Litchfield Community Center

2/16/17: Oliver Wolcott Library visit Senior Cafe

Senior Café at Litchfield Community Center

Thursday, March 16

11:30 a.m.

The Oliver Wolcott Library’s Adult Services Librarian, Audra MacLaren, will be visiting the Senior Center Café Lunch to check out books, audio books, and DVD’s. All materials can be checked out during your visit and returned at the next one! The Senior Center Café Lunch is generously sponsored by the Litchfield Hills/Northwest Elderly Nutrition Program and hosted at the Litchfield Community Center at 421 Bantam Road in Litchfield, and is open to anyone 60 years of age or older and their spouse.

2/13/17: Sweetheart Photos and Results

What a great day we had on Saturday with the Sweetheart Run & Walk! We had over 250 registered runners and walkers sign up for the event and those who came out put their hearts into making it a most memorable day!! BIG Kudos to all the volunteers who pitched in and helped in so many ways to make the event so successful! And we extend our gratitude to the businesses and organizations that sponsored this event. Your support is a great benefit to everyone who enjoys our programs and activities.

Our friends at Litchfieldbz always do a marvelous job of promoting the Community Center's offerings. Enjoy this link from them - it certainnly highlights the JOY of the Sweetheart Run & Walk! http://www.litchfield.bz/sports/sweetheart-run-a-prevalentines-day-tradition/

2/10/17: Sweetheart Run/Walk is ON for tomorrow!

We are prepped and pumped for the Sweetheart Run & Walk tomorrow!

A great effort was put out last evening by members of the Village Striders to get the goodie bags stuffed for all the runners and walkers! And a big thank you to Amy Brown for hosting us at the Haight-Brown Winery!!

Join us for this fun event for all ages tomorrow morning! Registration will be open 9:00 - 10:45 a.m. with 11 a.m. start - come run 5 miles, walk 3 miles or cheer on your Sweetheart! Cost is $30/$10 for children 10 & under and free for 80 years & older! Enjoy warm soup and sweet refreshments inside after you cross the finish line! For more info call the Community Center 860-567-8302 or email info@thecommunitycenter.org

2/8/17: Center Closed on Thursday, Feb 9th

We finally have a snow storm! How exciting! The Center will be closed and we will all be resting up in anticipation of the 15th Annual Sweethert Run & Walk being held this Saturday, February 11th at 11 a.m. You can come out and join in the fun of running a 5 mile route or walk a 3 mile course. It will all be beautiful "on account of this frosting!". Wonderfu refreshments and a whole lot of community spirit await you after you cross the finish line! Call or email us on Friday for more info - we sure would love to have you join in on the day! For now, stay cozy.

1/30/17: Starry Nights Cafe wowed all who were here!

A fabulous evening was had by all at the Litchfield Community Center's Starry Nights Cafe on Saturday Jan. 28th!

We were wowed with the amazing musical performance by the Steve Doyle Trio, featuring Billy Stritch on piano and Nicolas King, vocals.

As the photos show (link below), the Community Center was again transformed into a night club worthy of NYC (many thanks to Ron Leal).

Don't miss the next performance in the Starry Nights Cafe series with the return of the Nicole Zuraitis Quartet, April 1!

Call or email to reserve your seat today and save $25.00 on admission! (special offer valid until Feb. 15, 2017)

860-567-8302 or email litchfieldcommunitycenter@gmail.com

See more pictures here

1/24/17: Programs And Events For All Ages!

Did you know the Litchfield Community Center caters to all age groups?! Ranging from 0 years old, to over 100 years old, there is an event for YOU! Every month you can find new fun and exciting events pertaining to your age group. Mark you calendars for these highlighted events coming up in February!

