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The Southport Garden Stroll

Article by Samantha Schoengold Beranbom

Photography by Borgatta Photography

Originally published in Fairfield Lifestyle

One of Pequot Library's most anticipated Spring events is the Southport Garden Stroll. Both local residents and visitors alike flock to this annual outdoor affair. This premier fundraiser features local private gardens along with a schedule of fun activities for guests to enjoy. This year, the festivities kick off on June 6th with an evening cocktail party, followed by the next day's events, including garden tours, food trucks, live music, raffle items, local vendors, and more on June 7th. 

The title sponsor, On The Harbor, is a long-time supporter of Pequot Library. This deep-rooted partnership is best highlighted by the connection between the beautiful properties of OTH's roster of luxury homes and the distinct gardens on display at the Stroll. Viewed as the bedrock of the community, Pequot Library brings Southport together through community events, education, and culture. This dedication, OTH notes, is imperative for the continued vibrancy and uniqueness of the village.

For more information and to purchase tickets to the Southport Garden Stroll, visit pequotlibrary.org

For more information about On The Harbor’s current sale listings, visit ontheharborrealestate.com

Pequot Library brings Southport together through community events, education, and culture.

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Fairfield | Local Event

Southport garden stroll.

Event Details

The Southport Garden Stroll, one of Pequot Library’s signature fundraisers, features exciting events and activities showcasing some of Southport’s finest private gardens. The festivities begin on June 1 with an intimate cocktail party at 6:30 p.m. with a special speaker, local design and interiors expert, Marisa Marcantonio. This party is sponsored by lifestyle expert, TV host, author, and realtor Mar Jennings. 

The celebration continues on June 2 with garden tours, engaging conversations, vendor displays, and more. At 8:30 a.m., join us for coffee followed by a conversation with Connecticut’s Historic Gardens (CHG) President Jill Hogan to learn more about our state’s beautiful, historic gardens. The stroll itself runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and allows visitors to access 8+ stunning outdoor spaces. 

Tickets are available as a package or à la carte.

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Six Must-See House & Garden Tours This Summer

From Connecticut to the Hamptons, add these events to your list.

Connecticut

Southport garden stroll date: friday, june 2 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m..

CTC&G is the exclusive media sponsor of the Southport Garden Stroll. The annual event kicks off on Thursday, June 1 at a private waterfront residence. After picking up a tour program at the Pequot Library, enjoy self-guided tours of several floral landscapes throughout town. Plus, local vendors will be set up on the Great Lawn and there will be a “Rosé All Day” tent with Fleurs de Prairie Rosé.

Near & Far Aid House Tour Date: Friday, June 2 | House Tour: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Sunset Cocktails: 6:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.

The Near & Far Aid House Tour is back, with media sponsor CTC&G ! The tour will feature homes in Southport, Westport and Fairfield where visitors can relish in top-notch design inspiration and conclude with sunset cocktails.

Grandiflora Date: Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

The Greenwich Botanical Center presents the 65 th  annual Grandiflora Garden Tour with media sponsor CTC&G ! The Grandiflora Garden Tour is one of the oldest traditions of the Greenwich Botanical Center. Grandiflora is the premier garden tour in the area, offering unprecedented access to some of the most spectacular private gardens in Greenwich and the surrounding communities. Generous homeowners open their world-class properties to ticketholders, offering a rare opportunity to enjoy these hidden-gem landscapes. Your tickets directly support the Greenwich Botanical Center; a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to promoting horticulture, conservation, and the arts through educational programs, outreach activities and special events.

The Hamptons

Shelter island house tour date: saturday, june 10 | 1 p.m.–4 p.m..

HC&G is the proud media sponsor of the 2023 Shelter Island House Tour, hosted by the Shelter Island Historical Society and featuring five stunning homes ranging in style from historic to contemporary.

Landscape Pleasures Date: Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11 | See website for details.

The Parrish Art Museum and media sponsor  HC&G kick off the annual Landscape Pleasures symposium featuring industry experts Raymond Jungles, Charles Birnbaum, and Rebecca McMackin on Saturday, June 10, followed on Sunday, June 11, with a self-guided tour of exclusive gardens.

Garden As Art Date: Saturday, June 24

Join  HC&G for the return of Guild Hall’s Garden as Art, featuring a morning symposium and self-guided tours of stunning East Hampton gardens, followed by a cocktail reception for ticket holders at the patron level and above.

