School’s OUT! Summer Camp @ the Mattatuck Museum

Join in on summer fun at the Mattatuck Museum through our School’s OUT! Summer Adventures Camp. This year we are hosting 6 weeks of summer camp — with new themes and experiences each week. During these week-long camps children will be immersed in the Museum’s galleries while learning about history and developing their art skills with unique materials and techniques.

Camp hours – 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM; FREE Before and After Care from 8 AM – 9 AM and 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM.

Support provided by American Savings Foundation and Post University.

Summer camp payment and registrations are being accepted on a rolling basis, however, the refund policy (no refunds after May 21) remains in effect, even if registering or paying past that date. The registration form MUST be completed prior to the first day the child will be participating in camp.

WEEKS:

June 30-July 3: Marvelous Me!

July 7-11: Mini MIXMASTER

July 14-18: Georgia’s Garden

July 21-25: Melodic Masterpieces

July 28-August 1: Capes and Canvases: A Superhero Spectacular

August 4-8: Theater Arts Camp with Grumbling Gryphons

Scholarships Available through United Way’s Greater Waterbury Campership Fund.

Campers with a Kids Adventure Pass will receive 50% discount on weekly rate.

The Youth Civic Challenge empowers teams of 13–18 year-olds to define and tackle real-world issues. Through this program, participants learn to rethink societal structures, reframe challenges, and implement lasting solutions.Youth Civic Challenge invites you to be part of an exclusive, 4-week summer course designed to empower driven individuals with the tools, knowledge, and network to drive positive change. 

Summer Camp will be running for 9 weeks for the summer 2025 season!

• June 23, 2025- August 22, 2025
• 9:00a - 4:00p
• $200 per week or 10% for all 9 weeks ($1620)
• Ages 5-12
• Located at Pleasant View Park (Durand Street) & Elise Besse Pool

Get ready for an unforgettable summer of adventure, creativity, and exploration at our themed summer camp! Each week, campers dive into a new, exciting theme, engaging in activities that spark their imagination, build new skills, and encourage teamwork. Our dedicated staff create a supportive and inclusive environment where every camper feels welcome and motivated to try new things. Each week is packed with themed games, creative arts and crafts, outdoor activities, and memorable experiences that will have campers eagerly looking forward to each new day!

Weekly Themes:

• Circus: Step right up to the greatest show at camp! Learn juggling, create clown costumes, and try your hand at acrobatics as we explore the wonders of the circus world.
• Holiday: Celebrate holidays from around the world in a week of festive fun! From Halloween to New Year's, each day is a different celebration with themed crafts, games, and treats.
• Under the Sea: Dive deep into ocean adventures! Explore marine life, create ocean-themed art, and embark on underwater-themed challenges.
• Superheroes: Unleash your superpowers! Design your own superhero persona, participate in "hero training," and work together to solve camp "missions."
• Around the World: Take a journey across the globe as we explore different cultures, languages, and traditions through games, food, and creative projects.
• Sports: Get your game face on! Try out various sports, build team spirit, and compete in friendly matches while learning the value of teamwork and sportsmanship.
• Outer Space: Blast off into space for a week of cosmic exploration! Learn about planets, create space crafts, and go on an epic space-themed scavenger hunt.
• Flora and Fauna: Discover the beauty of nature! Learn about plants and animals, explore local ecosystems, and create nature-inspired art.
• Challengers: Push your limits and test your skills! Compete in exciting team challenges, obstacle courses, and problem-solving activities designed to build confidence and collaboration.

 Each week campers will have the opportunity to enjoy our Besse Pool on Mondays and Wednesdays, so don't forget your swimsuit!

Register HERE

🌻 Join Us This Summer at Arethusa Farm 4-H Camp! 🌻

Located on a beautiful 140-acre nonprofit farm in Litchfield, CT, Arethusa Farm 4-H Camp is more than just summer fun—it’s a hands-on journey into sustainable agriculture, animal care, and environmental science!

🧒 Open to youth ages 5–13

📅 10 weeks of weekday camps | June 16 – August 22, 2025

🕘 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM daily

• 🌿 Discovery Camps (First 6 weeks): Explore farm animals, horticulture, environmental science, ag mechanics, and more!
• 🐑 Specialty Camps (Last 4 weeks):Choose from Vet Science Camp or Farm Camp for a deeper dive into animal care and sustainable farming.

This camp is part of a larger mission to reconnect youth and families with the land, promote food security, and build a healthier, more resilient community.

🔗 Register now

📧 Questions? Email us at arethusafarm4Hcamp@gmail.com

🌐 Learn more: www.arethusafarmfoundation.org

Let’s grow, learn, and thrive—together! 🌾

Gunn Memorial Library invites young readers to join a new program designed to build confidence and a lifelong love of reading. Aligned with the library’s Level-Up summer reading theme, the Read Aloud Book Club will run from the week after July 4 through the first week of August 2025, and is specially tailored for children entering Kindergarten and 1st Grade.

The program features a rich blend of read-aloud sessions and fun crafts, all designed to make reading both enjoyable and educational. The books selected span multiple genres to encourage engagement, imagination, and conversation.

This week’s book is Mary Had a Little Lab by Sue Fliess!

Mary is an enterprising young inventor. She wants a pet, but it isn’t one she can easily buy, so she makes one with the Sheepinator! Mary’s pet sheep and her new invention make her popular with her classmates. But when she starts making sheep for her new friends, things go hilariously awry. Can Mary invent a way to fix this mess?

