Category Archives: Essex

Essex Steam Train Offers ‘Three B’s’ (Beer, Bratwurst, Beautiful fall foliage) Cruise, Thursday

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It’s the “Three B” cruise! Beer, Bratwurst, and Beautiful fall foliage on the Connecticut River. A great night is in store for you from the minute you smell the brats sizzling on the grill to the last sip of beer as you glide into dock after the last rays of a stunning sunset.

This unique evening on Thursday, Oct. 5 runs from 5:15 to 8:30 p.m. Arrive 5:15 p.m. in Essex for departure at 5:30 p.m. for a two-hour cruise on the Becky Thatcher Riverboat. Return to Essex at 8:30 p.m.

The evening offers:

•    tastings of several carefully selected craft beers provided by Cellar Fine Wines and 30 Mile Brewing Company
•    a buffet of brats and all the fixin’s
•    gift bag including an engraved beer glass as a memento

Note this event is for adults 21+.  Ticket prices are $60 in advance/ $70 Walk-up (pending availability.)

Visit EssexSteamTrain.com for tickets and more information.

‘Bikes for Kids’ Hosts Annual Fundraising Bike Ride Today, Choice of Four Rides

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Dave Fowler hard at work on refurbishing a donated bike.

‘Bikes for Kids’ is holding its 2nd Annual Charity Ride on Sunday, Oct. 1.  The charity which was founded by Chuck Graeb is now run by retired Lyme-Old Lyme Schools teacher Dave Fowler.

Bikes For Kids is a  Connecticut based non-profit organization founded in 1989 that brings smiles to children one bike at a time. Volunteers collect, repair, and safety test donated used bicycles. The refurbished bicycles, along with new helmets, are given away to individuals of all ages and needs.

Donated bikes from ‘Bikes for Kids’ bring smiles ‘one bike at a time.’

Most donated bicycles remain in Connecticut, but some have reached children in other states and countries. More than 1,000 bicycles are given away annually. Requests for bicycles come from local and state social service organizations, churches, schools, non-profits, and individuals. 21,000 bicycles have been donated to date.

Support this charity by participating in the Annual Charity Ride.  All rides start in Essex. There will be four rides to choose from.

  • The Family Ride will have two options – a 3-mile or a more challenging 12-mile ride.
  • The Intermediate Ride will be 27 miles
  • (for the die-hards) there will be a 55-mile ride through 7 towns.

These rides go through some of the most beautiful sections of Connecticut’s River Valley. Depending on the route you select, you can ride through Essex, Deep River, Chester, Haddam, Killingworth, Westbrook and Clinton.  After the ride, all cyclists are invited for food, fun and tours at the new ‘Bikes for Kids’ Wheelhouse in Essex.

Visit this link for more information.

Visit this link to register for a ride.

‘I Hate Musicals: The Musical’ Opens at Ivoryton Playhouse

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Equity member Stephen Wallem plays the lead in Ivoryton Playhouse’s upcoming production of  “I Hate Musicals: the Musical.”

Simpsons’ television writer and producer Mike Reiss is back in Ivoryton with his hilarious world premiere of I Hate Musicals: The Musical. It’s the story of a cranky comedy writer trapped in the rubble of an LA earthquake.  His life is playing out before his eyes in the form of a musical — and he hates musicals …  With numbers sung by everyone from Sigmund Freud and Satan, will he learn to be less cranky?

Previews for I Hate Musicals: The Musical begin Sept. 27 and then the show opens at the Playhouse Sept. 29 and runs through Oct. 15.

Stephen Wallem*, a SAG Award-nominated actor best known as Thor Lundgren for seven seasons on the Emmy-winning Showtime series “Nurse Jackie”, will lead the cast as Alvin, the comedy writer. Stephen worked as a stage actor and After Dark Award-winning cabaret singer in Chicago before moving to New York to make his television debut on “Nurse Jackie.” Other television appearances include Randall on Louis CK’s surprise limited series “Horace and Pete” and Chad on “Difficult People.”

I Hate Musicals: The Musical features new music composed by Walter Murphy, composer of the 70’s classic A Fifth of Beethoven (which was included in the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever. The play is one man’s zany ride through relationships with mothers and fathers, analysts and wives and with a host of surprising characters making unexpected appearances. Ultimately, the story is a traditional one about life, love, show business, and the importance of being kind.

Reiss, who is writer and producer for the long running TV show, The Simpsons, also created the animated series The Critic; the webtoon Queer Duck and worked on the screenplays for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs; Horton Hears a Who!; The Simpsons: The Movies; and, My Life In Ruins. Ivoryton audiences turned out in droves in the June 2013 for his hilarious play, I’m Connecticut, which was a huge popular and critical success and Comedy is Hard in September of 2014 with Micky Dolenz and Joyce DeWitt.

