ADD TO CALENDAR

  • BLUEGRASS ON THE GRASS: The talented Lindsey Fyfe will be performing along with Joe Lemeris and Joe DeLillo outside of the Wadsworth Atheneum at 5 PM on October 1, 2020. This is a free acoustic folk show and will no doubt be delightful, but be warned: the museum will not have its restrooms available for attendees. Music lovers are expected to wear their masks like superheroes and maintain at least six feet of physical distance from those not in your crew.
  • FLORIOGRAPHY: Floriography‘s author and illustrator, Jessica Roux, will be giving a virtual talk on the language of flowers. As the Twain House puts it: “Hollyhocks, hydrangeas, geraniums and carnations. What does it all mean? The language of flowers was historically used as a means of secret communication. It soared in popularity during the 19th century, especially in Victorian England and the U.S., when proper etiquette discouraged open displays of emotion.” This begins at 7 PM on October 1, 2020 and is described as an online event.
  • PICNIC IN THE PARK: How this works: pre-order a boxed lunch to be picked up in Bushnell Park and enjoy it outside from 1-4 PM. (If you’re thinking “but October is coooold!”, here’s my advice: instead of dressing to be seen, dress for the season. You’ll be happier in general.) Why this event makes the cut is that this month: minority-owned restaurants are being highlighted. Mofongo Restaurant (Puerto Rican cuisine) on October 10, Banh Meee (Vietnamese-inspired food) on October 17, and Stella’s African Eatery (West African, Caribbean and African American fusion) on October 24; plus, Capitol Ice Cream will supply the dessert for each day. Join the event planner’s mailing list to get ticket information. Bring your own picnic blankets and lawn chairs. Because they actually need to know how much food to prepare, this is not a last minute decision. Get yourself on the list early. 

  • ON EARTH WE’RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS: Ocean Vuong, who grew up in Hartford, wrote a book. The New Yorker describes it like this: “The narrator’s parents, following a rural Vietnamese tradition of naming a child for something so worthless that the evil spirits might pass over the house and spare him, call him Little Dog. Little Dog grows up in Hartford with his traumatized mother and a schizophrenic grandmother. At fourteen, he takes a job picking tobacco on a farm outside Hartford, and begins a fraught relationship with a white boy named Trevor, the grandson of the farm’s owner.” Vuong is receiving the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award for this book at a virtual award ceremony on October 21 at 7 PM. You can hear him read from On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous during this free event. Register online to get the login information. 


  • VISIT THE BONEYARD: Most programming has been cut this year, but there are self-guided tours available for both Cedar Hill Cemetery and the Ancient Burying Ground, and you can just wander at the other ones. There will also be a live action tour at Zion Hill Cemetery later in the month; the details of that are posted on the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford website and they have information about how to register. Because of COVID-19, registration will be required as space is limited. 

 

  • REGISTER TO VOTE: Though you can register any day of the year, if you want to vote in the presidential election on November 3, 2020 you will need to register no later than October 27, 2020. That is the cut-off for in-person registrations. If sending mail, it can’t be postmarked later than that. Maybe just get this done now instead of waiting until the end of the month. Nobody needs Election Day drama or an excuse to get impatient and decide voting is too much trouble.

Check with the venue in advance to confirm location and time, and review what policies guests are expected to follow, such as mask-wearing, etc.

ON A BUDGET

Whether you are newly broke (thanks, pandemic!) or have been here all along (thanks, gig economy!), you still need enriching shit in your life. Here are places you can go for free. Zoom in and click on the name to learn more. This will be routinely updated.

ABOUT: This is a super curated calendar. If I would personally attend an event or suggest it to a friend, then it makes the cut.