FRIDAY, OCT. 24
BRISTOL
WINE TASTING AND DANCING FEATURING EIGHT TO THE BAR. 7 to 8:15 p.m., wine and ale tastings, networking, appetizers, and carousel rides. 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., music, wine and ale for sale by glass. Hosted by Team New Horizons, an official charity of the Northeast Utilities Hartford Marathon. Funds raised will be applied to purchase an ultrasound device used to prevent more invasive procedures. New England Carousel Museum, 95 Riverside Ave., Bristol.
OTHER
LIQUID LOUNGE: TRICK OR TREAT. HALLOWEEN EDITION. 6 to 10 p.m. Three floors of exhibits, liquid delights, live music, dancing, and more. Costumes encouraged. Prizes awarded. Connecticut Science Center, 250 Columbus Blvd., Hartford. $15 in advance, $18 at the door. 21-plus event. IDs required. (860) SCIENCE, www.CTScienceCenter.org
AN EVENING WITH NOAM CHOMSKY IN CONVERSATION WITH COLIN MCENROE. 7 p.m. Linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, logician, political commentator, activist. Mark Twain House, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford. $30 for general public, $25 for members. (860) 280-3130. MarkTwainHouse.org
OCT. 24-26
BRISTOL
WITCH’S DUNGEON. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 7 to 10 p.m. Life size wax museum, original movie props, classic horror film showings. Bristol Historical Society, 98 Summer St., Bristol. Benefits the Bristol Historical Society and The Witch’s Dungeon, nonprofit organizations. $5. All ages. PreserveHollywood.org
OCT. 24, 25, 30, NOV. 1
OTHER
GRAVEYARD SHIFT GHOST TOURS. Held by Mark Twain House and Museum. 6, 7, 8, and 9 p.m. Mark Twain House and Museum, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford. $22 for adults, $17 for members, $15 for children age 16 and under (recommended ages 10 and up). (860) 280-3130, MarkTwainHouse.org.
SATURDAY, OCT. 25
BRISTOL
2014 FALL SOCIAL. Presented by the West End Association. 6 to 8:30 p.m., wine and beer tasting, food by Martino’s Italian Market and Restaurant. 8:30 to 10 p.m., dessert buffet by Shop Rite bakery, tea service by Artist Tree Tea House. Live music, raffle prizes. Indian Rock Nature Center’s Fuller F. Barnes Building, 50 Wolcott Rd., Bristol. $35 per person. Tickets at Indian Rock Nature Center, Martino’s Italian Market and Restaurant, South Side Meat Market, Hamelin and Sons, West End Café. Proceeds benefit the Indian Rock Nature Center and the West End Association’s Veteran’s Remodeling Program.
PLAINVILLE
CONNECTICUT STATE BUTTON SOCIETY MEETING. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Program on Dragon Buttons presented at 1 p.m. by Jane Covell. Grace Lutheran Church, 222 Farmington Ave., Route 10, Plainville. Coffee, dessert. Walk-ins welcome. ConnecticutStateButtonSociety.org
PLAINVILLE TOWN COMMITTEE ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE. Benefits the Plainville Community Food Pantry. Gnazzo’s, 73 East St., Plainville. The town committee will kick off the food drive two days earlier by asking members to bring items to the Thursday, Oct. 23 meeting at Plainville Democratic headquarters.
OTHER
CT ROLLERGIRLS DASH AND SMASH 5K. 7 to 11 a.m. Kids race at 8 a.m. All-ages 5K at 8:15 a.m. Also skating demonstrations and presentations by race vendors and sponsors. East Shore Park, New Haven. $25 for adults 18 and up. $20 for youths 17 and under. Pre-register at Active.com
AUTHOR BEVERLY JENKINS. 2 p.m. Book discussion and signing by the noted romance author. Mattatuck Museum, 144 West Main St., Waterbury. Register. InformationDesk@MattatuckMuseum.org. (203) 753-0381 ext. 130.
OCT. 24-25
BRISTOL
CRAFT FAIR. Held by the Bristol Senior Center. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m on Friday and Saturday.Senior center crafters as well as outside crafters will be on hand displaying their wares with a variety of items for sale. Prize drawing. Coffee shop, serving breakfast lunch. Bristol Senior Center, 240 Stafford Ave., Brstol. (860) 584-7895.
SUNDAY, OCT. 26
OTHER
SINGLES WALK AND LUNCH. 11 a.m. Held by Social Connections. West Hartford Reservoir, Route 4, Farmington. No charge. (860) 582-8229.
