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 Simsburys 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!

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.

Monday, Sept. 28th – Time to Register – Virtual Event

Gay Men of Color Fall Retreat Online October 25th & 26th @ Easton Mountain Retreat

Gay Men of Color is being held as an online conference this year! Connect with other GBTQ men of color over two days of discussions, circles and workshops, with some split into two parts, with part 1 on Saturday and part 2 on Sunday. We encourage you to attend the entire conference if you can but feel free to sign up even if you can only attend some of the sessions!

Rates are set at a sliding scale from $50 -$200. Pick the rate that works best for you. We appreciate your generosity and support, but also don’t want finances to be a barrier to attending, If the $50 level still presents a barrier, click to learn more about accessibility grants. Come join us in manifesting an innovative community

The mission of the Gay Men of Color Retreat is the creation of sacred space for self-reflection, centered on the needs and aspirations of a group that merits recognition, acknowledgment, and support.  We aim to provide avenues for the empowerment, enlivenment and illumination of a same-gender, loving and queer community of men of color. We help men build self-confidence and self-advocacy for Men of Color from African, Asian, Native American, Hispanic and Latinx, Polynesian descent within the larger community of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer, and Questioning Men.  Our retreat is a celebration of the unique gifts we bring, individually and as a group, to that larger community.  The retreat offers a special time and place for community building, discussion, rest, and healing, spiritual growth and mind/body integrating workshops. This is a safe place where gay, same-gender-loving, and queer men of color can be with other men from a wide geographic area to build community and a support group. The facilitators guide participants in cultivating compassion, experiencing camaraderie, sharing individual knowledge and wisdom, and the acknowledgment of the magnificence, greatness, and excellence in each other and the joy of the moment.  Come share your beauty with us in a virtual space. For more information, visit here. 

Tuesday, Sept. 29th – 5:30pm – Onsite Event

Nate Bargatze, Standup Comic @ Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT

This event will be socially-distanced with seating under a tent on the field next to The Playhouse. Chairs are provided for all ticket holders and will be pre-assigned based on the date of ticket purchase. Members will receive priority seating.

Mentioned in Rolling Stone Magazine by Marc Maron as a “comic who should be big” and in Esquire by Jim Gaffigan as “one of the top up and coming comics.” Nate Bargatze is bringing his comedy to The Ridgefield Playhouse. Hailing from Old Hickory, Tennessee, rising stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze is selling out shows across America. Nate’s half-hour Netflix Special The Standups premiered on July 4, 2017 to rave reviews. In addition to touring the country as a headliner, Nate toured in arenas with Chris Rock on his 2017 Total Blackout Tour. He currently has a deal with 20th Century Fox to develop his own television show. Nate’s comedy is both clean and relatable, evident in his six appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon following four appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He regularly performs at Bonnaroo, SXSW, Oddball Comedy Festival, and more. He was also part of Jimmy Fallon’s Clean Cut Comedy Tour, and has done live shows for the troops in Iraq and Kuwait five times. Admission is $52. For more information and tickets, visit here. 

Wednesday, Sept. 30th – 7pm – Virtual Event

Gay Speed Dating in NYC: Age 30s-40s @ themenevent.com 

Speed dating has never been more fun! We will make introductions, go on one-on-one dates then mingle with everyone with a fun game and have real conversation about dating. This event is exclusively for guests in their 30s and 40s (see our other speed dating events for other ages and themes).  For more information, visit here. 

Thursday, Oct. 1st – Daily – Onsite Event

Fairy Doors on Lyme Street – Old Lyme, CT

Stroll along Lyme Street and find the fairy doors! Businesses and residents are invited to display the doorways of their resident fairy families. All fairy doors can be viewed by the sidewalk or public walkway. This family friendly event is a wonderful side adventure after attending the Wee Faerie Village exhibition at the Florence Griswold Museum. Through October 28^th.  Visit our website, here. 

