Family Fun

Visit The Aldrich for FREE the Third Saturday of each month! See the latest in contemporary art and participate in family-friendly art-making workshops in The Studio.

Family Art-Making Workshop: Master of Plaster!

10 am to 12 noon; children ages 2 to 5

1 to 3 pm; children ages 6 to 10

Join us for a day exploring the magic of plaster gauze! From abstract sculptures to functional objects, work with an Aldrich educator to create your own plaster three-dimensional structure.

At this year’s Wreath Festival, Founders Hall is introducing a fun new contest for the children in our lives and community: The Gingerbread House Decorating Contest! Please encourage friends, neighbors and family members to participate. 

Here’s how to join the gingerbread fun:

Who: Children ages 5 – 12

Where: Gingerbread House kits can be picked up now at Founders Hall, 193 Danbury Rd. Ask front desk.

Entry Fee: $10 (this includes unassembled house kits)

Due Date: Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 4pm. Drop off at Founders Hall.

Contest: All Gingerbread House submissions will be displayed throughout the Wreath Festival from Nov. 17 – 18, from 10am – 4pm.

Winners: Ribbons will be awarded for Most Traditional, Most Outlandish and Best Overall!

For additional information, please feel free to email Cindy Nesbitt at Cindy@Founders-Hall.org.

Now in its fourteenth year, Festive Home is the Guild’s biggest fundraiser of the year…and the most fun! Dedicated members of the Ridgefield Guild of Artists, along with area design teams transform our usual white-walled, antique barn gallery space into a magical holiday showcase, beginning Friday, November 16^th with a special Preview Party, open to all for an entry fee of $20, payable at the door. Join us as we celebrate the start of Festive Home that night from 6-8 pm and enjoy festive refreshments, music and more, along with the first peek at our ever-so-sparkly holiday market. The event continues for five weeks with free admission from Saturday, November 17^th through Sunday, December 23^rd.

This year’s theme for the event is “All That Glitters!” We’re glamming up the galleries to showcase traditional and contemporary items throughout. Our decorators are paired with member artists for the holiday vignettes around the barn, which act as the dramatic backdrops for our holiday merchandise. All of our designers are again from Ridgefield. Back this year are Amanda Dranow, Josh Fischer, Molly Hirsch and Leslie Toran + Kimberly Harper. We are please to announce a new collaboration with the Ridgefield Thrift Shop for Festive Home 2018. Sandra Capriotti, Diana Arfine and Mandy Costanza are creating a holiday vignette with items exclusively from thrift shop donations.

This holiday marketplace and fundraiser brings many, many shoppers to our charming antique building every year. They will find the galleries brimming with creative gifts… unique hand-made and hand-selected gift items such as jewelry, apparel and original artwork, to decorative and useful objects for holiday home decorating, and much, much more. This year, about twenty-five artisans will have their creations exhibited for sale.

Executive Director, Pam Stoddart, and Board President, Mary Pat Devine take the lead for this year’s Festive Home committee. “Our theme is ‘All That Glitters!’ and the Guild will be decked in a multitude of shiny metallics to add glamour and drama to our holiday emporium…and inspiration for you.” It takes a village to make it all happen and we thank all those who help to make it a success.

Members of the Guild support this fundraiser by creating and donating small canvases for sale at Festive Home, and for this, we thank you. For our fourteenth anniversary event, the project theme showcases landscapes and the ever-popular birds. All of these canvases are on display and for sale at Festive Home, priced at $50, with 100% of the proceeds coming back to the Guild to help with our programming.

We’re also showcasing small works in our middle gallery. Guild members’ original works 18” and under, along with matted flat works, are priced under $200 and are available for great grab-n-go gifts. We’re also bringing back our Sale Attic in our small gallery upstairs. Be sure to climb the stairs and check out the bargains!

Established in the fall of 1974, the Guild plays a major role in the regional arts community. Funds raised at Festive Home are key to keeping the Guild’s doors open and programs going like the many exhibitions and opening receptions each year, to classes and workshops including summer programs for adults and kids, plus countless collaborations with other local non-profit organizations.

