FOR THE RECORD
Playing bridge
Learn to play bridge at the Greenwich YMCA in two courses: Beginner Bridge from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Improve Your Bridge Game with Conventions from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Ready to play? Games are held at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays. To sign up, call Frank at 203-524-8032. Reservations required. No partner required, but tell Frank if you do so you will be seated together. If you have a foursome, tell Frank and your table will be reserved.
Speakers at men’s group
The Greenwich Retired Men’s Association offers a free speakers program at 11 a.m. Wednesdays. Visit www.greenwichrma.org for a link to watch via Zoom or attend in person at the First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich. On May 11, Philip Vitiello, , a 25-year member of the Titanic Historical Society, will recounts the history of the Titanic, the Britannic and the Olympic in a talk called “White Star Lines: The Titanic and Her Sisters.”
AuthorsLive event
The Greenwich Library will welcome Emily St. John Mandel to its AuthorsLive series. Mandel will read from and discuss “Sea of Tranquility,” her latest novel, at Greenwich Library’s Berkley Theater at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Both in-person and via livestream. Mandel’s novel, “Station Eleven,” which followed a nomadic troupe of Shakespearean actors in the wake of a deadly pandemic, received attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for its prophetic insight. While fielding requests to comment in 2020, Mandel began channeling her fears and pressures into a new manuscript that became “Sea of Tranquility.” Registration required at GreenwichLibrary.org. Proof of full vaccination or a negative PCR test required. Masks required.
Gallery opening
The Flinn Gallery will hold an opening night reception for its new exhibit, “Akinori Matsumoto Sound Garden,” from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the gallery on the second floor of the Greenwich Library. Japanese sculptor and sound artist Akinori Matsumoto is returning for the final exhibition of the 2021-22 season with a site-specific multidimensional sound and shadow art installation, curated by Francene Langford and Dianne Niklaus. The exhibition will be on display through June 15.
Volunteer Day
The Greenwich Land Trust is looking for volunteers to help with work on its Meadow Fest Volunteer Day from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday. Roll up your sleeves: Help remove invasive species and plant native shrubs and wildflowers at GLT’s Duck Pond Hill Preserve. You will learn about the diversity of species being grown and the pollinators they support. Space is limited and preregistration is required at gltrust.org.
Ecological Landscaping
Join the Greenwich Conservation Commission and Pollinator Pathway for an online talk called, “A Voice for Nature: Healing the Waters, Caring for the Land Through Landscape Design.” Join the Cos Cob Library via Zoom at 7 p.m. Thursday as Jay Archer of Green Jay Landscaping discusses how to design environments that mimic natural systems in water management and how to create habitats through native plant communities while cleaning up pollutants from the air and soil. To register and receive the link, visit GreenwichLibrary.org.
Jazz concert
“Take More Than Five: A Jazz Concert” will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church at 59 E. Putnam Ave. The concert will feature the Hudson Valley Jazz Ensemble, a 19-piece Big Band. The members are all part of the Hudson Valley Symphonic Wind Ensemble under the direction of James Wayne. The Jazz Ensemble is conducted by Jazz Pianist Bruce Kimball and will feature music by Dave Brubeck, Kris Berg, Earth Wind and Fire and Chicago. Admission is free and open to the public. Masks optional.
Concert for Ukraine
The Round Hill Community Church will hold a special Concert for Ukraine at 7 p.m. May 13. The concert will include international music covering several genres, with performances from Ukrainian artists Stefan Szkafarowsky of the Metropolitan Opera, Irena Portenko on piano, countertenor Jeffrey Palmer, violinist Inessa Tymochko Dekajlo, and the Duet Malvy performing on the national instrument of Ukraine, the bandura. Additional artists will include soprano Risa Renae Harman, tenor Dustin Lucas, bass Scott Tomlinson, and musicians of the Greenwich Chamber Players. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at www.roundhillcommunitychurch.org. The church is located at 395 Round Hill Road.