Directed by James Valletti, the cast includes Playhouse favorite R. Bruce Connelly*, and Will Clark, Sam Given*, Amanda Huxtable*, Ryan Knowles*. The set design is by Dan Nischan, lighting by Marcus Abbott and costumes by Elizabeth Cipollina.

Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $50 for adults, $45 for seniors, $22 for students and $17 for children and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org  (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.

Final Day Today of Community Music School’s Free Preview Week

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Community Music School, located at 90 Main Street in Centerbrook and 179 Flanders Rd. in East Lyme, welcomes the general public to visit during Free Preview Week Sept. 11 through 15. Children and adults can tour the School’s studios, meet teachers and staff, enjoy a free preview lesson, and learn about a vast array of programs for all ages including private and group lessons, adult cabaret, jazz ensemble, string ensembles, music therapy services, Kindermusik for babies and toddlers, and more.

During the academic year, Community Music School is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays. Those interested in a 30-minute preview lesson are requested to call 860-767-0026 for scheduling.  The public is also welcome to observe any group class or ensemble during Free Preview Week.

For additional information, visit www.community-music-school.org/programs or call CMS at 860-767-0026.

Community Music School offers innovative music programming for infants through adults, building on a 34 year tradition of providing quality music instruction to residents of shoreline communities. CMS programs cultivate musical ability and creativity, and provide students with a thorough understanding of music so they can enjoy playing and listening for their entire lives.  Learn more at www.community-music-school.org or call (860)767-0026.

Join CT River Museum Tonight for a ‘Taste of The Netherlands’

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Spend an evening enjoying historic Dutch cultural traditions at the Connecticut River Museum and take a cruise aboard Onrust. Photo by Pim Van Hemmen.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, experience The Netherlands as the Connecticut River Museum hosts a night to support The Onrust Project.  Enjoy Dutch culture with samples of traditional food and drinks.  There will also be classic Dutch tavern games, music, and a cannon demonstration – all from the Museum’s beautiful north deck overlooking the Connecticut River. 

The Onrust is a reproduction of the famed Captain Adriaen Block’s 1614 era vessel that was the first European vessel to chart and explore Long Island Sound, parts of Rhode Island, and the Connecticut River.  Block’s accomplishments ushered in great changes that would forever alter life along the Connecticut River, help lead to the fur trade, and the eventual founding of New Netherlands and what would become Hartford. 

A Dutch drink tasting will take place with Mark Griswold and Stephen Gencarella.  Griswold and Gencarella are the talent behind the popular weekly radio show “Fermented,” which airs every Thursday night on iCRV Radio.  The two will share some of the history and interesting characteristics of traditional Dutch drinks.  One such beverage that will be sampled is genever – a spirit that is the forerunner of gin and has been popular since the 1500s. 

Catering by Selene, enjoyed by the Museum for their excellence and creativity in recreating historic recipes, will provide several traditional Dutch foods for people to sample.  This includes stamppot which is the Dutch name for any puree made of vegetables and often served with sausage.  There will also be bitterballen (tiny meatballs) and the delectable stroopwafel. 

Also taking place this night will be a cannon demonstration by Dan Walls.  Walls will not only shoot off one of Onrust’s reproduction cannons, but will share a little history on the evolution of such weaponry.  There will also be live music and some traditional tavern games for people to play.

The historic replica vessel Onrust is docked at the Connecticut River Museum through mid October for public cruises and programs. Photo by Judy Preston.

A Supporting level ticket will include a 45-minute cruise aboard the Onrust, a special mixed drink and a conversation with Greta Wagle, Director of The Onrust Project. 

The Standard ticket includes the drink and food tasting, music, games, and cannon demonstration and is $30 for members/$35 for non-members.  The Supporting ticket includes the above as well as the special cruise and is $50 for members/$55 for non-members (When reserving you will need to select a cruise time of 5:15 or 6:30 p.m.) Additional beverages will be available at a cash bar.  Participants must be 21 years of age or older and show ID.  To buy a ticket, visit the Connecticut River Museum’s website at ctrivermuseum.org or call 860-767-8269.

Funds will go towards supporting the educational mission of The Onrust Project, a nonprofit floating museum that provides the public with a living history experience of 17th century life and maritime exploration. 

The Connecticut River Museum is located on the Essex waterfront at 67 Main Street in Essex and is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. The Museum, located in the historic Steamboat Dock building, offers exhibits and programs about the history and environment of the Connecticut River. For a full listing of Museum programs, visit www.ctrivermuseum.org or call 860-767-8269.

Photo Credits:

  1. The historic replica vessel Onrust is docked at the Connecticut River Museum through mid October for public cruises and programs. Photo by Judy Preston.
  2. Spend an evening enjoying historic Dutch cultural traditions at the Connecticut River Museum and take a cruise aboard Onrust. Photo by Pim Van Hemmen.