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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261007T113000
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UID:10007572-1791372600-1791406800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk Brings Five Weeks of Bavarian Food\, Seasonal Beer and Live Music to Mystic
DESCRIPTION:Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk isn’t a one-day festival. Mystic’s European-style beer hall is turning much of fall into Oktoberfest\, beginning Saturday\, September 19 and continuing through Saturday\, October 24\, with a special German-inspired menu\, seasonal beers\, live entertainment\, and Oktoberfest competitions and activities. \nThe extended celebration is something Jealous Monk has been doing for years\, and the restaurant takes the inspiration more seriously than the lederhosen-and-pretzel graphics might suggest. \nJealous Monk says members of its team have made annual research trips to Munich during Oktoberfest\, bringing ideas from the world’s most famous beer festival back to Mystic. \nThey even use the German word that helps explain what they’re trying to recreate: Gemütlichkeit. \nThere isn’t a perfect English translation. It’s a combination of warmth\, friendliness\, comfort\, good cheer\, and the feeling of enjoying yourself in good company. \nIn other words\, it’s pretty much the reason beer halls have big tables. \nMore Than a Single Oktoberfest Party\nJealous Monk’s 2026 celebration begins September 19\, but don’t read that as the date of the entire event. \nThe restaurant’s announcement calls this an “extended” Oktoberfest season running September 19 through October 24. \nThroughout that period\, Jealous Monk plans a special seasonal food menu and Oktoberfest beers along with a changing schedule of musicians and other entertainment. \nContests are part of the celebration as well\, including the most recognizable American Oktoberfest test of endurance: stein hoisting. \nThe restaurant is still completing its detailed 2026 entertainment schedule and Oktoberfest menu\, so individual performers\, contest dates and this year’s complete food and beer lineup have not all been announced yet. \nThat’s worth knowing before making plans around a particular weekend. \nBut the larger celebration is already confirmed. \nJealous Monk Was Practically Built for This\nThere are plenty of restaurants that can put bratwurst on the menu for three weeks and call it Oktoberfest. \nJealous Monk has a bit of a head start. \nThe locally owned restaurant describes itself as Mystic’s only beer garden\, and its home in Olde Mistick Village was designed as a contemporary interpretation of a European beer hall. \nInside\, there’s a barrel-vaulted ceiling\, old-world artwork and long communal tables rather than a dining room filled exclusively with little two- and four-person islands. \nOutside is an expansive beer garden with picnic tables\, games and gathering spaces. \nThen there are the taps. \nJealous Monk maintains 32 rotating draft lines\, allowing the restaurant to shift a significant portion of its beer selection as seasonal Märzens\, Festbiers and other fall releases arrive. \nIts regular menu already leans European in places\, too. Belgian frites\, a Bavarian-style pretzel\, bratwurst and schnitzel live comfortably alongside burgers\, wings\, chowder and other American pub food. \nOktoberfest isn’t much of a costume change here. \nThe Food Gets More German for the Season\nThe complete 2026 Oktoberfest menu has not yet been published\, but previous Jealous Monk Oktoberfest menus give a much better indication of what “special menu” means here. \nLast year’s seasonal offerings included Schweinshaxe\, the German pork knuckle strongly associated with Bavarian cooking. \nJealous Monk prepared its version braised and served it with spätzle\, rotkohl and beer au jus. \nSpätzle are small\, soft egg noodles or dumplings common throughout southern Germany and neighboring parts of Central Europe. \nRotkohl is braised red cabbage\, usually cooked until tender with a balance of sweet and acidic flavors. \nAnother recent Oktoberfest dish was Brathendl\, Bavarian-style roast chicken\, served at Jealous Monk with rotkohl and mashed potatoes. \nThose dishes went considerably further into Bavarian cooking than simply putting mustard on a sausage. \nUntil the restaurant releases this year’s finished menu\, however\, those should be treated as examples from previous celebrations rather than promises for 2026. \nSome Oktoberfest Food Is Available Even Before Oktoberfest\nA few things don’t have to wait until September 19. \nJealous Monk’s regular menu currently includes its Big A Pretzel\, a large Bavarian-style pretzel served with spicy and sweet mustards\, with bier cheese available to add. \nThere’s also a Bavarian Bratwurst\, available traditionally with sauerkraut and spicy mustard or prepared panini-style with Swiss cheese. \nThe regular Chicken Schnitzel is a less traditional Jealous Monk interpretation: crispy breaded chicken with Swiss cheese\, grilled onions and peppers and chipotle aioli\, served with house-cut Belgian frites. \nThose staples give the regular menu a European foundation before the temporary Oktoberfest dishes arrive. \nThen Come the Oktoberfest Beers\nBeer is where an extended celebration makes particularly good sense. \nOktoberfest beer doesn’t describe just one modern style. \nFor much of the 20th century\, Americans came to associate Oktoberfest with Märzen\, an amber German lager with a malty character and clean finish. \nThe beer traditionally had a practical connection to the brewing calendar. Before refrigeration\, brewing during warm summer weather was difficult and potentially dangerous for the beer. Märzen\, meaning “March beer\,” could be brewed in March\, stored through the summer and consumed in autumn. \nModern Munich Oktoberfest has shifted toward Festbier\, generally paler\, lighter in body and extremely drinkable despite retaining enough malt character to stand up to festival food. \nOnly beer from Munich’s six traditional breweries can officially be served at the Oktoberfest in Munich: Augustiner\, Hacker-Pschorr\, Hofbräu\, Löwenbräu\, Paulaner and Spaten. \nJealous Monk’s 32 rotating taps give the Mystic restaurant considerable room to explore both imported German beer and American interpretations of Oktoberfest styles. \nThe exact 2026 seasonal tap list is still developing\, so anyone hunting for a particular brewery should check the current list closer to their visit. \nThe Real Oktoberfest Isn’t Actually in October\nJealous Monk’s September 19 start also lines up almost perfectly with Munich. \nThe 2026 Oktoberfest in Munich runs September 19 through October 4. \nThat often surprises people who understandably assume a festival named Oktoberfest should happen primarily in October. \nIt used to. \nThe original Oktoberfest was held in October 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. \nThe public celebration included horse racing and proved popular enough to return. \nOver time\, the festival grew and its schedule moved earlier to take advantage of September’s generally better weather and longer daylight. \nThe October name stayed. \nJealous Monk begins its Mystic celebration on the same Saturday that Munich opens its 2026 festival\, then keeps going for another three weeks after Munich has packed up the tents. \nA Royal Wedding Started All of This\nThat first celebration took place on fields outside Munich’s city gates. \nThe site became known as Theresienwiese\, or Therese’s Meadow\, in honor of the bride. Munich residents still commonly shorten the name of Oktoberfest itself to the Wiesn. \nWhat began as a royal wedding celebration evolved into an enormous annual festival of beer\, Bavarian food\, music\, rides\, costumes and communal drinking. \nToday’s Oktoberfest bears little resemblance in scale to the 1810 event. \nMillions of people attend during a typical year. \nThe enormous beer tents can accommodate thousands of guests apiece. \nTraditional Bavarian clothing\, particularly lederhosen and dirndls\, has become inseparable from the modern image of the festival. \nAnd the beer arrives by the liter. \nAbout That Stein-Hoisting Contest\nJealous Monk says contests will be part of the 2026 festivities\, with stein hoisting among the activities being promoted. \nThe rules vary by competition\, but the basic concept is wonderfully uncomplicated. \nTake a full beer stein. \nHold it straight out in front of you with one arm. \nDo not bend the elbow. \nDo not lower the arm. \nDo not spill it. \nWait for everyone else to regret entering. \nA full one-liter glass stein weighs roughly five pounds\, so what seems fairly easy for the first few seconds becomes progressively less pleasant. \nIt’s become a staple of American Oktoberfest celebrations\, combining German beer-hall imagery with the very American instinct to turn practically anything into a contest. \nLive Music Will Rotate Through the Celebration\nThe other major piece still being assembled is the entertainment calendar. \nJealous Monk says live musicians will perform throughout the extended Oktoberfest season\, rather than concentrating entertainment into a single opening-day party. \nThat follows the format the restaurant has used in previous years. Its 2024 Oktoberfest\, for example\, featured live music on several dates spread between late September and late October. \nThe restaurant’s September 12 announcement says it is currently putting the finishing touches on its 2026 list of musicians and will add specifics to its events calendar as they are finalized. \nSo this is an event worth checking more than once. \nSeptember 19 is the beginning\, not the whole story. \nWhy Jealous Monk Works as a Beer Hall\nOktoberfest also makes some of Jealous Monk’s design choices easier to understand. \nTraditional beer halls aren’t designed around privacy. \nThey’re designed around gathering. \nLong tables put strangers next to one another. Food is hearty. Beer comes in substantial quantities. Music and conversation create enough noise that nobody expects a hushed dining room. \nJealous Monk borrowed that social model for its Mystic restaurant. \nThe indoor hall includes large communal tables\, while the outdoor beer garden uses picnic-style seating. Board games\, pinball and old-school video games add to the idea that customers are supposed to stay for a while rather than simply eat and leave. \nThe restaurant’s full name says it plainly: \nJealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden. \nFor five weeks beginning September 19\, the “beer garden” part gets to take center stage. \nYou Don’t Have to Drink Beer\nDespite the name and the Oktoberfest theme\, Jealous Monk isn’t exclusively for beer drinkers. \nThe restaurant also maintains wine\, liquor and cocktail selections\, and its food menu includes burgers\, sandwiches\, salads\, seafood and vegetarian options alongside the more obvious beer-hall fare. \nIt’s also a restaurant rather than a ticketed beer festival. \nThe currently announced Oktoberfest season does not carry a general admission charge. Customers visit Jealous Monk normally and order food and drinks\, while special entertainment and activities occur throughout the run. \nThat makes this fundamentally different from the one-afternoon Oktoberfests where admission buys a tasting glass and a fixed number of pours. \nYou can go once. \nOr you can go back as the taps\, menu specials and entertainment change. \nFive Weeks Gives You Time to Do It Properly\nThat’s really the advantage of Jealous Monk’s approach. \nOktoberfest doesn’t have to be crammed into one Saturday afternoon. \nThe first visit might be for the seasonal menu. \nAnother could coincide with live music. \nA third might involve a Märzen you haven’t tried. \nAnd eventually someone is going to convince you that holding a five-pound glass at arm’s length sounds like fun. \nThe 2026 celebration opens September 19. \nBy the time it ends October 24\, Mystic will be deep into foliage\, Olde Mistick Village will have shifted from late-summer visitors toward its fall crowds\, and Jealous Monk will have spent more than a month doing what a beer garden was designed to do. \nGather people around a table. \nPour the beer. \nBring out the food. \nProst. \nDetails\nEvent: Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk\nDates: Saturday\, September 19 through Saturday\, October 24\, 2026\nVenue: Jealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden\nLocation: Olde Mistick Village\, Building 20\nAddress: 27 Coogan Boulevard\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nAdmission: No general admission charge announced; food and beverages purchased separately\nFood: Special Oktoberfest menu planned for the season; complete 2026 menu is still being finalized\nBeer: Seasonal Oktoberfest beers plus Jealous Monk’s rotating draft selection\nDrafts: 32 rotating taps\nEntertainment: Live musicians throughout the Oktoberfest run; individual performers and dates are still being announced\nActivities: Oktoberfest contests and activities\, including stein-hoisting festivities\nIndoor/Outdoor: Indoor social hall and outdoor beer garden\, weather permitting\nRegular Hours: Monday–Thursday\, 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday\, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday\, 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.\nPhone: 860-536-6665 \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/oktoberfest-at-jealous-monk-brings-five-weeks-of-bavarian-food-seasonal-beer-and-live-music-to-mystic/2026-10-07/
LOCATION:Jealous Monk\, 27 Coogan Blvd\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Jealous Monk
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261007T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261007T180000
DTSTAMP:20260901T212201Z
CREATED:20260901T212201Z
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UID:10007339-1791363600-1791396000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill 2026: Complete Guide
