Parents & Kids
National Scholastic Chess Foundation photo 911-12-16

You Can Still Register Your Kid for the ‘Grand Prix’ Chess Tournament That Starts Sunday

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The National Scholastic Chess Foundation (NSCF) annual ‘Grand Prix’ Chess Tournament season series will kick off on Sunday, Nov 13 at Greenwich Academy, and will continue Nov 20 at Greenwich Country Day School. This school year will see 18 NSCF scholastic chess tournaments in Greenwich and in Westchester County. Events are open to all students (K-12). “When we first moved to a Grand Prix format in 1999, we had no idea that 18 years later we would still be going strong,” said Sunil Weeramantry, NSCF’s Executive Director. “Over this time, we’ve had over 25,000 students play in our tournaments and many have gone on to enjoy great success in national and international competition.

Books & Authors
Martha Hall Kelly Martha Kelly 910-19-16

Author Martha Kelly Speaks at Darien Library Annual Meeting this Saturday

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Friends of the Darien Library cordially invite you to the Annual Meeting. Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lilac Girls and former Darien resident, will be our featured speaker. The meeting starts at 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22 and is expected to conclude very early in the evening. “Inspired by actual events and real people, Martha Hall Kelly has woven together the stories of three women during World War II that reveal the bravery, cowardice, and cruelty of those days.

Government & Politics
Bob Duff 7-

Sen Bob Duff & Family hosts Free Pasta Dinner Dance on Saturday

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Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and his family, invite members of the Norwalk and Darien communities to a free pasta dinner dance at the American Legion on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 from 5 to 9 p.m. Attendees are asked to donate a canned food item for a local food pantry. “Enjoy a delicious dinner with homemade sauce, salad, dessert and coffee. DJ Corky will have everyone dancing all night long.” There will be a cash bar. Bob’s great-aunt, wife and mom will be making the sauce and his family will be serving, “I want this to be a fun event and a night to celebrate our freedom and democracy.”  Kids are welcomed and encouraged to join in the fun.

Beyond Darien
910-6-16 rapeller http://support.shatterproof.org/site/PageServer?pagename=rappel_splash&_ga=1.101994369.1644479073.1475804626

Shatterproof Hosts Rappeling Event Saturday at Beacon Harbor Point in Stamford

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Shatterproof, a national non-profit dedicated to reducing the devastation that addiction to prescription drugs, illicit drugs, and alcohol causes to families, will host a public rappel 22 stories off of the Beacon Harbor Point in Stamford on Saturday, Oct. 8. The fundraiser will bring new attention to the opioid epidemic, which kills 30,000 Americans every year as overdose-related death rates continue to rise. It is part of the third annual Shatterproof Challenge Rappel, a series of rappel events across major cities with hundreds of participants. This year’s Challenge kicked off in Dallas on May 21 and has already raised over $2 million.

Parents & Kids
Family Fun Day Holly Pond School Pony 010-2-16

Pony Rides, Magic, Bouncy Houses at Darien Family Fun Day, Oct 23

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The 20th annual Darien Family Fun Day, hosted by the Holly Pond School, will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23,  at the Darien YMCA. This year’s Family Fun Day will be bigger and better than ever. This fun-filled family event is open to the public and is designed for preschool and elementary school aged children. Tickets cost $30 per family, and all proceeds will benefit the Holly Pond School.

Community Organizations
Darien Scouts Open House Saturday 9-21-16

Fun Activities at Darien Scouting Open House on Saturday, 2 to 5 PM

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Bring the kids for some interactive fun and see what Scouting is all about at an open house from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. The event is hosted by Darien Boy Scouts at the Andrew Shaw Memorial Trust Scout Cabin, 140 West Ave. See our Scouts in action, enjoy a hot dog or s’more cooked over the campfire, see a model campsite, climb a rope bridge, participate in a STEM activity, and much more! Scouting has opportunities for ages 7-20, including Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and a new co-ed STEM venture crew!

Arts & Entertainment

Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival This Saturday and Sunday

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Prolong the summer and enjoy the outdoor fun at the 2016 Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival.  The festival that traditionally runs the weekend after Labor Day will be held this year on Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. both days. An outdoor festival held at Veteran’s Park in Norwalk, the weekend offers a range of activities and entertainment that the whole family will enjoy.  First County Bank is the presenting sponsor of the Festival for the sixth consecutive year. Headlining the musical entertainment this year is Sawyer Fredericks, winner ofNBC’s Emmy Award®-winning The Voice competition in 2015, performing on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Fredericks, a Newtown, CT native, will delight festivalgoers with hissoulful, contemporary folk sound.  In addition to Fredericks, a host of national, local and regional musical acts will perform continuously throughout the weekend on several stages throughout the festival area. On The Voice, as part of “Team Pharrell,” Sawyer Fredericks emerged as the youngest victor in the show’s history at just 16-years-old.

Art Exhibits
Nobuko Miki Grove Street Plaza

‘Artists at Grove Street Plaza’ Art Show and More on Saturday

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The second annual Artists at Grove Street Plaza, Montmartre, Paris style fine art show will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 24 (rain date: Saturday, Oct. 1) with over 30 local artists, food vendors and music. Admission is free and open to the public. The event features:

Giveaway gifts: prints by Billi Kid and Nobu Miki for the first 500 visitors
All day: Chocolatier demonstration by Chocolate Works
10 a.m.:  French theme flower arrangement demonstration by Jaime Hayes fromThe Gardener’s Center & Florist
All day: Live violin performance by Chamber Music Institute

Local artists in this year’s show include Dennis Stevens, John Coots, Nobu Miki, Nanci Natale, Billi Kid, Gigi Barrett, Britt Bair, Jon Puzzuoli, Stan Pastore, Stephen Fritsch, Lesley Koenig, Lauren Chisholm, Laura Bleau, Chet Saur, Maria Esther Magallanes, Sandra Aldrich, Dawn Dahl, Jan Raymond, Gillian Grozier and Peter Savarine.

