Scarecrows and Transhumanists: A Huge Weekend for Ridgefield

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The middle of October is primetime for New England and it does seem like Ridgefield has brought out the big guns, for antiquing and pumpkin-picking tourists, and residents alike.

The Ridgefield Independent Film Festival (RIFF) is currently unspooling around town. The Keeler Tavern, Ridgefield Playhouse, the Theatre Barn and the Ridgefield Library have all been enlisted as venues for the film festival too big for one film house. Peabody, Oscar, Tony, and Emmy award-winning filmmakers and actors will participate in this annual extravaganza which promises "something for everyone," and is poised to deliver that with a full slate of dramas, documentaries, shorts, comedies, horror, sci-fi, and family-friendly fare. The complete schedule is here, but I draw your particular attention to the premiere of "2030," the documentary about the transhumanist and futurist FM-2030 (yes, that was the man's name).

If you've seen the TV series "Orphan Black" you know what a transhumanist is (and if you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? Tatiana Maslany gives the most brilliant performance of hers or anyone's career). FM-2030 was born in 1930 and died (or did he?) in 2000, and the documentary on the Iranian iconoclast's life should both amuse you and find you and your date pondering some pretty existentialist quandaries over coffee later. It's at The Playhouse on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets can be had here.

RIFF is great, but it's not dog-friendly. For those like me who can never be completely entertainend unless our four-footed best friend is in on the joke, Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue (ROAR) will be holding a Fall Festival on Sunday at 11 a.m. Co-sponsored by pet food distributor Blue Buffalo, the event will feature yard games, crafts for kids, food trucks, live music, dog activities including bobbing for "apples" (aka tennis balls), local police K-9 demos, and a costume parade for dogs and handlers with contest prizes. ROAR gear for animal-loving friends and family will also be available for early holiday shopping. See the Ridgefield Patch Calendar for more info.

If you are looking for something a little cozier, Juilliard alumni cellist Mitch Lyon, pianist Mika Sasaki and violinist Chelsea Starbuck Smith will be performing a Celebration of American Classical Music at the First Congregational Church. It's the first performance of the season in their Fountain Music Concert Series, and it's Sunday at 7 p.m. The evening will include music of Barber, Beach and Ives as well as Beethoven and Brahms, and the audience is invited to meet the musicians at a reception after the concert.

I'll admit to being a sucker for 20th century classical music (or "serious" music, because we really won't know if a piece is a "classic" for another hundred years or so, am I right?). Charles Ives is a particular favorite, and because he was Danbury-born and raised, ensembles in the area seem to favor his work as well. As if anyone needed another reason to live in southwestern CT!

All of this entertainment is going on in the midst of the Fall in Love with Ridgefield Festival. A scavenger hunt will kick off at the Playhouse on Saturday at 10 a.m., there'll be pumpkin decorating outside The Toy Chest, music at the Town Hall, as well as live music and a book sale on the front lawn of the library. Everywhere downtown, shop windows will get painted in the theme of the season, and scarecrows from the Keeler Tavern's 6th annual contest will be on display, terrifying absolutely no one. If you have a friend whom you haven't seen in a while, now is the time to invite her to town -- weekends here don't get much more Ridgefield-y than this!

Image via Shutterstock.