DESCRIPTION:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is now open for the 2026 season\, beginning another fall of fresh-pressed sweet cider\, cider donuts\, traditional hard cider\, apple wine and one of the most unusual pieces of working history in Connecticut. \nThe family-owned Old Mystic landmark opened for the season September 1 and is currently scheduled to operate seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 129 North Stonington Road. \nBut calling Clyde’s a cider shop doesn’t quite explain why generations of families make a trip here every fall. \nThe mill has been family-owned since 1881. Fourth\, fifth and sixth generations of the family still work in the business. Apples are still crushed and pressed using historic machinery powered by steam. Visitors can watch the machinery operate\, descend into the cellar for traditional hard cider tastings\, sample apple wines in a converted grist mill and leave with a bag of cider donuts. \nClyde’s calls itself the oldest steam-powered cider mill in the United States. \nMore precisely\, it is the last operating steam-powered cider mill in the country\, according to the mill\, and its historic cider-making machinery has been recognized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. \nIt isn’t a reproduction of an old cider mill. \nIt’s the real thing. \nA Mystic Fall Tradition Since 1881\nThe story begins with Benjamin F. Clyde. \nIn 1881\, Clyde began producing cider from apples he had pressed at other local mills. He eventually rented a press before purchasing his own mill in 1897. \nThe equipment that followed would become the heart of the operation visitors still come to see. \nClyde purchased a screw press manufactured by Boomer & Boschert of Syracuse\, New York. The company also supplied the apple grater\, elevator and cider pump\, along with plans for the mill building. \nThe machinery was installed in 1898. \nAt the time\, cider mills were hardly unusual in rural America. \nThey served much the same role for apple growers that grist mills did for farmers growing grain. Orchards could bring surplus apples to a centrally located mill\, where the fruit could be processed and pressed into juice. Some of that juice could then be fermented into hard cider. \nMost of those community mills disappeared. \nClyde’s didn’t. \nThe Steam-Powered Mill Is Still Working\nThat’s what makes a visit different from touring a preserved historic building. \nThe machinery still has a job. \nApples enter the cider-making system and are elevated to a grinder\, where they’re reduced to pulp. That pulp is prepared for pressing\, and the historic screw press applies the tremendous pressure needed to extract the juice. \nThe technology was impressive for its era. \nAccording to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers\, the all-steel screw press could apply pressure at three speeds and represented one of the last generations of screw presses before hydraulic presses became widespread during the 20th century. \nASME designated B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1994\, recognizing the machinery as a rare survivor of an industry that was once common throughout America’s apple-growing regions. \nMore than a century after the equipment was installed\, Clyde’s still uses the mill to make cider. \nWhen Can You Watch Clyde’s Press Cider?\nVisitors don’t have to settle for looking at the machinery. \nClyde’s runs it during the season. \nThe mill’s typical pressing schedule is: \nTuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m.–noon\nSaturday and Sunday: 10 a.m.–noon \nThe schedule can vary because Clyde’s presses according to production needs\, so the machinery isn’t guaranteed to be running continuously throughout those periods. \nEven when the press isn’t operating\, visitors are welcome to look inside the historic press building. \nFor anyone specifically interested in seeing the steam-powered machinery at work\, a pressing morning is the best time to plan a visit. \nHow Clyde’s Makes Sweet Cider\nFresh sweet cider is the product that started everything. \nClyde’s purchases its apples from small orchards rather than operating a pick-your-own orchard of its own. The apples are processed at the mill and pressed into cider using the historic equipment. \nThe finished sweet cider is flash pasteurized on the property. \nVisitors can buy cider to take home or drink it while visiting\, and seasonal cider drinks have become part of the experience alongside the mill’s baked goods. \nThat combination has helped turn what was originally a working agricultural business into a fall destination. \nYou can come to learn how a 19th-century cider press works. \nYou can also come because you want cider and a donut. \nNeither is the wrong reason. \nAbout Those Clyde’s Cider Donuts\nFor plenty of visitors\, the steam engine has competition. \nClyde’s cider donuts have become almost as closely associated with the mill as the cider itself. \nThe store sells its well-known cider donuts along with other baked goods and seasonal treats. The selection can vary\, but the broader shop also carries jarred products\, honey from local beekeepers\, candied apples made by the family and other locally produced goods. \nIt’s part bakery\, part country store and part historic attraction. \nAnd on a busy fall weekend\, the line is evidence that plenty of people know exactly what they came for. \nThen There Is the Cider Downstairs\nThe word “cider” gets considerably more complicated at Clyde’s. \nSweet cider is only part of the story. \nClyde’s also makes traditional hard cider using a process very different from the sweeter\, carbonated canned ciders that have become common in supermarkets and bars. \nThe hard cider begins with apple juice and ferments before aging in oak whiskey barrels. \nThe process from juice to finished hard cider typically takes about a year. \nAfter fermentation and aging\, the hard cider receives relatively little filtration before being sold. That preserves more of the raw\, oaky character produced by the barrel. \nThe result is considerably stronger than many commercial hard ciders. \nClyde’s hard ciders and apple wines generally contain 12 to 14 percent alcohol. \nHard Cider vs. Apple Wine: What’s the Difference?\nThis is one of the more interesting parts of Clyde’s operation because the two products begin in essentially the same place. \nBoth the hard cider and apple wine start as fermented apple juice aged in oak whiskey barrels. \nWhat happens afterward separates them. \nClyde’s hard cider is only lightly filtered to remove sediment. That leaves it with a bolder flavor\, more pronounced oak character and more bite. \nThe apple wine receives considerably more filtration. \nThat additional processing produces a smoother\, somewhat sweeter product that is also shelf stable before opening. \nSo someone expecting Clyde’s hard cider to taste like a modern canned hard cider may be surprised. \nThis is closer to an older cider-making tradition. \nWhat’s in the Hard Cider Cellar?\nThe hard cider cellar sits underneath the press building. \nThat’s where visitors can taste Clyde’s traditional hard ciders and where the product has been made for generations. \nAvailability changes throughout the season\, but Clyde’s 2026 lineup includes several recurring varieties. \nThe Original is the starting point. It’s dry\, without added fruit flavors competing with the oak character of the barrel. \nLucky Lion is also dry and crisp\, with a character Clyde’s says some drinkers compare to Scotch. \nBlackout goes even further in that direction. It’s Clyde’s most popular hard cider and wine flavor\, with strong oak notes that the mill describes as almost reminiscent of whiskey. \nThen things get fruitier. \nBoomerang combines apple and cranberry for a tart\, sweeter cider. \nGoodfella adds blackberry and lands on the sweeter end of the lineup. \nYellow Jacket combines apple and orange\, producing some sweetness with a citrus bite. \nCherry Bomb adds another fruit-driven option. \nBecause Clyde’s rotates its hard ciders\, individual varieties can change during the season. \nThe Apple Wine List Goes Much Further\nThe wine side of the operation offers even more variety. \nClyde’s currently lists 14 apple wines\, ranging from dry expressions of apple to much sweeter fruit combinations. \nApple Wine is the driest of the wine lineup. \nSpiced Apple uses mulling spices for a distinctly fall-oriented version. \nSpider Cider combines sweetness with pumpkin spices and can be warmed or used in a hot toddy. \nStrawberry Bliss is the sweetest wine in the lineup\, combining apple and strawberry. \nBlueberry Spinner combines apple and blueberry. \nApple Raspberry leans sweet but tart. \nCider House Blend combines apple\, orange and cranberry. \nSeveral of the hard cider varieties\, including Original\, Lucky Lion\, Blackout\, Boomerang\, Goodfella and Yellow Jacket\, are also produced as wines. \nThe distinction comes back to filtration. \nSame roots. \nDifferent finish. \nYes\, You Can Taste Them for Free\nClyde’s offers separate hard cider and wine tastings throughout its season. \nAnd the tastings are free. \nNo purchase is required and no reservation is necessary. \nVisitors can sample up to four hard ciders and up to four wines at their respective tasting locations. \nHard cider tastings take place in the cellar beneath the press building. \nWine tastings are held in the tasting room\, which has its own connection to the property’s history: the building is a converted grist mill once used to produce johnnycake meal. \nTastings are first-come\, first-served. \nCurrent tasting hours are: \nMonday–Saturday: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.\nSunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. \nEveryone participating in a tasting must show a valid ID\, regardless of age or appearance. Clyde’s does not accept expired IDs or photographs of identification. \nConnecticut alcohol rules also mean Clyde’s cannot sell its hard cider or wine before 10 a.m. on Sundays. \nA Few Clyde’s Flavors to Know Before You Taste\nIf you don’t know where to start\, the tasting bottles are generally arranged from driest to sweetest\, and the staff can help narrow the choices. \nFor something dry: Original or Apple Wine. \nFor strong oak character: Blackout. \nFor dry and crisp: Lucky Lion. \nFor tart cranberry: Boomerang. \nFor something sweeter: Goodfella. \nFor fall spice: Spiced Apple or Spider Cider. \nFor very sweet fruit: Strawberry Bliss or Blueberry Spinner. \nOne warning for anyone accustomed to mass-market hard cider: remember the alcohol content. \nAt 12 to 14 percent ABV\, Clyde’s hard cider is much closer to wine strength than a typical bottle or can of commercial cider. \nCan You Bring Back a Clyde’s Growler?\nYes. \nClyde’s sells 64-ounce growlers of hard cider and offers growler refills. \nThere are a couple of important rules. \nClyde’s refills growlers rather than exchanging them\, so customers should clean their growler before bringing it back. The mill can only refill glass growlers that have a stamped or imprinted 64-ounce measurement. \nWine cannot be used for growler fills. \nThe refill program is for hard cider. \nHard cider should also be kept cool after purchase. Clyde’s recommends refrigeration. \nThere’s More Than Cider\nThe tasting room also contains Clyde’s gift shop\, with merchandise and locally made products that can include handmade earrings\, postcards and art prints. \nElsewhere at the mill\, visitors can browse honey produced by local beekeepers\, jarred foods\, family-made candied apples\, baked goods and other seasonal products. \nThat makes it possible to spend considerably more time at Clyde’s than simply buying a gallon of cider and heading home. \nWatch the press. \nGet cider and donuts. \nExplore the store. \nGo downstairs for a hard cider tasting. \nVisit the wine tasting room. \nBrowse the gift shop. \nIt’s effectively several different experiences spread across the historic property. \nIs B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill Good for Kids?\nYes. \nClyde’s welcomes children of all ages. \nThe working mill is also an opportunity to show kids a piece of machinery doing the job it was actually designed to do more than a century ago. \nThere is no alcohol involved in the regular sweet cider\, and the bakery\, cider and mill demonstration make Clyde’s an easy family fall stop. \nJust don’t confuse the two kinds of cider. \nThe traditional hard cider and apple wines are 12 to 14 percent alcohol and are strictly for adults 21 and older. \nCan You Pick Apples at Clyde’s?\nNo. \nThis is one of the most useful things to know before making the trip. \nB.F. Clyde’s is a cider mill\, not a pick-your-own orchard. \nThe mill purchases apples from small orchards and uses them to produce its cider. \nIf apple picking is part of your fall plans\, you’ll need to visit an orchard separately. \nCan You Bring a Dog?\nYes\, with restrictions. \nLeashed pets are permitted on the grounds. \nThey aren’t allowed inside the buildings or on the porch\, and visitors need to bring whatever they need to clean up after their pets. \nParking Can Be the Hardest Part of a Fall Visit\nClyde’s popularity comes with one predictable problem. \nIt gets busy. \nThe main parking lot can fill during peak periods\, particularly on fall weekends. \nClyde’s asks visitors to try the main lot first and to respect posted no-parking areas and neighboring properties if parking along nearby roads. \nAn auxiliary lot is available at 49 North Stonington Road. It’s approximately four-tenths of a mile from the mill\, so visitors using it should expect a walk. \nIf your schedule is flexible\, a weekday visit can make the entire experience easier. \nIf you’re coming specifically to see the press operate\, Tuesday or Thursday morning offers the combination of a weekday visit and a scheduled pressing window. \nClyde’s Isn’t a Museum\, and That’s the Point\nThere are plenty of places where historic machinery survives behind ropes. \nClyde’s is different. \nBenjamin Clyde started making cider in 1881. \nHe acquired his own mill in the 1890s. \nThe equipment installed in 1898 survived the arrival of hydraulic presses\, mass food production\, supermarkets\, interstate highways and more than a century of changes in how Americans buy their food. \nThe family survived with it. \nToday\, fourth\, fifth and sixth generations are involved in the operation. \nEvery September\, the doors open again. \nApples arrive. \nThe steam-powered machinery starts moving. \nFresh cider begins flowing. \nAnd people line up for cider donuts. \nThat’s why B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is more than another place to add to a Connecticut fall checklist. It’s a piece of New England’s agricultural and industrial history that never stopped doing its job. \n2026 Visitor Guide\nAttraction: B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill\n2026 Season Opening: September 1\, 2026\nCurrent Hours: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.\, seven days a week\nLocation: 129 North Stonington Road\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nAdmission: Free\nChildren: Welcome\nPets: Leashed pets allowed on the grounds; not inside buildings or on the porch\nApple Picking: No\nSweet Cider: Available\nCider Donuts and Baked Goods: Available\nHard Cider: Available for adults 21+\nApple Wine: Available for adults 21+\nAlcohol Content: Hard cider and wine are generally 12–14% ABV\nTastings: Free; no reservation required\nHard Cider Tastings: Cellar beneath the press building\nWine Tastings: Tasting room\nTasting Hours: Monday–Saturday\, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday\, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.\nTypical Pressing Schedule: Tuesday\, Thursday\, Saturday and Sunday\, 10 a.m.–noon\nParking: Main lot plus auxiliary parking at 49 North Stonington Road\nThanksgiving: Closed\nShipping: Not available\nPreorders/Call-Ahead Orders: Not available \nHard Cider Menu\nAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers History \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \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/b-f-clydes-cider-mill-2026-complete-guide/2026-10-07/
LOCATION:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill\, 129 North Stonington Road\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T210000
DTSTAMP:20260913T020703Z
CREATED:20260913T020703Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T020703Z
UID:10007571-1791286200-1791320400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk Brings Five Weeks of Bavarian Food\, Seasonal Beer and Live Music to Mystic
