2009
July
August
September
October
November
The first Sunday of every month, tour the collection at your own pace from 12 pm until closing, with interpreters stationed throughout the period rooms to answer questions. At 1 pm, enjoy a gallery talk on subjects ranging from architecture to Wedgwood. May–October, join a guided estate walk at 2 pm.
First Sundays are a wonderful opportunity to experience old favorites in a whole new way!
May–October, optional 1.5 hour house-and-garden tour available weekends.
November–April, optional 1.5 hour house tour encompassing first floor Service Wing — see a whole new side of this vibrant household!
Sign our Guest Book and receive monthly emails about upcoming events. Your email helps the museum save postage.
JULY 2009
 July 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29
Wednesdays, 9 am–12 pm
GARDEN GANG
Be a part of a tradition of volunteerism that has sustained Hill-Stead's historic Sunken Garden since the 1980s, when local garden clubs restored this one-acre jewel. To participate, contact Cindy Cormier at 860.677.4787 ext 120 or cormierc@hillstead.org.
Outdoors at Hill-Stead
 July 5, Sunday, 1 pm
FIRST SUNDAY GALLERY TALK: Theodate's Grandmothers
Hill-Stead's architect and founder Theodate Pope Riddle was greatly influenced by the memory and example of her female ancestors, maternal grandmother Judith French Twing (1816–1860, a portrait of whom is shown at right) and paternal grandmother and namesake Theodate Stackpole Pope (1805–1887). Join interpreter Rebecca Guernsey in a closer examination of the lives of Theodate's grandmothers and how they shaped who she became. Free to members or with museum admission. See all Gallery Talks 2009.
 July 5, Sunday, 2 pm
FIRST SUNDAY GUIDED ESTATE WALK
Enjoy exploring Hill-Stead's breathtaking estate with interpreter Betty Collins. Hear expert commentary on the original orchard, dairy farm, six-hole golf course and other surprises. Free to members or with museum admission. Outdoors at Hill-Stead
 July 8, Wednesday, 6:30 pm
SUNKEN GARDEN POETRY & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Night of Fresh Voices; Kim Roberts/Music by Freddie Bryant
Selected from all corners of the state, winners of Hill-Stead's Young Poets Competition represent some of the best writing being produced in Connecticut high schools today.
 Also reading is the runner-up in Hill-Stead's prestigious Adult Poetry Competition, Kim Roberts. Editor of Beltway Poetry Quarterly and author of two books of poetry, Roberts has been featured in numerous anthologies and has published widely in national and international literary journals.
 Guitarist, composer and educator Freddie Bryant returns to the Sunken Garden, performing Brazilian jazz with his trio.
www.freddiebryant.com
The gates open at 4:30 pm. Picnicking will be allowed on the West Lawn and in the Sunken Garden (on Poetry Festival evenings only). Participants may bring their own food or purchase on site from Metro Catering (www.metrocateringct.com). Attendance to the Festival is free. On-site parking is $10 per vehicle.
Summer Performance Series
 July 11, Saturday, 10 am
BUTTERFLY WALK
July is peak butterfly time. With estate naturalist Diane Tucker, identify a variety of species, learn all about them and find out which plants they prefer. See the special areas at Hill-Stead where Monarch butterflies live and breed. $3 members, $5 members-to-be.
Outdoors at Hill-Stead
 NEW! Hill-Stead Farmers Market / Every Sunday / 11 am–2 pm / July 12 – October 25
Browse over 14 Connecticut vendors offering locally grown fruits & vegetables, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats and cheeses, fresh flowers and potted herbs, goat milk soaps, lotions and skin care products, homemade ice cream, baked goods, angora yarn and more. Look for a visiting vendor each week with enticing goods such as made-to-order crepes and hand-spun wool. See the Farmers Market page for a list of participating vendors. Made possible with support from the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism. FMNP (WIC) authorized.
 July 22, Wednesday, 6:30 pm
SUNKEN GARDEN POETRY & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Soul Mountain Retreat & Cave Canem, with Marilyn Nelson/Music by Tomas Doncker
Soul Mountain Retreat (www.soulmountainretreat.org) is a writers' colony in Haddam, Connecticut, established in 2004 by Marilyn Nelson, then Poet Laureate of the State of Connecticut. Cave Canem (www.cavecanempoets.org) is a non-profit organization committed to the discovery and cultivation of new voices in African American poetry. This evening's reading will feature several Cave Canem graduates participating in a summer retreat at Soul Mountain. Marilyn Nelson will also read.
Producer, singer, songwriter and guitarist Tomas Doncker, a mainstay on the New York music scene for over 20 years, will perform "acoustic/neo-soul, with a touch of blues."
Gates open at 4:30 pm. Picnicking is allowed on the West Lawn and in the Sunken Garden (on Poetry Festival evenings only). Participants may bring their own food or purchase on site from Metro Catering (www.metrocateringct.com). Attendance to the Festival is free; on-site parking is $10 per vehicle.
Summer Performance Series
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