Posts tagged ‘Community Explore Westport’

Window to Westport’s Past and Present at the Westport Historical Society

Window to Westport’s Past and Present at the Westport Historical SocietyART EXHIBITIONS WPA

Images of Historic Houses: Westport Historical Society will unveil an exhibit of photographs of historic Westport homes taken in the 1930’s under the auspices of the federal Works Progress Administration.

The exhibit opens on Sunday, Nov.8, with a reception from 3 to 5pm and concludes on March 26. All of the homes were at least 100 years old when photographed, making the exhibit a rare peek into the town’s past. To show how the homes have changed, the WPA images will be displayed alongside photos taken today.

 

 

In all, the exhibit will include photographs of 131 dwellings. Some will be displayed in the Society’s Betty R. & Ralph Sheffer Gallery and the Mollie Donovan Gallery. The remainder will be set aside in folders for visitors to look through. In addition, there will be booklets of historical information on the homes and their owners. One of the sets of photos is of the house at 91 Long Lots Road at the corner of Long Lots and North Avenue. Built in 1840, it was home to generations of Westport’s A…

Sunday, November 8, 2015, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

Westport Historical Society 25 Avery Place Westport, CT Across from Town Hall.

Author Stephanie Clifford on Her Debut Novel, Everybody Rise

Author Stephanie Clifford on Her Debut Novel, Everybody Rise

LECTURES, PRESENTATIONS, WORKSHOPS

New York Times reporter Stephanie Clifford talks about her debut novel Everybody Rise.

It is 2006, and 26-year-old Evelyn Beegan has a new job at a social network aimed at the elite. Recruiting members for the site, Evelyn steps into a promised land of Adirondack camps, Newport cottages and Southampton clubs—but her desire to belong may be her downfall as she struggles to conceal a family scandal.

Thursday, November 5, 2015, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM.

The Westport Library 20 Jesup Road Westport, CT 06880.

For more info visit westportlibrary.org.

Thanksgiving Day in Canada

Thanksgiving_CanadaThanksgiving Day in Canada is on 12th October 2015.

Thanksgiving Day in Canada has been a holiday on the second Monday of October since 1957. It is a chance for people to give thanks for a good harvest and other fortunes in the past year.

Many people have a day off work on the second Monday of October. They often use the three-day Thanksgiving weekend to visit family or friends who live far away, or to receive them in their own homes. Many people also prepare a special meal to eat at some point during the long weekend. Traditionally, this included roast turkey and seasonal produce, such as pumpkin, corn ears and pecan nuts. Now, the meal may consist of other foods, particularly if the family is of non-European descent.

The Thanksgiving weekend is also a popular time to take a short autumn vacation. This may be the last chance in a while for some people to use cottages or holiday homes before winter sets in. Other popular activities include: outdoor breaks to admire the spectacular colors of the Canadian autumn; hiking; and fishing. Fans of the teams in the Canadian Football League may spend part of the weekend watching the Thanksgiving Day Classic matches.

The native peoples of the Americas held ceremonies and festivals to celebrate the completion and bounty of the harvest long before European explorers and settlers arrived in what is now Canada. Early European thanksgivings were held to give thanks for some special fortune. An early example is the ceremony the explorer Martin Frobisher held in 1578 after he had survived the long journey in his quest to find a northern passage from Europe to Asia.

From the end of the First World War until 1930, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving Day were celebrated on the Monday closest to November 11, the anniversary of the official end of hostilities in World War I. In 1931, Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving Day was moved to a Monday in October. Since 1957, Thanksgiving Day has always been held on the second Monday in October.

Thanksgiving Day in Canada is linked to the European tradition of harvest festivals. A common image seen at this time of year is a cornucopia, or horn, filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables. The cornucopia, which means “Horn of Plenty” in Latin, was a symbol of bounty and plenty in ancient Greece. Turkeys, pumpkins, ears of corn and large displays of food are also used to symbolize Thanksgiving Day.

Halloween in Canada 2015

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Halloween in 2015 is Saturday, October 31

It is a day to mark the single night in the year when, according to old Celtic beliefs, spirits and the dead can cross over into the world of the living. Some people hold parties and children may trick-or-treat in their neighborhood.

Some people put a lot of effort into decorating their homes, yards and drives. They may even construct life-size replica graveyards or dungeons and invite people from the neighborhood to view their creations or hold a themed party. Other people may organize fancy dress parties for adults or children. Popular activities at parties include watching horror films and trying to make fellow guests jump in fright.

Many children go out to play trick-or-treat. They dress up as ghosts, witches, skeletons or other characters and visit homes in their neighborhood. They ring doorbells and, when someone answers, they call out “trick-or-treat”. This means that they hope to receive a gift of candy or other snacks and that they are threatening to play a trick if they do not get anything. Usually, they receive a treat and tricks are rarely carried out.

There are special types of food associated with Halloween. These include candies in packets decorated with symbols of Halloween, toffee apples made by coating real apples with a boiled sugar solution, roasted corn, popcorn and pumpkin pie or bread. Halloween beer, which is made by adding pumpkin and spices to the mash before fermenting it, is also available in specialist stores.

