Theater:
A Grand Night For Singing celebrates over 30 hit songs from all your musical treasures like Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Carousel, The King and I, Cinderella and more. It's the perfect welcome home to Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam and runs now through November 28th. Call the Box Office for Tickets 860-873-8668. www.goodspeed.org
Hartford Stage, offers Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O’Neill’s only full-length comedy, Ah, Wilderness! running now through November 7 at the Tony Award-winning theatre in downtown Hartford.
O’Neill’s Connecticut-set comedy, Ah, Wilderness!, is a play full of heart and wit that celebrates family and community. Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm; Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm; Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm; with select weekday matinees at 2pm. Hartford Stage is located at 50 Church Street in downtown Hartford. Tickets start at $30, and are on sale now at www.HartfordStage.org or 860-527-5151.
TheaterWorks Hartford and ViDCo are thrilled to present Someone Else’s House, “a frightening digital coup-de-theatre” (The New York Times) from Obie-winning writer and performer Jared Mezzocchi, director Margot Bordelon, and creative producer Elizabeth Williamson. Running online now through Sunday, this live virtual experience centers on Mezzocchi’s frightening, true-life haunting inside his family’s 200-year-old New England house. Tickets are now on sale at www.twhartford.org
Events:
The beer is back!!! The 2021 SMALL STATE GREAT BEER Festival presented by Powerstation Events is coming to Dillon Stadium this Saturday! Sip on unlimited tastings from Connecticut's top breweries, cideries, and distilleries, enjoy live music, and explore the best food trucks around. www.smallstategreatbeer.com
Halloween Attractions:
Netherworld Experience at Curiopoium, 1429 Park St, Hartford Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October at 6 & 8pm. Admission $60. www.curioporium.com ; Evidence of Evil, Lyman Orchards, South Street in Middlefield Friday, Saturday and Sunday from dusk till 10pm through Sunday. Admission is $25 sold online only. The event is more light hearted than past years and benefits St. Jude's Children's Hospital. www.lymanorchards.com/events.evidence-of-evil-haunted-attraction-at-lyman-orchards/ ; Fright Haven, 411 Barnum Ave across from Home Depot delivers scares on Fridays and Saturdays 7-midnight and Sunday 7 to 10pm through Sunday. Admission $25-$60. www.frighthaven.com ; Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours at the Mark Twain House and Musuem, 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford Friday and Saturday in October with tours at 6, 7, 8 & 9pm. Adults $26. Ages 1-16 $18. www.marktwainhouse.org/admission ; Mystic Moonlight Graveyard Ghost Tours every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday in October at 7pm. $20. www.seasideshadows.com/tickets ; Terror at Quassy Amusement Park, 2132 Middlebury Road, Middlebury will be every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Sunday from 6 to 11pm. $10 for parking. Admission $29.99. www.quassy.com ; Rails to the Darkside, Connecticut Trolley Museum, 58 North Road, East Windsor every Friday and Saturday in October at 7pm. $20 General Admission. $10 Members. www.ct-trolley.org/events/rails-to-the-darkside/ ; Nightmare Acres: A Nomad's Outdoor Adventure Haunted Attraction, 240 Governors Hwy, South Windsor weekends in October plus November 5th & 6th. Admission $20. www.nightmareacresct.com ; Lake Compounce offers the Family Friendly “Happy Hauntings” Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 6pm in October. Guests can expect delicious Halloween treats, two hay mazes, plenty of photo opportunities and a fully decorated, fall-themed park. Lake Compounce will also have a variety of rides open for all ages to enjoy, including Boulder Dash, Phobia Phear Coaster, American Flyers, Compounce Railway, Kiddie Land and more. The 55th consecutive season for "The Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum" has begun! Open every weekend evening Fri. thru Sun. 6pm to 9pm at their new location - 103 East Main Street in Plainville. Donation - adults - $9.00, children under 12 - $4.00 - cash only. They have added a gallery of vintage classic horror/sci-fi movie posters from the 1920's to the 1960's and expanded their guided Wax Museum tour with new sets including "The Invisible Man" and a teleportation device for "The Fly". There are also embellishments to the Lon Chaney "Phantom Of The Opera" set. And new displays in the movie makeup & prop room. 860-583-8306 or www.preservehollywood.org ; Halloween on the Hill is back Saturday from 12 to 4 pm at the Hillstead Museum in Farmington. Celebrate All Hallows' Eve with this spirited adventure is guaranteed to keep kids and adults entertained while trick-or-treating on Hill-Stead's grounds. Our unique Halloween setup, including socially-distanced paths to numerous candy chute stations for touch-less treat delivery, strives to keep our community safe while still having fun. Make sure to bring your spookiest costume to match the spooky displays that friends and local businesses will create to decorate their stations. www.hillstead.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/halloween-on-the-hill
Mohegan Sun has opened a new attraction - Sunshine Video is a horror-themed escape room created for the brave and bold. Open now through November 7th, guests are invited to go back in time to 1984 and find a way to successfully escape the Sunshine Slasher. Sunshine Video will be open Wednesday – Sunday from Noon – 9pm, and from 11:00am – 11:00pm on Sunday, October 31st. Guests must be 21 and older to participate. Please note, this experience contains strobe lighting effects, theatrical fog/haze, sudden loud noises and scenes of violence.
