Events & Exhibits
2024
Exhibit – History Beneath Our Feet
Southern Connecticut State University's Department of Anthropology presents an exhibit of recent archaeology finds on the museum grounds by their Archaeology Field School. These objects broaden our understanding of and bring attention to the site’s 5,000+ years of Native American presence and the people who called the Whitfield House home after the Whitfield family sold it. Visitors can try digging for “artifacts” and search for exhibit mascot Trowely throughout the galleries. Included with museum admission. Support provided by CT Humanities.
May 19 (Sunday) 10:00-4:00
State Museum Sunday
Free admission to the four State Museums for Connecticut residents
May 22 - July 19 (Wednesday-Friday) 10:00-4:00 (weather permitting | no class on June 7 & 19, July 4)
Archaeology Dig | FREE
Watch Dr. Bill Farley and his students from Southern Connecticut State University's Department of Anthropology as they dig on the museum grounds. No admission required.
June 8 (Saturday) 10:00-4:00
Connecticut Open House Day
Free admission
June 16 (Sunday) 10:00-4:00
Trades Day | State Museum Sunday | FREE
All ages are invited to immerse themselves in a free program exploring the trade of woodworking with hand tools. TradesUp will offer hands-on activities for participants to gain experience in skills such as basic math, measuring, and hand-eye coordination while developing a sense of confidence and self-sufficiency. Prominent Connecticut woodworker Rick Liegl will also be demonstrating the timeless techniques he uses in carving his woodwork projects, sharing insights about his collection of antique hand tools, and answering your questions. Rain or shine. Support provided by CT Humanities.
June 21 (Friday) 6:00-8:00 pm
Make Music Day | FREE
Join the free celebration of music around the world on the summer solstice with an outdoor concert on the front lawn of the Whitfield House. Connecticut State Troubadour Kala Farnham is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter whose songwriting has been described as a reinvention of traditional folk with influences of pop, Broadway, and world music. Bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics – or enjoy some refreshments from The Greenery food truck and Sully’s Good Humor Truck. The concert will be canceled if it rains.
July 21 (Sunday) 10:00-4:00
State Museum Sunday
Free admission to the four State Museums for Connecticut residents
August 18 (Sunday) 12:00-4:00 (rain or shine)
Nature Stewards Field Day | State Museum Sunday | FREE
See live animals and discover ways to be a better nature steward from people doing the work. Well-Comb Home will display an observation beehive and have their local honey and beeswax products for sale. See – and even pet – some of Turtle Haven’s rescued and rehabilitating turtles. Learn how to help save displaced and orphaned wildlife with Little Rascals Rescue at Raccoon Crossing. The Menunkatuck Audubon Society will share information about their local conservation work and have plants from their UrbanScapes Native Plant Nursery for sale. See monarch butterflies and discover more about native plants and creating pollinator pathways with Quercus Works Gardens.
Special presentations will take place throughout the afternoon. At 1 pm, meet a Great Horned Owl, Peregrine Falcon, Eastern Screech-Owl, and Broad-Winged Hawk in a birds of prey presentation by Rose Crisci of Blue Moon Raptors. Angelina Carnevale from Turtle Haven will introduce some of her turtle ambassadors and talk about how to help wild turtles and pet turtles thrive at 2 pm. Tour the museum’s 4-month-old native pollinator garden at 3 pm with Heather Bradley from Quercus Works Gardens to find out how she installed it and chose the different plants.
A craft area will feature supplies and instructions to make nature shadow drawings. All ages are invited to pick up their supplies and then explore the museum’s beautiful grounds to find their artistic subject, whether it’s a branch of a majestic red oak tree, a bloom on a native plant in the pollinator garden, or anything else that inspires them.
Admission to the program, the Whitfield House, and the exhibit galleries is free and the event will be held rain or shine. Support provided by CT Humanities.
September 7 (Saturday)
Guilford Porchfest: 1 pm - Crossroad Crooks, 3-5 pm - Rolling Thunder Revival: A Tribute to Bob Dylan featuring members of Max Creek, Bearly Dead & Mystic Dead
Guilford Porchfest is a hyperlocal, all-volunteer community-building event celebrating the musical talent and creativity of those who live or work in Guilford, Connecticut: young to old, novice to professional, singers, instrumentalists…and everyone in between! All performances are free and open to the public. Two bands will be performing on the Whitfield House's front "porch," so bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics and enjoy a great afternoon exploring Guilford and its musical talents. The performances are free and admission is required to tour the Whitfield House and Visitor Center exhibit galleries.
September 15 (Sunday) 12:00-4:00 (rain or shine)
WelcomeFest | FREE
Free family-friendly event open to everyone!
Latin American Music – Classical Indian Dancing – Puppet Show “Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup” – Puppet-Making Workshop – UNITY Public Art Project – Henna Tattoos – Kindness Rocks
Let’s celebrate our local cultural diversity and build a nation of neighbors!
