Virtual & Onsite Events Across Connecticut (9/18 – 9/27)

Friday, Sept. 18th – Sunset 6:58pm – Virtual Event

Rosh Hashanah Services – Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, New York, NY

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) is a vibrant spiritual community and a progressive voice within Judaism.  Founded in 1973, CBST attracts and welcomes gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, queer and straight individuals and families who share common values.  Passionate, provocative, and deeply Jewish, CBST champions a Judaism that rejoices in diversity, denounces social injustice wherever it exists, and strives for human rights for all people.

All are welcome to share the Days of Awe ONLINE as an international CBST community, always free of charge. To register, please visit here.

Friday, Sept. 18th – 9pm – Onsite Event

Birthday B#tch – Chez Est, Hartford, CT

One time for the birthday b*tch! Two times for the birthday b*tch!!!

Y’all it’s is Robin Fierce’s daughter’s BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!!! Natalia Fierce just gets more sickening with every passing year. Show times: 11:30pm & 12:30am.This is going to be an amazing show! Bring a friend, grab a drink, come early and eat, and have the best time!  For more information, visit here. 

Saturday, Sept. 19th – 8:30am–1pm – Onsite Event

Volunteers Day @ I-Park, East Haddam, CT

I-Park is seeking community-spirited outdoor enthusiasts to help enhance trail safety and aesthetics. I-Park suffered a multi-year assault by gypsy moths that left behind hundreds of dead trees and thousands of fallen limbs. The gardens are also in need of TLC. This family-friendly event is recommended for anyone age 14 or older and will be held rain or shine. Reservations in advance are required.

Volunteers will hone their “happy stick” and debris-pile-maintenance skills while enjoying some quiet/zen time within I-Park’s beautiful natural setting. No technical expertise or feats of strength are required, just a willingness to roll up your sleeves and spend a few hours working alongside like-spirited art and nature lovers. I-Park will provide the tools and safety gear. Volunteers are encouraged to wear long pants, hiking boots or other sturdy closed-toe shoes, and a hat, and gardeners, please bring your own gloves. In addition, participants should bring water, sunscreen, and light snacks. A complimentary luncheon will be served following the work period. Please note that no pets are allowed. Click here to register ahead. 

Saturday, Sept.19th – Onsite Event

Pumpkintown U.S.A. – “The Ride Must Go On!”, Easthampton, CT

This year, enjoy a journey through the Pumpkintown Forest in the comfort and safety of your own vehicle. On this scenic 1-mile drive through picturesque autumnal landscapes, view more than 30 Pumpkinhead people and their annual companions at home in their woodland dwellings. Weather permitting. Must make reservations on-line. Through Oct. 31^st. For more info and reservations, click here. 

Sunday, Sept. 20th – 1pm-5pm – Onsite Event

The New Normal  Art Exhibit Gallery on the Green – Canton, CT

The Gallery on the Green is pleased to continue our season with a members’ themed exhibit titled,The New Normal, plus a solo show by Nancy Greco.  Visit an historic gallery and view newly created fine art from the artist guilds’ 100+ members.  The shows provide an array of stunning work from paintings, drawings, graphic arts and sculpture to ceramics, fiber/beadwork and photography.

Nancy Greco’s solo show Reflections explores what it is that makes one object or thought more memorable or important than another and what makes something seem lasting rather than fleeting. The dream and symbolic imagery in her drawings is an attempt to open a dialogue with viewers, to encourage them to reflect upon their own memories and connections regarding the changeable way we evaluate what we look at or experience both present and past. Admission is free. For more information call (860) 693-4102 or visit here.

Sunday, Sept. 20th – 2pm – Onsite Event

King Lear Encore HD Presentation – Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield CT

Captured live from London’s West End in 2018, see Ian McKellen’s ‘extraordinarily moving portrayal’ (Independent) of King Lear.  Jonathan Munby directs this ‘nuanced and powerful’ (The Times) contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s tender, violent, moving and shocking play. Considered by many to be the greatest tragedy ever written, King Lear sees two ageing fathers – one a King, one his courtier – reject the children who truly love them.  Their blindness unleashes a tornado of pitiless ambition and treachery, as family and state are plunged into a violent power struggle with bitter ends. Running Time: 3hrs, 30 mins Tickets: $15-25  For information and tickets, visit here. The Ridgefield Playhouse is following Connecticut Safety Guidelines in order to continually serve and protect our patrons and community.

Monday, Sept. 21st – 11am – Onsite Event

Pollinator Corn Maze Adventure – Scotts Yankee Farmer – East Lyme, CT

Thru October 31^st.  Get lost in this year’s family-fun corn maze.  Make sure to pick your apples before or after the fun in the maze. Reservations required for Saturdays and Sundays. Admission: $8 on weekdays.  $11 on weekends. For more information, please call (860) 739-5209. For reservations and tickets, please visit here. 

Tuesday, Sept. 22nd – 7-9 pm – Virtual Event

Soulful Touch and Heart-Centered Movement @ Easton Mountain Retreat Center for Gay Men – Greenwich, NY

In this time of social distancing, we are sitting in front of our computers way too much and not getting the nurturing touch and movement that we need. We will explore connection through movement and touch through a variety of practices that support embodiment, opening the heart, and awakening our bodies and souls. If you have one, bring a light airy scarf as a movement prop. Cost: $20 per person. For registration visit here. 

Wednesday, Sept. 23rd – 8:30pm – Virtual Event

Family-Minded Men Gay Speed Dating in NYC @ themenevent.com

NYC’s leader in Gay Speed Dating comes to you via our new virtual singles event! Looking for a partner who wants to start a family? Or maybe you have a children and want to meet that special someone who loves kids? This event is for you! Cost:$20. Tickets here. 

