Here’s your curated Hartford event calendar for April 2023

What makes this list? Events that I would either attend or recommend to a good friend.
Check with each venue for information about Covid protection procedures and to verify that an event is still happening.

ADD TO CALENDAR 

  • DRAG SAVES LIVES: Visit Chez Est for a drag show that benefits suicide prevention. Doors open on April 1, 2023 at 7:30; show begins at 9 PM. Tickets are $15. This is ages 21+ only. Sorry, there is no bus service on Wethersfield Avenue at this time of night.
  • LA MANIPLESA: Watch  La Maniplesa at the Hartford Public Library’s Park Branch (Park & Broad) on April 2, 2023 from 10 AM – 1 PM. After the film, there will be a Q&A with the producer, director, and others, and after that, a spoken word performance and workshop by Sami Miranda. This screening is free and open to the public, and is taking place as part of the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival. Bike parking is by the library entrance; take the 31 or 33 bus.
  • DREAMY STUDIO SALE: Art, books, and vinyl for sale at 202 Laurel Street on April 2, 2023, from 12-3 PM. This is a short walk from the Sigourney Street CTfastrak station, the 69 bus, and all Farmington Avenue buses.
  • HIP HOP CONCERT: The main draw, at least in my mind, of the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival is its evening concert. It starts on April 2, 2023 at 10 PM and goes until the wee hours of morning. This year’s lineup: Bocafloja, Riq LaFlaree, Hydro, The Lost Tribe, Zee Santiago, Dumiright, DJ Boo, Minister Server, and Dave East (Headliner). This is in Mather Hall on Trinity College’s campus. It’s free and open to the public; proof of vaccination, presumably for Covid, is required at this indoor event. There are bike racks near building; take the 37, 39, 41, or 61 bus to get there, but bus service stops well before the concert ends.

  • DRAG RACE WATCH PARTY: Every Friday night this month, come to The Local in Parkville Market to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, 7:30-9:30. Pre-show activities (Bingo, dance competition) begin at 6:30. There is bicycle parking outside of the building’s northeast corner; take the 31, 33, 101, 102, 121 or 128 buses
  • CAKE POPS: Learn how to make cake pops at the Camp Field Branch of the Hartford Public Library on April 14 2023 at 11 AM. This class is for adults and is free, but register. Nobody wants to run out of baking supplies. Bike rack is by the library entrance; take the 43 bus, or if you don’t mind walking a few blocks, the 47.
  • WHEN TIME GOT LOUDER: There are two chances to see this at the Wadsworth Atheneum, with a virtual Q&A with director and writer Connie Cocchia following the film. The museum describes the movie: “Don’t miss this coming-of-age drama following Abbie (Willow Shields) as she departs for college, leaving her parents, Mark (Lochlyn Munro) and Tish (Elizabeth Mitchell), and her brother, Kayden (Jonathan Simao), who has a non-verbal form of autism. As she explores her independence, Abbie is torn between her new life and the guilt of leaving her brother—as her family struggles to care for him in her absence. When Time Got Louder is a story of a family’s resilience and unconditional love.” The first screening is on April 15, 2023, and the second is on April 16, 2023; both begin at 2 PM. Tickets are $9 with some discounts. Bicycle parking options seem to be to park in front of City Hall or use a nearby lamp post. Or wheel inside and ask what they suggest. Almost any bus destined for downtown Hartford is a short walk.
  • SLOW ART DAY: Clare Gallery is taking part in Slow Art Day, where visitors can look — slowly — at Roberta Shea’s “Old Growth” exhibit. Register to participate in this free event on April 15, 2023, from 3-4 PM, or visit Clare Gallery another time. The 62, 66, and 76 stop directly outside building. This is a short walk from Union Station and from the major downtown bus stops.
  • GAMER DRAG: Thomas Hooker Live is hosting a “gamer edition” of Drag Brunch on April 16, 2023 at 11 AM. The $35 ticket includes buffet and the show. This is a 21+ event. I don’t know that there is bike parking here, which is strange since they serve alcohol. Sorry, but CTtransit does not provide service to this part of town on Sundays.
  • CHUTZPAH: A night of klezmer and comedy at the Charter Oak Cultural Center. Tickets are $20, but nobody will be turned away for lack of funds, but there is a cut-off date for online ticket sales so don’t wait until the last minute. The performance begins at 6:30 PM on April 16, 2023. Take the 31 and 33 (37, 39, 41, 47 can get you there, but not back because CTtransit decided we don’t deserve nice things like late Sunday service)
  • MUST LOVE TREES: View a Zoom webinar conversation with Tobin Mitnick, author of Must Love Trees on April 18, 2023 at 7 PM. There’s a $5 fee to “attend.”
  • SCIENCE ON SCREEN: Listen to a pre-film talk by Dr. Steven Nathan at 6:30 PM and then watch The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind at Real Art Ways on April 19, 2023. Tickets are $12 with some discounts. Bike parking is located by the entrance; take the 31, 33, 69, 101, 102, 121 or 128 buses (all less than a 5-minute walk from venue)
  • POPE PARK CLEAN UP: Meet at Pope Park West (on Pope Park Hwy #4) on April 22, 2023 to pick up trash in the park from 11 AM – 2 PM. If you have your own gloves and trash grabber, bring them; if not, at least gloves, bucket, and trash bags will be provided.  Register here. There is no bicycle parking in this park, but there is a fence you can lock up to; take the 31, 33, 101, 102, 121 or 128 buses – note that this is one of the most shameful roads in Hartford, as the city does not have sidewalks connecting to the park. If this feels ridiculous to you also, let 311 know.
  • FLASHDANCE: Celebrate 40 years of Flashdance at Cinestudio. There are several chances to view, with the first being on April 26, 2023 at 7 PM. Tickets are $13 with some discounts. There are bike racks near the Cinestudio entrance; take the 37, 39, 41, or 61 bus to get there, but check schedule as some might stop running before the movie is over.

Including only information about bicycle parking and bus access is intentional and I hope jarring to those used to only thinking about where they can store their cars. I have done my best to include only buses operating on the day and time of event, but schedules change and it’s good practice to check the official CTtransit site (do not Google a schedule — outdated information floats around the Internet) before embarking on a new route. If you are a reader who finds yourself thinking or saying “I would take the bus but it doesn’t [insert whatever issue the bus presents, real or imagined],” then your mission this month is to take that complaint to CTtransit. Someone with the privilege of access to a private vehicle remaining quiet does no favors for anyone when it comes to improving bus service for everyone.

CULTURAL ASSETS
For ongoing free education, entertainment, public art, and resources — like 24/7 food pantries and libraries — check out this map. Zoom in and click on the icons for more information. More sites have been added since February.