Children also take part in a long-standing Canadian tradition of “Trick-or-Treat for Unicef”. Pumpkin-carving contests, pumpkin art tours, a reading marathon, and symbolic Walks for Water are just a few examples of the educational and fundraising activities schools and children develop to help provide thousands of children developing countries with basic quality education.

October 31 is not a public holiday. Schools, organizations, businesses, stores and post offices are open as usual. Some organizations may arrange Halloween parties, but these do not usually disrupt normal affairs. Public transport services run on their regular timetables. If people are driving around the neighborhood in the late afternoon or evening, it is important to be particularly aware of children, especially those wearing dark costumes, who may be unfamiliar with traffic conditions.

Halloween has Celtic origins. In pre-Christian times, many people believed that spirits from the underworld and ghosts of dead people could visit the world of the living on the night of October 31. These spirits could harm the living or take them back to the underworld. To avoid this, people started dressing up as ghosts and spirits if they left their homes on October 31. They hoped that this would confuse the ghosts and spirits.

The Delta Mill Society 2015 BREAD BAKING CONTEST

The Delta Mill Society 2015 BREAD BAKING CONTESTThe Delta Mill Society
2015 BREAD BAKING CONTEST
Saturday, October 3, 2015

 

 

Mark October 3 on your calendar and come to Delta and enjoy the first annual Delta Harvest Festival. There will be lots of things going on – fun for the whole family starting with a Harvest Breakfast at 8:00 am.

A contest using Old Stone Mill Red Fife or Rye flour to see who can produce the best loaf of bread in several categories. Entries will be judged at our First Annual Delta Harvest Festival on October 3 – the winner’s names will go down in Delta history!!

Bread Baking Contest:

10 Categories: B1 to B5 are adult categories and J1 to J5 are junior categories for youth 15 years of age or under.

All loaves must use some portion of Old Stone Mill (OSM) Flour (see categories)

Prizes: 1st, 2nd, 3rd place for each category. Loaves will be judged on appearance, texture and taste.

Category B1/J1 – Whole Wheat (using 100% OSM Whole Wheat flour) – any method, free form or pan.

Category B2/J2 – Whole Wheat (minimum 60% OSM Whole Wheat flour) – hand made*, baked in a pan.

Category B3/J3 – Whole Wheat (minimum 60% OSM Whole Wheat flour) – bread machine.

Category B4/J4 – Rye (minimum 40% OSM Rye flour) – hand made*, free form or pan.

Category B5/J5 – Artisan, any kind (minimum 50% OSM flour) – hand made*, free form loaf.

* A stand mixer with a dough hook may be used to mix and knead the dough.

Rules:

Old Stone Mill Flour must be used (as specified for each category) – cost is $5 per bag if the flour is to be used for the contest. The flour can be purchased at the Mill or contact 613-928-2584 to arrange for a pick-up.

The empty Old Stone Mill Flour bag must accompany the bread.

Entry must be a full loaf wrapped in plastic.

The full recipe used must accompany the bread. Winners agree that The Delta Mill Society may publish their recipe (website, newsletter, etc.). Recipe credit will of course be given to the baker.

Please bring your bread to the Old Town Hall before 10 a.m. on Sat. Oct. 3rd. Judging will start at 10:00 am.

Contest is open to everyone other than those tasting and judging.

Enter any or all of the Categories – please fill out a separate entry form for each loaf.

For more info please contact cathy.livingston@sympatico.ca or call 613-928-2796.

Thanksgiving Weekend Annual Westport Area Fall Colours Studio Tour

Thanksgiving Weekend  Annual Westport Area Fall Colours Studio TourThanksgiving Weekend Annual Westport Area Fall Colours Studio Tour

October 10th to 12th, 2015 (Sat, Sun & Mon)

from 10 am – 5 pm

8 Distinctive Studios and 33 Outstanding Artists!

Our local artists welcome you to their studios, where you will discover an exciting and eclectic range of juried, quality original work. Indulge in fall’s brilliant colours as you tour from studio to studio. Use our map to choose your own starting point and watch for the signs.

For more information contact Loretta Moore 613 273 8347 hookedonthelake@kingston.net or visit our new website www.westportstudiotours.ca

Thanksgiving Festival at Delta Mill

Thanksgiving Festival at Delta MillFor many years The Delta Mill Society has hosted this October event.

Saturday before Thanksgiving (10th October 2015)

In 2015, the event was moved to the Saturday before Thankgiving (to make it easier for volunteer participation).

It features a sale of home baking, preserves, vegetable produce, crafts, plants, dried flowers, all donated by members of the community. Visitors arrive from Ottawa, Kingston, Brockville and many other centres to enjoy the country atmosphere of this lovely village, to purchase the sale products and to take part in the activities and demonstrations of special interest (such as blacksmithing) sponsored by the Society.

