LYME ART ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATE ARTIST SHOW
Through February 22
Members of the Lyme Art Association will exhibit their works during this 31st annual show. Titled “First Impressions,” the show will feature works exhibited in the association’s Cole, Cooper/Ferry and Caddell galleries in Old Lyme, Connecticut. lymeartassociation.org, 860/434-7802

“Cyclone” evening dress, Jeanne Lanvin (French, 1867–1946) for Lanvin (French, founded 1889) 1939; Gift of Mrs. Harrison Williams, Lady Mendl, and Mrs. Ector Munn, 1946 (C.I.46.4.18a, b); Photo by Anna-Marie Kellen, Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

WOMEN DRESSING WOMEN
Through March 3
Spanning Fashion Week in New York and beyond, this Costume Institute exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan explores the creativity and artistic legacy of 70 women fashion designers from The Met’s permanent collection. The show, featuring women’s wear from 1910 to today, includes designers such as Jeanne Lanvin, Elsa Schiaparelli, Ann Lowe and more. metmuseum.org, 212/535-7710Twiight (1860) by George Inness; Williams College Museum of Art, Gift of Cyrus P. Smith, Class of 1918, in memory of his father, B. Herbert Smith, Class of 1885

GEORGE INNESS: VISIONARY LANDSCAPES
Through June 30
The first salon-style hanging of the 19th-century landscape painter George Inness’ works across a diversity of sizes and genres will be staged at the Montclair Art Museum. Inness’ paintings will fill the walls of the New Jersey museum’s galleries from floor to ceiling in an exhibit that presents a number of Innes’ works that have rarely been viewed by the public. montclairartmuseum.org, 973/746-5555

LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO
February 27
The all-male Trocks dance troupe, which got its start in the mid-1970s and achieved counterculture and popular fame by performing on late-night TV and in Manhattan lofts, brings a humorous take on ballet and modern dance to the Garde Arts Center in New London, Connecticut. gardearts.org, 860/444-7373

The theme of this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show is “United by  Flowers”; Photo courtesy of PHLCVB.

PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW
March 2–10
For its many fans, the nation’s largest and longest-running horticultural event is the first sign of spring. This year’s show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia brings flowers, greenery, garden inspiration and the promise of bountiful beauty to come. phsonline.org

ITZHAK PERLMAN IN RECITAL
March 16
Virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman joins the Hartford Symphony Orchestra for a two-hour performance at the William H. Mortensen Hall at Hartford, Connecticut’s Bushnell Performing Arts Center. The show will feature accompaniment by Rohan De Silva on piano. bushnell.org, 860/987-5900

GARDEN STATE FILM FESTIVAL
March 21–24
Parties, screenwriting competitions, film screenings and a gala awards ceremony are highlights of this annual film festival staged in Asbury Park and Cranford, New Jersey. Venues include the historic Cranford Theater, Jersey Shore Arts Center and the Showroom Cinema. gsff.org, 877/908-7050

Few places in the region are as lovely to visit in spring as the 1,000-acre Longwood Gardens, awash in the colors of spring; Courtesy of Longwood Gardens.

SPRING BLOOMS AT LONGWOOD GARDENS
March 30–May 5
The first buds of spring are harbingers of this colorful annual celebration at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, highlighted by the eruption of magnolia blossoms in April, Flower Garden Walk and Peirce's Woods displays in April and May, and the blooming of the Wisteria Garden in May. longwoodgardens.org, 610/388-1000

GAMER CON
April 6–7
Gamers will gather for competitions, concerts, cosplay and collectible sales at this two-day convention at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Video, tabletop, collectible card, board and arcade gamers are welcome; the Sunday event is geared toward younger players. ctgamercon.com

You’ll be amazed at Brick Fest Live to see what some people can build with LEGOs and other building bricks; photo by Ypiyush22, Wikimedia Commons.

BRICK FEST LIVE
April 20–21
Amazing creations made from LEGOs and other creative bricks highlight this show at the New Jersey Convention & Expo Center in Edison, which also includes hands-on building opportunities, a giant brick pit for kids to dive into and a derby race featuring handmade vehicles. brickfestlive.com

Shad return each year to the Delaware River to spawn, and each year, the town of Lambertville hosts a festival in celebration—for people, that is; Photo by Brian Gratwicke, Flickr.

LAMBERTVILLE SHAD FESTIVAL
April 20–21
This annual event celebrates the largest member of the herring family, which returns to the Delaware River each spring to spawn. Held in downtown Lambertville, New Jersey, the festival features live music, shopping and lots of local food, including fried, baked and smoked shad, of course. shadfest.com, 609/397-0055.

The Connecticut Sheep, Wool & Fiber Festival features is an agricultural and learning experience for shepherds, fiber enthusiasts and the public; photo by Nena Terrell/USAID, Flickr.

CONNECTICUT SHEEP, WOOL & FIBER FESTIVAL
April 27
Sheep exhibits, vendors selling sheep and wool products, educational seminars and weaving demonstrations are all part of this annual festival at the North Haven Fairgrounds sponsored by the Connecticut Sheep Breeders Association. ctsheep.com