Expanded holiday hours are Tuesday – Sunday, 11am-5pm. Galleries will be closed November 21 and 22 for Thanksgiving. Call 203.438.8863 or email rgoa@sbcglobal.net for more information about our Fourteenth Annual Festive Home.

Castle in the Sky is a timeless story of courage and friendship, with stunning animation from acclaimed Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki.

This high-flying adventure begins when Pazu, an engineer’s apprentice, spies a young girl, Sheeta, floating down from the sky, held aloft by a glowing pendant. Both Sheeta and Pazu are searching for the legendary floating castle, Laputa, and they vow to travel there together to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal. But their quest won’t be easy, as soon they are being pursued by greedy air pirates, the military, and secret government agents, who all seek the power Sheeta alone can control.

The English-dubbed cast includes the vocal talents of Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman, Mark Hamill, Mandy Patinkin, and more!

Cohen & Wolf, P.C. Movie Series
Presented by TCM Big Screen Classics

Registration Information:

Online Registration: Click here to be linked to our registration site (it may open in a new window)
In-Person Registration: at the Boys & Girls Club, Monday through Friday from 10:00am to 6:00pm
Paper Registration: You can download our registration form and mail it to:
Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield, 41 Governor Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877

Divisions:
12 and Under
13-15 m/f 
16-18 m/f 
Open Division m/f (19-39)
Over 40 m/f 
Over 50 m/f 
Over 60 m/f 

Race Length: 
Turkey Trot: 5K road race 
Kids Fun Run: 1/2 mile road race 
Entry Fees: Early Bird Registration until Oct. 31: $30 
Pre-Race Registration Nov. 1 to Nov. 18: $35 
Week of Thanksgiving Registration Nov. 19 to Nov. 22: $40 
Kids’ Fun Run: $15 

Bib Pick Up: 
Bibs and Tee-Shirts may be picked up at Boys & Girls Club on: 
Monday Nov. 19 from 12noon to 6pm 
Tuesday Nov. 20 from 12noon to 6pm 
Wednesday Nov. 21 from 10am to 6pm 
Race day beginning at 7am 

Join us for our Annual Pasta Dinner, sponsored by Planet Pizza on Wednesday November 21 from 4pm to 6pm at the Club!  Come down to pick up your bib, see the Club, and visit with friends!

Race Day Information

The Turkey Trot starts and finishes right at the Boys & Girls Club!  Race participants should park in the old High School parking lot, the Donnelly shopping center parking lot, the East Ridge Middle School parking or the public parking lots on Governor Street.  The Boys & Girls Club parking lot is closed to runners.  Cars parked in the Boys & Girls Club lot will not be able to leave until all runners and walkers have completed the race.

The Turkey Trot starts promptly at 8:30am.  Shirts and bibs may be picked up in the gym beginning at 7:00am.  
Kids – join us for the Kids Fun Run at 8:00am, and follow Tom the Turkey to the finish line!

Boys & Girls Club Turkey Trot Contact:  Mike Flynn, mflynn@bgcridgefield.org, 203-438-8821 ext. 15.

Draw inspiration from your favorite emoticons in this workshop inspired by emojis! Design symbols that convey emotion, represent an object or favorite food, or faces that make you giggle! All ages.

Free for members of with Museum admission.

Ridgefield hosts the Annual Tree Lighting at Town Hall, complete with music and seasonal decorations.  After the lighting, Santa & Mrs. Claus will make their way to Lounsbury House for photos, candy canes and surprises.  Children and adults alike will love listening to holiday stories. Join us for this joyous holiday tradition!

Lifelong members, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, formed this spin-off band in the late 60s after performing avidly with Jefferson Airplane. Fusing a variety of rock styles, free rhythmic techniques, and a collected timbre of instruments is what has identified this band over their 40 years of playing.

Pepsi Rock Series Powered by Xfinity

November 27 – December 24, 2018

Shop our Gift Shop, expanded for the holidays, to find unique gifts for everyone on your list.

