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Today Calendar 2024
Farmington Valley • Connecticut – 2024 Events – Today Online Calendar
• Email events > newsroom@todaypublishing.net • Send Content • Ad Rates
• Today Magazine – monthly editions archive • Today Online – news site
Valley Town Sites – Avon • Canton • Farmington • Granby • Simsbury
Valley Libraries – Avon • Canton • Farmington • Granby • Simsbury
Info is accurate to our knowledge, but please confirm • Past Events: 2022-23
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Habitat Youth Advocacy & Engagement Conference
• Saturday 4/27 – 9:00am-3:00pm – two locations: Hartford + Vernon
Free • Register + Info
• Future leaders from ages 11-18 are invited for education sessions and service
• Lunch provided – youth groups and school teams welcome
• For more info – 860-541-2208 • volunteer@hfhncc.org
Bus Tour + Lunch:
Lively Lore and Legends – Fact or Fiction?
Meet: Barney Library parking lot – Farmington
• Saturday 4/27 – 9:15am-3:30pm
$50 • Register + Info
• Explore rich tapestry of town's past via fascinating tales at three historic sites: Riverside Cemetery, Stanley-Whitman House, Hill-Stead Museum
• Further Info – 860-680-5298 – email: nancy@farmingtonvalleyctheritage .org
• Reservations required – bus to leave parking lot promptly at 9:30 am
CEA Job Fair for Educators
Derby High School
• Saturday 4/27 – 10:00am-1:00pm
Free • Info + Register
• Host: Connecticut Education Association – learn of districts with job openings
Concert – Sofia Talvik
Simsbury Public Library
• Sunday 4/28 – 2:00 pm
Free • Register + Info
• Sofia is described as a rare artist and storyteller who evokes Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins and others – painting beautiful lyrical-and-musical tapestries
Heart-Healthy Living: Cultivating Cardiovascular Wellness
Through Nutrition, Stress Relief & Mindful Practices
Chi Healing Center – Canton
• Sunday 4/28 – 3:00-5:00 pm
$49 • Register + Info
• Learn how to incorporate small yet impactful habits for a heart-healthy lifestyle
Photo Exhibit – Wendy Rosenberg
Roaring Brook Nature Center – Canton
Free • Info – RBNC website • 860-693-0263
• View wildlife images by an award-winning Canton photographer who has displayed numerous photo exhibits across the Farmington Valley
• Rosenberg-connected Today Magazine cover stories:
Wendy received an SPJ award for this photo in Today Magazine:
Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center – 2024 Season
SMPAC – Iron Horse Boulevard – Simsbury
• May thru November
Ticket prices vary • Info – SMPAC events website
• Hartford Symphony: Talcott Mountain Music Festival – Fridays – 6/28 to 7/26
Parkinson's Optimism Walk
Farmington Polo Club
• Saturday 5/4 • 10 am: check-in • 11 am: ceremony + walk
Free • Register + Info
• Walk is free, but fundraising is encouraged and appreciated – noncompetitive walk is wheelchair accessible – food, fun and family-friendly activities
Open House – Simsbury History
Simsbury Historical Society
• Saturday 5/4 – 2:00-6:00 pm
Free • Info • Food, live music, exhibits – and new Blacksmith Shop will debut
Spring Bird Hike – Canton Land Trust
Sun, Wind and Woodland Trails – meet at main parking lot
• Sunday 5/5 – 7:00 am
Free • Info • With Jay Kaplan of Roaring Brook Nature Center – bring binoculars
Apply for Free Tuition
CT State Community College
• 5,000+ have received free tuition at Tunxis in Farmington and statewide
• “It sounds too good to be true, but this is real" – CT State rep
Unearthing History – 2024 History Series • Online
– Internationally significant find in Connecticut's Farmington Valley
• Thursdays – 7:00 pm •
Free – 5 Webinars • Register + Info
• 5/9 – Foraging in Paleoindian Period: Macrobotanical Analysis
• TBD: 9/12 or 9/19 – Microscopic Evidence for Stone Artifacts
