Tag Archives: Japanese Fall Festival

Roundup: 9/11 Ride Postponed, Restaurants Open, Le Pain Quotidien …

Today’s CT United motorcycle ride — paying tribute to victims and first responders of 9/11, in the largest motorcycle ride in the state — has been canceled. The forecast is for rain this morning. There is no rain date.

The start of the CT United ride, at Sherwood Island State Park. (Photo/Penny Pearlman)

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Two new restaurants open officially on Tuesday.

Both will crush it.

And both hosted large, high-energy private parties last night.

In just 3 weeks, Don Memo has been transformed into Massi Co.

Owner Massimo Tullio has fulfilled his dream, of designing an Italian restaurant that honors his love of food from Naples. He and the team behind Don Memo (and the Whelk) and Don Memo have created a unique (and killer) menu, in a town with many other Italian options.

The space — in what was Westport’s original Town Hall, with a long bar, and broad patio fronting Post Road East — is both bright and fresh. Click here for the Massi Co website. 

Massi Co’s pizzas (being served on the right) are Neopolitan specialties. (Photo/Dan Woog)

Meanwhile, at the other end of town, 300 guests enjoyed a special party at Dandelion, the restaurant inside the new Delamar hotel.

Realtor Judy Michaelis organized the benefit, for Westport’s Volunteer Emergency Medical Service.

The Mediterranean menu and large bar will be open for dinner only, for the first weeks. Reservations are required. Click here for the Dandelion website.

Dandelion, last night. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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From beets to bread.

Le Pain Quotidien (“the daily bread”) will move into the space in the Fresh Market plaza, vacated several months ago by Little Beet.

The Brussels-based chain offers “a warm, communal dining experience with fresh, organic ingredients and delicious, artisanal baked goods.”

This is the third Fairfield County location. The others are in New Canaan and Greenwich.

Coming soon to the Fresh Market plaza. (Hat tip and photo/Molly Alger)

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A new school year brings a new slate of programs at Wakeman Town Farm.

And they’re not just for kids.

Offerings include farm and culinary experiences for youngsters; parent and child farm classes; cooking classes for toddlers, teens and adults, plus animal care, sustainability, crafts and more for older students.

Click here to see what’s up at WTF.

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Speaking of the environment: Aspetuck Land Trust and Norwalk Land Trust have merged.

The resutl: NLT’s 33-property, 110-acre portfolio has been added to ALT’s 2,200 acres, across 8 town.

Aspetuck Land Trust will add a new staff member to manage Norwalk’s preserves, and the Farm Creek Education Program for 4th graders.

Founded in 1966, ALT has over 1,700 members and is one of the state’s leading land trusts. The merger aligns with ALT’s Green Corridor 2030 Initiative, to connect and protect landscapes across Fairfield County.

To learn more about Aspetuck Land Trust, click here. 

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Yesterday’s Homes with Hope food drive was a great success.

As Westporters often do, they flooded the tables at Stop & Shop with much-needed donations.

The event was co-sponsored by the Westport Police Department, Sunrise Rotary Club and CTBites.

Homes with Hope volunteers, with their bounty.

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Also yesterday: thunderstorms, which postponed or canceled many outdoor activities. (Including Slice of Saugatuck. The new date is next Saturday.)

But one show went on: the Japanese Fall Festival, at Jesup Green.

Visitors enjoyed many aspects of the culture, including this aikido demonstration:

(Photo/Amy Schneider)

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Congratulations, Constance Lake!

The 2008 Staples High School graduate (also known as Constance Walsh) wrote and produced “Lodestone.” The play opened last weekend, as part of the Circle Theater Festival off Broadway.

The love story explores loss, dreams, and the innovation of language, uwninding  the desire of 2 unsuspecting lovers caught in a living zoetrope. The experimental play stages its tale inside a set that moves and dances, evoking and mirroring the character’s experiences and possible trajectories.

The show runs on 4 Sundays: today (September 7), the 14th and 21st, and October 19. To learn more, click here.

Connie Walsh

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows the first sign of fall. Richard Fogel spotted it at Old Mill, near Hillspoint Road.

(Photo/Richard Fogel)

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And finally … in honor of the new Le Pain Quotidien restaurant, how about a song by Bread?

(Speaking of bread … “06880” relies on contributions from readers like you. Please click here to support our work. We can’t make it without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!)

 

Roundup: Kowalsky Farm, Westport 10, P&Z …

Most teardowns in Westport are quick wrecking ball affairs.

The demise of 117 Morningside Drive South — the famed Kowalsky property — seems to be going more slowly. It looks like some of the original construction — the beams, perhaps? — are being saved.

(Photo/David Squires)

It’s the end of an era. “Thousands of kids enjoyed our little local farm,” Greens Farms resident David Squires says.

“But alas, no more. If the walls could speak, I’m certain they’d have tails/tales to tell. Let’s hope the future of this plot retains some of its original beauty and charm.”

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Westport10 is a thriving social community for people of color. Adults attend cultural events, and dine out together; they organize beach parties and other events for their kids.

Once a month, some of the men get together for lunch.

They had a great time yesterday at La Plage. Check out the photo:

Clockwise from far left: Harold Bailey Jr., Rod Simmelkjaer, Craig Melvin, Roy Adams, Kevin Christie, Vincent Spencer, Jay Norris. Harold Bailey III arrived just after the picture was taken. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club is one of Westport’s best-kept secrets.

The 63-year-old club near Saugatuck Shores, with slips for 160 sailboats and powerboats, usually hums with maritime activity.

