Wine and Jazz, Indie Movies, Local Art and More

Where: Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield

When: Friday at 8 p.m.

Why Go? Wine and jazz, baby. Free wine tasting will warm you up one hour before the show. Also—free Mardi Gras beads, for some reason. About the show: Celebrating their Golden Anniversary, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is back by popular demand and will again fill the Ridgefield Playhouse with that glorious sound of traditional New Orleans Jazz! So raise your umbrellas and get out your Mardi Gras Beads and be prepared to march down the aisles with “The Saints Go Marching In!” Whether performing at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center, for British Royalty or the King of Thailand, this music embodies a joyful, timeless spirit.

Price: Orchestra: $50; Mezzanine: $45

Where: The Danbury Palace Theatre, 165 Main Street, Danbury

When: Sunday from 12:30 to 4 p.m. (see below for full schedule)

Why Go? The guys at Filmsnobbery.com, a locally-run website of all things film, have created an three-movie screening event which includes a chat with the director. The schedule for the day: “Sudden Death!” at 1 p.m.; “17 to Midnight” at 1:30 p.m.; an interview with director Nick Caccese at 2 p.m.; and the showing of “Fissure” at 2:30 p.m.

Price: $12

ARISE: Local Art, Local Artists, Inspired by the Bible

Where:  18 Knight St, Norwalk, CT 06851 (Northeast Community Church Gallery)

When: Friday from 6 to 9 p.m.

Why Go? "Arise" is a one-night exhibition of artworks created by local artists, inspired by the biblical book of Ephesians.  There will be a reception for the artists open to the public.  Norwalk-based Melissa Kircher is a featured special guest artist.  This event is part of the 13-week series, “Alive: Walking thru the book of Ephesians”

Price: Free

Stand Up Comedy in Norwalk

Where: Norwalk City Hall Concert Hall, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk

When: Saturday, Cocktails at 6:30 p.m.; show from 8 to 10 p.m.

Why Go? To laugh, that’s why. Featured comedians  hailing from NYC are Pete Correale, Jon Fisch, and Lenny Marcus. Another reason? It’s for charity. All proceeds benefit Brien McMahon High School's NJROTC Unit. This is a great night and supports the cadets who provide community service throughout the year as well allows them to attend leadership training, cadet events, field trips and provides for overall support of the program.

Price: $35.

Family Event: Wacky Family Sunday—Music from All Cultures

Where: Westport Arts Center, 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport

Why Go?  This is a popular Norwalk event. Join mixed-media artists Jessica Sublett, Martha Bloom, and Catherine Sippin as they build three-dimensional instruments inspired by the West Indies. Create Mexican rain sticks, tropical Caribbean collages, and compose with fantastical musical instruments, all while listening to kid-friendly world music. This special “Wacky” family day is set against the backdrop of the center’s Hope in Haiti exhibition. Grab the kids, listen to some music, and relax—they’ll have a lot to do.

Price: $10 for kids, free admission for adults and toddlers under two. It is recommended that you buy tickets ahead of time because the event is popular.

Bonus Event: Borders Inventory still on Sale, Up to 50 Percent

Where: 110 Federal Road in Danbury, and 14 Danbury Road in Wilton

When: Now until the shelves are picked clean

Why go? Up to 50 percent off all books, DVDs, games, and CDs, and 50 percent off of all news stand items as of this writing (when I was there, fiction and romance were going at 40 percent off, science fiction was at a 30 percent discount). Things are going fast, so get to Borders asap to grab some last minute deals before the wonderful chain is an hour’s drive away. Kobo E-Readers are going for $70, down from $100 from Borders.com.

Price: As much as you want to spend. But bring coffee from elsewhere—the café has been closed.