• TBD: 10/10 or 10/17 – Update on Brian D. Jones site in Avon CT
– On the discovery in Avon of a 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian site
• Sponsors: Avon Historical Society, Avon Public Library, Avon Senior Center
Kalaveshi Arts Exhibition
Duncaster – Bloomfield
• Show open thru Sunday 5/5
Free • Info – Kalaveshi website
• The Kalaveshi Arts gallery is located in the Riverdale Farms plaza in Avon — this art show is at the Bloomfield-based Duncaster retirement community
Pine Grove Schoolhouse
Avon – corner of West Avon Road aka Route 167 + Harris Road
• Open House – Sunday 5/5 – 1:00-4:00 pm
• Address: 3 Harris Road – Harris Road becomes Brickyard Road
– Schoolhouse open – May thru September – Sundays • 2:00-4:00 pm
– Schedule visits at other times by appointment
Free • Listed on National Register of Historic Places – built in 1865
• Avon Historical Society • 860-678-7621
Habitat Ambassador Workshops
• Thursdays • 5/9 • 6/13 • 7/18 – 12:00 noon
Free • Register • Info – 860-541-2208 – volunteer@hfhncc.org
• One-hour mission overview about ongoing volunteer opportunities
Habitat Women Build
• Month of May — contact Habitat to schedule
Free • Register – email Suzanne Feola: suzanne@hfhncc. org
• Info – 860-541-2208 x2202
• See how women can take the lead and make a lasting community impact
Play Auditions – Playhouse 44
Peachtree Village Clubhouse – Avon
• Tuesday 5/14 + Wednesday 5/15 – 6:00-9:00 pm
Free • Register + Info
• All roles available for brand-new theater venture – many age ranges
Concert – Transcendence
University of Saint Joseph – Hoffman Auditorium – West Hartford
• Saturday 5/18 – 3:00 pm
$20-$23 advance • $25 at door • Info + Tickets – 1-800-975-FVSO
• "Romeo and Juliet" by Tchaikovsky • "Three Browning Songs" by Amy Beach • "Death and Transfiguration" by Richard Strauss • soloist Lisabeth Miller, guest soprano: pictured — students 17 and under free, but require a ticket
Gallery on the Green – Fine Art Shows
5 Canton Green Road – Canton – between Dowd Avenue + Route 44
• Gallery Hours – Fridays-Saturdays-Sundays – 1:00-5:00 pm
• Following shows on display – thru Saturday 5/18
Member Exhibition – Recycled Art / Art Recycled
• Imaginative explorations and intriguing takes on recycling – prints, drawings, paintings, photographs, sculptures, ceramics, collages and fiber art
Solo Show – Harriet Caldwell: Mind & Nature
Solo Show – Stephen Klema: Pandora’s Box
Free – Art from Farmington Valley artists and beyond – Gallery on the Green is operated by the Canton Artists’ Guild – email: cantonartistsguild@gmail. com
Family-Friendly Vernal Pool Hike – Canton Land Trust
Uplands Preserve Trails – meet at northern entrance of preserve
• Sunday 5/19 – 1:30 pm • Free • Info
• Hike leader Tom Noonan will help hikers identify life in springtime pools
Walkie Talkies
LaSalle Market & Deli – Collinsville
• Tuesdays • 5/28 • 6/25 • 7/23 • 8/27 – 1:00 pm
Free • Info – Avon-Canton COC
• 15-minute health/wellness talk followed by 45-minute walk – bad-weather
venue: Canton Town Hall auditorium – fourth Tuesday each month thru 2024
National Trails Day – Three Hikes
Canton Land Trust • Free – Info
• Family-Oriented Bird Hike
Sun, Wind and Woodland property – meet at main parking lot
• Sunday 6/2 — 7:30-9:00 am
Led by Land Trust director Sarah Faulkner – binoculars welcome
• Adult Hike
Sun, Wind and Woodland property – meet at main parking lot
• Sunday 6/2 — 12:00-2:00 pm
Led by Land Trust directors Sarah Faulkner and Nate Cantwell
• Annual Picnic and Meeting – Canton Land Trust
Pratt Preserve
• Sunday 6/2 — 4:00 pm • hike Pratt trails: 2:30 pm
All welcome: burgers, hot dogs provided – attendees bring side dish or dessert
Roaring Brook Nature Center
Summer 2024 – Discovery Days Programs
RBNC – Canton
