Westport Journal

Art Adventures! – Saturday Drop-In Art Class for Kids
2026-08-22 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-08-29 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-09-05 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-09-12 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-09-19 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-09-26 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-10-03 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-10-10 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) and 12 more dates | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Your child can join us every Saturday for a relaxed and inspiring drop-in art class at the museum! Whether your child is an experienced artist or just looking to have fun, our multi-media classes offer a creative space to explore new techniques and expression through art. Each session is designed to be fun, interactive, and hands-on, with a focus on encouraging your child’s unique artistic voice.
Each class will feature a new theme or project, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and collage so they can come back week after week to try something fresh and create their own masterpieces.
Materials are provided. Come create, connect, and have fun with art!

ANDY FRASCO & THE U.N. and KITCHEN DWELLERS w/s/g MAGOO
2026-08-23 17:00 - 22:00 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Andy Frasco & The U.N. have long been the high-flying DIY renegades of the touring scene known and loved for their one-of-a-kind onstage audacity and kaleidoscopic musical fusion – a wildly eclectic approach navigating funk, jazz, surf rock, blues, swing, gospel, reggae, exotica, and more with horn-blasted positivity and soulful power. With curly tufts peeking out from his omnipresent knit cap, Andy Frasco is a band-fronting, songwriting party animal who turns into a swirling rock ‘n’ roll Tasmanian Devil onstage leading his U.N., not unlike Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. From switching instruments mid-song to Frasco stage-diving into the crowd or kibitzing with them, an Andy Frasco & The U.N. show is a celebration of inclusivity and tolerance where “You do You” and “let us do us.”
The band has grown from playing bars to touring more than 250 days a year all over the country, with Frasco describing that 15-year journey on Growing Pains, the group’s landmark 10th studio album and first full-length effort since 2023’s L’Optimist, showcasing Andy’s growth as a tunesmith in his own right. The Growing Pains (Deluxe) album by Andy Frasco & The U.N. (released Jan 2026) adds six tracks to the original 2025 release
Kitchen Dwellers continue to carve out their own lane in the world of progressive roots music, blending bluegrass, folk, and rock through psychedelic hues into a sound as expansive as their Montana home. The Bozeman-born quartet of Shawn Swain (mandolin), Torrin Daniels (banjo), Joe Funk (upright bass), and Max Davies (acoustic guitar) has grown from regional upstarts into one of the most dynamic and forward-thinking bands in modern string music.
Kitchen Dwellers have captivated audiences at hallowed venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre and performed alongside acts such as Billy Strings and Goose in addition to playing festivals such as Telluride Bluegrass, Under The Big Sky, WinterWonderGrass, and more. They’ve released three critically acclaimed albums—Ghost In The Bottle [2017], Muir Maid [2019], and Wise River [2022]. After amassing 15 million-plus streams, selling out shows, and receiving acclaim from Huffington Post, Relix, American Songwriter, and more, the group released their latest record ‘Seven Devils’ in March 2024. Their catalog pairs instrumental virtuosity with emotional storytelling, an exploratory spirit, and a deep connection to the American West.
Magoo is one of the most exciting new acts in the progressive bluegrass scene. The innovative quartet from Denver, Colorado is redefining the boundaries of modern bluegrass with fearless creativity and world-class musicianship. Known for their dynamic live performances, the band delivers a powerful blend of intricate arrangements, tight three-part harmonies, and extended improvisations that bring new life to the genre. Each member brings a distinctive voice and musical strength to the project. Dobroist Dylan Flynn, winner of the 2024 RockyGrass Dobro Competition; guitarist Erik Hill, runner-up in the RockyGrass Flatpicking Contest; mandolinist Courtlyn Bills; and bassist Denton Turner. Magoo stands poised for a breakout year following first place at UllrGrass Band Competition and Clash of the Strings, second at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition, and with their February 2026 debut album release What a Life capturing the group’s adventurous spirit, heartfelt songwriting, and soaring instrumental work.

