The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Five Senses Festival tickets now available
WASHINGTON — The third annual Five Senses Festival returns to Washington July 30- Aug. 2, and the schedule and ticket sales are now available. The festival is produced by Washington Depot-based dance company Pilobolus and hosted by Spring Hill Vineyards.
The annual Five Senses Ball, in support of the Five Senses Festival and Pilobolus, has been reimagined to kick off the festivities on July 30 at 6 p.m. as a Supersensory Celebration, according to organizers. The headlining event for the evening will include a collaborative performance from renowned composer, conductor, writer and performer Rob Kapilow, organizers said in a release. Gift bags will be provided to all attendees, including prepackaged selections of curated snacks from local farms and purveyors, and a bottle of Spring Hill Vineyards wine to enjoy on-site, as well as additional beverage service, the release said.
All three festival days will offer morning wellness programming, a car safari, evening programming, the Kat Edmonson Show, an open mic night and live performances, the release said.
Pilobolus worked with Connecticut-based wellness practitioner Kelvin Young to design three days of reconnection and rejuvenation, to elevate body, mind, and spirit, the release said. Morning programs include sound healing sessions led by Young, and guided meditation and movement classes led by other Connecticut-based practitioners that will join the festival for the first time. Due to safety precautions related to COVID-19, mats and equipment will not be provided on site, participants are encouraged to bring their own mats, blocks, cushions and blankets, the release said. The sessions will be held 8-10 a.m., for $20 per person daily.
“From the imaginations of Pilobolus, the Car Safari, a slow-motion rollercoaster of emotions for all ages will be experienced from the comfort of guests’ vehicles.” While driving down a hidden country road with the windows down, artists including Kat Edmonson, Litchfield County Choral Union, dancers from Pilobolus, aerialist Mistral Hay, and Stuart Bogie and Luke O’Malley from Superhuman Happiness, will serenade guests with music, showcase art installations and present modern dance performances, according to te release. Tickets for the 75-90-minute experience are $50 per vehicle and run from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily
Beginning at 5 p.m., Springhill Vineyards transforms its paths into an enchanted treasure hunt for all ages, with visual art, musical storytelling, dance, and other surprises, all in a safe, socially-distanced setting, the release said. Food and beverage will be available for purchase; headlining performances and speakers will be spotlighted on the site-specific stone amphitheater as well as a newly-constructed outdoor billboard-sized projection wall. Headliners include:
July 31: The Kat Edmonson Show with appearances by Stuart Bogie and Luke O’Malley of Superhuman Happiness and Alita Moses.
Aug. 1: A talk with Dani Shapiro and a performance by The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers.
Aug. 2: A communitycurated open mic night and screening of “Monkey and the White Bone Demon,” followed by a talk and Q&A session with filmmaker Mirra Bank, as well as a special speaking program still to be announced.
All three evenings will end with a bonfire celebration. Tickets for the evening programming are $30 per adult, $5 per child.
Local culinary icon Cassandra Purdy will create pre-packaged food for prepurchase in advance, or on-site during the evening programming. Products will be sourced from the community of local farmers and collaborators, the release said.
The program site at Spring Hill Vineyards, at 292 Bee Brook Road, New Preston, houses a sprawling, grassy field, an outdoor amphitheater designed by artist Mark Mennin using 120 tons of pink Connecticut granite; a silo housing a mirrored grotto raised 60 feet in the air created by artist Randy Polumbo; a wine cave; a state-of-the-art tasting barn, and other visual delights for visitors, including a recently installed outdoor sculpture by the American artist Nicole Eisenman, recipient of MacArthur “Genius Grant” and Guggenheim Fellowship awards, among others, the release said.
Tickets are available at www.fivesensesfestival.com through TodayTix. Rain accommodations will be communicated to ticketholders in advance of their arrival. Only service animals are allowed.