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• Guide to Russia
• Experience Russia

An Alternative Guide to Rostov-on-Don

Photo by  @dslr_newb

Interesting and unusual things to do in Rostov-on-Don

• Creative Clusters: Punks, tree-huggers and hipsters all meet at 16th line, Rostov’s No.1 avant-garde spot.
• Natural Wonders: Rostov is a sun-kissed, southern region  blessed with many a verdant vista, including one of the best landscape parks in Russia and an island with herds of wild horses!
• Legendary Cossacks: Explore the rich customs and histories of the ethnic Cossacks at one of the largest museums in southern Russia.

To really get a feel of a city you have to step outside the normal tourist trail and dive in to the unreviewed and unlisted places waiting to be uncovered downtown. That is, unless you’re a non-Russian speaker, in which case exploring a city like Rostov without a rough guide would probably be fruitless as all the gems are generally tucked away in nondescript courtyards. So instead of wandering hopelessly round Rostov-on-Don, use this list of cool-and-happening places to springboard your journey in finding the real Rostov, Russia’s rap capital.

Hipster Spots:

Rostov public library.

Photo by  @mxshlv

Libraries are often architectural masterpieces and, especially in Russia’s smaller cities, they often take the place of a cultural center. For some reason, however, they are almost always overlooked by travelers. Well, if there’s one library that you have to visit while in Russia, the Rostov public library should be it. Containing over 5.5 million books, Russia’s oldest library in the south is a bookworm’s dream come true. Most Russian libraries also tend to have quite a good collection of plants to go with the books, but even by the relatively green standard of Russian libraries, Rostov’s library is simply a jungle! The sunlight filtering down through the high skylights and the fully-grown trees make this library one of the most pleasant people-watching spots in Rostov and a great place to make a Russian friend, who will most probably be more than happy to tip you off on the least touristy places to visit.

Address: 175A,Pushkinskaya street, Rostov-on-Don

16thLINE (also known as Art Centre MAKARONKA)

The worldwide trend of converting factories to cultural clusters has manifested itself as this bright and cheery mix of theatres, offices, boutiques, creative schools and even a wine cellar, called 16thLINE. This is without doubt the most hip of places in Rostov and it’s a great place to spend the afternoon, appreciating the often grim and challenging works of Rostov’s new wave of artists and then sampling the experimental cuisine in the center’s quirky restaurant. Best of all, you can rent bikes all year round from the bike-rental shop here.

Opening hours: Wednesday – Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Address: 18th line, 8, Rostov-on-Don

Green Spaces:

Photo by  @rudol

This has to be the closest thing to  Peterhof south of St Petersburg. Indeed, local inhabitants have come to name it “Little Switzerland” because of the unbelievable amount of crystal-clear lakes, mini-waterfalls, perfectly manicured landscapes and hundreds of statues. Though technically not located inside Rostov-on-Don, it’s only a short ride from the city center, in the quaint village of Staraya Stanitsa. With canals filled with koi flowing throughout its verdant vistas, rabbit burrows, peacocks strutting along its lawns and brown-eyed deer grazing under the park’s oaks; it really does feel like paradise. Apart from the breath-taking gardens, there’s also an old watermill and a house of fun-mirrors. Throughout the park, Cossacks stand alert in their traditional costume and often treat visitors to a frolicking dance. As if it couldn’t get better, the entrance is absolutely free!

Address: Rostov Region, Kamensky District, Old Village Farm, 33 Bolshevistskaya Street

Botanical Gardens, Park Tolokonnikova

For a chance to sit underneath the soft foliage of a rare Ginkgo Biblio, take the bus to this peaceful part of the city which is home to Rostov’s botanical gardens. Inside this lush little corner of Rostov, you’ll find beds overflowing with indigenous plants and winding paths. Adding a touch of variety, they’ve compartmentalized the garden into “rooms”, which include a classic English garden and a therapeutic garden. The Japanese garden, with its tea pavilion and pond shaded by the Ginkgo is the crowning glory of this well-loved haunt of the locals.

Address: Novocherkassk, st. Begovaya, 8.

Maksim Gorky Park

Though this park may be rather unimpressive size wise, it does have the virtue of being located bang in the center of Rostov, right on the main street. After a day’s sight-seeing, this is the best place to buy an ice cream and unwind to the sound of water splashing in the fountain, or the rather less peaceful sound of a discotheka (outdoor disco) which sets the park rockin’ in summer!

Address: 25, Bolshaya Sadovaya str, Rostov-on-Don

Natural Wonders in the Rostov region:

The sea of azov.

