The Caravan of Thieves band performed tonight at the Westport Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts before a packed crowd. Attendees enjoying a perfect summer evening heard gypsy jazz rhythms, acoustic guitars, upright bass, and violin. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Organizers of the Westport Fine Arts Festival and the annual Westport Library summer book sale today hailed a new collaboration between the two events as a succcess, resulting in more visitors to each. Book sale organizer Mimi Greenlee said tents on Taylor Place (background above) attracted visitors from the arts festival to cross Post Road East to the book sale along with posters at the book sale promoting the festival. She said the library also had a booth at the arts festival promoting the book sale. “One woman who has lived here 40 years told me she had no idea the book sale and arts festival were on the same weekend,” Greenlee said. She said the book sale attracted 4,200 visitors on Saturday compared to 4,000 on the 2016 opening day.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Shoppers check out the books today on the second day of the Westport Library’s annual summer book sale. The sale continues Monday with books at half price. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

The award-winning contemporary drama “Grounded” by George Brant opened tonight at the Westport Country Playhouse. The one-act play starring Elizabeth Stahlmann (l), the play’s sole performer, portrays an F-16 fighter pilot reassigned to directing drone strikes because she is pregnant. After the performance, Stahlmann celebrated with Mark Lamos, Country Playhouse Artistic Director (c), and play director Liz Diamond (r), chair of Yale School of Drama’s Directing Department and resident director at Yale Repertory Theatre. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westport’s Levitt Pavilion rocked tonight with Staples High School nostalgia and 1960s sounds with the Reunion Band. The evening was part of the celebration of the late day Westport screening of the award-winning short documentary “The High School That Rocked” produced by 1971 Staples graduate Fred Cantor. It recalls how six legendary bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame all performed at Staples from 1966-68. Pictured are Mike Mugrage, Rob McClenathan, Brian Keane, and Bonnie Housner Erickson, all members of the Staples class of ’71. Not pictured: Charlie Karp, Bill Sims, Dave Barton, and Julie McClenathanLevitt. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

The Reunion Band made up of Staples High School graduates of the class of 1971 perform tonight at the Levitt Pavilion. The performance followed the earlier screening at Town Hall of the award-winning short documentary “The High School That Rocked” which recalls how six legendary bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame all performed at Staples from 1966-68.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

Mark MacKinnon (c ), a photographer from Wappingers Falls, New York,  today was awarded best in show at the 44th annual Westport Fine Arts Festival. The award was presented at a reception at the Design Within Reach store, 154 Post Road East. Pictured with him are Sue Brown Gordon (l), director of the festival, and Randy Herbertson, board president of the Westport Downtown Merchants Association, sponsor of the festival. MacKinnon, after a career in advertising and commercial photography, has been exhibiting in art shows since 2009. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) J.C. Martin for WestportNow.com

There was a packed Westport Town Hall auditorium today for a screening of “The High School That Rocked!” The award-winning documentary short recalls how six legendary bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame all performed at Staples High School from 1966-68. Following the screening there was a talkback moderated by local author and blogger Dan Woog (r) that included (l-r) Casey Denton, director, Staples ’14; Fred Cantor, producer, Staples ’71, and Dick Sandhaus, Staples ’67 class president. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com