DESCRIPTION:Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk isn’t a one-day festival. Mystic’s European-style beer hall is turning much of fall into Oktoberfest\, beginning Saturday\, September 19 and continuing through Saturday\, October 24\, with a special German-inspired menu\, seasonal beers\, live entertainment\, and Oktoberfest competitions and activities. \nThe extended celebration is something Jealous Monk has been doing for years\, and the restaurant takes the inspiration more seriously than the lederhosen-and-pretzel graphics might suggest. \nJealous Monk says members of its team have made annual research trips to Munich during Oktoberfest\, bringing ideas from the world’s most famous beer festival back to Mystic. \nThey even use the German word that helps explain what they’re trying to recreate: Gemütlichkeit. \nThere isn’t a perfect English translation. It’s a combination of warmth\, friendliness\, comfort\, good cheer\, and the feeling of enjoying yourself in good company. \nIn other words\, it’s pretty much the reason beer halls have big tables. \nMore Than a Single Oktoberfest Party\nJealous Monk’s 2026 celebration begins September 19\, but don’t read that as the date of the entire event. \nThe restaurant’s announcement calls this an “extended” Oktoberfest season running September 19 through October 24. \nThroughout that period\, Jealous Monk plans a special seasonal food menu and Oktoberfest beers along with a changing schedule of musicians and other entertainment. \nContests are part of the celebration as well\, including the most recognizable American Oktoberfest test of endurance: stein hoisting. \nThe restaurant is still completing its detailed 2026 entertainment schedule and Oktoberfest menu\, so individual performers\, contest dates and this year’s complete food and beer lineup have not all been announced yet. \nThat’s worth knowing before making plans around a particular weekend. \nBut the larger celebration is already confirmed. \nJealous Monk Was Practically Built for This\nThere are plenty of restaurants that can put bratwurst on the menu for three weeks and call it Oktoberfest. \nJealous Monk has a bit of a head start. \nThe locally owned restaurant describes itself as Mystic’s only beer garden\, and its home in Olde Mistick Village was designed as a contemporary interpretation of a European beer hall. \nInside\, there’s a barrel-vaulted ceiling\, old-world artwork and long communal tables rather than a dining room filled exclusively with little two- and four-person islands. \nOutside is an expansive beer garden with picnic tables\, games and gathering spaces. \nThen there are the taps. \nJealous Monk maintains 32 rotating draft lines\, allowing the restaurant to shift a significant portion of its beer selection as seasonal Märzens\, Festbiers and other fall releases arrive. \nIts regular menu already leans European in places\, too. Belgian frites\, a Bavarian-style pretzel\, bratwurst and schnitzel live comfortably alongside burgers\, wings\, chowder and other American pub food. \nOktoberfest isn’t much of a costume change here. \nThe Food Gets More German for the Season\nThe complete 2026 Oktoberfest menu has not yet been published\, but previous Jealous Monk Oktoberfest menus give a much better indication of what “special menu” means here. \nLast year’s seasonal offerings included Schweinshaxe\, the German pork knuckle strongly associated with Bavarian cooking. \nJealous Monk prepared its version braised and served it with spätzle\, rotkohl and beer au jus. \nSpätzle are small\, soft egg noodles or dumplings common throughout southern Germany and neighboring parts of Central Europe. \nRotkohl is braised red cabbage\, usually cooked until tender with a balance of sweet and acidic flavors. \nAnother recent Oktoberfest dish was Brathendl\, Bavarian-style roast chicken\, served at Jealous Monk with rotkohl and mashed potatoes. \nThose dishes went considerably further into Bavarian cooking than simply putting mustard on a sausage. \nUntil the restaurant releases this year’s finished menu\, however\, those should be treated as examples from previous celebrations rather than promises for 2026. \nSome Oktoberfest Food Is Available Even Before Oktoberfest\nA few things don’t have to wait until September 19. \nJealous Monk’s regular menu currently includes its Big A Pretzel\, a large Bavarian-style pretzel served with spicy and sweet mustards\, with bier cheese available to add. \nThere’s also a Bavarian Bratwurst\, available traditionally with sauerkraut and spicy mustard or prepared panini-style with Swiss cheese. \nThe regular Chicken Schnitzel is a less traditional Jealous Monk interpretation: crispy breaded chicken with Swiss cheese\, grilled onions and peppers and chipotle aioli\, served with house-cut Belgian frites. \nThose staples give the regular menu a European foundation before the temporary Oktoberfest dishes arrive. \nThen Come the Oktoberfest Beers\nBeer is where an extended celebration makes particularly good sense. \nOktoberfest beer doesn’t describe just one modern style. \nFor much of the 20th century\, Americans came to associate Oktoberfest with Märzen\, an amber German lager with a malty character and clean finish. \nThe beer traditionally had a practical connection to the brewing calendar. Before refrigeration\, brewing during warm summer weather was difficult and potentially dangerous for the beer. Märzen\, meaning “March beer\,” could be brewed in March\, stored through the summer and consumed in autumn. \nModern Munich Oktoberfest has shifted toward Festbier\, generally paler\, lighter in body and extremely drinkable despite retaining enough malt character to stand up to festival food. \nOnly beer from Munich’s six traditional breweries can officially be served at the Oktoberfest in Munich: Augustiner\, Hacker-Pschorr\, Hofbräu\, Löwenbräu\, Paulaner and Spaten. \nJealous Monk’s 32 rotating taps give the Mystic restaurant considerable room to explore both imported German beer and American interpretations of Oktoberfest styles. \nThe exact 2026 seasonal tap list is still developing\, so anyone hunting for a particular brewery should check the current list closer to their visit. \nThe Real Oktoberfest Isn’t Actually in October\nJealous Monk’s September 19 start also lines up almost perfectly with Munich. \nThe 2026 Oktoberfest in Munich runs September 19 through October 4. \nThat often surprises people who understandably assume a festival named Oktoberfest should happen primarily in October. \nIt used to. \nThe original Oktoberfest was held in October 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. \nThe public celebration included horse racing and proved popular enough to return. \nOver time\, the festival grew and its schedule moved earlier to take advantage of September’s generally better weather and longer daylight. \nThe October name stayed. \nJealous Monk begins its Mystic celebration on the same Saturday that Munich opens its 2026 festival\, then keeps going for another three weeks after Munich has packed up the tents. \nA Royal Wedding Started All of This\nThat first celebration took place on fields outside Munich’s city gates. \nThe site became known as Theresienwiese\, or Therese’s Meadow\, in honor of the bride. Munich residents still commonly shorten the name of Oktoberfest itself to the Wiesn. \nWhat began as a royal wedding celebration evolved into an enormous annual festival of beer\, Bavarian food\, music\, rides\, costumes and communal drinking. \nToday’s Oktoberfest bears little resemblance in scale to the 1810 event. \nMillions of people attend during a typical year. \nThe enormous beer tents can accommodate thousands of guests apiece. \nTraditional Bavarian clothing\, particularly lederhosen and dirndls\, has become inseparable from the modern image of the festival. \nAnd the beer arrives by the liter. \nAbout That Stein-Hoisting Contest\nJealous Monk says contests will be part of the 2026 festivities\, with stein hoisting among the activities being promoted. \nThe rules vary by competition\, but the basic concept is wonderfully uncomplicated. \nTake a full beer stein. \nHold it straight out in front of you with one arm. \nDo not bend the elbow. \nDo not lower the arm. \nDo not spill it. \nWait for everyone else to regret entering. \nA full one-liter glass stein weighs roughly five pounds\, so what seems fairly easy for the first few seconds becomes progressively less pleasant. \nIt’s become a staple of American Oktoberfest celebrations\, combining German beer-hall imagery with the very American instinct to turn practically anything into a contest. \nLive Music Will Rotate Through the Celebration\nThe other major piece still being assembled is the entertainment calendar. \nJealous Monk says live musicians will perform throughout the extended Oktoberfest season\, rather than concentrating entertainment into a single opening-day party. \nThat follows the format the restaurant has used in previous years. Its 2024 Oktoberfest\, for example\, featured live music on several dates spread between late September and late October. \nThe restaurant’s September 12 announcement says it is currently putting the finishing touches on its 2026 list of musicians and will add specifics to its events calendar as they are finalized. \nSo this is an event worth checking more than once. \nSeptember 19 is the beginning\, not the whole story. \nWhy Jealous Monk Works as a Beer Hall\nOktoberfest also makes some of Jealous Monk’s design choices easier to understand. \nTraditional beer halls aren’t designed around privacy. \nThey’re designed around gathering. \nLong tables put strangers next to one another. Food is hearty. Beer comes in substantial quantities. Music and conversation create enough noise that nobody expects a hushed dining room. \nJealous Monk borrowed that social model for its Mystic restaurant. \nThe indoor hall includes large communal tables\, while the outdoor beer garden uses picnic-style seating. Board games\, pinball and old-school video games add to the idea that customers are supposed to stay for a while rather than simply eat and leave. \nThe restaurant’s full name says it plainly: \nJealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden. \nFor five weeks beginning September 19\, the “beer garden” part gets to take center stage. \nYou Don’t Have to Drink Beer\nDespite the name and the Oktoberfest theme\, Jealous Monk isn’t exclusively for beer drinkers. \nThe restaurant also maintains wine\, liquor and cocktail selections\, and its food menu includes burgers\, sandwiches\, salads\, seafood and vegetarian options alongside the more obvious beer-hall fare. \nIt’s also a restaurant rather than a ticketed beer festival. \nThe currently announced Oktoberfest season does not carry a general admission charge. Customers visit Jealous Monk normally and order food and drinks\, while special entertainment and activities occur throughout the run. \nThat makes this fundamentally different from the one-afternoon Oktoberfests where admission buys a tasting glass and a fixed number of pours. \nYou can go once. \nOr you can go back as the taps\, menu specials and entertainment change. \nFive Weeks Gives You Time to Do It Properly\nThat’s really the advantage of Jealous Monk’s approach. \nOktoberfest doesn’t have to be crammed into one Saturday afternoon. \nThe first visit might be for the seasonal menu. \nAnother could coincide with live music. \nA third might involve a Märzen you haven’t tried. \nAnd eventually someone is going to convince you that holding a five-pound glass at arm’s length sounds like fun. \nThe 2026 celebration opens September 19. \nBy the time it ends October 24\, Mystic will be deep into foliage\, Olde Mistick Village will have shifted from late-summer visitors toward its fall crowds\, and Jealous Monk will have spent more than a month doing what a beer garden was designed to do. \nGather people around a table. \nPour the beer. \nBring out the food. \nProst. \nDetails\nEvent: Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk\nDates: Saturday\, September 19 through Saturday\, October 24\, 2026\nVenue: Jealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden\nLocation: Olde Mistick Village\, Building 20\nAddress: 27 Coogan Boulevard\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nAdmission: No general admission charge announced; food and beverages purchased separately\nFood: Special Oktoberfest menu planned for the season; complete 2026 menu is still being finalized\nBeer: Seasonal Oktoberfest beers plus Jealous Monk’s rotating draft selection\nDrafts: 32 rotating taps\nEntertainment: Live musicians throughout the Oktoberfest run; individual performers and dates are still being announced\nActivities: Oktoberfest contests and activities\, including stein-hoisting festivities\nIndoor/Outdoor: Indoor social hall and outdoor beer garden\, weather permitting\nRegular Hours: Monday–Thursday\, 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday\, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday\, 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.\nPhone: 860-536-6665 \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/oktoberfest-at-jealous-monk-brings-five-weeks-of-bavarian-food-seasonal-beer-and-live-music-to-mystic/2026-10-06/
LOCATION:Jealous Monk\, 27 Coogan Blvd\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Jealous Monk
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Oktoberfest-at-Jealous-Monk-Brings-Five-Weeks-of-Bavarian-Food-Seasonal-Beer-and-Live-Music-to-Mystic.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T180000
DTSTAMP:20260901T212201Z
CREATED:20260901T212201Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T212201Z
UID:10007338-1791277200-1791309600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill 2026: Complete Guide
