Many towns honor those who have fought and died for the United States of America with Memorial Day Parades.  Danbury’s annual Memorial Day parade is on Monday, May 27th at 9:30am.  The parade will start at the corner of Main St. and Rose St. and end at Rogers Park. There will be parachute jumpers landing in Rogers park onto the baseball field after the parade.

Memorial Day services to follow at Rose Garden.

Following the parade, the Brookfield Historical Society will host their annual Strawberry Festival.  The parade ends at the museum parking lot where strawberry shortcake and soft drinks will be sold to support future public programs of the Society. The Billy Michaels’ Jazz for Juniors band will be on hand to entertain and a display of antique and vintage automobiles will also featured in the parking lot. 

At the same time, within the Society’s Museum, the Annual Brookfield War Memorial exhibit, which honors former Brookfield residents who gave their lives in service to the United States, will be open to the public. Admission is FREE and the public is encouraged to attend. For more information on this and other upcoming events of the Brookfield Historical Society, visit www.brookfieldcthistory.org.

photo courtesy of Danbury Library

Enjoy a musical journey with singer, songwriter and storyteller Al deCant, also know as “The Singing Principal”, at Danbury Library on Friday, May 24th from 11am-12pm.

This enthusiastic principal promotes the joy of reading and empowers kids to discover their own potential for making a difference in their world. Al’s spirited performance is packed with toe-tapping music, great stores and heaps of audience participation that celebrate the reading experience for preschool to elementary students.

This is a FREE event! No registration required. For more information call 203-797-4528

Coupons will be available at Guest Services located on the upper level in front of XXI Forever. Save $3 dollars with the coupon when purchasing any ALL DAY or any ONE DAY RIDE Wristband*
* One time use per customer. 

Hours of Operation: 

Monday – Thursday from 5pm – 11 pm
Friday from 12:00pm – 12 am
Saturday from 12pm – 12am
Sunday from 1:00 pm – 10:00pm
Memorial Day Carnival Hours from 12:00pm ( noon) – 11pm

NEWTOWN NIGHT 
May 29,2013! 
Bring your Newtown ID to the carnival office & receive a FREE wristband after 5 pm.

With this opening marking the 350^th store in the company, Whole Foods Market: Danbury will celebrate by offering the first 350 customers entering on May 17^th both a free pound of raw & peeled shrimp and a free pound of fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast. The store’s Whole Body department will be holding an Early Bird Sale from 9:00AM to 1:00PMon body care and supplements.

In connection with Whole Foods Market’s deep commitment to its local communities as well as its interest in honoring the location’s history, 5% of the day’s sales will be donated to the Danbury Museum and Historical Society. In continued support of Danbury and its surrounding communities, Whole Foods Market has also dedicated 5% day grants to four other local organizations through the Summer of 2014, including:

–      The Ridgefield Playhouse – Fall 2013

–      CityCenter Danbury – Winter 2014

–      The Land Trust of Danbury – Spring 2014

–      Plow to Plate of New Milford – Summer 2014

Conveniently located along the border of western Connecticut and Westchester County, New York, the new Danbury store will feature more than 35,000-square-feet of retail space and offer the highest quality natural and organic goods, with a heavy emphasis on products catering to the distinct tastes of the area.   Customers can expect to see favorites like local and seasonal fresh produce.  The new store will also showcase in-store venues and departments for a truly one-stop shopping experience. 

In addition to its expansive grocery options, the new store will pay homage to the location’s former resident, Marcus Dairy. The Burgers & Shakes bar draws inspiration from the location’s history and its famed Dairy Bar Restaurant. Topnotch burgers (grass-fed beef, turkey and veggie options available), push-cart style hot dogs, and made-to-order milkshakes are all featured on the menu.

