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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T210000
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SUMMARY:The Lady Gaga Experience Featuring Haus of Monsters at the Ocean Mist
DESCRIPTION:The Lady Gaga Experience Featuring Haus of Monsters at the Ocean Mist turns one of Rhode Island’s most enduring beach bars into a full-scale Gaga production Saturday\, September 12\, with a live band\, backup dancers\, costumes\, choreography\, and a catalog built around nearly two decades of pop hits. \nDoors open at 8 p.m. and the show begins at 9. This is a 21-and-over night at the Ocean Mist\, and Haus of Monsters isn’t approaching the material as four musicians standing onstage playing Lady Gaga covers. The New York-based group describes itself as a complete tribute experience\, combining the music with the visual spectacle and theatricality that have been part of Gaga’s identity since Just Dance and Poker Face first made her a global star. \nAnd there’s something appropriately excessive about putting all of that inside the Ocean Mist\, a weathered Matunuck institution sitting practically on top of the Atlantic Ocean. \nMore Than a Lady Gaga Cover Band\nHaus of Monsters has a fairly ambitious goal. \nIt isn’t trying simply to sound like Lady Gaga. It’s attempting to reproduce the feeling of a Gaga show on a scale that can travel into theaters\, clubs and music venues around the country. \nThe production combines a live band made up of New York session musicians with a lead performance\, backup dancers\, elaborate costumes and choreography. \nThe group is based in New York City\, Gaga’s hometown\, and describes its members as both professional musicians and longtime “Little Monsters\,” the name Gaga has used for her fans throughout her career. \nThat distinction matters with an artist whose music has never really existed separately from presentation. \nA faithful Lady Gaga tribute needs Bad Romance\, but it also needs some drama. \nIt needs Poker Face\, but preferably with considerably more happening onstage than someone singing into a microphone. \nAnd a song like Born This Way carries an identity and message that go well beyond its chorus. \nHaus of Monsters has built the show around that complete package\, moving between dance-floor records and ballads while changing the visual presentation along with the music. \nNearly 20 Years of Gaga to Work With\nAt this point\, there’s a surprisingly deep catalog from which to build the night. \nLady Gaga’s first album\, The Fame\, arrived in 2008 and produced Just Dance and Poker Face. The expanded The Fame Monster era followed with Bad Romance\, Telephone and Alejandro. \nThen came Born This Way\, with its title track\, The Edge of Glory and You and I. \nBut Gaga didn’t stay in one musical lane. \nARTPOP pushed further into electronic pop. Her collaboration with Tony Bennett on Cheek to Cheek moved into jazz standards. Joanne pulled back some of the electronic production. Then A Star Is Born introduced an entirely different audience to songs including Shallow and Always Remember Us This Way. \nShe returned to dance-pop with Chromatica and Rain on Me\, followed by another Tony Bennett album and eventually a darker return to maximalist pop with Mayhem. \nFor a tribute act\, that creates a lot of territory to cover. \nHaus of Monsters says its performances travel through Gaga’s biggest hits\, from dance anthems to the large-scale ballads. That gives the band room to change gears rather than simply reproducing two hours of late-2000s club music. \nThe Costumes Are Part of the Assignment\nThere are artists where a tribute band can get away with jeans\, guitars and a convincing setlist. \nLady Gaga is not one of them. \nFrom the beginning of her career\, fashion and theatrical presentation have been part of the work itself. Gaga has appeared in everything from sculptural couture and towering footwear to the infamous meat dress she wore to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. \nHer concert tours have followed the same philosophy. \nThe Monster Ball became a theatrical journey to the fictional Monster Ball itself. The Born This Way Ball used an enormous Gothic castle as part of its staging. Later tours incorporated elaborate video\, choreography\, costume changes\, props and narrative elements. \nHaus of Monsters borrows from that tradition without pretending this is an official Gaga production. \nThe group explicitly identifies itself as an independent\, fan-created tribute with no connection to or endorsement from Lady Gaga or her management. \nWhat it does attempt to reproduce is the combination of music and spectacle. \nThat means dancers aren’t decoration around the band. Costumes aren’t an occasional novelty. Both are fundamental parts of the show. \nFor anyone deciding between this and a conventional tribute-band night\, that’s probably the biggest difference. \nHaus of Monsters Has Been Taking the Production on the Road\nThe Ocean Mist date is part of a much broader 2026 run for Haus of Monsters. \nThe production has been appearing at clubs and theaters throughout the Northeast and beyond\, including City Winery Boston\, the Claremont Opera House in New Hampshire\, The Rex Theatre in Manchester\, Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury\, Massachusetts\, and Brooklyn Bowl in New York. \nThe group played Brooklyn Bowl in June and The Cut in Gloucester in August. Following Matunuck\, additional dates include the Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport and Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest in Bethlehem\, Pennsylvania. \nThose rooms vary considerably in size and format. \nThat’s useful context for the Ocean Mist show because Haus of Monsters is essentially bringing a theatrical tribute production into a Rhode Island beach bar. \nAnd not just any beach bar. \nThe Ocean Mist Has Been Doing This Since 1988\nThe building at 895 Matunuck Beach Road was part of the neighborhood long before anyone called it the Ocean Mist. \nIts history reaches back to Carpenter’s Bar and Grill\, which served surfers\, beachgoers and residents of the nearby summer campgrounds. The property went through different names and owners and survived the punishment that comes with placing a building directly beside the Atlantic. \nThen Kevin Finnegan bought the Ocean Mist in 1988. \nFinnegan had spent summers in Matunuck and saw an opportunity to bring something to South County that often required a drive to Providence at the time: nightlife and serious live music. \nThe Ocean Mist began booking local bands\, emerging acts and national performers while developing the combination that still defines it: restaurant during the day\, music venue at night and ocean immediately outside. \nJohn Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band\, BOP (harvey)\, The M.80s and a long list of regional and touring performers became part of that history. \nThe Ocean Mist now describes itself with a wonderfully understated phrase: “Just a Beach Bar.” \nTechnically\, that’s true. \nIt’s just a beach bar that has spent nearly four decades turning a small piece of Matunuck shoreline into one of Rhode Island’s most recognizable live-music rooms. \nGaga With the Atlantic Outside the Door\nThat location changes the experience. \nThe Ocean Mist isn’t a purpose-built theater with a formal lobby and rows of seats. It’s an oceanfront bar where breakfast starts in the morning\, the kitchen runs through the day and live music takes over at night. \nThe building sits directly along Matunuck Beach\, with the Atlantic visible from the property. \nBy the time Haus of Monsters starts at 9 p.m.\, the atmosphere will be very different from the daytime crowd stopping for breakfast or lunch. \nThis is a 21-plus show\, doors open an hour before the performance\, and Ocean Mist shows can get crowded. Anyone who wants time to get inside\, grab a drink and find a comfortable place before the production begins would be better served arriving closer to doors than showtime. \nParking for this event is listed as free. \nAnd because this is the Ocean Mist\, there’s a particularly good argument for arriving well before 8. \nCome down to Matunuck early. Eat. Watch the ocean for a while. \nThen go inside and watch somebody put on an outrageous costume and launch into Bad Romance. \nSouth County doesn’t offer many Saturday nights quite like that. \nDetails\nEvent: The Lady Gaga Experience Featuring Haus of Monsters at the Ocean Mist\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nDoors: 8 p.m.\nShow: 9 p.m.\nPerformer: Haus of Monsters\nMusic: Lady Gaga tribute / pop / dance\nShow Format: Live band with backup dancers\, costumes and theatrical production\nAge: 21+\nVenue: Ocean Mist\nAddress: 895 Matunuck Beach Road\, South Kingstown\, RI 02879\nParking: Free parking\nRefund Policy: No refunds\nPhone: 401-782-3740 \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-lady-gaga-experience-featuring-haus-of-monsters-at-the-ocean-mist/
LOCATION:Ocean Mist\, 895 Matunuck Beach Road\, South Kingston\, RI\, 02879\, United States
CATEGORIES:Ocean Mist
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T210000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T230000
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SUMMARY:ZZ Top with special guest George Thorogood & The Destroyers
DESCRIPTION:If you’re looking for a night that feels like straight-up American rock history hitting the stage at full volume\, this tour delivers it. ZZ Top are out on their ongoing *The Big One!* Tour\, stretching across the U.S. with dates running through late summer and into the fall\, bringing that unmistakable Texas blues-rock sound to arenas and amphitheaters everywhere. ([Pollstar News][1]) The trio’s groove is instantly recognizable… thick guitar tone\, driving rhythms\, and that laid-back swagger that somehow still feels effortless after decades. \nSharing the bill\, George Thorogood & The Destroyers bring a raw\, boogie-blues energy that pairs perfectly with ZZ Top’s style. Their sets are built on hard-driving riffs and crowd-ready staples like “Bad to the Bone\,” the kind of songs that don’t just play… they hit. ([georgethorogoodtour.us][2]) When these two acts come together\, it turns into more than just a concert… it feels like a double-shot of classic rock\, where every song lands with familiarity and force. \nThe tour itself has been expanding with additional dates\, including stops across the country and select shows where both bands share the stage\, like their scheduled appearance together in Uncasville\, Connecticut\, this September. ([Ultimate Classic Rock][3]) Live\, it’s all about the feel… big sound\, no frills\, just guitars\, rhythm\, and a crowd that knows exactly why they showed up. If you’re chasing that old-school rock experience… loud\, loose\, and unapologetically real… this is one of those nights that delivers exactly what you came for.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/zz-top-with-special-guest-george-thorogood-the-destroyers/
LOCATION:Mohegan Sun\, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd\, Uncasville\, 06382\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mohegan Sun
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T230000
DTSTAMP:20260910T013229Z
CREATED:20260910T013229Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T013229Z
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SUMMARY:Nutshell with Free Thinkers Are Dangerous at the Rathskeller
DESCRIPTION:Nutshell with Free Thinkers Are Dangerous at the Rathskeller turns the wooded Down Back stage into a slice of the 1990s on Saturday\, September 12\, with a double bill devoted to two bands that took heavy music in very different directions: Alice in Chains and System of a Down. \nBoston-based Nutshell headlines with the dark harmonies\, grinding guitar riffs\, and uneasy beauty of Alice in Chains. Opening act Free Thinkers Are Dangerous takes on System of a Down\, whose collision of metal\, punk\, Armenian musical influences and political absurdism produced some of the strangest songs ever to become mainstream rock hits. \nThe three-hour show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance plus fees or $20 at the door. \nNutshell Has Been Playing Alice in Chains Since 2005\nThis isn’t a new tribute assembled for the current wave of ’90s nostalgia. \nNutshell traces its history to 2005\, making it the longest-tenured Alice in Chains tribute in New England. \nThe Boston-based group has spent more than two decades performing around New England\, appearing in clubs\, theaters and larger rock venues while concentrating on something particularly difficult to reproduce: the relationship between Alice in Chains’ voices and guitars. \nNutshell’s current lineup is built around lead vocals\, dual guitars and vocals\, bass and drums. The band’s performances range from full electric shows to recreations of Alice in Chains’ celebrated MTV Unplugged material. \nThat gives Nutshell a catalog with enormous dynamic range. \nA set can move from the violence of Them Bones and Man in the Box to Down in a Hole\, No Excuses or Nutshell\, where volume gives way to something much more vulnerable. \nThe tribute band’s name comes from one of the latter. \nAlice in Chains Was Never Quite a Grunge Band\nAlice in Chains is inevitably grouped with Nirvana\, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden as one of the four great bands to emerge from Seattle during the grunge explosion. \nGeography makes that reasonable. \nMusically\, things are more complicated. \nAlice in Chains was considerably heavier than much of the movement surrounding it. Jerry Cantrell’s guitar riffs owed an obvious debt to heavy metal\, while Layne Staley possessed a powerful voice that could move from a low\, haunted melody to an anguished roar. \nThe defining sound\, however\, often came when Cantrell sang with him. \nStaley and Cantrell’s voices could lock into unsettling harmonies that sounded simultaneously beautiful and ominous. That’s why reproducing Alice in Chains convincingly requires more than finding someone who can imitate Staley. \nThe harmonies are part of the architecture of the songs. \nNutshell specifically emphasizes those vocal arrangements in its performances\, along with the guitar tones and emotional weight of the original recordings. \nDirt Turned Darkness Into a Masterpiece\nAlice in Chains had already scored a breakthrough with Facelift in 1990 and Man in the Box\, but 1992’s Dirt became the defining album of the band’s early career. \nIt arrived while alternative rock was exploding into the mainstream. \nThe record contained Would?\, Rooster\, Them Bones\, Angry Chair and Down in a Hole\, but there was little of the youthful liberation normally associated with a rock band becoming famous. \nMuch of Dirt is claustrophobic. \nAddiction\, depression\, war\, anger and self-destruction run through the record. Staley’s struggles with heroin increasingly became part of both his songwriting and his life. \nCantrell wrote Rooster about his father\, Jerry Cantrell Sr.\, a Vietnam veteran whose nickname supplied the title. \nWould? was written in memory of Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood\, who died of a heroin overdose in 1990. \nAnd then there was Down in a Hole\, a Cantrell composition whose harmonies between Cantrell and Staley became one of the clearest demonstrations of what made Alice in Chains different from its contemporaries. \nThe album eventually became one of the essential records of the 1990s. \nThe Quiet Alice in Chains Could Be Even Heavier\nOne of the band’s most interesting contradictions emerged when the amplifiers were turned down. \nAlice in Chains released the mostly acoustic EP Sap in 1992 and followed it with Jar of Flies in 1994. \nJar of Flies became the first EP ever to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. \nIt included No Excuses\, I Stay Away and the song that gives Saturday’s tribute band its name: Nutshell. \nThen came the band’s April 1996 appearance on MTV Unplugged. \nBy that point\, Alice in Chains had largely disappeared from touring as Staley’s health and addiction problems worsened. The performance was the band’s first concert in roughly two and a half years. \nSitting under subdued lights with “Alice in Chains” written across the stage\, the group performed Nutshell\, Down in a Hole\, Rooster\, Would? and other songs in arrangements that stripped away the distortion without removing any of the tension. \nThe performance has become one of the most celebrated installments of the entire MTV Unplugged series. \nNutshell has made recreating that acoustic side of Alice in Chains part of its own identity\, alongside the full electric material. \nLayne Staley’s Story Gives the Music a Different Weight Now\nIt’s impossible to hear some of these songs today without knowing how the story ended. \nLayne Staley gradually withdrew from public life during the second half of the 1990s as his addiction worsened. \nHe died in 2002 at age 34. \nAlice in Chains eventually returned with Cantrell\, Sean Kinney and Mike Inez joined by vocalist and guitarist William DuVall. Beginning with Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009\, the revived lineup established a successful second era while acknowledging rather than attempting to erase Staley’s place in the band’s history. \nThe band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2025. \nFor a tribute act like Nutshell\, that means performing songs whose meaning has changed with time. \nNutshell was already devastating in 1994. \nThree decades later\, it’s difficult not to hear it as something more. \nThen Free Thinkers Are Dangerous Changes the Entire Mood\nIf Nutshell represents brooding Seattle darkness\, Free Thinkers Are Dangerous brings something considerably more frantic to the opening slot. \nThe band performs the music of System of a Down. \nThat means the night can jump from Alice in Chains’ slow\, sludgy riffs and mournful harmonies into music that can change tempo\, mood and genre several times before a song reaches its chorus. \nFree Thinkers Are Dangerous has shared bills with Nutshell before\, including a January 2026 Worcester show with Tool tribute Schism. At that concert\, FTAD opened with a dedicated System of a Down set before Nutshell’s Alice in Chains performance. \nIt’s a pairing that makes sense without the bands sounding particularly alike. \nBoth original groups fall somewhere under the broad alternative-metal umbrella. \nAfter that\, almost everything changes. \nSystem of a Down Was Supposed to Be Too Weird for This to Work\nSystem of a Down emerged from Southern California in the 1990s with four Armenian-American musicians: Serj Tankian\, Daron Malakian\, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan. \nThe band’s sound was difficult to classify from the beginning. \nHeavy metal riffs collided with punk\, progressive rock\, folk-derived melodies and sudden rhythmic shifts. Tankian could move from a whisper to a scream to something approaching operatic singing\, sometimes within the same song. \nMalakian’s writing added another layer of unpredictability. \nAnd the lyrics could move from war\, genocide\, incarceration and political hypocrisy to deliberately surreal nonsense. \nSomehow\, this became commercially enormous. \nChop Suey! arrived in 2001 as the lead single from Toxicity. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. \nToxicity and Aerials followed as major songs\, and the band’s catalog eventually produced B.Y.O.B.\, Sugar\, Spiders\, Hypnotize\, Question! and Lonely Day. \nFew mainstream bands of the era sounded remotely like them. \nB.Y.O.B. Put the Iraq War on Rock Radio\nSystem of a Down’s politics were rarely hidden behind vague language. \nThe members’ Armenian heritage informed their activism around recognition of the Armenian genocide. Their music also addressed prisons\, drug policy\, authoritarianism\, media\, war and the people who benefit from it. \nThat reached a particularly large audience with 2005’s B.Y.O.B. \nThe title stands for “Bring Your Own Bombs.” \nThe song asks why political leaders send the poor to fight wars and then erupts into an almost absurdly cheerful chorus about everybody going to a party. \nThe contrast is intentional. \nThe song won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. \nIts parent album\, Mezmerize\, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Later that same year\, companion album Hypnotize did the same. \nSystem of a Down had taken music that sounded as though it shouldn’t fit anywhere on mainstream American radio and turned it into some of the biggest hard rock of the decade. \nTwo Tributes\, Two Completely Different Kinds of Heavy\nThat’s what makes the Charlestown pairing more interesting than simply booking two tribute bands. \nAlice in Chains and System of a Down demonstrate how broad “heavy music” became during the 1990s and early 2000s. \nAlice in Chains could build a song around repetition\, weight and atmosphere. System of a Down might change direction three times in 30 seconds. \nLayne Staley and Jerry Cantrell created tightly interlocked harmonies. \nSerj Tankian and Daron Malakian could sound as though they were having an argument in the middle of the song. \nAlice in Chains made despair feel enormous. \nSystem of a Down could make political rage sound manic\, funny and terrifying at the same time. \nNutshell and Free Thinkers Are Dangerous put both approaches on the same stage Saturday night. \nCome Early and Make a Night of It\nThe Charlestown Rathskeller is particularly well suited to shows that don’t require everyone to arrive five minutes before the first chord. \nThe tavern sits back from Old Coach Road in a wooded setting\, with its seasonal Down Back entertainment area adding an outdoor stage\, fire pit\, lawn games and room to spread out. \nThe kitchen is open from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturdays\, while the Rathskeller itself remains open until 1 a.m. \nThat creates plenty of room to arrive before the 8 p.m. show for dinner. \nThe menu leans into tavern food and New England favorites\, including burgers\, fish and chips\, clam chowder\, stuffies\, calamari and the Rathskeller’s well-known fries\, alongside steaks and dishes such as jägerschnitzel. \nThen head Down Back. \nFree Thinkers Are Dangerous provides the chaos. \nNutshell supplies the darkness. \nAnd somewhere along the way\, there’s a pretty good chance several hundred people are going to yell the opening of Man in the Box together. \nDetails\nEvent: Nutshell with Free Thinkers Are Dangerous at the Charlestown Rathskeller\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 8–11 p.m.\nHeadliner: Nutshell\, tribute to Alice in Chains\nOpening Band: Free Thinkers Are Dangerous\, tribute to System of a Down\nMusic: Grunge / alternative metal / hard rock\nAdmission: $15 online plus Eventbrite fees; $20 at the door\nVenue: The Charlestown Rathskeller\nAddress: 489A Old Coach Road\, Charlestown\, RI 02813\nSaturday Hours: Noon–1 a.m.\nKitchen: Noon–10 p.m.\nPhone: 401-792-1000\nRefund Policy: Eventbrite currently lists refunds up to seven days before the event \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/nutshell-with-free-thinkers-are-dangerous-at-the-rathskeller/
LOCATION:Rathskeller\, 489A Old Coach Rd\, Charlestown\, RI\, 02813\, United States
CATEGORIES:Rathskeller
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T203000
DTSTAMP:20260905T022317Z
CREATED:20260905T022317Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T022317Z
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SUMMARY:300-Drone Light Show Over the Thames River
DESCRIPTION:The 300-Drone Light Show over the Thames River will turn the sky above downtown New London into a moving canvas of illuminated ships\, maritime symbols\, and choreographed images on Saturday\, September 12. \nThe approximately 25-minute show begins at 8 p.m.\, with viewing from the New London waterfront. Three hundred synchronized drones will fly together above the river\, combining light\, motion and music for the nighttime finale of Saturday’s Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival. \nThe drone show is part of the larger two-day festival\, but it stands on its own as one of the weekend’s biggest attractions. Festival organizers are promoting it as Eastern Connecticut’s first drone light show. \n300 Drones Moving as One\nA drone light show works very differently from fireworks. \nInstead of launching pyrotechnics into the air\, hundreds of small illuminated aircraft are programmed with individual positions and flight paths. When those drones move together\, points of light become recognizable shapes\, animations and transitions across the sky. \nFor New London\, 300 drones will be synchronized into a single aerial performance. \nThe festival’s promotional artwork offers a sense of the maritime direction\, depicting a tall ship\, lighthouse\, anchor and compass rose formed from points of light. The actual show is being promoted around Connecticut’s maritime story\, with synchronized imagery\, motion and music transforming the waterfront sky. \nThe result should be particularly striking from New London because the performance isn’t taking place above a fairground or stadium. \nIt’s happening over the Thames River. \nA Maritime Show in a Maritime City\nThe location gives the technology a subject that is already all around it. \nNew London’s history has been tied to the water for centuries\, from its colonial port and whaling industry to the Navy\, Coast Guard\, commercial shipping and the working Thames River of today. \nThe Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival was created to bring those pieces together. \nDuring the day\, visitors can tour military and private vessels\, watch maritime demonstrations\, meet living-history interpreters and move between New London Waterfront Park and Fort Trumbull State Park. \nAt night\, the storytelling moves into the sky. \nInstead of looking at a historic ship tied to a pier\, visitors will watch maritime images assembled from hundreds of moving lights above the river itself. \nThe Show Follows the Burning of Benedict Arnold\nThe timing makes Saturday night more than a standalone light show. \nBefore the drones launch\, Flock Theatre’s Burning of Benedict Arnold brings one of New London’s strangest historic traditions back to Bank Street and the waterfront. \nThe March of the Traitor begins at 7:30 p.m.\, recalling the destruction Arnold brought to New London and Groton in 1781 after turning against the American cause. \nParticipants march down Bank Street toward Waterfront Park\, where Arnold’s effigy is burned. \nThe festival schedule places the burning immediately before the drone show\, creating an evening that moves from an old New London tradition to a thoroughly modern form of spectacle. \nFire on the waterfront gives way to hundreds of lights over the Thames. \nA Different Kind of Nighttime Spectacle\nDrone shows have increasingly become an alternative to traditional fireworks for large public celebrations. \nTheir strength isn’t the explosive impact of fireworks. It’s precision. \nIndividual drones can be positioned to create recognizable objects\, words and animated sequences that would be impossible to reproduce with conventional pyrotechnics. They also allow a show to be designed specifically around its location and theme. \nFor the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\, that means the technology can be used to tell a maritime story rather than simply illuminate the sky. \nThree hundred independent aircraft become pixels in an enormous moving image\, changing formation as the performance progresses. Music accompanies the approximately 25-minute presentation\, tying the individual sequences together. \nAnd unlike a projection on a screen\, the images will appear suspended above one of Connecticut’s busiest maritime corridors. \nWhere to Watch the Drone Show\nThe designated viewing area is New London Waterfront Park\, placing spectators along the Thames River directly beneath the downtown skyline. \nThe park stretches along the waterfront between the city’s historic downtown and the river\, providing broad sightlines toward the water. \nBecause the images created by a drone show are designed to be viewed from a particular direction\, spectators should use the festival’s designated waterfront viewing area rather than assuming any location around the Thames will provide the same view. \nThe performance begins at 8 p.m. and is scheduled to run until approximately 8:25 p.m. \nWith the Burning of Benedict Arnold procession beginning at 7:30 p.m.\, visitors planning to attend both events can remain downtown and move toward the waterfront as the evening progresses. \nPart of the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nThe drone show is one attraction within the larger Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\, taking place in New London September 11 through 13. \nThe festival celebrates the city’s unusually deep connection to the sea\, bringing together historic vessels\, active-duty maritime services\, demonstrations\, tours\, educational programs\, music and living history. \nNew London is particularly suited to that kind of gathering. \nThe Thames River is home to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy\, while Naval Submarine Base New London sits upriver in Groton. The region also includes the historic shipbuilding communities of Groton and Mystic\, the Custom House Maritime Museum and centuries of commercial and military maritime history. \nThe festival puts that history back on the waterfront rather than confining it to exhibits. \nThe Saturday night drone show takes the same idea and translates it into something unmistakably contemporary. \nLeave Personal Drones at Home\nThere is one important rule for anyone thinking about capturing the show from the air. \nThe Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival is an Event One Fly Zone. Personal drones are not permitted at the event. \nThat restriction is especially important during a professional drone performance. \nA choreographed show depends on hundreds of aircraft following precisely programmed routes in controlled airspace. An unauthorized drone entering that space can create a safety risk and interfere with the performance. \nVisitors can photograph or record the show from the ground\, but personal aircraft need to stay home. \nA Saturday Night Finale Built for New London\nThe drone show could have been staged almost anywhere. \nWhat makes this one interesting is the decision to make New London’s maritime identity the subject rather than merely using the waterfront as a convenient launch site. \nThe city has spent centuries watching ships move through the Thames. \nOn September 12\, some of those ships will be made of light. \nFor about 25 minutes\, 300 synchronized drones will take the festival from the vessels tied along the waterfront to a much larger canvas overhead\, closing Saturday night with a maritime spectacle that didn’t exist when most of the history being celebrated was made. \nEvent Details\nEvent: 300-Drone Light Show at the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 8–8:25 p.m.\nViewing Area: New London Waterfront Park\nLocation: New London\, CT\nDrones: 300 synchronized aircraft\nPresentation: Choreographed illuminated formations with music and maritime imagery\nFestival: Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nEarlier Saturday Event: Burning of Benedict Arnold procession begins at 7:30 p.m.\nPersonal Drones: Prohibited at the event\nSponsor: Enstructure \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/300-drone-light-show-over-the-thames-river/
LOCATION:New London Waterfront Park\, 1 Waterfront Park\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:New London Waterfront Park
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T230000
DTSTAMP:20260528T144458Z
CREATED:20260528T144458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260528T144458Z
UID:10002630-1789241400-1789254000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Dance Saturday at THE MISFIT CLUB
DESCRIPTION:Dance Saturday at THE MISFIT CLUB brings late-night dance energy to downtown Mystic every Saturday with DJs\, theme nights\, and a growing nightlife crowd looking for something a little louder after dinner hours wind down around town. Doors open early in the evening before the dance floor fully shifts into party mode at 7:30 p.m.\, with modern dance music and big-city club energy taking over the space for the rest of the night. \nWhile Mystic is often associated with quieter waterfront evenings and laid-back coastal bars\, spots like THE MISFIT CLUB are helping carve out a younger nightlife scene built around DJs\, dancing\, themed parties\, and late-night social crowds. The venue leans into a more playful and high-energy atmosphere than many traditional shoreline spots\, with rotating themes like “Pink Underground” adding an extra layer of unpredictability from week to week. \nFor anyone looking to trade vineyard sunsets and seafood dinners for flashing lights\, dance music\, and a packed floor later in the evening\, Dance Saturday offers one of the more nightlife-focused experiences happening around southeastern Connecticut right now. Organizers encourage guests to follow the club’s Instagram page for updates on upcoming themes\, music\, and special event nights. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/dance-saturday-at-the-misfit-club/2026-09-12/
LOCATION:The Misfit Club\, 12 Water St APT 12\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:The Misfit Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Dance-Saturday-at-the-Misfit-Club-Saturdays-730-pm.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T213000
DTSTAMP:20260906T030454Z
CREATED:20260906T030454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260906T030454Z
UID:10007479-1789241400-1789248600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:This Chaos Live at The Golden Owl in New London