Arts & Entertainment
Shrek Jr Musical 7-29-16

See Shrek Jr.: The Musical Friday or Saturday at Darien High School

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Shrek Jr., a production by the Musical Theatre Workshop, plays Friday night at 7 p.m. and at 2 p.m., Saturday at Darien High School. About 50 kids in grades 6 through 10 have worked on the production. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children and seniors, and tickets can be purchased at the door. If you have questions, email Rebecca Brendli at rbrendli@darienps.org.

Arts & Entertainment
Adam Ezra

Darien Summer Nights Continues Friday with Adam Ezra Group

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Darien Summer Nights welcomes Adam Ezra Group to Grove Street Plaza on Friday, July 22nd. The concert starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m. This will be Adam Ezra’s fourth performance in Darien since 2013. Adam Ezra Group has graduated from being at the top of the Boston music scene to breaking nationally in a big way. Adam Ezra’s passion for smart, well written lyrics combined with the band’s tight musicianship and powerful live performances are catching the ears of fans across the country. The band’s live show is now legendary.

Animals
Sunset Maritime Aquarium 6-5-16

Book Cruise Trips in June on the Maritime Aquarium’s New Research Vessel

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Venture out onto Long Island Sound in June to meet marine animals, or see lighthouses, sunsets and even fireworks, during public cruises with The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. _______________

— an announcement from The Maritime Aquarium

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These cruises are available in June aboard The Maritime Aquarium’s R/V Spirit of the Sound, the only research vessel in the country with quiet “green” hybrid-electric propulsion:

 

• Marine Life Study Cruises — Examine fish, crabs, mollusks and other creatures brought up out of the Sound right before your eyes during these memorable 2.5-hour cruises. Participants also help find crabs, worms and other animals hidden in the muddy bottom, and view plankton using a videomicroscope linked to the boat’s giant-screen monitor. “Marine Life Study Cruises” will occur most Saturdays & Sundays through June 19, and then run daily June 25 through Labor Day. Most cruises depart at 1 p.m., but some outings at 10 a.m. and 2 and 4 p.m. will occur.

Weekend Events
Concours 3 6-3-16

Special Cars Displayed Saturday at Concours d’Elegance

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This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. The event, billed as a “Festival of Speed and Style,” will feature some very special cars from Carriage House Motor Cars, including a few of these beauties photographed on Friday. Concurrent with the Concours d’Elegance (see bottom for more details) on Saturday, June 4, the folks at Carriage House are having their own small show from 10 to 5 p.m. in their parking lot at 25 Railroad Ave. in Greenwich. The event is free and open to the public.

Outdoors
Trails Discovery Day poster TOP 6-3-16

UPDATE: Trails Discovery Day POSTPONED TO SEPTEMBER

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Update, 2:15 p.m., Friday:

The Darien Land Trust is postponing Trails Discovery Day. The organization posted this announcement on Facebook:

We are postponing Trails Discovery Day until Sunday, September 11th due to weather. Please call 203.655.4148 with any questions. Original article: 11:39 a.m., Friday: 
Trails Discovery Day on Sunday, June 5 at Dunlap/Selleck’s Woods
Join us for nature activities and fun for the whole family on our 3rd biennial Trails Discovery Day being held on Sunday June 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Dunlap/Selleck’s Woods. Explore the two miles of trails and I-spy corner.

Darien Library
Theater Theatre 5-22-16

Sunday, 2 PM: Staged Readings of Selections from Original Plays at Darien Library

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The Catherine Lindsey Actors/Playwrights Workshop, now in its 24th year, will present public-staged reading of selections from four original plays in the Louise Parker Berry Community Room. Plays being performed are:

An Assignation by Jim Gordon
Belt For It by Lisa Power
Invisible Fence by Terry Steimer
Sometimes I Cry by Nicholas Troilo

Co-founded by the late Catherine Lindsey and her husband Robert, the workshop introduces original plays in progress to be developed in a workshop environment with the goal of the public-staged readings. Catherine Lindsey was a beloved friend of the Library and director of Darien Library Theater for over 25 years. The memorial workshops will offer actors and playwrights the opportunity to work together to create original theatrical works in a supportive and creative environment. Please join us for a wine and cheese reception with the playwrights and actors following the staged reading.

Around Town
Unite for the Fight t-shirt 4-27-16

Rival Darien & New Canaan Boys Lacrosse Teams ‘Unite for the Fight’ Against Cystic Fibrosis

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Players on the Darien and New Canaan high school boys lacrosse teams will be opposed on the field this coming Saturday at 1 p.m., but they’re uniting to support awareness of cystic fibrosis, and members of both teams will be wearing “Unite for the Fight Against CF” t-shirts to school on Friday. Saturday’s game at Darien High School stadium will be dedicated to the teams’ “CF Awareness Day.” “This year, one of the initiatives of the Darien  boys’ lacrosse team is to raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis,” Mo Minicus, a coach at Darien High School, wrote in a recent email. “When we reached out to New Canaan to tell them what we were doing for the game, they immediately jumped on board to help raise awareness. Hence, the title of the day became ‘Unite for the Fight.'”

She continued: “As a show of support, ‘Unite for the Fight Against CF’ t-shirts will be worn by every member of the boys’ lacrosse program (grades 9-12)  to school on Friday, April 29 and during pregame.