The Greenwich Exchange toasts its 120th anniversary
Scene… The Greenwich Exchange celebrated its 120th anniversary on Thursday under a tent in its private garden at 28 Sherwood Place. Patrons and visitors enjoyed a day filled with special sales, offers, prizes, refreshments and champagne. Founded in 1901, the non-for-profit volunteer-run craft and gift shop has a mission of supporting artisans and consigners throughout the area while offering consumers moderate prices and one-of-a-kind gifts. It also holds an annual holiday boutique at the Round Hill Club in Greenwich in November.
Out there… The Greenwich Historical Society’s Fall Fête takes place on Thursday, Nov. 4, at the Foundation House at Old Mill Farm in Greenwich, the former home of actor Mel Gibson. The event, presented by Oscar De La Renta, will feature the best in fashion art and design, cocktails and hors’d’oeuvres at the great estate. The Fall Fête is a fundraiser benefiting the Greenwich Historical Society’s programs in education, historic preservation and the arts. For tickets and more info, go to www.greenwichhistory.org.
Scene… Former Greenwich resident and “Today” co-host Kathie Lee Gifford is allowing her son, Cody, and his wife, dancer Erika Brown, to live in her waterfront home in Riverside. That’s where Kathie Lee and the late Frank Gifford raised Cody and his sister, Cassidy. Kathie Lee moved to Nashville in 2018 to pursue her career as a producer and later purchased a Brownstown mansion in Franklin, Tenn., where she now resides. Cody and Erika were married at the waterfront estate in September 2020.
Out there… Dana’s Angels Research Trust, known as DART, raised $130,000 at its recent DART to the Finish charity walk that took place at Greenwich Point Park and virtually around the world. The event raised crucial funds to support research into treatments, clinical trials and genetic testing for Niemann Pick type C disease (NPC), a rare childhood disease often referred to as children’s Alzheimer’s disease. DART founders and Greenwich residents Phil and Andrea Marella lost their daughter, Dana, to the disease and their son, Andrew, also is diagnosed
with it. For more info and to donate, go to www.danasangels.org.
Family fun… The Westport Country Playhouse’s “Family Fun Day” takes place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30. Costumes are encouraged at the outdoor Halloweenthemed event, which will feature kids activities, treats, a scavenger hunt, a costume parade for kids and dogs, food trucks, hot drinks, apple cider and a free beer tasting provided by Two Roads Brewing
Company. The playhouse will also host a community food drive to benefit Open Doors Shelter in Norwalk and serve as a Toys for Tots drop-off location through Dec. 10. Guests who donate will be entered into a drawing for tickets to a show in the playhouse’s 2022 season. The rain date is Sunday, Oct. 31. For more info, go to www.westport playhouse.org/show/ familyfunday/.
Sports honors… The Darien Old Timers Athletic
Association is celebrating its 60th anniversary with its annual dinner on Monday, Nov. 8, at The Waters Edge at Giovanni’s. The event celebrates athletic achievements of former Darien athletes and raises funds for scholarships for Darien High School seniors and to support Darien Social Services. This year’s honorees include Jeff Bak, DHS ’84 and Clemson University in football; Wes Barton, DHS ’92, receiving the James Carlson Award for courage and achievement in the face of adversity, in lacrosse and football; Tracey Stewart Bird, DHS ’80 in diving who also dove for Stanford and coached at Harvard; Michael Koenig, DHS ’80 in football; and First Selectman Jayme Stevenson, receiving the Community Civic Award. Mark von Kreuter, DHS ’80, and Tom O’Malley, DHS ’84, will be honored posthumously in football. For tickets ($75 each/table for 10 for $750) go to www.dotaa.org.
Out there… The Greenwich Library is hosting a talk with bestselling author James McBride at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27. McBride will discuss his novel “Deacon King Kong,” which was named one of the Top Ten Books of the Year by Time Magazine, the New York Times and Entertainment Weekly. It was also listed as one of Barack Obama’s “Favorite Books of the Year” in 2020. “Deacon King Kong” is the Greenwich Reads Together selection, a communitywide experience that engages the entire town in one book. The event will be presented live and virtually. For more info, go to www.greenwichlibrary. org.
“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”
— Helen Keller
And that’s all for now. Later…