"Motion Man", Friday Feb. 3rd, 6pm ~ An event for ALL ages! Take a Mechanical Man, precision Pantomime, lyrical movement, hysterical characterizations, a Chagall, Giant Bubbles, Toilet Plungers, Step Ladders, Gibberish, a Ukulele, Spinning Plates, 8 Foot Streamers, a Parasol, a Floating Hat; Things that Float over the Audience, a man squeezing through a picture frame, giant bubbles and Inspirational Improvisation put them in a blender and what do you get??? Come and find out on February 3rd, at the Litchfield Community Center!

"Waking the Spirit", Sunday, Feb. 5th, 2pm ~ Come enjoy a movie musical presentation, and meet the man behind it all! Guitarist/Author Andrew Schulman, Star of "Andrew & Wendy" Documentary Film 'Waking the Spirit: A Musician's Journey Healing Body, Mind and Soul", survived cardiac arrest, and lives to tell as he he helps critically ill patients through medical music.

Children's Playgroup, Thursdays, 1:30pm ~ Open to children ranging from 0-2 years old, parents come enjoy an afternoon playgroup where you and your children will make new friends! New and age appropriate toys provided by the Center but feel free to bring your own!

Give Local, Thur., Feb. 9th and 16th, 9am ~ Give Local will explain how it works and how your organization can benefit from participation. We will review eligibility guidelines, explain the registration process and clarify how bonus funds and prizes work. This session is strongly recommended for nonprofits and staff who are new to Give Local.

15th Annual Sweet Heart Run, Sat. Feb. 11th, 11am ~ Come show your love by running in the 15th Annual running of the Sweet Heart Run 5 mile road race, and 3 mile walk! Race time is at 11am but be sure to show up early for registration, and stick around for awards, and refreshments to warm you up!

"Live, Learn, Lunch" Music Therapy, Mon. Feb. 13th, 11am ~ One Monday a month, come learn about a healthy lifestyle topic, and stick around for a FREE lunch. This months workshop will include live, interactive music experientials and information on how to use music within your day to day life to improve overall wellness. Come ready to make some music!

AARP Safe Drivers, Wed. Feb. 15th, 9am ~ Come get a refresher with the nation's first and largest classroom refresher for motorists 50+. Auto insurance discounts in most states!

Friday Feast & Dancing Feet! Fri., Feb. 17th, 12pm ~ Every third Friday of the month, come enjoy some great live music, and a delicous meal! This month's featured musician is Ralph Sacco!

7th & 8th Grade Dance! Fri., Feb. 17th, 7pm ~ Once a month, the Center transforms itself into a DJ bumpin' club. Open to 7th & 8th graders of all area towns. Refreshments available as well!

History Comes to Life-A Search for Justice, Wed. Feb. 22nd, 2pm ~ The second performance of our 6 part "History Comes to Life Series", Actor Stephen Collins will examine issues of social, political and religious justice. You will hear the words of Abolitionist Editor William Lloyd Garrison. John Brown will tell you why he resorted to violence. Lincoln will deliver his oration at Gettysburg, the words that remade America. Thomas Hardy and other writers will comment on war and religion.

Hartford Flower & Garden Show, Thur., Feb. 23rd, 10am ~ Travel with us to the CT Convention Center in Hartford for the 36th Annual CT Flower & Garden Show. Explore over 300 booths, view landscaped gardens and visit the Federated Garden Clubs of CT design & horticulture competition based on this year's theme "Woodland Enchantment'. This year's guest is the host of PBS's "The Victory Garden" Roger Swain.

Afternoon Jazz feat. The Greg Carleton Trio, Fri. Feb. 24th, 2pm ~ Straight from the Jackie Mclean Institue of Jazz at the University of Hartford comes the Greg Carleton Trio. Come enjoy an afternoon of Jazz at the Litchfield Community Center. Coffee, and cookies will be provided. This Event is Made Possible by The Litchfield Community Center Music Fund, a Fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation. FREE - RSVP required.

Friday Fun Day, Fri. Feb. 24th, 4pm ~ One Friday, every month the Center is open to a world of fun to 4th through 6th graders. This month's Friday Fun Day will be sponsored by the Litchfield High School Student Council Class of 2019, with proceeds benefiting their club.