Shop during Early Shopper Days (11/27 – 12/2) for convenience and savings: Members 15% Discount, Non-Members 10% Discount.

Starting December 4, talented local crafters add their wares to our already unique selection. Discounts suspended.

Gift Shop Hours
Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday
1:00 to 4:00 PM

The original Superman film is flying back to theaters to celebrate its 40th Anniversary!

Fathom Events and Warner Bros. are bringing Superman the Movie 40th Anniversary to select cinemas nationwide for a special three-day event including the 1941 Max Fleischer Superman animated short “The Mechanical Monsters”! From the doomed planet of Krypton, two parents launch a spaceship carrying their infant son to earth. Here he grows up to become Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for the Metropolis Daily Planet. But with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, he battles for truth and justice as Superman.

Cohen & Wolf, P.C. Movie Series
Fathom Events in HD

Visit the festively decorated period rooms in the Keeler Tavern Museum, admission is free. In the museum, search out the hidden holiday message from the Keeler Mice in an iSPY game.

Warm up on the tented terrace with a cup of hot cider, mulled wine for adults, and donuts.

Free, on-site parking. Walking distance to downtown Ridgefield.
Part of Downtown Ridgefield’s Holiday Stroll.

This year’s 19th Annual Holiday Stroll is Friday, November 30, from 6 – 10 pm and Saturday, December 1, beginning at 10:00 am.

During these two days Downtown Ridgefield, Ridgefield turns into a Norman Rockwell painting complete with horse-drawn carriages, musical performances, strolling carolers and toy soldiers, ice-sculpting, local store promotions, and much, much more!

If you want the latest information on this event, please follow the Downtown Ridgefield Facebook Page. We’ll be communicating so much more about this event in the days ahead.

Lounsbury House is proud to serve as one of the starting points for the annual horse-drawn carriage rides. Come write postcards to the military and learn about Ridgefield’s nonprofit organizations. Listen to the delightful sounds music and laughter. Relax and watch the festivities as you take a seat on one of the rocking chairs on the porch.

There are so many ways to celebrate the season!

This year’s 19th Annual Holiday Stroll is Friday, November 30, from 6 – 10 pm and Saturday, December 1, beginning at 10:00 am.

During these two days Downtown Ridgefield, Ridgefield turns into a Norman Rockwell painting complete with horse-drawn carriages, musical performances, strolling carolers and toy soldiers, ice-sculpting, local store promotions, and much, much more!

If you want the latest information on this event, please follow the Downtown Ridgefield Facebook Page. We’ll be communicating so much more about this event in the days ahead.

Sponsored by Marshall Oil Co., Inc.
Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 4pm & 7:30pm

Don’t miss this wintry cirque show for the entire family! Young Brianna is whisked away to an enchanted winter wonderland where she encounters the colorful characters that inhabit this magical world. Our tale is told through dazzling cirque, breathtaking ballet, and incredible acrobatics that will amaze, inspire and enchant your imagination. This snow show for all ages will melt your heart!

Ridgefield Academy Family Series
With support from HamletHub
Partially underwritten by South Salem Animal Hospital & Noah’s Ark Animal Hospital
Holiday Series

Join us in the lobby at 3:15pm for a complimentary wine tasting and try some great vintages offered by Treasury Wine Estates, a Global Wine Company.

Legendary Tony Award-winning actor BEN VEREEN performs a showstopping evening of song and dance mixed with holiday songs to celebrate something for everyone! Mixed in with stories of his life, seasoned with insight and humor, Ben performs signature numbers such as: ‘Magic To Do’ from Pippin (TONY Award), ‘Wait For It’ from Hamilton, ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked, ‘Mr. Bojangles,’ and ‘Life Is Just A Bowl of Cherries,’ including a tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra. In addition, ‘Tis the Season’ for some holiday favorites from both Hanukkah and Christmas as we join Ben in lighting the first candle to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah right on stage!

