Pet adoption event honors slain Sandy Hook girl, and more

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This group of Donkey Roustabouts will dance in Ridgefield School of Dance's Carnival of the Animals. The show is June 10-11, 2023 at the Clune Arts Center in Wilton.

Clark Construction and Housatonic Habitat for Humanity have announced a collaboration that aims to build affordable housing for families in need. Pictured left to right: Diana Arfine, executive director of Housatonic Habitat for Humanity, Ann Clark, owner Clark of Construction of Ridgefield, Inc., Amelia Anderson, marketing director of Housatonic Habitat for Humanity, Ross Clark, CEO Clark Construction of Ridgefield, Inc.

State. Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, a Democrat representing Bethel and Danbury, attends the Pride Month flag-raising ceremony Thursday at the State Capitol in Hartford. Special guest Robin Fierce, Hartford resident and a contestant on 'RuPaul's Drag Race.' speaks at the podium.

State. Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, a Democrat representing Bethel and Danbury, attends the Pride Month flag-raising ceremony Thursday at the State Capitol in Hartford.

Join the Bethel Historical Society as it holds a summer camp to teach about history through stories, crafts and foods based on American Girl Doll series.

At the camp, participants will be baking period desserts, stenciling boxes, making ink and quill pens, quilting tea mats, making caps for dolls and children, braiding rugs for the dolls and making butter. The camp will be held from 9 a.m. to noon from June 26 to June 30 at the 1842 2nd Meeting House at 40 Main St. in Bethel.

The camp is for children ages 5 to 12. The cost is $150 per child, or $140 per child for Historical Society members.

Children can bring any doll they wish to the camp. To register and pay for camp, visit BethelHistoricalSociety.com. For questions, call 203-743-5893.

State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, a Democrat who represents part of Bethel and Danbury, attended the Pride Month flag raising ceremony Thursday at the State Capitol in Hartford.

The event was held to commemorate and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month with special guest Robin Fierce, a Hartford resident and recent contestant on "RuPaul's Drag Race."

Pride Month honors the LGBTQ+ activists who paved the path for progress and acknowledges the contributions and struggles of LGBTQ+ individuals throughout history in raising awareness about the challenges faced by the community.

Allie-Brennan said he encourages everyone to celebrate Pride Month by supporting LGBTQ+ organizations, attending events and educating themselves on the issues facing the community.

Ridgefield-based Clark Construction and Housatonic Habitat for Humanity announced they will collaborate on a project to support the mission of building affordable housing for families in need.

The partnership brings together Clark's expertise in construction and Housatonic Habitat's experience in developing and managing affordable housing projects.

Owner Ross Clark worked with Housatonic Habitat about 10 years ago, helping to build Habitat homes, donating building materials from his company and creating a large-scale donation drive called Contractor Roundup.

He is now working with Habitat again to bring back the Contractor Round Up this fall.

Under the program, gently used or excess construction materials are donated by local contractors and individuals to be sold at the Danbury Habitat ReStore. The funds from the sales support the building of affordable homes.

With Contractor Round Up, contractors and homeowners are invited to purge their storage spaces, basements and garages of unused items, including sinks, vanities, windows, doors, cabinets, tile, appliances, tools and other usable items.

The nonprofit Housatonic Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to providing affordable housing to families in the region. For information, visit housatonichabitat.org/. Clark Construction is a design-build company with more than 35 years of experience. For information, visit www.clarkconstruction.net.

The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut is seeking artists for an online exhibit that will be held Aug. 3 to Oct. 27.

"Childhood Unmuted" will be an artistic survey of moments and memories inspired by childhood, with particular attention to the unique ways children see the world across time, culture, economics and varying aesthetics.

The online exhibit will be a reminder that childhood is a joyful, raw, and vulnerable time with fundamental consequences for how society evolves.

The deadline for submissions is June 16. Artists will be notified by June 23. Entries may be submitted at this link: https://bit.ly/Call_for_artists

The Danbury Commission on Aging and Keystone Place Wooster Heights, an assisted living facility, invites the public to attend a "Hydration and Safety at the Gym" presentation.

It will be held at Keystone Place Wooster Heights at 66 Wooster Heights Road in Danbury a 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 7.

Stacy McIvor and Katie Ungar will provide information and lead the discussion on the benefits of staying hydrated and increasing fluids to maintain an independent and healthy lifestyle.

Following the discussion, there will be a brief visit to the gym at Keystone Place for an interactive demonstration on the safe use of the equipment. To attend, RSVP to Kay at 203-417-8699.

The Danbury Railway Museum will once again be the host venue for the Steel & Wheels car show.

This year's show will benefit HOMH — Help Our Military Heroes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to "improving the lives of our wounded military heroes through mobility and independence."

The fun will begin at 10 a.m. and the car show will officially end at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 10. The museum will remain open until 4 p.m. The rain date is Sunday, June 11.

General admission is $12 for ages 3 and older, and includes admission to the museum, train rides, tours of vintage railroad equipment, and the car show. Trains will begin running hourly at 11 a.m. with the last train departing at 2 p.m. Children under 36 months are admitted for free.

Show cars are welcome for display; owners should show up at the gate, where a fee of $10 will be collected by the car show personnel.

The car show is expected to attract many classic and unusual cars, with the first 100 entries receiving goodie bags and dash plaques. A number of awards will be given, including a People's Choice trophy.

There will be music, food, "hit and miss" engines, yard tours and more, including a raffle, with a chance to win the museum's popular "Hands on the Throttle" experience.

