Today Calendar 2025: CT Farmington Valley and Beyond

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Farmington Valley and Beyond • Connecticut • USA

• Today Online: Digital News Site • Today Magazine: 2018-2024

• Info is accurate to our knowledge, but confirm with organizers to be sure

• Repeat Honor – Today tops CT mags again in SPJ awards

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We Are the Sons of Freedom – Exhibit

Avon Public Library – History Corner

• April and May – regular library hours

Free • Info: Avon Historical Society

• Explore the history of Avon’s colonial residents in 1775 and their response to the start of the Revolutionary War

Walkie Talkies

LaSalle Market & Deli – Collinsville

• Monthly: fourth Tuesday – 1:00 pm • summer dates: 5/27 • 6/24 • 7/22 • 8/26

Free • usually hosted by Dr. Brian Magna

• Info – Magna Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine

• 15-minute health-based talk followed by 45-minute walk – bad-weather venue: typically start at LaSalle, then TBD

Pine Grove Schoolhouse

Avon – corner of Harris Road + West Avon Road: Route 167

• Sundays • 2:00-4:00 pm – May thru September

Free • Listed on National Register of Historic Places – built in 1865

• Avon Historical Society • 860-678-7621

Scholarship – Free Tuition

CT State Community College

• Info + Apply

• Thousands have received free tuition statewide

• “It sounds too good to be true, but this is real" – CT State rep

Theater Shorts – Agent for Change • The Debate

Magna Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Center – Avon

• Friday 5/30 – 6:30 pm

Cost – freewill donation to Avon-based Playhouse 44

• RSVP: brian@thelongevity.zone – sponsored by The Longevity Zone – two skits present humor as an essential ingredient for healthy living

Summer Art Programs and Events

Paint Nights • Kids Birthday Parties • Youth Summer Art Classes • more

Kalaveshi Arts Studio-Gallery – Avon

Free to visit gallery – program costs vary

• Register + Info > click Studio drop-down menu

• Award-winning Today cover story – From War-Torn To Art Reborn •

Life Cycle – Art Exhibit

Parkville Art Gallery – Hartford

• May • June • July

Free • Info – 860-874-5193

• Artists include acclaimed Avon-based painter Edith Skiba LaMonica — she has displayed work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, New Britain Museum of American Art and Canton-based Gallery on the Green

• Today news story – Nature draws and beckons artist •

Gallery on the Green – Fine Art Shows

Canton Green Road – Canton – between Dowd Avenue + Route 44

• Gallery Hours – Fridays-Saturdays-Sundays – 1:00-5:00 pm

Member + Guest Exhibition

Solo Shows – Kathy Schwartz + Donna Namnoum

• Friday 5/30 thru Saturday 6/28

• Opening Reception • Saturday 5/31 – 6:00-8:00 pm

Free • Farmington Valley artists and beyond – Gallery on the Green is operated by the Canton Artists’ Guild – cantonartistsguild@gmail. com

Connecticut Freedom Trail • Dedication

East Avon Cemetery – Avon Congregational Church

• Monday 6/2 – 6:30 pm

Free • Info: Avon Historical Society

• Dedication of memorial stone for Leverett Holden, Avon resident and Civil War veteran of 29th Connecticut Infantry Regiment: Colored

• Award-winning Today news story:

Black soldier answered Lincoln’s Civil War invite •

Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast 

Habitat for Humanity • North Central Connecticut

Marriott – Downtown Hartford

• Wednesday 6/4 – 8:00-10:00 am

Free • Register by email: RSVP@hfhncc. org – Info: volunteer@hfhncc. org

• Habitat celebrates the volunteers who power the nonprofit's mission

La Sylphide – New England Ballet Theatre

Miss Porter's School – Farmington

• Saturday 6/7 – 7:00 pm

• Sunday 6/8 – 2:00 pm

$15-$30 • Tickets + Info

• Avon-based NEBT presents one of the world's oldest surviving ballets

Two Hikes – National Trails Day

Canton Land Conservation Trust • Sunday 6/8

• 1:00 pm – Beauty Over the Bridge: Pratt Preserve

• 2:00 pm – Family Birdwatching Intro: Sun, Wind and Woodland Preserve

Free • Info – cantonlandtrust@gmail. com

• Tick protection recommended – no dogs please – rain cancels

Strawberry Festival – 73rd annual

North Canton Community United Methodist Church – Route 179

• Saturday 6/14 – 11:00am-4:00pm

Free to attend • Info – 860-693-4589

• Burger and hot dog booth – homemade baked goods sale – plant sale – silent auction – tag sale – early entry to tag sale at 9:00 with $10 fee

Longevity Walks

• LaSalle Market & Deli • Collinsville – Tuesdays • 3:30 pm

• Reservoir 6 rear lot • West Hartford – Thursdays • 9:30 am

Free • Register one-time: Kathleen Arky • karky64@att. net

Info – Magna Physical Therapy: 860-679-0430 • office@magnapt. com

• Sponsored by The Longevity Zone – no dogs or other animals allowed – for Reservoir 6 walk, look for leader Kathleen Arky with red flag