In addition to his award-winning turn in Pippin, Vereen’s Broadway career is studded with starring roles in Chicago, Fosse, Jesus Christ Superstar, Wicked, Hair, I’m Not Rappaport, Jelly’s Last Jam, Sweet Charity, Chicago, A Christmas Carol to name a few. He has appeared in many feature films, co-starring with Chris Rock in Top Five, Richard Gere in Time Out of Mind, and Laverne Cox inThe Rocky Horror Picture Show. Vereen also appeared in Funny Lady, All That Jazz, Idlewild, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, and others. His memorable television roles include Chicken George in “ROOTS” and Louis Armstrong in “Louis Armstrong – Chicago Style.” He has also made guest appearances on “Hot In Cleveland,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “NCIS,” and “Law and Order: Criminal Intent.”

Ben can currently be seen in season 1 and 2 of Amazon’s hit TV series SNEAKY PETE. He recently acted on both the new MAGNUM P.I. series on CBS, and STAR on FOX.

Ridgefield Magazine Broadway & Cabaret Series
Partially underwritten by The Ridgefield Press

Ridgefield Academy: Come and see why we are the leader in Preschool through Grade 8 education!

Ridgefield Academy is introducing Take-A-Look Tuesdays for families interested in learning more about our engaging program.  On your visit, you will hear from Head of School Tom Main about the benefits of RA’s Preschool through Grade 8 education, experience our dynamic classrooms in action, tour our beautiful campus and see firsthand how our talented faculty are committed to inspire a joy of learning in our students.

Ridgefield Academy empowers every child to realize his or her unique potential by bringing together academic excellence, inspiring faculty, innovative programming, and a diverse, supportive community. The most impressionable years of a child’s educational experience happen at the Preschool through Grade 8 level. At RA, we know this age group best.

Join us on October 16 or December 4 from 9 to 11am in our Summit Building Lobby. We look forward to welcoming you and introducing you to the RA experience! For more information, or to register, visit www.ridgefieldacademy.org/takealook.

December 4 – 8, 2018 · Seatings at 11:30 AM and 1:15 PM daily 
The Garden House 
$30 per person

Come with colleagues, family, and friends for this holiday fundraising tradition! Enjoy a special meal, featuring KTM&HC’s famous cranberry chutney, in the festively decorated Garden House.

This year’s lunch is chicken with a Madeira wine sauce. A vegetarian/vegan/gluten free option is also available. Dessert includes homemade Christmas cookies served with tea or coffee. Wine is available for $5/glass.

Children eat for half price on Saturday, December 8.

Advanced, paid reservations required
$30 per person
Single payment and contact requested for groups of eight or more

REGISTER HERE

Ally proudly presents Jewel’s Handmade Holiday Tour with special guests Atz and Atz Lee from the Discovery Channel series “Alaska: The Last Frontier” & Nikos Kilcher. Jewel and her Alaskan family perform their holiday favorites!

Jewel is a singer-songwriter, actress, author, mother and advocate. She went from a girl who grew up in Alaska with no running water, to a homeless teenager in San Diego, to an award winning, Multi-Platinum Recording Artist who released one of the best-selling debuts of all times. Through her career, which has spanned over 20 years, she has earned multiple Grammy Award nominations, an American Music Award and an MTV Video Music Award among many others and to date has sold well in excess of 30 million albums worldwide.

Pepsi Rock Series powered by Xfinity
Presented by Ally Bank

Featuring Musical Director & Ridgefield, CT resident Craig O’Keefe

Celebrate the most influential decade of our time with The Sixties Show, the Greatest 1960s Musical Re-Creation Show in the World! The band features former members of Bob Dylan’s, James Brown’s, Ray and Dave Davies (The Kinks) and Saturday Night Live’s bands. This multi-media show includes note-for-note re-creations of some of the greatest songs from the 1960s — everything from The Beatles to The Who to The Beach Boys and more! This night of nostalgia features the sights and sounds of the decade – in addition to the concert experience, the show is also powerfully dramatized by a combination of narration and ‘60s archival audio and newsreel footage.

