Your guide to the heart of Litchfield County:
Discover local stories, hidden gems, and must-know events.

Learn About Fostering a Pup: How to help prepare a dog to assist people with disabilities
In-Person ONLYL
Wednesday, July 9 from 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Registration required at OWL website

Come and see the puppies!! Nothing brightens your day than puppies, and we will have plenty on hand to meet, greet and connect with during this special presentation.

ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities) is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to training and placing service dogs. ECAD has placed hundreds of service dogs with individuals all over the country, making a positive impact in many lives. Companion service dogs assist people with a variety of daily life challenges. Recipients of these amazing animals might be children with autism or veterans with PTSD for example.

Volunteer puppy fosters help raise and socialize future service dogs! Fosters provide love, care, and basic training to young puppies in their own homes for 6 months, preparing them for their life-changing roles. Join us to learn more about how you can get involved and help change lives—one puppy at a time!

For more information about ECAD, visit their website at https://www.ecad1.org/

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield, CT 06759
https://www.owlibrary.org/adult-events.aspx

Armchair Travel to Nepal With Nancy & Ed Schuler

Wednesday, July 16 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM
In Person Only: Registration Required

Nestled between India and China, Nepal is a country rich in tradition and culture.

Join Nancy and Ed Schuler as they present the beautiful temples, discuss the delicious food, and introduce you to a nation of warm and friendly people. Enjoy the colorful foliage and the impressive views of the Himalayan and Annapurna mountain ranges.

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield, CT 06759
https://www.owlibrary.org/adult-events.aspx

With Hugh Schoelzel, Alan Cohen, Ken Blazier and Al Macchioni

Thursday, July 24 from 6:30 – 7:30 PM
In-Person Only: Registration Required at OWL website.

Join Hugh Schoelzel, Alan Cohen, Ken Blazier and Al Macchioni as they take you on a photographic journey of their recent trip to Antarctica. Learn about the wild life and be awed by the vistas.

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield, CT 06759
https://www.owlibrary.org/adult-events.aspx

Hollister House Garden Explorers: Discovering the Colors and Shapes of Flowers

Presented by: Hollister House Garden and Kent Curiosity Lab
August 16 10:00 am – 11:15 am

Hollister House Garden Explorers is a series of Saturday morning activities designed to introduce children in grades K – 5 to the garden.

Join HHG and Kent Curiosity Lab for a kid-friendly, guided garden tour to explore the different colors and shapes found among Hollister House Garden’s flowers. Are the petals pointed or rounded? Are there many petals or just a few? Is the flower one color or are there a variety of colors and shades? After practicing our observation skills in the garden, we head up to the barn for a hands-on art project. With the flowers observed on our walk as inspiration, create beautiful, realistic looking flowers crafted from coffee filters and paint. Prepare to have fun with Kent Curiosity Lab making these life-like paper blooms! This program is best suited for children in grades 1-4 but is open to all K-5 students. Caregivers must be present for the duration

Kent Curiosity Lab is a non-profit organization offering children experiences that spark curiosity and ignite lifelong learning. Located in Kent, Connecticut, the organization provides high-quality enrichment programs that actively engage students in real world and personally meaningful activities and projects. By ensuring every child has access to these opportunities, they work to build a stronger, more vibrant community. Find out more at kentcuriositylab.org.

This program is offered free of charge, but advanced registration is required.
Event Location

Hollister House Garden
300 Nettleton Hollow Rd
Washington, CT 06793 United States
Event URL

Hollister House Garden Explorers: Discovering the Colors and Shapes of Flowers

Hollister House Garden Explorers: From Buds to Flowers to Seeds

Presented by: Hollister House Garden and White Memorial Conservation Center
July 19 10:00 am – 11:15 am

Join us for a kid-friendly, guided garden tour to discover plants that are in full bloom, look for plants that have finished blooming, and find buds on plants still getting ready to flower. Then we return to the barn for A Plant’s Life! Did you know plants have a life cycle, just like animals do? In this special program from White Memorial Conservation Center, we will discover the similarities and differences between basic animal and plant life cycles. Children will learn about all aspects of the plant life cycle, including seed germination, growth, flowering, pollination, and seed dispersal. Several interactive activities are included, as well as a visit from a surprise animal ambassador! This program is best suited for children in grades 1-4 but is open to all K-5 students. Caregivers must be present for the duration.

The White Memorial Conservation Center provides year-round environmental education programs for children and adults that inspire understanding, appreciation, and respect for the natural world. Created in 1913 by Alain C. White and his sister, May W. White, the Foundation and Center today comprise 4,000 acres of forest, fields and wetlands in the towns of Litchfield and Morris in northwestern Connecticut.

Hollister House Garden Explorers is a series of Saturday morning activities designed to introduce children in grades K – 5 to the garden. This program is offered free of charge, but advanced registration is required.

Hollister House Garden
300 Nettleton Hollow Rd
Washington, CT 06793 United States

Hollister House Garden Explorers: From Buds to Flowers to Seeds

A celebration that happens only once every 100 years! We are thrilled to invite you to a truly special evening presented by Washington Friends of Music, in collaboration with Spring Hill Vineyards and Pilobolus:

Steep Rock Centennial Benefit Concert

Sunday, July 13 | 6:00–8:00 PM

Spring Hill Arts Gathering, 292 Bee Brook Rd, New Preston, CT

Set against the stunning backdrop of Spring Hill Arts Gathering, this unforgettable benefit concert features chamber music masterpieces by Mozart, Weber, and Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony—arranged for string sextet.