Thursday, Sept. 24th – 7pm – Virtual Event

LGBT Internationals Online Night: Fun, Games & Socializing @ themenevent.com

The Men Event has hundreds of members from different areas of the world! In normal times we would host our Internationals / Nationals Mixer at a local bar but tonight we bring together the people of the world online! We’ve put together a night that has a little something for everyone with socializing games and prizes. Cost: $9 For more information and registration, please visit here. 

Friday, Sept. 25th – Dawn to Dusk – Onsite Event

Simsbury Chamber of Commerce Art Trail – Simsbury, CT

Through September 29^th. The Simsbury Chamber of Commerce will be displaying 36 life-sized bronze sculptures created by artist Seward Johnson in a walkable and bikeable art trail throughout the bucolic town of Simsbury.  Each work is designed to be interactive, so selfie-taking is encouraged!  Please keep in mind social distancing rules and do not touch the sculptures. Bring the family and make a day of it by shopping along quaint Hopmeadow Street in downtown Simsbury and dining at one of Simsbury’s renowned restaurants. Admission is free. For more information, please call (860) 651-7307 or visit here. 

Saturday, Sept. 26th – 2pm – Virtual Event

LGBTQ Tour of London’s National Portrait Gallery @ themenevent.com

Professor Andrew Lear combines a love of travel with a passion for gay history, and he brings both of those attributes to Oscar Wilde Tours.

Professor Lear holds a B.A. from Harvard and a Ph.D. from UCLA. He has published a widely praised book on male-male love in ancient Greek art, as well as a number of important scholarly articles in this area. Indeed he is generally considered one of the foremost experts on same-sex love in the ancient world, but his interest in gay history extends to other key periods, such as fin-de-siècle England, Renaissance Italy, and medieval Japan—places and periods that we will explore at Oscar Wilde Tours.

A beloved teacher at Harvard, Columbia and NYU, Professor Lear won the Harvard Certificate for Excellence in Teaching four times. He has taught a wide variety of courses in Classics, history, art history, and gender studies—as well as Italian and French language classes.

His courses on sexuality in the ancient world have been particularly popular. Many years after graduating, students still take the time to let him know how much they appreciated his personal warmth, his passion for teaching, and the sense of fun that he brings to his classes. Cost: $10  For tickets, please visit here. 

Saturday, Sept. 26th – 3-5pm – Virtual Event

Improvisational and Meditative Movement @ Easton Mountain Retreat Center for Gay Men, Greenwich, NY

This workshop is inspired by my yoga teachings and movement training.  The intention focuses on bringing meditative exercises/techniques, improvised movement and self care techniques into a singular practice that will be well rounded and grounded, fun and simple yet therapeutic.  We begin with pranayama (breathing) exercises followed by guided energy work techniques (inspired by reiki and aura meditation) into a self massage portion.  This will flow into a round of modified sun salutations that will lead into guided movement exercises including sensory depravation meditation, and interpretive, improvised meditative movement using various inspirations, from an animal to even color, to invoke the feeling. Class concludes with a brief meditative rest/modified savasana, a positive affirmation exercise and brief discussion to seal the energy and work done by all participants. (This class is clothing optional) Cost: $20 per person. For registration, visit here. 

Saturday, Sept 26th – 6pm – 2am – Onsite Event

Troupe 429 Records and Cocktail Lounge – 3 Wall St., Norwalk, CT

Join us at Troupe429 for our official “Record Store GAY” celebration. This will be a celebration of the annual Record Store Day event which takes place around the world on Saturday, September 26, 2020 Hosted by Troupe429 and OMG Yaaas Kween

We have thousands of vinyls from 60’s vintage classics to brand new releases. We have the largest Madonna vinyl collection in the state, and you can browse sections like, “LGBTQ Artists” and “Queens of Pop.” Cocktails, beers, and snacks are available at indoor or outdoor tables, or you can order a beverage to go. We are the only gay-owned and operated record store in Connecticut!  You can browse our new vinyl releases here. Click here for more info on Facebook.

Sunday, Sept. 27th – 2pm – Onsite Event

Il Trovatore (Verdi)  The Met Opera – Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT

ENCORE PRESENTATION IN HD An extraordinary cast came together for the first Live in HD transmission of the Met’s 2015–16 season. Anna Netrebko is Leonora, the young noblewoman at the center of the story, who is in love with the troubadour of the title—tenor Yonghoon Lee—but also pursued by Count di Luna, sung by the great Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Dolora Zajick completes the quartet of principals in her signature role of Azucena, the mysterious Gypsy woman who sets the dramatic events in motion. Marco Armiliato conducts David McVicar’s Goya-inspired production.Run Time:  2 hrs, 39 min. Tickets: $15-$25 For more information and tickets, please visit here. 

Sunday, Sept. 27th – Sunset 6:44pm – Virtual Event

Yom Kippur Services @ Congregation Beit Simchat Torah – New York, NY

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) is a vibrant spiritual community and a progressive voice within Judaism.  Founded in 1973, CBST attracts and welcomes gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, queer and straight individuals and families who share common values.  Passionate, provocative, and deeply Jewish, CBST champions a Judaism that rejoices in diversity, denounces social injustice wherever it exists, and strives for human rights for all people.

All are welcome to share the Days of Awe ONLINE as an international CBST community, always free of charge. To register, please visit here.

We hope you’re able to enjoy some of these wonderful events both online or in-person! To submit info about upcoming events of your own, please feel free to reach out to paul@ctvoice.com. #LiveOutLoud #OurVoice #ConnecticutVoice