Jul 11, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM – $30
STORYTELLING ON A HIGHWIRE
Great stories don’t have to be rehearsed. Sometimes the best ones happen on the spot.
Matthew Dicks (a record 61-time Moth StorySLAM champion) and Jeni Bonaldo (Moth StorySLAM winner) take prompts straight from the audience and spin them into brand-new, completely improvised stories in real time. No scripts. No safety net. Just two professionals who should absolutely know better.
It’s part show, part masterclass, part friendly competition. You’ll laugh, you’ll feel things you didn’t expect to feel, and you’ll leave knowing a little more about how to tell your own stories. Oh, and you get to vote on who won.
Merryall Center, 8 Chapel Hill Road, New Milford, CT 06776
7/11/26
https://www.merryallcenter.org/event-details/matt-jeni-are-unprepared
Jun 27, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Written & Performed by Celeste Lecesne
TO THE POWER OF ONE – PLAY SERIES | MERRYALL PRIDE
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey – NY Times Critics’ Pick written & performed by Academy Award-winning co-founder of The Trevor Project and The Future Perfect Project, Celeste Lecesne—praised by The New York Times as “among the most talented solo performers of his (or any) generation.”
The Story: When Leonard Pelkey goes missing, those who knew him, sometimes only briefly, begin to tell their stories. Through Lecesne’s remarkable portrayal of multiple characters, a fractured community is revealed, grappling with fear, love, and compassion.
Merryall Center, 8 Chapel Hill Road, New Milford, CT 06776
6/27/26
https://www.merryallcenter.org/event-details/the-absolute-brightness-of-leonard-pelkey
Jun 20, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM – $30
Dumpster Folk & Thrift Store Americana
RETURN ENGAGEMENT
The Rough & Tumble are a folk/Americana duo, consisting of Mallory Graham & Scott Tyler. Forming in 2011, they spent 8 years full time in a 16ft camper with two big dogs, playing roughly 150 shows a year. At home at festivals, listening rooms, and house concerts across the country, their commanding stage presence, engaging performances and affecting songwriting won them official showcases at Folk Alliance International, NERFA, SERFA and the Independent Music Awards Americana Song of the Year for their song “The Hardest Part”.
In 2023 they received recognition for their work in New England as recipients of Club Passim’s Iguana Music Fund. Only This Far, the band’s most notable work, was released in 2023 and has been described as “quality songs, well written, well played, well sung and arranged, and a pleasure from start to end.” In November 2024, The Rough & Tumble released Hymns For My Atheist Sister and Her Friends To Sing Along To, a collection of deeply personal, unifying and uplifting, humanist gospel songs.
Merryall Center, 8 Chapel Hill Road, New Milford, CT 06776
6/20/26
https://www.merryallcenter.org/event-details/the-rough-tumble-1
Jun 13, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM – $25
Love is For the Birds: A Cabaret. Award-winning singers Connie Pachl and Alan Clark return to the Merryall with special guest Rob Brereton and musical director David Gaines on piano.
Connie and Alan have performed regularly in NYC cabaret clubs and in theatres across the country. With a mix of Broadway show tunes and torch songs, Connie and Alan bring joy, humor, and passion to their performances.
Merryall Center, 8 Chapel Hill Road, New Milford, CT 06776
6/13/26
https://www.merryallcenter.org/event-details/love-is-for-the-birds
Jun 06, 2026, 7:30 PM – 11:30 PM
Tickets $30 in Advance
Flamy Grant is a trailblazing artist from Asheville, North Carolina, known for her dynamic performance and innovative blend of drag, music, and storytelling. She has made significant strides in the entertainment industry, including her debut album, “Bible Belt Baby,” which reached #1 on the iTunes Christian music charts and earned her nominations for prestigious awards like the International Folk Music Award.
Merryall Center, 8 Chapel Hill Road, New Milford, CT 06776
6/6/26
https://www.merryallcenter.org/event-details/flamy-grant
COMMUNITY POTLUCK PICNIC | SATURDAY MAY 30 | 12-1:30 PM
THE HISTORY OF MERRYALL, THE COMMUNITY & CENTER | 1:30-2 PM
In Celebration of Merryall Center’s 75th Anniversary all are invited to join us for an old-fashioned pot-luck picnic. We’ll grill the hot dogs & hamburgers & veggie burgers and provide the traditional fixin’s. You’ll bring a side to share. This is our chance to celebrate this milestone with you, our community.