DESCRIPTION:This Chaos performs at The Golden Owl in downtown New London on Saturday\, September 12\, bringing an intimate night of live music to the independent bookstore\, art space\, and community gathering place on Golden Street. \nThe performance runs from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.\, with a $10 suggested donation. \nLive Music Inside The Golden Owl\nThe Golden Owl isn’t a conventional music venue. \nLocated at 19 Golden Street in downtown New London\, the independent shop combines books\, art\, plants\, loose-leaf tea and coffee with spaces designed for people to actually stay awhile. \nLive music is part of a broader calendar of community programming that has included open mics\, writing groups\, creative gatherings\, Dungeons & Dragons and other small-scale events. The shop’s Owl Lounge provides space for performances and gatherings alongside art\, books and comfortable seating. \nThat makes a show here considerably different from seeing a band across a crowded club. \nThere’s little separation between performer and audience\, and the room itself becomes part of the experience. \nEvent Details\nEvent: This Chaos at The Golden Owl\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 7:30–9:30 p.m.\nVenue: The Golden Owl\nAddress: 19 Golden Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nAdmission: $10 suggested donation\nPerformance: Live music by This Chaos \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/this-chaos-live-at-the-golden-owl-in-new-london/
LOCATION:The Golden Owl\, 19 Golden Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Golden Owl
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T210000
DTSTAMP:20260908T005412Z
CREATED:20260908T005412Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T005412Z
UID:10007509-1789241400-1789246800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Almost\, Maine at the Granite Theatre
DESCRIPTION:Almost\, Maine at the Granite Theatre opens Friday\, September 11\, for a two-week run of John Cariani’s romantic comedy about love found\, lost and occasionally turned upside down beneath the northern lights. \nThe Granite Theatre production runs September 11–20 in downtown Westerly\, with 7:30 p.m. performances on Thursdays\, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sunday matinees. Tickets are $30–$35. \nRather than following one couple through a conventional love story\, Almost\, Maine tells nine interconnected stories about the residents of a tiny fictional community in northern Maine. During the course of one cold Friday night\, relationships begin\, end\, stumble and take some wonderfully strange turns. \nWelcome to Almost\nAlmost isn’t technically a town. \nIn Cariani’s fictional geography\, it’s an unorganized community so far north in Maine that it’s almost in Canada. On a clear winter night\, with the aurora borealis overhead\, its residents experience a series of encounters that revolve around falling in love\, falling out of it or discovering that what they thought they understood about another person wasn’t quite right. \nThe structure is closer to a collection of short stories performed on stage than a traditional beginning-to-end narrative. \nMost of the scenes involve just two characters\, with different residents moving in and out of focus as the evening progresses. The stories stand on their own\, but the shared place\, time and themes gradually turn them into a portrait of one small community. \nCariani also gives the play a touch of magical realism. \nEmotions sometimes become physical things. Characters carry the consequences of love in ways that couldn’t happen in the real world\, yet the feelings behind those moments remain recognizable. That lets Almost\, Maine move quickly between comedy\, absurdity\, heartbreak and tenderness without becoming a conventional romantic comedy. \nA Play That Almost Disappeared\nThe story behind Almost\, Maine is nearly as unlikely as some of the stories inside it. \nJohn Cariani developed the play at the Cape Cod Theatre Project in 2002. It received its world premiere at Portland Stage Company in Maine in 2004\, where it broke box-office records. \nBy then\, Cariani was already familiar to Broadway audiences as an actor. He earned a Tony Award nomination for playing Motel the tailor in the 2004 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof and had appeared on television in Law & Order. \nAlmost\, Maine reached New York next\, opening Off-Broadway at the Daryl Roth Theatre in January 2006. \nThat production lasted only about a month. \nOrdinarily\, that might have been the end of the story. Instead\, after the play was published and became available to other theaters\, something unexpected happened. \nSmall professional theaters began producing it. Then community theaters picked it up. Colleges and high schools followed. \nAnd they kept doing it. \nFrom Short Off-Broadway Run to Thousands of Productions\nToday\, Almost\, Maine has become one of the most frequently produced contemporary American plays. \nThe play’s official site reports that more than 6\,000 theater companies in the United States have staged it\, along with more than 100 international companies. It has also repeatedly ranked among the most-produced plays in North American high schools. \nPart of the appeal is built into Cariani’s unusual structure. \nWith largely self-contained two-person scenes\, directors can distribute substantial material among an ensemble rather than building an entire production around one or two leading roles. Each vignette gives its actors a complete little story to develop. \nAudiences get something different from that structure\, too. One scene may land as broad comedy while the next turns unexpectedly bittersweet. Not every relationship works out\, and the title itself becomes something of a running idea. \nThings in Almost are frequently close. \nAlmost a town. Almost Canada. Almost together. Almost over someone. Almost happy. \nBut not quite. \nJohn Cariani Wrote About the Maine He Knew\nThe fictional setting wasn’t chosen at random. \nCariani grew up in Presque Isle in Aroostook County\, the enormous and sparsely populated region at the northern end of Maine. He has said those years shaped his affection for the landscape\, language and people that eventually found their way into Almost\, Maine. \nThe setting is intentionally remote. The cold matters. The darkness matters. So does the northern sky. \nAgainst that isolation\, the small interactions between people become bigger. A conversation on a bench\, an unexpected visitor at the door or an encounter between two neighbors can become the most important thing happening for miles. \nCariani eventually returned to the world he created in another form. In 2022\, he adapted Almost\, Maine into a novel\, expanding the interconnected stories and characters beyond what audiences see on stage. \nBut the theatrical version remains the work that made Almost into a place thousands of actors and audiences have visited. \nInside Westerly’s Historic Granite Theatre\nThe setting for this production has its own story. \nGranite Theatre occupies a restored Greek Revival building at 1 Granite Street in downtown Westerly. Long before actors performed there\, the building was a church. \nThe congregation that became the Broad Street Christian Church was organized in 1843\, and the building was completed in 1849. Its prominent classical façade and columns remain part of one of downtown Westerly’s distinctive historic structures. \nThe building eventually found a second life as a performance space\, reopening as the Granite Theatre in 2000. \nToday\, Renaissance City Theatre operates the Granite as a nonprofit theater\, presenting plays\, musicals\, family productions\, educational programs and special events throughout the year. \nIt’s also an intimate room. With roughly 140 seats\, the audience is close to the performers rather than watching from the distance of a large regional theater. That should suit a play built around small conversations and two-person encounters particularly well. \nOpening Night Begins a Seven-Performance Run\nAlmost\, Maine opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday\, September 11. \nA second evening performance follows Saturday\, September 12\, before the first Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. September 13. \nThe production returns the following Thursday and continues through Sunday\, September 20\, for seven performances in all: \n\nFriday\, September 11 at 7:30 p.m.\nSaturday\, September 12 at 7:30 p.m.\nSunday\, September 13 at 2 p.m.\nThursday\, September 17 at 7:30 p.m.\nFriday\, September 18 at 7:30 p.m.\nSaturday\, September 19 at 7:30 p.m.\nSunday\, September 20 at 2 p.m.\n\nTickets range from $30 to $35. \nAccessibility at the Granite\nBecause the Granite occupies a historic 19th-century building\, accessibility comes with some limitations. \nThe theater performance space itself is wheelchair accessible\, but the Granite notes that its lobby and restrooms are not fully accessible. \nA small number of accessible parking spaces are available behind the building and need to be reserved. The theater recommends that anyone who needs accessible parking or has mobility concerns call ahead rather than relying on availability when arriving for a performance. \nDetails\nEvent: Almost\, Maine\nPlaywright: John Cariani\nOpening Night: Friday\, September 11\, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.\nRun: September 11–20\, 2026\nEvening Performances: 7:30 p.m.\nSunday Matinees: 2 p.m.\nNumber of Performances: Seven\nGenre: Romantic comedy\nVenue: Granite Theatre\nAddress: 1 Granite Street\, Westerly\, RI 02891\nTickets: $30–$35\nBox Office: 401-596-2341\nAccessibility: Theater space is wheelchair accessible; lobby and restrooms are not fully accessible\nAccessible Parking: Limited spaces are available and should be reserved in advance \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/almost-maine-at-the-granite-theatre/2026-09-12/
LOCATION:The Granite Theater\, 1 Granite Street\, Westerly\, RI\, 02891\, United States
CATEGORIES:The Granite Street Theater
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Almost-Maine-at-the-Granite-Theatre.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T220000
DTSTAMP:20260910T181120Z
CREATED:20260910T180237Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T181120Z
UID:10007543-1789239600-1789250400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Post Songs of the Sea Shanty Pub Sing
DESCRIPTION:Post Songs of the Sea Shanty Pub Sing moves the maritime music from Parade Plaza as part of the CT Maritime Heritage Festival into Oasis Pub on Saturday\, September 12\, with veteran chanteyman Marc Bernier hosting an informal night of sea songs immediately following Songs of the Sea 2026. \nThe pub sing begins at 7 p.m. at Oasis Pub\, 16 Bank Street in downtown New London\, almost as soon as The Dreadnoughts finish the final set of the free Songs of the Sea concert across the street. \nThere is no announced band lineup and no conventional stage show to watch. \nThat’s the point. \nA pub sing turns the audience into part of the music. Someone starts a song\, the room picks up the chorus and another singer eventually launches the next one. Expect traditional chanteys\, maritime songs\, drinking songs\, Irish and British folk material and whatever else the singers in the room happen to know. \nAnd Saturday should bring an unusually deep bench of people who know the songs. \nFrom Parade Plaza Straight Into the Pub\nThe timing is deliberate. \nSongs of the Sea runs throughout Saturday afternoon at Parade Plaza as part of the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\, with six acts representing different corners of maritime\, traditional and folk-punk music. \nNone Of Us Saints opens at 2 p.m.\, followed by Littlefield & Morneault\, Marc Bernier\, Hold Fast and New London’s My Druthers. \nAt 6 p.m.\, Canadian folk-punk band The Dreadnoughts takes the final slot\, finishing at approximately 6:45. \nThen everyone has to do is cross the street. \nThe poster for the evening couldn’t make the transition much clearer: \n“Starts when the concert ends.” \nOasis Pub sits at 16 Bank Street\, directly across from the Parade Plaza area. Its normal Saturday opening time is 7 p.m.\, which essentially allows the afternoon concert crowd to walk out of Songs of the Sea and into the next round of singing. \nThis Time\, Marc Bernier Isn’t Just Performing\nBernier already has a 3:30 p.m. performance slot at Songs of the Sea. \nA few hours later\, his role changes. \nHe becomes the host. \nThat’s a good job for someone who spent more than 30 years on staff at Mystic Seaport Museum\, including five years working as one of the museum’s chanteymen. \nBernier has also worked as a musician and educator with the Hudson River’s Clearwater program and has sailed aboard traditional vessels as a cook\, deckhand and entertainer from Maine to the Chesapeake Bay. \nHis repertoire draws heavily from Ireland\, Britain and the northeastern United States\, particularly maritime songs\, pub songs and drinking songs. \nHe accompanies himself on guitar\, mandolin and tenor banjo\, but his musical background goes considerably further. Bernier plays bodhrán in Irish music and frottior\, or rubboard\, in Cajun and Zydeco music. \nHe’s also been part of Connecticut’s fife-and-drum community since his teenage years\, performing and teaching and eventually taking his fife playing throughout North America and Europe. \nFor the pub sing\, however\, Bernier’s most important instrument may simply be his voice. \nHe’s a traditional song leader. \nA Pub Sing Isn’t a Concert\nIf you’ve never attended a maritime pub sing\, don’t expect Saturday night to operate like the concert that precedes it. \nThere doesn’t need to be a carefully programmed set list. \nThere may not even be a clear separation between performer and audience. \nOne singer starts. \nEveryone who knows the chorus joins in. \nThen somebody else takes a turn. \nSome songs may be accompanied by instruments. Others work best with nothing but voices. \nPeople who don’t know a song can usually figure out the chorus after hearing it once or twice. \nThat’s one reason maritime music lends itself particularly well to this kind of gathering. \nMany of the songs were designed for participation in the first place. \nA Chantey Was Music With a Job\nThe sea chantey began as working music aboard sailing vessels. \nA chanteyman supplied the verses while sailors responded together on the chorus or refrain. The rhythm helped coordinate physical labor that required several people to pull\, push or move at the same time. \nDifferent kinds of work produced different kinds of chanteys. \nHalyard chanteys helped coordinate the heavy pulling involved in raising sails. \nShort-drag or short-haul chanteys suited jobs requiring shorter bursts of effort. \nCapstan and windlass songs accompanied longer\, repetitive tasks such as raising an anchor. \nNot every song sailors sang was a work chantey\, either. \nWhen the day’s labor ended\, sailors also sang for entertainment. Those recreational songs are often called forebitters\, a name associated with sailors gathering near the forebitts on deck during their free time. \nThat distinction gets blurred today\, when “sea shanty” is frequently used as a catch-all description for almost any traditional maritime song. \nAt a pub sing\, the distinction matters less than the chorus. \nThe Songs Were Built to Be Learned Quickly\nThere was a practical reason chanteys relied so heavily on repetition and call-and-response. \nThe crew needed to join in. \nA sailor didn’t need sheet music or formal training. The chanteyman could improvise verses while everyone else supplied the familiar response. \nThat structure has given the music remarkable durability. \nSomeone can walk into Oasis Saturday knowing none of the songs and still participate. \nListen to the first chorus. \nListen again. \nBy the third one\, sing. \nThere aren’t many musical traditions where a complete newcomer can become part of the ensemble in less than a minute. \nNew London Already Has a Living Shanty Scene\nSaturday’s pub sing isn’t an attempt to manufacture a maritime tradition for festival weekend. \nPeople are already singing these songs here. \nOasis has hosted Sea Shanty Nights featuring New London groups My Druthers and Bards of Gungywamp. One was held as recently as August 28. \nThose evenings mix sea songs\, Celtic folk\, old maritime tunes\, drinking songs and working-class ballads. \nMy Druthers has become particularly closely connected to the local scene. \nThe New London-based rotating collective\, led by Stuart Fensom\, approaches maritime music from punk-rock roots. Its repertoire combines traditional chanteys\, Irish rebel songs and working-class folk\, often using guitar\, fiddle\, banjo and mandolin. \nBards of Gungywamp takes another expansive approach\, mixing Celtic folk and chanteys with bluegrass\, old-time music\, country\, Cajun influences\, punk and original songs inspired by New England history and folklore. \nThe result is a maritime music community that isn’t especially interested in keeping traditional songs sealed behind museum glass. \nPeople still sing them because they’re fun to sing. \nSaturday Could Produce an Interesting Room\nThe timing of this particular pub sing makes it different from an ordinary shanty night. \nLook at who’s playing across the street during the afternoon. \nLittlefield & Morneault are veteran maritime musicians with deep connections to traditional sea music. \nBernier is performing. \nMy Druthers is performing. \nThe Dreadnoughts are in town. \nNone Of Us Saints and Pennsylvania Celtic-punk band Hold Fast are on the bill. \nThe organizers haven’t announced a lineup of special guests for the Oasis sing\, so nobody should assume that every Songs of the Sea performer will appear. \nBut New London will have an unusually large concentration of maritime\, Celtic and folk-punk musicians within a few blocks Saturday. \nA pub sing is exactly the kind of event where that matters. \nOasis Is a Natural Place for It\nOasis Pub has been part of New London’s downtown music culture for years. \nIt’s small. \nThat’s an advantage for this. \nA room built for hundreds of spectators would work against the intimacy of a traditional pub sing. Oasis puts people close together\, where one unaccompanied voice can start a song and the rest of the room can answer. \nThe Bank Street bar is primarily known for craft beer and live music\, with 20 rotating drafts and a large selection of cans alongside wine\, cocktails and nonalcoholic choices. \nIt’s also emphatically a music bar. \nTouring and regional bands have passed through its small room\, while its current programming ranges from indie rock and punk to DJs\, movie nights and maritime music. \nFor Saturday’s pub sing\, the modest size should make the distinction between stage and audience almost irrelevant. \nThere’s a Long History Behind Singing Sea Songs in a Pub\nMaritime music and drinking establishments have been companions for a very long time. \nPort cities were filled with boarding houses\, taverns and waterfront saloons catering to sailors between voyages. \nSongs traveled with them. \nA sailor might learn a melody in one port\, carry it across an ocean and hear it again with different words somewhere else. Chanteymen borrowed from folk songs\, popular music\, minstrel songs\, spirituals and whatever else circulated through the ports. \nSongs evolved because they were transmitted person to person. \nThere was no definitive recording to consult. \nThat helps explain why the same traditional maritime song can exist under different titles\, with different verses\, melodies or even choruses. \nA pub sing continues that oral tradition in miniature. \nNobody needs to perform the definitive version. \nThere probably isn’t one. \nFrom Maritime Heritage to Maritime Participation\nMuch of the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival is understandably about looking. \nVisitors can look at ships. \nTour historic sites. \nWatch demonstrations. \nSee exhibits. \nLearn about whaling\, submarines\, the Coast Guard\, the Navy and the people who built their lives around the Thames River. \nSongs of the Sea moves a little closer to participation by putting living maritime music in the center of downtown. \nThe Shanty Pub Sing finishes the journey. \nThere isn’t really an audience anymore. \nThe old songs survive because somebody starts singing them and somebody else answers. \nThat’s what Saturday night at Oasis is for. \nSongs of the Sea ends across the street around 6:45. \nOasis opens at 7. \nMarc Bernier starts a song. \nThe rest is up to the room. \nDetails\nEvent: Post Songs of the Sea Shanty Pub Sing\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 7 p.m.\nHost: Marc Bernier\nVenue: Oasis Pub\nAddress: 16 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nAges: 21+\nFormat: Informal participatory maritime pub sing\nMusic: Sea chanteys\, maritime songs\, folk songs\, pub and drinking songs\nRelated Event: Songs of the Sea 2026 at Parade Plaza\nSongs of the Sea: 2–6:45 p.m.\nLocation From Concert: Oasis Pub is across Bank Street from the Parade Plaza area\nSaturday Oasis Hours: 7 p.m.–2 a.m.\nPhone: 860-447-3929\nFood: Oasis is primarily a bar and music venue rather than a full-service restaurant\nDrinks: Craft beer\, canned drinks\, wine and nonalcoholic options are available\nParticipation: No maritime-music experience is necessary; pub sings are built around group choruses and audience participation \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/post-songs-of-the-sea-shanty-pub-sing/
LOCATION:Oasis Pub\, 16 Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Oasis Pub
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Post-Songs-of-the-Sea-Shanty-Pub-Sing.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T220000
DTSTAMP:20260817T223910Z
CREATED:20260817T223910Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T223910Z
UID:10007215-1789239600-1789250400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Radiotricity 30th Anniversary Show Brings '90s Alt-Rock Reunion to Hygienic Art Park
DESCRIPTION:Radiotricity 30th Anniversary Show brings the Connecticut alt-rock band back together for a special reunion concert at Hygienic Art Park in downtown New London on Saturday\, September 12. \nThe outdoor show begins at 7 p.m. and pairs Radiotricity with The Dylan Read Band\, giving the evening a particularly local connection. Dylan Read is the son of Radiotricity singer Brett Eckhart\, bringing two generations of musicians together on the same stage. \nAdmission is $10. \nFor Radiotricity\, the night marks a return to a band whose roots reach back to Connecticut’s 1990s alternative-rock scene. \nRadiotricity Returns\nRadiotricity is reuniting for what is being billed as the band’s 30th Anniversary Show\, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band’s breakup. \nThe lineup includes Ben Gelfand and Eric Gelfand\, with Eric having also played as an original member of Connecticut band The Rivergods. \nRadiotricity’s history predates the Rivergods\, placing the group within the local alternative-rock scene of the 1990s. The September performance gives longtime listeners a rare opportunity to hear the band again three decades later. \nA Second Generation Takes the Stage\nOpening the evening is The Dylan Read Band. \nThere’s a family connection hidden in the billing: Dylan Read is the son of Radiotricity singer Brett Eckhart. \nThat puts a younger generation of the same musical family onstage for a concert celebrating a band that was playing Connecticut clubs three decades earlier. \nIt should give the anniversary show a nice full-circle quality. One band is looking backward at where it began. The other represents what came afterward. \nWhat Exactly Is Hygienic Art?\nIf you’ve spent any time in downtown New London\, you’ve probably seen the name. And yes\, Hygienic really was once a restaurant. \nThe building at 79 Bank Street dates to the city’s whaling era. Built in 1844\, it originally served as a whaling grocery and provisioning store. It later became the Columbia Hotel before eventually housing a restaurant. \nIn 1931\, the business became the Hygienic Restaurant and Delicatessen\, a 24-hour New London institution frequented over the decades by sailors\, fishermen\, downtown residents and late-night customers. \nBut the connection between Hygienic and art began in 1979. \nLocal artists started holding an annual exhibition inside the restaurant based on the Salon des Indépendants tradition in Paris. The idea was deliberately open: art didn’t need the approval of judges or juries before people could see it. \nThe restaurant eventually closed\, but the artists kept the Hygienic Art Show alive elsewhere. \nThen the building itself nearly disappeared. \nNine Days From Demolition\nBy 1996\, the old Hygienic building was vacant and scheduled to be demolished for a bank parking lot. \nArtists and community members organized to save it. \nAccording to the history of the property\, Hygienic Art was only nine days from demolition when supporters mounted the grassroots effort that eventually stopped the building from being destroyed. After raising hundreds of thousands of dollars and securing additional support\, the nonprofit purchased the building in 1998. \nIt reopened in 2000 as an arts center with galleries and affordable live/work studios for artists. \nThat’s why Hygienic Art isn’t simply another New London concert venue. The organization itself grew out of the city’s underground arts community and then helped preserve part of downtown New London. \nFrom Vacant Lot to Hygienic Art Park\nThe outdoor Hygienic Art Park came next. \nHygienic expanded beyond the original building\, turning neighboring property into public outdoor arts spaces and eventually creating the performance park used today for concerts\, festivals\, films and other community events. \nThat history makes it an unusually appropriate place for a local band reunion. \nRadiotricity isn’t returning in a polished corporate amphitheater. It’s playing in an outdoor arts space that grew from essentially the same thing that keeps old local bands alive: people deciding something from their community is worth preserving. \nEvent Details\nEvent: Radiotricity 30th Anniversary Show\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 7 p.m.\nLocation: Hygienic Art Park\nAddress: 79 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nFeaturing: Radiotricity with The Dylan Read Band\nAdmission: $10 \n[To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link at the bottom of the page] \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/radiotricity-30th-anniversary-show-brings-90s-alt-rock-reunion-to-hygienic-art-park/
LOCATION:Hygienic Art Park\, 79 Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Hygenic Art Park
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Radiotricity-30th-Anniversary-Show-Brings-90s-Alt-Rock-Reunion-to-Hygienic-Art-Park.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T193000
DTSTAMP:20260905T023915Z
CREATED:20260905T023915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T023915Z
UID:10007473-1789236000-1789241400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Mass-Conn-Fusion at the CT Maritime Heritage Festival
DESCRIPTION:Mass-Conn-Fusion at the CT Maritime Heritage Festival brings more than four decades of funk\, soul\, Motown\, and dance music to the New London waterfront on Saturday\, September 12\, performing from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Custom House Pier. \nThe concert is free and lands in a prime spot on Saturday’s festival schedule. Mass-Conn-Fusion takes the waterfront stage as the daytime activities begin giving way to an evening that includes New London’s Burning of Benedict Arnold tradition and the festival’s 300-drone light show over the Thames River. \nFor a band built around horns\, vocals and a rhythm section designed to get people moving\, it’s a fitting assignment: turn the waterfront into a dance floor before Saturday night’s biggest spectacles begin. \nMore Than 40 Years of Mass-Conn-Fusion\nMass-Conn-Fusion’s story goes back to the University of Connecticut Music Department\, where bassist James “Jim” Healy formed a group originally called Conn-Fusion. \nThe name changed as Healy began performing extensively in Massachusetts with musicians drawn from both states. \nMassachusetts plus Connecticut plus fusion became Mass-Conn-Fusion. \nThe concept stuck. \nHealy has now led the group for more than 45 years\, making Mass-Conn-Fusion a remarkably durable part of Connecticut’s live-music landscape. \nOver that time\, the band has performed at festivals\, town concert series\, clubs\, casinos\, weddings and community events across New England. Rather than building its identity around one musical era\, Mass-Conn-Fusion developed a repertoire capable of moving across several generations of dance music. \nMotown\, R&B\, Funk\, Disco and Pop\nMass-Conn-Fusion describes its musical territory simply: Motown\, R&B\, funk\, disco and popular music stretching from the 1960s through current hits. \nThat’s a broad assignment\, but the band’s instrumentation helps make it work. \nThe full Mass-Conn-Fusion ensemble has traditionally combined multiple vocalists with horns\, guitar\, bass and drums. That gives the group the tools to handle music where the rhythm section and horn arrangements matter as much as the melody. \nThis isn’t an acoustic cover act adapting everything to guitar. \nIt’s music built to move. \nThe band’s repertoire has included material associated with artists such as Stevie Wonder\, Earth\, Wind & Fire\, Aretha Franklin\, Chaka Khan\, Michael Jackson\, Bruno Mars\, Prince and other soul\, funk\, disco and pop performers. \nThe common denominator is the groove. \nJim Healy Has Been at the Center From the Beginning\nHealy remains the link between the band’s earliest UConn days and its current performances. \nThe bassist and bandleader has spent more than four decades keeping Mass-Conn-Fusion working while its lineup and repertoire evolved around him. \nFor a September 2026 performance at Connecticut’s Old State House\, the ensemble was billed with Healy on bass\, Trinity Warren on vocals\, Gianni Gardner on guitar\, Tim Urso on drums and Liz Roberts on saxophones. \nThe Maritime Heritage Festival’s promotional image depicts a larger configuration\, consistent with the band’s ability to perform in different formats. \nMass-Conn-Fusion isn’t limited to one fixed arrangement. In addition to the full band\, it performs in smaller duo and trio configurations for more intimate settings. \nCustom House Pier gets the concert version. \nA Band Designed for a Festival Crowd\nMass-Conn-Fusion makes particular sense on a festival bill because there’s no prerequisite for enjoying it. \nThe Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival will draw families\, sailors\, veterans\, history enthusiasts\, downtown visitors and people who simply want to spend a September weekend on the waterfront. \nA dance band covering decades of recognizable soul\, funk and pop can reach across those groups. \nSomeone who grew up with Motown can find something familiar. So can someone whose reference point is 1970s funk or disco. The repertoire continues through later R&B and contemporary pop. \nThat’s been a large part of Mass-Conn-Fusion’s longevity. \nThe songs change. \nThe purpose doesn’t. \nGet people moving. \nCustom House Pier Puts the Music Beside a Working Harbor\nSaturday’s setting adds something a conventional stage can’t. \nCustom House Pier sits directly on New London’s downtown waterfront\, overlooking the Thames River and the working harbor. \nThe pier is adjacent to the historic Custom House Maritime Museum and close to Waterfront Park\, putting the concert in the middle of the activity rather than separating it into a distant entertainment area. \nFrom there\, the harbor itself becomes part of the backdrop. \nNew London remains an active maritime city\, with ferries\, commercial vessels\, recreational boats and Coast Guard traffic sharing the waters around the mouth of the Thames. \nDuring Maritime Heritage Festival weekend\, visiting military and private vessels add to that landscape. \nMass-Conn-Fusion will be playing in the middle of the maritime story the festival was created to celebrate. \nMusic Leads Into a Big Saturday Night\nThe 6 p.m. start also makes Mass-Conn-Fusion an easy bridge between the festival’s daytime and nighttime programming. \nThe Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival runs throughout Saturday with vessel tours\, living-history encampments\, children’s activities\, demonstrations\, vendors and other maritime programming at New London Waterfront Park and Fort Trumbull State Park. \nMass-Conn-Fusion takes over Custom House Pier from 6 to 7:30 p.m. \nThen New London gets weird. \nAt 7:30 p.m.\, the city’s annual Burning of Benedict Arnold tradition begins\, commemorating the September 1781 attack on New London and Groton led by the Connecticut-born Revolutionary War general who had defected to the British. \nAn effigy of Arnold is marched through downtown toward the waterfront before meeting its annual fate. \nAfter that comes one of the festival’s biggest new attractions: a 300-drone light show above the Thames River\, with synchronized drones creating illuminated maritime images over the waterfront. \nThat makes Mass-Conn-Fusion more than an isolated concert on the schedule. \nIt’s the opening act for an entire evening in downtown New London. \nPart of a Two-Day Celebration of Connecticut’s Maritime Story\nThe Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival takes place September 12 and 13 at New London Waterfront Park and Fort Trumbull State Park. \nThe two-day festival brings together active maritime services and centuries of regional history through vessel tours\, Coast Guard demonstrations\, Revolutionary War living history\, children’s activities\, music and maritime traditions. \nFree water taxis and shuttle buses connect the festival locations\, allowing visitors to move between downtown and Fort Trumbull without repeatedly relocating their cars. \nMass-Conn-Fusion is one piece of that larger weekend\, but its Saturday evening time slot gives the band a particularly visible role. \nAfter a day devoted to Connecticut’s maritime past and present\, the festival turns toward music. \nAnd for 90 minutes on Custom House Pier\, the soundtrack is going to be funkier than anything heard aboard a 19th-century sailing ship. \nEvent Details\nEvent: Mass-Conn-Fusion at the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 6–7:30 p.m.\nLocation: Custom House Pier\nCity: New London\, CT\nMusic: Motown\, R&B\, funk\, soul\, disco and pop\nAdmission: Free\nFestival: Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nFestival Dates: September 12–13\, 2026\nSaturday Evening: Mass-Conn-Fusion is followed by the Burning of Benedict Arnold and the festival’s 300-drone light show \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/mass-conn-fusion-at-the-ct-maritime-heritage-festival/