DINNER AND ORCHID AUCTION. Held by the Nutmeg State Orchid Society. 6 p.m. Orchids and gift baskets auctioned off. Cocktail hour. Dinner with an antipasto station, pasta station, salad, chicken marsala, breads, and desserts. Coffee, tea, white and red wines, and soda. Cash bar. Tunxis Plantation Country Club, 87 Town Farm Rd., Farmington. Members, $25 per pair of tickets, $15 each. Auction only admission, $10. Auction begins at 8 p.m. No tickets at the door. myhalik@comcast.net, (860) 677-0504.
NBMAA COMMUNITY DAY: CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF DIRECTOR DOUGLAS HYLAND. 1 p.m., guided tour. 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., discussion on “Innovation and Inspiration: Revolutionary Transformations in American Art of the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. Hyland became the museum’s fifth director in October 1999 overseeing expansion of the museum, and doubling exhibitions and endowments. 15 artful activities. Art stations inspired by past and current exhibitions. Guided tours. Meet with NEW/ NOW artist Bob Gregson in his gallery. Participate in a quilt show. New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington St., New Britain. NBMAA.org
FILL UP A PLASTIC GROCERY BAG FULL OF BOOKS. 1 to 4 p.m. $5 each. Wolcott Library, 469 Bound Line Rd., Wolcott. (203) 879-8110.
BRISTOL
FORESTVILLE PUMPKIN FESTIVAL. 4 to 7:30 p.m. Games, activities, children’s costume parade, pet costume parade, carved pumpkin and scarecrow contests, vendors, more. Register your carved pumpkin or scarecrow between 3 to 4:30 p.m. for judging. Scarecrow cash prices of $50, $25. Entry rules available in Nuchie’s lobby. Each carved pumpkin will be judged Spooky, Funny, Creative or Original and be entered into a gift-card drawing. Late entries will not be judged. Children’s Costume Parade begins at 5 p.m. from Forestville Manross Library, Central Street. Pet costume parade begins at 5:30 p.m. from Simply Hair. Pumpkin illumination is at dusk. Awards presented by Forestville Village Association. Central Square, Forestville. Free. No rain date.
OCT. 27-NOV. 24
PLAINVILLE
WRITER GROUP. 6 to 8 p.m. Led by Chuck Radda, a retired Plainville High School teacher and author. Radda recently started a publishing company, Lefora, with two friends. Purpose of the course is not to instruct people how to write, but instead to work with those who want to polish the skills they already have and provide an atmosphere for them to do so. There will be no lessons so much as there will be writing practices. Plainville Public Library, 56 East Main St., Plainville. $10 to attend all five sessions. Payable upon registration at the library. Group limited to college age writers. (860) 793-1446.
TUESDAY, OCT. 28
PLAINVILLE
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMS. 1 p.m. Join detective sergeant Nicholas Mullins and detective Evelyn Rodriguez for a public informational meeting that will address the common and recent scams that people may fall victim to. Learn what to do if you fall victim to a scam, prevention measures you can take to protect your identity, and much more. No cost. Open to the public. Plainville Senior Center, 56 East St., Plainville. (860) 747-5728.
PREPARING FOR LONG-TERM CARE. 6 p.m. Hosted by Thrivent Financial. Presented by Aldo Pantano, a representative from the Connecticut Partnership for Long Term Care with the state Office of Policy and Management. Attendees will be encouraged to learn more about long-term care and how they and their family can prepare for it. Free. Open to the public. Dinner will be served. Thrivent is represented in Bristol by Julia Weston and Keith Weston. (860) 261-7562.
SOUTHINGTON
LEARN TO FIND YOUR FAMILY ROOTS WITH THE FAMILY HISTORY CENTER. 7:30 p.m. The Southington Genealogical Society will provide an outline of services, assistance, and resources available to the public at the Family History Center in the research and study of genealogy and family history. The Orchards at Southington, second floor community room, 34 Hobart St., Southington. Free. No obligation to become a member.
OTHER
JOURNEY INTO THE PARANORMAL. 7 p.m. With Adam Shefts of the Northeast Paranormal Investigations Society. Main Library, 6 Monteith Dr., Farmington. (860) 673-6791. Free. Register. FarmingtonLibraries.org
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29
BRISTOL
BRISTOL REPUBLICAN TOWN COMMITTEE CHICKEN AND PASTA SUPPER TO MEET THE LOCAL CANDIDATES. 5:30 to 7 p.m. Nuchie’s Restaurant, 164 Center St., Forestville. $20 per person. RSVP by Oct. 27. Bristol Republican Town Committee, P.O. Box 1893, Bristol, CT 06010.