DESCRIPTION:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is now open for the 2026 season\, beginning another fall of fresh-pressed sweet cider\, cider donuts\, traditional hard cider\, apple wine and one of the most unusual pieces of working history in Connecticut. \nThe family-owned Old Mystic landmark opened for the season September 1 and is currently scheduled to operate seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 129 North Stonington Road. \nBut calling Clyde’s a cider shop doesn’t quite explain why generations of families make a trip here every fall. \nThe mill has been family-owned since 1881. Fourth\, fifth and sixth generations of the family still work in the business. Apples are still crushed and pressed using historic machinery powered by steam. Visitors can watch the machinery operate\, descend into the cellar for traditional hard cider tastings\, sample apple wines in a converted grist mill and leave with a bag of cider donuts. \nClyde’s calls itself the oldest steam-powered cider mill in the United States. \nMore precisely\, it is the last operating steam-powered cider mill in the country\, according to the mill\, and its historic cider-making machinery has been recognized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. \nIt isn’t a reproduction of an old cider mill. \nIt’s the real thing. \nA Mystic Fall Tradition Since 1881\nThe story begins with Benjamin F. Clyde. \nIn 1881\, Clyde began producing cider from apples he had pressed at other local mills. He eventually rented a press before purchasing his own mill in 1897. \nThe equipment that followed would become the heart of the operation visitors still come to see. \nClyde purchased a screw press manufactured by Boomer & Boschert of Syracuse\, New York. The company also supplied the apple grater\, elevator and cider pump\, along with plans for the mill building. \nThe machinery was installed in 1898. \nAt the time\, cider mills were hardly unusual in rural America. \nThey served much the same role for apple growers that grist mills did for farmers growing grain. Orchards could bring surplus apples to a centrally located mill\, where the fruit could be processed and pressed into juice. Some of that juice could then be fermented into hard cider. \nMost of those community mills disappeared. \nClyde’s didn’t. \nThe Steam-Powered Mill Is Still Working\nThat’s what makes a visit different from touring a preserved historic building. \nThe machinery still has a job. \nApples enter the cider-making system and are elevated to a grinder\, where they’re reduced to pulp. That pulp is prepared for pressing\, and the historic screw press applies the tremendous pressure needed to extract the juice. \nThe technology was impressive for its era. \nAccording to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers\, the all-steel screw press could apply pressure at three speeds and represented one of the last generations of screw presses before hydraulic presses became widespread during the 20th century. \nASME designated B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1994\, recognizing the machinery as a rare survivor of an industry that was once common throughout America’s apple-growing regions. \nMore than a century after the equipment was installed\, Clyde’s still uses the mill to make cider. \nWhen Can You Watch Clyde’s Press Cider?\nVisitors don’t have to settle for looking at the machinery. \nClyde’s runs it during the season. \nThe mill’s typical pressing schedule is: \nTuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m.–noon\nSaturday and Sunday: 10 a.m.–noon \nThe schedule can vary because Clyde’s presses according to production needs\, so the machinery isn’t guaranteed to be running continuously throughout those periods. \nEven when the press isn’t operating\, visitors are welcome to look inside the historic press building. \nFor anyone specifically interested in seeing the steam-powered machinery at work\, a pressing morning is the best time to plan a visit. \nHow Clyde’s Makes Sweet Cider\nFresh sweet cider is the product that started everything. \nClyde’s purchases its apples from small orchards rather than operating a pick-your-own orchard of its own. The apples are processed at the mill and pressed into cider using the historic equipment. \nThe finished sweet cider is flash pasteurized on the property. \nVisitors can buy cider to take home or drink it while visiting\, and seasonal cider drinks have become part of the experience alongside the mill’s baked goods. \nThat combination has helped turn what was originally a working agricultural business into a fall destination. \nYou can come to learn how a 19th-century cider press works. \nYou can also come because you want cider and a donut. \nNeither is the wrong reason. \nAbout Those Clyde’s Cider Donuts\nFor plenty of visitors\, the steam engine has competition. \nClyde’s cider donuts have become almost as closely associated with the mill as the cider itself. \nThe store sells its well-known cider donuts along with other baked goods and seasonal treats. The selection can vary\, but the broader shop also carries jarred products\, honey from local beekeepers\, candied apples made by the family and other locally produced goods. \nIt’s part bakery\, part country store and part historic attraction. \nAnd on a busy fall weekend\, the line is evidence that plenty of people know exactly what they came for. \nThen There Is the Cider Downstairs\nThe word “cider” gets considerably more complicated at Clyde’s. \nSweet cider is only part of the story. \nClyde’s also makes traditional hard cider using a process very different from the sweeter\, carbonated canned ciders that have become common in supermarkets and bars. \nThe hard cider begins with apple juice and ferments before aging in oak whiskey barrels. \nThe process from juice to finished hard cider typically takes about a year. \nAfter fermentation and aging\, the hard cider receives relatively little filtration before being sold. That preserves more of the raw\, oaky character produced by the barrel. \nThe result is considerably stronger than many commercial hard ciders. \nClyde’s hard ciders and apple wines generally contain 12 to 14 percent alcohol. \nHard Cider vs. Apple Wine: What’s the Difference?\nThis is one of the more interesting parts of Clyde’s operation because the two products begin in essentially the same place. \nBoth the hard cider and apple wine start as fermented apple juice aged in oak whiskey barrels. \nWhat happens afterward separates them. \nClyde’s hard cider is only lightly filtered to remove sediment. That leaves it with a bolder flavor\, more pronounced oak character and more bite. \nThe apple wine receives considerably more filtration. \nThat additional processing produces a smoother\, somewhat sweeter product that is also shelf stable before opening. \nSo someone expecting Clyde’s hard cider to taste like a modern canned hard cider may be surprised. \nThis is closer to an older cider-making tradition. \nWhat’s in the Hard Cider Cellar?\nThe hard cider cellar sits underneath the press building. \nThat’s where visitors can taste Clyde’s traditional hard ciders and where the product has been made for generations. \nAvailability changes throughout the season\, but Clyde’s 2026 lineup includes several recurring varieties. \nThe Original is the starting point. It’s dry\, without added fruit flavors competing with the oak character of the barrel. \nLucky Lion is also dry and crisp\, with a character Clyde’s says some drinkers compare to Scotch. \nBlackout goes even further in that direction. It’s Clyde’s most popular hard cider and wine flavor\, with strong oak notes that the mill describes as almost reminiscent of whiskey. \nThen things get fruitier. \nBoomerang combines apple and cranberry for a tart\, sweeter cider. \nGoodfella adds blackberry and lands on the sweeter end of the lineup. \nYellow Jacket combines apple and orange\, producing some sweetness with a citrus bite. \nCherry Bomb adds another fruit-driven option. \nBecause Clyde’s rotates its hard ciders\, individual varieties can change during the season. \nThe Apple Wine List Goes Much Further\nThe wine side of the operation offers even more variety. \nClyde’s currently lists 14 apple wines\, ranging from dry expressions of apple to much sweeter fruit combinations. \nApple Wine is the driest of the wine lineup. \nSpiced Apple uses mulling spices for a distinctly fall-oriented version. \nSpider Cider combines sweetness with pumpkin spices and can be warmed or used in a hot toddy. \nStrawberry Bliss is the sweetest wine in the lineup\, combining apple and strawberry. \nBlueberry Spinner combines apple and blueberry. \nApple Raspberry leans sweet but tart. \nCider House Blend combines apple\, orange and cranberry. \nSeveral of the hard cider varieties\, including Original\, Lucky Lion\, Blackout\, Boomerang\, Goodfella and Yellow Jacket\, are also produced as wines. \nThe distinction comes back to filtration. \nSame roots. \nDifferent finish. \nYes\, You Can Taste Them for Free\nClyde’s offers separate hard cider and wine tastings throughout its season. \nAnd the tastings are free. \nNo purchase is required and no reservation is necessary. \nVisitors can sample up to four hard ciders and up to four wines at their respective tasting locations. \nHard cider tastings take place in the cellar beneath the press building. \nWine tastings are held in the tasting room\, which has its own connection to the property’s history: the building is a converted grist mill once used to produce johnnycake meal. \nTastings are first-come\, first-served. \nCurrent tasting hours are: \nMonday–Saturday: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.\nSunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. \nEveryone participating in a tasting must show a valid ID\, regardless of age or appearance. Clyde’s does not accept expired IDs or photographs of identification. \nConnecticut alcohol rules also mean Clyde’s cannot sell its hard cider or wine before 10 a.m. on Sundays. \nA Few Clyde’s Flavors to Know Before You Taste\nIf you don’t know where to start\, the tasting bottles are generally arranged from driest to sweetest\, and the staff can help narrow the choices. \nFor something dry: Original or Apple Wine. \nFor strong oak character: Blackout. \nFor dry and crisp: Lucky Lion. \nFor tart cranberry: Boomerang. \nFor something sweeter: Goodfella. \nFor fall spice: Spiced Apple or Spider Cider. \nFor very sweet fruit: Strawberry Bliss or Blueberry Spinner. \nOne warning for anyone accustomed to mass-market hard cider: remember the alcohol content. \nAt 12 to 14 percent ABV\, Clyde’s hard cider is much closer to wine strength than a typical bottle or can of commercial cider. \nCan You Bring Back a Clyde’s Growler?\nYes. \nClyde’s sells 64-ounce growlers of hard cider and offers growler refills. \nThere are a couple of important rules. \nClyde’s refills growlers rather than exchanging them\, so customers should clean their growler before bringing it back. The mill can only refill glass growlers that have a stamped or imprinted 64-ounce measurement. \nWine cannot be used for growler fills. \nThe refill program is for hard cider. \nHard cider should also be kept cool after purchase. Clyde’s recommends refrigeration. \nThere’s More Than Cider\nThe tasting room also contains Clyde’s gift shop\, with merchandise and locally made products that can include handmade earrings\, postcards and art prints. \nElsewhere at the mill\, visitors can browse honey produced by local beekeepers\, jarred foods\, family-made candied apples\, baked goods and other seasonal products. \nThat makes it possible to spend considerably more time at Clyde’s than simply buying a gallon of cider and heading home. \nWatch the press. \nGet cider and donuts. \nExplore the store. \nGo downstairs for a hard cider tasting. \nVisit the wine tasting room. \nBrowse the gift shop. \nIt’s effectively several different experiences spread across the historic property. \nIs B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill Good for Kids?\nYes. \nClyde’s welcomes children of all ages. \nThe working mill is also an opportunity to show kids a piece of machinery doing the job it was actually designed to do more than a century ago. \nThere is no alcohol involved in the regular sweet cider\, and the bakery\, cider and mill demonstration make Clyde’s an easy family fall stop. \nJust don’t confuse the two kinds of cider. \nThe traditional hard cider and apple wines are 12 to 14 percent alcohol and are strictly for adults 21 and older. \nCan You Pick Apples at Clyde’s?\nNo. \nThis is one of the most useful things to know before making the trip. \nB.F. Clyde’s is a cider mill\, not a pick-your-own orchard. \nThe mill purchases apples from small orchards and uses them to produce its cider. \nIf apple picking is part of your fall plans\, you’ll need to visit an orchard separately. \nCan You Bring a Dog?\nYes\, with restrictions. \nLeashed pets are permitted on the grounds. \nThey aren’t allowed inside the buildings or on the porch\, and visitors need to bring whatever they need to clean up after their pets. \nParking Can Be the Hardest Part of a Fall Visit\nClyde’s popularity comes with one predictable problem. \nIt gets busy. \nThe main parking lot can fill during peak periods\, particularly on fall weekends. \nClyde’s asks visitors to try the main lot first and to respect posted no-parking areas and neighboring properties if parking along nearby roads. \nAn auxiliary lot is available at 49 North Stonington Road. It’s approximately four-tenths of a mile from the mill\, so visitors using it should expect a walk. \nIf your schedule is flexible\, a weekday visit can make the entire experience easier. \nIf you’re coming specifically to see the press operate\, Tuesday or Thursday morning offers the combination of a weekday visit and a scheduled pressing window. \nClyde’s Isn’t a Museum\, and That’s the Point\nThere are plenty of places where historic machinery survives behind ropes. \nClyde’s is different. \nBenjamin Clyde started making cider in 1881. \nHe acquired his own mill in the 1890s. \nThe equipment installed in 1898 survived the arrival of hydraulic presses\, mass food production\, supermarkets\, interstate highways and more than a century of changes in how Americans buy their food. \nThe family survived with it. \nToday\, fourth\, fifth and sixth generations are involved in the operation. \nEvery September\, the doors open again. \nApples arrive. \nThe steam-powered machinery starts moving. \nFresh cider begins flowing. \nAnd people line up for cider donuts. \nThat’s why B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is more than another place to add to a Connecticut fall checklist. It’s a piece of New England’s agricultural and industrial history that never stopped doing its job. \n2026 Visitor Guide\nAttraction: B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill\n2026 Season Opening: September 1\, 2026\nCurrent Hours: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.\, seven days a week\nLocation: 129 North Stonington Road\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nAdmission: Free\nChildren: Welcome\nPets: Leashed pets allowed on the grounds; not inside buildings or on the porch\nApple Picking: No\nSweet Cider: Available\nCider Donuts and Baked Goods: Available\nHard Cider: Available for adults 21+\nApple Wine: Available for adults 21+\nAlcohol Content: Hard cider and wine are generally 12–14% ABV\nTastings: Free; no reservation required\nHard Cider Tastings: Cellar beneath the press building\nWine Tastings: Tasting room\nTasting Hours: Monday–Saturday\, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday\, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.\nTypical Pressing Schedule: Tuesday\, Thursday\, Saturday and Sunday\, 10 a.m.–noon\nParking: Main lot plus auxiliary parking at 49 North Stonington Road\nThanksgiving: Closed\nShipping: Not available\nPreorders/Call-Ahead Orders: Not available \nHard Cider Menu\nAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers History \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \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/b-f-clydes-cider-mill-2026-complete-guide/2026-10-06/
LOCATION:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill\, 129 North Stonington Road\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T210000
DTSTAMP:20260913T020703Z
CREATED:20260913T020703Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T020703Z
UID:10007570-1791199800-1791234000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk Brings Five Weeks of Bavarian Food\, Seasonal Beer and Live Music to Mystic
