faire held at thee olde Lebanon County Fairgrounds.

Thou shallt drink, thou shallt celebrate, listen to the music of ye olde minstrels, and watch performances in the streets at this 16th-century village. Thou shallt also enjoy jousting, comedy by the Bawdy Buccaneers, fire-eating by Zoltan the Adequate, and the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch (okay, not that, but total bonus points if you know the reference).

Know before you go: This is an outdoor event, in the case of inclement weather, check the Facebook page (#CTFAIRE) for up-to-date information. Guests are welcome to wear family-friendly costumes and they don’t have to be Renaissance-themed. So, if you’ve been dying to break out your Harry Potter cape, go right ahead. Pets are permitted but must be public-friendly and dogs must have proof of age-appropriate vaccinations.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for ages 7-15, free for kids 6 and under, and pets are $5 (pet admission proceeds go to the Connecticut Humane Society).

For more information: www.ctfaire.com.

[Photos: Eric Tetreault, Courtesy of CT Renaissance Faire]

Coming Soon!
Hartford Pridefest 2019, Saturday, Sept 14 www.hartfordpride.org
PRIDE New Haven, Sept 16-22, www.newhavenpridecenter.org