The Danbury store will be introducing several “first to market” specialties such as all-natural varieties of retro-inspired desserts in the Bakery Department. The store will also feature made in-house fruit juicing and smoothie kits available in 14 varieties, offering nutritious flavor combinations like Berry Berry, Kale and Celery, Apple and Beet, as well as the company’s first fill-your-own coconut water growler option, giving customers the opportunity to reuse containers and purchase coconut water inbulk. The Prepared Foods section will showcase a stir-fry bar allowing shoppers to create a quick and customized meal, while the Meat Department will offer a variety of cheese and meat stuffed burgers just in time for grilling season. Whole Foods Market: Danbury will be the area’s first location to offer in-house dried fruit, offering a variety of traditional and tropical fruit options.

In line with the Whole Foods Market commitment to excellence, the new Danbury store will continue to deliver high quality meat free of antibiotics and added hormones, including locally sourced options from farms in the Northeast and offer fresh-caught seafood, sourced by local vendors throughout the Northeast. With our Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value™ line of high-quality household staples, the grocery department is a one-stop shop for all your pantry needs. Dedicated to pampering and well being, the Whole Body department will feature top-of-the-line, natural and organic ingredients for personal care and beauty items as well as nutritional supplements, herbal remedies and baby care items.

For more information about our Danbury location, find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/WholeFoodsDanbury or on Twitter @WFMDanbury. To learn more about opening day celebration events and dates, please contact Jessica Alter at 212.829.0002, x. 104; ja@sharpthink.com.

The carnival returns to the front lawn of the Bethel Municipal Center this year. Rides, games, great food, Raffle, safe family fun, and a community atmosphere await all on Bethel’s Memorial Day Parade weekend! 

Hours:
Wed – Fri 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Saturday 12:00pm – 10:00pm
*Sunday 12:00pm – 2:00pm
*Sunday 4:00pm – 8:00pm

*Carnival will close from 2pm-4pm for the Memorial Day Parade and Memorial Service on the front lawn

Raffle prizes:  1st Place = $5,000, 2nd Place = $1,000, and 3rd Place = $500! 

For more info, visit http://www.stmarybethelct.org/ or call 203-744-2922.

Coron, who has developed a language of storytelling by paper cutting multi-layered stories in the construction medium, Tyvek, has her work in collections around the world, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  

For “Etched in Stone,” Coron wielded her knife to tell the stories of Ridgefielders themselves.

In February Coron visited the village to mine personal histories and folklore from notable citizens like First Selectman Rudy Marconi, entrepreneurs Laura and Joe Ancona, and The New Yorker illustrator Roz Chast. The artist toured and took detailed notes while talking with these and other citizens such as Allison Stockel of The Ridgefield Playhouse, Kerry Anne Ducey of Hamlet Hub, and Rachel Volpone of the Ridgefield Guild of Artists.

Coron developed a concept shortly after her visit, but as her knife charted a path across the paper, images were shaped and reshaped by her boundless imagination

The finished work is nearly 16 square feet and reveals a Ridgefield that is by turns both whimsical and haunting.  Maurice Sendak’s Wild Things dance upon rooftops, Revolutionary War skeletons lay buried beneath a stone wall, and a Humvee sits perched atop a crumbling Cass Gilbert fountain.

Three editions of “Etched in Stone,” along with several other papercuts – including a dress from her collection of wearable art – will be on display during Coron’s exhibition at Watershed Gallery.

Beatrice Coron: Stories By a Thousand Cuts runs through June 14 at Watershed Gallery, 23 Governor Street. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays to Fridays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. 203-438-4387, www.watershedgallery.com.

Christine R. Howlett, director of the chorus, and Ariel Rudiakov, director of the orchestra, have collaborated on this ‘choral symphony.’ It can be said that Rachmaninov collaborated with Edgar Allen Poe, although Poe was long dead by the time Rachmaninov used his poetry. Rachmaninov considered “The Bells” one of his finest achievements and was disappointed that it wasn’t programmed more frequently.