The Danbury Railway Museum is a nonprofit organization located in the restored 1903 Danbury Union Station and rail yard at 120 White St. For more information, visit www.danburyrail.org, email to [email protected], or call 203-778-8337.

The Annie C. Courtney Foundation and the Family Focus Partnership Community Collaborative are hosting the fifth annual Chalkwalk, a free family event open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lake Kenosia Park on July 15.

Attendees can stroll through the emotional Foster Care Awareness Walk near the lake. Kids can enjoy the free blow-up slide and bounce house, face-painting, other fun activities and games. Attendees can participate in a scavenger hunt with a chance to win prizes, including gift cards.

The rain date is July 29.

In addition to great activities for kids, the event will offer information from experts on foster care, children's behavioral health and truancy.

Community providers and faith-based organizations that want to host a table should register by visiting https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chalkwalk-vendor-registration-tickets-609608424207 or by calling 475-235-2184 for vendor information.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/256750863387561 or anniec.org/chalkwalk/.

The Kent Singers will conclude its 50th anniversary season with Schubert's little known Mass in E Flat Major, along with Haydn's better known Te Deum.

The concert will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 11, at St. John's Church in New Milford.

The concert will be conducted by music director James Knox Sutterfield and will feature professional soloists and an orchestra.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, with children under 12 admitted for free. For tickets and further information, call 860-619-8110 or visit kentsingers.com/tickets/.

A local chef earned second place in the seafood category for the 2023 CALA Chef Challenge.

Adam Liotta, a chef at the Maplewood Senior Living in Newtown, was one of four chefs at the facility's Connecticut residences to take home top prizes in the challenge.

Also honored were: Walter Parks Jr. at Maplewood at Orange, who won first place in the seafood category with a rare perfect score; Cameron Matthews at Maplewood at Southport, who was awarded second place in the meat category; and Picasso Petion at Maplewood at Strawberry Hill, who placed third in the meat category.

The Connecticut Choral Society and Trinity Episcopal Church are presenting John Rutter's "Mass of the Children" as a benefit concert for Newtown Youth and Family Services.

The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at the church.

This event aims to bring the community together through the power of music and support the work of Newtown Youth & Family Services in providing mental health and counseling services to the youth and families of Newtown.

"Mass of the Children" is a poignant choral composition by British composer John Rutter. It combines the traditional Latin text of the Mass with additional English lyrics, including poetry by Thomas Moore.

For more information, visit www.trinitynewtownct.org/.

Catherine's Butterfly Party, a free family festival with a Super Pet adoption event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary in Newtown.

Every year, the sanctuary honors the birthday of Catherine Hubbard, who was killed in the Sandy Hook tragedy, and her love of animals with Catherine's Butterfly Party.

About 10,000 guests are welcomed annually to enjoy the 25-plus animal rescue organizations featuring over 200 adoptable animals. Last year, 158 animals were adopted at the event.

There will also be live "ambassador" wildlife, police k-9 dogs and educational presentations at the event along with pet-related vendors, local artisans, food trucks, live music, entertainment and endless activities for kids.

Learn more at cvhfoundation.org.

Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center will hold its Celebrating Volunteers event from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 11.

Attendees may hear from current KTM&HC volunteers and learn about the many different ways they can share their time and talents at the museum. Light refreshments will be served.

Volunteers at KTM&HC are involved in so many aspects of the site's daily operations: from governance to gardening, tours to tag sales, school programs to special events. Hours are flexible, and the museum provides orientation and training — no prior historical or museum knowledge necessary.

Parking is available onsite at 152 Main Street in Ridgefield. To learn more, visit www.keelertavernmuseum.org.

To celebrate 25 years in Ridgefield, the Ridgefield School of Dance is presenting three short ballets: one classical, one comedic and one special children's ballet.

The performance will be part of a dance-filled weekend on June 10 and June 11 at the Clune Arts Center in Wilton.

The upper level school will present Act II of the classical ballet "Swan Lake" featuring Tchaikovsky's renowned score as well as "Carnival of the Animals" set to the music of Camille Saint-Saens. "Swan Lake" features Ridgefield High School senior Sophia Dotterer as Odette dancing opposite SUNY Purchase senior Micah Sell.

Featuring the original choreography of artistic director Jessica Boelts, "Carnival" is a humorous look at a carnival in which each animal has a human counterpart.

"A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" is presented by the school's youngest dancers, ages 3 to 7, dancing with company members Audrey Carr of New Canaan, and Ridgefield's Phoebe Levitt, Alice Lombardo and Isabella Raduazzo as they present to the audience the human equivalent of woodwinds, string, brass and percussion instruments.

In addition to dancing in the ballets, the jazz department will present "Up in the Clouds" with choreography by Jamie Rae Walker, Stevi Van Meter and members of the Jazz department.

"Swan Lake," "Carnival of the Animals" and "Up in the Clouds" will take place June 10 with a 6:30 p.m. curtain. The June 11 matinee at 1 p.m. will also include "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra."

Tickets may be purchased at www.theridgefieldschoolofdance.com. For more information call 203.894.5957.

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens will welcome Liz Dexheimer and her exhibit, "Serpentine," on view beginning Saturday, June 10.

The show features paintings and works on paper from Dexheimer's recent body of work in which she explores intricate linear patterns found in the natural environment.

Dexheimer is a painter and printmaker based full-time in Washington. An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 10, from 4 to 6 p.m. This show runs through Tuesday, July 4.