Photo by  @tarasov

The shallowest sea in the world was probably also the world’s most obscure sea till the Russians seized three Ukrainian ships there in 2018. Even today though, it is practically untouched— especially if compared to the over-developed waterfront of the nearby Black Sea. Though for some, the lack of infrastructure may be off-putting, those who are prepared to pack the necessities will find creamy-yellow, kilometer-long beaches and, as the average depth of this sea is only 1m, exceptionally warm waters. A while ago, dolphins would swim up the channel connecting the Black sea with the Azov to feast on the rich variety of fish. Now, however, they are a rare site due to over-fishing.

Lake Manych-Gudilo, Island of Wild Horses

Photo by  meli1670

No one really knows how the horses got to be on this island cut off from the rest of the land by an immense lake. For many years, no one even knew they existed. Then in the 1980s Soviet scientists were astonished to discover a hundred-strong herd of horses on what’s known as the ‘Vodnoye Island’ and interest began to grow. Today it is possible to travel to see this unique herd of feral Don Mustangs on guided excursions.

Address:  Rostov Region, Myasnikovsky District, Nedvigovka Farm (1 hour drive from Rostov-on-Don)

Ancient Legends

Azov Fortress: Stretching way back to the 11th century, Azov is by far the most ancient town of the Don Region. For much of its history the town wasn’t at all Russian; the Venetians were the first to set up a trading post here, then the Turks took over and built a citadel. It was only during the ever-commandeering Peter the Great’s time that Azov became part of the Russian Empire. Unfortunately, Peter was rather ruthless in his methods of attack and thought little of destroying centuries-old buildings to capture the city. The Turkish fortress still stands to this day, but the piles of rubble from cannon fire make up much of this once great fort.

Address: 18 , Proletarsky spusk str, Azov

Rostov Regional Museum of Local Lore

Boasting 200,000 precious artefacts from the region, this museum of local lore is a veritable treasure trove where it’s far too easy to lose track of time. Though the majority of exhibits focuses solely on Rostov’s traditions and history, it is not at all monotonous. There are all types of peculiarities on display, like the sturgeon which is purported to be the biggest ever caught in the Don river or the whimsical hand-made instruments that the Cossacks used to make. Conveniently, the museum is located on Bolshaya Sadovaya, the city’s central street.

Address: 79, Bolshaya Sadovaya str, Rostov-on-Don

See also our classic guide to Rostov-on-Don

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• Rostov-on-Don

Rostov-on-Don, Russia

Tours, Attractions and Things To Do in Rostov-on-Don

Rostov-on-don travel guide.

• 2. Attractions
• 3. Souvenirs

Rostov-on-Don, Russia is a colorful southern merchant city on a port of five seas whose mild climate, rich history and welcoming attitude continue to attract travelers. The city’s impressive collection of monuments associated with the North Caucasus and Don Cossacks, amassed over the past two and a half centuries, continue to testify to the city’s unique role in Russian history.

Rostov-on-Don has many unofficial names, the most common of which is “Rostov-Papa”. Other nicknames include "Gateway of the Caucasus", "Liverpool of Azov", "Rost Angeles" and "City of Merchants". This latter title is particularly significant for Rostov, which is filled with luxurious 19th-century merchant mansions that are practically unrivaled in all of Russia .

Rostov-on-Don served over the centuries as a customs office, a fortress and a port. It was officially founded on December 15, 1749 when a customs office was opened on the Don River by decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Again by order of the empress, in 1761 the office was replaced with a fortress to protect the country’s southern borders. The fort was named in honor of St. Dmitry, Metropolitan of Rostov and Yaroslavl, and in later years its name was shortened to simply “Rostov”. In order not to confuse the city with the already existing Rostov the Great, it was renamed Rostov-on-Don in 1806.

Its favorable location at the intersection of land and river routes allowed for active port trade with many foreign merchants, a factor which led to its rapid growth and development. In the early 20th century, Rostov-on-Don became a major center of international trade in southern Russia and the third most important city in the country in terms of foreign trade turnover. By this time, nearly a hundred enterprises were functioning in Rostov, including factories belonging to Vladikavkaz Railway, a shipbuilding and iron foundry and two tobacco factories.

Today Rostov-on-Don has a population of over one million and is one of southern Russia’s largest metropolises, a comfortable city whose colorful layout makes it attractive to tourists .

Rostov-on-Don Attractions

Rostov-on-Don is replete with outstanding architectural, historical and cultural sights scattered throughout every district of the city. Yet Kirovsky District, the historic city center with the highest concentration of landmarks, remains a favorite among tourists during excursions to Rostov-on-Don.