Friday join the Urban League of Greater Hartford, 140 Woodland Street (corner of Woodland St and Sargeant St) for their 2nd Annual “Trunk or Treat” Halloween event from 4 to 6pm. This fun, free outdoor event will feature community organizations, businesses, and individuals safely distributing prepackaged candy and treats from decorated cars and booths in a tailgate-style. Enjoy a DJ, Double-Dutch jump rope demonstrations, children’s books giveaway, arts & crafts, selfie photo opportunities, and a variety of prizes. Attendees are invited to come in costume, and there will be a 5 p.m. costume parade for all ages. Local performing artist Versatile Poetiq will be the event’s emcee. Free, No-appointment Vaccines and Boosters available. Free handwipes, hand sanitizers and masks will be dispersed at the event, as well as fresh produce grown in the Urban League of Greater Hartford’s indoor Aeroponic Garden. Masks should be worn throughout the event (masks also will be available for those who need), and COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed. Children ages 12 and under should be accompanied by an adult. No advance registration is needed. Attendees are encouraged to bring a canned or packaged nonperishable food item that will be distributed in the community.
Ready for Fall Apple Picking? Johnny Appleseeds in Ellington is open daily 9am to 5pm www.johnnysppleseefarmct.com; Irish Bend Orchard in Somers is open Fridays thru Sundays 9am to 5pm. www.irishbendorchards.com; Rogers Orchards in Southington is open Fridays thru Sundays 10am to 5pm. www.rogersorchard.com; Karabin Farms in Southington is open Fridays thru Sundays 9am to 5pm. www.karabinfarms.com; Belltown Orchards in Glastonbury is open daily 9am to 5pm and offers pick-your-own-apples! www.belltownorchards.com; In North Granby, Lost Acres Orchard is the place to be Weekends 10am to 4pm. www.lostacres.com; Roses's Berry Farm in Glastonbury is open Saturday 8am to 5pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm. www.rosesberryfarm.com; Blue Hills Orchard in Wallingford is open Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 3pm. www.bluehillsorchard.com; Easy Pickin's Orchard in Enfield is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9am to noon, Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 6:30pm and weekends 9am to 5pm www.easypickinsorchard.com; Scott's Orchard and Nursery in Glastonbury is open daily 8am to 4pm. www.scottsorchardandnursery.com; Lyman Orchard in Middlefield is open daily 9am to 5pm. www.lymanorchards.com
Come Ride the Bushnell Park Carousel Saturdays 12-5pm and Sundays 12-4pm. The Bushnell Park Foundation and City of Hartford will be offering rides on this beautiful gem of a merry-go-round. Rides are $2 per person. Children and adults of all ages are welcome. We will be following all mask and social distancing guidelines required by the City of Hartford, which includes wearing a mask inside the pavilion. www.bushnellpark.org On Sunday at noon K La Rue Arts in Motion will offer an interactive performance at the Bushnell Carousel... and enjoy free rides and popcorn until 5pm! Costumes for the kids are encouraged and tours of the Arch will be offered from 1-2:30pm. The event is sponsored by Connecticut State Department of Education’s Regional School Choice Office.
The New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks hosts the Flights of Fun Family Programs offering social distanced activities for families on Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 4pm including Flight Science Demonstrations, the Investigation Station, and take-home versions of our popular Build and Fly Challenges. Additional activities include QR Code Tours, Scavenger Hunts, and opportunities for visitors to peek inside select aircraft cockpits. All programs are included with general admission. Limited Capacity and Covid-19 safety measures are in place. Please visit www.NEAM.org before you go!
The New England Carousel Museum and Museum of Fire History, 95 Riverside Avenue, Bristol are open to the public and offer free FREE general admission to visitors that live in the cities of Bristol and Burlington through December 31, 2021. General admission includes guided tours at noon and 2:00 PM during public hours and one carousel ride per person. Additional carousel rides are $1 each or $3 for an unlimited ride bracelet. Presently masks are required for all visitors over the age of 2. Other towns may make a reservation online or visit the Museum for ticket prices and special events. www.thecarouselmuseum.org
Take a Fall Hike from Giuffrida Park to Chauncey Peak in Meriden along the Mattabesett Trail to enjoy marvelous views atop the state’s famous traprock ridges. Or there’s Campbell Falls State Park in Norfolk, where you can hike to see a 50-foot waterfall. The waterfall at this park features a rugged form that is not often found in New England. And Bluff Point State Park in Groton, is great place to hike along the Long Island Sound. Hikers can enjoy both wooded trails mixed with spectacular views of the water and maybe even spot some wildlife along the way. And don’t forget Talcott Mountain State Park in Simsbury, where you can hike to the famous 165-foot Heublein Tower and look out to see amazing views of New Hampshire, the Berkshires and parts of Long Island Sound.