Friday Films
The Friends Friday Films Series at the Greenwich Library on May 13 is showing “Belfast.” Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical chronicle of a young boy weathering the peaks and valleys of childhood during the tumultuous 1960s in Belfast, Ireland. Rated PG-13.. Free. Showtime is 7 p.m., doors open at 6:40 at the Berkley Theater. Masks and vaccine or negative PCR test required. Register at greenwichlibrary.org.
Farmer’s Market
The Greenwich Farmer’s Market returns on May 14 and runs through Nov. 19 on Saturdays in the Commuter Parking Lot at Arch Street and Horseneck Lane in downtown Greenwich. The hours are 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information or to place a preorder, call 203380-0580, email gfm-ct@optimum.net or visit www.greenwichfarmersmarketct.com/.
Packing meals
The Parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes is seeking more than 200 volunteers to help with a meal packathon from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the church hall. Children can take part if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Volunteers will help package 36,000 meals for the Ukrainian refugees in Poland. The work will include unpacking vans filled with the supplies, constructing boxes and then filling those boxes with food items for the refugees. To register, visit www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a49acab2aa0f85ukraine. The church is located at 4 Riverside Avenue in Riverside, just off the Post Road.
HoliFest and Color Throw
The Greenwich-based India Cultural Center invites the public to HoliFest at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday. This communitywide celebration of Holi will feature music and dancing, kids’ activities, food vendors and a huge color throw. Participants will receive several bags of color and the first 1,000 to register will receive a white T-shirt to wear for the color throw. Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, originated in India and is an ancient Hindu religious festival. A national holiday in India and Nepal, Holi marks the arrival of spring. To register and buy tickets, visit https://www.iccgreenwich.org/holifest2022.
In Concert
The Greenwich Library’s Peterson Concert Series is hosting an afternoon of jazz featuring Grammy-winner and multi-instrumentalist Vince Giordano from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday in its Berkly Theater. Giordano has played in New York nightclubs, appeared in films and TV shows, and for concerts at the Town Hall, Jazz At Lincoln Center, the Newport Jazz Festival, and the 92nd St Y. This event is in-person only and will not be recorded or streamed. All attendees will be required to show proof of full vaccination in the form of a CDC Vaccination Card or a negative PCR Test taken within 72 hour. To register, visit GreenwichLibrary.org.
Pop-up concert
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church announced it will hold a pop-up chamber concert, “Flee Away Demons,” at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 15, in its Parish Hall. The program of Clérembault and Telemann will feature Emily Danato, soprano; Isabelle Seula Lee, violin; Balint Karosi, harpsichord; and Ana Kim, cello. A donation for general seating will be accepted at the door or online at www.stbarnabasgreenwich.org. Concertgoers age 16 and under free of charge. St. Barnabas is located at 954 Lake Ave.
Tavern Garden Market
The Tavern Garden Market will return to the Greenwich Historical Society at 47 Strickland Road from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 18. It will feature locally sourced farmto-table organic produce, farm-fresh eggs, baked goods, flowers, gifts, fashion accessories, vintage jewelry, crafts and environmentally sourced beauty products. The market will be held on alternating Wednesdays through Nov. 2.
One-act plays
A new season of Play With Your Food continues May 19 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Greenwich Arts Council, 299 Greenwich Ave. The one-act plays will be followed by a talk-back with the professional cast of actors and the director. A boxed lunch catered by popular local restaurants is included in the $60 ticket and can be enjoyed there or taken to go. Proof of vaccination and masks are mandatory for all performances. For tickets and more info, go to www.greenwichartscouncil.org.
Byram Park Cleanup Day
The Friends of Byram Park will host its annual Byram Park Cleanup Day to get the area ready for summer. It will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 21, rain or shine. RSVP to www.friendsofbyrampark.org. Volunteers should meet at the beach entrance. Garden tools will be provided. The Byram Shore Boat Club will host a barbecue for the volunteers following Cleanup Day.
Crafts Festival
The Bruce Museum will host its 37th annual Outdoor Crafts Festival on May 21 and May 22. This outdoor event, which will be held on the grounds of the Bruce at 1 Museum Drive, will feature fine contemporary handmade crafts in jewelry, wearable and decorative fiber, glass, furniture and housewares, pottery, and more, all available for purchase. For more information, visit BruceMuseum.org.