To RSVP, register, and additional information on these and other events/programs the Litchfield Community Center has to offer, visit us at www.thecommunitycenter.org, or call 860-567-8302.

Share your ideas with us! At the Litchfield Community Center, we are here to serve you, and want to hear from you. If you have any ideas for programs, events, or trips, let us know! Send your ideas to the Program Coordinator, Dave Hunt: dave@thecommunitycenter.org

1/5/17: 17 Programs/Events To Kickstart Your 2017!

17 Programs/Events To Kickstart Your 2017!

Check out these 17 Programs/Events at the Litchfield Community Center to kickstart your 2017!

Alzheimer's Support (1/5) ~ First Thursday of every month, come talk with Tina Hogan, of the Alzheimer's Association about your questions and concerns. Learn about education programs. Understand more about memory loss. Get connected with other experiencing challenges associated with memory loss. Discover resources available in your community.

Coffee, Cookies, and Conversation (1/6) ~ Join Bruce Oren of CareMatch America for Coffee, Cookies, and Conversation about Elder Care to ask questions, get answers, or just talk!

Live, Learn, & Lunch (1/9) ~ Held once a month, on a Monday, come learn about a healthy lifestyle topic, and enjoy a FREE lunch at the same time! This month, join Tracey Waite, RN, of the Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine at Sharon Hospital for a special presentation and discussion on maintaining healthy skin at any age. Proper PH balance, moisturizers and washes will also be discussed, as well as edema and ulcers from poor circulation of the lower extremities.

Long Term Care Insurance (1/10) ~ A tutorial for those over 50 years old and those caring for elders. Nancy Simm, CLTC, LTCP, CSA Highland Capital Brokerage will be here to discuss your options. Join her for a FREE presentation and Question and Answer period.

Assistive Technology Demo (1/11) ~ Western CT Area Agency on Aging will provide free personalized demonstrations on assistive devices such as magnifiers, phone amplifiers, vibrating alarm clocks, smart pens and talking watches just to name a few.

Children's Playgroup (1/12) ~ Come join our weekly playgroup! Every Thursday, from 1:30pm - 2:15pm. Open to children ages 0-2 years old. Older siblings are welcome to come color/draw. Parental supervision required for all children.

Friday Fun Day! (1/13) ~ Open to 4th - 6th graders, each month a Litchfield High School student group hosts an evening at the Community Center with proceeds benefiting various causes. Open games! Ping pong, pool, air hockey, Foosball, Wii, board games, group games, music, arts & crafts! Snacks and beverages available for purchase.

Healing the Heart After Loss (1/14) ~ Come join Eileen Manela, LCSW in a safe supportive space as we learn about the grief process through group sharing, experiential exercises, and mindfulness. Know you are not alone during what can be a confusing and difficult time. Eileen has a private practice in Litchfield specializing in bereavement and loss. Prior, she spent over a decade at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. She is also a Kripalu trained Yoga Instructor.

Friday Feast, and Dancing Feet! (1/20) ~ Join us on the 3rd Friday of each month for a light lunch, music and dancing. Reservations are required. Music this month by "Jerry Carillo Orchestra".

Teen Dance (1/20) ~ Area 7th & 8th Graders, come dance the night away, and have some fun!

Science Saturday's! ~ Join us for 6 Science Saturdays on 1/21, 2/4, 2/25, 3/11, 3/25, and 4/8. Presented by "How Cool Is That?! (Hands-On Science)", children will gain knowledge through science in a fun, unique, "hands-on" experience. Velya Jancz-Urban brings to the table, a CT teaching certification, with activities aligned to STEM objectives. All materials are supplied. Ideal for grades K-5. Pre-registration required*

P.U.R.A. (1/24) ~ Staff from the Public Utilities Regulatory Authorit (P.U.R.A.) can explain the process and provide information about licensed electric suppliers, how you may reduce your monthly electric bill by switching suppliers and whether choosing a supplier is right for you.