DESCRIPTION:Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk isn’t a one-day festival. Mystic’s European-style beer hall is turning much of fall into Oktoberfest\, beginning Saturday\, September 19 and continuing through Saturday\, October 24\, with a special German-inspired menu\, seasonal beers\, live entertainment\, and Oktoberfest competitions and activities. \nThe extended celebration is something Jealous Monk has been doing for years\, and the restaurant takes the inspiration more seriously than the lederhosen-and-pretzel graphics might suggest. \nJealous Monk says members of its team have made annual research trips to Munich during Oktoberfest\, bringing ideas from the world’s most famous beer festival back to Mystic. \nThey even use the German word that helps explain what they’re trying to recreate: Gemütlichkeit. \nThere isn’t a perfect English translation. It’s a combination of warmth\, friendliness\, comfort\, good cheer\, and the feeling of enjoying yourself in good company. \nIn other words\, it’s pretty much the reason beer halls have big tables. \nMore Than a Single Oktoberfest Party\nJealous Monk’s 2026 celebration begins September 19\, but don’t read that as the date of the entire event. \nThe restaurant’s announcement calls this an “extended” Oktoberfest season running September 19 through October 24. \nThroughout that period\, Jealous Monk plans a special seasonal food menu and Oktoberfest beers along with a changing schedule of musicians and other entertainment. \nContests are part of the celebration as well\, including the most recognizable American Oktoberfest test of endurance: stein hoisting. \nThe restaurant is still completing its detailed 2026 entertainment schedule and Oktoberfest menu\, so individual performers\, contest dates and this year’s complete food and beer lineup have not all been announced yet. \nThat’s worth knowing before making plans around a particular weekend. \nBut the larger celebration is already confirmed. \nJealous Monk Was Practically Built for This\nThere are plenty of restaurants that can put bratwurst on the menu for three weeks and call it Oktoberfest. \nJealous Monk has a bit of a head start. \nThe locally owned restaurant describes itself as Mystic’s only beer garden\, and its home in Olde Mistick Village was designed as a contemporary interpretation of a European beer hall. \nInside\, there’s a barrel-vaulted ceiling\, old-world artwork and long communal tables rather than a dining room filled exclusively with little two- and four-person islands. \nOutside is an expansive beer garden with picnic tables\, games and gathering spaces. \nThen there are the taps. \nJealous Monk maintains 32 rotating draft lines\, allowing the restaurant to shift a significant portion of its beer selection as seasonal Märzens\, Festbiers and other fall releases arrive. \nIts regular menu already leans European in places\, too. Belgian frites\, a Bavarian-style pretzel\, bratwurst and schnitzel live comfortably alongside burgers\, wings\, chowder and other American pub food. \nOktoberfest isn’t much of a costume change here. \nThe Food Gets More German for the Season\nThe complete 2026 Oktoberfest menu has not yet been published\, but previous Jealous Monk Oktoberfest menus give a much better indication of what “special menu” means here. \nLast year’s seasonal offerings included Schweinshaxe\, the German pork knuckle strongly associated with Bavarian cooking. \nJealous Monk prepared its version braised and served it with spätzle\, rotkohl and beer au jus. \nSpätzle are small\, soft egg noodles or dumplings common throughout southern Germany and neighboring parts of Central Europe. \nRotkohl is braised red cabbage\, usually cooked until tender with a balance of sweet and acidic flavors. \nAnother recent Oktoberfest dish was Brathendl\, Bavarian-style roast chicken\, served at Jealous Monk with rotkohl and mashed potatoes. \nThose dishes went considerably further into Bavarian cooking than simply putting mustard on a sausage. \nUntil the restaurant releases this year’s finished menu\, however\, those should be treated as examples from previous celebrations rather than promises for 2026. \nSome Oktoberfest Food Is Available Even Before Oktoberfest\nA few things don’t have to wait until September 19. \nJealous Monk’s regular menu currently includes its Big A Pretzel\, a large Bavarian-style pretzel served with spicy and sweet mustards\, with bier cheese available to add. \nThere’s also a Bavarian Bratwurst\, available traditionally with sauerkraut and spicy mustard or prepared panini-style with Swiss cheese. \nThe regular Chicken Schnitzel is a less traditional Jealous Monk interpretation: crispy breaded chicken with Swiss cheese\, grilled onions and peppers and chipotle aioli\, served with house-cut Belgian frites. \nThose staples give the regular menu a European foundation before the temporary Oktoberfest dishes arrive. \nThen Come the Oktoberfest Beers\nBeer is where an extended celebration makes particularly good sense. \nOktoberfest beer doesn’t describe just one modern style. \nFor much of the 20th century\, Americans came to associate Oktoberfest with Märzen\, an amber German lager with a malty character and clean finish. \nThe beer traditionally had a practical connection to the brewing calendar. Before refrigeration\, brewing during warm summer weather was difficult and potentially dangerous for the beer. Märzen\, meaning “March beer\,” could be brewed in March\, stored through the summer and consumed in autumn. \nModern Munich Oktoberfest has shifted toward Festbier\, generally paler\, lighter in body and extremely drinkable despite retaining enough malt character to stand up to festival food. \nOnly beer from Munich’s six traditional breweries can officially be served at the Oktoberfest in Munich: Augustiner\, Hacker-Pschorr\, Hofbräu\, Löwenbräu\, Paulaner and Spaten. \nJealous Monk’s 32 rotating taps give the Mystic restaurant considerable room to explore both imported German beer and American interpretations of Oktoberfest styles. \nThe exact 2026 seasonal tap list is still developing\, so anyone hunting for a particular brewery should check the current list closer to their visit. \nThe Real Oktoberfest Isn’t Actually in October\nJealous Monk’s September 19 start also lines up almost perfectly with Munich. \nThe 2026 Oktoberfest in Munich runs September 19 through October 4. \nThat often surprises people who understandably assume a festival named Oktoberfest should happen primarily in October. \nIt used to. \nThe original Oktoberfest was held in October 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. \nThe public celebration included horse racing and proved popular enough to return. \nOver time\, the festival grew and its schedule moved earlier to take advantage of September’s generally better weather and longer daylight. \nThe October name stayed. \nJealous Monk begins its Mystic celebration on the same Saturday that Munich opens its 2026 festival\, then keeps going for another three weeks after Munich has packed up the tents. \nA Royal Wedding Started All of This\nThat first celebration took place on fields outside Munich’s city gates. \nThe site became known as Theresienwiese\, or Therese’s Meadow\, in honor of the bride. Munich residents still commonly shorten the name of Oktoberfest itself to the Wiesn. \nWhat began as a royal wedding celebration evolved into an enormous annual festival of beer\, Bavarian food\, music\, rides\, costumes and communal drinking. \nToday’s Oktoberfest bears little resemblance in scale to the 1810 event. \nMillions of people attend during a typical year. \nThe enormous beer tents can accommodate thousands of guests apiece. \nTraditional Bavarian clothing\, particularly lederhosen and dirndls\, has become inseparable from the modern image of the festival. \nAnd the beer arrives by the liter. \nAbout That Stein-Hoisting Contest\nJealous Monk says contests will be part of the 2026 festivities\, with stein hoisting among the activities being promoted. \nThe rules vary by competition\, but the basic concept is wonderfully uncomplicated. \nTake a full beer stein. \nHold it straight out in front of you with one arm. \nDo not bend the elbow. \nDo not lower the arm. \nDo not spill it. \nWait for everyone else to regret entering. \nA full one-liter glass stein weighs roughly five pounds\, so what seems fairly easy for the first few seconds becomes progressively less pleasant. \nIt’s become a staple of American Oktoberfest celebrations\, combining German beer-hall imagery with the very American instinct to turn practically anything into a contest. \nLive Music Will Rotate Through the Celebration\nThe other major piece still being assembled is the entertainment calendar. \nJealous Monk says live musicians will perform throughout the extended Oktoberfest season\, rather than concentrating entertainment into a single opening-day party. \nThat follows the format the restaurant has used in previous years. Its 2024 Oktoberfest\, for example\, featured live music on several dates spread between late September and late October. \nThe restaurant’s September 12 announcement says it is currently putting the finishing touches on its 2026 list of musicians and will add specifics to its events calendar as they are finalized. \nSo this is an event worth checking more than once. \nSeptember 19 is the beginning\, not the whole story. \nWhy Jealous Monk Works as a Beer Hall\nOktoberfest also makes some of Jealous Monk’s design choices easier to understand. \nTraditional beer halls aren’t designed around privacy. \nThey’re designed around gathering. \nLong tables put strangers next to one another. Food is hearty. Beer comes in substantial quantities. Music and conversation create enough noise that nobody expects a hushed dining room. \nJealous Monk borrowed that social model for its Mystic restaurant. \nThe indoor hall includes large communal tables\, while the outdoor beer garden uses picnic-style seating. Board games\, pinball and old-school video games add to the idea that customers are supposed to stay for a while rather than simply eat and leave. \nThe restaurant’s full name says it plainly: \nJealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden. \nFor five weeks beginning September 19\, the “beer garden” part gets to take center stage. \nYou Don’t Have to Drink Beer\nDespite the name and the Oktoberfest theme\, Jealous Monk isn’t exclusively for beer drinkers. \nThe restaurant also maintains wine\, liquor and cocktail selections\, and its food menu includes burgers\, sandwiches\, salads\, seafood and vegetarian options alongside the more obvious beer-hall fare. \nIt’s also a restaurant rather than a ticketed beer festival. \nThe currently announced Oktoberfest season does not carry a general admission charge. Customers visit Jealous Monk normally and order food and drinks\, while special entertainment and activities occur throughout the run. \nThat makes this fundamentally different from the one-afternoon Oktoberfests where admission buys a tasting glass and a fixed number of pours. \nYou can go once. \nOr you can go back as the taps\, menu specials and entertainment change. \nFive Weeks Gives You Time to Do It Properly\nThat’s really the advantage of Jealous Monk’s approach. \nOktoberfest doesn’t have to be crammed into one Saturday afternoon. \nThe first visit might be for the seasonal menu. \nAnother could coincide with live music. \nA third might involve a Märzen you haven’t tried. \nAnd eventually someone is going to convince you that holding a five-pound glass at arm’s length sounds like fun. \nThe 2026 celebration opens September 19. \nBy the time it ends October 24\, Mystic will be deep into foliage\, Olde Mistick Village will have shifted from late-summer visitors toward its fall crowds\, and Jealous Monk will have spent more than a month doing what a beer garden was designed to do. \nGather people around a table. \nPour the beer. \nBring out the food. \nProst. \nDetails\nEvent: Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk\nDates: Saturday\, September 19 through Saturday\, October 24\, 2026\nVenue: Jealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden\nLocation: Olde Mistick Village\, Building 20\nAddress: 27 Coogan Boulevard\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nAdmission: No general admission charge announced; food and beverages purchased separately\nFood: Special Oktoberfest menu planned for the season; complete 2026 menu is still being finalized\nBeer: Seasonal Oktoberfest beers plus Jealous Monk’s rotating draft selection\nDrafts: 32 rotating taps\nEntertainment: Live musicians throughout the Oktoberfest run; individual performers and dates are still being announced\nActivities: Oktoberfest contests and activities\, including stein-hoisting festivities\nIndoor/Outdoor: Indoor social hall and outdoor beer garden\, weather permitting\nRegular Hours: Monday–Thursday\, 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday\, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday\, 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.\nPhone: 860-536-6665 \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/oktoberfest-at-jealous-monk-brings-five-weeks-of-bavarian-food-seasonal-beer-and-live-music-to-mystic/2026-10-05/
LOCATION:Jealous Monk\, 27 Coogan Blvd\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Jealous Monk
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T180000
DTSTAMP:20260901T212201Z
CREATED:20260901T212201Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T212201Z
UID:10007337-1791190800-1791223200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill 2026: Complete Guide