It was in Kirovsky District that the city was birthed, and even today the neighborhood is reminiscent of the original Fortress of Saint Dmitry of Rostov. Also in Kirovsky District is Monument to Peter the Great and Don State Public Library, as well as many theaters, museums and restaurants. The nearby Rostov Embankment remains a favorite scenic hangout for residents and guests alike.

The prosperous merchants who once competed with one another in the construction of elegant estates left an indelible mark on the cityscape, and a walk along Bolshaya Sadovaya Avenue and Pushkinskaya Street, likened to an open-air merchants’ museum, will take you back to simpler times. Outstanding examples of Tsarist-era architecture on this route include Margarita Chernova’s House, Martyn Brothers House and City Hall, all of which are now protected under the Russian Cultural Heritage Register.

In Leninsky District is Gorky Park, the oldest park in the city, and Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The railway district stretches along the Don, on the bank of which is Botanical Garden of the Southern Federal University, the largest of its kind in Russia. The picturesque Kumzhenskaya Grove, a favorite place for Rostovites to relax, is also situated nearby.

In Oktyabrsky District is one of the largest zoos in Russia and Europe, which is home to around five thousand animals. Pervomaisky District attracts with Rostov Sea (Rostovskoye More), an artificial reservoir which provides respite during the warm summer weather in Rostov-on-Don. To the west is Sovetsky District (known locally as Western District), an area famous for its year-round Ice Arena and Church of St. George the Victorious.

Theatergoers will appreciate the playful buildings and varied repertoires of the city’s numerous playhouses. Both Chaliapin and Rachmaninov performed at the opera house, which opened its doors in 1892. The unusual design of Rostov State Musical Theater resembles a white grand piano with an open lid. Gorky Rostov Academic Drama Theater, whose constructivist-style building is reminiscent of the lines of a caterpillar tractor, is rightfully counted among the finest theaters in Russia.

Rostov State Circus, which is more than half a century old, deserves special attention. Unforgettable performances of the legendary magician Igor Kio, famous animal trainer Anatoly Durov and the clowns Nikulin and Karandash have all been staged here over the years. Animal lovers will appreciate Rostov Dolphinarium, where visitors can admire sea animals while becoming familiar with their aquatic environ.

Museum options also abound in Rostov-on-Don. For history buffs, we recommend the Regional Museum of Local Lore, whose halls are filled with exhibits ranging from the Stone Age to modern times. Tour the Rostov Regional Museum of Fine Arts, located in an old, gated mansion, or fulfill your childhood dream in the Museum of Cosmonautics by sitting in a real capsule from the Soyuz spacecraft. To discover unique exhibitions on the origins and development of the brewing business, look no further than the appropriately named Museum of the History of Brewing.

On the outskirts of the city is Liventsovsky Fortress (also called Donskaya Troy), built by North Caucasian tribes almost 19 thousand years ago. One of the most popular sites near Rostov-on-Don is Paramonovsky Warehouses, located on the banks of the Don. The buildings themselves may be in ruins, but the strangely beautiful pools and waterfalls make for great photos. Fans of author Mikhail Sholokhov can visit his hometown, the village of Veshenskaya, which is located four hours from the city by car.

A visit to Central Market, commonly called Old Bazaar, is a must during your tour to Rostov-on-Don. Vendors will invite you to taste their array of pickles, while on the pleasantly surprising fish row you can purchase salted, fried or stewed varieties of the city’s famous Don fish.

While in this port city, be sure to sample two local dishes: authentic Cossack fish soup, which when cooked over the fire retains a delightfully smoky taste, and crayfish cooked with sour cream and red wine, whose flavors are fit for royalty!

Rostov-on-Don Souvenirs

The most popular souvenirs from Rostov-on-Don are items with Don and Cossack themes, which can be easily found in local markets. The city also offers a range of beautiful ceramics and tableware, a great selection of bedding sets made at the city’s famous sewing factories, various drinks from Rostov distilleries and the ever-popular vodka gift sets.

The Don State Public Library

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Pequot Library resides on land that was part of the “Pequot Swamp Fight” (July 13-14, 1637), the last major action of the Pequot War. We honor the Pequot and Sasqua people who were killed, captured, and enslaved by English settlers during this battle. We recognize that the Pequot people were native to what is presently called Mystic, CT; after fleeing a massacre at the hands of the English, they sought refuge with the Sasqua who inhabited this territory, only to be pursued and surrounded here. We acknowledge their connection to this land, past and present, as well as that of the people who were native to this area, including the Sasquas, Uncowas, Maxumux, and Pequonnocks. We seek healing through this acknowledgment and strive to build relationships with Native American and Indigenous communities and nations through program partnerships, academic pursuits, historical recognitions, and community-building efforts.