Touch A Truck
The Junior League of Greenwich announced that its Touch A Truck is returning on Sunday, May 22, at Greenwich Town Hall at 101 Field Point Road from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, with VIP early access available at 10:30 a.m. Reduced sensory experience offered from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The event will feature trucks from the Department of Public Works as well as the fire department, including antique fire trucks, police cars and motorcycles, and ambulances. There will also be construction equipment, kids’ activities, and food trucks. The fundraiser for the JLG draws more than 3,000 attendees, who are also encouraged to help “Stuff A Truck” with nonperishable food donations for Neighbor to Neighbor. To purchase advance tickets ($55 for a family or $12 each, with VIP Family tickets at $125) visit www.jlgreenwich.org/touch-a-truck.
Art show
The Art Society of Old Greenwich is holding its Members Spring Exhibit and Art Sale at the Greenwich Botanical Center in Cos Cob through May 26. Dozens of pieces across a variety of mediums are displayed and for sale in the Botanical Center’s auditorium.
Greenwich Town Party
Music lovers will be in a “Greenwich state of mind” as the legendary Billy Joel takes the stage as the headliner at the annual Greenwich Town Party. It will return to its usual Memorial Day weekend date this year, set for May 28 at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park. The GTP is often the hottest ticket in town, with sales limited to Greenwich residents as well as people who work in Greenwich. Community tickets to the show are sold out. But the neighbor tickets, which are $500 per person, and sponsor tickets, which are $1,500 per person, at still available. To purchase tickets, visit www. greenwichtownparty.org.
Art to The Avenue
Art to The Avenue, sponsored by the Greenwich Arts Council, will run through May 31. It will feature special exhibits and displays of art in a wide variety of mediums at participating businesses along Greenwich Avenue. For more information and a map of art locations, visit www.greenwichartscouncil.org.
Talk on Decorative Arts
The Greenwich Decorative Arts Society will present “Rooms with a View: History of Export Chinese Wallpaper from the Perspective of Gracie,” a Zoom lecture by Jennifer Gracie, creative director of Gracie Wallpaper. The event will be from 1 to 2:30 p.m. June 6. Handpainted Chinese wallpaper began arriving in Europe in the 1700s, and were the ultimate symbol of success and style. In the 1920s, Jennifer’s great grandfather Charles R. Gracie began importing these unique works of art to New York. The fee for nonmembers is $25. For reservations and information, send email to greenwichdecorativearts@gmail.com or visit www.greenwichdecorativearts.org.
Run, bike & swim
The Greenwich Emergency Medical Service will hold its second annual GEMS Kids Triathlon on Sunday, June 12, at 8 a.m. at Greenwich High School. The event format will be a pool swim, on-campus bike course, and on-campus run course. There will be four age groups for youngsters ages 6 to 14. There will be participation awards, T-shirts, goody bags, and age-group awards. Sign up at www.gemskidstri.org.
CT Ceramics Circle
The Connecticut Ceramics Circle will present “Ceramic Arts and the Inspiration of Japan,” a Zoom lecture by Jeff Shapiro of Jeff Shapiro Ceramics in Accord, N.Y. It will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. June 13. This lecture will discuss Shapiro’s connection to Japan and the ceramic artists who have informed his work, including anecdotes about his time with a few of those artists. Shapiro will speak about his process of wood firing and show examples of his work from the various kilns he fires in the Hudson Valley. The lecture will be open free of charge. Register by visiting www.cceramicsc.org.
Bruce exhibits
A display about “Natural Cycles Shape Our Land” is on permanent exhibit in the Science Galleries at the Bruce Museum at 1 Museum Drive. Visitors will journey through seven galleries, first encountering vast cycles that unfold over millions of years at global scales and ending their tour with small cycles that unfold at minuscule scales in their own back yards. Galleries focus on the region’s Geology, Paleontology, Ice Age, Marine Ecosystems, Terrestrial Ecosystems, and the Big Back Yard. At the midpoint is the Natural Science Lab, a space for visitors to explore hands-on activities, presenters to share and families to read and play. For more information on the exhibits and hours of operation, visit BruceMuseum.org.