SOUTHINGTON
FREE ART DEMONSTRATION. Sponsored by Southington Arts and Crafts Association. 7 p.m. Bivenne Staiger will be doing a watercolor painting demonstration following a 6:30 p.m. meeting. Orchards Community Room, 34 Hobart St., Southington. Public invited.
THURSDAY, OCT. 30
BRISTOL
CC WRITERS LOCAL AUTHOR SHOWCASE. 6:30 p.m. Meeting and supporting local independent authors, book tables book signings, special readings from each author. Featured authors, Dawn Leger, Chuck Radda, David Fortier, and Frank DeFrancesco. No charge. Bristol Public Library, 5 High St., Bristol Register. (860) 584-7787, ext. 2023. Refreshments courtesy of the Friends of Bristol Public Library.
OTHER
RITUAL SUBSTITUTIONS. THEORIES OF RITUAL FROM CLASSICAL CHINA. 4:30 p.m. Center for East Asian Studies, 343 Washington Terrace, Middletown. (860) 685-2330.
FRIDAY, OCT. 31
BRISTOL
HALLOWEEN PARTY. 9 p.m. With Soul Sound Revue, the state’s number one dance and show band. Bristol Polish Club, 541 North Main St., Bristol. Cover charge. Bring your own snacks.
OCTOBER
BRISTOL
MUMS FOR SALE. Throughout October. Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Growing Center at Bristol Adult Resource Center, 621 Jerome Ave., Bristol. Fall colors, dozens to choose from. House plants also available.
OCTOBER
SOUTHINGTON
PUMPKIN PATCH 2014. Mondays to Fridays, 2 to 7 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pumpkins for sale to benefit Bread for Life, and Navajo nation. Pumpkin Patch at St. Paul’s, 145 Main St., Southington. (860) 628-8466.
SATURDAY, NOV. 1
OTHER
SINGLES MOVIE EVENING. Sponsored by Social Connections. 6:30 p.m., meet in the lobby. Starplex Cinema, 19 Frontage Rd., Berlin. Everyone decides what movie to see. Afterward, go out for refreshments. (860) 582-8229.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5
BRISTOL
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS BREAKFAST. 7:30 a.m., registration. 8 a.m., breakfast followed by program and Q&A. Speaker, John Skipper, president of ESPN and co-chair of Disney Media Networks. Topic: ESPN—The Growth and Relationship in Bristol. Held by the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce. $25 per person. $250 for table of eight. DoubleTree by Hilton, 42 Century Dr., Bristol. CentralCTChambers.org
THURSDAY, NOV. 6
SOUTHINGTON
KELLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTO SHOPPING NIGHT. 6 to 8 p.m. Public is invited to join Kelley School in a unique shopping event, get ready to start your holiday shopping. Kelley Elementary School, 501 Ridgewood Rd., Southington. $2 entry fee person, includes two door prize entries.
NOV. 7-8
PLAINVILLE
CHRISTMAS BOUTIQUE AND CRAFT FAIR. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Crafters wanted. Our Lady of Mercy, 19 S. Canal St., Plainville. (860) 747-6825.
SATURDAY, NOV. 8
OTHER
10TH ANNUAL SHOPPER’S DELIGHT AND CHRISTMAS BAZAAR. Vendors sought. Held by St. Bridget Guild of Cheshire in the parish hall. Fund raiser for scholarships. (203) 272-2650.
BRISTOL
AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARIES CRAFT FAIR. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Local crafters, vendors, offering a large selection for shopping needs. Jewelry, soaps, knitted/ crocheted items, survival bracelets for men/ women/ children, gift ideas. American Legion Post 2, 22 Hooker Ct., Bristol. (860) 508-7868, ALAunit2ct@gmail.com
SOUTHINGTON
FOURTH ANNUAL FAIR OF THE FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH. 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 30 craft/vendor tables, bake sale, table raffles, door prizes, food, and drink and Martin Luther Pulled Pork sandwiches. First Lutheran Church, 232 Bristol St., Southington. Free.
FRIDAY, NOV. 14
PLAINVILLE
5TH ANNUAL TIP A MAN IN UNIFORM. Held by the Plainville Chamber of Commerce. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dinner, music provided by BBPRO, MC Nick Scata, 50/50, door prize. Enjoy a dinner served by the local men in uniform. You can tip them to sing or dance, get you a cup of coffee, do push-ups, be creative. Portion of funds donated to the Plainville Food Pantry. Capri Ristorante, 161-38 Woodford Ave., Plainville. Send check made out to the Plainville Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box C, Plainville, CT 06062. Include name, phone number, number of tickets. (860) 747-6867, PLVChamber@snet.net
SATURDAY, NOV. 15
PLAINVILLE
THE 40TH REUNION OF THE PLAINVILLE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1974. 7 to 11 p.m. Updating class list. Hawk’s Landing Country Club, Southington. Contact Bonnie West Mazurek, (860) 747-6483, Barbara Aivaz Willard, (860) 747-8989, PlainvilleClassof74@gmail.com
OTHER
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR VENDORS SOUGHT. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Union Congregational Church, 167 Buckingham St., Oakville. (203) 721-5032.