CHARLIE HALL’S GET UP WITH IT – A MILES DAVIS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
2026-08-24 19:00 - 22:00 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
In honor of Miles Davis’ 100th birthday, we welcome GET UP WITH IT, the longstanding project of The War On Drugs drummer and Wilton native Charlie Hall. With its roots going back to San Francisco in the late ‘90s, GET UP WITH IT came together as a means to explore the groundbreaking and iconic 1969-1975 era of Miles Davis’ electric music.
Now in its third decade, the adventurous ensemble will focus on three of Miles’ most revered and influential albums for this show – 1969’s visionary and transcendental In a Silent Way, the 1970 magnum opus Bitches Brew, and 1971’s Jack Johnson.
Dense, thorny and uncompromising, the Miles’ “electric period” of 1969-75 was initially controversial with his longtime fans, who felt the trumpeter was shrugging off the well-worn trappings of Birth of the Cool and his classic quintets in favor of a musical stew that was equal parts James Brown and Sly Stone, Stockhausen and Jimi Hendrix. Listening to these albums more than 50 years later though, it’s hard not to be struck by how astonishingly ahead of their time they all were – it’s no wonder that Pitchfork, in a typically effusive retrospective of Jack Johnson, called it “a beacon of uncanny originality and visionary foresight.”
GET UP WITH IT IS: Ross Bellenoit — guitar; DMHotep — guitar; Nazir Ebo — drums; Yesseh Furaha-Ali — woodwinds; Ezra Gale — bass; Charlie Hall — drums, percussion; Mitch Marcus — saxophone, Fender Rhodes; Luke O’Reilly — organ; Bobby Spellman — trumpet; Daniel Villarreal — percussion
Charlie Hall is a drummer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer based in Philadelphia, PA. In addition to playing drums in Grammy Award winning rock band The War On Drugs, Charlie releases music of his own, including 2023’s Invisible Ink, and produces records for others, including 2022, 2023, and 2024’s A Philly Special Christmas LPs with members of the Philadelphia Eagles, Patti LaBelle, Stevie Nicks and many others. Music has always been the connective tissue running through his life, defining his relationships with others and how he lives in his own head. “Drumming is our first language”, says Hall. “And music itself is a language that we use to communicate with one another. When we make music, we take rhythm and harmony and create something new. In that way, it is an analog to life itself – a process of organizing our experiences and learnings into something that feels authentic and true.” And it’s about collaboration.
“More than any other instrument, drums expose the personality of the player”, says Dave Hartley, bass player of The War On Drugs. “Ultra-busy drummers are usually motormouths, light hitters are usually quiet or passive and bashers are usually alpha dogs. As both a human and a drummer, Charlie is a master conversationalist. Lots of drummers will tell you that listening is as important as playing, and that what you don’t play is more important than what you do – but few can implement it as well as Charlie Hall has in his career with The War On Drugs, Tommy Guerrero, Jet Black Crayon, Jens Lekman, Feist, Windsor for the Derby, Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons, Get Up With It, and countless others.”

Billy & the Showmen - FREE SHOW
2026-08-29 19:30 - 21:30 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Established more than fifty years ago by band leader Billy Frenz, Billy and the Showmen has earned their reputation as one of Connecticut’s most enduring club bands specializing in hard-driving Rhythm & Blues, Soul, and Funk from the ’60’s and ’70’s. The band’s repertoire includes the best of James Brown, Rick James, Percy Sledge, the Ohio Players, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, Junior Welles, King Floyd, Average White Band, Tower of Power, Buddy Miles, Kool & the Gang, Otis Redding and classic Motown artists such as the Temptations and Sam & Dave.

Free First Saturdays
2026-09-05 11:00 - 17:00, 2026-10-03 11:00 - 17:00, 2026-11-07 11:00 - 17:00, 2026-12-05 11:00 - 17:00, 2027-01-02 11:00 - 17:00 | Westport Museum for History and Culture, 25 Avery Place, Wesport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
First Saturdays are a great opportunity to experience what we have to offer at the Westport Museum free of charge on the first Saturday of each month.
Young visitors can enjoy a scavenger hunt in the museum, the diorama of Westport featuring an audio tour by Joanne Woodward, coloring pages, colonial games and more. Adult visitors will enjoy our wide array of exhibits.

Looking for History: Connecticut Industry
2026-09-10 18:00 - 20:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
MoCACT presents Looking for History, featuring three artists, Rick Shaefer, Ellen Harvey, and Michael Borders—each presented in their own dedicated gallery space at varying intervals over the course of the exhibition from June 25 to November 15, 2026. In recognition of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026, the Museum invites visitors into distinct yet interconnected conversations about our nation’s past, present, and potential future.

Encaustic and Collage with Leslie Giuliani
2026-09-17 18:00 - 20:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
In this class, we’ll explore the ancient yet contemporary medium of Encaustic—beeswax-based paint that also serves as a versatile adhesive—to create unique collages. This technique is wonderfully flexible: if you’re not happy with an arrangement, simply re-melt and re-position. Participants will learn how to build richly layered artworks using Encaustic as “glue,” incorporating fabric, stencils, prints, personal drawings, even Spirograph designs! We’ll also experiment with laser copy transfers and direct drawing. No prior experience is necessary, and all materials are included.
Leslie Giuliani is an American contemporary artist whose work merges textiles, encaustic, oil painting, and printmaking. Born in Philadelphia, PA, she earned her BFA from the University of Delaware and continued her studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Her artwork is held in the collections of the Housatonic Museum of Art, the State of Connecticut, and numerous private collections. Giuliani has been awarded an Artist Fellowship Grant from the State of Connecticut for Craft as well as a residency fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center. She lives and works in Weston, CT.
