Farmers markets have become a great way for friends and families to gather and discover fresh local produce, baked goods, crafts and other fun treats. At the upcoming Norwalk Winter Farmers Market, some of the products that will be available include locally grown produce, farm raised beef, pork, eggs, Maine seafood, goats milk soap products, fresh baked goods, and crafts. The Winter Farmers Market is only a short drive for residents of Morningside Gardens apartments in Norwalk and provides a great opportunity for residents to peruse locally-produced goods in a fun setting.

For a fun and interesting twist, the organizers of the Norwalk Winter Farmers Market are also looking to incorporate local artists into the winter market. The goal of the market is to provide a venue for local producers and creators in Fairfield County to showcase their wares, and foster a sense of community. And, the event will actually be held at an artisan space sponsored in cooperation with the Norwalk Winter Farmers Market and the Norwalk Arts Commission. The event itself is sponsored by the city of Norwalk, POKO Partners, Stanley M. Seligson Properties, Fat Cat City, local residents, and Gazy Brothers Farm.

Additional information on the Norwalk Winter Farmers Market can be obtained by sending an email to duvianm@prodigy.net or by calling 505.400.4467.

And residents of Hoyt Bedford, Morgan Manor and The Townhouse Apartments in Stamford can recycle larger electronics at Stamford’s Scalzi Park on May 15th.

For clothes, it is easy for most to head to Goodwill to make a donation, but Dress For Success of mid-Fairfield County can put your old suits and work-appropriate clothes to great use. They’ll be given to disadvantaged women when they interview (and a second upon landing a job). Dress for Success is accepting donations at their Fairfield headquarters and donations can be made at Westy Storage locations as well. To make a donation, visit http://dressforsuccess.org/affiliate.aspx?sisid=42&pageid=10 or to donate menswear, visit www.careergear.org

If it’s old towels, bedspreads or linens that you’re looking to get rid of, why not donate them to a local animal shelter? They can be used in animal cages, for bathing, etc. Visit www.pets911.com to find a local shelter that would welcome clean towels for their cats and dogs.

If it’s extra kids’ movies and DVDs, books, toys or games that are cluttering your apartment, check with local hospitals to see if they would like to take them off your hands, or visit www.kidflicks.org to donate movies that your kids have tired of. Schools also welcome donations of books, sporting goods and equipment.

Lastly, ask for receipts when donating items, so that you can get a tax break for doing something good!

While you are marking down March 9th for breakfast, also pencil in March 25th for our first ever Seramonte Resident Appreciation Happy Hour! It’s a great way to meet your neighbors, make new friends, and get out of the cold. The festivities begin Thursday, March 25th at 6:00 p.m. at SBC, right down the road from Seramonte, and last until 8:00 p.m. There will be AMAZING drink specials, free appetizers and great fun for all. Feel free to bring your roommates, friends or co-workers, as everyone is welcome to join. And while no RSVP is necessary, we’d appreciate a heads up if you’re bringing a large group. Please email skurimai [at] ceebraid [dot] com to let us know if you’ll have a group with you.

SBC Hamden is located at 1950 Dixwell Avenue, just down the road from Seramonte Apartments. For directions visit their website at www.southportbrewing.com or call (203) 288-HOPS.

Be sure to mark your calendars for these great upcoming events!

And if you can’t make this time, be sure to stay tuned for next month’s happenings! Lastly, please feel free to contact us with any comments, questions, or suggestions for upcoming events. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Are Montoya’s grounds a little too sprawling for your pet to roam off-leash? Or maybe you’re just looking for a change of scenery while walking your four-legged friend? Branford’s dog parks are fun in the spring! Now that the weather’s finally warming up, head to the dog park for some fun and exercise with your pet! Branford has two great dog parks, just minutes from the pet-friendly apartments at Montoya:

Our Dog Park at Short Beach, 421 Shore Drive, Branford: This lovely dog park near the beach is a great place to socialize your pet. It has a permanent metal fence that is safe for dogs of all sizes, and they’ll enjoy having a grassy area with drinking water. Plus, there’s a double gate entrance to prevent any accidental escapes. The one potential drawback is there is no separate area for small dogs. This park is easy to find, located right behind Branford’s Adult Day Care Center.