It’s also a very social place. Members are all ages, and from all different walks of life (“yacht” club is really a misnomer). They gather often in the clubhouse (a former horse stable and carriage house, dating to the 1890s).

They build all their own docks; clean up their own grounds every fall and spring, and invite the marine police to store their boats there.

Last night was something different: an art show highlighting members’ talents. Watercolors, photographs, woodcarvings, sculptures, jewelry, pottery, knitwear and more — all were on display.

It was a great event. Plus, a raffle raised funds for Westport’s Volunteer Emergency Medical Services, and Save the Sound.

PS: The food and drinks were great too!

Glen Heller created these wood carvings. Eva Rosenblatt helped organize last night’s Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club event. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club wasn’t the only organization paying tribute to EMTs last night.

DNR — the ghoulishly named, (almost) all-physician rock band — played their annual Levitt Pavilion concert tribute to Westport EMS, and first responders.

A large crowd danced all night.

And if anyone got too excited, and had a medical emergency — well, that was the place to have it.

Dr. Bob Albtaum, without his stethoscope. (Photo copyright by Ted Horowitz)

DNR rocks the Levitt. (Photo copyright by Ted Horowitz)

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Meanwhile, a few yards away across the parking lot t the Westport Library, StoryFest 2022 got underway.

The largest literary festival in Connecticut attracts authors from across the U.S. The event kicked off with readings and a conversation between best-selling authors (and best friends) Isaac Fitzgerald and Saeed Jones.

The celebration of reading, writing, ideas and community began in 2018. It continues all day today. Click here for workshops, other sessions, and tonight’s final event. (Hat tip: Dave Matlow)

Isaac Fitzgerald (left) and Saeed Jones. (Photo/Dave Matlow)

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Last night’s full moon brought out many Westporters’ cameras (and cell phones).

I received tons of photos. Among the best: this one from Steven Rothenberg.

(Photo/Steven Rothenberg)

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Among the items on Monday’s Planning & Zoning Commission meeting: discussions of the proposed Hamlet at Saugatuck project, and the redevelopment of the Westport Inn.

The meeting will be held via Zoom, livestreamed on www.westportct.gov,  and shown on Optimum Channel 79 and Frontier Channel 6020. Public comments may be emailed to PandZ@westportct.gov by noon Monday. Click here for the full agenda.

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There’s a full (and healthful) schedule of events next Saturday (September 17), at Downtown Fitness & Health Day.

The Westport Downtown Association event supports local health and exercise businesses, and promotes a healthy lifestyle for all Westporters.

Fleet Feet kicks off the day with a 5k and kids runs at (9 a.m.). Registration is required; click here.

WDA has partnered with many fitness studios, including TAP Strength, Club Sweat, Pure Barre, Row House, Pause + Purpose, Kaia Yoga Centers and Body Shock. They’ll give participants fun, rigorous outdoor exercise classes between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., all along Main Street. To register for a free class, contact the individual providers.

The Alzheimer’s Association and Circle of Care for Families of Children with Cancer will be there too.

You don’t have to participate in a class to enjoy the day. Strolling all around downtown is healthy too!

The 2020 Downtown Fitness Fair.

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Whenever some dude — and you know it’s a guy — parks his car like this (behind CVS) …

(Photo/Matt Murray)

… he’s saying, “My car is special. Stay away!”

Hey: Everyone cares about their car.

And if everyone parked this way, there would be half the number of available spots anywhere.

You’re not special. And neither, really. is an Alfa Romeo.

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Never been to Cuba? Wondering what that island just 90 miles off Florida is like?

On Tuesday (September 13, Saugatuck Congregational Church Hoskins Hall; $10 admission). World traveler/adventurer/photographer/local resident Darryl Hawk presents a collection of spectacular photos, from his 6 (!) recent trips there.

He’s tell great stories about them too.

The event is sponsored by the Appalachian Mountain Club, and marks their first in-person gathering since COVID struck.

There are appetizers, drinks and dinner at 6:15 p.m.; the presentation begins at 7:30. RSVP: easasso7@icloud.com.

Street scene, Cuba (Photo/Darryl Hawk)

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Everyone is invited to a Japanese Fall Festival next Saturday (September 17, 1:30 to 4 p.m., Jesup Green).

The family-friendly event includes taiko drum performances, a martial arts demonstration, Seiza meditation sessions, traditional Bon dancing, a Japanese water yoyo game, children’s origami, demonstrations of the traditional Japanese Go and Sushi GO card games, and a Japanese language table.

Other features: displays of Japanese tenugui (colorful hand-dyed traditional Japanese), ceramics and kimonos.

Japanese snacks and drinks will be available too.

Click here for more information.

Taiko drums, at the Japanese Fall Festival.

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The Y’s Men of Westport and Weston sponsor a very active tennis group. They play every Tuesday and Friday morning, throughout the summer at Longshore.

Former Y’s Men president Dewey Loselle does the organizing. Here’s a shot (pun intended) after the final session:

(Photo courtesy of Scott Broder)

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I’m batting about .100 identifying Sherwood Mill Pond wildlife lately. So I’ll just say that this handsome bird was spotted just off shore the other day, posing handsomely for Matt Murray and “Westport … Naturally.”

(Photo/Matt Murray)

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And finally … in honor of Darryl Hawk’s very cool Cuba presentation (story above):

=======================================================(“06880” is “where Westport meets the world” — including Cuba. To help support us, please click here.)