• 12 pm – History and Traditions of Henna presentation by Jamilah Henna Creations
• 1 pm – “Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup” Puppet Show by WonderSpark Puppets | Based on the beloved PJ Library book by Pamela Mayer, the story revolves around two grandmothers, one Jewish and one Chinese, who come up with elaborate ways to show their granddaughter that their cultural heritage (their chicken soup) is the best.
• 1:45 pm – Puppet-Making Workshop with WonderSpark Puppets | Open to all ages and all supplies will be provided
• 2 pm – Latin American Music by Lorena Garay and Eugenio Huanca | Puerto Rican guitarist Lorena Garay and Chilean multi-instrumentalist Eugenio Huanca will perform an irresistible mix of instrumental and vocal music. Lorena's guitar arrangements and passionate playing style beautifully combine her classical guitar technique with her fiery Spanish guitar strumming. Eugenio’s intense way of playing the panpipes, pan flute, charango, Venezuelan cuatro, and many other Latin American instruments is simply mesmerizing. Together, they play haunting melodies, syncopated rhythms, and charming strums from the Andes, South America, and the Spanish Caribbean.
• 3 pm – Classical Indian Dancing by Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan | Bharatanatyam is a beautiful and rigorous South Indian classical dance form with two thousand years of cultural and artistic continuity. Its rhythmic, physical, dramatic, and emotive aspects used to communicate a wide variety of stories, both classical and contemporary, create a moving and uplifting art experience for viewers and performers of all ages, genders, nationalities, religions, castes, races, and cultures.
ALL AFTERNOON:
• UNITY Public Art Project | All ages can add their touch to this interactive art installation in front of the Whitfield House! UNITY is a large circular arrangement of 32 poles, each labeled with an identifier (for example: “I am a parent,” “I have Asian ancestors,” or “I identify as LGBTQ”). Participants take a piece of yarn and wrap it around any poles with which they identify. A canopy of interconnectedness forms as more people add their yarn. In the end, this project celebrates the uniqueness of individuals while at the same time illustrating how we are all connected by something. UNITY will remain on display in front of the Whitfield House throughout Welcoming Week and the Guilford Fair. All supplies will be provided.
• Henna Tattoos: Receive a professionally-applied henna design by Jamilah Henna Creations
• Kindness Rocks: All ages can paint kindness rocks to keep, share with someone who needs some inspiration, or leave somewhere to brighten the finder’s day. All supplies will be provided.
• Guilford’s 5 History Museums: In addition to free tours of the Whitfield House and the “History Beneath Our Feet” archaeology exhibit in the Visitor Center, Guilford’s other history museums – Hyland House Museum, Thomas Griswold House, Medad Stone Tavern Museum, and Dudley Farm Museum – will be on-site to share the work they do to create welcoming communities for the benefit of all residents.
Support for WelcomeFest has been provided by Connecticut Humanities.
September 21 (Saturday) 12:00-4:00
Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day
Free admission for anyone presenting a Museum Day ticket. Visit their website to reserve your ticket. NOTE: Please use alternate routes to the museum before noon because Whitfield Street will be closed to vehicles due to the Guilford Fair parade.
October 5 (Saturday) 10:00-4:00
Connecticut Archaeology Fair | FREE
This free family-friendly event celebrating Archaeology Awareness Month will include games, exhibits, and an open dig by Southern Connecticut State University next to the Whitfield House. Local professional archaeologists will give talks throughout the day about archaeology in our state. Food trucks will be on site offering a variety of options. Hosted by the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office, Connecticut Office of State Archaeology, the Archaeological Society of Connecticut, and Preservation Connecticut.
October 20 (Sunday) 10:00-4:00 (rain or shine)
Making Chocolate the 18th Century Way
Robert Lecce and Edward Dirgo of the Pewter Pot Fine Spiced Chocolates will demonstrate how chocolate was made in the 1700s. They’ll also be selling their chocolate bars and chocolate drinking mixes. The demonstration is free and, in honor of State Museum Sunday, admission to the Whitfield House and Visitor Center exhibit galleries is free for all Connecticut residents.
December 6 (Friday) 4:00-8:00 pm
Firelight Festival
Gather outside Connecticut’s oldest house and escape the darkness of the approaching winter solstice in the glow of festive luminaria, lanterns, and outdoor fires. Enjoy roasted marshmallows, popcorn, hot cocoa, and mulled cider. This night is also the only chance to tour the Whitfield House after dark. Learn to craft a punched “tin” (paper) lantern to take home, tour the archaeology exhibit History Beneath Our Feet, and do some holiday shopping in the museum gift shop. In the spirit of giving, bring donations for the Guilford Food Bank and new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots.
Tickets may be purchased on-site the night of the event. They allow admission to the outdoor fire area, craft area, Whitfield House, and Visitor Center galleries: Adults (18-64) - $10, Seniors (65 & older) & veterans - $8, Youth (6-17) - $5, Children (5 & younger) & active-duty military personnel with up to 5 family members – free. Reservations are not required, and parking is free. If the statewide burn ban is still in effect, the museum is planning some special electric “firelight” for the evening. There is no rain or snow date.