On Friday, “06880” noted that early bird tickets are on sale for Westoberfest.
Here are more details on the 7th annual craft beer-and-fall festival (September 21, 2 to 5 p.m., downtown Westport), sponsored by the Westport Downtown Association.
Guests enjoy over 45 tastings from innovative craft breweries like Kent Falls, Nod Hill, Obscure Oscillation and Space Cat Brewing to name a few, plus activities like keg rolling and pumpkin chucking contests for adults.
Children’s activities include root beer floats, flower crown-making, pumpkin decorating and face painting.
There’s live music too, from One Bad Oyster.
For a complete list of breweries, kids’ activities, food and vendors, click here.
The price through August 31 is $45. Tickets go up to $50 on September 1, and are $55 at the event. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
Westoberfest, in downtown Westport.
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Southern Tide — the men’s, women’s and children’s clothing store — has opened on Elm Street, around the corner from Brooks Corner.
There is still merchandise at their Playhouse Square location. But the large sign above the store there is gone.
Meanwhile, coming August 17 to Westport: Framebridge.
The custom frame shop will open at 123 Post Road East, next to WEST.
(Hat tips and photos/Sal Liccione)
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News 12 Connecticut has been nominated for a number of New York Emmy Awards.
Among them: “My Name is Wynston Browne” — a compelling story about the Staples High School rising senior who, despite non-speaking autism — has learned to communicate using a typing device
The nomination cites reporter Mark Sudol, and photographer/editors Frank Bruce Rosen and Mark Sogofsky. It is in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Category.
News 12 Connecticut’s “Burning Desires” story — about the murder of Westporter Joan Wertkin — was also nominated for an Emmy.
Also nominated: 1974 Staples High School graduate Susan Handman, as a performer/narrator for NYC Life.
The 67th annual Emmy gala takes place October 26, at the New York Marriott Marquis.
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Happy anniversary to Rex Fowler and Dodie Pettit!
The couple — who now perform and tour as Aztec Two-Step 2.0, the new iteration of the much-revered folk-rock duo Fowler formed over 50 years ago — celebrated with a small party yesterday, in the same yard where they were married 6 years ago.
Rain chased the musicians inside. But — happily — the band (with some very talented friends) played on.
Rex Fowler and Dodie Pettit blow out the candles. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Congratulations to the 2024 Longshore Women’s Golf Association club champions: Jennifer Cole, Cynthia Carpenter, Robin Babes, Jean Murdoch, Dorothy Torpie, Cynthia Sher, Chris LoRusso and Elizabeth Harleman.
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Three princesses came to Westport Saturday, in custom gowns and professionally styled wigs.
They were not real royalty. They were from Your Premium Princesses, a “bespoke character company of your dreams, where magic meets sophistication.” They’re hired for birthday parties, corporate events and grand openings
This event was a child’s birthday party, off Hillspoint Road.
Young partygoers did their part too, arriving in costumes.
What? No princes?!
(Hat tip and photo/Barbara Schwarz)
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June Walker Rogers — a Broadway singer, dancer and comedienne who appeared on television and wrote 13 plays and musicals, died last Monday at her Westport home, where she lived for decades. She was 97.
Born in Steubenville, Ohio, and raised in Queens, she started dancing at 5. She later developed a nightclub act, performing with Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Louis Prima, Don Rickles, Rodney Dangerfield and Louis Farrakhan (when he performed under the name “Calypso Louie”).
She left Columbia University early to make her Broadway debut. She performed with Bert Lahr, Dick Van Dyke, Tony Bennett and Orson Bean, and appeared on Steve Allen and Jackie Gleason’s TV shows. Ed Sullivan was so taken with her that he brought her to the White House, to perform for Presidents Truman and Eisenhower.
After starting a family, she turned to playwriting. She then returned to the stage, at the Westport Country Playhouse.
Rogers was a founding member of the Theater Artists Workshop of Westport.
She was married for 50 years to the late Tony-nominated writer/actor David Rogers, who died in 2013. She is survived by her daughters Dulcy Rogers Bader (Diedrich) and Amanda Rogers, and grandchildren Lucy, Sebastian, Dashiell and Ondine. Click here for a full obituary.
June Rogers
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The weather was on-and-off this weekend. Beachgoers cut short their visits, both Saturday and Sunday.
This guy looked right at home, though. He hopped, strutted, then stayed still just long enough to pose for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
(Photo/Lauri Weiser)
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And finally … on this day in 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home, from a drug overdose. She was 36.
(“06880” is Westport’s hyper-local blog. We rely on support from readers like you. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
I uploaded a favorite photo we took in Maine onto the Framebridge website this past spring. Within a week, it was simply matted & framed professionally at a reasonable price. A great service.