The chorus and orchestra will be joined by three wonderful soloists: Kelly Griffin, soprano; Christian Reinert, tenor; and Peter Walker, baritone. Closing the program, the chorus and orchestra will perform Polovtsian Dances by Borodin – made famous in the Broadway Show Kismet. 

The Danbury Music Centre expresses appreciation to Toni K. and John Pepe; to Margaret Imbro; to Harcourt Foundation; and to the Woman’s Club of Danbury/New Fairfield for providing important financial support to make this concert possible.

Rizzuto’s, Bethel
10:30am-3pm
Adults $29.95; Children 5-12 $15.95; Children 5 and under are FREE
Brunch includes a glass of Prosecco, Bellini, Mimosa or Bloody Mary and coffee or tea
Moms receive a $15 gift card for your next visit
203-790-4444 

Maggie McFly’s, Brookfield
10am-3pm
203-775-7960

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Danbury
Adults $38; Children 5-12 $17
Reservations required for 11am and 2pm seatings
203-794-0600

Molly Darcy’s, Danbury
Taking Reservations
203-794-0449 

The Inn at Newtown, Newtown
11am-3pm
$24.95 per person
203-270-1876 

1st and 10 Sports Bar and Grill, New Milford
10am-1pm
860-354-1800

With an already stellar line up announced, the 18th Annual Gathering of The Vibes Festival is thrilled to welcome Blues Traveler, guitar impresario Steve Kimock & funky keyboard godfather Bernie Worrell, Jason Crosby Band, von Grey, Twiddle, and local festival favorites The Kind Buds, to its already impressive four-day lineup. They join the current roster of Jam Festival Favorites: Phil Lesh & Friends, The Black Crowes, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, The Roots, Funky Meters, John Butler Trio, Galactic, Fishbone, Deep Banana Blackout, John Scofield Uberjam, Ryan Montbleau Band, Max Creek, Lord Huron, Tribal Seeds, Lukas Nelson & The P.O.T.R, Kung Fu & Dojo Allstars; and Late Night DJ Sets by Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation, and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.

Festival organizers pointed to June 10th as the date for the next line-up reveal, and confirmed another HUGE artist addition and special guests announcements that will not disappoint.

The daily schedule is now available! This means fans can purchase Friday, Saturday, or Sunday Single Day Passes (VIP for Single Day is also available), or the Weekend Camping Passes (that allow concert goers to enter the venue on Thursday morning enjoy music throughout the weekend – including Late Night Sets). Over 40 bands will perform on multiple stages located throughout the 370-acre beachfront venue. 

Gathering of the Vibes continues its 18-year tradition of embracing new, undiscovered artists, by letting its 175,000+ Facebook fans select one up-and-coming band to perform in front of 20,000+ music enthusiasts. Fans are encouraged to vote by June 1st via the Road to theVibes Contest App on the Vibes Facebook. The winner will be announced in early June. 

Go VIP! Single day and Weekend VIP ticket holders enjoy added perks: expedited entry and rock-star parking with easy in/out access, shaded camping areas along with catered meals, snacks and beverages, air conditioned bathroom trailers, and hot showers. Located stage left on the concert field, the massive VIP hospitality tent and viewing platforms offer exceptional stage sightlines and the opportunity to mix and mingle with artists. Single Day, Weekend, and VIP tickets are on sale now at: http://www.GOVIBES.com. 

Discounted hotel accommodations at Vibes preferred hotels are available here

Seaside Park is easily accessible by public transportation and just 50 miles from Manhattan. Fans traveling from NYC can take Metro North or the Port Jefferson Ferry. Shuttle bus service will transport festival attendees to and from the venue, local area hotels, the ferry, train and bus stations. 

Gathering of the Vibes is an all ages, family friendly event, offering an exclusive Family Camping area, Kids Corner, Teen Scene including interactive programing and a “School of Rock Teen Vibes Stage,” featuring musical instruction and jam sessions with Main Stage artists.

Follow Gathering of the Vibes on Facebook, Twitter, or check the message boards for the most updated festival information.