Youngs Pond Park, Branford: This is a fenced dog park that has been reviewed as very friendly, and a great place to bring your pet for some fun and exercise. However, it is not recognized as a dog park that is recognized by the town of Branford. For a stroll through the park with your dog, there are also marked trails where you can take your pet on a leash. And during the summer months, your dog will love frolicking in the swimming pond. Bring your own water to this dog park to make sure your pet stays hydrated. Youngs Pond Park is located off Route 146 in Branford. (Once you turn off Rt 1, you’ll stay on this road for about 5 miles.)

Or, plan a fun day trip to a new park! A list of Connecticut dog parks can be found at www.dogparkusa.com/connecticut.

The Saint Patrick’s Day parade in New Haven is the sixth largest in America and it is the state of Connecticut’s largest single-day spectator event. It begins at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 14th. The parade route travels through Chapel Street and Church Street in downtown New Haven. As many as 175,000 spectators are expected to be in attendance. More info can be found at www.stpatricksdayparade.org

Stamford’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Saturday, March 13th at 12 noon, along Summer Street and Broad Street. It will be the city’s 15th annual parade, with 80 marching units scheduled to participate. Local area bars and pubs have extensive celebrations planned, including Tigin’s Irish Pub and Tiernan’s.

The parades offer an opportunity to extend the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day, which actually falls on Wednesday, March 17th. This day is celebrated worldwide by people of Irish descent, and increasingly by other ethnicities as well. Today, many people, regardless of their ethnicity, wear green-colored clothing and accessories to mark this day. And a great deal will consume Irish food and beverages. Seattle and other cities paint the traffic stripes along their parade routes green. Some other cities such as Chicago, Indianapolis, Savannah and Jamestown, NY dye small rivers or canals green for the day. It is also worth mentioning that Saint Patrick’s Day is not only a celebration of Irish culture, it is also a Christian festival celebrated in the Catholic Church.

When it comes to some of Stamford’s fine dining establishments like The Capital Grille, Grand Restaurant, Telluride or Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar, the three course pre fixe menus are the perfect opportunity to sample and savor their exquisite cuisine at a price you can afford.

The variety of participating restaurants spans many different types of foods. So, if you have a specific craving for sushi head to Kona Grill, Kujaku or Tengda Asian Bistro. If American bar food is much more your style, the Black Bear, SBC Restaurant & Brewer and Tigin’s Irish Pub are all offering pre fixe menus during Restaurant Weeks. There are also Italian, seafood and tapas restaurants participating. For a full list of restaurants and their menus, be sure to check out the Stamford Downtown website.

Restaurant Weeks in Downtown Stamford is the perfect opportunity for you to dine at many signature restaurants in the city. I am sure there are more than few restaurants in Stamford that you have been meaning to try, but never got around to it. Now is the perfect time. Reservations are encouraged because restaurants will fill up fast.

Downtown Stamford residents of The Townhouse Apartments, Morgan Manor Apartments or Hoyt Bedford Apartments will enjoy their close proximity to the restaurants participating in Stamford Downtown’s Restaurant Weeks. These Stamford apartment communities are not only close to restaurants and entertainment in downtown Stamford, but major employers as well.

We want to make sure you have a great time, so feel free to bring friends, family and co-workers with you. If you are planning to make it a group outing, please let us know by sending an email to skurimai [at] ceebraid [dot] com. Otherwise, no RSVP is necessary.