DESCRIPTION:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is now open for the 2026 season\, beginning another fall of fresh-pressed sweet cider\, cider donuts\, traditional hard cider\, apple wine and one of the most unusual pieces of working history in Connecticut. \nThe family-owned Old Mystic landmark opened for the season September 1 and is currently scheduled to operate seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 129 North Stonington Road. \nBut calling Clyde’s a cider shop doesn’t quite explain why generations of families make a trip here every fall. \nThe mill has been family-owned since 1881. Fourth\, fifth and sixth generations of the family still work in the business. Apples are still crushed and pressed using historic machinery powered by steam. Visitors can watch the machinery operate\, descend into the cellar for traditional hard cider tastings\, sample apple wines in a converted grist mill and leave with a bag of cider donuts. \nClyde’s calls itself the oldest steam-powered cider mill in the United States. \nMore precisely\, it is the last operating steam-powered cider mill in the country\, according to the mill\, and its historic cider-making machinery has been recognized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. \nIt isn’t a reproduction of an old cider mill. \nIt’s the real thing. \nA Mystic Fall Tradition Since 1881\nThe story begins with Benjamin F. Clyde. \nIn 1881\, Clyde began producing cider from apples he had pressed at other local mills. He eventually rented a press before purchasing his own mill in 1897. \nThe equipment that followed would become the heart of the operation visitors still come to see. \nClyde purchased a screw press manufactured by Boomer & Boschert of Syracuse\, New York. The company also supplied the apple grater\, elevator and cider pump\, along with plans for the mill building. \nThe machinery was installed in 1898. \nAt the time\, cider mills were hardly unusual in rural America. \nThey served much the same role for apple growers that grist mills did for farmers growing grain. Orchards could bring surplus apples to a centrally located mill\, where the fruit could be processed and pressed into juice. Some of that juice could then be fermented into hard cider. \nMost of those community mills disappeared. \nClyde’s didn’t. \nThe Steam-Powered Mill Is Still Working\nThat’s what makes a visit different from touring a preserved historic building. \nThe machinery still has a job. \nApples enter the cider-making system and are elevated to a grinder\, where they’re reduced to pulp. That pulp is prepared for pressing\, and the historic screw press applies the tremendous pressure needed to extract the juice. \nThe technology was impressive for its era. \nAccording to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers\, the all-steel screw press could apply pressure at three speeds and represented one of the last generations of screw presses before hydraulic presses became widespread during the 20th century. \nASME designated B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1994\, recognizing the machinery as a rare survivor of an industry that was once common throughout America’s apple-growing regions. \nMore than a century after the equipment was installed\, Clyde’s still uses the mill to make cider. \nWhen Can You Watch Clyde’s Press Cider?\nVisitors don’t have to settle for looking at the machinery. \nClyde’s runs it during the season. \nThe mill’s typical pressing schedule is: \nTuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m.–noon\nSaturday and Sunday: 10 a.m.–noon \nThe schedule can vary because Clyde’s presses according to production needs\, so the machinery isn’t guaranteed to be running continuously throughout those periods. \nEven when the press isn’t operating\, visitors are welcome to look inside the historic press building. \nFor anyone specifically interested in seeing the steam-powered machinery at work\, a pressing morning is the best time to plan a visit. \nHow Clyde’s Makes Sweet Cider\nFresh sweet cider is the product that started everything. \nClyde’s purchases its apples from small orchards rather than operating a pick-your-own orchard of its own. The apples are processed at the mill and pressed into cider using the historic equipment. \nThe finished sweet cider is flash pasteurized on the property. \nVisitors can buy cider to take home or drink it while visiting\, and seasonal cider drinks have become part of the experience alongside the mill’s baked goods. \nThat combination has helped turn what was originally a working agricultural business into a fall destination. \nYou can come to learn how a 19th-century cider press works. \nYou can also come because you want cider and a donut. \nNeither is the wrong reason. \nAbout Those Clyde’s Cider Donuts\nFor plenty of visitors\, the steam engine has competition. \nClyde’s cider donuts have become almost as closely associated with the mill as the cider itself. \nThe store sells its well-known cider donuts along with other baked goods and seasonal treats. The selection can vary\, but the broader shop also carries jarred products\, honey from local beekeepers\, candied apples made by the family and other locally produced goods. \nIt’s part bakery\, part country store and part historic attraction. \nAnd on a busy fall weekend\, the line is evidence that plenty of people know exactly what they came for. \nThen There Is the Cider Downstairs\nThe word “cider” gets considerably more complicated at Clyde’s. \nSweet cider is only part of the story. \nClyde’s also makes traditional hard cider using a process very different from the sweeter\, carbonated canned ciders that have become common in supermarkets and bars. \nThe hard cider begins with apple juice and ferments before aging in oak whiskey barrels. \nThe process from juice to finished hard cider typically takes about a year. \nAfter fermentation and aging\, the hard cider receives relatively little filtration before being sold. That preserves more of the raw\, oaky character produced by the barrel. \nThe result is considerably stronger than many commercial hard ciders. \nClyde’s hard ciders and apple wines generally contain 12 to 14 percent alcohol. \nHard Cider vs. Apple Wine: What’s the Difference?\nThis is one of the more interesting parts of Clyde’s operation because the two products begin in essentially the same place. \nBoth the hard cider and apple wine start as fermented apple juice aged in oak whiskey barrels. \nWhat happens afterward separates them. \nClyde’s hard cider is only lightly filtered to remove sediment. That leaves it with a bolder flavor\, more pronounced oak character and more bite. \nThe apple wine receives considerably more filtration. \nThat additional processing produces a smoother\, somewhat sweeter product that is also shelf stable before opening. \nSo someone expecting Clyde’s hard cider to taste like a modern canned hard cider may be surprised. \nThis is closer to an older cider-making tradition. \nWhat’s in the Hard Cider Cellar?\nThe hard cider cellar sits underneath the press building. \nThat’s where visitors can taste Clyde’s traditional hard ciders and where the product has been made for generations. \nAvailability changes throughout the season\, but Clyde’s 2026 lineup includes several recurring varieties. \nThe Original is the starting point. It’s dry\, without added fruit flavors competing with the oak character of the barrel. \nLucky Lion is also dry and crisp\, with a character Clyde’s says some drinkers compare to Scotch. \nBlackout goes even further in that direction. It’s Clyde’s most popular hard cider and wine flavor\, with strong oak notes that the mill describes as almost reminiscent of whiskey. \nThen things get fruitier. \nBoomerang combines apple and cranberry for a tart\, sweeter cider. \nGoodfella adds blackberry and lands on the sweeter end of the lineup. \nYellow Jacket combines apple and orange\, producing some sweetness with a citrus bite. \nCherry Bomb adds another fruit-driven option. \nBecause Clyde’s rotates its hard ciders\, individual varieties can change during the season. \nThe Apple Wine List Goes Much Further\nThe wine side of the operation offers even more variety. \nClyde’s currently lists 14 apple wines\, ranging from dry expressions of apple to much sweeter fruit combinations. \nApple Wine is the driest of the wine lineup. \nSpiced Apple uses mulling spices for a distinctly fall-oriented version. \nSpider Cider combines sweetness with pumpkin spices and can be warmed or used in a hot toddy. \nStrawberry Bliss is the sweetest wine in the lineup\, combining apple and strawberry. \nBlueberry Spinner combines apple and blueberry. \nApple Raspberry leans sweet but tart. \nCider House Blend combines apple\, orange and cranberry. \nSeveral of the hard cider varieties\, including Original\, Lucky Lion\, Blackout\, Boomerang\, Goodfella and Yellow Jacket\, are also produced as wines. \nThe distinction comes back to filtration. \nSame roots. \nDifferent finish. \nYes\, You Can Taste Them for Free\nClyde’s offers separate hard cider and wine tastings throughout its season. \nAnd the tastings are free. \nNo purchase is required and no reservation is necessary. \nVisitors can sample up to four hard ciders and up to four wines at their respective tasting locations. \nHard cider tastings take place in the cellar beneath the press building. \nWine tastings are held in the tasting room\, which has its own connection to the property’s history: the building is a converted grist mill once used to produce johnnycake meal. \nTastings are first-come\, first-served. \nCurrent tasting hours are: \nMonday–Saturday: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.\nSunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. \nEveryone participating in a tasting must show a valid ID\, regardless of age or appearance. Clyde’s does not accept expired IDs or photographs of identification. \nConnecticut alcohol rules also mean Clyde’s cannot sell its hard cider or wine before 10 a.m. on Sundays. \nA Few Clyde’s Flavors to Know Before You Taste\nIf you don’t know where to start\, the tasting bottles are generally arranged from driest to sweetest\, and the staff can help narrow the choices. \nFor something dry: Original or Apple Wine. \nFor strong oak character: Blackout. \nFor dry and crisp: Lucky Lion. \nFor tart cranberry: Boomerang. \nFor something sweeter: Goodfella. \nFor fall spice: Spiced Apple or Spider Cider. \nFor very sweet fruit: Strawberry Bliss or Blueberry Spinner. \nOne warning for anyone accustomed to mass-market hard cider: remember the alcohol content. \nAt 12 to 14 percent ABV\, Clyde’s hard cider is much closer to wine strength than a typical bottle or can of commercial cider. \nCan You Bring Back a Clyde’s Growler?\nYes. \nClyde’s sells 64-ounce growlers of hard cider and offers growler refills. \nThere are a couple of important rules. \nClyde’s refills growlers rather than exchanging them\, so customers should clean their growler before bringing it back. The mill can only refill glass growlers that have a stamped or imprinted 64-ounce measurement. \nWine cannot be used for growler fills. \nThe refill program is for hard cider. \nHard cider should also be kept cool after purchase. Clyde’s recommends refrigeration. \nThere’s More Than Cider\nThe tasting room also contains Clyde’s gift shop\, with merchandise and locally made products that can include handmade earrings\, postcards and art prints. \nElsewhere at the mill\, visitors can browse honey produced by local beekeepers\, jarred foods\, family-made candied apples\, baked goods and other seasonal products. \nThat makes it possible to spend considerably more time at Clyde’s than simply buying a gallon of cider and heading home. \nWatch the press. \nGet cider and donuts. \nExplore the store. \nGo downstairs for a hard cider tasting. \nVisit the wine tasting room. \nBrowse the gift shop. \nIt’s effectively several different experiences spread across the historic property. \nIs B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill Good for Kids?\nYes. \nClyde’s welcomes children of all ages. \nThe working mill is also an opportunity to show kids a piece of machinery doing the job it was actually designed to do more than a century ago. \nThere is no alcohol involved in the regular sweet cider\, and the bakery\, cider and mill demonstration make Clyde’s an easy family fall stop. \nJust don’t confuse the two kinds of cider. \nThe traditional hard cider and apple wines are 12 to 14 percent alcohol and are strictly for adults 21 and older. \nCan You Pick Apples at Clyde’s?\nNo. \nThis is one of the most useful things to know before making the trip. \nB.F. Clyde’s is a cider mill\, not a pick-your-own orchard. \nThe mill purchases apples from small orchards and uses them to produce its cider. \nIf apple picking is part of your fall plans\, you’ll need to visit an orchard separately. \nCan You Bring a Dog?\nYes\, with restrictions. \nLeashed pets are permitted on the grounds. \nThey aren’t allowed inside the buildings or on the porch\, and visitors need to bring whatever they need to clean up after their pets. \nParking Can Be the Hardest Part of a Fall Visit\nClyde’s popularity comes with one predictable problem. \nIt gets busy. \nThe main parking lot can fill during peak periods\, particularly on fall weekends. \nClyde’s asks visitors to try the main lot first and to respect posted no-parking areas and neighboring properties if parking along nearby roads. \nAn auxiliary lot is available at 49 North Stonington Road. It’s approximately four-tenths of a mile from the mill\, so visitors using it should expect a walk. \nIf your schedule is flexible\, a weekday visit can make the entire experience easier. \nIf you’re coming specifically to see the press operate\, Tuesday or Thursday morning offers the combination of a weekday visit and a scheduled pressing window. \nClyde’s Isn’t a Museum\, and That’s the Point\nThere are plenty of places where historic machinery survives behind ropes. \nClyde’s is different. \nBenjamin Clyde started making cider in 1881. \nHe acquired his own mill in the 1890s. \nThe equipment installed in 1898 survived the arrival of hydraulic presses\, mass food production\, supermarkets\, interstate highways and more than a century of changes in how Americans buy their food. \nThe family survived with it. \nToday\, fourth\, fifth and sixth generations are involved in the operation. \nEvery September\, the doors open again. \nApples arrive. \nThe steam-powered machinery starts moving. \nFresh cider begins flowing. \nAnd people line up for cider donuts. \nThat’s why B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is more than another place to add to a Connecticut fall checklist. It’s a piece of New England’s agricultural and industrial history that never stopped doing its job. \n2026 Visitor Guide\nAttraction: B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill\n2026 Season Opening: September 1\, 2026\nCurrent Hours: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.\, seven days a week\nLocation: 129 North Stonington Road\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nAdmission: Free\nChildren: Welcome\nPets: Leashed pets allowed on the grounds; not inside buildings or on the porch\nApple Picking: No\nSweet Cider: Available\nCider Donuts and Baked Goods: Available\nHard Cider: Available for adults 21+\nApple Wine: Available for adults 21+\nAlcohol Content: Hard cider and wine are generally 12–14% ABV\nTastings: Free; no reservation required\nHard Cider Tastings: Cellar beneath the press building\nWine Tastings: Tasting room\nTasting Hours: Monday–Saturday\, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday\, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.\nTypical Pressing Schedule: Tuesday\, Thursday\, Saturday and Sunday\, 10 a.m.–noon\nParking: Main lot plus auxiliary parking at 49 North Stonington Road\nThanksgiving: Closed\nShipping: Not available\nPreorders/Call-Ahead Orders: Not available \nHard Cider Menu\nAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers History \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \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/b-f-clydes-cider-mill-2026-complete-guide/2026-10-05/
LOCATION:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill\, 129 North Stonington Road\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T210000
DTSTAMP:20260929T024550Z
CREATED:20260929T024550Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T024550Z
UID:10009185-1791133200-1791147600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Pumpkin Passage Turns The Dinosaur Place Into a Glowing Halloween Playground