We are especially grateful to Pilobolus for joining us in this performance with their breathtaking choreography. The opportunity to experience Pilobolus dancing to Beethoven’s “Pastoral” will be nothing short of extraordinary—and a true gift to our community.

We are deeply honored to support our beloved Steep Rock Association, whose century-long commitment to conservation continues to protect and celebrate the natural beauty of Washington. Your attendance directly benefits their mission.

Featuring Internationally Acclaimed Musicians:

Julian Rhee, violin – Silver Medalist, Indianapolis International Violin Competition; Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program
Claire Bourg, violin – Juilliard artist praised for her expressive style and chamber collaborations
Maurycy Banaszek, viola – Founding member, East Coast Chamber Orchestra; Marlboro, Seattle, and Aldeburgh festivals
Rebecca Benjamin, viola – Kneisel Hall faculty; Doctoral candidate at Rice University
Christine Lamprea, cello – Sphinx and Schadt Competition winner; dynamic soloist and chamber musician
Robin Park, cello – Prizewinning Yale cellist with a passion for thoughtful, diverse interpretations
Sooyun Kim, flute – ARD Prizewinner; celebrated international soloist and Lincoln Center artist
Vadim Lando, clarinet – Founder, Oyster Bay Music Festival; lauded for his virtuosity and vibrant performances

Join us for an evening of music, movement, and meaning—all in celebration of our environment, our community, and the incredible work of Steep Rock Association.

Tickets range from $50-250 and can be purchased online at:
https://steeprockassociation-bloom.kindful.com/e/steep-rock-centennial-concert

With gratitude,
The Washington Friends of Music Board
Bringing world-class classical music to Washington, CT

Ellen Forman, President
Washington Friends of Music
www.washingtonct4music.org

Spring Hill Arts Gathering, 292 Bee Brook Rd, New Preston, CT
https://steeprockassociation-bloom.kindful.com/e/steep-rock-centennial-concert

Birdie and Hall (Warren, CT) and artist Peter Cusack are collaborating on an exhibition of paintings that explore Peter’s new work and work from his early years–scenes of NY and Brooklyn. Reception Sunday, June 22, at Birdie and Hall from 4 to 6.
Event Location

Birdie and Hall
12 Cornwall Rd
Warren CT
https://www.birdieandhall.com/

*LOCATION CHANGE: Please note that this session will take place at the Washington Senior Center/American Legion, located at 6 Bryan Hall Plaza, Washington Depot, CT 06794. *
Contemporary Poets with Mark Scarbrough
Thursdays
10:30 AM-12:30 PM

July 17: Poet Tracy K. Smith
August 21: Poet Dianne Seuss

Join us as we continue to explore contemporary American poets. For the next few months, we will focus on collections from Joy Harjo, Ocean Vuong, Tracy K. Smith, and Dianne Seuss. We will examine how these poets transform personal experiences through their craft.

* Copies will be available for check out at the circulation desk*

About Mark Scarbrough:
A former academic, Mark Scarbrough, left the seminary to pursue his doctoral work in nineteenth- century American literature at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has presented papers on medieval literature at the International Medieval Conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and American literature at MLA and regional MLA conferences. He wrote screenplays for various production companies and developed much of the original food content in the early 1990s for a small internet startup called America Online. Mark Scarbrough is the co-author of thirty-five titles and has a thriving cookbook career. In 2020, Mark published his memoir, “Bookmarked: How The Great Works Of Western Civilization F*cked Up My Life,” which Will Schwalbe described as “equal parts charm, wit, and withering self-reflection.” Having left the classroom, Mark now finds himself immersed in literature, leading grant-sponsored book groups and six- to eight-week literary seminars throughout Litchfield County, Connecticut, and Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

Registration Required: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/contemporary-poets-with-mark-scarbrough-3/

Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington, CT 06793
860-868-7586
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/contemporary-poets-with-mark-scarbrough-3/

Our community garden is bursting with delicious vegetables — let’s use them! Join us for Garden Club on alternate Wednesdays June through August for Garden to Table, where we’ll take vegetables from the community garden and use them to create delicious bites. On July 23rd at 3:30pm we’ll be making Pesto and Herb Salsas using basil, cilantro, dill, and parsley from the garden. You can also bring your own produce from home!

This event is free and open to the public.

David M. Hunt Library
63 Main Street
Falls Village, CT 06031

Garden to Table Series: Pesto and Herb Salsas

Celebrate summer with us during Summerfest, a week of free and fun-filled activities for the whole family at the Litchfield Community Center.

Kids Water Day!
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Join us for the grand finale of our Free Summerfest Week—Water Day!

Come cool off and make a splash with our exciting waterslides and water blaster games. It’s the perfect way to celebrate summer, burn off some energy, and have a blast with friends and family.

This event is open to kids of all ages—you won’t want to miss it!

Bring a towel, wear your swimsuit, and get ready for a soaking good time!

* Pre-registration encouraged, but not required.

Litchfield Community Center
421 Bantam Road
Litchfield, CT 06759
860-567-8302

https://thecommunitycenter.org/event.php?id=21016