We has such a positive response from our last resident Happy Hour that we had no choice but to offer another one. If you missed out on the good times at the Black Bear Saloon in January, then you must be sure to make it to the party this week. It’s a great opportunity to mingle with neighbors and meet new residents while enjoying food and drinks at a great value. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to jump start your weekend. If you still need convincing to spend Thursday evening with CTBestApts at the Black Bear, just ask Meghan Madden for her review of the previous event, where she won a free iPod shuffle.

See you Thursday!

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Being held at the Stamford leasing center does mean that the party is located within walking distance to the Stamford, CT apartments at The Townhouse, Hoyt Bedford and Morgan Manor, but just because it isn’t as convenient for residents at our other three communities does not mean we don’t want you to attend as well. Make a day of coming to Stamford to enjoy the city, the restaurants or other events taking place. We can help give you some ideas, just ask us at the party.

Plus, the holiday party is the perfect opportunity to meet more people in the community and also let us get to know you a little better as well. We love to do everything we can to show our residents how much we appreciate them, and we hope you take advantage of these events. Whatever your plans may be for the holiday weekend, we want to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day and hope it is full of love!

Want to hear a cute story about Valentine’s Day? We did a little research and found some history of the holiday:

One legend contends that St. Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men – his crop of potential soldiers – Valentine defied this unjust decree and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. It is believed that while Valentine was in prison, he fell in love with a young girl – who may have been his jailer’s daughter – who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today.

To mark the Chinese New Year in Stamford, Connecticut, there will be a celebration on Sunday, February 7, 2010, from 12:00PM to 4:00PM at the Stamford Plaza Hotel and Conference Center (2701 Summer Street, Stamford, CT 06902). The festivities will include an Authentic Chinese Buffet, Traditional Lion Dance, Chinese Yo-Yo Troupe, Children’s Arts & Crafts, Dragon Dance, Chinese Music Ensemble, Silent Auction, Asian Market and much more. Tickets for adults are $60; children (ages 3-16) pay $40, and children under 3 are free.

In China, however, New Year celebrations are marked by visits to family and friends, and new clothes are worn to mark the new year. The color red is used in decorations which may include paper cutouts hung on doors and windows. It is also common for families to thoroughly clean house, to sweep away any bad luck in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. And on the eve of Chinese New Year, dinner is a feast with families and usually consists of tasty dishes such as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweets. And to top it off, many families end the night with a display of firecrackers.

If you are unable to make a trip to China to celebrate the New Year, attending the celebration in Stamford is the next best thing! For residents of the downtown Stamford apartments at Hoyt Bedford, the Stamford Plaza Hotel and Conference Center is right up the street. The apartments at Hoyt Bedford offer a wide selection of floor plans and fee-free amenities, close to Stamford downtown and major employers including RBS and UBS.

The Stamford, CT shelter is hosting an evening of music, food, and fun as well as a Valentine Gift Boutique to support its work of providing emergency shelter for over 400 men annually. The Valentine’s event takes place on Thursday, February 11 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and is made even sweeter by the fact that one hundred percent of the ticket sales will benefit the shelter, which not only provides beds and meals, but also helps members of the community to become self-sufficient, contributing citizens.

Event-goers will enjoy sampling a myriad of desserts, foods and chocolate confections from over 30 participants, as well as wine and beverages from local area businesses. Plus, there’s the opportunity for early Valentine’s Day shopping at one of the exciting boutique booths. Whether you’re seeking flowers and chocolates, or perhaps a more unique gift, such as a session with a local photographer at a portrait studio, it is a great opportunity to at least gather ideas.

Residents of Morgan Manor apartments in downtown Stamford, CT, will enjoy their location and proximity to such exciting events in Stamford. This chocolate-lover’s event happens to take place at the Stamford Hilton Hotel, which is only a few minutes from Morgan Manor apartments. The Strawberry Hill neighborhood in which Morgan Manor apartments is located provides a lovely setting that’s still close to downtown Stamford and all that the city has to offer.

Tickets to the Chocolate, Dessert and Wine Lover’s Evening to benefit the shelter are $35 each if purchased on or before February 8, and $40 after.