• Weekly – June 17 thru August 23
$165-$315 • Register + Info • 860-693-0263
• Unique blend of education and recreation – enrollment limited: early registration recommended – scholarships available: application deadline 6/1
Avon Historical Society – 50th Anniversary Exhibit
Avon Public Library
• Thru December 2024
Free • Info – AHS website – Library website
• The Avon Historical Society is 50 years old this year – view new artifact display from 700-item collection – in the library's History Room
Avon VFW – ongoing meetings
• BeanZ & Co. – Avon
Mondays + Thursdays – 9:00am-12:00
• Prince Thomas of Savoy club – Avon
Fourth Wednesday – monthly dinner + meeting – 5:30 pm
Free • Info – VFW website • Commander Tim Healy: tim.healy@comcast.net
• VFW Post 3272 invites veterans from all towns for conversation and support
Red Cross Blood Drives
Numerous locations in Farmington Valley
• Various days + times
• Register + find a Valley blood drive – https://redcrossblood.org •
New Avon History Museum – Buy A Brick
• Ongoing fundraising campaign
$100-$250 • Purchase – click here
• Help pave the way and transform a 200-year-old schoolhouse into a museum – tax-deductible – anonymous $15,000 donation jumpstarted fundraising drive
• Online: CT Freedom Trail Program
Three Firsts of Pvt. Leverett Holden – CT 29th Regiment – U.S. Civil War
Free • On-Demand Video
• Holden's 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 on Holden
Open Mic Night – Talcott Collective
Talcott Mountain Collective – Simsbury
• Tuesdays – 7:00-9:30 pm
• Space limited: advance online sign-up advised – walk-ins if time allows – hosted by Michael Sasportas Music
Open Mic Night – LaSalle
LaSalle Market & Deli – Collinsville
• Fridays – 6:00 pm – call to confirm
Free • to play and listen • Register + Info • 860-693-8010
• Space limited: advance online sign-up advised – walk-ins if time allows
Kala Farnham – Concert Schedule
• Connecticut State Troubadour • Award-Winning Songwriter •
Info + Tickets – some shows free – Kala's website
• Kala Farnham has opened for Don McLean, Tony Bennett and other notables – and, even better for Farmington Valley residents, she has performed in the Valley
• Song Samples > YouTube > David • Connecticut Grown • A Little Ghost Story •
"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
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
Blood Pressure + 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
Simsbury Public Library – Recurring Events + Programs
• Free • Register + Info • 860-658-7663
Lawyers in Libraries
• Various Mondays – 6:00 pm
• Receive free legal advice from volunteer attorney
Online: Poetry Group
• Third Tuesday – monthly – 6:30-7:30 pm
• Write and share poems for constructive feedback
Online: Spanish Conversation Group
• Wednesdays – 11:00 am
• Practice speaking Spanish with others
English Conversation Club
• Fridays – 10:30 am
• Practice your English with others
Red Stone Pub – ongoing events
Red Stone Pub – Simsbury
• Trivia – Tuesdays – 7:00-9:00 pm
Eat – Drink – Think – Prizes
• Wine & Whiskey – Wednesdays – 6:00-7:00 pm
Educational Sampling
• Tall Tales & Tobacco – Thursdays – 8:00 pm
Fire Pit – Weather Permitting
• Live Music – Saturday evenings
Autism Programs
Autism Families CONNECTicut
• Register – https://www.autismfamiliesct.org •
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Unearthing History – 2023 History Series • Online
On the Discovery in Avon of 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian Site
– Internationally significant find in Connecticut's Farmington Valley
Free • Five Webinars:
#3 – Big Importance of Small Things
• Info – www.avonctlibrary.info – Search > Unearthing History
• Sponsors: Avon Historical Society, Avon Public Library, Avon Senior Center
Unearthing History – 2022 History Series