LOCATION:Custom House Pier\, South Water Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Custom House Pier
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T200000
DTSTAMP:20260915T022517Z
CREATED:20260908T020906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T022517Z
UID:10007517-1789234200-1789243200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Aquarium Unlocked - A 21+ Afterhours Experience
DESCRIPTION:Aquarium Unlocked – A 21+ Afterhours Experience opens parts of Mystic Aquarium normally off-limits to visitors for an adults-only evening of behind-the-scenes access\, animal encounters\, cocktails and conversations with the people doing the aquarium’s conservation work. \nThe limited-capacity event runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday\, September 12. Admission includes a complimentary cocktail\, light bites throughout the evening\, special animal encounters\, access to rarely seen areas of the aquarium\, and a sea lion presentation created specifically for the after-hours crowd. \nAnd unlike a normal visit\, the animals aren’t the only attraction. Aquarium Unlocked puts the scientists\, trainers\, animal-care professionals\, and conservation work behind Mystic Aquarium into the foreground. \nWhat Happens After the Aquarium Closes?\nMost visitors experience an aquarium from one side of the glass. \nThey see the finished exhibit\, watch an animal feeding or presentation\, and move on to the next habitat. What they generally don’t see are the working areas required to care for those animals or the people whose jobs continue after the public leaves. \nAquarium Unlocked is designed to change that. \nGuests will have access to behind-the-scenes areas around the campus that aren’t normally part of a general admission visit. They’ll also have opportunities to meet members of the Mystic Aquarium team and learn more about the research\, animal care and conservation programs taking place in Mystic and far beyond Connecticut. \nUp-close animal encounters are included during the evening\, although the aquarium hasn’t announced a complete list of participating animals in advance. \nThat’s part of the idea. Rather than following the normal daytime route\, guests get a more intimate look at how an aquarium actually works. \nA Special Night With the Sea Lions\nOne experience Mystic Aquarium has confirmed is a special sea lion presentation. \nThe aquarium is home to California sea lions\, animals whose intelligence\, agility and responsiveness make their training sessions entertaining to watch but also serve a practical purpose. \nModern zoological training isn’t simply about teaching animals tricks. \nPositive-reinforcement training can help animal-care teams perform health checks and other routine procedures with an animal’s voluntary participation. Behaviors can make it possible to examine parts of an animal’s body\, monitor its condition and perform aspects of veterinary care while reducing stress. \nDuring a normal day\, Mystic Aquarium’s sea lion presentations introduce thousands of visitors to the animals. Aquarium Unlocked moves that experience into a smaller after-hours event and pairs it with access to the people who work with aquatic animals every day. \nMeet the People Behind the Animals\nMystic Aquarium has been part of southeastern Connecticut since 1973\, but its work extends well beyond operating a public attraction in Mystic. \nThe organization combines animal care and public education with scientific research and conservation programs. \nIts research has included work involving marine mammals\, animal health\, ocean environments and threatened species. Mystic Aquarium also participates in field conservation programs\, including efforts involving African penguins\, whose wild populations have declined dramatically. \nThe aquarium’s work is supported in part by scientists and conservation professionals associated with its research programs\, while animal-care teams apply veterinary science\, behavioral training and husbandry to the animals living on campus. \nAquarium Unlocked gives guests a chance to connect those two sides of the institution. \nInstead of simply reading a conservation panel beside an exhibit\, visitors can hear from some of the people actually involved in the work and ask questions about what they’re doing. \nThe Rescue Work Most Visitors Never See\nAnother important part of Mystic Aquarium’s mission happens when an animal isn’t part of the aquarium’s collection at all. \nIts Animal Rescue Program responds to stranded marine mammals and sea turtles along the Connecticut\, Rhode Island and Fishers Island\, New York coastlines. \nThe program operates a rehabilitation facility in Mystic where rescued seals can receive medical treatment and care before being returned to the ocean when they’re healthy enough for release. \nThose releases are the goal. \nThe aquarium’s rescue work has treated numerous stranded animals over the years\, while its teams and volunteers also collect information that contributes to scientists’ understanding of marine mammal health and the challenges facing wild populations. \nMystic Aquarium directs donations toward marine mammal and sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation as one of its core conservation efforts. \nFor guests at Aquarium Unlocked\, the behind-the-scenes emphasis offers a chance to see the institution less as a collection of exhibits and more as a working marine science and animal-care organization. \nBelugas Put Mystic Aquarium in Rare Company\nMystic Aquarium’s beluga whales are among its most recognizable residents. \nThe Arctic and sub-Arctic whales are immediately identifiable by their white coloration as adults\, rounded foreheads and remarkable vocal abilities. Their range of whistles\, chirps\, clicks and other sounds helped earn them the nickname “canaries of the sea.” \nMystic’s relationship with belugas has also made the aquarium an important location for research involving the species. \nScientists have used opportunities at accredited aquariums to study physiology\, behavior\, hearing and other aspects of marine mammal biology that can be extraordinarily difficult to investigate consistently in the wild. \nThat research can then contribute to broader understanding of wild populations facing changing Arctic environments. \nAquarium Unlocked’s emphasis on meeting the people behind the conservation work gives visitors a chance to consider animals like the belugas from that perspective: not only as remarkable animals to see\, but as ambassadors for species and ecosystems thousands of miles from Connecticut. \nCocktails and Light Bites Without the Daytime Crowds\nThis isn’t simply a nighttime version of regular admission. \nAquarium Unlocked is exclusively for guests 21 and older\, giving the aquarium a very different atmosphere once its daytime visitors have gone home. \nAdmission includes one complimentary cocktail\, and light bites will be served throughout the evening. \nThe combination makes the event part behind-the-scenes tour\, part conservation program and part night out. Guests can wander through the aquarium\, have a drink\, encounter animals and talk with staff without navigating the daytime family crowds. \nCapacity is intentionally limited. \nThat matters for an event built around access. Smaller attendance makes the animal encounters\, behind-the-scenes areas and conversations with aquarium professionals substantially different from trying to provide the same experiences during a normal operating day. \nDon’t Wait Until Saturday to Buy a Ticket\nThere is one particularly important detail for anyone deciding at the last minute. \nTicket sales end Friday\, September 11\, the day before Aquarium Unlocked. \nCurrent admission is $65 for Mystic Aquarium members and $75 for nonmembers. Those prices are in effect through September 11. An earlier early-bird period\, which ended August 21\, offered tickets at $55 for members and $65 for nonmembers. \nTickets are limited\, so the event can sell out before the sales deadline. \nFor visitors accustomed to experiencing Mystic Aquarium during the day\, the value here isn’t simply another opportunity to see the exhibits. It’s access to the parts of the institution and the people behind them that a regular admission ticket generally doesn’t provide. \nFor one Saturday night\, the aquarium itself becomes the exhibit. \nDetails\nEvent: Aquarium Unlocked – A 21+ Afterhours Experience\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 5:30–8 p.m.\nVenue: Mystic Aquarium\nAddress: 55 Coogan Boulevard\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nAge Requirement: 21+\nMember Tickets: $65\nNonmember Tickets: $75\nTicket Sales End: Friday\, September 11\nCapacity: Limited\nIncluded: One complimentary cocktail and light bites throughout the evening\nExperiences: Behind-the-scenes access\, up-close animal encounters\, conversations with aquarium conservation professionals and a special sea lion presentation\nAlcohol: Event is restricted to guests age 21 and older\nPhone: 860-572-5955 \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/aquarium-unlocked-a-21-afterhours-experience/
LOCATION:Mystic Aquarium\, 55 Coogan Blvs\, Mystic\, CT\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mystic Aquarium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Aquarium-Unlocked-A-21-Plus-Afterhours-Experience.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T193000
DTSTAMP:20260817T215904Z
CREATED:20260817T215904Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T215904Z
UID:10007214-1789227000-1789241400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Westerly Land Trust Farm Dinner Celebrates Local Food at Barlow Nature Preserve
DESCRIPTION:[The dinner is sold out\, but you can register on a waitlist by clicking the Event Ticketing link at the bottom of the page] \nWesterly Land Trust Farm Dinner returns to Barlow Nature Preserve on Saturday\, September 12\, bringing guests together for an outdoor meal built around locally grown food and the land that produced it. \nThe annual dinner begins at 3:30 p.m. at the 80-acre preserve on Westerly Bradford Road. This isn’t simply dinner with a pretty farm as the backdrop. The location is part of the story. \nBarlow Nature Preserve has become a working example of the Westerly Land Trust’s efforts to connect conservation\, sustainable agriculture and the community. The property is home to Frontier Farm and Echo Rock Flowers\, and ingredients grown locally will make their way onto the dinner table. \nThis year’s meal will be prepared by husband-and-wife chefs Johan Jensen and Abbey Hemmann\, the team behind Whitecrest Eatery and Backdoor Kitchen. \nFrom Preserved Land to Working Farm\nThe story of Barlow Nature Preserve begins well before the first dinner table is set. \nThe 80-acre property became the Eleanor F. & Edward W. Barlow Nature Preserve following a bequest from Eleanor Barlow in 2018. The land contains an unusually diverse combination of agricultural fields\, upland forest and extensive freshwater wetlands and sits beside Rhode Island’s 111-acre Newton Swamp Management Area. \nRather than simply preserve the property and leave it untouched\, the Westerly Land Trust saw an opportunity. \nThe organization decided to make Barlow its headquarters while also returning part of the property to active agriculture. The existing farmhouse was renovated into office space in 2019\, and young local farmers were invited onto the land to begin rebuilding its agricultural life. \nToday\, that work can be seen in the fields surrounding the Farm Dinner. \nFarming With Conservation in Mind\nOnly about five acres of the 80-acre preserve are suitable for farming\, according to reporting by ecoRI News. That farmland is now used by Frontier Farm and Echo Rock Flowers\, which employ regenerative growing practices. \nFrontier Farm moved to Barlow in 2019 and developed a 2.5-acre commercial farm there. The farm grows vegetables\, fruits and herbs without synthetic chemicals or fertilizers and uses regenerative and no-till methods whenever possible. \nThat’s particularly important at Barlow because of what’s beyond the cultivated fields. \nThe property contains extensive freshwater wetlands adjoining Newton Swamp. Protecting soil and limiting agricultural runoff were important considerations when farming was reintroduced. The Land Trust worked with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service on irrigation and water infrastructure while its farmers committed to environmentally responsible soil-management practices. \nIn other words\, the vegetables growing here aren’t separate from the Land Trust’s conservation work. They’re part of it. \nThe Farms Behind the Dinner\nGuests at the Farm Dinner will be eating in the same landscape where food and flowers are being grown throughout the season. \nFrontier Farm focuses on sustainably grown produce\, while Echo Rock Flowers fills another part of the property with locally grown cut flowers. \nThe two farms also operate the seasonal Barlow Farm Stand\, selling produce and flowers grown on the preserve along with products from other area farms. For 2026\, the stand operates on an honor system and accepts cash and Venmo. \nThe Land Trust has increasingly used Barlow as a place where people can experience agriculture rather than simply read about it. Its Farm Squad children’s program\, for example\, introduces kids to planting\, pollinators\, soil health\, harvesting\, composting and farm biodiversity right on the property. \nThat makes the Farm Dinner something of a culmination of the growing season: people gathering around a table on land they’ve watched produce food throughout the summer. \nDinner by Whitecrest Eatery and Backdoor Kitchen\nFor the 2026 Farm Dinner\, Westerly Land Trust has invited chefs Johan Jensen and Abbey Hemmann to prepare the menu. \nThe husband-and-wife team is behind Whitecrest Eatery and Backdoor Kitchen and will create the meal around local ingredients. \nJensen is known for globally influenced cooking and an approach that puts flavor ahead of unnecessary formality. Hemmann brings an equally important ingredient to the evening: hospitality. \nThe result should fit the setting particularly well. This isn’t intended to feel like a restaurant dining room transplanted into a field. The idea is to gather around a table with neighbors\, eat food connected to the surrounding landscape and celebrate the people preserving and working that land. \nMore Than 80 Acres to Protect\nBarlow represents only one piece of a much larger conservation effort. \nThe Westerly Land Trust\, established in 1987\, now protects more than 1\,900 acres of forests\, wetlands\, grasslands and agricultural fields throughout Westerly. Its properties are used not only for conservation but also for public recreation\, environmental education and community programs. \nThe Farm Dinner celebrates that work while helping connect the people supporting conservation with the places being protected. \nAnd Barlow is particularly suited to telling that story because visitors can see several pieces of it at once: cultivated fields\, working farmers\, woods\, wetlands and trails all occupying the same protected landscape. \nExplore Barlow Nature Preserve\nThe dinner might also introduce some guests to a preserve worth returning to another day. \nBarlow Nature Preserve has two separate trail systems\, with routes through woods and along the agricultural portions of the property. \nOne trail area overlooks the hayfield and working farm\, with several trees identified by species. Another runs near Newton Swamp\, offering a more wooded walk with wetland and marsh views. \nVisitors heading toward the farm stand will also find a Little Free Library devoted to nature books. There’s even a hidden compartment on the back containing seeds visitors can take home. \nIt’s a small detail\, but it captures what Barlow has become: not simply land saved from development\, but land being actively used to get people interested in farming\, nature and conservation. \nEvent Details\nEvent: Westerly Land Trust Farm Dinner\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 3:30–7:30 p.m.\nLocation: Barlow Nature Preserve\nAddress: 449 Westerly Bradford Road\, Westerly\, RI\nChefs: Johan Jensen and Abbey Hemmann\nFeaturing: A locally sourced dinner celebrating Westerly’s farms and conserved land \nMore information is available at the Event Website link at the bottom of the page. \nYou can register to be put on a waitlist by clicking the Event Ticketing link below. \n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/westerly-land-trust-farm-dinner-celebrates-local-food-at-barlow-nature-preserve/
LOCATION:Barlow Nature Preserve\, 449 Westerly Bradford Road\, Westerly\, RI\, 02891\, United States
CATEGORIES:Barlow Nature Preserve
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Westerly-Land-Trust-Farm-Dinner-Celebrates-Local-Food-at-Barlow-Nature-Preserve.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T190000
DTSTAMP:20260910T041330Z
CREATED:20260910T041117Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T041330Z
UID:10007537-1789221600-1789239600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Songs of the Sea 2026 at Parade Plaza
DESCRIPTION:(This event is part of the CT Maritime Heritage Festival) \nSongs of the Sea 2026 at Parade Plaza brings six acts and four hours of sea songs\, chanteys\, Celtic music and folk punk to Parade Plaza in downtown New London on Saturday\, September 12\, as part of the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival. \nThe free\, all-ages concert runs from 2 to 6:45 p.m. at Parade Plaza\, at State and South Water streets\, with performances scheduled in chronological order from None Of Us Saints\, Littlefield & Morneault\, Marc Bernier\, Hold Fast\, My Druthers and Canadian folk-punk band The Dreadnoughts. \nThere will also be vendors and food trucks around the concert. \nThis isn’t the genteel version of maritime music. \nThe organizers describe what they’ve been trying to create since around 2012 as a free concert of “maritime mayhem” in the middle of New England’s old Whaling City. The lineup deliberately puts veteran chanteymen who have spent decades preserving traditional work songs beside musicians who discovered that those same songs sound remarkably good when played with the attitude of punk rock. \nAnd the progression of Saturday’s lineup tells that story particularly well. \n2–2:30 p.m. — None Of Us Saints\nNone Of Us Saints opens Songs of the Sea at 2 p.m.\, starting the afternoon with a Connecticut group that draws from punk\, Celtic folk and traditional sea-song culture. \nTheir recorded repertoire includes traditional Irish standards such as Seven Drunken Nights and Rocky Road to Dublin\, immediately revealing where at least part of the group’s musical vocabulary comes from. \nBut this isn’t intended as museum-piece folk music. \nThe organizers describe None Of Us Saints as an assemblage of “punks\, Celts\, folksters and sea-songers\,” which is a pretty good introduction to the larger philosophy behind Songs of the Sea. \nMaritime music has survived in part because generations keep changing the way they perform it. \nThe sailors who originally sang work songs aboard commercial vessels weren’t preserving historic music. They were using songs as tools\, entertainment and community. Centuries later\, musicians can retain the choruses and stories while changing the instrumentation\, tempo and attitude around them. \nThat’s the territory None Of Us Saints occupies as the first band of the afternoon. \nPerformance: 2–2:30 p.m. \n2:45–3:15 p.m. — Littlefield & Morneault\nThe afternoon then reaches much deeper into New England’s maritime-music tradition with Littlefield & Morneault. \nDavid Littlefield and Joseph Morneault perform ballads\, maritime music and songs connected to local history\, but both bring considerably more than a repertoire of old songs to the stage. \nLittlefield worked for 24 years at Mystic Seaport Museum\, where he served as a chanteyman and interpreter of historic vessels and exhibits. \nHe became particularly interested in the lives of ordinary sailors aboard American whaleships and conducted extensive research into the Charles W. Morgan\, the last surviving wooden whaleship from the American whaling fleet. \nLittlefield also spent 15 summers aboard the schooner Mystic Whaler performing maritime music. \nAnd he was a member of Forebitter\, the influential group of Mystic Seaport chanteymen whose recordings and performances helped carry traditional American maritime music well beyond southeastern Connecticut. Forebitter performed internationally\, and Littlefield’s own maritime compositions have been performed by musicians in the United States and Europe. \nHis partner Joseph Morneault approaches the tradition as both musician and historian. \nMorneault is a social historian and author specializing in the late 18th century and serves as president of the Maritime Music & Tradition Society\, the organization behind the Connecticut Sea Music Festival in Essex. \nHe can also regularly be heard at the Griswold Inn’s long-running Monday night sea music gatherings in Essex. \nTogether\, Littlefield & Morneault represent something important in the middle of a festival filled with punk musicians. \nThese are people who know where the songs came from. \nPerformance: 2:45–3:15 p.m. \n3:30–4:05 p.m. — Marc Bernier\nIf southeastern Connecticut has an old guard of maritime musicians\, Marc Bernier belongs firmly within it. \nBernier spent more than 30 years working at Mystic Seaport Museum\, including five years as one of its chanteymen. \nBut his connection to maritime music didn’t end on a museum stage. \nHe’s worked as a musician and educator with the Clearwater program on the Hudson River and has actually gone to sea aboard traditional sailing vessels\, working as a cook\, deckhand and entertainer from Maine to the Chesapeake Bay. \nThat experience matters when singing chanteys. \nA sea chantey wasn’t originally a song about sailing. \nIt was a song used while working aboard a ship. \nDifferent chanteys were suited to different jobs. The rhythm helped sailors coordinate physical labor\, whether hauling together on a line or performing other repetitive tasks that required a crew to move at the same moment. \nA chanteyman led the song and the crew answered. \nBernier has spent decades studying and performing that tradition. \nHis repertoire extends well beyond sea music\, however. He performs Irish tunes and songs\, American folk music\, pub and drinking songs and instrumental music\, accompanying himself on guitar\, mandolin and tenor banjo. \nHe’s also an accomplished percussionist who plays bodhrán in Irish music and frottior\, or rubboard\, with Cajun and Zydeco musicians. \nThen there’s another Connecticut tradition in his background. \nBernier has been involved in the state’s fife-and-drum community since his teenage years and has performed as a fifer across North America and Europe. \nAt 3:30\, Songs of the Sea essentially hands the microphone to someone whose life connects several of the musical traditions the festival is celebrating. \nPerformance: 3:30–4:05 p.m. \n4:20–4:55 p.m. — Hold Fast\nAt 4:20\, somebody turns up the volume. \nHold Fast comes from Harrisburg\, Pennsylvania\, and takes traditional Irish music into Celtic-punk territory. \nThe band’s approach combines Irish traditional material with original songs\, electric rock instrumentation and punk energy. Even when Hold Fast performs acoustically\, speed and rhythm remain central to its sound. \nTheir repertoire provides a useful illustration of just how freely this musical world can cross boundaries. \nHold Fast has recorded a mashup of Rancid’s punk standard Ruby Soho and Sloop John B\, a traditional song with roots extending back well before the Beach Boys made their version famous in 1966. \nThat combination might sound strange on paper. \nAt Songs of the Sea\, it makes perfect sense. \nCeltic punk has spent decades doing something very similar\, taking traditional melodies\, fiddles\, whistles\, drinking songs and historical ballads and putting them alongside distorted guitars and drums. \nThe Pogues helped establish the possibilities in the 1980s. Later bands pushed the combination in different directions. \nHold Fast carries that idea into the second half of Saturday’s concert. \nAfter more than two hours rooted heavily in traditional sea music and folk\, the afternoon starts moving toward punk. \nPerformance: 4:20–4:55 p.m. \n5:10–5:45 p.m. — My Druthers\nThen the festival gets very local. \nMy Druthers is a New London band led by Stuart Fensom\, built as a rotating collective of musicians playing sea chanteys\, maritime songs\, Irish rebel music and working-class folk with punk-rock energy. \nThey are also one of the clearest examples of why Songs of the Sea belongs in New London. \nFensom comes from the punk scene\, but the band treats traditional music less as a historical curiosity than as an earlier version of working-class music. \nSongs about dangerous jobs\, lousy bosses\, drinking\, rebellion\, leaving home\, missing home and dying far away from it aren’t exactly alien concepts to punk. \nMy Druthers simply shortens the distance between the traditions. \nThe rotating lineup can include guitar\, fiddle\, banjo and mandolin alongside multiple voices\, and the group has appeared at punk shows\, pubs\, Celtic festivals\, maritime gatherings and chantey events around New England. \nTheir 2025 debut album\, Coming Up 3’s\, was produced by Pete Steinkopf of The Bouncing Souls\, providing another direct connection between New London’s sea-song scene and American punk. \nMy Druthers also keeps maritime music active locally rather than saving it for festival weekends. The group has hosted and appeared at sea-shanty nights at New London’s Oasis Pub\, including performances with other regional traditional and maritime musicians. \nThe organizers affectionately describe them as New London’s “punks\, drunks\, stowaways\, & shantymen.” \nBy 5:10 Saturday afternoon\, that may require very little additional explanation. \nPerformance: 5:10–5:45 p.m. \n6–6:45 p.m. — The Dreadnoughts\nThe final band takes the basic premise behind the entire afternoon and pushes it about as far as it can go. \nThe Dreadnoughts formed in Vancouver\, British Columbia\, in 2006 and built an international following by combining street punk with sea chanteys\, Celtic music\, polka\, klezmer and other European folk traditions. \nIt’s an improbable mixture until you hear it. \nThen it becomes difficult to imagine why somebody hadn’t done it sooner. \nThe band traces its beginnings to Vancouver’s Ivanhoe Hotel and originally set out to combine traditional European folk music with punk. Over the following two decades\, The Dreadnoughts toured internationally\, playing hundreds of shows across roughly 30 countries. \nThey’ve released a catalog that demonstrates how seriously they take both halves of “folk punk.” \nPolka’s Not Dead includes Randy Dandy-Oh alongside the band’s punked-up polkas and originals. \nForeign Skies is an ambitious concept album built around stories of the First World War\, moving among chanteys\, Balkan music\, klezmer\, polka and punk. \nInto the North leaned heavily into nautical music. \nRoll and Go continued the band’s relationship with traditional maritime song\, and Green Willow returned to folk material through the group’s distinctly loud interpretation of it. \nThe band’s maritime work isn’t simply punk songs with pirate imagery attached. \nThe Dreadnoughts have spent years performing actual traditional nautical material\, including songs such as Roll the Woodpile Down and Eliza Lee. Their original maritime songs have themselves begun moving through the folk community and being recorded by other sea-music performers. \nMore recently\, with members relocating to New York\, The Dreadnoughts developed an a cappella version of the group devoted specifically to traditional nautical music. \nThat makes them an unusually appropriate closer. \nSaturday begins with Connecticut musicians mixing punk and folk\, moves through performers directly connected to Mystic Seaport’s historic chantey tradition\, turns toward Celtic punk and New London’s own maritime-punk scene\, and finishes with a band that has carried essentially the same musical collision around the world. \nPerformance: 6–6:45 p.m. \nWhy Sea Chanteys Sound So Good With Punk Rock\nThere’s a reason so many of these musicians can move between maritime music and punk without the combination feeling forced. \nChanteys were communal music. \nThey generally weren’t intended to showcase a virtuoso singer while everyone else stood silently listening. \nA leader called. \nThe crew responded. \nThe chorus belonged to everybody. \nThe music had to be rhythmic\, memorable and loud enough to work in a difficult environment. \nStrip away the historical distance and some of the underlying principles don’t sound terribly far removed from a crowded punk show. \nBoth traditions also contain plenty of songs about people on the margins of polite society. \nSailors\, laborers\, emigrants\, soldiers\, drinkers\, prisoners\, rebels and people trying to survive hard circumstances populate traditional folk music. \nPunk simply arrived later with electric guitars. \nSongs of the Sea puts both traditions on the same stage. \nNew London Is More Than a Convenient Backdrop\nCalling New London the Whaling City isn’t a modern marketing invention. \nThe city’s maritime history stretches across centuries of commercial shipping\, whaling\, naval activity\, fishing and shipbuilding. During the 19th century\, New London developed into one of America’s important whaling ports. \nThe Thames River remains central to the region’s maritime identity today. \nThe U.S. Coast Guard Academy sits upriver in New London. Naval Submarine Base New London is across the river in Groton. The historic ship Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum sit farther north\, while ferries\, commercial vessels\, Coast Guard ships\, recreational boats and submarines continue moving through the river. \nThat makes Parade Plaza an appropriate place to sing songs originally created by people whose lives revolved around ships. \nIt’s also why Songs of the Sea fits so naturally into the larger Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival taking place across New London’s waterfront Saturday and Sunday. \nOne Concert Inside a Much Larger Maritime Weekend\nSongs of the Sea occupies the afternoon\, but the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival begins hours earlier. \nSaturday’s official festival schedule starts at 10 a.m. with an opening ceremony and a presentation marking the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a new commemorative U.S. Postal Service stamp. \nThroughout the day\, visitors can tour vessels\, visit vendors\, explore children’s activities and use free transportation connecting festival locations around the harbor. \nFree hop-on/hop-off harbor cruises run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.\, connecting Fort Trumbull\, City Pier\, the Nautilus area and Groton. \nOther Saturday activities include a children’s Mermaid & Privateer Walking Parade at 11:30 a.m.\, a noon kids’ sing-along\, a Coast Guard search-and-rescue helicopter demonstration at 1:30 p.m. and other music and programming around the waterfront. \nThe festival then continues after Songs of the Sea finishes. \nAt 7:30 p.m.\, the March of the Traitor begins on Bank Street as Flock Theatre revives New London’s tradition of burning Benedict Arnold in effigy. The procession leads toward Waterfront Park\, where the burning is scheduled from 8 to 8:15 p.m. \nA 300-drone light show over the Thames River follows at approximately 8:15 p.m. \nThe festival returns Sunday with another full day of vessel tours\, maritime programming\, a children’s fishing clinic\, Discovering Amistad programs and the Navy-versus-Coast Guard Sea-Service Showdown. \nSongs That Once Worked Ships Now Build Community\nThere is a nice bit of continuity in what Songs of the Sea is trying to accomplish. \nThe original chanteys existed partly because a group of people needed to act together. \nOne person sang a line. \nEveryone answered. \nThe song turned individuals into a crew\, at least for the duration of the work. \nSaturday’s organizers are explicit that community remains part of the point. \nThey’ve envisioned a free\, all-ages maritime concert in downtown New London since around 2012. The emphasis isn’t on exclusivity or musical purity. Veteran chanteymen share a bill with punk musicians. Traditional songs coexist with electric guitars. People who know every chorus can sing beside people hearing a sea chantey for the first time. \nAnd admission costs nothing. \nIn a city whose identity has been tied to the sea for centuries\, that may be a more authentic way to keep maritime music alive than treating it as something that ended when the last commercial sailing ships disappeared. \nAt 2 p.m.\, None Of Us Saints starts the music. \nBy 6 p.m.\, one of the world’s better-known folk-punk bands takes over. \nIn between\, several generations of New England’s maritime-music tradition get 30 or 35 minutes apiece to demonstrate that sea songs aren’t finished yet. \nDetails\nEvent: Songs of the Sea 2026\nFestival: Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nConcert Time: 2–6:45 p.m.\nLocation: Parade Plaza\nIntersection: State Street and South Water Street\, New London\, CT\nAdmission: Free\nAges: All ages\nSetting: Outdoor concert in downtown New London\nFood: Food truck options are planned\nVendors: A selection of vendors will be on site \nPerformance Schedule:\n2–2:30 p.m. — None Of Us Saints\n2:45–3:15 p.m. — Littlefield & Morneault\n3:30–4:05 p.m. — Marc Bernier\n4:20–4:55 p.m. — Hold Fast\n5:10–5:45 p.m. — My Druthers\n6–6:45 p.m. — The Dreadnoughts \nConnecticut Maritime Heritage Festival: September 12–13 at New London Waterfront Park\, Fort Trumbull State Park and other downtown/waterfront locations\nFestival Hours Saturday: Main daytime activities begin at 10 a.m.; evening programming continues until approximately 8:30 p.m.\nTransportation: Free festival shuttle service and hop-on/hop-off harbor transportation connect festival locations during the day\nSaturday Evening: March of the Traitor at 7:30 p.m.; Burning of Benedict Arnold from approximately 8–8:15 p.m.; 300-drone light show follows over the Thames River\nParking: Festival organizers recommend downtown Water Street garages or street parking near Fort Trumbull\, then using free festival transportation between locations \nMore information is available at the Event Website links below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/songs-of-the-sea-2026-at-parade-plaza/
