Satre Memorial Hill , Salisbury, CT 06068.

89th year that SWSA has hosted its Annual Ski Jumping Championships, attracting some of the best junior jumpers in the East.  These event happens with  Kickoff of Jumpfest weekend in Salisbury. On Friday: Feb. 6th, Friday Night Lights - Admission $15., Chili Cookoff staring 6:30 p.m. Target Jumping Under The Lights - 7 p.m. Human Dogsled Races after target jumping. On Sat., Feb. 7th Salisbury Invitation Ski Jumping Competition - Adm. $15. Practice 11 am. - noon; Competition 1 p.m. Ice Carving Demonstrartion, downtown. 11 a.m. -3 p.m. Free.  SWSA Snow Ball Dance, Adm. !5. Snowball location to be announced. 8 p.m. - midight. Sun., Feb. 8th, Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Breakfast, Ambulance Building, Salisbury. Eastern U.S. Ski Jumping Championships - Adm. $15. Practice 11 a.m. - noon; Competiition 1 p.m.Children  12 and under free to all events. For more information check the website:  www.jumpfest.org.

2 Green Hill Rd., Washington Depot, CT 06794. Phone: 860-868--0525.

Quilt historian and local resident Sue Reich will sign copies of her book, World War I Quilts at The Hickory Stock Bookshop at 2PM on Saturday, February 7, 2015.  Part history and party photography book, World War I Quilts is filled with color images of magazine cover as well as news clippings from the era which aid in the explanation of the quilts pictured. 

Riverside Avenue, Torrington, CT 06790. Phone: 860-489-2274.

Torrington Parks & Recreation Department and the Torrington First Congregational Church will host an annual winter carnival on Saturday, February 7, 205 from 1 to  4PM (weather permitting) on Riverside Avenue at Major Besse Park.   Activities include music, carnival games, snow globe photos, ice sculpting demonstration, sledding, ice skating, hay rides, petting farm, pony rides, bonfire, News 8 Mobile Weather Lab and indoor activities will include arts and crafts projects and a puppet show by Puppettude of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.  Also, a chili contest will be held. The event is free and open to the public.

129Main St. North, Woodbury, CT 06798. Phone: 203-263-4868.

On Saturday, February 7, 2015 from 2 t 4PM, Jennifer Cranna, Certified Reflexologist will discuss the reflex points of the feet and techniques to work them.  Reflexology is an ancient art that will bring relaxation and balance to the body. $25 for the session.  Check the website for further information.

9 Parsonage Lane, Washington, CT 06793. Phone: 860-868-2527.

On February 7, 2015 at 7PM in St. John's Parish House the Biannual Highland Feast in honor of Sots poet Robert Burns will be celebrated.  With kilts swirling and pipers piping, guests will sample single malts, wine and whiskey and a six course Scottish hunt dinner featuring smoked salmon, prawns, pheasant, venison, tatties and neeps and traditional haggis followed by Scottish cheeses and sweets.  Tickets $80.  Call to register. 

5 Wykeham Rd., Washington, CT 06793. Phone: 860-868-7586.

Peter C. Vermilyea will give a presentation and signing of his latest book: Hidden History of Litchfield County at 11AM on February at the Gunn Memorial Library.  Books will be available for purchase.  The program is free and open to the public.  Registration is requested. 

Flanders Rd., Woodbury, CT 06798. Phone: 203-263-3711.

Flanders Focus: Aquatics to Art on Saturday, February 7 | 2 PM | at the Studio. Join us on a journey from the professional study of aquatic lake plants to the creation of unique botanical artwork. Mieke Schuyler, owner of Clapp & Tuttle, a custom framing and fine art shop, will discuss how her work at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and Northeast Aquatic Research transformed into both appreciation and artistic interpretation of aquatic plants. Learn why and how aquatic flora are captured in process-intensive and beautiful artwork. Mieke chaired the Long Meadow Lake Management Committee and was on the Board of Advisors of the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition. Her large-scale plant pressings were exhibited at the Behnke Doherty Gallery in Washington Depot. Light refreshments will be served. Location: The Studio on the corner of Flanders and Church Hill Roads. Cost: $10/members; $15/nonmembers. Please pre-register as space will be limited.

South Street, Litchfield, CT 06759. Phone: 860-567-4501.

 Do you own or want to own a historic property? Join the Litchfield Historical Society on Saturday, February 7 from 9:30am to 12:00pm for a preservation workshop titled Historic Properties and Landmarks: What You Need to Know, Where and How to Find it. Participants will learn tips and techniques for historic research, understand the many preservation tools available to property owners, and hear best practices from experts in the field of architectural history and preservation. Presentations will be 30-45 minutes each. Rachel Carley, historic preservation consultant and Litchfield resident, will walk participants through the many resources for researching historic properties. Using a case study, she will explain how to use maps, photographs, oral histories, and more to tell a property's unique story. Helen Higgins, Executive Director of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation will present an outline of the work the Trust does around the state and then discuss specific examples of Trust work in Litchfield County/Western Connecticut. The Connecticut Trust, chartered by the State of Connecticut 40 years ago as a non-profit organization, is a statutory partner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, State Historic Preservation Office and works in close partnership with that state office. Mary Dunne, the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for the State of Connecticut will discuss funding resources, State and National register designations and other activities of the State Historic Preservation Office. This workshop is made possible by generous grants from The Seherr-Thoss Foundation, The Litchfield Preservation Trust, and Connecticut Humanities. The workshop is free to all participants. Space is limited. Registration required. Please register by February 5.

Flanders Rd., Woodbury, CT 06798. Phone: 203-263-3711.

Flanders Focus: Animal Tracking on Saturday, February 7 | 10 AM | at the Sugar House. While humans may watch from indoors, snowfall does not stop wildlife from their rounds. Who is traveling out in the meadows, forests, and through our yards? Naturalist Russ Naylor teaches us which animals are out and about and we'll learn how to decipher who the tracks belong to at Flanders Van Vleck Sanctuary. After a brief talk at the Sugar House, we'll head outdoors and see what we can discover! Woodbury resident and Naturalist Russ Naylor has taught several Flanders' environmental education classes, all with great reviews. Please dress for the weather. In case of rain or snow, this program will be rescheduled to Sunday, February 8 at the same time.

38 Main Street, Salisbury, CT 06068. Phone: 860-435-2838.

On Saturday, February 7, 4:00PM Tom Key talk: Stepping Stones to Separation: 1607-1860. Presented in collaboration with the Salisbury Association Historical Society. It is widely accepted that the issue of slavery, that "peculiar institution", was the overall cause for the American Civil War, and that the immediate cause was the election of Abraham Lincoln, by a wide margin, to the presidency of The United States. Lincoln, who was no abolitionist, was however, determined to limit slavery to the states where it legally existed in 1860. This was unacceptable to these states where slavery was integral to the economy and their way of life. Thus secession occurred. Additionally there were also 250 years of cultural, religious, economic and political factors that helped convince eleven states to attempt to leave the 72 year old Union. There were also precedents in other parts of the Union, for considering this option. This talk will address, by a timeline approach, the development of these factors.