Registration Required.

Beginning in June, the Mattatuck Museum will be open on Mondays! As The Monday Museum, we’re thrilled to offer our visitors a cultural destination at the start of the week—whether you’re looking to kick off your Monday with a movie, join a tour, or enjoy a quiet moment with art.

Fulfill your summer reading goals and enjoy literary adventures with Gunn Junior Library’s Summer Reading Book Club, held every Monday afternoon in July!

Led by Ms. Ashley, this program is designed for rising 4th and 5th graders and will meet from 3:15 to 4:15 PM, July 7–28. Readers will explore Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr. A laugh-out-loud story about a boy who takes a fortune cookie’s advice a little too seriously, leading to silly yet meaningful adventures. A 2024 Nutmeg nominee, this book offers the perfect blend of humor and heart, exploring themes of choice, friendship, and what truly matters.

Each session features a discussion and creative activities inspired by surprise weekly “mystery envelopes.” Let’s make summer reading a whole lot of fun.

Registration Required.

Books will be available for pickup in the Jr. Library starting Monday, June 23.

Join us each month for one year as we explore 12 influential Presidents through selected biographies spanning from George Washington through John F. Kennedy.

About the Series:

When selecting biographies, we decided an author should only appear once on our list and that their work should be accessible. Each month, read the selected biography then join us as historian, author and teacher Peter Vermilyea leads the discussion exploring Presidential personalities, opportunities and failures, challenges, and legacies. Through lecture and discussion, we will delve deeper into our Presidential and shared history.

July Selection:

In July, we will be exploring Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow - A Pulitzer Prize winning book.

About the Presenter:

Peter Vermilyea teaches history at Housastonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, CT and at Western Connecticut State University. A graduate of Gettysburg College, he serves as the scholarship director of his alma mater’s Civil War Institute. He is the author or editor of five books and fifteen articles, most on aspects of Civil War history.

Physical books are available at OWL to borrow, and e-books and e-audio books are instantly available for OWL card holders.

Chess players of all ages are invited to join our Monday night Chess Club. Sharpen your skills and make new friends while you enjoy a friendly game. Players should already be familiar with the basics of how to play. Registration is helpful, but not required.

The 2025 season of free concerts in the Park, produced by the Fine Arts Connection of Thomaston, Inc., continues on Monday, July 7th at 7 pm with a concert by the Eran Troy Danner Band. The concerts are returning to the renovated Seth Thomas Park on South Main St. in Thomaston. Each concert begins at 7 pm and concludes at 8:30 pm. The Fine Arts Connection of Thomaston’s concert series is indebted to the Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation for core funding.

Eran Troy Danner is a blues musician based in Connecticut. He has been a notable figure in the local blues scene since he started performing in 1998. ETD is known for his work both as an acoustic solo performer and a band leader, playing at various venues across the state. He caught the blues bug after seeing Johnny Winter perform live in New Haven in 1986. His dedication to the genre has earned him accolades, including winning the Connecticut Blues Society's Blues Challenge in 2010 and the Society's award for the Best Self-Produced Blues CD in 2011 with his album "Lucky Day". He won the CTBS Challenge again in 2025 and will be representing Connecticut in the Nationals in Memphis, TN in January 2026. ETD has opened up for legendary performers such as Johnny Winter, BB King, Robert Cray, Walter Trout and Samantha Fish, and he maintains an active performance schedule with about 180 shows a year.

Alcohol is not permitted in the Park by Town ordinance. Bring your lawn chair, your friends, and your love of music to Seth Thomas Park on Monday, July 7th!! All ages welcome, and the Park is handicap-accessible. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will move to Thomaston High School, 185 Branch Road. Visit the FACT website for further information or weather alerts concerning concert

relocation: www.thomastonfinearts.com.

School’s OUT! Summer Camp @ the Mattatuck Museum

Join in on summer fun at the Mattatuck Museum through our School’s OUT! Summer Adventures Camp. This year we are hosting 6 weeks of summer camp — with new themes and experiences each week. During these week-long camps children will be immersed in the Museum’s galleries while learning about history and developing their art skills with unique materials and techniques.

Camp hours – 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM; FREE Before and After Care from 8 AM – 9 AM and 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM.

Support provided by American Savings Foundation and Post University.

Summer camp payment and registrations are being accepted on a rolling basis, however, the refund policy (no refunds after May 21) remains in effect, even if registering or paying past that date. The registration form MUST be completed prior to the first day the child will be participating in camp.

WEEKS:

June 30-July 3: Marvelous Me!

July 7-11: Mini MIXMASTER

July 14-18: Georgia’s Garden

July 21-25: Melodic Masterpieces

July 28-August 1: Capes and Canvases: A Superhero Spectacular

August 4-8: Theater Arts Camp with Grumbling Gryphons

Scholarships Available through United Way’s Greater Waterbury Campership Fund.

Campers with a Kids Adventure Pass will receive 50% discount on weekly rate.

The Youth Civic Challenge empowers teams of 13–18 year-olds to define and tackle real-world issues. Through this program, participants learn to rethink societal structures, reframe challenges, and implement lasting solutions.Youth Civic Challenge invites you to be part of an exclusive, 4-week summer course designed to empower driven individuals with the tools, knowledge, and network to drive positive change.