NOV. 21-22
BRISTOL
ANNUAL YANKEE PEDDLAR FAIR. Crafters and vendors wanted. Asbury United Methodist Church, 90 Church Ave., Forestville. (860) 584-0529.
SATURDAY, NOV. 22
OTHER
HOLIDAY FAIR VENDORS SOUGHT. Eight foot table is $35. Avon Health Center, Avon. (860) 673-2521.
SATURDAY, DEC. 6
BRISTOL
ST. MATTHEW SCHOOL ANNUAL CRAFT/ VENDOR SHOW. 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Crafters sought. St. Matthew School, Forestville. (860)583-5214.
PLAINVILLE
BUS TRIP TO WRENTHAM PREMIUM OUTLET MALL IN MASSACHUSETTS. Held by The Woman’s Club of Plainville, Inc. Leave the Plainville Public Library at 8 a.m. and return to the library by 6:30 p.m. Transportation to and from Wrentham Premium Outlet Mall, the tip for the driver, bus bingo, raffle prizes, morning and afternoon light snacks, bottled water, a DVD movie shown during the return trip to Plainville, and throughout the day, storage will be made available under the bus for your purchases. $35. Purchase tickets by making checks payable to the Woman’s Club of Plainville. Including your name and phone number, the number of tickets. Mail to Linda Roche, P.O. Box 295 Plainville, CT 06062.
NOW thru JAN. 4, 2015
OTHER
‘FROHAWK TWO FEATURES/ MATRIX 170.’ Art exhibition. Wadsworth Atheneum, 600 to Main St., Hartford. TheWadsworth.org
NOW thru OCT. 26
OTHER
ART LEAGUE OF NEW BRITAIN JURIED SHOW. Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. The Art League of New Britain, 30 Cedar St., New Britain. (860) 229-1484.
NOW thru JAN. 4
OTHER
TWO ART EXHIBITS. “Steven Rockefeller: A Park Bench View,” “Nathaniel Donnett: Alone In My Four Cornered Room.” Mattatuck Museum, 144 West Main St., Waterbury. (203) 753-0381. MattatuckMuseum.org
NOW thru OCT. 30
SOUTHINGTON
ARTISTS JOAN SHACKFORD AND KERRY HEIDENIS. Community Room, The Gallery at The Orchards, second floor, 34 Hobart St., Southington. (860) 628-5656, SouthingtonOrchards.org
NOW thru JAN. 11, 2015
OTHER
‘NELSON AUGUSTUS MOORE: CONNECTICUT, WATER, HILLS AND SKY.’ From the collection of Todd and Marenda Stitzer. Features paintings and photographs by Moore, a 19th century American landscape artist who captured images of his hometown Kensington. New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington St., New Britain. NBMAA.org
NOW thru DEC. 5
OTHER
‘NOT OF THIS WORLD.’ Art exhibition. Discover the hidden stories of East Asia’s religion and folklore. College of East Asian Studies, 343 Washington Terrace, Middletown. Wesleyan.ed/ceas/exhibitions/not_of_this_world.htm. (860) 685-2330.
NOW thru OCT. 26
OTHER
‘SPACE TO MANEUVER.’ Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m .to 5 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. NEW/NOW artist Bob Gregson and his participatory exhibition. The artist harnesses humor to gently draw people into his sculptures and installations and provides opportunities for interactions. New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington St., New Britain. $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 for students, free for children under 12. Free admission on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. NBMAA.org
NOW thru OCT. 25
OTHER
‘GEOGRAPHIES OF THE MIND: THE WORK OF JOE GOODWIN AND GEOFFREY DETRANI.’ Windsor Arts Center, 40 Mechanic St., Windsor. (860) 688-2528. WindsorArtCenter.org
ONGOING
BRISTOL
BINGO. Tuesdays at 10:45 a.m., Fridays at 6:45 p.m. Benefits St. Anthony School. St. Anthony Church, 111 School St., Bristol.
BINGO. Every Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. Free coffee and cookies. Bristol Polish Club, 541 North Main St., Bristol.