LOCATION:Parade Plaza\, State Street &\, S Water St\, New London\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Parade Plaza
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T160000
DTSTAMP:20260915T022533Z
CREATED:20260905T025945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T022533Z
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SUMMARY:Star Trek Trivia With Robb Pearlman at Mystic Seaport
DESCRIPTION:Star Trek Trivia with Robb Pearlman at Mystic Seaport Museum on Saturday\, September 12\, combining a conversation with one of the franchise’s most prolific pop-culture authors with a live trivia showdown built around more than 60 years of Star Trek. It’s part of From Sails to Stars: A STAR TREK 60th Anniversary Celebration held at the museum all day Saturday. \nThe program begins at 1:30 p.m. on the Performance Stage. It features Pearlman\, a #1 New York Times bestselling author\, editor\, and self-described pop culturalist whose long relationship with Star Trek has produced books ranging from affectionate parody to fitness guides\, children’s titles\, and explorations of the franchise’s characters and ideas. \nAfter the conversation\, Pearlman turns quizmaster\, testing the audience with questions drawn from his newly released Star Trek: The Ultimate Trivia Deck. \nRobb Pearlman Has Made a Career Out of Pop Culture\nPearlman’s bibliography stretches far beyond the final frontier. \nHe has written more than 80 books for adults and children and has worked professionally across writing\, editing\, art direction\, licensing and publishing. His projects have touched properties including The Office\, Marvel\, Scooby-Doo\, The Golden Girls\, Bob Ross\, I Love Lucy and The Princess Bride. \nHis publishing career has been similarly broad. Pearlman spent years at Rizzoli\, including time as associate publisher for Universe\, and has worked with major entertainment and publishing brands throughout his career. \nBut Star Trek has become one of his specialties. \nPearlman is a regular speaker at pop-culture conventions and has been part of Star Trek: The Cruise\, giving him a relationship with Trek fandom that extends well beyond simply writing licensed books. \nFrom Kirk and Spock to Body by Starfleet\nPearlman’s first Star Trek book\, 2014’s Fun with Kirk and Spock\, approached the franchise from an unexpected direction. \nIt borrowed the visual and linguistic simplicity of old Dick and Jane-style early readers and applied it to Kirk\, Spock and the frequently dangerous universe around them. \nThe joke worked because Pearlman understood both sides of it. \nHe told Publishers Weekly that he recognized an overlap between adults nostalgic for childhood books and fans who had grown up watching Star Trek\, often with their families. \nMore Trek projects followed. \nHis bibliography includes Star Trek: Redshirt’s Little Book of Doom\, Search for Spock: A Star Trek Book of Exploration\, The Wit and Wisdom of Star Trek\, Star Trek: Body by Starfleet\, Star Trek: Starfleet Is…\, Star Trek Discovery: The Book of Grudge\, The Star Trek Book of Friendship and Star Trek: The Girl Who Made the Stars. \nThat last title adapted the story Michael Burnham hears from her father in Star Trek: Discovery into a book written specifically for younger readers. \nPearlman’s Trek work has consequently covered parody\, humor\, fitness\, friendship\, children’s storytelling and franchise lore. \nSeptember’s Mystic appearance adds trivia to the list. \nThe Ultimate Trivia Deck Is Brand New\nThe timing of the event isn’t accidental. \nStar Trek: The Ultimate Trivia Deck was released on August 18\, 2026\, less than a month before Pearlman’s appearance in Mystic. \nThe officially licensed game contains 200 cards and 400 questions spanning more than 60 years of Star Trek. \nAnd this isn’t simply a trivia set devoted to Kirk\, Spock and the original Enterprise. \nThe questions reach across the franchise’s television series and movies\, from Star Trek: The Original Series and The Next Generation through newer installments including Strange New Worlds. \nQuestions are divided among four broad categories: Technology; Characters; Events and Anomalies; and Planets\, Places and Cultures. \nEach card contains two questions at different difficulty levels. Answer the easier question correctly and the player can attempt the harder one for additional points. \nThe formats also vary between straightforward questions and answers\, multiple choice and true-or-false. \nThat structure gives Pearlman plenty of material for the audience competition at Mystic Seaport. \nThink You Know Star Trek? Here’s the Test\nAfter the conversation portion of the program\, Pearlman will host a live trivia contest inspired by the new deck. \nThat changes the event from a conventional author appearance into something considerably more participatory. \nThe Museum is framing the challenge around finding the “ultimate Trekkie\,” so brushing up on only one corner of the franchise may not be enough. \nThe published trivia deck reaches across characters\, technology\, planets\, cultures and events from different eras of Trek. A fan who can explain the inner workings of the Enterprise-D may run into a question about Klingon history. Someone who knows every original-series episode may suddenly be dealing with a newer series. \nThat breadth is appropriate for a franchise celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026. \nThe original Star Trek premiered on NBC on September 8\, 1966. Pearlman’s Mystic appearance comes just four days after the anniversary of that first broadcast. \nSixty Years of Star Trek\nWhat began as a television series struggling to survive in the ratings has become one of the most durable fictional universes in popular culture. \nGene Roddenberry’s original series lasted only three seasons\, but its afterlife proved much bigger than its initial run. \nMovies followed. Then The Next Generation\, Deep Space Nine\, Voyager and Enterprise. A new television era eventually brought Discovery\, Picard\, Lower Decks\, Prodigy and Strange New Worlds\, among other projects. \nThe franchise’s longevity has also produced something unusual for a trivia event: several generations of fans can arrive with completely different areas of expertise. \nOne person may have watched Kirk and Spock when the episodes originally aired. Another may have discovered Jean-Luc Picard in syndication. Younger fans may have entered the universe through Discovery\, Prodigy or Strange New Worlds. \nPearlman’s work has frequently played with exactly that multigenerational quality of Trek fandom. \nAt Mystic Seaport\, those generations get to compete. \nAn Author Talk That Doesn’t End With the Talk\nPearlman will also have books and copies of the trivia deck available for signing following the program. \nThat gives the afternoon a three-part structure: conversation\, competition and signing. \nIt also provides an opportunity to hear from someone who approaches licensed pop culture from both sides of publishing. \nPearlman isn’t only an author handed established characters and asked to write about them. His career has included acquiring\, editing\, developing and art directing projects based on major entertainment properties. \nThat makes the conversation potentially broader than Star Trek trivia alone. His career sits at the intersection of fandom and the publishing business that turns familiar fictional worlds into books\, games and other objects fans can take home. \nThen comes the part where somebody has to prove they actually know how many nacelles are on the Enterprise-D. \nA Different Kind of Voyage at Mystic Seaport\nThere’s also something pleasantly fitting about bringing Star Trek to Mystic Seaport Museum. \nOne institution preserves stories of people who ventured across oceans in wooden sailing ships. \nThe other imagined humanity taking that same impulse much farther. \nMystic Seaport’s historic vessels represent an era when leaving port could mean disappearing beyond reliable communication for months or years. Star Trek took exploration\, navigation\, unknown territory and life aboard a ship and transported those ideas into space. \nThe technologies could hardly be more different. \nThe basic fascination with going somewhere no one around you has seen remains surprisingly familiar. \nOn September 12\, the Museum’s Performance Stage trades square-riggers for starships for an afternoon. \nEvent Details\nEvent: Star Trek Conversation and Trivia with Robb Pearlman\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 1:30 p.m.\nLocation: Performance Stage at Mystic Seaport Museum\nAddress: 75 Greenmanville Avenue\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nGuest: Robb Pearlman\nProgram: Author conversation followed by a Star Trek trivia contest\nTrivia: Inspired by Star Trek: The Ultimate Trivia Deck\nBook Signing: Books and trivia decks will be available for signing\nNew Release: Star Trek: The Ultimate Trivia Deck\, released August 18\, 2026 \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/star-trek-trivia-with-robb-pearlman-at-mystic-seaport-museum/
LOCATION:Mystic Seaport\, 75 Greenmanville Ave\, Mystic\, CT\, \,06355-1946\,\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mystic Seaport
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T160000
DTSTAMP:20260915T022548Z
CREATED:20260907T023729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T022548Z
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SUMMARY:Stonington Borough Porchfest
DESCRIPTION:Stonington Porchfest makes its debut Saturday\, September 12\, turning porches\, lawns\, courtyards and other outdoor spaces throughout Stonington Borough into a collection of intimate stages for an afternoon of live acoustic music. \nThe inaugural Porchfest runs from noon to 4 p.m. and is free and open to all ages. Rather than gathering everyone around a single stage\, the event invites visitors to walk through the Borough\, discover musicians along the way and move between performances at their own pace. \nPorchfest is being held in conjunction with the annual Stonington Borough Art Walk\, which begins two hours earlier at 10 a.m. and brings more than 60 artists to Water Street and surrounding courtyards. The two are separate events\, but together they create a full afternoon of visual art and live music stretching through the Borough. \nStonington Gets Its First Porchfest\nPorchfest takes a familiar neighborhood feature and gives it a different purpose for a day. \nInstead of building stages\, organizers place musicians on existing porches\, stoops\, lawns\, driveways and courtyards. Audiences walk from one location to another\, stopping for a song\, a set or an entire performance before continuing through the neighborhood. \nThe idea has spread widely since the first Porchfest was organized in Ithaca\, New York\, in 2007. Communities around the country have since created their own versions\, with each shaped by the streets\, musicians and neighborhoods hosting it. \nStonington’s version arrives particularly well suited to the Borough’s geography. \nIts narrow streets\, historic houses\, small yards\, gardens and courtyards are concentrated within a compact peninsula that can be explored on foot. Instead of separating performers from the community on a festival stage\, Porchfest puts the music directly into those surroundings. \nAn Afternoon Designed for Wandering\nThere is no single Porchfest concert to attend. \nThe idea is to wander. \nPerformers will appear at outdoor locations around Stonington Borough between noon and 4 p.m.\, creating multiple small listening areas rather than one large audience. \nThe music will emphasize acoustic performances\, allowing the individual settings to remain part of the experience. A front porch can become a stage. A lawn can become a listening room. A courtyard can hold an audience for a set before everyone moves down the street to find the next musician. \nThat also means visitors don’t have to commit to one performer or spend the entire afternoon in one place. \nThey can build their own route through the Borough\, stopping when something catches their ear. \nLocal Musicians Take Over the Neighborhood\nPorchfest is built around local bands and performers rather than a traditional festival headliner. Check out the Porchfest musician roster to find out who’s playing and when. \nThe participating musicians will play short sets at locations distributed throughout the Borough\, with a range of acoustic music planned for the afternoon. \nSalt Marsh Opera is among the local arts organizations participating in the new event\, while Mystic Paper Beasts has also announced plans to rove during the combined Art Walk and Porchfest day. \nA complete performance schedule and location map are expected from organizers\, allowing visitors to choose particular performers or create a route between stages. \nUntil then\, part of the event’s appeal remains built into the Porchfest concept itself: walk through the neighborhood and see what you find. \nFive Community Organizations Bring Porchfest to Stonington\nStonington Porchfest is not the project of a single organization. \nThe inaugural event is being presented through a collaboration among La Grua Center\, the Stonington Borough Merchants Association\, the Stonington Village Improvement Association\, Salt Marsh Opera and the Stonington Cultural District Commission. \nFunding is provided in part by the Kitchings Family Foundation. \nLa Grua Center serves as a natural anchor for the collaboration. The nonprofit arts and culture organization at 32 Water Street has spent years presenting concerts\, exhibitions\, lectures\, poetry and other cultural programs in the Borough. \nPorchfest takes that mission outside its walls. \nInstead of asking the community to come to a performance space\, the performances spread through the community. \nArt Walk Starts the Day at 10 a.m.\nVisitors arriving before Porchfest begins will find another event already underway. \nThe Stonington Borough Art Walk runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.\, bringing more than 60 artists and makers to Water Street and surrounding spaces. \nPainters\, photographers\, potters\, illustrators\, jewelers\, textile artists\, sculptors\, woodworkers and other artists will exhibit their work during the free event. \nAt noon\, Porchfest joins the activity. \nFor the remaining four hours\, someone walking through the Borough can move between artist tents and live performances without having to choose one event over the other. \nThe CT Beacon is covering the Stonington Borough Art Walk separately with its own event guide. \nWhat Makes a Porchfest Different\nA Porchfest isn’t quite a music festival and isn’t quite a neighborhood block party. \nThere are musicians and scheduled performances\, but the absence of a conventional main stage changes the relationship between performer and audience. \nA singer with an acoustic guitar may be only a few feet from listeners gathered on a lawn. A small group can perform from the steps of a house rather than beneath stage lights. People walking past can stop because they hear something they like\, even if they had never planned to see that particular musician. \nThat informality is central to the format. \nThere is no admission gate and no need to remain in one designated festival area. The Borough itself becomes the venue. \nFor Stonington’s first attempt\, that venue stretches through one of southeastern Connecticut’s most walkable waterfront villages. \nA New Tradition Begins in the Borough\nThe September 12 event is specifically being billed as Stonington’s inaugural Porchfest\, making 2026 the beginning rather than the continuation of an established annual tradition. \nWhether it becomes one will come later. \nFor its first year\, the concept is simple: put musicians outside\, give them porches and lawns instead of conventional stages\, and let people explore. \nWith Art Walk already filling the Borough from morning through late afternoon\, Porchfest adds a soundtrack to a Saturday that was already centered on local creativity. \nFrom noon until 4\, following the music may be as simple as walking down the street. \nEvent Details\nEvent: Stonington Porchfest 2026\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: Noon–4 p.m.\nLocation: Porches\, lawns\, courtyards and outdoor spaces throughout Stonington Borough\nAdmission: Free\nAges: All ages\nMusic: Live acoustic performances by local musicians\nAlso Happening: Stonington Borough Art Walk\, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.\nPresented By: La Grua Center\, Stonington Borough Merchants Association\, Stonington Village Improvement Association\, Salt Marsh Opera and Stonington Cultural District Commission\nSupport: Funded in part by the Kitchings Family Foundation\nRain Date: Sunday\, September 13 \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n\n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/stonington-porchfest/
LOCATION:Stonington Borough\, Water Street\, Stonington\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Stonington Borough
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T130000
DTSTAMP:20260915T022601Z
CREATED:20260910T163942Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T022601Z
UID:10007538-1789214400-1789218000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Kids’ Sing-Along with Steve Elci & Friends
DESCRIPTION:Kids’ Sing-Along with Steve Elci & Friends keeps the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival’s youngest sailors\, mermaids and sea monsters moving Saturday\, September 12\, with a free waterfront concert immediately following the festival’s children’s costume parade. \nThe concert is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at Custom House Pier in downtown New London\, according to the band’s current announcement. Steve Elci & Friends will be joined by costumed characters The Little Mermaid and The Wayfinder for a family sing-along built around familiar songs\, dancing and audience participation. \nBut the poster’s “After the Parade!” isn’t just a bit of nautical decoration. \nThere really is a parade. \nEarlier Saturday\, families can head to Fort Trumbull State Park for free face painting\, make costumes\, and then join the Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade\, one of the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival’s signature children’s events. \nThe parade begins at 11:30 a.m. at Fort Trumbull State Park\, according to the festival’s most recent published information. \nThat makes the two events a natural Saturday pairing: dress up and parade through Fort Trumbull in the morning\, then head downtown for music with Steve Elci & Friends. \n11:30 a.m. — Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Take Over Fort Trumbull\nThe festival’s children’s parade isn’t intended to be something families simply stand along the route and watch. \nKids are encouraged to become part of it. \nSaturday morning’s children’s programming at Fort Trumbull includes free face painting and costume making\, giving kids a chance to transform themselves into mermaids\, pirates\, sea monsters and other maritime characters before the parade begins. \nFree face painting is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Fort Trumbull. \nThe festival describes the parade as a combination of local folklore\, music\, dancers\, military marchers and fantastical sea creatures. Earlier festival materials have also called it the Mermaids and Privateers Children’s Walking Parade\, but the current 2026 family programming identifies it as the Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade. \nIt’s a relatively new tradition. \nThe first Mermaids & Sea Monsters Parade was held during the 2022 Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\, when participants traveled through downtown New London from Bank Street to City Pier. \nBy 2023\, organizers were already calling it the third annual parade. \nFor 2026\, they’ve changed things around. \nInstead of beginning downtown\, this year’s parade is being held at Fort Trumbull State Park\, putting the procession in the middle of the festival’s large family activity area. \nThat also makes it easier for children to create a costume and then immediately become part of the event. \nAfter the Parade\, Steve Elci & Friends Take Over Custom House Pier\nOnce the procession ends\, the party shifts downtown. \nSteve Elci & Friends are scheduled to perform at 12:30 p.m. at Custom House Pier\, with The Little Mermaid and The Wayfinder joining them. \nThe concert is free and designed as a participatory children’s sing-along rather than a conventional sit-and-watch performance. \nThe poster gets directly to the point: \n“It’s time to dance and sing to some of your favorite songs!” \nThat’s familiar territory for Elci. \nSteve Elci Has Been Making Music for Kids Since 2010\nNew London County families may already know Steve Elci & Friends\, but the group’s reach extends well beyond southeastern Connecticut. \nThe award-winning children’s music group has been performing since 2010\, taking its shows from New England to Florida and Nashville. \nElci’s approach to children’s music is deliberately interactive. \nThe goal isn’t to place children quietly in front of a stage while adults perform at them. Singing\, dancing\, movement and participation are built into the experience. \nThat philosophy has also carried into the group’s recorded music and educational projects. \nThe Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival describes Steve Elci & Friends as an Emmy-nominated\, award-winning children’s music group\, and there’s a local reason for that Emmy connection. \nKidsploration Put Elci’s Music Together With Education and Adventure\nIn 2014\, Steve Elci & Friends partnered with The Day newspaper to create Kidsploration\, an online children’s program combining music\, education and adventure. \nThe project earned an Emmy nomination. \nIt was a logical extension of what Elci had already been doing onstage. \nChildren’s entertainment can be fun without treating children as passive spectators. Music can become the doorway into exploring something else. \nThat’s particularly appropriate at the Maritime Heritage Festival. \nA child might arrive because there’s a mermaid. \nThen climb aboard a ship. \nTouch a sea creature. \nWatch a Coast Guard rescue demonstration. \nWalk through a Revolutionary War encampment. \nListen to music. \nAnd leave knowing considerably more about the place where they live than when they arrived. \nThe Little Mermaid and The Wayfinder Join the Band\nSaturday’s concert adds two recognizable seafaring characters to that formula. \nThe festival announcement identifies The Little Mermaid and The Wayfinder as joining Steve Elci & Friends for the sing-along. \nThe Wayfinder character draws on the Polynesian voyaging tradition popularized for modern children through Disney’s Moana\, while The Little Mermaid brings another familiar ocean story into the program. \nTheir presence connects the morning costume parade with the concert that follows. \nChildren who’ve just spent part of the morning dressed as mermaids\, pirates and sea creatures aren’t suddenly being asked to switch gears. \nThe fantasy continues at the pier. \nCustom House Pier Puts the Concert Beside a Working Harbor\nThe setting is particularly good for a children’s maritime concert. \nCustom House Pier sits on South Water Street beside New London’s downtown waterfront\, looking across the Thames River and New London Harbor. \nThis isn’t a decorative body of water created to make a festival look nautical. \nIt’s a working harbor. \nFerries\, recreational boats\, Coast Guard vessels\, commercial traffic and other ships move through the river\, while Naval Submarine Base New London sits upriver in Groton and the Coast Guard Academy occupies the New London side of the Thames. \nA few steps away is Custom House Maritime Museum – New London Maritime Society\, housed in New London’s 1833 U.S. Custom House. \nSo while kids sing about the sea\, the real thing is directly behind them. \nGetting From the Parade to the Concert Takes a Little Planning\nThere’s one important practical detail for parents. \nThe parade and concert are not at the same location. \nThe Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade takes place at Fort Trumbull State Park\, while Steve Elci & Friends perform afterward at Custom House Pier downtown. \nThe festival has anticipated the problem of moving between its waterfront locations. \nFree transportation operates throughout the weekend. \nVisitors can travel aboard the Thames River Heritage Park water taxi or use the festival’s free shuttle buses connecting the major festival areas. \nThe water taxi operates continuously from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday between Fort Trumbull\, City Pier and Thames River Landing in Groton. There isn’t a fixed departure schedule\, and boarding is first-come\, first-served. \nFamilies trying to make the 12:30 concert immediately after the parade should keep the travel time in mind. \nThe festival recommends parking once and using its free transportation to move between locations rather than repeatedly relocating the car. \nThere’s Plenty More for Kids Before and After the Music\nThe parade and Steve Elci concert are only part of Saturday’s family programming. \nThe festival’s Kids Nautical Zone offers crafts\, games and educational activities. \nProject Oceanology brings marine life close enough for children to explore through its touch-tank programming. \nThere’s also Salt\, a life-size inflatable whale that children can actually walk through while learning about whale biology. \nAt 1:30 p.m.\, shortly after Steve Elci & Friends finish\, the U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled to conduct a search-and-rescue helicopter demonstration over the waterfront. \nFamilies can also tour participating vessels during the day\, including military\, training and historic ships visiting New London for the festival. \nAmong the vessels highlighted for 2026 is the USCGC Eagle\, the Coast Guard’s 295-foot tall ship and training vessel. \nThe Eagle’s presence is particularly significant this year because the Coast Guard Academy is celebrating its 150th anniversary. \nSaturday morning’s festival opening includes the unveiling of a new U.S. Postal Service commemorative stamp honoring that anniversary. \nFor a child who comes because they want their face painted like a mermaid\, there’s a surprising amount of real maritime history waiting around the corner. \nTwo Very Different Parades Happen Saturday\nThere’s also a fun contrast built into Saturday’s schedule. \nThe Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade isn’t the only procession taking place in New London. \nAt 7:30 p.m.\, the tone changes considerably when Flock Theatre begins its annual March of the Traitor on Bank Street. \nThat procession commemorates Benedict Arnold’s devastating 1781 attack on New London and leads to Waterfront Park\, where Arnold is burned in effigy. \nA 300-drone light show over the Thames follows later in the evening. \nSo New London gets two parades in one day. \nAt 11:30 a.m.\, children dressed as mermaids and sea monsters march through Fort Trumbull. \nAt 7:30 p.m.\, adults in Revolutionary-era garb march Benedict Arnold toward his fiery demise. \nThat’s a fairly good illustration of just how much the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival is trying to fit into one Saturday. \nStart With a Costume and Stay for the Ships\nFor families with younger children\, the morning-to-afternoon sequence may be one of the easiest ways to approach what is otherwise an enormous festival. \nGet to Fort Trumbull in time for face painting and costume making. \nJoin the Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade at 11:30. \nThen use festival transportation to head downtown. \nAt 12:30\, Steve Elci & Friends\, The Little Mermaid and The Wayfinder take over Custom House Pier. \nAnd when the music ends\, the ships\, touch tanks\, waterfront activities and Coast Guard demonstration are still waiting. \nThe Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival is ostensibly about preserving the state’s relationship with the sea. \nSaturday’s children’s programming approaches that mission from a different direction. \nFirst\, make the sea fun. \nThe history can follow. \nDetails\nEvent: Kids’ Sing-Along with Steve Elci & Friends\nFestival: Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.\nPerformers: Steve Elci & Friends with The Little Mermaid and The Wayfinder\nLocation: Custom House Pier\nStreet: South Water Street\, New London\, CT\nAdmission: Free\nAges: All ages / family program\nProgram: Children’s music\, singing and dancing\nRelated Event: Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade\nParade Time: 11:30 a.m.\nParade Location: Fort Trumbull State Park\, 90 Walbach Street\, New London\nBefore the Parade: Free face painting and costume making; face painting is scheduled from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturday\nImportant: The parade and concert take place at different festival locations\nTransportation: Free festival shuttle buses and Thames River Heritage Park water taxi service connect festival areas\nWater Taxi Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; continuous service with no fixed departure schedule and first-come\, first-served boarding\nFestival: Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival runs September 12–13 along the New London waterfront\nParking: Festival organizers recommend parking in a downtown Water Street garage or near Fort Trumbull and using the free transportation system between festival locations\nWeather: Outdoor festival programming may be affected by weather; check the festival’s current schedule before traveling \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/kids-sing-along-with-steve-elci-friends/
LOCATION:Custom House Pier\, South Water Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Custom House Pier
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T120000
DTSTAMP:20260915T022619Z
CREATED:20260910T171125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T022619Z
UID:10007539-1789212600-1789214400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Children’s Walking Parade:
Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters
DESCRIPTION:Mermaid & Privateer Children’s Walking Parade:
Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters invites children to become part of the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival on Saturday\, September 12\, with a free\, costumed procession through Fort Trumbull State Park and Museum in New London. \nThe parade begins at 11:30 a.m. at Fort Trumbull and is part of the festival’s family programming. Children are encouraged to dress as mermaids\, privateers\, pirates\, sea monsters\, and other nautical characters\, with free face painting and costume-making activities helping families get ready before the procession begins. Current festival coverage also calls it the Mermaids and Privateers Parade\, while event calendars use Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade\, so families may see both names for Saturday’s event. \nThis isn’t a parade where kids are expected to stand behind a barricade and watch someone else have all the fun. \nThey’re invited to join in. \nFirst\, Make Yourself Into a Sea Creature\nFamilies can arrive at Fort Trumbull before the 11:30 a.m. start and make the transformation part of the morning. \nThe festival’s Kids Nautical Zone includes children’s activities throughout the weekend\, and Saturday’s programming includes face painting and costume activities before the parade. The larger festival opens at 10 a.m.\, giving families time to explore before lining up for the procession. \nThat means elaborate homemade costumes aren’t required. \nA child who arrives Saturday morning dressed like an ordinary human can still end up marching as something considerably more aquatic. \nMermaids are an obvious choice\, but the concept is intentionally broad. Pirates\, privateers and imaginary creatures all fit into a procession built around the centuries-old combination of the sea and human imagination. \nWhy Mermaids and Sea Monsters Belong at a Maritime Festival\nA weekend devoted to maritime heritage could limit itself to ships\, sailors and naval history. \nThe sea has never been that simple. \nFor as long as people have traveled beyond the shoreline\, they’ve brought stories home with them. \nUnfamiliar animals became monsters. Strange shapes glimpsed from a moving ship acquired elaborate explanations. Mermaids and other humanlike sea creatures appeared independently in folklore around the world. Sailors carried stories from one port to another\, changing them along the way. \nEven the monsters sometimes had something real behind them. \nManatees and dugongs have been suggested as possible sources of some mermaid sightings. Giant squid were once creatures of legend before science confirmed that enormous cephalopods really did inhabit the deep ocean. Whales could be terrifyingly large to someone encountering one from a wooden boat. \nThe boundary between natural history and maritime folklore could become wonderfully blurry. \nSaturday’s parade takes that tradition and lets children run with it. \nPirates and Privateers Aren’t Quite the Same Thing\nThe other characters likely to appear Saturday come with a little more historical baggage. \nA pirate operated outside the law. \nA privateer operated with government authorization\, usually under a commission or letter of marque permitting a privately owned vessel to attack and capture enemy shipping during wartime. \nFrom the perspective of the people whose ship was being captured\, the distinction may not have been terribly comforting. \nBut legally\, it mattered. \nPrivateering became particularly important during the American Revolution\, when the new United States lacked the enormous naval establishment possessed by Britain. \nNew London and Connecticut’s other ports were deeply connected to that maritime world. \nSo the privateers marching around Fort Trumbull Saturday aren’t entirely imaginary visitors. \nThey have historical roots here. \nFort Trumbull Is a Particularly Good Place for the Parade\nThe parade’s 2026 setting gives the fantasy a very real historical backdrop. \nFort Trumbull occupies a strategic position overlooking the Thames River and New London Harbor. The current masonry fort dates largely to the 19th century\, but the site’s military history reaches back to the American Revolution. \nAnd one of the darkest days in New London’s history happened here. \nOn September 6\, 1781\, British forces commanded by Benedict Arnold attacked the New London and Groton area. \nThe earlier Fort Trumbull was overwhelmed. \nAcross the river\, the fighting at Fort Griswold became much bloodier. British troops captured the fort\, and American commander Col. William Ledyard was killed after surrendering his sword. \nMuch of New London was burned during the raid. \nThat history becomes especially relevant during this year’s Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival because 2026 marks the nation’s 250th anniversary\, and Revolutionary War history is woven throughout the weekend. \nBritish and American reenactors will establish 18th-century encampments at Fort Trumbull\, complete with canvas tents\, camp kitchens and open fires. Visitors can meet reenactors and watch military drills and marching demonstrations. \nSo children dressed as privateers will be walking through a place where the history they’re pretending actually happened. \nThis Is One Piece of a Huge Morning at Fort Trumbull\nFamilies could easily build most of Saturday around the parade. \nThe Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the day\, with vessel tours\, children’s programming\, living history\, vendors\, live entertainment and maritime demonstrations spread between Fort Trumbull and the downtown waterfront. \nThe festival’s 2026 vessel lineup is unusually substantial. \nVisitors will be able to explore visiting military\, training and historic vessels\, while the waterfront programming includes Coast Guard demonstrations and activities connected to the Coast Guard Academy’s 150th anniversary. \nAt 10 a.m.\, the U.S. Postal Service will formally dedicate a new U.S. Coast Guard Academy Forever stamp at the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival. The ceremony is part of the Academy’s sesquicentennial celebration. \nThen\, at 11:30\, the mermaids and monsters get their turn. \nAfter the Parade\, Follow the Music Downtown\nThere’s another reason to join the parade rather than treating it as an isolated event. \nAt 12:30 p.m.\, Steve Elci & Friends perform a free children’s sing-along at Custom House Pier with The Little Mermaid and The Wayfinder. \nThe concert poster explicitly bills the performance as an “After the Parade!” event. \nThat creates a natural progression for families. \nStart at Fort Trumbull for face painting and costume activities. \nJoin the parade at 11:30. \nThen head toward the downtown waterfront for singing and dancing. \nThe one thing parents need to understand is that the parade and concert are at different festival locations. \nFortunately\, organizers are providing free transportation between festival areas. The Thames River Heritage Park water taxi operates continuously from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Fort Trumbull\, City Pier and Thames River Landing in Groton. Free shuttle buses are also available. The water taxi doesn’t operate on a fixed timetable\, and boarding is first-come\, first-served. \nThe Kids Get a Parade Before Benedict Arnold Gets His\nThere’s also a wonderfully strange symmetry to Saturday’s schedule. \nThe Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade isn’t the only procession through New London that day. \nAt 7:30 p.m.\, Flock Theatre begins the considerably less childlike Burning of Benedict Arnold – March of the Traitor. \nParticipants march from Bank Street toward Waterfront Park in a revival of New London’s historic tradition of symbolically punishing Arnold for the 1781 destruction of the city. The march culminates in the burning of an Arnold effigy on the waterfront. \nA 300-drone light show over the Thames River follows later that evening. \nSo New London gets bookend processions Saturday. \nThe morning belongs to mermaids\, pirates and sea monsters. \nThe evening belongs to an infamous Revolutionary War traitor. \nA Parade Kids Don’t Have to Watch From the Sidewalk\nThat’s ultimately what distinguishes the Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade from many festival parades. \nThe children aren’t merely the audience. \nThey’re the parade. \nThey can put on a costume\, have their face painted\, march through one of Connecticut’s most important maritime historic sites and then continue the adventure with music\, ships\, sailors and hands-on activities around the waterfront. \nThe Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival is supposed to introduce people to the state’s relationship with the sea. \nFor a five-year-old\, explaining 250 years of naval and maritime history may not be the most effective opening argument. \nAsk whether they want to become a mermaid or a sea monster. \nYou can work on the history afterward. \nDetails\nEvent: Little Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade\nAlso Promoted As: Mermaids and Privateers Parade\nFestival: Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 11:30 a.m.\nLocation: Fort Trumbull State Park and Museum\nAddress: 90 Walbach Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nAdmission: Free\nAges: Family-friendly / all ages\nParticipation: Children are encouraged to dress up and join the parade\nCostumes: Mermaids\, sea monsters\, pirates\, privateers and other maritime-inspired characters fit the theme\nBefore the Parade: Children’s activities and face painting are available as part of the festival programming\nFestival Hours: Daytime festival activities run 10 a.m.–5 p.m.\nAfter the Parade: Steve Elci & Friends perform a children’s sing-along at 12:30 p.m. at Custom House Pier\nTransportation: Free shuttle buses and Thames River Heritage Park water taxi service connect major festival locations\nWater Taxi: Continuous service from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. between Fort Trumbull\, City Pier and Thames River Landing; first-come\, first-served\nParking: Festival organizers recommend parking in a downtown Water Street garage or near Fort Trumbull and using free festival transportation between venues\nSetting: Outdoors; dress for waterfront weather \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/mermaid-privateer-childrens-walking-parade-little-mermaids-and-sea-monsters/
LOCATION:Fort Trumbull State Park\, 90 Walbach Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Fort Trumbull State Park
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T170000
DTSTAMP:20260701T201347Z
CREATED:20260701T201347Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260701T201347Z
UID:10006473-1789210800-1789232400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Luxe CT: Velvet Mills to Modern Runways at Mystic Museum of Art
DESCRIPTION:Luxe CT: Velvet Mills to Modern Runways at Mystic Museum of Art explores the history of textiles in southeastern Connecticut\, tracing how fabrics\, fashion\, and craftsmanship have shaped the region from the precolonial era through the present day. On view from June 26 through October 11\, 2026\, the exhibition brings together historic artifacts and contemporary works to examine how textiles reflect labor\, immigration\, cultural identity\, and changing ideas of luxury. \nInspired by southeastern Connecticut’s once-thriving velvet industry\, the exhibition features a collaboration between Mystic Museum of Art\, Historic Stonington\, Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center\, Mystic Seaport Museum\, and the Connecticut Region of the Studio Art Quilt Associates. Visitors will encounter an extensive collection of beadwork\, embroidery\, quilts\, velvet\, fashion\, and textile art drawn from partner institutions and the museum’s own collection. \nThe exhibition also highlights contemporary fashion designers with Connecticut connections\, including Xarea Lockhart\, Toriana Sauro\, Christian Siriano\, and Peter Som. Their work connects the region’s textile heritage with modern fashion\, demonstrating how clothing and material culture continue to influence art\, identity\, and design. Throughout the exhibition\, the museum will present lectures\, artist conversations\, and hands-on workshops that further explore these themes. \nExhibition Details\n\nExhibition: Luxe CT: Velvet Mills to Modern Runways\nVenue: Mystic Museum of Art\nDates: June 26-October 11\, 2026\nLocation: Mystic\, CT\n\nExhibition Highlights\nVisitors will experience: \n\ns\nWorks from Mystic Museum of Art’s permanent collection\nLoans from regional museums and organizations\n\nFeatured Partners\nThe exhibition includes contributions from: \n\nHistoric Stonington\nMashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center\nMystic Seaport Museum\nStudio Art Quilt Associates\, Connecticut Region\n\nFeatured Designers\nThe exhibition showcases work by designers with Connecticut ties\, including: \n\nXarea Lockhart\nToriana Sauro\nChristian Siriano\nPeter Som\n\nAdmission\n\nGeneral Admission: $12\nNew London County residents: $10\nSeniors (65+): $10\nStudents with valid ID: $10\nFree:\n\nMystic Museum of Art members\nYouth ages 17 and under\nMilitary personnel and veterans\n\n\n\nExhibition Programs\nPublic programs are held on select Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. \nTuesday\, July 7\nMystic Mudlarking: The River and the Rossie Velvet Mill \n\nGuest speaker: Mary Hendrickson\n\nTuesday\, July 21\nImmigration and Industry \n\nGuest speaker: Chelsea Mitchell\, Library Director & Collections Manager\, Historic Stonington\n\nTuesday\, September 1\nConversation with Alana Ryder and Emerging Designers \nFeaturing: \n\nAlana Ryder\nXarea Lockhart\nToriana Sauro\n\nWorkshops\nAll workshops take place in KTJ Studios. \nSaturday\, September 19\nFrom Textile to Art: Felt Collage Workshop \nSaturday\, September 26\nIntroduction to Sewing Workshop \n\nFeatured designer: Toriana Sauro\n\nSaturday\, October 10\nRelief Printing on Silk Scarf Workshop \nWhy Visit\nLuxe CT examines how textiles have connected communities across centuries while reflecting the region’s history of manufacturing\, immigration\, craftsmanship\, and artistic innovation. By pairing historical artifacts with contemporary fashion and fiber art\, the exhibition offers visitors a deeper understanding of southeastern Connecticut’s cultural heritage and its continuing influence on today’s artists and designers. \n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/luxe-ct-velvet-mills-to-modern-runways-at-mystic-museum-of-art/2026-09-12/
LOCATION:Mystic Museum of Art\, 9 Water Street\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mystic Museum of Art
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T170000
DTSTAMP:20260705T020852Z
CREATED:20260510T162306Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260705T020852Z
UID:10000479-1789210800-1789232400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Brickwrecks: Sunken Ships in LEGO Bricks
DESCRIPTION:Brickwrecks: Sunken Ships in LEGO Bricks drops visitors into centuries of maritime mystery and disaster at Mystic Seaport Museum.. The internationally touring exhibition combines massive LEGO® ship recreations with real maritime history\, creating an experience that feels part museum exhibit\, part interactive adventure. As the first American stop for the exhibition\, Mystic Seaport becomes the latest host for a showcase that has previously appeared at major maritime museums in Europe and Australia. \nThe exhibit features eleven detailed LEGO® models recreating famous shipwrecks and maritime disasters spanning thousands of years\, including the Titanic\, the Vasa\, Franklin’s Arctic expedition ships Terror and Erebus\, and the ancient Uluburun trading vessel. Created in partnership with LEGO® Certified Professional Ryan “The Brickman” McNaught\, the displays combine historical storytelling with surprisingly intricate engineering and visual detail. Some models even include cross-section cutaways revealing what happened beneath the waterline. \nInteractive experiences throughout the exhibit invite visitors to test survival scenarios\, operate a remote underwater vehicle\, experiment with ship stability\, and build LEGO® creations of their own. Alongside the models are replica artifacts\, archaeological tools\, and multimedia displays exploring how modern researchers investigate shipwrecks and what those discoveries reveal about trade\, exploration\, disaster\, and human history. The result is an exhibit that works equally well for families\, history buffs\, LEGO® fans\, and anyone who still secretly wants to touch every museum display. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/brickwrecks-sunken-ships-in-lego-bricks-3/2026-09-12/
LOCATION:Mystic Seaport\, 75 Greenmanville Ave\, Mystic\, CT\, \,06355-1946\,\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mystic Seaport
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T150000
DTSTAMP:20260915T022633Z
CREATED:20260910T183522Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T022633Z
UID:10007544-1789210800-1789225200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:4th Annual Misquamicut Kite Festival
DESCRIPTION:4th Annual Misquamicut Kite Festival fills the sky above Wuskenau Town Beach with color Saturday\, September 12\, as the free family festival returns to the Westerly shoreline from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. \nPresented by the Misquamicut Business Association\, the annual event is open to everyone\, whether you’re bringing a favorite kite from home\, picking up a children’s kite kit at the beach or simply coming to watch. \nThere’s also a little friendly competition involved. \nOrganizers will award a $100 prize for the Best in Show kite\, creating plenty of incentive to bring something more ambitious than the old plastic diamond kite that’s been sitting in the garage. \nBut competition isn’t really the point. \nThe invitation from organizers is simpler: bring your creativity\, bring the family and help fill the sky above Misquamicut with color. \nFour Years of Kites Over Misquamicut\nThe Misquamicut Kite Festival is still a relatively young tradition. \nThe Misquamicut Business Association launched the event in 2023\, and it has returned to Wuskenau Town Beach each September since. \nThe second annual festival was held in 2024. \nThe third followed on September 6\, 2025. \nNow the festival returns for its fourth year on September 12\, 2026\, retaining the same four-hour format from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. \nThere’s an appealing simplicity to the concept. \nNo tickets. \nNo complicated schedule. \nNo need to know anything about kite flying before arriving. \nJust a beach\, the Atlantic wind and as many kites as people can get into the air. \nBring a Kite or Pick Up a Kids Kite Kit\nFamilies don’t necessarily need to arrive equipped. \nKids kite kits will be available on site\, giving younger visitors an opportunity to get into the air even if they don’t already own a kite. \nThose who do have one are encouraged to bring it. \nThat leaves plenty of room for everything from inexpensive children’s kites to homemade creations and the more elaborate designs that will compete for Best in Show. \nThe festival’s $100 prize provides a reason for experienced kite builders and creative families to put some effort into their entry. \nAnd a kite festival has an advantage over many competitions. \nEven the entries that don’t win become part of the show. \nWhy the Beach Is Such a Good Place to Fly\nAnyone who tried to fly a kite in a backyard as a child probably remembers the frustrating part. \nRun. \nWatch it rise. \nWatch it stall. \nRun faster. \nWatch it crash. \nTry again. \nThe beach removes some of those problems. \nOceanfront locations tend to offer more consistent wind because there are fewer buildings\, trees and other obstructions disrupting the airflow. \nWuskenau Town Beach opens directly onto the Atlantic\, providing the combination kite flyers want: a large open area and coastal wind. \nThat doesn’t guarantee perfect conditions. Wind speed and direction still matter\, and a very windy day can actually make flying more difficult. \nBut when conditions cooperate\, a beach can turn kite flying from an exercise in sprinting into something much more satisfying. \nGet the kite above the turbulent air close to the ground and let the wind do the work. \nThere’s More Going On Up There Than String and Wind\nA kite stays in the sky through the same basic aerodynamic forces involved in aircraft flight. \nWind moves across the kite’s surface and produces lift. \nThe kite string provides tension\, while gravity and drag pull in other directions. The kite’s shape\, angle to the wind\, tail and bridle help keep those competing forces balanced. \nChange one thing and the kite behaves differently. \nA tail isn’t merely decorative\, for example. It can add drag and stability\, helping prevent some kite designs from spinning or diving. \nThat’s why homemade kite building can quickly become an accidental science experiment for kids. \nChange the shape. \nMove the bridle. \nAdd a tail. \nRemove some weight. \nTry again. \nThe immediate feedback is difficult to miss. \nEither it flies or it doesn’t. \nKite Flying Is Much Older Than the American Beach Vacation\nThe idea of putting something on the end of a string and sending it into the sky goes back thousands of years. \nKites are generally believed to have originated in ancient China\, where suitable materials such as silk and bamboo allowed builders to create lightweight structures capable of flight. \nThey eventually spread through Asia and into other parts of the world. \nAnd kites weren’t always toys. \nOver the centuries\, people used them for military signaling\, measuring distances\, scientific experiments and meteorological observations. \nOne of the most famous American experiments came in 1752\, when Benjamin Franklin used a kite during his investigations into electricity and lightning. \nMore than a century later\, experiments with kites helped researchers understand aerodynamics during the period leading toward powered flight. \nBy the time beach communities like Misquamicut developed into popular vacation destinations\, kites had become firmly established as recreational objects. \nIt’s hard to imagine a more natural pairing. \nWuskenau Is the Town Beach Beside Misquamicut State Beach\nVisitors who haven’t heard the name Wuskenau Town Beach may still know exactly where it is. \nThe Westerly-owned beach sits at 311 Atlantic Avenue\, immediately beside Misquamicut State Beach. \nIt’s also sometimes called New Town Beach locally. \nThe location provides direct access to the broad sandy shoreline that has made Misquamicut one of Rhode Island’s best-known beach communities. \nWuskenau is a simpler facility than the larger state beach next door\, but that’s not much of a drawback for a kite festival. \nThe attraction Saturday is overhead. \nMisquamicut Has Been Reinventing the Beach Season\nThe festival also fits a larger effort by the Misquamicut Business Association to make the beach community more than a July-and-August destination. \nThe association organizes events throughout the year\, including the Misquamicut Springfest\, FallFest\, Drive-In Movies and other community programming. \nThe Kite Festival arrives at an interesting point on the calendar. \nBy September 12\, the peak summer vacation season is winding down. Schools are back in session. The crowds of midsummer have begun to thin. \nBut southeastern Connecticut and southwestern Rhode Island still have weeks of potentially beautiful coastal weather ahead. \nThe ocean doesn’t disappear after Labor Day. \nNeither does the beach. \nA free Saturday kite festival gives families a reason to come back. \nA Good Kite Can Be Almost Anything\nFor people thinking about entering the Best in Show competition\, kite design has moved far beyond the familiar diamond. \nThere are delta kites. \nBox kites. \nParafoils. \nCellular kites. \nDragons. \nAnimals. \nGeometric designs. \nAnd enormous inflatable creations that can turn a kite festival into something resembling an airborne parade. \nSome designs are engineered primarily for performance. \nOthers are essentially flying artwork. \nThe festival hasn’t announced restrictive design categories for its Best in Show competition\, leaving plenty of room for imagination. \nThat makes the contest accessible to kids as well as serious hobbyists. \nA technically sophisticated kite might be impressive. \nSo might something completely ridiculous that actually flies. \nYou Don’t Need a Kite to Enjoy This One\nThat’s another advantage of the Misquamicut Kite Festival. \nSpectators get essentially the same view as participants. \nThe entire sky becomes the display. \nFamilies can walk the beach\, watch the different designs go up\, see which creations stay aloft and which require a little more persuasion\, and take in an early September afternoon beside the Atlantic. \nAdmission is free. \nThe festival runs for four hours. \nAnd there’s no obligation to participate. \nBut considering kids kite kits will be available at the beach\, staying strictly on the spectator side may prove difficult for families with younger children. \nDetails\nEvent: 4th Annual Misquamicut Kite Festival\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 11 a.m.–3 p.m.\nLocation: Wuskenau Town Beach\nAddress: 311 Atlantic Avenue\, Westerly\, RI 02891\nAdmission: Free\nAges: All ages\nParticipation: Open to everyone\nKites: Bring your own kite; kids kite kits will also be available on site\nCompetition: Best in Show Kite\nPrize: $100\nPresented By: Misquamicut Business Association\nSetting: Outdoors on the beach\nWeather: Kite flying and outdoor activities are weather-dependent\nParking: Wuskenau Town Beach has town-operated parking lots along Atlantic Avenue; check current Town of Westerly parking requirements before arriving\nEvent Contact: Misquamicut Business Association\, 401-322-1026 \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/4th-annual-misquamicut-kite-festival/
LOCATION:Wuskenau Town Beach\, 311 Atlantic Ave\, Westerly\, RI\, 02891\, United States
CATEGORIES:Wuskenau Town Beach
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T140000
DTSTAMP:20260908T220743Z
CREATED:20260908T220743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T220743Z
UID:10007524-1789210800-1789221600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Free School Supply Shop at Westerly Library
DESCRIPTION:Free School Supply Shop at Westerly Library gives local students a chance to stock their backpacks without spending a dollar as the new school year gets underway. Westerly Library & Wilcox Park is turning its Pop-Up at Coy into a temporary school-supply store from Tuesday\, September 8\, through Saturday\, September 12\, with everything in the shop available free to students. \nFamilies can find backpacks\, calculators\, folders\, lunchboxes\, notebooks\, markers\, pencils\, pens\, rulers and other donated supplies. There is no purchase involved and no admission charge. The idea is simple: take the school supplies a student needs. \nThe shop runs from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday\, 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. \nA Community School-Supply Drive Becomes a Free Store\nThe shelves at the Free School Supply Shop were filled by the community before students ever walked through the door. \nWesterly Library began collecting new and gently used school supplies on August 3\, placing donation bins near its entrances and inviting residents to contribute through September 8. \nThe library’s suggested donations covered many of the expenses families encounter at the beginning of a school year: backpacks and lunchboxes\, calculators and rulers\, folders and notebooks\, along with everyday supplies such as pencils\, pens and markers. \nInstead of simply distributing prepacked bags\, the library has taken a different approach. \nThe donations become inventory for a temporary shop where students can look through the available supplies and choose what they need. \nThat distinction may seem small\, but it gives students and families some control over what they take home. A teenager who needs a calculator and notebooks isn’t necessarily looking for the same supplies as an elementary school student who needs markers\, pencils and a lunchbox. \nThe library describes the shop as offering a variety of supplies free to any student. \nFive Days to Stop In\nThe Free School Supply Shop isn’t limited to a single afternoon. \nWesterly Library is opening it across five days with different hours to give families several opportunities to visit: \n\nTuesday\, September 8: 3–7 p.m.\nWednesday\, September 9: 3–7 p.m.\nThursday\, September 10: 3–7 p.m.\nFriday\, September 11: 1–5 p.m.\nSaturday\, September 12: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.\n\nThat means families who can’t make an after-school weekday visit still have Friday afternoon and Saturday options. \nBecause the shop consists of donated items\, selection will naturally depend on what the community contributed and what remains when a family visits. Anyone hoping for the widest selection should consider stopping in earlier in the week. \nThe Pop-Up at Coy Was Built for Ideas Like This\nThe school-supply shop isn’t taking over a conventional meeting room. \nIt’s happening in The Pop-Up at Coy\, a small storefront-like space immediately inside the front of Westerly Library. \nThe room has had quite a few lives. \nIt originally served as the library’s reception office and was once the office of Sallie Coy\, who joined the organization in 1911 and became the longest-serving librarian and library director in its history. Coy remained director until retiring in 1960. \nOver the years\, the space also served as the circulation desk and the Friends Bookstore. A 2017 renovation transformed it into a café. \nIts latest incarnation deliberately moves away from having one permanent purpose. \nWesterly Library now uses The Pop-Up at Coy as a temporary activation space where local organizations\, small businesses\, nonprofits\, community resources and other projects can set up for limited periods. The library describes the concept as a way to give visitors opportunities to see\, experience and learn about different community offerings. \nFor five days in September\, its purpose couldn’t be much more practical: shelves of free supplies for students heading back to class. \nMore Than Books at Westerly Library\nThe school-supply project also fits the broader role Westerly Library has carved out for itself. \nThe library is operated by the private nonprofit Memorial and Library Association\, which was established in 1892 to commemorate local volunteer soldiers and sailors who served in the Civil War. \nWesterly Library opened in 1894 with about 5\,000 volumes. The original building included considerably more than books\, with a gymnasium\, bowling alley\, art gallery\, museum and meeting space for the Grand Army of the Republic. \nMore than 130 years later\, the idea of a library as a community space remains. \nToday’s collection contains more than 287\,000 items\, while the building also houses public computers\, meeting and programming spaces\, youth areas\, a Makerspace\, the Hoxie Gallery and local history collections. \nPrograms range from children’s storytimes and craft sessions to technology instruction\, support groups\, book clubs and community-resource programs. \nThe Free School Supply Shop belongs to the latter category. It doesn’t require a class\, lecture or workshop to be useful. It takes something families need and makes it available in a familiar public place. \nAnd There’s a 15-Acre Park Outside\nA trip to the school-supply shop can also include some time outdoors. \nWesterly Library shares its downtown property with Wilcox Park\, a 15-acre Victorian strolling park and arboretum. \nThe original park land was donated in 1898 by Harriet Wilcox in memory of her husband\, Stephen Wilcox\, the local industrialist and inventor who had earlier donated the land for the library and $25\,000 toward its construction. \nHarriet envisioned a park that could be enjoyed by the working people of Westerly and neighboring Pawcatuck. \nLandscape architect Warren H. Manning\, who had worked with Frederick Law Olmsted and later became a founding member of the American Society of Landscape Architects\, designed the park while incorporating much of the site’s existing vegetation. \nToday\, Wilcox Park contains 159 different tree species and 43 cultivars\, including seven recognized Rhode Island Champion Trees. \nSo a stop for notebooks and pencils doesn’t necessarily have to be an errand in and out of a building. The park is directly outside and remains open from dawn until 9 p.m. \nFree Really Does Mean Free\nThere isn’t a complicated eligibility requirement buried in the description. \nWesterly Library says the supplies are available free to any student. \nThere is no admission charge listed\, no registration requirement and no requirement that families purchase anything else. The library’s event is categorized for families\, adults\, teens\, tweens and children\, reflecting the fact that school-supply needs don’t end after elementary school. \nFor families buying supplies for multiple children\, or for anyone facing an unexpectedly expensive back-to-school list\, even a few notebooks\, folders\, pens or a calculator can take something off the bill. \nAnd because the inventory came from donations\, the Free School Supply Shop turns one family’s extra backpack or unused package of pencils directly into something another student can use. \nThat’s community programming at its simplest. \nDetails\nEvent: Free School Supply Shop\nDates: Tuesday\, September 8–Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTuesday–Thursday Hours: 3–7 p.m.\nFriday Hours: 1–5 p.m.\nSaturday Hours: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.\nAdmission: Free\nWho Can Participate: School supplies are available free to any student\nRegistration: No registration listed\nAvailable Supplies: Donated school supplies may include backpacks\, calculators\, folders\, lunchboxes\, markers\, notebooks\, pencils\, pens and rulers; selection depends on availability\nLocation: The Pop-Up at Coy\, Westerly Library & Wilcox Park\nAddress: 44 Broad Street\, Westerly\, RI 02891\nPhone: 401-596-2877\nLibrary Hours: Monday–Thursday 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed Sunday\nWilcox Park Hours: Daily from dawn–9 p.m. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/free-school-supply-shop-at-westerly-library/2026-09-12/
LOCATION:Westerly Library & Wilcox Park\, 44 Broad Street\, Westerly\, RI\, 02891\, United States
CATEGORIES:Westerly Library & Wilcox Park
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T180000
DTSTAMP:20260903T140908Z
CREATED:20260903T140908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T140908Z
UID:10007442-1789209000-1789236000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Connecticut Renaissance Faire 2026 Guide
