Does it seem like everyone you know is on vacation? Yeah, us too. But don’t sweat it if you’re on a staycation this week, because there are plenty of things to do around Connecticut and we’ve picked a few of our favorites.
Here Comes the Sun(flowers)
Buttonwood Farm’s Annual Sunflowers for Wishes
Photo By: Sarah Lemire
Buttonwood Farm, 473 Shetucket Turnpike, Griswold
Daily through July 28
Hours: 10:00am till dark
This annual event raises funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut. Guests are invited to visit the farm and enjoy the splendor of more than 300,000 sunflower blooms covering 14 acres.
A social media dream come true, it’s great photo op in addition to raising money for a good cause. Bouquets of five sunflowers can be purchased for a donation of $10 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut (while flowers last – they go quick).
There’s also a heavenly ice cream stand offering dozens of homemade varieties. Beware, lines are long, but worth the wait.
For more information visit: https://www.buttonwoodfarmicecream.com/sunflowers-for-wishes
Crocodile Rock
The Music of Elton John, Talcott Mountain Music Festival
Photo Courtesy of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra
Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center, 22 Iron Horse Blvd., Simsbury
Friday, July 26
Entry at 6:00pm, concert begins at 7:30pm
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra, joined by rock band Jeans ‘n Classics, performs the music of the fabulous and legendary Sir Elton John.
From “Your Song” to “The Circle of Life,” it’ll be an evening of John’s most memorable hits and one you don’t want to miss.
Tickets start at $25 for lawn seats, $40 for a table seat.
For more information visit: https://hartfordsymphony.org/concerts/the-music-of-elton-john/
Midsummer’s Dream
Old Lyme’s Midsummer Festival
Photos Courtesy of Florence Griswold Museum
Florence Griswold Museum, 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme
Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27
Hours: Friday concert 7:00 – 9:00pm, Saturday 9:00am – 4:00pm
The Old Lyme Arts District hosts its annual Midsummer Festival celebrating the arts with a blend of art exhibitions, music, crafts, and food.
The festival kicks off with a Friday evening concert on the Florence Griswold Museum lawn featuring Connecticut State Troubadour, Nekita Waller.
Saturday’s events include a Bohemian Street Fair and food truck court. There’s also Parading Paws, a fun dog show, as well as comedy and magic shows.
For more information visit: https://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/calendar/midsummer-festival-4/
Bejazzled
24th Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival
Emmet Cohen, Litchfield Jazz Festival 2018, Photo By: Lindsey Victoria Photography
The Gunnery School, 22 Kirby Rd., Washington
Friday, July 26 through Sunday, July 28
Hours: Friday 5:30 – 9:30pm, Saturday. 2:00 – 9:00pm, Sunday 11:00am – 6:00pm
The Litchfield Jazz Festival, now in its 23rd year features three days of world-class jazz by renowned artists like the Mike Stern Band and Randy Brecker. Enjoy food, drink, jazz parties, artist’s talks and, of course, great music.
For more information visit: https://litchfieldjazzfest.com/
Oh We, Oh We, Oh!
Morris Day, New Haven Music on the Green
New Haven Green, 250 Temple St., New Haven
Saturday, July 27 at 7:30pm
“Ladies and gentlemen, The Time.”
Admit it, you loved Purple Rain, because who doesn’t, right? While the great Purple One has left us for that Paisley Park in the sky, you can still relive those awesome moments at Minneapolis’ First Avenue when Morris Day, lead singer of The Time performs on the New Haven Green.
Bring a blanket, picnic, your closest friends and enjoy a night that’ll take you back in time (pun totally intended). If you want to skip the work, there will be food trucks on hand offering everything from pizza to ice cream.
Parking is available for $5 in the Temple Street and Crown Street garages from 5:00pm to midnight.
For more information visit: https://www.infonewhaven.com/entertainment/mog/
Ongoing Events
+obias & +isms in Art
The Great Room Gallery, New Haven Pride Center, 84 Orange St, New Haven
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., through August 30.
In +obias & +isms in Art, convening partners #BlackLivesMatter New Haven, Nasty Women Connecticut, and the New Haven Pride Center collaborate to present a multi-artist exhibition that explores the +obias and +isms that affect people of colour, women, and the LGBTQQIP2sAA community.
For more information: http://www.newhavenpridecenter.org/programming/exhibitions/obias-isms-in-art/
Gay Gatherings: Philip Johnson, David Whitney and the Modern Arts
Photo By: Christopher Makos
The Glass House, 199 Elm St, New Canaan
Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sundays through August 19
The exhibition explores interactions at the Glass House among eight gay men who profoundly shaped 20th-century artistic culture. Coincident with the 50th anniversary of New York’s Stonewall Uprising and the 70th anniversary of the Philip Johnson’s completion of the Glass House, Gay Gatherings underscores an essential element of the site’s history that has not been fully presented as part of its public interpretation.
Tickets start at $25 and are required for admission, access to site is via tour only. Advance reservations recommended.
For more information: http://theglasshouse.org/whats-on/gay-gatherings-philip-johnson-david-whitney-and-the-modern-arts/
A Brief History of Connecticut’s LGBTQ Community: A Traveling Exhibit and Digital Timeline
Connecticut Historical Society, One Elizabeth St, Hartford
Through August 3. Check website for hours.
This traveling exhibit and digital timeline explores the idea of the LGBTQ community becoming a community, finding its voice, moving from invisibility to visibility, and moving from an underground existence to a claimed communal identity. A digital timeline contains additional stories from Connecticut’s LGBTQ history.
Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (65+), and $8 for students and youth (6-17). Admission for children 5 and under and CHS members is free.
For more information: www.chs.org
Coming Soon!
New London Pride, Saturday, August 24, www.newlondonpride.com
Hartford Pridefest 2019, Saturday, September 14, www.hartfordpride.org
PRIDE New Haven, September 16-22, www.newhavenpridecenter.org
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