RSVP by May 23 online
Merryall Center, 8 Chapel Hill Road, New Milford, CT 06776
5/30/26
https://www.merryallcenter.org/event-details/community-potluck-picnic
MERRYALL TALES – PERSONAL STORYTELLING – $30 Advance
Back by Popular Demand. Not Your Father’s Storytelling! Come join us for an exciting evening of tough, funny, poignant stories from some of NYC’s and the Northeast region’s most dynamic storytellers!!! Neil Intraub hosts an evening filled with Moth Grand Slam/Story Slam winners who have also been spotlighted on PBS’ Stories From the Stage.
Merryall Center, 8 Chapel Hill Road, New Milford, CT 06776
5/16/26
https://www.merryallcenter.org/event-details/merryall-tales-personal-storytelling-1
75TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON OPENER | 6-7 PM Hors d’oeuvres – Reception (Catered by The Pantry, Washington Depot) | 7-8:30 Concert
Spirituals, hymns, hollers and work songs were sung either to express a yearning for a better life or gratitude for already having one. Guitarist Walter Parks, longtime sideman to Woodstock legend Richie Havens, is fascinated by this historical music’s universal applicability and power. While he uses this repertoire to entertain, he also hopes to make a case for embracing the inescapable togetherness of races and cultures by performing this music in concert with his new group, The Unlawful Assembly.
Merryall Center, 8 Chapel Hill Road, New Milford, CT 06776
https://www.merryallcenter.org/event-details/walter-parks-the-unlawful-assembly
Join us on June 5th at the atmospheric Lichfield Cathedral, for ’Our precious concert’ – one of our most beloved and best-selling programmes!
Experience the majestic and timeless music of the legendary Lord of the Rings films in a breathtaking concert that will transport audiences straight into the heart of Tolkien’s universe. Howard Shore’s iconic soundtrack has captivated millions worldwide, and now, we bring it to you!
Performed by the modern Mystery Ensemble, this magical evening will transport you instantly into the heart of Tolkien’s universe, where elves, hobbits, and dwarves roam. The virtuoso playing of the musicians will bring to life the stirring, powerful, and deeply emotional compositions of Howard Shore, the three-time Academy Award winner, whose work shaped the very essence of Peter Jackson’s cinematic masterpiece.
️ Tickets are selling fast! Don’t miss your chance to witness this breathtaking concert that brings the magic worlds to life.
Lichfield Cathedral, The Close, Lichfield WS13 7LD, United Kingdom
6/5/26
https://redevents.world/event/675-the-music-of-the-lord-of-the-rings-tribute-to-howard-shore.html?date=2026-06-05%2019:30:00&utm_source=LitchfieldMagazine&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=LOTR
April 26-30
We will have the opportunity to slow down and become familiar with the beautiful surroundings at Wisdom House Retreat Center in April, when all of the natural world is coming alive. We will start with simple materials: a sketchbook with drawing pencils and a small journal for writing. (A materials list will be provided, and there will be some materials which can be shared by our whole group.) We will learn about the basics of gesture drawing and contour drawing while sketching objects from nature inside at a table, such as seed pods, plants, fruits, and vegetables. This will help us feel more comfortable with the practice of sketching and experiencing things visually. Then, when we take our sketchbooks outside with us, we can explore and discover the amazing beauty that surrounds us. We will talk about the various ways that we can add words to our field sketching and nature journaling. I will share examples of art with the theme of nature from books that I have, as well as poems and quotes focused on nature. I will ask retreat participants to share favorites as well. We will also try creating our own haiku/simple poems with prompts and queries. There will be scheduled times for meditation/centering prayer/worship and also scheduled times for rest and free time alone away from the group. This is a chance to engage all of your senses in connecting with Awe and Wonder, and the Light and Spirit that is in all beings on the earth! Taking time to pay attention and notice everything that is around us in each moment is a gift!
$510| PRIVATE BEDROOM WITH PRIVATE BATH
$430| PRIVATE BEDROOM WITH HALL BATH
All meals are included: Dinner on Sunday through Breakfast on Thursday
Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center
229 E Litchfield Rd
Litchfield, CT 06759
4/26/26
https://www.wisdomhouse.org/program-calendar/field-sketching-retreat-kjgst