Photo Exhibit – Wendy Rosenberg

Roaring Brook Nature Center – Canton

$7-$9 • free for members • Info – 860-693-0263

• View wildlife images by a multiple award-winning photographer

• Rosenberg-focused Today Publishing cover stories:

• Fame and the Forest Gump Effect

• Wild Wonder

• Seeing Wildlife with Wide-Eyed Wonder

• Wendy has won an SPJ award for this photo in Today Magazine:

Open Mic Nights

• Talcott Mountain Collective • Simsbury – Tuesdays • 7:00-9:30 pm

Free to play and listen • Register on social media: Facebook – Instagram

• Space limited: advance online sign-up advised – walk-ins if time allows – hosted by Michael Sasportas Music

• LaSalle Market & Deli • Collinsville – Fridays • 6:00 pm

Free to play and listen • Info: 860-693-8010

• Space limited: same-day sign-up at LaSalle – previously advance online sign-up was advised, but the current website link is old

Blood Pressure Clinic

Blood Sugar Clinic

Canton Senior Center – 40 Dyer Avenue

• Wednesdays – 11:30-1:00 pm

Free • Sponsored by Farmington Valley VNA – appointments not required

• For residents of all towns, not just Canton

Canton Café

Dine-In Lunch Program

Canton Community Center – 40 Dyer Avenue

• Wednesdays • Fridays – 12:00-1:00 pm

$5 – senior citizens • $7 – town employees

• Reservations required two days in advance – call 860-693-5811

Canton Area Boardgamers

Christ Community Church – Collinsville

• Sunday – second and fourth of month – 1:00-5:00 pm

Free • Facebook page • Info: organizer Kevin Salch – 860-597-6894

• Bring your own games or play ours – check Facebook to confirm the usual second-and-fourth Sunday meeting is on due to occasional reschedules

Kala Farnham – Concert Schedule

Connecticut State Troubadour • Award-Winning Songwriter

• Info + Tickets – some shows free

• Kala has opened for Don McLean, Tony Bennett and other notables – she has performed across Connecticut and the East Coast

• Songs on YouTube > David • Connecticut Grown • A Little Ghost Story •

Gildo T. Consolini VFW Post 3272

Ongoing Meetings

• Monthly – fourth Wednesday

• Avon – Prince Thomas of Savoy Italian Club

5:30 pm – Social

6:00 pm – Dinner – $10

6:30 pm – Meeting

• Weekly – each Thursday

• BeanZ & Co. – Avon – 8:30-11:00 am

Free • Veterans from all towns invited for conversation and support

Red Cross Blood Drives

Numerous locations in Farmington Valley

• Various days + times

• Register + find a Valley blood drive – www.redcrossblood.org •

Antique Appraisals

ANTIQ’S – Farmington

• Saturdays – 11:00am-4:00pm

Free • Info – 860-676-2670 • info@antiqs.com

• Free-of-charge appraisal of your antiques – every Saturday

American Parkinson Disease Association – Connecticut Chapter

CT Support Groups – CT Exercise Classes

Free • Various locations – ongoing

• Click the above links to find a group or class near you

• Today Magazine cover story – Parkinson Puzzle •

Autism Programs

Autism Families CONNECTicut

• Register – https://www.autismfamiliesct.org •

• Today Magazine cover story:

Cogent Focus: 20th Anniversary for Autism Center •

Simsbury Public Library

Recurring Events • Programs

Free • Register + Info • 860-658-7663

Online: Poetry Group

• Monthly – third Tuesday – 6:30 pm

• Write and share poems for constructive feedback

Spanish Conversation Group

• Wednesdays – 11:00 am • Practice speaking Spanish with others

English Conversation Club

• Fridays – 10:30 am • Practice your English with others

• Today Magazine cover story – Burning Book Passion •

CT Freedom Trail Program • Online

Three Firsts – Pvt. Leverett Holden – Civil War veteran

Free • On-Demand Video

• Holden was in CT's 29th Regiment Volunteer Infantry: Colored

• His gravesite is on the Connecticut Freedom Trail – a first for Avon CT

• Presented by Avon Historical Society president Terri Wilson

• Wilson's award-winning Today Magazine story:

Black soldier answered Lincoln’s Civil War invite •

"We Are Very Likely To Die"

Incredible True Story of Sinking of Sea Surveyor

Free • On-Demand Video

• Talk by survivor Walter Banzhaf, longtime Simsbury resident – presented at Simsbury Senior Center, Simsbury Library and elsewhere in CT

SEO keyword: Calendar 2025 CT Farmington Valley

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Coping with Grief and Loss during the Holidays – Online