DESCRIPTION:Connecticut Renaissance Faire 2026 transforms the Lebanon Country Fairgrounds into a sprawling 16th-century fantasy village for nine weekends of jousting\, comedy\, live music\, costumed characters\, artisan shopping\, food\, games and themed adventures. \nThe Faire runs from August 29 through October 25 at 122 Mack Road in Lebanon\, with regular hours from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. It also opens on holiday Mondays\, including Labor Day and Columbus Day. \nFor 2026\, the Faire is advertising more than 40 shows each day across 13 stages\, along with dozens of games and activities and more than 200 artisans\, food vendors and other merchants. \nAnd this isn’t an event where you simply watch from the sidelines. \nWalk through the gates and you enter a village populated by kings\, queens\, knights\, fairies\, musicians\, rogues and other characters who interact with visitors throughout the day. You can watch armored combat\, cheer at the joust\, throw an axe\, shop for a handmade sword or drinking horn\, take the kids on human-powered rides\, eat a turkey leg and end up in a conversation with a member of the royal court on the way to your next show. \nHere’s how to plan a day at the 2026 Connecticut Renaissance Faire. \nWhen Is the Connecticut Renaissance Faire?\nThe 2026 season runs from August 29 through October 25. \nThe Faire is generally open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.\, with special openings on Labor Day and Columbus Day. \nThe season is divided into themed weekends\, so the experience changes as fall progresses. Themes for 2026 include Dragons & Dungeons\, Roses & Romance\, Shirefolk\, Faerie Ring Revels\, Pirates & Vikings\, Time Travelers\, All Hallows and the new Merry Macabre weekend. \nLabor Day weekend\, September 5–7\, is Dragons & Dungeons\, a fantasy-focused weekend built around quests\, heroes and legendary characters. \nCostumes aren’t required to attend. Some visitors arrive in everyday clothes\, while others treat the themed weekends as an opportunity to build elaborate Renaissance\, fantasy\, pirate\, Viking or other character costumes. \nHow Much Are Connecticut Renaissance Faire Tickets?\nGeneral admission for the 2026 season is $18 for adults and $10 for youth\, while children in the Faire’s child admission category enter free. \nAdmission covers the Faire itself and its regular stage performances. Certain games\, rides\, food\, drinks and premium experiences cost extra. \nOne useful change from the way some fairs and festivals operate is that there are no food tickets. Food and beverages are purchased directly from individual merchants. \nSame-day re-entry is also permitted with a handstamp\, so leaving the grounds doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your Faire day. \nStart With the Shows\nTrying to see everything at the Connecticut Renaissance Faire in one day is probably the wrong approach. \nThere are simply too many performances. \nThe 2026 Faire uses 13 stages and advertises more than 40 shows daily. Entertainment ranges from music and comedy to acrobatics\, combat demonstrations\, theatrical performances and interactive shows. \nOne of the biggest spectacles is the armored combat demonstration from the Knights of Gore. These aren’t performers simply swinging lightweight theatrical weapons around one another. The demonstrations feature fighters in plate armor engaging in full-contact medieval-style combat. \nThe Knights of Gore also present educational demonstrations throughout the day covering subjects such as medieval helmets\, the roles of knights and squires and siege weapons including the trebuchet. \nThe Joust Remains a Centerpiece\nIt’s difficult to imagine a Renaissance faire without knights charging toward one another on horseback. \nJousting remains one of the major attractions in Lebanon. \nThe 2026 season includes jousting from Roundtable Productions and Equus Nobilis\, both listed among the Faire’s new entertainment additions this year. \nThe joust combines horsemanship\, theatrical storytelling and medieval-style competition on a scale that’s difficult to replicate on one of the smaller stages. \nIf seeing a joust is high on your list\, check the schedule when you arrive and build the rest of the day around it rather than assuming you’ll simply stumble across the right performance. \nThere Is Plenty of Comedy\nNot everything involves swords and armor. \nComedy is scattered throughout the Faire\, sometimes on a stage and sometimes walking directly toward you in the lanes. \nThe Norfolk Theatricals specialize in interactive theatrical comedy\, presenting deliberately chaotic original plays with audience members sometimes pulled into the performance. \nBone Dallaire roams the grounds as a self-important thespian and playwright whose opinion of his own talent may exceed everyone else’s. \nThe Faire’s cast of Crown Players adds another layer of continuous theater. Instead of performing only at scheduled times\, characters inhabit the village and interact with guests throughout the day. \nThat distinction is important for first-time visitors. \nThe Connecticut Renaissance Faire isn’t simply a collection of scheduled shows surrounded by food booths. The space between the stages is part of the performance. \nMusic Runs From Celtic Traditions to Sea Chanteys\nLive music is another major part of the day. \nThe 2026 roster includes performers working with Celtic music\, traditional folk\, sea chanteys and other styles that fit naturally into the Faire setting. \nJesse Ofgang and the Diaspora\, new for 2026\, combine Scottish and Irish musical traditions with contemporary rhythms using instruments including bagpipes\, whistles and guitars. \nNemeton: Folk Fantasy Music and Dance brings an especially unusual collection of instruments to the Faire\, including bagpipes\, drums\, double flutes\, penny whistles\, English concertina\, medieval small pipes\, rauschpfeife and hurdy-gurdy. \nNew England’s Misfits of Avalon draw from Celtic music with hammered dulcimer\, mandolin\, guitar and violin. \nOther weekends bring different musicians\, including the maritime and Celtic sounds of the Crimson Pirates and southeastern Connecticut’s Bards of Gungywamp. \nBecause performers vary by themed weekend\, it’s worth checking the schedule for the specific date you’re attending. \nSome of the Best Entertainment Is Strange\nRenaissance faires have always left room for acts that don’t fit neatly into a category. \nThat’s part of the fun. \nFor 2026\, Fly by Night joins the Connecticut Faire with a combination of comedy\, juggling\, whip cracking and sideshow skills. The duo of Steve King and Ryan Roberts has been performing since 1990 and appeared as semifinalists on the fourth season of America’s Got Talent. \nCircus Stella puts rescued dogs into a circus environment alongside Dextre Tripp\, mixing canine tricks with juggling\, ladder balancing\, rope walking and unicycling. \nElsewhere\, visitors can encounter puppetry\, dance\, storytelling\, magic and roaming performers without necessarily planning to see them. \nLeave some empty space in the schedule. \nAt a Renaissance faire\, getting distracted is part of the itinerary. \nGames and Rides Go Beyond the Stages\nThere’s plenty to do when you want to participate rather than watch. \nThe Faire’s games and activities include old-fashioned and Renaissance-inspired challenges\, physical games and human-powered attractions. \nSome activities carry an additional fee. \nYou’ll find opportunities to test skill and strength\, explore the Royal Maze and take part in attractions spread throughout the village. \nFor families with younger children\, this can provide a useful break between longer stage performances. \nFor adults\, it can become surprisingly competitive. \nEat the Turkey Leg\, But Don’t Stop There\nYes\, there are giant turkey legs. \nThe Faire’s Turkey Legs and More stand serves the oversized roasted festival staple along with turkey sundaes\, mac and cheese\, smoked chicken\, lemonade and fried dough. \nBut the food selection has grown far beyond the Renaissance-faire stereotype. \nThe 2026 Faire lists 37 food merchants and seven pubs and taverns\, with meals\, desserts\, snacks and beverages distributed throughout the grounds. \nThere are burgers and hot dogs\, chicken sandwiches\, baked goods\, fried seafood\, sweets and a broad assortment of festival food. \nThe Faire also identifies vendors offering vegetarian\, vegan\, gluten-free and dairy-free choices. \nEvery food merchant is required to offer at least one item priced at $7\, an attempt to keep at least one lower-priced choice available at each location. \nOutside snacks and nonalcoholic drinks are also permitted. \nYou Can Walk the Faire With a Drink\nThere are no isolated beer tents requiring guests to remain inside a designated drinking area. \nAdults can purchase alcoholic beverages from the Faire’s pubs and taverns and carry their drinks while exploring the grounds. \nValid identification is required for alcohol purchases. \nThat also makes the taverns part of the atmosphere rather than simply concession stands. \nFor visitors looking for something more structured\, the Faire offers two separate 21-and-over experiences. \nThe Pub Crawl Is a 90-Minute Quest\nThe Connecticut Renaissance Faire Pub Crawl isn’t simply four drink tickets stapled together. \nThe approximately 90-minute experience is hosted by Fae Frostwhiperer and takes a group of no more than 15 participants through four Faire taverns. \nThere are four alcoholic drinks along the way\, but participants also complete challenges\, play games\, sing\, chant and interact with their guide. \nOne stop at Shattered Shield includes Liar’s Dice\, a vegetable platter and an exclusive small-batch mead that isn’t sold from the tavern’s regular menu. \nAnother stop includes a Test of Strength at King’s Inn Crossing. \nPub Crawls depart twice each Faire day\, at 11 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. \nThe price is $75\, plus a processing fee when purchased online. Tickets can also be purchased at Shattered Shield without the online processing fee\, although each crawl is limited to 15 participants and can sell out. \nParticipants must be 21 or older with valid identification. \nRegular Faire admission is not included with the Pub Crawl. \nWhiskey Tastings Offer a Quieter Break\nFor adults who prefer sipping to crawling\, guided whiskey tastings offer a considerably calmer experience. \nThe approximately one-hour sessions explore a curated selection of whiskies\, with hosts discussing origins\, production methods\, flavor profiles and techniques for nosing and tasting. \nCharcuterie is served alongside the pours. \nThe experience is designed for both beginners and experienced whiskey drinkers\, and advance reservations are strongly recommended because seating is intentionally limited. \nParticipants must be 21 or older and bring valid government-issued photo identification. \nLike the Pub Crawl\, a whiskey tasting is an additional experience. Regular Connecticut Renaissance Faire admission must be purchased separately. \nShopping Is a Major Part of the Faire\nDon’t treat the merchant area as an afterthought. \nThe Faire says the 2026 season includes 213 artisans\, games and food vendors\, with 32 new shops joining the grounds this year. \nThe marketplace is where the fantasy world starts becoming something you can take home. \nDepending on the merchant\, visitors can find clothing\, leatherwork\, jewelry\, drinking vessels\, artwork\, fantasy accessories\, home décor and handcrafted goods. \nSome merchants make items that are specifically useful for people building Renaissance or fantasy costumes\, while others sell pieces that work perfectly well outside the Faire. \nFor someone arriving without a costume\, the marketplace also provides an easy way to gradually become more appropriately dressed as the day progresses. \nYou may enter in jeans. \nThere is no guarantee you will leave without a cloak. \n2026 Is a Significant Expansion Year\nThe Faire has added a substantial amount of new material for 2026. \nIts official count includes 11 new shows\, 32 new shops and seven new food offerings. \nAmong the new entertainment are the two jousting productions\, Fly by Night and Jesse Ofgang and the Diaspora. \nThe Faire is also introducing Merry Macabre\, a new themed weekend for October 24–25 that takes the season into darker territory just before Halloween. \nThat expansion matters even to people who have attended in previous years. \nThe basic formula remains recognizable\, but the Faire is deliberately designed so returning on another weekend doesn’t simply reproduce the same day. \nBringing Kids to the Connecticut Renaissance Faire\nChildren don’t have to understand Renaissance history to find things to do here. \nThere are family-oriented performances\, interactive games\, rides and characters throughout the village. \nOne particularly memorable experience is the Knighting Ceremony with the King and Queen\, where children can present themselves before King Basil and Queen Gwendolyn Genevieve and receive royal recognition before the parade. \nThere are also quests and interactive encounters with the Knights of Gore. \nThe Faire’s combination of structured shows and wandering characters means children can become involved in the fantasy rather than spending the entire day watching adults perform. \nYes\, You Can Bring Your Pet\nThe Connecticut Renaissance Faire has an unusually broad pet policy. \nWell-behaved dogs\, cats\, rabbits\, ferrets\, rats and lizards are permitted. \nPet admission is $5 per animal\, while service animals enter free. \nDogs and cats must have proof of current rabies vaccination. A veterinarian’s letter\, email or current rabies tag can serve as proof. \nPets must remain on a non-retractable leash no longer than six feet and owners are responsible for cleaning up after them. \nLivestock\, horses\, donkeys\, mules and other large animals aren’t permitted. \nThe Faire advises owners to bring food and water for their animals. Water bowls may be available from merchants\, but pet food isn’t sold on the grounds. \nPets are also permitted on the parking shuttles. \nParking Has Changed for 2026\nThis is one section worth reading before leaving home. \nThe Faire has a new parking system for 2026. \nVisitors who want to park directly at the Faire grounds at 122 Mack Road can purchase Premium Parking for $10 per vehicle. \nThere are only 525 Premium Parking spaces available each Faire day\, and they must be purchased online in advance for the specific date you’re attending. \nYou cannot purchase Premium Parking when you arrive at the lot. \nVIP admission includes Premium Parking. \nThere are also 125 free ADA parking spaces at the main Faire site for vehicles displaying a valid handicapped placard or plate. These spaces can’t be reserved and are available on a first-available basis. \nMotorcycles can park at the main site for free. \nFree Parking and Shuttles Are Available\nYou don’t have to pay to park. \nThe Faire operates free satellite parking with continuous shuttle service beginning at 9:30 a.m. \nOne free lot is located at 744 Trumbull Highway in Lebanon. \nAdditional parking is available at Lebanon Middle School\, 891 Exeter Road\, and Lyman Memorial High School\, 917 Exeter Road. \nThere is one important wrinkle with the school lots: the shuttles do not pick up directly at the schools. \nGuests parking at either school walk to the Mobil station located between the two schools\, which serves as the shuttle pickup and drop-off point. \nThe last shuttle leaves the Faire 30 minutes after closing. \nAnd don’t blindly follow your GPS. \nThe Faire specifically warns visitors not to use Barker Road\, which police close to through traffic on Faire weekends. \nWhere to Stay\nFor visitors coming from farther away\, the Faire maintains a list of nearby lodging options rather than operating an on-site campground. \nBecause the event runs for nine weekends\, staying overnight can also make sense for visitors who want to attend both Saturday and Sunday without making the drive twice. \nCheck lodging availability early for popular themed weekends\, particularly as the season moves toward October and foliage season in eastern Connecticut. \nWhat First-Time Visitors Should Know\nThe easiest mistake is approaching the Connecticut Renaissance Faire like an attraction where everything follows one obvious route. \nIt doesn’t. \nThere are performances happening simultaneously\, characters wandering the lanes\, merchants to explore\, food to try and activities that can consume far more time than expected. \nCheck the day’s performance schedule first and choose the handful of shows you really don’t want to miss. \nThen allow the rest of the day to happen around them. \nYou might stop for lunch and encounter a roaming performer. \nYou might head toward a stage and spend 30 minutes shopping instead. \nYou might intend to watch one song and stay for an entire set. \nThat’s not poor planning. \nThat’s pretty much how a Renaissance faire is supposed to work. \nConnecticut Renaissance Faire 2026 Details\nEvent: Connecticut Renaissance Faire\nSeason: August 29–October 25\, 2026\nRegular Days: Saturdays and Sundays\, plus Labor Day and Columbus Day\nHours: 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m.\nLocation: Lebanon Country Fairgrounds\nAddress: 122 Mack Road\, Lebanon\, CT 06249\nAdult General Admission: $18\nYouth Admission: $10\nChild Admission: Free\nEntertainment: More than 40 shows daily across 13 stages\nMarketplace: More than 200 artisans\, food vendors\, games and other merchants\nFood: 37 food merchants and seven pubs and taverns\nPremium On-Site Parking: $10\, advance date-specific purchase required\nFree Parking: Satellite lots with shuttle service\nPet Admission: $5; service animals free\nSame-Day Re-Entry: Permitted with handstamp\nOutside Food: Snacks and nonalcoholic drinks permitted \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n  \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/connecticut-renaissance-faire-2026-guide/2026-09-12/
LOCATION:Lebanon Fair Grounds\, 122 Mack Road\, Lebanon\, 06249\, United States
CATEGORIES:Lebanon Fairgrounds
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Connecticut-Renaissance-Faire-2026-Guide.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T140000
DTSTAMP:20260915T022654Z
CREATED:20260907T030609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T022654Z
UID:10007492-1789209000-1789221600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Groton City Brew Run & Food Trucks
DESCRIPTION:Groton City Brew Run returns to Eastern Point Beach on Saturday\, September 12\, combining a waterfront 5K run and walk with a post-race beer garden\, live music\, food trucks\, and craft beverages from breweries and producers across Southern New England. \nNow in its sixth year\, the event begins with a free kids run at 10:30 a.m.\, followed by the 5K run and walk at 11 a.m. The Brew Garden opens at 11:30 a.m. and continues until 2 p.m.\, with Acoustic Marshpit returning to provide live music. \nThe 2026 Brew Run benefits The Riverfront Children’s Center and is hosted by the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce\, Groton Utilities and Kelley’s Pace. \nFrom a Local 5K to a Groton Tradition\nThe Groton City Brew Run began in 2021 with a fairly simple combination: go for a run and have a beer afterward. \nSix years later\, the event has grown into one of the City of Groton’s signature late-summer gatherings. \nNearly 600 people participated in 2025\, according to the City of Groton\, marking the first time the event surpassed 500 runners and walkers. \nThe location is a significant part of its appeal. \nThe race starts and finishes at Eastern Point Beach\, where the Thames River meets Long Island Sound. With Shore Avenue reopened following two years of construction\, organizers say the 2026 course returns to a scenic finish with water views. \nRunners and walkers share a single mass start at 11 a.m. \nYou Don’t Have to Run to Join the Brewfest\nDespite the name\, the Groton City Brew Run isn’t limited to runners. \nParticipants can register for the 5K run or walk\, combine the race with admission to the Brew Garden\, or skip the race entirely and purchase Brew Garden admission. \nThe post-race festivities begin at 11:30 a.m.\, when Eastern Point Beach shifts from race course to beer festival. \nThe current 2026 lineup includes 18 breweries\, distilleries and beverage producers\, bringing together a particularly strong collection of Connecticut and Rhode Island names. \nBeer’d Brewing Company\, which operates The Silo in Groton and The Mill in Stonington\, is among the participating breweries. Groton’s Outer Light Brewing Company is also represented. \nThe larger lineup includes Athletic Brewing Company\, B-Sharp Brewing\, Barn Brew Co.\, Back East Brewing\, BAD SONS Brewing\, Creature Brewing Company\, Grey Sail Brewing\, Levine Distributing\, Litchfield Distillery\, Owl’s Brew\, Schooner’s Beverages\, Tapped Apple\, These Guys Brewing\, Two Roads Brewing\, Waypoint Spirits and Whalers Brewing Company. \nThat mix means the Brew Garden extends beyond conventional craft beer\, with spirits and other beverages represented alongside the breweries. \nBrew Garden admission is restricted to guests 21 and older. \nAcoustic Marshpit Returns to the Beach\nThe music portion of the afternoon belongs to Acoustic Marshpit\, returning after previously performing at the Brew Run two years ago. \nThe acoustic act provides the soundtrack once the race gives way to the post-run celebration\, with music continuing alongside the Brew Garden and food trucks. \nThe City of Groton specifically cited the group’s previous Brew Run appearance in announcing its return for 2026\, describing a performance that kept the post-race party moving. \nRather than treating the music as a separate concert\, the Brew Run builds it into the larger beach gathering. Runners can finish their 5K\, grab something to eat and spend the remainder of the afternoon at Eastern Point Beach without needing to head elsewhere. \nA Free Race for Younger Runners\nBefore the main field takes off\, younger runners get a race of their own. \nThe Kids Run begins at 10:30 a.m. and is free for children age 10 and younger. \nPre-registration is required even though there is no entry fee. \nThe Kids Run\, food and live music also give families something to do beyond the adult Brew Garden\, making the larger event more than a beer festival attached to a road race. \nSupporting The Riverfront Children’s Center\nThis year’s Brew Run benefits The Riverfront Children’s Center\, adding a community fundraising component to the event. \nThe Groton nonprofit has served children and families in southeastern Connecticut for decades\, providing early childhood education and care with an emphasis on making quality programs available to families across different income levels. \nThat mission fits an event designed to bring together runners\, walkers\, families\, local businesses and breweries from throughout the region. \nRace Registration and Brew Garden Tickets\nSeveral registration options are available depending on how much of the day visitors want to participate in. \nAs of the current registration period\, the 5K run or walk is $37\, while the combined 5K and Brew Garden package is $49. Brew Garden admission without participating in the race is $39. \nThe Kids Run remains free. \nRace-day packet pickup runs from 8:30 to 10:45 a.m. \nParticipants can also avoid the race-morning pickup line by collecting their bib and shirt in advance at the City of Groton Municipal Building\, 295 Meridian Street. Early packet pickup is scheduled for Thursday\, September 10\, and Friday\, September 11\, from 3 to 7 p.m. \nTech shirts are available to registered 5K runners and walkers while supplies last. \nAn End-of-Summer Party at Eastern Point\nThe combination is an unusual one\, but after six years it has become the identity of the event. \nThe morning starts with running shoes and a starting line. A half-hour after the 5K begins\, taps start pouring\, food trucks are serving and live music takes over the beach. \nPeople who have no interest in running can simply come for the Brew Garden. Families can bring younger children for their own race. Serious runners can treat it as a competitive 5K. \nIn 2025\, William Sanders won the overall race in 15:58\, while Shelly Rivera was the women’s winner in 20:31. \nFor everyone else\, there’s beer waiting at the finish. \nEvent Details\nEvent: 6th Annual Groton City Brew Run\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nLocation: Eastern Point Beach\nAddress: 1 Beach Pond Road\, Groton\, CT 06340\nKids Run: 10:30 a.m.\n5K Run & Walk: 11 a.m.\nBrew Garden\, Music & Food Trucks: 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.\nLive Music: Acoustic Marshpit\n5K Run/Walk: $37\n5K + Brew Garden: $49\nBrew Garden Only: $39\nKids Run: Free; pre-registration required\nBrew Garden Age: 21+\nBeneficiary: The Riverfront Children’s Center\nHosts: Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce\, Groton Utilities and Kelley’s Pace\nRace-Day Packet Pickup: 8:30–10:45 a.m. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo register\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/groton-city-brew-run/
LOCATION:Zbierski House\, Eastern Point Beach\, 1 Beach Pond Road\, Groton\, 06340\, United States
CATEGORIES:Zbierski House
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Groton-City-Brew-Run.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T220000
DTSTAMP:20260911T013455Z
CREATED:20260907T164234Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260911T013455Z
UID:10007503-1789207200-1789250400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:TreeTrails Adventures Rosh Hashanah Weekend Celebration
DESCRIPTION:TreeTrails Adventures Rosh Hashanah Weekend Celebration offers three days of climbing\, ziplining\, grilling\, and time with family and friends in Mystic from Friday\, September 11 through Sunday\, September 13. The special weekend coincides with the beginning of Rosh Hashanah and the Hebrew calendar year\, giving families an unconventional outdoor option for spending part of the holiday together. \nTreeTrails is setting aside space for families and groups to gather and grill between adventures in the trees. Groups of 10 or more can also receive special rates by booking in advance. \nThe celebration begins Friday at 4 p.m. and continues until 10 p.m. Saturday’s hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.\, followed by a final day Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. \nCelebrate the Jewish New Year Outdoors\nRosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Friday\, September 11\, 2026\, and continues through nightfall on Sunday\, September 13\, putting the TreeTrails weekend directly alongside this year’s holiday. \nRosh Hashanah means “head of the year” in Hebrew and marks the beginning of the Jewish calendar year. It opens the High Holy Days\, a period that culminates with Yom Kippur. \nTraditional observances include synagogue services and the sounding of the shofar\, along with festive meals shared with family and friends. Apples dipped in honey are among the holiday’s most familiar traditions\, symbolizing hopes for a sweet year ahead. \nTreeTrails isn’t presenting the weekend as a religious service or organized observance. Instead\, the park is offering its outdoor space as a place where families and friends can gather during the holiday weekend\, bring food\, grill and spend time together while taking advantage of the park’s regular aerial adventures. \nClimb and Zip Through the Mystic Woods\nTreeTrails Adventures Mystic is an aerial adventure park spread across roughly nine wooded acres a few minutes from downtown Mystic. \nIts Main Park is designed for climbers ages 7 through adult\, with five aerial trails that increase in difficulty from beginner through expert. \nThe courses combine approximately 70 challenges constructed from wood\, rope and cable\, including suspended bridges\, ladders\, balancing obstacles and other elements connecting platforms throughout the woods. \nThen there are the zip lines. Eighteen of them are incorporated into the Main Park trails. \nThe easiest courses remain roughly 12 feet above the ground\, while the most challenging sections can take climbers as high as 55 feet into the trees. Trails are color-coded by difficulty\, beginning with Yellow courses and progressing through Green\, Blue and Black. \nFirst-time visitors don’t simply get clipped into a harness and sent 50 feet into the air. Every participant receives equipment and safety instruction followed by time on a practice course. First-time guests begin on a Yellow or Green trail before moving on to more difficult challenges. \nThe experience is largely self-guided after that. Climbers can choose trails based on their comfort and ability rather than following everyone through one predetermined course. \nKidTrails Gives Younger Children Their Own Adventure\nChildren don’t have to wait until they’re big enough for the Main Park. \nKidTrails is a separate aerial adventure area designed specifically for ages 4 to 7. Instead of simply putting small children onto adult-sized obstacles\, TreeTrails scales the experience down for younger climbers. \nIts two trails contain 24 challenges\, including bridges and other aerial obstacles similar in concept to those found in the Main Park. They’re positioned only a few feet above the ground\, allowing a parent or guardian to walk alongside while the child navigates the course. \nAdult supervision is required in KidTrails\, with one adult permitted to supervise up to two children. \nThat separation gives families with children of different ages options during the Rosh Hashanah weekend rather than limiting the climbing experience to older kids and adults. \nSeptember Nights Bring Glow in the Park\nFriday and Saturday have another wrinkle once daylight begins disappearing. \nTreeTrails continues its Glow in the Park nighttime climbing program on Thursdays\, Fridays and Saturdays throughout September. \nAs darkness settles into the woods\, colorful lights illuminate the aerial park while music plays below. Climbers receive glow accessories to wear as they move through the courses\, turning the same bridges\, obstacles and zip lines into a different experience after sunset. \nBoth the Main Park and KidTrails participate in Glow in the Park\, so the nighttime experience isn’t limited to older climbers. \nAdvance reservations are particularly worthwhile for nighttime climbs because Glow in the Park is one of TreeTrails’ more popular programs. Glow tickets for the Main Park start at $66 when purchased in advance. \nThe most difficult trails begin closing 45 minutes before the park itself closes\, allowing climbers already in the trees enough time to finish their courses. \nBring Food\, Grill and Gather Between Climbs\nThe Rosh Hashanah weekend puts additional emphasis on gathering rather than simply arriving\, climbing and heading home. \nTreeTrails says it has ample space available for families and friends to grill and spend time together at the park. Guests can bring their own food\, making it possible to turn a climbing reservation into a longer family outing or holiday get-together. \nSnacks and nonalcoholic drinks are also available for purchase at the park. \nOutside alcoholic beverages aren’t permitted. \nFamilies planning a larger Rosh Hashanah gathering have another option. TreeTrails offers special pricing for groups of 10 or more\, although those arrangements should be made with the group sales team in advance rather than waiting until arrival. \nWhat to Know Before You Climb\nTreeTrails recommends making reservations in advance\, particularly for popular nighttime sessions. Walk-ins are accepted when space is available\, but same-day admission costs more and visitors may have to wait for an available climbing time. \nClimbers should arrive about 15 minutes before their reservation to check in and prepare for the adventure. TreeTrails suggests allowing roughly three hours for the overall visit\, including check-in\, harnessing\, the safety briefing and approximately two hours of climbing. \nClosed-toe\, fully enclosed shoes are required. Sneakers or hiking shoes are good choices; sandals\, flip-flops and Crocs aren’t permitted on the courses. Long hair must be tied back\, and loose clothing or objects that could become caught in ropes or cables should be secured. \nMain Park climbers must weigh more than 45 pounds and less than 265 pounds and meet a minimum reach requirement of 65 inches. Age restrictions also apply to some of the more difficult trails. \nWeather can affect operations. TreeTrails may evacuate the aerial courses during unsafe conditions such as lightning or high winds. When weather forces the park to stop climbing\, guests may be offered a rain check or an opportunity to reschedule. \nA Different Kind of Rosh Hashanah Gathering\nThe weekend isn’t intended to replace the religious traditions of Rosh Hashanah. There’s no announced worship service\, shofar ceremony or formal holiday program at TreeTrails. \nWhat the park is providing is the setting. \nFamilies can bring food\, gather around a grill\, spend an afternoon together and\, for those who want the adventure\, climb into the canopy and zip between the trees. \nWith the celebration running throughout all three days of Rosh Hashanah weekend\, families can choose the part of the holiday that fits their own plans rather than attending at a single scheduled time. \nDetails\nEvent: TreeTrails Adventures Rosh Hashanah Weekend Celebration\nDates: Friday\, September 11–Sunday\, September 13\, 2026\nFriday Hours: 4–10 p.m.\nSaturday Hours: 10 a.m.–10 p.m.\nSunday Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.\nLocation: TreeTrails Adventures Mystic\nAddress: 715 Noank Ledyard Road\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nMain Park: Ages 7 through adult\nKidTrails: Ages 4–7\nMain Park Advance Admission: $69\nKidTrails Advance Admission: $23\nGlow in the Park: Available Friday and Saturday nights; Main Park advance tickets start at $66\nGroup Rates: Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more; advance arrangements are required\nFood: Guests may bring their own food; snacks and drinks are available for purchase\nGrilling: Space is available for grilling and family gatherings\nAlcohol: Outside alcoholic beverages are prohibited\nReservations: Advance reservations are strongly recommended; walk-ins are accepted subject to availability at higher same-day prices\nClimbing Time: Approximately two hours; TreeTrails recommends allowing about three hours for the complete experience\nArrival: Approximately 15 minutes before the reserved climbing time\nFootwear: Fully enclosed\, closed-toe shoes required; Crocs\, sandals and flip-flops are not permitted\nMain Park Weight Requirement: More than 45 pounds and less than 265 pounds\nWeather: Courses may close during lightning\, high winds or other unsafe conditions\nGroup Reservations: 570-534-7515\nGeneral Information: 860-980-3874 \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/treetrails-adventures-rosh-hashanah-weekend-celebration/2026-09-12/