On the Discovery in Avon of 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian Site
• Internationally significant find in Connecticut's Farmington Valley
Free • 2022 Online Webinars — available on-demand here:
#5 – Update on Scientific Analysis of Brian D. Jones Site in Avon, CT
• David Leslie is senior archaeologist for the Avon site discovered in 2019
• Info – www.avonctlibrary.info – Search > Unearthing History
• Sponsors: Avon Historical Society, Avon Public Library, Avon Senior Center
Unearthing History – 2021 History Series
On the Discovery in Avon of 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian Site
Free • 2021 Online Webinars — available on-demand here:
• Dr. David Leslie – Senior Archaeologist for Avon CT Site
• Dr. Zachary Singer – Research Archaeologist + UConn Grad
• Today Magazine cover story by Dr. David Leslie:
• Internationally significant find in Farmington Valley – in Avon, Connecticut
Coping with Grief + Loss During Holidays
Carmon Funeral Home • 301 Country Club Road • Avon – 860-673-8610
Helpful talk begins at 21:20 mark on video – after musical introduction
• Speaker – Joe Colletti • author + bereavement consultant
Free • Hosts • Mary’s Place – A Center for Grieving Children and Families
• Carmon Community Funeral Homes – 860-688-2200
Nine Carmon locations • Avon • Granby • Hartford • Rockville • South Windsor
• Suffield • Vernon • Windsor • Poquonock (also in Windsor)
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
• View award-winning documentary – produced by Simsbury High students:
Valley-based Chambers of Commerce – Avon-Canton • Granby-Simsbury
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PAST EVENTS
• THE EVENTS BELOW were listed previously in the main Calendar above
Habitat – Winter Warrior Public Build Days
Free • For individuals and teams – support new-home construction and help families move into their new homes on schedule
Art Show: Out of the Ordinary – Contemporary Artists at Work
Mandell JCC Chase Family Gallery – West Hartford
Free • Info – JCC website
Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra – Concerts • Info – FVSO website
Sundays at Three – Winter Music Concerts
• Free tickets – sponsored by Friends of The Avon Free Public Library
PAST EVENTS – these events were listed previously in the main Calendar
TableScapes Fundraiser
Benefit – Avon Historical Society
North House – Avon • Info: click here – 860-670-3225
• Benefit for new Avon History Museum
Theater – The Addams Family: School Edition
Canton High School • Info – website
Canton Greater Together
Community Fund Grant Applications
• Info • Application materials + FAQs – www.hfpg.org/cantoncf
Grants of $500 to $10,000 available to Canton-based nonprofits
• Grants also offered for other Valley and CT towns
Online: Conquering Unforgiveness Mastermind
Free • Register – click here
• With Dionne Nicholls-Germain: author of Conquering Unforgiveness Journal
PAST EVENTS – these events were listed previously in the main Calendar
Connecticut Made – Collection of New Ballets
Lovestruck
• New England Ballet Theatre – Wadsworth Atheneum – Hartford
Free • Info – click here
Theater – Almost, Maine + Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End
Farmington Valley Stage Company
Canton Town Hall – Collinsville
• Tickets + Info – www.fvstage.org •
Remembering Connecticut’s Colored Regiments
Film + Discussion
Avon Senior Center
Free • Info – click here
• Watch award-winning short film “The Connecticut 29th” and another 29th documentary – followed by moderated conversation
Benefit Concert – Silk City Jazz Band
• Afghan Refugee Project – fundraiser
Avon Senior Center – website
• The humanitarian Afghan Refugee Project is sponsored by the Avon-based VFW – the 20-piece Silk City Jazz Band plays swing and big band music