Lockwood Mathews Mansion recognized; Chanukah party; ‘Redefining Giving’

NORWALK, Conn. — Some Norwalk announcements for you:

• LMMM is a USA Today 10Best
• Young Jewish Professionals host Chanukah party
• Dalio offers you chance to donate to charities without spending your own cash
• Westport Playhouse offers online Christmas show

Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum

For the third consecutive year, the public chose the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum as one of USA Today’s “10Best Holiday Historic Home Tours,” placing the Norwalk edifice alongside such landmarks as Graceland and the Stetson Mansion.  The public rated the Mansion #6 out of eighteen museums and cultural institutions put forth by USA Today’s nationwide board of 10Best Local Experts.

The Museum’s Executive Director Susan Gilgore said, “The Board of Trustees, volunteers, and staff of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum are thrilled to have received, for the third consecutive year, this coveted recognition, and truly grateful to the USA Today panelists and all our supporters from Connecticut and throughout the U.S. who have voted on our behalf to help us win.”

Currently featured at the Museum is Stacey Danielson’s exhibition A Holiday Wonderland at the Mansion, delving into Victorian holiday traditions now through Sunday Dec. 31.  Danielson was assisted by Trustees and Curatorial Co-Chairs Mimi Findlay and Paul Veeder and the LMMM Curatorial Committee.  21^st-century Christmas trees and seasonal displays were provided by interior designers Victoria Vandamm of Vandamm Interiors, Marcia Taylor Reid of Taylor Reid Design LLC, and eminent floral designer Danna DiElsi of The Silk Touch.

The Mansion, a National Historic Landmark, is located in Mathews Park, 295 West Avenue in Norwalk.  Visit the website at National Historic Landmark – The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum (lockwoodmathewsmansion.com).  Call them at (203) 838-9799 or e-mail [email protected].

Light up SoNo

The Young Jewish Professionals, CT is hosting its annual 20’s and 30’s Chanukah Party at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 22, 2022, in South Norwalk’s coolest new venue, SoNo 50, located at 50 Washington St.

The event will kick off at 7 p.m. with a grand menorah lighting outside the building led by Mayor Harry Rilling. Donuts, music, latkes, dreidels, drinks and more will follow.

The Young Jewish Professionals, CT is a networking group geared to Jews in their 20’s and 30’s, singles, couples and professionals living in and around Fairfield County, CT.  For more information, visit www.yjpct.org or call 203 635 4118.

TisBest

A million dollars’ worth of free $50 charitable gift cards is available for the public to claim and donate to the charities of their choice with no strings attached, according to a news release. The 20,000 cards began being disseminated Thursday through TisBest, a nonprofit issuer of charity gift cards that are redeemable at more than 1.5 million charities. Claim your card at https://www.tisbest.org/redefinegifting-2022/.

The campaign, tagged “Redefine Gifting,” expands Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio’s longstanding practice of giving charity gift cards instead of unwanted gift items to friends and colleagues.  Dalio’s partners in “Redefine Gifting” are Dr. Mehmet Oz, Arianna Huffington, Jay Shetty, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Jewel, Sloane Stephens, Jozy Altidore, and Paul Tudor Jones.

Westport Playhouse online

A Merry Little Christmas Carol, Westport Country Playhouse Radio Theater’s audio play based on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, starring Paxton Whitehead as Scrooge, will be broadcast on WSHU Public Radio for the third consecutive year according to a news release.  Air times are Saturday Dec. 24 at 6:06 p.m. (following the national news) and Sunday Dec. 25 at 1:06 p.m. Go to wshu.org to get station frequencies and locations.

You can also access the play now until Sunday Jan. 1  here .  The Playhouse’s website is at westportplayhouse.org.   Box office phone is (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at (888) 927-7529.  They’re located at 25 Powers Court, off Post Road East in Westport.

Behind-the-scenes interviews conducted by WSHU Morning Edition Host and Program Director Tom Kuser will follow each of the play’s two acts on the WSHU broadcast.

Run time is approximately two hours.  The show is deemed appropriate for ages 6 and up.