LOCATION:CT
CATEGORIES:TreeTrails Adventures
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/TreeTrails-Adventures-Rosh-Hashanah-Weekend-Celebration.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T220000
DTSTAMP:20260910T180326Z
CREATED:20260817T041105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T180326Z
UID:10007210-1789207200-1789250400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival 2026 Guide
DESCRIPTION:Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival 2026 Guide brings two days of ships\, Coast Guard demonstrations\, living history\, family activities\, music and maritime traditions to New London on Saturday and Sunday\, September 12 and 13. \nSpread between New London Waterfront Park and Fort Trumbull State Park\, the festival turns much of the city’s waterfront into a celebration of Connecticut’s relationship with the sea. Visitors can tour military and historic vessels\, watch Coast Guard crews in action\, explore living-history encampments\, hear live music and take part in activities for children. \nThis year’s festival also arrives during a significant anniversary year for New London. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is celebrating its 150th anniversary\, and several festival events recognize the milestone\, including the release of a commemorative U.S. Postal Service stamp. \nThen Saturday night takes a decidedly different turn. \nA procession through downtown New London culminates in the traditional Burning of Benedict Arnold\, followed shortly afterward by a 300-drone light show over the Thames River. \nAdmission to the festival is free\, and free water taxis and shuttle buses will connect its two main locations throughout the weekend. \nTwo Festival Locations\, One Waterfront Celebration\nThe festival takes place simultaneously at New London Waterfront Park and Fort Trumbull State Park. \nDon’t worry about choosing one. \nVisitors can park near either location and use the festival’s free Thames River Heritage Park water taxi or shuttle buses to travel between them. That makes it possible to tour vessels downtown\, catch activities at Fort Trumbull and return to Waterfront Park without repeatedly moving your car. \nMost weekend activities run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday\, although several special events take place outside those hours. \nShips and Vessels You Can Explore\nOne of the festival’s biggest attractions is the opportunity to get close to working military vessels\, historic ships and maritime training vessels. \nUSCGC Eagle\nThe unmistakable USCGC Eagle is scheduled to be part of the festival. \nThe 295-foot\, three-masted barque serves as the Coast Guard’s sail-training ship\, giving Coast Guard Academy cadets practical experience at sea. Originally built in Germany as Horst Wessel\, Eagle was taken by the United States as a war reparation following World War II. \nToday\, the tall ship is one of only two active commissioned sailing vessels in the U.S. military\, alongside USS Constitution. \nAmistad\nThe schooner Amistad recreates the type of Baltimore Clipper believed to resemble La Amistad\, the vessel at the center of the historic 1839 revolt by enslaved Africans. \nThe modern ship was created as a floating classroom\, using the story of the Amistad uprising and its connection to Connecticut to teach history while traveling from port to port. \nDenis Sullivan\nThe three-masted Denis Sullivan is a wooden schooner modeled after the Great Lakes sailing vessels of the 19th century. \nOriginally based in Milwaukee\, the vessel offers visitors another opportunity to experience traditional sailing ship design up close. \nT/V Shuman\nThe 65-foot Training Vessel Shuman gives U.S. Coast Guard Academy cadets hands-on experience with navigation\, ship handling and seamanship. \nOriginally constructed as a survey vessel for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers\, it now serves as a working classroom on the Thames River. \nCoast Guard Response Boats\nVisitors will also be able to see some considerably faster Coast Guard equipment. \nStation New London’s 45-foot Response Boat-Medium can exceed 40 knots and operates in seas up to 12 feet. It is used for missions including search and rescue\, maritime security and law enforcement. \nThe smaller 29-foot Response Boat-Small II can reach more than 45 knots and is designed for fast response in coastal and shallow-water environments. \nNaval Submarine Base Harbor Security Boats\nThe Navy will also be represented by Naval Submarine Base New London’s Harbor Security Boats. \nThe 27-foot vessels patrol waters surrounding the submarine base. Powered by twin outboards producing a combined 450 horsepower\, they can reach approximately 40 knots. \nKings Point\nBuilt in 2014\, Kings Point is a 3\,000-horsepower twin-screw tug constructed by Chesapeake Shipbuilding for the Vane Brothers Company. \nEnviro-Lab II / Project Oceanology\nGroton-based Project Oceanology brings marine science into the mix aboard Enviro-Lab II. \nProject O introduces thousands of students and adults each year to marine science through hands-on exploration of the ocean and Long Island Sound. \nSaturday: Coast Guard Action\, Music and a Big Night on the Waterfront\nSaturday begins with the festival’s Opening Ceremony at 10 a.m. \nThroughout the day\, visitors can explore vendors\, tour vessels and visit the Project Oceanology touch tank. \nFamilies have several activities of their own\, including free face painting\, costume making and a children’s walking parade featuring mermaids and privateers. \nAt noon\, Steve Elci joins the Little Mermaid and the Wayfinder for a children’s sing-along. \nThings get considerably louder at 1:30 p.m. \nCoast Guard Search and Rescue Demonstration\nA U.S. Coast Guard MH-60T helicopter is scheduled to conduct a search-and-rescue demonstration. \nThese aircraft operate from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod and are used throughout New England for search and rescue\, maritime law enforcement\, environmental protection and homeland security missions. \nSeeing one operate over New London’s harbor should be one of the weekend’s standout demonstrations. \nTactical Boat Operations\nAlso beginning at 1:30 p.m.\, crews from U.S. Coast Guard Station New London will demonstrate tactical boat maneuvers during a simulated security-zone intrusion. \nThe demonstration recreates techniques Coast Guard crews use to protect ports and critical infrastructure and intercept vessels that don’t comply with security orders. \nThe commanding officer of Station New London will narrate the demonstration. \nSaturday Night: Benedict Arnold Burns Again\nOne of New London’s strangest and most enduring traditions returns Saturday evening. \nAt 7:30 p.m.\, the March of the Traitor begins its procession along Bank Street toward Waterfront Park. \nThe event commemorates Benedict Arnold’s infamous September 1781 attack on New London and Groton after the Connecticut-born Revolutionary War general defected to the British. \nFlock Theatre brings the history to life with period costumes\, music\, fifes and drums before the procession reaches the waterfront. \nAt approximately 8 p.m.\, an effigy of Benedict Arnold is burned. \nVisitors are encouraged to join the procession\, and period clothing is welcome. \nThen Look Up: 300 Drones Over the Thames\nDon’t leave after Benedict Arnold meets his fiery fate. \nAt approximately 8:15 p.m. Saturday\, a fleet of 300 synchronized drones is scheduled to take to the sky over the New London waterfront. \nThe drones will create illuminated shapes and images above the Thames River through choreographed formations accompanied by music. \nThe show can be viewed from the New London waterfront. \nPersonal drones are prohibited during the festival. \nSunday: Fishing\, Maritime Skills and More Music\nSunday begins another full day of free vessel tours\, vendors\, authors and the Project Oceanology touch tank from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. \nAt 11 a.m.\, Submarine Veterans will conduct a Tolling of the Boats\, a remembrance ceremony honoring submarines and submariners lost at sea. \nFamilies can also head to Fort Trumbull for Breezeline’s Reel Time with Kids Fishing Clinic from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. \nChildren can learn casting\, reeling and fishing safety in a hands-on setting. No registration is required\, equipment is provided\, and participating children can receive a free fishing pole while supplies last. \nNavy vs. Coast Guard: Sea-Service Showdown\nAt noon Sunday\, attention shifts to Waterfront Park for a little interservice rivalry. \nThe Sea-Service Showdown Maritime Skills Challenge pits Navy and Coast Guard participants against each other in a friendly competition involving maritime skills\, strength and teamwork. \nThe competition runs from noon to 2 p.m. \nCome prepared to pick a side. \nSunday’s festival concludes with reggae from Tambulaytay\, performing from 2 to 5 p.m. \nLiving History at Fort Trumbull\nFort Trumbull provides an appropriate backdrop for another part of the weekend. \nAmerican and British colonial reenactors will establish 18th-century encampments Saturday and Sunday\, complete with canvas tents\, camp kitchens and open fires. \nVisitors can walk through the camps\, speak with reenactors and see demonstrations of marching formations\, military drills and everyday life during the Revolutionary era. \nIt adds something the ship tours can’t: instead of simply looking at Connecticut’s maritime past\, you can walk through a piece of it. \nU.S. Coast Guard Academy 150th Anniversary Stamp\nThe U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s 150th anniversary will also be commemorated during the festival with a special U.S. Postal Service stamp presentation and availability. \nThe stamp recognizes the Academy’s history in New London and features Coast Guard imagery\, including Eagle. \nThe commemorative stamp will be available during festival hours Saturday and Sunday. \nFriday Prelude: Pirates and The Guardian\nAlthough the main festival takes place Saturday and Sunday\, activities begin Friday\, September 11. \nAt 8:30 a.m.\, New London will hold a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. \nAt 5 p.m.\, the New London Privateers & Buccaneers take over City Pier with a celebration of pirate lore\, including a pirate-map scavenger hunt and an adult costume contest. \nAt 7 p.m.\, the Garde Arts Center presents The Guardian\, the 2006 Coast Guard rescue-swimmer drama starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher. \nSaturday Schedule\n10 a.m. — Opening Ceremony\n10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Vendors\, Free Boat Tours and Project O Touch Tank\n10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Free Face Painting\n10–11:30 a.m. — Make a Free Parade Costume\n10 a.m.–5 p.m. — U.S. Coast Guard Academy 150th Anniversary Stamp\n11:30 a.m. — Mermaid & Privateer Children’s Walking Parade\nNoon–1 p.m. — Kids’ Sing-Along with Steve Elci\, Little Mermaid and The Wayfinder\n1:30 p.m. — U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Helicopter Demonstration\n1:30 p.m. — USCG Tactical Boat Operations Demonstration\n2 p.m. – 7 p..m. –  Songs of the Sea 2026 at Parade Plaza\n2 p.m. — Community Drum Circle\n3 p.m. — Red Lion\n6 p.m. — Mass Conn Fusion\n7 p.m. – Post Songs of the Sea Shanty Pub Sing at the Oasis\n7:30 p.m. — March of the Traitor: Benedict Arnold Procession\n8–8:15 p.m. — Burning of Benedict Arnold\nApproximately 8:15 p.m. — 300-Drone Light Show \nSunday Schedule\n10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Vendors\, Authors\, Free Boat Tours and Project O Touch Tank\n10 a.m.–5 p.m. — U.S. Coast Guard Academy 150th Anniversary Stamp\n11 a.m. — Sub Vets Tolling of the Boats\n11 a.m.–2 p.m. — Breezeline’s Reel Time with Kids Fishing Clinic at Fort Trumbull\nNoon–2 p.m. — Sea-Service Showdown Maritime Skills Challenge at Waterfront Park\n2–5 p.m. — Tambulaytay \nGetting Around the Festival\nThis is worth explaining prominently because the festival is essentially one event with two campuses. \nFree transportation connects Waterfront Park and Fort Trumbull throughout the weekend. \nVisitors can ride the Thames River Heritage Park water taxi between locations or use the festival’s free shuttle buses. \nThat means there’s little reason to drive back and forth. Park once\, then use the boats and buses. \nWhere to Park\nFor Waterfront Park\, visitors have several options. \nWaterfront metered lot:\n13 Tilley Street\nNew London\, CT \nWater Street parking garage:\n160 Water Street\nNew London\, CT \nOn-street parking is also available in downtown New London. \nFor Fort Trumbull State Park: \n90 Walbach Street\nNew London\, CT \nStreet parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood. The Fort Trumbull parking lot itself is reserved for handicapped parking during the festival. \nComing by Train or Ferry\nThis is one of those rare regional festivals where leaving the car home is genuinely practical. \nNew London Union Station\, at 27 Water Street\, is within walking distance of Waterfront Park and is served by Amtrak. \nVisitors can also arrive in New London aboard Cross Sound Ferry from Long Island\, Block Island Ferry or Fishers Island Ferry. The ferry terminals are within walking distance of the festival. \nPrivate boaters can reserve overnight dockage or moorings at New London Waterfront Park. \nEvent Details\nConnecticut Maritime Heritage Festival 2026 \nDates: Saturday\, September 12 & Sunday\, September 13\, 2026\nMain Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.\nLocations: New London Waterfront Park and Fort Trumbull State Park\nWaterfront Park: 2 State Street\, New London\, CT\nFort Trumbull: 90 Walbach Street\, New London\, CT\nAdmission: Free\nTransportation Between Venues: Free water taxi and shuttle bus \nMore information\, schedule updates and vessel information are available at the Event Website link below.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/connecticut-maritime-heritage-festival-2026-guide/2026-09-12/
LOCATION:CT
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T213000
DTSTAMP:20260910T173727Z
CREATED:20260910T173727Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T173727Z
UID:10007541-1789207200-1789248600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Three Special Thames River Cruises
DESCRIPTION:Three Special Thames River Cruises give Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival visitors three very different ways to experience New London and Groton from the water September 12 and 13\, from free transportation between festival sites to narrated history cruises and a Saturday night trip beneath a 300-drone light show. \nThames River Heritage Park is expanding its normal role during festival weekend with free Hop On\, Hop Off Harbor Cruises Saturday and Sunday\, four free 45-minute historic boat tours Sunday\, and a special Saturday night Drone Show Cruise that heads downriver toward New London Ledge Light before returning to the harbor for the festival’s nighttime spectacle. \nTogether\, the trips also demonstrate what makes Thames River Heritage Park a little unusual. \nIt isn’t one park. \nIt’s a network of historic and cultural sites spread along both shores of the Thames River\, with the river itself serving as the connection between them. \nAnd for one weekend\, much of that connection is free. \n1. Ride the Thames for Free All Weekend\nThe most useful cruise of the weekend may also be the simplest. \nThames River Heritage Park’s Hop On\, Hop Off Harbor Cruise will be completely free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday\, with the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival sponsoring the service. \nNormally\, an adult Harbor Cruise ticket costs $15. \nDuring the festival\, visitors can simply use the boats to move among three major locations: \nFort Trumbull State Park in New London \nCity Pier in downtown New London \nThames River Landing in Groton \nThere is an important change from the Heritage Park’s regular summer schedule. \nDuring festival weekend\, there will be no fixed departure or arrival times. The boats will travel continuously among the three landings\, and boarding will be first-come\, first-served. \nThat makes the service part transportation and part attraction. \nSomeone attending the festival at Fort Trumbull can board a boat\, cross the harbor to Groton\, get off to explore and later catch another boat back to downtown New London. \nOr visitors can simply stay aboard and see the harbor from the water. \nThe Boats Have a Navy History of Their Own\nEven the vessels carrying festival visitors are pieces of maritime history. \nThames River Heritage Park operates refurbished former U.S. Navy liberty boats. \nUtility boats like these weren’t designed as sightseeing vessels. They transported sailors between larger Navy ships and shore\, including taking crews ashore for “liberty\,” the Navy term for authorized time away from a ship. \nOne of the Heritage Park boats was assigned to the USS La Salle\, which served as flagship for Commander Middle East Force beginning in 1988. \nAnother was assigned to the USS Hunley\, a submarine tender that supported the Navy’s Polaris ballistic-missile submarine fleet. \nNow\, instead of carrying sailors ashore\, the old Navy boats carry visitors through the same harbor that remains home to one of America’s most important naval communities. \nIt’s particularly fitting in 2026. \nThe United States is celebrating the Navy’s 250th anniversary\, while the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London is celebrating its 150th. \nA River Where American Naval History Is Still Happening\nThe scenery from the boat isn’t simply historic. \nThe Thames remains a working military and commercial river. \nThe U.S. Coast Guard Academy occupies the New London shoreline farther upriver. \nAcross the Thames in Groton is Naval Submarine Base New London\, the Navy’s primary East Coast submarine base and a place so closely associated with undersea warfare that Groton calls itself the Submarine Capital of the World. \nNearby is the historic USS Nautilus\, the world’s first operational nuclear-powered submarine. \nDownriver\, Fort Trumbull stands near the entrance to New London Harbor\, while ferries\, fishing boats\, recreational craft\, commercial traffic and military vessels continue using the water around it. \nBut the history stretches much farther back. \nNew London became one of America’s major whaling ports during the 19th century. \nThe river witnessed colonial trade\, privateering and the American Revolution. \nIndigenous people had lived along and traveled these waters for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. \nThe Heritage Park’s weekend cruises approach those overlapping histories in very different ways. \n2. Sunday Brings Four Free 45-Minute History Cruises\nSunday offers the best deal for visitors who want more than transportation. \nThames River Heritage Park will operate four free narrated historic boat tours from City Pier in New London. \nThese aren’t the regular Hop On\, Hop Off rides. \nEach is a 45-minute mini-tour led by a Heritage Park docent\, concentrating on a particular part of the region’s history. \nNormally\, Thames River Heritage Park’s full historic boat tours cost $35 for adults. \nThe four festival mini-tours are free\, sponsored by the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\, and available first-come\, first-served. \nTwo different subjects alternate throughout the afternoon. \n11 a.m. — Black Heritage Along the Thames: The Half That’s Never Been Told\nThe first departure introduces stories that were often missing from traditional accounts of New London’s history. \nBlack Heritage Along the Thames: The Half That’s Never Been Told draws from Thames River Heritage Park’s larger tour of the same name\, which explores approximately 400 years of local history through the experiences and contributions of the region’s Black community. \nThat history begins long before the Civil War. \nSlavery existed in colonial Connecticut. \nEnslaved people lived and worked in New London and Groton\, including within households whose surviving homes and documents are now used to interpret colonial life. \nBlack sailors worked from New London’s waterfront. \nThe city’s history intersects with abolition\, education\, military service and the long struggle for civil rights. \nAnd one of the most consequential events in American history arrived in New London Harbor aboard a ship in 1839. \nThe schooner La Amistad was seized off Long Island after captive Africans aboard the vessel revolted against the men illegally transporting them into slavery. \nThe ship was brought to New London. \nThe legal battle that followed eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court\, where former President John Quincy Adams helped argue the Africans’ case. \nThe Court ruled in their favor in 1841. \nIt is one of the most internationally significant stories connected to the New London waterfront\, but it is only one part of the Black history preserved along the Thames. \nDeparture: Sunday at 11 a.m. from City Pier \nNoon — The Mashantucket Pequot’s Story\nAt noon\, the perspective shifts much farther back. \nThe Mashantucket Pequot’s Story focuses on the Indigenous history of the region and the people who lived here long before New London or Groton existed. \nThe Pequot homeland historically encompassed portions of southeastern Connecticut. \nThe waterways of the region weren’t barriers separating communities. They were transportation corridors and sources of food\, trade and communication. \nThen European colonization transformed the landscape. \nTensions over land\, trade and political power culminated in the Pequot War of 1636–1637\, one of the defining conflicts of early colonial New England. \nThe war devastated the Pequot population\, but it did not eliminate the Pequot people. \nThat distinction matters. \nFor generations\, popular histories often treated Native nations as if they disappeared when a particular colonial-era chapter ended. \nThe Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is very much a living community today\, headquartered just a few miles from the Thames River. \nThe tour offers a chance to look at familiar southeastern Connecticut shoreline through a story that began thousands of years before the forts\, submarines and whaling ships. \nDeparture: Sunday at noon from City Pier \n1 p.m. — Black Heritage Along the Thames\nThe Black heritage mini-tour receives a second departure at 1 p.m. \nThat gives visitors who spend the morning elsewhere at the festival another opportunity to take the 45-minute narrated cruise. \nDeparture: Sunday at 1 p.m. from City Pier \n2 p.m. — The Mashantucket Pequot’s Story\nThe final free history cruise of the weekend repeats the Mashantucket Pequot program at 2 p.m. \nAll four tours depart from City Pier in downtown New London\, not from the other Hop On\, Hop Off landings. \nAnd because they’re free and first-come\, first-served\, arriving early makes sense. \nDeparture: Sunday at 2 p.m. from City Pier \n3. Saturday Night Goes From History to 300 Drones\nSaturday’s third special cruise is completely different. \nAfter the daytime festival winds down and the sun disappears\, Thames River Heritage Park heads back onto the water for its Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival Drone Show Cruise. \nThe evening begins with a trip down the Thames River. \nWeather and marine traffic permitting\, the boat will continue beyond New London Harbor toward New London Ledge Light\, the distinctive lighthouse sitting near the mouth of the Thames. \nThen it turns around. \nThe boat returns to position itself for a front-row view of the festival’s 300-drone light show over the New London waterfront. \nInstead of watching from the shore\, passengers watch from the water beneath the display. \nNew London Ledge Light Is Worth the Trip by Itself\nEven before the drones appear\, the cruise has an unusual destination. \nNew London Ledge Light stands at the entrance to the Thames River\, where New London Harbor opens toward Long Island Sound. \nCompleted in 1909\, it doesn’t resemble the stereotypical round New England lighthouse. \nInstead\, the three-story brick building looks almost like a substantial waterfront home that somebody inexplicably placed in the middle of the water and then put a lantern on top. \nLocal tradition has also supplied the lighthouse with its own ghost. \nFor decades\, stories have circulated about “Ernie\,” the supposed spirit of an early keeper said to haunt the lighthouse. \nThe legend has become part of Ledge Light’s identity\, although the more elaborate details attached to Ernie are folklore rather than established history. \nFrom the Drone Show Cruise\, passengers get a nighttime maritime trip toward one of the region’s most recognizable navigational landmarks before returning to the festival. \nThen 300 Drones Take Over the Sky\nThe show waiting back in New London Harbor is part of the America’s Navy 250 Celebration. \nThree hundred illuminated drones will fly coordinated patterns over the waterfront\, synchronized with music. \nThe planned display celebrates 250 years of the United States Navy\, using the drones to form patriotic imagery and naval symbols above the harbor. \nIt’s a striking place to do it. \nNew London’s relationship with the Navy stretches back to the Revolutionary era\, while the Groton side of the Thames became one of the most important submarine-building and submarine-operating centers in the world. \nFrom the cruise boat\, passengers will be watching a 21st-century aerial light show about American naval history while floating in the middle of a river where much of that history actually happened. \nOne Timing Detail Is Worth Watching\nThames River Heritage Park currently has two slightly different departure times published for the Drone Show Cruise. \nThe dedicated festival-weekend schedule lists departure at 7:55 p.m. \nA more recent Heritage Park event announcement lists 7:45 p.m. \nBecause this is a ticketed trip and the difference could result in someone literally missing the boat\, passengers should use the departure time shown on their ticket confirmation and verify it with Thames River Heritage Park before Saturday. \nThe Heritage Park also notes that only a small number of seats remained when it published its latest festival information. \nPassengers may bring snacks and drinks aboard\, but glass is prohibited\, and there is no restroom on the boat. \nThe trip to Ledge Light is also conditional on weather and boat traffic. \nThese Aren’t ADA-Accessible Tour Boats\nThere’s another important practical consideration for all three experiences. \nThe Heritage Park’s refurbished Navy boats are not ADA compliant. \nPassengers must be capable of walking up and down four stairs and boarding the vessel independently with only minimal courtesy assistance from the crew. \nThey must also be capable of disembarking without assistance if an emergency requires it. \nThe boats do not have restrooms. \nThe Heritage Park encourages passengers who require assistance to travel with a companion\, but the captain ultimately determines whether a passenger can safely board. \nThat’s particularly important information for anyone considering the cruises as an easy alternative to walking around the festival. \nFor some visitors\, they may not be. \nThe Free Harbor Cruise Can Change How You Do the Festival\nFor visitors who can board safely\, the free Hop On\, Hop Off service creates an interesting possibility. \nDon’t think of the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival as one event site. \nThink of the Thames as its main street. \nStart at Fort Trumbull. \nBoard an old Navy liberty boat. \nCross to Groton. \nCome back to City Pier. \nExplore downtown New London. \nOn Sunday\, trade the transportation ride for a narrated mini-tour and learn the stories of Black residents or the Mashantucket Pequot people who shaped the region. \nAnd Saturday night\, those with Drone Show Cruise tickets can return to the river after dark\, head toward Ledge Light and finish beneath 300 points of light moving across the sky. \nFor most of the year\, the Thames separates New London from Groton. \nFor Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival weekend\, Thames River Heritage Park turns it into the thing connecting everything together. \nDetails\nEvent: Three Special Thames River Cruises at the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nPresented By: Thames River Heritage Park\nFestival: Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nDates: Saturday\, September 12 and Sunday\, September 13\, 2026\nLocation: Thames River\, New London and Groton \nHop On\, Hop Off Harbor Cruise\nDates: Saturday and Sunday\nTime: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.\nAdmission: Free during festival weekend\nBoarding: First-come\, first-served\nSchedule: Continuous loop with no fixed departure or arrival times during the festival\nStops: Fort Trumbull State Park\, City Pier and Thames River Landing in Groton \nFree Historic Boat Tours\nDate: Sunday\, September 13\nLength: Approximately 45 minutes each\nAdmission: Free\nBoarding: First-come\, first-served\nDeparture Location: City Pier\, New London\n11 a.m.: Black Heritage Along the Thames: The Half That’s Never Been Told\nNoon: The Mashantucket Pequot’s Story\n1 p.m.: Black Heritage Along the Thames: The Half That’s Never Been Told\n2 p.m.: The Mashantucket Pequot’s Story \nDrone Show Cruise\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\nDeparture: Heritage Park currently publishes both 7:45 and 7:55 p.m.; passengers should follow their ticket confirmation and verify the departure time before arriving\nRoute: Down the Thames River and\, weather and boat traffic permitting\, out to New London Ledge Light before returning for the drone show\nDrone Show: 300-drone display synchronized to music as part of America’s Navy 250 Celebration\nTickets: Advance ticket purchase required; Heritage Park reports limited availability\nFood and Drink: Snacks and drinks may be brought aboard; no glass\nRestrooms: None aboard \nAccessibility: Heritage Park’s former Navy utility boats are not ADA compliant. Passengers must be able to negotiate four stairs and independently board and disembark with minimal courtesy assistance.\nBoat Operations: 860-407-5655\nWeather: Boat operations and the Ledge Light portion of the evening cruise are weather-dependent; check with Thames River Heritage Park for current operating information. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/three-special-thames-river-cruises/2026-09-12/
LOCATION:CT
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T180000
DTSTAMP:20260910T231719Z
CREATED:20260905T031609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T231719Z
UID:10007475-1789207200-1789236000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:From Sails to Stars: Mystic Seaport Celebrates 60 Years of Star Trek