"Hedy Lamarr", History at Play! (1/26) ~ Join actress and historical interpreter, Judith Kalaora, as she introduces you to a woman clouded in a fantasy world that only Tinseltown could create. Watch as this young Austrian refugee transforms to become the most beautiful woman in the world, all the while, inventing technology to GPS, WiFi, and all wireless telecommunication.

D.A.W.G. Training (1/26) ~ D.A.W.G = Diagnose the problem. Address the problem. Work through the problem. Go forward.
DonoLou K9 Connection will be starting a 6 week training class! You will learn proper leash walking, impulse control, body language and leadership. Dogs should be 6 months or older and require up to date rabies, distemper and bordetella in order to attend the class.

"Starry Night's Cafe", Jazz Night (1/28) ~ Come drink, dance, and listen to some of the best Jazz around! The Steve Doyle Trio featuring Billy Stritch and Nicolas King will be performing. Cocktails, and desserts will be served.

Yoga ~ Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday A yoga class conducted in a casual, practical, fun atmosphere. Students are encouraged to breathe and stretch to their potential that day. Modifications are always offered. Suitable for people who are beginners to experienced in a yoga practice.

Dance Exercise ~ Every Tuesday, and Thursday build strength and cardiovascular health through movement based in the discipline of dance. Ballet and jazz that incorporates traditional fitness exercise.

For more info, how to signup, and search for more fun, and exciting programs/events at the Litchfield Community Center, visit our Calendar at http://www.thecommunitycenter.org/calendar.php

We look forward to seeing you!

12/2/16: Time to hit the dance floor!

The 7th & 8th graders will be hitting the dance floor tonight here at the Community Center! Our annual Teen Program Holiday Social & Semi-Formal Dance is something to look forward to for sure! And then the high school kids take over the tunes and host their semi-formal tomorrow night. Always wonderful to have the youthful energy filling the Center's space. Have fun everyone!

10/26/16: Bon Voyage Debra & Guy!

Bon Voyage Debra & Guy!

Winners of our SummerFest 2016 Raffle "Litchfield to London" Cruise.

Have a brilliant trip!

10/19/16: Quilts That Care celebrate 1 year in Litchfield!

The local chapter of Quilts That Care celebrated their 1 year anniversary of meeting here at the Litchfield Community Center.

Quilts That Care is a dynamic group of volunteers that make and donate handmade quilts to cancer patients. These quilts are distributed by social workers currently at 8 cancer treatment facilities in CT and growing.

Meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 12:30pm - 2:00pm.

For more information, call Deb Van Steenberge at 860-945-0184 or email at quiltsthatcare.deb@gmail.com

10/14/16: 10th Annual Harvest Bounty Brew Fest

Join us for our 10th Annual Harvest Bounty Brew Fest.

This Saturday, Oct. 15 from 2:00pm - 6:00pm

Craft Beer tasting, great food, music by Switch Factory and Stache

21 & older welcome, picture ID is required.

Tickets are $25.00 in advance, $30.00 at the door.

8/24/16: Note: Closed for maintenence

Please Note: The Litchfield Community Center will be closed for maintenance from Monday August 29 through Monday September 5. There will be NO programs held during this time.

8/3/16: Lots of summer programs still to come!

We may be in the last month of summer but here at the Community Center, we still have plenty of fun summer programs for kids coming up!

Lego Camp (ages 5-11) runs from Monday Aug 8 through Friday Aug 12 from 1:00pm - 4:00pm at $160.00 pp.

Incrediflix Summer Movie Making programs run from Monday Aug 15 through Friday Aug 19. They have 2 seperate classes for different subjects:

Live Action Flix (ages 7-13) 9:00am - 12:00pm / Lego Flix (ages 7-13) 1:00pm - 4:00pm at $109.00 pp.