• On-Demand Video – cogent talk starts at 21:20 mark after musical intro

Speaker – Joe Colletti • author • bereavement consultant

• Hosts – Carmon Community Funeral Homes – Avon

– Mary’s Place – A Center for Grieving Children and Families – Windsor

Free • Info – visit above websites • 860-688-2200 • 860-673-8610

• Nine Carmon locations – Avon • Granby • Hartford • Rockville • South Windsor • Suffield • Vernon • Windsor • Poquonock: also in Windsor

SEO keyword: Calendar 2025 CT Farmington Valley

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MLK in CT Memorial

Simsbury Free Library

Free • On-Demand Video – Unveiling Ceremony

Ceremony occurred on MLK Day 2021 – at Simsbury Free Library

• Award-winning Today Publishing coverage:

– Today Online feature – Unique memorial honors MLK's time in Valley

– Today Magazine cover story – Their Dream: MLK Memorial

• Award-winning documentary – produced by Simsbury High students:

Summers of Freedom: Story of Martin Luther King in Connecticut •

SEO keyword: Calendar 2025 CT Farmington Valley

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Unearthing History

2024 History Series • Online • Internationally significant find in Connecticut's Farmington Valley

Discovery in Avon of 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian Site

Free • Five webinars – available on-demand here:

• Paleo-Indian Discoveries in America

• Use and Sources of Ohio Hopewell Fossil Shark Teeth

• Foraging in Paleo-Indian Period: Macrobotanical Analysis

• Bioarchaeology in North America: Ethics and Issues in 2024

• History of Native American Archaeology in Connecticut

– Sponsors – Avon Historical Society • Avon Library • Avon Senior Center

• Today Magazine cover story by Dr. David Leslie:

Archaeological Dig Reveals Valley’s Paleo-Indian Secrets •

• David Leslie was senior archaeologist for the Avon site discovered in 2019

Unearthing History

2023 History Series • Online

• Internationally significant find in Connecticut's Farmington Valley

Discovery in Avon of 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian Site

Free • Five webinars – available on-demand here:

• LIDAR Revolution in Earth Surface Mapping

• Hunting Techniques of the Paleo-Indian

• Big Importance of Small Things

Microscopic and Blood Residue Analysis of Ancient Stone Tools

• Paleo-Indian Sites, Site Patterns & Travel

• Update on Brian D. Jones site in Avon CT •

Unearthing History

2022 History Series • Online

• Internationally significant find in Connecticut's Farmington Valley

Discovery in Avon of 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian Site

Free • Five webinars – available on-demand here:

• What Genetics Teaches Us About the Peopling of North America

• Ice Age Animals of New England

• Paleo-Indian Foodways with Trade & Network Exchange

• Looking into the Past with Ancient DNA

• Update on Scientific Analysis of Brian D. Jones Site in Avon CT

• Dr. David Leslie – Part 1 • Part 2 •

Unearthing History

2021 History Series • Online

• Internationally significant find in Connecticut's Farmington Valley

Discovery in Avon of 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian Site

Free • Five webinars – available on-demand here:

• Digging into Deep History: Archaeology, Artifacts, Avocation

• A Rift, not the River, Made the Farmington Valley – Part 1 • Part 2

• CT Before History: Deep Story of Valley's Human Settlement

• Connecticut Native American Communities: Past and Present

• Connecticut’s Paleo-Indian Sites: Avon Site + More

• Dr. David Leslie – senior archaeologist • Avon CT site

• Dr. Zachary Singer – research archaeologist

SEO keyword: Calendar 2025 CT Farmington Valley

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Valley Town Sites – Avon • Canton • Farmington • Granby • Simsbury

Valley Libraries – Avon • Canton • Farmington • Granby • Simsbury

Valley Chambers of Commerce – Avon-Canton • Granby-Simsbury

SEO keyword: Calendar 2025 CT Farmington Valley

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PAST EVENTS – events below were listed previously in Calendar above

Cruising the Rivers of Europe • Presented by Jean Foisie of TravelVision and AMA Waterways cruise line – 860-693-2515 • jeanfoisie@yahoo. com

Spring Concerts – Better Together – Farmington Valley Chorale

Historic Trades of the Revolution – Simsbury Historical Society

Senior Conference and Resource Fair • SCARF • New Season in Life

Bird Hike – Canton Land Trust

Memory Walk – Mary's Place: A Center for Grieving Children and Families

National Day of Prayer • All welcome – 74th annual observance – established by Continental Congress in 1775, this tradition predates founding of U.S.

PAST EVENTS – these events were listed previously in the main Calendar

Theater – Playhouse 44

Second Storytelling Night – Relatively Speaking

House of Changes – Fundraiser

• The House of Changes nonprofit seeks to help men with mental health, substance abuse and incarceration challenges

HarttWorks – Dance-Music Performance • Hartt School Community Division

Diabetes Plus with Dave Oliver

Magna Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine – Avon

• 860-679-0430 • Sponsored by Magna PT and The Longevity Zone •

Group Art Exhibition – Inspire Arts

Free • Info – Rebecca Maloney – 860-382-3020

• Supported Living Group offers platform for artists living with disabilities