DESCRIPTION:From Sails to Stars: Mystic Seaport Celebrates 60 Years of Star Trek on Saturday\, September 12\, for a full day connecting two very different eras of exploration: mariners navigating Earth’s oceans and the fictional crews who have spent six decades exploring the final frontier. \nThe celebration includes special planetarium programs\, guest speakers\, a space-themed photo opportunity\, and a screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Visitors are encouraged to arrive in costume or fan apparel as Mystic Seaport marks the 60th anniversary of a television series that turned ships\, captains\, navigation and exploration into a vision of humanity’s future. \nThe entire celebration is included with general Museum admission. \nStar Trek Turns 60\nThe original Star Trek premiered on NBC on September 8\, 1966\, making Mystic Seaport’s September 12 celebration almost exactly 60 years after American audiences first boarded the USS Enterprise. \nThe original series lasted only three seasons\, but its influence proved far greater than its initial ratings suggested. \nSyndication introduced Kirk\, Spock\, McCoy and the Enterprise to new audiences. Feature films followed. Then came Star Trek: The Next Generation\, Deep Space Nine\, Voyager and Enterprise\, followed by a new generation of series including Discovery\, Picard\, Lower Decks\, Prodigy and Strange New Worlds. \nSix decades later\, Star Trek has become one of popular culture’s most enduring visions of exploration. \nThat’s where Mystic Seaport Museum enters the story. \nFrom Sails to Stars\nAt first glance\, a Star Trek celebration might seem like an unusual fit for a museum filled with wooden ships\, maritime artifacts and stories of 19th-century sailors. \nThe Museum is leaning directly into that contrast. \nLong before electronic navigation and GPS\, mariners crossed oceans using the sky. \nCelestial navigation relies on observations of the sun\, moon\, planets and stars to determine a vessel’s position. A navigator using instruments such as a sextant could measure the altitude of a celestial body above the horizon and use that information\, along with accurate time and navigational tables\, to calculate a ship’s position. \nFor sailors far from land\, the night sky wasn’t simply something to look at. \nIt was part of the navigation system. \nThe Star Trek universe takes that ancient relationship between navigation and the heavens and pushes it into the future. Instead of sailors using stars to cross an ocean\, Starfleet crews travel between them. \nSpecial programs at Mystic Seaport Museum’s Treworgy Planetarium will explore that connection during the anniversary celebration. \nThe Wrath of Khan Meets Moby-Dick\nOne of the day’s highlights is a screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan\, the 1982 film widely regarded as one of the defining entries in the franchise. \nThe choice has a particularly strong connection to Mystic Seaport Museum. \nThe Wrath of Khan isn’t simply a science-fiction adventure. Its story deliberately draws on Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. \nRicardo Montalbán’s Khan Noonien Singh becomes an Ahab-like figure\, allowing his desire for revenge against James T. Kirk to consume virtually everything else. The film makes its literary inspiration increasingly explicit as Khan’s pursuit of Kirk moves toward its conclusion. \nThat makes Mystic Seaport an unusually appropriate place to revisit the film. \nHerman Melville sailed aboard the whaleship Acushnet beginning in 1841\, experiences that became part of the maritime world behind Moby-Dick. That same year\, the whaleship Charles W. Morgan was launched from New Bedford. \nToday\, the Morgan survives at Mystic Seaport Museum as the world’s last remaining wooden whaleship from the American whaling fleet. \nA 19th-century novel about a captain pursuing a white whale eventually helped shape a 20th-century movie about a genetically engineered man pursuing a starship captain. \nFrom the deck of a whaleship to the bridge of the Enterprise\, the distance isn’t quite as great as it first appears. \nA Day for Star Trek Fans\nThe Museum is encouraging fans to become part of the celebration rather than simply watch it. \nVisitors can attend wearing Star Trek costumes and fan apparel\, although full-face masks are not permitted. \nA space-themed photo opportunity will provide another place to embrace the science-fiction side of the day\, while the planetarium and speaker programs dig deeper into the science\, history and culture connecting maritime and space exploration. \nSome portions of the celebration have limited capacity. \nThe Museum says seating for lectures and the film screening will be first-come\, first-served\, so visitors particularly interested in those programs should keep that in mind when planning the day. \nRobb Pearlman Brings Star Trek Trivia to the Performance Stage\nThe day’s programming also includes an appearance by #1 New York Times bestselling author and Trekspurt Robb Pearlman at 1:30 p.m. on the Performance Stage. \nPearlman has written more than 90 books\, including a substantial collection devoted to Star Trek. His Mystic program combines a conversation about his work with a live trivia competition inspired by his new Star Trek: The Ultimate Trivia Deck. \nHe’ll also have books and trivia decks available for signing. \nWe’re giving Pearlman’s appearance its own CT Beacon event page\, including more about his unusual career writing about Star Trek and what fans can expect from the trivia showdown. \nSee our complete guide: Star Trek Trivia With Robb Pearlman at Mystic Seaport Museum. \nExploration Before Starfleet\nThere’s a larger idea behind From Sails to Stars that fits Mystic Seaport particularly well. \nThe people represented throughout the Museum’s collections lived in a world in which the ocean could still contain enormous unknowns. \nSailors departed familiar shores without satellites\, radio communication or electronic charts. They relied on their ships\, instruments\, knowledge of the natural world and observations of the sky. \nStar Trek took that same human impulse and imagined where it might eventually lead. \nIts most famous opening wasn’t about conquering space. \nIt was about exploring it. \nThat makes the 60th anniversary more than an excuse to put Starfleet uniforms among the square-riggers. Mystic Seaport is using science fiction to look at something maritime history and Star Trek have shared from the beginning: the desire to find out what’s beyond the horizon. \nEvent Details\nEvent: From Sails to Stars: A STAR TREK 60th Anniversary Celebration\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nVenue: Mystic Seaport Museum\nAddress: 75 Greenmanville Avenue\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nProgramming: Guest speakers\, planetarium shows\, space-themed photo opportunity and film screening\nFilm: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan\nSpecial Program: Robb Pearlman conversation and Star Trek trivia at 1:30 p.m.\nCostumes: Star Trek costumes and fan apparel encouraged; full-face masks are not permitted\nAdmission: Included with general Museum admission\nCapacity: Screening and lectures have limited capacity; admission is first-come\, first-served \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase Museum admission\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/from-sails-to-stars-mystic-seaport-celebrates-60-years-of-star-trek/
LOCATION:Mystic Seaport\, 75 Greenmanville Ave\, Mystic\, CT\, \,06355-1946\,\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mystic Seaport
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/From-Sails-to-Stars-Mystic-Seaport-Celebrates-60-Years-of-Star-Trek-b.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T160000
DTSTAMP:20260911T023917Z
CREATED:20260907T020111Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260911T023917Z
UID:10007490-1789207200-1789228800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Stonington Borough Art Walk
DESCRIPTION:Stonington Borough Art Walk returns Saturday\, September 12\, turning the heart of the seaside village into an open-air gallery filled with painters\, photographers\, potters\, sculptors\, jewelers\, textile artists\, and other makers from around the region. \nThe free event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.\, with artists stretching from the entrance to the Borough through its Water Street shopping district and toward Cannon Square. Water Street will close to vehicle traffic for the event\, allowing visitors to walk between artist tents\, shops\, restaurants and other activities throughout the village. \nThis year’s Art Walk also shares the Borough with Porchfest\, a new live music event presented by La Grua Center from noon to 4 p.m. The two events take place simultaneously but are separate programs\, giving visitors the option of moving between visual art and live music throughout the afternoon. \nAn Art Show That Takes Over the Borough\nThe Art Walk has grown considerably since its creation\, developing from a local arts event into one of Stonington Borough’s major annual gatherings. \nOrganizers expect more than 60 artists for 2026\, with exhibitors working across a broad range of media. The event’s artist selection includes ceramics and pottery\, illustration\, jewelry\, mixed media\, painting\, photography\, printmaking\, sculpture\, textiles and woodworking. \nRather than concentrating everyone in a field or conventional festival grounds\, the Art Walk uses the Borough itself. \nArtist tents and tables begin near the head of Water Street and continue through the commercial district toward Cannon Square. Shops\, courtyards and other spaces along the route become part of the event as visitors make their way south through the village. \nThe format creates something closer to a walking arts district for the day\, with the existing Borough businesses remaining part of the experience rather than sitting outside a separate festival enclosure. \nA Curated Show With Artists Selected for the Event\nThe artists aren’t simply vendors who reserve spaces. \nThe Art Walk uses a juried selection process\, with applications reviewed by a committee that includes artists and members of the Stonington Borough Merchants Association. Organizers consider the quality\, creativity and originality of applicants’ work. \nAbout 125 artists typically apply\, according to the event’s 2026 artist information\, with approximately 60 selected to participate. \nThat approach is intended to keep the emphasis on original fine art and craft while maintaining a mix of artistic styles and media. \nThe resulting show ranges from traditional painting and watercolor to photography\, textiles\, sculpture\, woodwork\, acrylics and other forms of handmade work. \nVisitors can meet the artists directly\, learn about their work and purchase original pieces throughout the day. \nFrom Water Street to Cannon Square\nStonington Borough provides an unusually compact setting for an event built around walking. \nThe artist trail begins near the upper end of Water Street and continues toward Cannon Square\, carrying visitors through much of the village’s commercial center. \nWater Street between High and Church streets has been approved for event use from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.\, along with portions of Wadawanuck Square. \nThat means a street normally shared with cars becomes pedestrian territory for much of the day. \nThe Art Walk has traditionally extended beyond the booths as well. Borough merchants\, cultural organizations and nonprofits have participated in past years with exhibits\, tours\, tastings\, pop-ups\, children’s activities\, scavenger hunts and performances. \nThe exact mix changes from year to year\, but the idea has remained consistent: the Art Walk is meant to involve the larger Borough rather than function solely as a line of artist booths. \nEight Years of Art in Stonington Borough\nThe 2026 event is being presented as the eighth annual Stonington Borough Art Walk. \nThe show is organized by the Stonington Borough Merchants Association and supported in collaboration with the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce. \nOver its relatively short history\, the Art Walk has attracted artists and visitors from beyond southeastern Connecticut\, with organizers drawing exhibitors and audiences from elsewhere in New England and the Northeast. \nIts setting is a large part of the appeal. \nArt tents occupy a village of historic houses\, small shops\, galleries and restaurants surrounded on three sides by water. Visitors can follow the show down Water Street toward Cannon Square and the southern end of the Borough\, then retrace the route through a completely different collection of booths and businesses. \nBecause artists remain with their exhibits during public hours\, the event also provides an opportunity to talk directly with the people who created the work rather than simply browse finished pieces in a gallery. \nPorchfest Adds Live Music to the Afternoon\nThis year brings an important addition to September 12 in Stonington Borough. \nPorchfest\, presented by La Grua Center\, will place musicians at locations around the Borough from noon to 4 p.m. \nPerformers representing multiple musical genres will be stationed at several locations stretching from the Viaduct near the entrance to Stonington Borough toward Cannon Square. \nAlthough Porchfest and the Art Walk are taking place together and complement one another\, they are separate events. Visitors coming primarily for the Art Walk will encounter live music as they move around the Borough\, while those attending Porchfest can browse the artists between performances. \nThe CT Beacon is covering Porchfest separately with its own event guide and performance information. \nA Full Afternoon in the Borough\nWith Art Walk beginning at 10 a.m. and Porchfest joining it at noon\, September 12 is shaping up as an unusually busy Saturday in the Borough. \nVisitors can arrive in the morning to browse the artists before the music begins\, or come during the afternoon when both events are underway. \nThe Art Walk itself remains free to the public. \nOrganizers have also designated Sunday\, September 13 as the inclement-weather date should conditions prevent the outdoor event from taking place Saturday. \nFor six hours\, the usual trip down Water Street becomes something different: dozens of individual galleries assembled for a single day\, with the artists themselves waiting beneath the tents. \nEvent Details\nEvent: Stonington Borough Art Walk 2026\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.\nLocation: Stonington Borough\, Connecticut\nArt Walk Route: Water Street through Cannon Square\nArtists: More than 60 participating artists and makers\nArt: Ceramics and pottery\, illustration\, jewelry\, mixed media\, painting\, photography\, printmaking\, sculpture\, textiles\, woodworking and more\nAdmission: Free\nAlso Happening: Porchfest\, noon–4 p.m.\, presented separately by La Grua Center\nRain Date: Sunday\, September 13\, 2026\nOrganizer: Stonington Borough Merchants Association \nParking:  \n\nShuttle service for Art Walk/Porch Fest 2026 will run throughout the day\, making it easier to park outside Stonington Borough and enjoy both events without having to move your car.\nShuttles will pick up and drop off passengers at Owens Field and the Stonington Community Center\, with continuous service throughout the event.\nThe free shuttle service is provided with support from the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce\, Stonington Borough\, La Grua Center and the Stonington Village Improvement Association.\n\nAdditional Public Parking: \n\nStonington Town Dock: Public lot available near the waterfront.\nWayland’s Wharf: Public lot located just behind Water Street.\nDuBois Beach / East Lawn Lot: Located at Stonington Point at the southern end of the Borough.\n\n  \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n\n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/stonington-borough-art-walk/
LOCATION:Stonington Borough\, Water Street\, Stonington\, 06355\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Stonington-Borough-Art-Walk-b.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T140000
DTSTAMP:20260908T014013Z
CREATED:20260908T013802Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T014013Z
UID:10007516-1789207200-1789221600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Southeastern Connecticut Out Of The Darkness Walk
DESCRIPTION:Southeastern Connecticut Out Of The Darkness Walk brings hundreds of people together at McCook Point Park in Niantic on Saturday\, September 12\, for a morning centered on remembrance\, support\, and a shared determination to prevent suicide. \nOrganized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Connecticut Chapter\, the annual community walk welcomes people who have lost someone to suicide\, those with their own lived experience\, friends and family members\, mental health professionals\, and anyone who wants to support suicide prevention. \nCheck-in begins at 10 a.m.\, followed by the event at 11 a.m. Participation is free\, although advance registration is encouraged. The walk itself is noncompetitive and will cover between one and three miles\, with organizers posting the final Niantic route as Walk Day approaches. \nMore Than a Fundraising Walk\nOut of the Darkness Walks take place in hundreds of communities around the country each year\, but AFSP deliberately designed them to be more than charity walks. \nFor many participants\, the reason for showing up is deeply personal. \nSome walk in memory of a child\, parent\, sibling\, spouse\, friend or coworker lost to suicide. Others have survived a suicide attempt or experienced suicidal thoughts themselves. Some come to support someone they love\, while others simply believe mental health and suicide prevention deserve more attention. \nThe result is an event where people who might never otherwise meet discover that they share an experience. \nThat idea is built into the name. Out of the Darkness is about bringing suicide into the open\, replacing silence and stigma with conversation and making it easier for people to seek help before reaching a crisis. \nThe Niantic event includes an opening ceremony\, activities focused on hope and healing\, resource tables and AFSP’s Honor Bead program. \nThe Meaning Behind the Honor Beads\nOne of the most recognizable parts of an Out of the Darkness Walk is also one of its quietest. \nParticipants receive complimentary Honor Beads\, with different colors representing the reason a person is walking. \nWhite represents the loss of a child. Red represents the loss of a spouse or partner. Gold represents the loss of a parent. Orange represents the loss of a sibling\, while purple represents the loss of another relative or friend. \nOther colors speak to different experiences. Teal represents someone who has struggled personally or attempted suicide. Green represents a personal struggle or attempt\, while blue shows general support for suicide prevention. Silver represents the loss of a first responder or member of the military. \nParticipants may wear more than one strand. \nThe beads create a kind of visual language throughout the walk. Someone who has difficulty approaching a stranger and explaining why they’re there may notice another person wearing the same color and immediately understand that they share something significant. \nFor an event dealing with experiences that can be difficult to put into words\, that recognition can matter. \nWhy AFSP Walks\nThe American Foundation for Suicide Prevention was established in 1987 by a group that included researchers and families who had lost loved ones to suicide. \nIts work now stretches across scientific research\, public education\, advocacy\, community programs and support for people affected by suicide loss. \nThe Out of the Darkness program has become one of the organization’s most visible efforts. AFSP reported nearly 600 Community and Campus Walks and more than 220\,000 participants in its 2025 annual reporting. \nThe money raised through the walks helps fund research into suicide and its prevention\, educational programs in schools and workplaces\, advocacy for public policies related to mental health and suicide prevention\, and programs supporting people who have experienced suicide loss. \nFunds raised through the Southeastern Connecticut Walk specifically help support AFSP programs and work across Connecticut. \nWalking During Suicide Prevention Week\nThis year’s Niantic walk falls at a particularly meaningful point on the calendar. \nSeptember is National Suicide Prevention Month\, and September 6–12 is National Suicide Prevention Week in 2026. World Suicide Prevention Day takes place Thursday\, September 10\, just two days before the Southeastern Connecticut walk. \nAFSP is using the month to encourage people to talk more openly about suicide prevention\, learn how to recognize when someone may need help and become involved in their own communities. \nThe September 12 gathering at McCook Point Park puts that national effort into a distinctly local setting. \nPeople aren’t simply sharing a social media post or wearing a ribbon. They’re physically showing up beside neighbors who may be carrying grief\, supporting someone who’s struggling or dealing with experiences of their own. \nFundraising Is Encouraged\, But It Isn’t Required\nThere is no registration fee or fundraising minimum to participate in the Southeastern Connecticut Out of the Darkness Walk. \nPeople can register individually\, join an existing team or create a team of their own. Each registered participant receives a personal fundraising page that can be customized with a photograph and the story behind why they’re walking. \nAFSP also offers incentives for participants who choose to fundraise. \nAnyone who individually raises at least $150 by September 12 earns the official 2026 Out of the Darkness Walk T-shirt at the event. Participants who raise more than $250 qualify for an additional recognition gift sent after Walk Day. \nBut raising money isn’t a condition of joining the community. \nSomeone who simply needs to be there can walk. \nDonations to the Southeastern Connecticut event remain open through December 31\, 2026. \nMcCook Point Provides a Waterfront Setting\nThe walk takes place at McCook Point Park\, overlooking Long Island Sound in Niantic. \nThe East Lyme town park encompasses McCook Point and the adjoining McCook Beach\, with lawns\, walking areas and views across Niantic Bay and Long Island Sound. Its combination of open green space and waterfront makes it particularly well suited to an event that includes gathering\, remembrance and a community walk. \nParticipants should plan to arrive before the 11 a.m. start if they need to check in. Registration opens at 10 a.m.\, providing time for walkers to gather\, visit resource tables and take part in activities before the formal program begins. \nThe exact 2026 walking route has not yet been announced. AFSP says Community Walk routes generally range from one to three miles and are noncompetitive. \nThere is no pressure to finish first. That’s not what this walk is about. \nA Place for People Who “Get It”\nPerhaps the most important part of an Out of the Darkness Walk happens outside the mileage and fundraising totals. \nAFSP describes the walks as places where people can find others who “get it.” \nSuicide loss can leave families and friends carrying questions and grief that are difficult to explain to people who haven’t experienced it. People who have survived their own suicidal crisis may face a different kind of isolation\, including fear about how others will react if they talk about what happened. \nAt McCook Point Park\, those experiences don’t have to be hidden. \nSome participants will arrive carrying photographs or wearing shirts honoring someone they’ve lost. Others will wear Honor Beads that quietly tell their story. Teams may walk together under the name of a person they’re remembering. \nAnd some people may simply walk. \nAll of them belong there. \nDetails\nEvent: Southeastern Connecticut Out Of The Darkness Walk\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nCheck-In: 10 a.m.\nEvent Start: 11 a.m.\nEvent Hours: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.\nLocation: McCook Point Park\nAddress: 12 Atlantic Street\, Niantic\, CT 06357\nOrganizer: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention\, Connecticut Chapter\nAdmission: Free\nRegistration: Advance registration is encouraged\nWalk Length: Between 1 and 3 miles; final 2026 route to be announced\nFormat: Noncompetitive community walk\nProgram: Opening ceremony\, hope and healing activities\, resource tables and complimentary Honor Beads\nFundraising: Encouraged but not required to participate\nWalk T-Shirt: Participants who individually raise at least $150 by September 12 receive the official Out of the Darkness Walk shirt at the event\nDonations: Accepted through December 31\, 2026\nEvent Contact: Natasha Mozden\nPhone: 860-917-8831\nEmail: natashamozden@gmail.com \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo register for the walk or make a donation\, click the Event Website link below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n\nIf you or someone you know is in crisis\, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.\nReference:\nAmerican Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Connecticut Chapter \nAmerican Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Out of the Darkness Walks \nAmerican Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Honor Beads
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/southeastern-connecticut-out-of-the-darkness-walk/
LOCATION:McCook Point Park\, 8-10 Atlantic Street\, Niantic\, 06357\, United States
CATEGORIES:McCook Point Park
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Southeastern-Connecticut-Out-Of-The-Darkness-Walk.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T130000
DTSTAMP:20260910T024634Z
CREATED:20260910T024634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T024634Z
UID:10007534-1789207200-1789218000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Polymer Clay Fashion Jewelry Making Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Polymer Clay Fashion Jewelry Making Workshop turns the jewelry people wear into the artwork they make Saturday\, September 12\, at Mystic Museum of Art. \nLed by artist-educator Carol Mann\, the three-hour hands-on workshop introduces participants to polymer clay through techniques including gilding\, imprinting\, stamping\, inclusions\, and cane making. Along the way\, students will experiment with color\, pattern\, and texture before learning the finishing techniques and jewelry findings needed to turn their creations into wearable pieces. \nThe workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is part of the programming surrounding MMoA’s summer exhibition\, LUXE CT: Velvet Mills to Modern Runways. \nPolymer Clay Is Not the Clay You Remember From Art Class\nDespite the name\, polymer clay isn’t geological clay dug from the earth. \nIt’s a moldable synthetic material that remains workable until it is cured with heat. That makes it particularly useful for small-scale decorative work. Artists can roll it\, layer it\, texture it\, stamp it and combine colors before curing the finished design. \nFor jewelry makers\, that flexibility opens up an enormous range of possibilities. \nA piece can mimic stone or other materials. Colors can be layered into patterns that continue through the clay. Metallic elements can be applied to surfaces. Texture can be pressed directly into a piece. Different components can then become earrings\, pendants\, beads or other wearable objects. \nSaturday’s workshop is designed to introduce several of those approaches rather than concentrate on a single project. \nFrom Gilding to Millefleur Canes\nAmong the techniques Mann will introduce is gilding\, which can give polymer clay a metallic surface or accent. \nParticipants will also work with inclusions\, adding other materials to clay to change its visual appearance\, and experiment with imprinting and stamping to create surface textures and patterns. \nOne of the more distinctive techniques is cane making. \nA polymer-clay cane is constructed so a design runs through the length of a cylinder or other shape. When thin slices are cut from it\, the pattern appears repeatedly. \nThe concept has a long decorative-art relative in millefiori glass\, the centuries-old technique associated particularly with Venetian glassmaking in which patterned glass rods are sliced to reveal repeated designs. \nPolymer clay allows artists to explore a similar principle without a glass furnace. \nThe museum describes the workshop as including “millefleur canes\,” giving participants an opportunity to see how a complex-looking decorative pattern can actually be built from relatively simple components. \nThe Final Step Turns Art Into Something Wearable\nCreating the decorative clay is only part of the process. \nMann will also cover basic finishing and the use of jewelry findings\, the small functional components that allow an artistic object to become jewelry. \nDepending on the piece\, findings can include hooks\, posts\, jump rings\, clasps\, pins and other hardware connecting decorative elements to something that can actually be worn. \nThat’s an important distinction in a workshop connected to an exhibition about textiles and fashion. \nThe finished work isn’t simply a miniature sculpture. \nIt becomes part of what someone wears. \nThe Workshop Comes Directly Out of LUXE CT\nThe timing isn’t accidental. \nLUXE CT: Velvet Mills to Modern Runways is Mystic Museum of Art’s major summer 2026 exhibition\, running from June 26 through October 11. \nThe exhibition looks at textiles in Connecticut from the precolonial period through contemporary fashion\, using southeastern Connecticut’s once-significant velvet industry as one of its starting points. \nBut the show isn’t simply about fabric. \nIt’s about what people make\, how they make it\, who performs the labor and how materials can communicate wealth\, identity\, culture and changing ideas about luxury. \nObjects in the exhibition include beadwork\, embroidery\, quilts\, velvet and fashion\, combining historical material with contemporary work. \nMMoA assembled the exhibition in partnership with Historic Stonington\, Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center\, Mystic Seaport Museum and members of Studio Art Quilt Associates’ Connecticut Region. \nFrom Southeastern Connecticut Mills to Contemporary Fashion\nOne of the strengths of LUXE CT is the distance it covers. \nTextiles that might once have been understood primarily as household objects or industrial products are placed in conversation with contemporary fashion. \nThat gives the exhibition room to explore something as seemingly simple as a piece of fabric from several directions. \nWho made it? \nWhere did the material come from? \nWas it produced by hand or in a mill? \nWas it utilitarian or luxurious? \nWhat did the design communicate about the person or community that created it? \nAnd who decided it was valuable? \nThose questions become particularly interesting in southeastern Connecticut\, where textile production once provided jobs to generations of workers and immigrant families. \nThe exhibition connects those histories of labor and industrial production with cultural traditions that long predate the mills. \nConnecticut Fashion Doesn’t End With the Mills\nThe exhibition then carries the story into contemporary fashion through designers with Connecticut connections. \nAmong them is Christian Siriano\, who grew up in nearby Annapolis\, Maryland\, attended the American InterContinental University in London and became nationally known after winning Project Runway in 2008. His fashion house has since dressed figures ranging from actors and musicians to political leaders\, while Siriano has become particularly known for challenging the fashion industry’s restrictive approach to body size and inclusivity. \nAlso represented is New York-based designer Peter Som\, whose Connecticut connections are part of the exhibition’s contemporary story and whose career has included his own collections as well as work across fashion\, lifestyle and design. \nThe exhibition also features emerging designers Xarea Lockhart and Toriana Sauro\, giving visitors a look at how a new generation is thinking about clothing\, materials and identity. \nTogether\, the historic and contemporary pieces make the case that fashion doesn’t sit apart from history. \nIt records it. \nA Series of Workshops Turns the Exhibition Into a Studio\nThe polymer clay session is part of a larger series of LUXE CT-inspired workshops running alongside the exhibition. \nOn September 19\, the museum turns to felt collage. \nSeptember 26 brings an introduction to sewing workshop with featured designer Toriana Sauro. \nYoung artists ages 10 to 14 can explore embroidery September 27. \nOctober workshops move into marbled textile sketchbook covers\, relief printing on silk scarves and linocut printing on T-shirts. \nThe idea is a useful one: after seeing what generations of artists\, craftspeople\, textile workers and designers have done with materials\, visitors can go upstairs to the studio and start manipulating materials themselves. \nSaturday’s jewelry workshop provides one of the most approachable entry points. \nNo kiln\, metalsmithing bench or previous jewelry-making career is required. \nCarol Mann Leads the Workshop\nArtist educator Carol Mann is a familiar instructor within Mystic Museum of Art’s studio program. \nHer teaching at MMoA extends across media rather than being confined to jewelry. She leads courses in watercolor and mixed-media work and teaches younger artists as well\, including classes that combine clay\, fiber\, paper and wax. \nThat teaching background is useful for a workshop built around experimentation. \nParticipants aren’t simply following instructions to reproduce one identical piece. The museum’s description emphasizes learning techniques and then combining color\, texture and pattern into distinctive designs. \nThe goal is individual work. \nIf everyone leaves with exactly the same jewelry\, something has probably gone wrong. \nThe Material Is Supplied\, But There’s an Additional Fee\nParticipants don’t need to arrive with a jewelry-making toolbox. \nMystic Museum of Art says all materials are supplied for the workshop. \nThere is\, however\, an additional $8 materials fee\, payable directly to the instructor. That’s separate from registration\, which costs $60 for museum members and $70 for nonmembers. \nIt’s worth accounting for that when deciding whether to register: the actual total is $68 for members or $78 for nonmembers once the materials fee is included. \nThe workshop is listed as an adult studio program and runs for three hours. \nYou Can See the Exhibition That Inspired It\nThere’s also an opportunity to connect the studio experience directly to its source material. \nLUXE CT: Velvet Mills to Modern Runways remains on view through October 11. \nSpecial exhibition admission is $12 general admission and $10 for New London County residents\, seniors 65 and older and students with ID. Admission is free for Mystic Museum of Art members\, visitors 17 and younger and military members and veterans. \nThat means someone coming for Saturday’s workshop can approach the day from both directions. \nLook at how other people have transformed fabric\, thread\, beads and other materials into objects carrying cultural and personal meaning. \nThen sit down at a table and start making something. \nThe scale may be smaller. \nThe basic impulse isn’t very different. \nDetails\nEvent: Polymer Clay Fashion Jewelry Making Workshop: LUXE CT-Inspired Studio Workshop\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: 10 a.m.–1 p.m.\nInstructor: Artist educator Carol Mann\nVenue: Mystic Museum of Art\nAddress: 9 Water Street\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nProgram: Adult studio workshop / mixed media / jewelry making\nMember Registration: $60\nNonmember Registration: $70\nMaterials Fee: Additional $8\, payable to the instructor\nMaterials: All materials are supplied\nTechniques: Gilding\, inclusions\, imprinting\, stamping\, cane making\, color and texture work\, finishing and jewelry findings\nRelated Exhibition: LUXE CT: Velvet Mills to Modern Runways\, on view through October 11\nMuseum Phone: 860-536-7601 \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo register for the workshop\, click the Event Registration link below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/polymer-clay-fashion-jewelry-making-workshop/
LOCATION:Mystic Museum of Art\, 9 Water Street\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mystic Museum of Art
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