This week: the bats you see at dusk, and why they're almost all one species now. Plus a full events calendar, and chamber music returns to the Meeting House in Washington on Friday.
Glad you’re back!
Patrick
The Litchfield Ledger
The best thing about Litchfield County isn't the landscape.
It's the people you haven't met yet.
Thu, Aug 20, 2026
6:30 PM
Why August Is the Best Month to Watch Bats in Litchfield County
They come out about twenty minutes after sunset. Over Bantam Lake, over hayfields, and over any backyard where a porch light has been pulling in moths. Their flight is quick and erratic, and once you notice it, you start seeing bats almost everywhere on a warm August evening.
That’s because August is when Connecticut’s bat colonies are at their largest! Most bats raise a single pup in early summer, and by now those young bats are flying and hunting alongside the adults. Warm nights also bring out huge numbers of insects, especially over lakes and ponds where the water holds onto the day’s heat after sunset. More bats and more food make August the easiest time of year to watch them.
Almost every bat you see is probably a big brown bat.
Connecticut has nine bat species, but eight are now listed as endangered, threatened, or species of special concern. Before 2008, little brown bats were among the state’s most common. Then white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that attacks hibernating bats, swept through the Northeast and caused populations of several species to crash by more than 90 percent.
The big brown bat survived largely because it often spends the winter in attics, barns, and church steeples rather than in the damp caves where the fungus spreads most easily.
There is some reason for optimism. Researchers are beginning to see signs that a few of the hardest-hit bat populations may be stabilizing, and they’re testing new ways to slow the disease. Recovery will take time, but for now, August is still the best month to step outside after sunset and appreciate one of Connecticut’s most important, and most misunderstood, wild neighbors.
CHECK OUT OUR WONDERFUL SPONSOR:
Washington Friends of Music Summer Festival 2026
There are a lot of summer events around here, but this is one I’d genuinely make time for.
The Washington Friends of Music Summer Festival is happening every Friday in August (August 7, 14, 21, and 28) at the First Congregational Church in Washington, and if you’ve never experienced chamber music up close, this is a wonderful place to start.
There’s something about hearing string instruments in a small historic room that recordings just can’t capture. The sound resonates through the space, and through you. You can actually feel the vibrations of the instruments in your body, giving the music a depth and warmth that’s almost otherworldly.
If you’re looking for a special evening out, this is one of those small-town Connecticut experiences that reminds you why living here is so special.
Photo by Benjamin Balazs.
HELP KEEP US GOING ❤️
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Many of them choose to support it so we can keep documenting the rivers, forests, towns, history, and hidden corners of this place we all love.
If you like the work we do here, consider helping us keep it going.
Thank you for reading!
Patrick, Founder
Tuesday the 4th
Gunn Memorial Library, Washington – The Grand Finale closes out adult summer reading with a potluck and prize drawing. Bring a dish. 6:00 PM JOIN THE POTLUCK
Woodbury Public Library, Woodbury – Dementia Caregiving 101, a practical session for family caregivers. 6:30 PM LEARN THE BASICS
Litchfield History Museum, Litchfield – Knit Nights, a social knitting group with Alexandra Herst. All levels welcome. 7:00 PM BRING YOUR NEEDLES
Wednesday the 5th
Litchfield Green, Litchfield – The CT Army National Guard 102nd Band plays the Summer Concerts series on the Green. Bring a chair. 5:00 PM MUSIC ON THE GREEN
Woodbury – Riverjack plays the Woodbury Parks & Rec summer concert series. 6:30 PM CATCH THE SHOW
Woodbury Public Library, Woodbury – Matt makes homemade pizza and shows you how. 6:00 PM STRETCH THE DOUGH
Thursday the 6th
Judea Garden, Washington – Weed & Wine Thursdays at the Steep Rock garden that grows food for area food banks. Pull weeds, then stay for a glass. Weekly through August 20. 5:30 PM WEED AND WINE
Gunn Memorial Library, Washington – Mike Ingber on everyday uses of AI. What the tools do, what they don't, and how to try them. 6:00 PM ASK THE QUESTIONS
Friday the 7th
The Meeting House, Washington – The Washington Friends of Music Summer Festival opens with a Baroque program from the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, joined by organist Paolo Bordignon of St. Bartholomew's in New York. Vivaldi, Telemann, Bach, Corelli. First of four Friday concerts. 5:30 PM HEAR THE FESTIVAL OPEN
Kent Farmers Market, Kent – Growers and makers on the green, Friday afternoons. 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM SHOP THE MARKET
Cornwall Consolidated School, Cornwall – The 68th annual Rose Algrant Art Show opens Friday evening and runs through Sunday. Work by Cornwall artists, all under one roof. 4:00 PM SEE THE SHOW
Alain White Field, Bantam – The Bantam Community Farmers Market runs Friday afternoons through the summer. 3:00 PM SHOP LOCAL
Infinity Hall, Norfolk – Moondance, the Van Morrison tribute show. 8:00 PM INTO THE MYSTIC
Saturday the 8th
White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield – A morning paddle with Kelly Orr. Bring your own boat and be on the water early, when it's still. 7:00 AM PADDLE AT DAWN
The Wish House, West Cornwall – The West Cornwall Farm Market. 10:00 AM MEET THE GROWERS
Cornwall Village Green, Cornwall – The Cornwall COOP Farmers Market on the green. 9:00 AM SHOP THE GREEN
Cornwall – The Cornwall Conservation Trust leads a walk through the Red Mountain, Dobbs, and Greyledge preserves. 10:00 AM WALK THE PRESERVES
White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield – Tiny Trekking with Kelly Orr on the Lake Trail, a short hike built for small legs. 10:00 AM TREK TINY
Woodbury Public Library, Woodbury – A Mini Renaissance Faire on the library grounds, with a swords, daggers, and poleaxes demonstration from Laurel City Historical Fencing at 1:30. 1:00 PM HUZZAH
Cornwall Library, Cornwall – Francine Prose talks about her new novel Five Weeks in the Country with Roxana Robinson. Registration requested, books for sale and signing. 5:00 PM HEAR THE TALK
Gordon Hall, Music Mountain, Falls Village – The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players. 7:00 PM VERY MODEL OF A MAJOR EVENING
White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield – The John Stey Band plays an evening set on the property. 7:00 PM STAY FOR THE MUSIC
Sunday the 9th
Litchfield History Museum, Litchfield – Walking Tour: Artists of Litchfield. See the Historic District through the words, sketches, and paintings of artists from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Starts at 7 South Street. Free for members, $10 otherwise. 1:00 PM WALK WITH THE ARTISTS
Gordon Hall, Music Mountain, Falls Village – The Harlem Quartet. 3:00 PM HEAR THE QUARTET
Cornwall Consolidated School, Cornwall – Last day of the Rose Algrant Art Show. 10:00 AM CATCH IT BEFORE IT CLOSES
Hopkins Vineyard, Warren – Live music at the vineyard through the afternoon. 2:00 PM WINE AMONG THE VINES
Raw Bar, Rinds and Riesling – An afternoon of oysters, cheese, and Riesling. Tickets required. 2:00 PM SHUCK AND SIP
Monday the 10th
Cornwall – The Cornwall Conservation Trust opens “Bridges Across the Housatonic,” an exhibition on the river crossings that stitched the valley together. 3:00 PM CROSS THE RIVER
Gunn Memorial Library, Washington – The History Book Club meets. 1:00 PM TALK HISTORY
A few poll respondents mentioned they didn’t know the Ledger was on Instagram! It is. Photographs of the county between issues, plus events that don’t make the newsletter.