DESCRIPTION:Pumpkin Passage Turns The Dinosaur Place Into a Glowing Halloween Playground beginning Oct. 3\, when the dinosaurs stay up after dark\, and The Dinosaur Place in Montville transforms its prehistoric trails into a month-long Halloween world filled with glowing dinosaurs\, illuminated pumpkins\, mythical creatures\, live entertainers\, inflatables\, games\, and marshmallows around the fire. \nAnd despite all the ingredients that could make this terrifying — darkness\, enormous dinosaurs and Halloween — Pumpkin Passage is deliberately aimed at families with young children. \nThis is the eighth year for the annual event at Nature’s Art Village\, and rather than building a haunted attraction around jump scares and monsters\, the park uses its existing dinosaurs as the backdrop for a nighttime Halloween adventure kids can explore with their parents. \nThe result lands somewhere between a Halloween light walk\, an outdoor carnival\, and a visit to The Dinosaur Place after everybody forgot to tell the dinosaurs it was bedtime. \nWait Until the Sun Goes Down\nThe centerpiece is the illuminated trail. \nFamilies walk among glowing dinosaurs\, pumpkins and mythical creatures as Halloween lighting transforms the wooded attraction after dark. The Dinosaur Place is already home to more than 100 life-sized dinosaurs\, including animatronic creatures\, spread across its trails and attractions. Once daylight disappears\, those familiar prehistoric residents become part of the Halloween scenery. \nBut walking the trail is only part of the night. \nPumpkin Passage spreads activities throughout the grounds\, including the Jurassic Jungle bounce house\, a towering 20-foot Funhouse Super Slide\, an inflatable corn maze and other inflatables. \nThere are also lawn games and activities\, including inflatable axe throwing\, cornhole\, Connect 4 and Who’s Your Pumpkin. \nThen there are the pumpkins. \nAmong the more unusual attractions is an original performance by a family of singing animatronic pumpkins — which seems exactly like the sort of wonderfully odd Halloween creation children will either talk about for the rest of the month or insist on seeing again immediately. \nEvery Night Adds Live Entertainment\nPumpkin Passage isn’t exactly the same experience every night. \nThe Dinosaur Place is scheduling live entertainers throughout the run\, with the entertainment changing depending on the date. The lineup includes face painting and glitter tattoos\, balloon twisting\, a petting zoo\, DJs\, light performers\, stilt walkers and other specialty entertainment. \nThat means families planning around a particular performer should check the night’s entertainment schedule before choosing a date rather than assuming every attraction appears at every performance. \nThe regular attractions\, however\, give families plenty to do beyond the scheduled shows. \nOne of the simplest may also be one of the nicest on a cool October night: free marshmallow roasting around the fire pit\, including marshmallows and roasting sticks. S’mores kits\, hot apple cider and cocoa are available as extras. \nFood trucks rotate through Pumpkin Passage as well\, with different vendors scheduled during the month. The published lineup includes pizza\, barbecue\, burgers\, tacos\, Mexican street food\, ice cream\, shaved ice and other festival food. \nAnd because this is Halloween\, costumes are encouraged. \nHalloween for Kids Who Aren’t Looking to Be Terrified\nThe most important word in Pumpkin Passage may be friendly. \nThe event is specifically promoted as toddler- and kid-friendly. This isn’t the place to take a child who wants chainsaws\, blood\, actors leaping from behind trees and a terrifying haunted maze. \nIt’s almost the opposite. \nThe attraction uses the visual language of Halloween — darkness\, glowing pumpkins\, unusual creatures and dramatic lighting — without turning the night into a scare attraction. \nThat makes Pumpkin Passage an option for families whose children are excited about Halloween but aren’t ready for a traditional haunted house. \nIt also gives parents something considerably more substantial than walking around a parking lot collecting candy. Families can make an evening of it\, moving between the illuminated trail\, inflatables\, entertainment\, games\, food trucks and fire pit. \nAnd for a dinosaur-obsessed child\, there’s an obvious bonus: Halloween doesn’t replace the dinosaurs. \nIt joins them. \nThere Are 18 Chances to Go\nOpening night is Saturday\, Oct. 3\, but Pumpkin Passage continues throughout October and even spills into November. \nThe regular schedule includes Fridays\, Saturdays and Sundays beginning Oct. 3\, plus Columbus Day on Monday\, Oct. 12\, and three specially priced Thursday nights on Oct. 15\, 22 and 29. The final night is Sunday\, Nov. 1. \nPumpkin Passage begins at 5 p.m. each night. Friday and Saturday dates generally continue until 9 p.m.\, while Sundays\, the holiday Monday and specially scheduled Thursdays run until 8 p.m. \nOne caution when planning: some outside event calendars show slightly different times. The Dinosaur Place’s own current schedule says Pumpkin Passage begins at 5 p.m.\, so that’s the schedule we would use when planning a visit. \nThe Thursday nights are also less expensive than the regular weekend dates\, giving families some incentive to visit before Halloween weekend. \nOnline ticketing is required\, and reservations are strongly recommended because individual dates can sell out. \nFor families who already love The Dinosaur Place\, Pumpkin Passage offers something genuinely different from a daytime visit. And for children who want Halloween to feel magical rather than frightening\, glowing dinosaurs\, singing pumpkins\, bounce houses and marshmallows may be a pretty good place to start. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: 8th Annual Pumpkin Passage\nOpening Night: Saturday\, Oct. 3\, 2026\nFinal Night: Sunday\, Nov. 1\, 2026\nLocation: The Dinosaur Place at Nature’s Art Village\nAddress: 1650 Hartford-New London Turnpike\, Montville\, CT 06370\nRegular Dates: Fridays\, Saturdays and Sundays beginning Oct. 3\nAdditional Dates: Monday\, Oct. 12; Thursdays\, Oct. 15\, 22 and 29; Sunday\, Nov. 1\nStart Time: 5 p.m.\nFriday & Saturday Hours: Generally 5–9 p.m.\nSunday & Select Weeknight Hours: Generally 5–8 p.m.\nRegular Admission: Children ages 2–12\, $29; ages 13+\, $27; children under 2 free\nSpecial Thursday Pricing: Reduced admission applies Oct. 15\, 22 and 29; check current ticketing for final price before purchasing\nTickets: Online ticketing only; advance reservations strongly recommended\nIncluded: Illuminated Halloween trail\, glowing dinosaurs and pumpkins\, inflatables\, lawn games\, singing animatronic pumpkins\, marshmallow roasting\, photo opportunities and scheduled entertainment\nFood: Rotating food trucks; additional treats and drinks available for purchase\nCostumes: Encouraged\nAudience: Designed as a kid- and toddler-friendly Halloween event\nParking: Free\nWeather: Outdoor event; management may close attractions because of adverse weather. If Pumpkin Passage is forced to close because of rain or lightning at the scheduled visit time\, ticket holders may be offered a rain check to rebook.\nPhone: 860-443-4367 \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/pumpkin-passage-turns-the-dinosaur-place-into-a-glowing-halloween-playground/2026-10-04/
LOCATION:The Dinosaur Place at Nature’s Art Village\, 1650 Hartford-New London Tpke\, Montville\, 06370\, United States
CATEGORIES:The Dinosaur Place
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pumpkin-Passage-Turns-The-Dinosaur-Place-Into-a-Glowing-Halloween-Playground.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T200000
DTSTAMP:20260928T014407Z
CREATED:20260914T003157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260928T014407Z
UID:10007597-1791129600-1791144000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Harbor Glow Lights Up Norwich Harbor With Hot-Air Balloons\, Fire Cauldrons and a Waterfront Festival
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event has been rescheduled to Sun Oct 4 @ 4 p.m.\nHarbor Glow returns to Norwich on Sunday\, October 4\, transforming the Marina at American Wharf with glowing hot-air balloons\, fire cauldrons on the river\, food vendors\, music\, magic\, crafts\, and family activities from 4 to 8 p.m. \nThe waterfront celebration is presented by Global City Norwich in partnership with the Marina at American Wharf and Norwich Public Utilities\, and after drawing more than 2\,000 people last year\, it has become one of the city’s signature community events. \nThis year’s Harbor Glow also comes with something completely new. \nFor the first time\, visitors can arrive from New London by boat aboard a special Thames River Heritage Park Norwich Harbor Glow Cruise\, traveling up the Thames River to American Wharf before returning to New London at sunset. \nBut whether you arrive by car or boat\, the main attraction happens as daylight begins disappearing over Norwich Harbor. \nThat’s when the balloons and fire come alive. \nHot-Air Balloons Turn Into Giant Lanterns\nHot-air balloons are impressive in daylight. \nAfter dark\, they’re something else. \nHarbor Glow uses the balloons for an evening balloon glow\, with burners periodically firing into the envelopes while the balloons remain on the ground. \nEach blast illuminates the enormous fabric envelope from within\, temporarily turning the balloon into a glowing lantern. \nPut several of them along a waterfront and add their reflections in the harbor\, and you get the visual centerpiece that gives Harbor Glow its name. \nLast year’s festival included an additional surprise when guests were offered opportunities to take evening balloon rides. \nThe current 2026 announcement confirms the return of the hot-air balloons but does not yet advertise balloon rides\, so visitors shouldn’t assume rides will be offered again this year unless organizers announce them before September 27. \nEven from the ground\, the glow is the show. \nAnd it gets better as the sky gets darker. \nThen They Put Fire on the River\nThe balloons aren’t the only source of light. \nOrganizers are again promising fire cauldrons out on the river. \nThe installations provide another layer to the spectacle\, placing points of flame directly against the water and allowing the movement of the harbor to multiply the light through reflections. \nLast year’s Harbor Glow paired its balloons with colorful fire-and-water installations across the waterfront. \nThat combination helped make the event much more than a conventional hot-air-balloon gathering. \nThe marina itself becomes part of the display. \nBoats\, docks\, water\, balloons and flames all sit within the same field of view. \nIt’s the kind of event that changes significantly over four hours. \nCome at 4 p.m. and you’re arriving at an afternoon waterfront festival. \nStay into the evening and you’re standing inside a light show. \nSix Food Vendors Are Coming to the Marina\nThe 2026 festival will feature six food vendors. \nGlobal City Norwich has not yet published the names of all six in its current event listing\, so we’re not going to turn last year’s vendors into this year’s lineup without confirmation. \nBut last year’s event gives a sense of the variety organizers have brought to the waterfront. \nThe 2025 Harbor Glow offered food ranging from seafood and pizza to whoopie pies\, cupcakes and specialty coffee. \nThis year’s six-vendor lineup should give families enough variety to treat Harbor Glow as a dinner destination rather than simply stopping by for the balloons. \nAnd American Wharf now has another permanent dining option of its own. \nThese Guys Brewing Is Now at American Wharf\nThe Marina at American Wharf is currently home to These Guys Brewing\, bringing the Norwich brewery and restaurant directly onto the waterfront. \nThese Guys has built its identity around house-brewed craft beer and a full food menu\, and the American Wharf location gives the brewery a setting quite different from a traditional downtown brewpub. \nThere is also Encanto Scoop at The Docks\, providing another food option at the marina. \nNeither should be confused with the six announced Harbor Glow food vendors unless organizers specifically identify them as festival vendors. They’re permanent businesses at American Wharf rather than names on the currently published festival vendor roster. \nBut their presence is another sign of what’s been happening at the marina. \nAmerican Wharf isn’t simply being used as an empty waterfront lot for a once-a-year festival. \nThere’s an effort underway to make it a destination again. \nAmerican Wharf Gives Norwich a Waterfront Most People Drive Past\nNorwich has one of the more unusual waterfronts in southeastern Connecticut. \nThe Yantic and Shetucket rivers converge at Norwich Harbor to form the Thames River\, which then runs approximately 15 miles south toward New London and Long Island Sound. \nThat makes Norwich the inland head of a waterway connecting the city directly with communities including Montville\, Ledyard\, Groton and New London. \nThe Marina at American Wharf sits right at that northern end. \nToday it’s a 160-slip marina and event destination with dining\, transient dockage and direct access to Norwich Harbor. \nFor Harbor Glow\, that geography is particularly useful. \nInstead of putting illuminated balloons in a field\, organizers can build the event around the water itself. \nAnd in 2026\, another organization is taking advantage of the same geography. \nFor the First Time\, You Can Cruise From New London to Harbor Glow\nThe Thames River Heritage Park is heading farther upriver than usual for a special September 27 excursion. \nThe organization’s inaugural Norwich Harbor Glow Cruise departs City Pier in New London at 2:45 p.m. \nInstead of immediately heading toward Long Island Sound\, the boat turns north. \nPassengers get a narrated trip along the Thames River\, with a guide discussing historic sites and landmarks along the way. \nThe boat is scheduled to reach American Wharf at approximately 3:45 p.m.\, just before Harbor Glow begins. \nPassengers then get two hours to explore the festival. \nAt 6:15 p.m.\, it’s back aboard for the return trip. \nArrival in New London is scheduled for approximately 7:15 p.m.