Delta Harvest Festival

Delta Harvest FestivalWhen: Saturday, October 3

Begin Saturday, October 3 off with our Harvest Breakfast in the Old Town Hall starting at 8:00 am. Later, take a tour of the Old Stone Mill and see how wheat is ground into flour on the millstones. That flour is available for purchase in the gift shop. The blacksmith will also be on site to show his trade plus there will be food vendors set up inside the Mill to sell their wares and a produce sale providing an opportunity to purchase your harvest vegetables.

Lunch will be a BBQ Octoberfest Sausage or Hot Dog and then stick around for a Ham Supper with fall harvest fruits and vegetables hosted by the Delta United Church in the Old Town Hall.

 

 

 

Other events will include a bread making contest, a used book sale, a new book launch, plus rope making and corn shucking demonstrations. There will be lots of games and activities for kids and great musical entertainment provided by Fiddlers Plus.

The Fire Hall Museum will be open, Lower Beverley Lake Park will host wagon rides through the Park and village plus will be holding a 25 per cent sale on camping rates. At the fair grounds the Delta Agricultural Society will be hosting a vendor sale, plus a horse draw.

End the day by enjoying the Harvest Festival Dance which will take place in the Agricultural Society Hall from 9 pm to 1 am.

See what the Village of Delta has to offer.

Make Delta your destination for the day!

Delta Harvest Festival Program Guide & Map
October 3, 2015
Thanks to our Community Partners: Delta Agricultural Society, Delta United Church, Delta Baptist Church, Royal Canadian Legion Br 207, Delta Athletic & Recreational Society, Rideau Island and Lakes Theatre Group, Delta Fire Hall Museum, Lower Beverley
Lake Park and all the volunteers!

Harvest Breakfast
(Old Town Hall) – Enjoy sausage, eggs,
home fries, toast, coffee /tea, and juice from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Adults: $8.00 / Children 5 to 12: $5.00

Used Book Sale
(Old Town Hall) – free will donation
Old Stone Mill opens: tours, gift shop, vendors (bread, produce,
preserves and crafts), snack table.

Fairgrounds Main Hallopens ($5 admission to Fairgrounds) –
vendors in the Main Hall include Tupperware, Regal Gifts and
Greetings, homemade cards, homemade crafts, jewelry, baked
goods, knitting Party Lites, Epicure, Jan Berry Nails, and Unique
Make up, Avon, Steeped Tea, Bling Thing, Wood Carving, Steel,
and Sensational Candles.

Octoberfest Sausages
(Fairgrounds, all day)

Fire Hall Museum
opens (9am to 4pm)

Blacksmithing Demonstrations
(Drive Shed – 9am to 4pm)

Bread Baking Contest
Judging (Old Town Hall)

Rope making and corn shelling
demonstrations at the mill
(10am to 11am and 1pm to 2pm)

Wagon Rides of the Village
– pick-up/drop-off at Lower
Beverley Lake Park, Old Town Hall, Fairgrounds (10am to 2pm)

Launch of Pioneer Cookbook
by Joyce Gunnewiek
(Old Town Hall)

Horse Draw, Fairgrounds’ Grandstand ($5 entry to Fairgrounds)

Children’s Activities at the DARS Rec Centre (11am to 2pm)

BBQ Hot Dog or Sausage Lunch at the Mill (11am to 1pm)

Music by Fiddler’s Plus
(along the street – 11am to noon)

Rope making and corn shelling
demos (mill – noon to 1pm)

Milling Demonstration
(Old Stone Mill)

Music by Fiddlers Plus
(along the street – 1pm to 2pm)

Harvest Supper
(Old Town Hall) from 4pm to 6pm – Enjoy ham,
scalloped potatoes, baked beans, harvest vegetables, apple
crisp or pumpkin pie and beverage.
Adults: $12.00 / Children 5 to
12 years of age: $6.00. Sponsored by the Delta United Church.

Harvest Festival Dance
(Fairgrounds Main Hall) – 9pm to 1am
with DJ Jef incent – $5.00 admission at the door.

CALIFORNIA HERITAGE DAY

Morton Community HallCALIFORNIA HERITAGE DAY

October 4

at the MORTON COMMUNITY HALL 2-4 pm.

Admission by donation.

Guest Speaker: Sue Warren.

 

 

Bring your stories, memories, anecdotes, historical items to share. Come and listen to our Guest Speaker, Susan Warren talk about the
history of California, Jones Falls and Morton. Enjoy some refreshments. If you have some items to share, bring them along to display too!

For more information, click here: California Heritage Day

BARN DANCE & BBQ

Barn Dance poster 11x17LOMBARDY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY BARN

Saturday, October 3

Fundraiser for Lombardy Agricultural Society Washroom Upgrades.

Free Parking.

Free Dry Camping Available.

Dinner & Dance $25; Under 12 $10.

BBQ Hip of Beef Dinner w Homemade Desserts 6-7 pm

Live & Silent Auctions 7 pm

Live Entertainment by DOUBLEBACK 8-12

For more information: BARN DANCE & BBQ