River Tubing trip (ages 10-16) on Tuesday Aug 23. Depart on the LCC van at 11:00am to the Farmington where you can jump in and float down the river at $40.00 pp.

Go to our calendar to register for these and all of our programs!

7/13/16: All Aboard! SummerFest is 3 days away!

If you don't have your tickets yet, buy them now before we sell out!

All Aboard! SummerFest 2016 is Saturday July 16 from 6:00p - 10:00p

Live music by Eight To the Bar and Brass-O-Mania and featuring a variety of tasty delights, quenching cocktails, tea and pints.

$85.00 per person

Reserve your seats HERE

5/16/16: 2016 SummerFest Grand Prize Raffle tickets on sale now!

Buy your tickets today for a chance to win a trip for 2 to London aboard the Queen Mary 2!!

Trip dates are Oct. 25 - Nov. 6, 2016

Tickets are only $20.00 each!

Trip includes..

Trip for 2 ~ 7 Day cruise to England aboard the Queen Mary 2 from NYC, 5 night stay at Conrad St. James Hotel in London, Private transfers to/from hotel & airport. Business class return flight to JFK. Also includes private transport to/from NYC.

Trip for you or gift for other!

Tickets are available at the Litchfield Community Center or by calling 860-567-8302.

Click here to buy tickets

**Drawing is Saturday July 16, 2016 at LCC's SummerFest Gala!

Tickets are only $20.00 each!

4/20/16: Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills Returns!

Say YES! and Support The Litchfield Community Center

On May 3rd-4th, Connecticut Community Foundation will host its 4th annual Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills - a 36-hour online giving extravaganza to benefit local nonprofit organizations including the Litchfield Community Center

Your Donations Go Further

During Give Local, you can give with one easy click: https://givelocalccf.org/npo/litchfield-community-center-inc

And what is really Great!!: Every dollar you donate through the Give Local website will be stretched even further with a portion of nearly $100,000 in bonus funds provided by Connecticut Community Foundation and our generous sponsors!

IT'S EASY TO GIVE>>>CLICK & DONATE 7 a.m. May 3 - 7 p.m. May 4!

Simply visit the secure website www.givelocalccf.org or our direct link:https://givelocalccf.org/npo/litchfield-community-center-inc

Thank you for saying "YES!" to the

Litchfield Community Center

3/30/16: Jazz Night with Chez Nicole

Tickets are still available!

"Chez Nicole" is Saturday April 2 at 8:00pm.

Enjoy an evening of jazz with the Nicole Zuraitis Group featuring:

Nicole Zuraitis ~ vocals/piano

Idan Morim ~ guitar

Alex Busby Smith ~ bass

Dan Pagach ~ drums

**Now appearing at the Blue Note & 55 Bar in NYC**

Hosted by: Board of Directors of the Litchfield Community Center

Tickets are $100.00 pp

Dress in your Sassy & Classy attire!

Click here to buy your tickets!

3/1/16: Something for Everyone!

Something for everyone coming up in the next week. Friday night is family game night! Opportunity for family and friends to get together and play table games, board games, and minute to win it challenges. There will be an ice cream sundae bar and to heat things up, some hot chocolate and a FIRE show by MAtica Arts on the back patio.

Saturday night is Pub Trivia Night hosted by DJ Trivia. Put together a team of your favorite 'know it alls' and compete with other local teams. Prizes to the top three teams!

2/12/16: Sweetheart Run/Walk is ON for tomorrow!

Temperatures are rising and the warm glow is starting to grow here at the Litchfield Community Center with it being JUST ONE DAY away from the Sweetheart Run/Walk!

11:00am - Start cozy in the Center right up to the ringing of the bell.

And when you cross the finish line, come back in for hot soup, hot chocolate, hot fun!!

YOU CAN DO IT!

Day-of registration starts tomorrow morning at 9:00am or online through midnight tonight at www.thecommunitycenter.org