View the listing of events happening on the Thames.
Thursday, August 4 – Sunday, August 7 and beyond.
This Week on the Thames and in the Park – August 4-7, 2022
New London (July 14, 2022) – The League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT), the nation’s leading historic theatre advocate, recognized outstanding achievement within the industry when it announced New London, Connecticut’s Garde Arts Center is the 2022 Outstanding Historic Theatre in America at its 46th Annual National Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.
The LHAT National Conference, presented in different cities each year, is the largest gathering of historic theatre professionals nationwide. The conference took place in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square Arts District, home to five historic theatres and the biggest performing arts center in the U.S. outside of New York City.
This year’s conference focused not only on the preservation, restoration, and operation of historic theatres, but also on the role arts organizations play in the ongoing conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion. The conference highlighted this with presentations from Cleveland Public Theatre as well as Karamu House, recognized as the oldest producing African American theatre in the nation.
The Garde Arts Center took home the 2022 Outstanding Historic Theatre Award during the conference on July 10-13, 2022, which was attended by over 300 historic theatre operators and service providers from across North America and the United Kingdom. The nominating committee consisted of former LHAT Board Presidents and leaders in the industry. Nominations were accepted from across the nation, representing some of America’s finest performing arts venues and film houses. Past winners include New York’s City Center, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, The Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, and Cleveland’s Playhouse Square.
A Moroccan-themed 1920’s movie palace and vaudeville theater, the Garde Arts Center is a Thames River Heritage Park premier heritage site and community partner.
July 17, 2022
Mohegan Tribe’s story of survival along the Thames River is shared during excursion.
New London – Bruce “Two Dogs” Bozsum, former chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Council and Mohegan Sun casino, opened the Saturday afternoon boat tour on the
Thames River by piping the Gilligan’s Island theme song into the sound system he’d carried with him onto the water taxi.
But this was not a three-hour tour like the one in the famous 1960s sitcom, nor did it end in a shipwreck. Instead, the excursion on the Thames River Heritage Park boat took just over an hour from New London’s City Pier toward the casino and back again on a mild summer day. And while Bozsum did his best to keep things light, there was seriousness that could not be avoided as he told roughly a dozen passengers about the Mohegan Tribe’s centurieslong fight for its life along the Thames.
Bozsum and fellow Mohegan Tribal Council of Elders member Phil “Yellow Hawk” Russell introduced themselves as cousins, both descendants of Uncas — a revered chief, statesman and warrior who led the tribe at the time of its inception more than 400 years ago.
View the listing of events happening on the Thames.
Monday, July 5 – Sunday, July 10, 2022
Happy Hour Cruise to support the Monte Cristo Cottage, Vintage Base Ball, Historic Boat Tours, Sailfest, Fireworks Extravanganza and so much more!
This Week in the Park – July 5-10, 2022
NEW LONDON, CT – On Thursday, May 12 at 11:15 AM twenty-five residents from throughout region will “graduate” from the inaugural Thames River Heritage Park Docent Academy – a 10-week training program for current and prospective volunteer docents.
Program graduates noted below include engineers, hospital and university administrators, attorney, insurance executive, educators, and history buffs who come from the Park’s home towns of the City of New London, City of Groton and Town of Groton and include one couple, that summer in Niantic, who each week come from as far away as Hampden, Massachusetts.
Chris Allan, Waterford | ||
JoAnn Bromley, Norwich | ||
Ellen Clark, Guilford | ||
Caroline Driscoll, New London | ||
Mary Farrell, Niantic | ||
Cynthia Goetz, Deep River | ||
Linda Hase, Niantic | ||
William Havens, Groton | ||
Joann Hodge, Waterford | ||
Pepi Kahn, Norwich | ||
Charlotte LeVasseur, Jewett City | ||
Patricia Lord, Hampden, MA & Niantic | ||
Philip Lord, Hampden, MA & Niantic | ||
Linda Mariani, New London | ||
Kimberly McLean, Norwich | ||
Deborah Morrissey, Guilford | ||
Barbara Nawrocki, New London | ||
Harry Payne, Mystic | ||
Freya Phelps, Groton | ||
Marilyn Richardson, New London | ||
Marian Sanko, New London | ||
Carol Scandariato, Norwich | ||
Kenneth Scandariato, Norwich | ||
Shirley Sholes, N. Franklin | ||
Paul Warms, Niantic | ||
According to Linda Hase of Niantic, retired Yale University administrator, the program is “beyond expectations. I am so impressed by the professional and enjoyable tone this academy has taken. It is so much more than I expected. I’m really liking it and learning so much.”
Another member of the class wrote what many have expressed both verbally and in the weekly evaluations, “I love this program! I feel so blessed to have been chosen. I love all the sites.”
“Everyone week someone shares how much they are enjoying the program and how it has enriched their lives. I am blown away by both their enthusiasm for the program and their interest in volunteering at one of the sites,” stated Catherine Foley, executive director.
Along with being “graduation” day, this coming Thursday is also the day that the graduates sign up for their volunteer year of service at one of the heritage sites in the Park or for Thames River Heritage Park Foundation.
Based on the program’s success, Thames River Heritage Park Foundation has been invited by the Connecticut League of History Organization to present a session on how it envisioned, created, and implemented the 10-week, multi-site training program for prospective docents to support heritage sites at its annual conference on June 6th.
The Thames River Heritage Park Docent Academy is a collaborative effort by Thames River Heritage Park Foundation and the heritage sites that comprise the Park – Avery-Copp House Museum, Bill Memorial Library, Ebenezer Avery House, Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, Fort Trumbull State Park, Garde Arts Center, Hempsted Houses, Lyman Allyn Art Museum, Monte Cristo Cottage, Nathan Hale School House, Old Town Mill, NL Black Heritage Trail, Shaw Mansion/NL County Historical Society, Submarine Force Library and Museum / USS Nautilus and made possible thanks to a generous grant from Connecticut Humanities – connecting people to the history, literature and culture of Connecticut – and members and donors who support Thames River Heritage Park Foundation.
For more information go to https://www.thamesriverheritagepark.org/docent-academy or contact Catherine Foley at [email protected].
Thames River Heritage Park Foundation
P.O. Box 851
New London, CT 06320
Administration
(860) 444-4401 / Email
Water Taxi Operation
(860) 333-6706
Today is Saturday, April 20, 2024 The Water Taxi is not running.