Pepsi Rock Series powered by Xfinity
Partially underwritten by Nutmeg Livery Service

Lounsbury House Women’s Committee presents the 2018 Teddy Bear Tea.

Mrs. Claus will read a wonderful Holiday story as children enjoy a variety of juices, scrumptious cookies, and delectable treats. Adults will enjoy traditional teas and scones. Don’t miss out on this beloved holiday event!

Teddy Bears are welcome!

Seating times are:

Saturday, December 8

10:00 AM | 12 Noon | 2:00 PM

Sunday, December 9

11:00 AM | 1:00 PM

Tickets are $20 per person. Tickets are required for both children and adults.

Christmas with the Celts returns to The Playhouse after sold-out performance for the past three seasons! This year’s show features a few surprise songs and an enhanced light show! This holiday show features a mix of lively traditional Irish music and instrumentation with American pop music and their own originals, along with ancient Irish and Scottish carols and traditional Christmas favorites. The Celts lineup stars, Ric Blair on vocal-guitar-bodhran & piano along with female lead singer and all Ireland champion fiddler and Irish dancer, Eimear Arkins. Also joining the line-up is special guest singer/fiddler Alison Ewan Gurillo from Edinburgh Scotland. Joining Rick, Eimear and Alison will be complemented by an array of top-flight musicians on uilleann pipes, Irish whistles, fiddle, bodhran, banjo, five-string bass, drums and of course, the crowd-pleasing Irish dancers. Christmas with The Celts isn’t just a concert; it’s a celebration of the holiday spirit, people, community and common connections!

Holiday Series
World Music Series

A family holiday program

December 13 – 14, 2018 · 6:00 PM 
The Garden House 
$20 per child (three or more children, $15/child)

ALL ABOARD the Polar Express for a trip to Santa’s Workshop!

At the North Pole, enjoy a holiday craft, games, and refreshments before gathering in front of the fireplace to hear the story of The Polar Express.

The Polar Express will “depart” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 13 and Friday, December 14. Advance, pre-paid registration is required.

The Polar Express was written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsberg and published by Houghton Mifflin in 1985.

REGISTER HERE

Add a touch of magic to your holiday season! Enjoy a beautiful holiday tradition in a magical land where sugar plums dance and flowers waltz to tell the classic tale of a young girl and her Nutcracker prince. Tchaikovsky’s soaring score, graceful ballerinas, wooden soldiers who come to life and a bigger-than-life Christmas tree will make the holidays bright for young and old!

Ridgefield Academy Family Series
Presented by The Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance
Partially underwritten by Benchmark Senior Living at Ridgefield Crossings
With support from the Ridgefield Library

Performance Schedule
Friday, December 14th- 6 pm
Saturday, December 15th – 2 pm & 6 pm
Sunday, December 16th – 11 am & 2 pm 

Family Workshop: Holiday Origami

10 am to 12 noon; children ages 2 to 5
1 to 3 pm; children ages 6 to 10

Get in the holiday spirit at The Aldrich! Using introductory origami techniques create handmade gifts using decorative paper in a variety of sizes, shapes, and patterns to share with your loved ones. Turn your origami works into ornaments or holiday cards.

As the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, Marie’s wooden nutcracker doll comes to life and transforms into a prince! Soon joined by her other toys that have also come to life, Marie and her prince embark on a dreamy unforgettable adventure. A holiday tradition for the whole family, The Nutcracker enchants the Bolshoi stage for two hours of enchantment and magic. Along with Tchaikovsky’s cherished score and some of the Bolshoi’s greatest artists, The Nutcracker remains a treasure not to be missed!

Estimated Run Time: 2 hrs, 20 min

Tickets: $25 | Members & Seniors $20 | Students $15
Ridgefield Library cardholders receive member prices for this show.
AAA members receive a 20% discount!
FREE tickets for students 18 & under! Must show ID at the box office.

Atria Senior Living Classical Series
With Support from The Ridgefield Press
and Whistle Stop Bakery