Here’s your curated Hartford event calendar for February 2024.


What makes this list? Events that I would either attend or recommend to a good friend. Review events with the host/venue to confirm details have not changed since publication.

ADD TO CALENDAR

  •  AMELIE: First Thursdays are back at the Wadsworth Atheneum, and this month’s movie is Amelie at 7 PM on February 1, 2024. Free.
  • GROUNDHOG DAY: Cinestudio is showing Groundhog Day on February 2 at 7 PM only. Tickets are $10.
  •  OTHER PEOPLE’S POEMS: Read a poem that was written by someone else, or listen to someone else read a poem written by someone else. Reading begins at 7:30 PM on February 2, 2024 at Hartford Flavor Company. Free to attend and participate.
  •  PARASITE: Free screening of Parasite at Cinestudio on February 4, 2024 at 2 PM.
  • THE GARBOLOGISTS: You can see this play at TheaterWorks for most of this month; however, it is Pay What You Want on Wednesday February 7 and 14, both 7:30 PM shows. Call the box office to reserve seats. What they say about this play: “This outside-the-box comedy pairs Danny: a gruff blue-collar NYC sanitation worker hiding a heart of gold, and Marlowe: a determined Ivy-League-educated ‘newbie’ who is assigned to his route. When this unlikely pair is thrown together to pick up what the world has discarded, they unexpectedly find common ground in uncommon times.”
  •  A RAISIN IN THE SUN: Watch the classic film at the Wadsworth Atheneum on February 9-11, 2024 at varied times. Tickets are $7 for Hartford residents.
  •  SINGLES AWARENESS SHOW: At Sea Tea Comedy Theater on February 10, 2024 at 9 PM: “What about people at home with their pajamas and cats, and loving it? Come out tonight to see some improv based off improvisers’ and audience members’ dating stories.” Tickets are $10.
  •  AN EXCLAMATION OF POETS: Six poets — Andrea Barton, Tony Fusco, Ben Grossberg, Anthony Paticchio, Virginia Shreve, and Faith Vicinanza — will be reading at Real Art Ways beginning at 7 PM on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. Free.

  • STOLEN WEALTH OF SLAVERY: Journalist David Montero followed “the trail of the massive wealth amassed by Northern corporations throughout America’s history of enslavement” and then wrote about it. In his book The Stolen Wealth of Slavery “he showcases exactly what was stolen, who stole it, and to whom it is owed, calling for corporate reparations as he details contemporary movements to hold companies accountable for past atrocities.” Listen to this author talk streamed online on February 15, 2024 at 7 PM. Register to get link. Tickets are $5.
  •  HALLMARK VS. LIFETIME IMPROV: Imagine the same title of a movie being interpreted on the spot for these very different genres. It won’t let you down. This show is at 7 PM on Friday, February 16, 2024 at the Sea Tea Comedy Theater. Tickets are $10.
  •  QUEEN OF THE DEUCE: Love when the Hartford Jewish Film Festival shows films in Hartford! This one will be at Real Art Ways on February 17, 2024 at 7 PM and is a documentary about Chelly Wilson who “built a porn cinema empire.” There’s more to it than that, but it feels like that’s enough description for people to decide if it’s what they definitely want to see or stay away from. Tickets are $12.
  • BEAUTYLAND: Listen to a talk with author Marie-Helene Bertino about her recently published book Beautyland, which the Twain House describes: “At the moment when Voyager 1 is launched into space carrying its famous golden record, a baby of unusual perception is born to a single mother in Philadelphia. Adina Giorno is tiny and jaundiced but reaches for warmth and light. As a child, she recognizes that she is different; she also possesses knowledge of a faraway planet. The arrival of a fax machine enables her to contact her extraterrestrial relatives, beings who have sent her to report on the oddities of earthlings. For years, as she moves through the world and makes a life for herself among humans, she dispatches transmissions on the terrors and surprising joys of their existence. But at a precarious moment, a beloved friend urges Adina to share her messages with the world. Is there a chance she is not alone?” Well, is she? This talk will be on February 20, 2024 at 7 PM – streamed online. Tickets are $5. RSVP to get the video link.
  •  LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRAN: The Wadsworth Atheneum is showing The Last Black Man in San Francisco at various times on February 23-24, 2024. They describe the film: “This lyrical and emotionally resonant exploration of friendship, personal and cultural identity, and the evolving landscape of San Francisco introduces us to Jimmy Fails as he embarks on a quest to reclaim his childhood home in a city undergoing rapid gentrification. Through Jimmy’s story, the film paints a vivid portrait of a city in transition and captures the universal yearning for a sense of belonging and a place to call home.” Tickets are $7 for Hartford residents.

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. This was last updated in January 2024:

GETTING TO EVENTS
See CTtransit for bus schedule.
If you would like better bus service, contact CTtransit.
If you would like bicycle parking at a venue, contact that venue directly.
Ask for the kind of world you want to live in.