Friday, Oct. 2nd – 9am – Virtual Event

The Healing Power of Gratitude @ Copper Beech Institute, West Hartford, CT

The healing power of gratitude is immense. University of California, Berkeley spent $3.1 million to study the science of gratitude. It turns out that a growing body of research suggests that maintaining an attitude of gratitude can improve psychological, emotional, and physical well-being.

The research at Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence suggests that adults who frequently feel thankful have more energy, more optimism, more social connections, earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have fewer health complaints. When we focus on what we have to be grateful for, our lives feel more abundant and we are reminded that life isn’t as difficult as we often feel it is.

The good news is that we can cultivate the brain changes and thought patterns of awareness and appreciation of blessings. In our time together, we will take a look at specific tools and practices that encourage an attitude of gratitude. Feel free to dress comfortably and bring your favorite journal. Tuition: $85: Covers all the expenses of the course and supports others who cannot afford to attend. $65: Covers most of the expenses of the course. $45: Covers some of the expenses of the course. With Sharon Gutterman, PhD. Ideal for all levels. For more information and registration, visit here. 

Friday, Oct. 2nd – Virtual & Onsite Event

Out Film CT: 33^rd Connecticut Film Festival – Hartford, CT

Thru October 10th. This year’s festival includes the largest collection of LGBTQ features, documentaries and shorts we’ve ever shown – over 100 films!! 30 Film Programs: 13 Feature Films * 5 Documentaries *

12 Shorts Programs * 3 Special Drive-In Shows. Festival passes are on sale now! Save big! For more information visit here. 

Saturday, Oct. 3rd – 10am to 5pm – Onsite Event

Frank Stella’s Stars, A Survey – The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield CT

Among the myriad of forms that have appeared in Frank Stella’s work, the star is the most singular, standing out as a stable and immediately identifiable shape in the midst of the complex tangle of abstract, invented forms that the artist has utilized over his long career. One can argue, however, that the star, although recognizable, is one of the ultimate abstract forms, since its many manifestations are based on theoretical geometry. The historical arc of Stella’s use of the form travels from minimal (the early star paintings) to the maximal, with the recent star sculptures frequently exhibiting a corruption of the form as well as a wild diversity of materials and fabrication techniques, including welded aluminum and steel, carbon fiber, rapid prototyped plastics, and even the inclusion of found objects. Also, the obvious should be noted: “Stella” is star in Latin, and although the artist is reticent to elaborate on specific meanings ascribed to his work, the star has increasingly become a well of inspiration that hints at autobiographic origins. Frank Stella’s Stars, A Survey will be presented both indoors and outdoors, with several monumental works being sited in The Aldrich’s Sculpture Garden. Admission Adults $12, seniors and students $7. Through May 9, 2021 For more information, visit here. 

Saturday, Oct. 3rd – Daily – Onsite Event

Capturing Connecticut’s Beauty – En Plein Air Art Show – Friends & Company Restaurant, Madison, CT

Featuring works of eight Plein Air Painters who paint outdoors together each week during the months of May through October. From rustic barns to fall foliage. Witness through the eyes of these artists how they express their love of Connecticut’s natural beauty through the creation of art. Admission Free. For more information, visit here. 

Sunday, Oct. 4th – 7am to 2pm – Onsite Event

Elephant’s Trunk Country Flea Market – New Milford, CT

Through December 13^th Since 1976, treasure hunters, antique collections, farmers, foodies, up-cycler, deal seekers and entrepreneurs of all kinds flocked to the well-known flea market. Please check the website for 2020 updates. Sundays only. Free admission. For more information, visit here. 

Sunday, Oct. 4th – 11am – 2pm – Onsite Event

Fall Family Fest Sundays – Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford, CT

Enjoy special activities and programs ranging from pumpkin painting and sock skating, to live animal shows and apple cidering demonstrations. Free with regular admission of $14. Discount for seniors and children. For more information, visit https://www.stamfordmuseum.org/

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