Sharon Audubon Festival

Sharon Audubon and the Housatonic Audubon Society host the 35th annual Sharon Audubon Festival on Saturday and Sunday, August 10-11 from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the Sharon Audubon Center on Route 4 in Sharon. Both days will be filled with exciting nature walks and presentations, live animal programs, ongoing hands-on exhibits, workshops, crafters, music, food and more! The CT Audubon Society's 40-foot Rolling Nature Center will also be on the grounds during the day on Sunday.

Through a wide variety of programs, activities and exhibits presented by some of the region's top experts, the festival strives to increase community awareness of the natural world. Featured performances this year include Mark Shepard from DrumSongStory! performing his "Thirsty for the Sky" program with fun songs and drum-accompanied stories all about birds. Bill Robinson returns to the festival once again with some of his animal friends on Saturday. On Sunday, various species of reptiles will be on hand for a Rainforest Reptiles show. Melodies from the Andes, played by Mestizo Manta, can be heard on Sunday, featuring native instruments such as panpipes, drums, rain sticks and more. A keynote address will be given by world-renowned environmental journalist and activist Richard Whiteford each day at 1 p.m.

The Sharon Audubon Festival offers programs for adults, children and families with topics ranging from birds and reptiles to the ancient art of charcoal making and the mystery of bubbles. Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for children. The festival is held rain or shine; no pets will be allowed on the Audubon grounds. For more info, call the Sharon Audubon Center at 860-364-0520, or visit <www.audubon.org> to access the Sharon Audubon website for a full listing of events.