\, with the return timed as a sunset cruise. \nThe entire excursion runs from 2:45 to 7:15 p.m. \nAnd it’s significant for Thames River Heritage Park. \nThis is the organization’s first excursion taking passengers upriver to Norwich. \nThe Thames Is Full of Stories on the Way North\nThe narrated cruise gives passengers something drivers don’t get. \nContext. \nThe Thames River corridor contains an extraordinary concentration of military\, maritime and industrial history. \nNew London grew around one of America’s great natural harbors. \nGroton became a center of submarine construction. \nThe U.S. Navy established the installation that developed into Naval Submarine Base New London. \nElectric Boat grew into one of the country’s most important submarine builders. \nFarther north\, the river passes communities whose histories were shaped by mills\, railroads\, shipping and manufacturing. \nAnd at the top is Norwich\, a city whose own development was tied closely to the three rivers surrounding it. \nMost people in southeastern Connecticut experience this corridor from Interstate 95\, Route 12 or Route 32. \nSeeing it from the river changes the geography completely. \nSuddenly Norwich and New London aren’t simply two cities separated by a highway drive. \nThey’re opposite ends of the same river. \nThe Cruise Comes With Norwich Perks\nThames River Heritage Park is also connecting the cruise to Norwich businesses through its Ride & Save Program. \nPassengers can show their cruise receipt at participating businesses for special offers. \nAmong the currently announced deals are: \nStrange Brew Pub\, 86 Water Street\, offering a 10% credit or $1 cash off a first order. \nTraviezo\, 1 Market Street\, offering a free dessert with an entrée. \nThe Briar Patch\, 48 Franklin Street\, offering 10% off an in-store item. \nAdditional participating businesses and offers may be announced. \nIt’s a small detail\, but it reveals a larger purpose behind the excursion. \nThe goal isn’t simply to transport people to Harbor Glow and take them home. \nIt’s to introduce visitors to Norwich and give them a reason to come back. \nKids Have Plenty to Do Before the Sun Goes Down\nFamilies don’t need to wait for darkness for Harbor Glow to get going. \nThe 2026 event includes free children’s activities throughout the afternoon and evening. \nOrganizers have confirmed: \nFace painting \nBalloon twisting \nA magician \nFree arts and crafts \nThere will also be a live DJ providing music during the festival. \nThat gives the first half of the event a different character from the second. \nArrive when the gates open at 4 and let the kids hit the activities\, find dinner and explore the marina. \nThen\, as evening settles over the harbor\, attention shifts toward the balloons\, flames and water. \nIt’s a clever way to structure a four-hour family event. \nNobody needs to entertain a child for three hours while waiting for darkness. \nHarbor Glow Is Only in Its Third Year\nFor something that already draws thousands of people\, Harbor Glow is surprisingly young. \nThe event returned in 2025 for only its second year. \nMore than 2\,000 people attended that edition\, according to the Norwich Community Development Corporation’s annual report. \nThat report now describes Harbor Glow as a signature waterfront celebration. \nThat’s considerable growth for an event only a few years old. \nIt also suggests organizers found something that works particularly well for Norwich. \nThere are plenty of fall festivals around Connecticut. \nThere are fewer built around illuminated hot-air balloons and floating fire installations at the meeting point of three rivers. \nHarbor Glow has a visual identity of its own. \nGlobal City Norwich Is Behind It\nThe organizer\, Global City Norwich\, is a program of the Norwich Community Development Corporation. \nIts mission extends well beyond Harbor Glow. \nGlobal City Norwich organizes cultural celebrations\, flag raisings\, festivals and programs designed to support entrepreneurs while highlighting the many communities that make up Norwich. \nIts calendar includes heritage celebrations representing cultures from around the world\, along with programs supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs. \nHarbor Glow takes a somewhat different approach. \nRather than focusing on one particular culture\, it creates a citywide gathering centered on the waterfront itself. \nLast year\, Global City Norwich hosted Harbor Glow in partnership with the Marina at American Wharf and Norwich Public Utilities. \nThose three organizations are together again for the 2026 event. \nNorwich Public Utilities Is More Than a Name on the Poster\nNorwich Public Utilities\, or NPU\, is one of the event’s named sponsors. \nThe municipally owned utility has served Norwich for more than a century and provides electric\, natural gas\, water and wastewater services. \nThat local ownership makes NPU unusual compared with communities served entirely by investor-owned utilities. \nIt also makes the organization a frequent participant in Norwich community initiatives and events. \nFor Harbor Glow\, NPU joins Global City Norwich and the Marina at American Wharf as the three sponsors specifically identified in the current 2026 event listing. \nAdditional participating organizations or vendors may still be announced before September 27. \nIt’s Free to Attend\nPerhaps the easiest detail of Harbor Glow is the price. \nThe festival is free and open to all ages. \nParking is also advertised as free. \nThat’s notable for an event that includes entertainment\, children’s activities\, crafts and the balloon-and-fire spectacle without charging general admission. \nFood and beverages are separate purchases. \nThe Thames River Heritage Park cruise is also a separate ticketed experience and shouldn’t be confused with admission to Harbor Glow itself. \nYou absolutely do not need a cruise ticket to attend the festival. \nDrive to Norwich\, park and attend Harbor Glow for free. \nThe cruise simply offers a particularly memorable way to get there. \nDon’t Arrive Expecting the Balloons to Glow at 4\nThis is worth understanding before planning the afternoon. \nA balloon glow needs darkness. \nThe event begins at 4 p.m.\, so the balloons won’t look at 4:15 the way they will later in the evening. \nThe earlier hours are for food\, children’s activities\, entertainment and exploring the waterfront. \nThe visual payoff grows as daylight fades. \nHot-air-balloon activities are also inherently weather dependent. \nWind is particularly important. Even when rain isn’t falling\, conditions can affect whether balloons can safely inflate or operate as planned. \nAnyone attending primarily for the balloons should check Global City Norwich’s event updates on September 27 if weather looks questionable. \nCome for the Festival\, Stay for the Transformation\nThat’s really what separates Harbor Glow from an ordinary afternoon festival. \nThe place changes while you’re there. \nAt 4 p.m.\, American Wharf is a marina filled with families\, food\, crafts and entertainment. \nThen the light starts dropping. \nBurners ignite. \nBalloon envelopes light from within. \nFire appears against the water. \nReflections begin stretching across Norwich Harbor. \nAnd a working marina at the head of the Thames becomes something entirely different for a few hours. \nLast year\, more than 2\,000 people showed up to watch it happen. \nOn September 27\, Norwich lights the harbor again. \nDetails\nEvent: Harbor Glow 2026\nDate: Sunday\, October 4\, 2026\nTime: 4–8 p.m.\nVenue: Marina at American Wharf\nAddress: 1 American Wharf Road\, Norwich\, CT 06360\nOrganizer: Global City Norwich\nSponsors/Partners: Global City Norwich\, Marina at American Wharf and Norwich Public Utilities\nAdmission: Free\nAges: All ages\nParking: Free parking advertised\nFood: Six food vendors are confirmed; individual 2026 vendors have not yet been announced\nMain Attractions: Hot-air balloons and fire cauldrons on the river\nEntertainment: Live DJ and magician\nKids Activities: Face painting\, balloon twisting and free crafts\nBalloon Rides: Not currently announced for 2026; rides offered in 2025 should not be assumed to be returning\nWeather: Hot-air-balloon activity is weather dependent; check organizer updates if conditions are questionable \nNorwich Harbor Glow Cruise: Sunday\, October 4\, 2026\nDeparture: City Pier\, New London\nDeparts New London: 2:45 p.m.\nArrives American Wharf: Approximately 3:45 p.m.\nFestival Time for Cruise Passengers: 4–6 p.m.\nDeparts Norwich: 6:15 p.m.\nReturns to New London: Approximately 7:15 p.m.\nCruise Format: Narrated upriver trip to Norwich and sunset return to New London\nAges: All ages welcome\nFood & Drink Aboard: Passengers may pack a cooler with beverages and snacks\nRide & Save: Cruise passengers can receive offers from participating Norwich businesses by showing their ticket or receipt\nCruise Tickets: Separate from Harbor Glow; the festival itself remains free \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/harbor-glow-lights-up-norwich-harbor-with-hot-air-balloons-fire-cauldrons-and-a-waterfront-festival/
LOCATION:Marina at American Wharf\, 1 American Wharf\, Norwich\, 06360\, United States
CATEGORIES:Marina at American Wharf
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Harbor-Glow-Lights-Up-Norwich-Harbor-With-Hot-Air-Balloons-Fire-Cauldrons-and-a-Waterfront-Festival.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T190000
DTSTAMP:20261001T211608Z
CREATED:20261001T211608Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T211608Z
UID:10009233-1791129600-1791140400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Charlestown Rathskeller Turns Oktoberfest Into a Three-Day Party With German Food\, Live Music and Big Prizes
DESCRIPTION:Charlestown Rathskeller Turns Oktoberfest Into a Three-Day Party With German Food\, Live Music and Big Prizes Oct. 2–4\, filling the historic wooded tavern with German-inspired food\, cold beer\, three days of live music and a raffle lineup that ranges from gift cards to beer for a year and a Vermont getaway. \nThis isn’t a Saturday-afternoon Oktoberfest squeezed into a few hours. \nThe Rathskeller is making a weekend of it\, with festivities running Friday through Sunday at its Old Coach Road property in Charlestown. A special menu brings the German flavors\, while a different band takes over each day and raffle prizes are drawn throughout the weekend. \nThe restaurant’s own pitch gets right to the point: “Come for the Oktoberfest. Stay for the prizes.” \nConsidering what’s being given away\, that’s not much of an exaggeration. \nStart With the German Food\nThe Rathskeller is supplementing its regular offerings with an Oktoberfest menu built around dishes that go well beyond adding a pretzel to the bar menu. \nCurrywurst brings one of Germany’s great street foods to Charlestown: sausage served with the distinctive curry-spiced sauce that became a postwar favorite in Berlin. \nThere are Rathskeller soft pretzels\, along with frikadellen\, the German seasoned meat patties that land somewhere between a meatball and a small hamburger. \nFor something more substantial\, the menu includes cider-braised pork shank and sauerbraten\, the traditional German pot roast known for its sweet-and-sour character and long marinating process. \nAnd because this is still an American fall festival in Rhode Island\, there are funnel cakes for dessert. \nAdd cold beer\, and the Rathskeller has the food-and-drink side of Oktoberfest well covered. \nThree Days\, Three Bands\nThe music changes every day\, giving each part of the weekend a different personality. \nFriday: AD/HD\nAD/HD kicks off the music Friday from 8 to 11 p.m. \nThe AC/DC tribute act draws from both major periods of the Australian band’s career\, covering music associated with original frontman Bon Scott as well as the Brian Johnson era. \nThat opens Oktoberfest with hard rock rather than polka. \nAdmission for the performance is listed at $10 in advance and $15 at the door\, plus applicable advance ticketing fees. \nSaturday: Wicked Peach\nSaturday belongs to a band plenty of southeastern Connecticut music fans already know. \nWicked Peach performs from 8 to 11 p.m. \nThe regional rock band dates to 1996 and has built its following through decades of shows around southeastern Connecticut and southern New England. \nIts repertoire stretches across several generations of rock and pop-rock\, making the Saturday night show less about a single artist or era than the kind of recognizable songs designed to keep a weekend crowd moving. \nTickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. \nSunday: Timeless\nThe weekend shifts gears for its finale. \nTimeless performs Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m.\, turning the final day into more of an afternoon and early-evening party. \nThe Rhode Island-based group has been performing since 2016\, mixing classic rock\, pop\, country and dance music. Its résumé includes appearances at venues including Bally’s Twin River and Hard Rock Boston. \nSunday’s show is also listed at $10 in advance and $15 at the door. \nTogether\, the three bookings give Oktoberfest three very different musical flavors: an AC/DC tribute Friday\, regional rock favorites Wicked Peach Saturday and a broad party-band mix from Timeless Sunday. \nThen There Are the Prizes\nThis is where the Rathskeller’s Oktoberfest gets unusually ambitious. \nRaffle drawings take place throughout all three days\, and the prizes grow substantially beyond T-shirts and promotional swag. \nOrganizers are advertising hundreds of dollars in Rathskeller gift cards\, Oktoberfest merchandise and DownBack tickets alongside some much larger prizes. \nFriday’s festivities build toward a $500 Rathskeller gift card drawing at midnight. \nSaturday brings one of the weekend’s attention-getters: Beer for a Year. Another prize offers a dinner for two and wine every month for a year. \nSunday answers with Wine for a Year and perhaps the weekend’s most distinctive prize\, a two-night getaway for two to the von Trapp family’s Vermont resort and brewery\, including a brewery tour and a $200 dining credit. \nThere’s also a 2027 DownBack VIP pass among the prizes. \nThe raffle rules make entering relatively easy. There is no purchase necessary\, but participants must be 21 or older and must physically visit the Charlestown Rathskeller on the day of the drawing to enter. \nEntries are valid only for that day’s drawings and don’t carry over into the following day. \nVisitors don’t have to spend the entire day waiting to see if they’ve won. Winners can be contacted by email after the drawing. \nThat makes it possible to stop in during the afternoon\, enter the raffle\, have something to eat and return later for the night’s band without spending eight hours guarding a raffle ticket. \nOktoberfest at a Place That Dates to 1933\nThe setting gives the weekend considerably more character than a temporary beer tent in a parking lot. \nThe Charlestown Rathskeller traces its history to 1933\, the same year Prohibition ended nationally. \nIts secluded location in the woods became part of its identity\, and the property has long traded on the atmosphere of an old roadside tavern tucked away from the main coastal route. \nToday’s Rathskeller is considerably larger than a single historic dining room. \nThe property combines the restaurant and tavern with patios\, outdoor gathering spaces\, games including cornhole and bocce and the seasonal DownBack entertainment area. \nDownBack adds outdoor bars\, food\, a large fire pit and a concert stage to the wooded property. \nIts regular music season runs through the warmer months into October\, making Oktoberfest an appropriate way to push the outdoor-party atmosphere into fall. \nThree Days Instead of One Big Rush\nThe format also gives visitors options. \nSomeone interested primarily in the food and raffles doesn’t necessarily need to arrive for an 8 p.m. concert. AC/DC fans have a reason to choose Friday. Wicked Peach followers can make Saturday their night. Families or people who don’t want to stay out late can take advantage of Timeless’ earlier Sunday performance. \nAnd because raffle prizes are spread across the weekend\, there’s a reason to return. \nThat makes this less like a conventional Oktoberfest with a fixed four-hour program and more like the Rathskeller temporarily changing its personality for an entire weekend. \nGerman-inspired food provides the theme. \nThe beer certainly helps. \nBut between three bands\, three days of drawings and prizes that include everything from gift cards to a Vermont brewery getaway\, the Rathskeller has built plenty around the beer steins. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets for the individual live music performances\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Charlestown Rathskeller Oktoberfest\nDates: Friday–Sunday\, Oct. 2–4\, 2026\nLocation: Charlestown Rathskeller\nAddress: 489A Old Coach Road\, Charlestown\, RI 02813\nOktoberfest Menu: Currywurst\, Rathskeller soft pretzels\, frikadellen\, cider-braised pork shank\, sauerbraten and funnel cakes\nFriday Music: AD/HD\, 8–11 p.m.\nSaturday Music: Wicked Peach\, 8–11 p.m.\nSunday Music: Timeless\, 4–7 p.m.\nMusic Tickets: $10 advance/$15 at the door for the listed performances; advance ticketing fees may apply\nRaffles: Drawings throughout all three days\nMajor Prizes: Rathskeller gift cards\, Beer for a Year\, Wine for a Year\, monthly dinner-and-wine package\, 2027 DownBack VIP pass and a two-night Vermont getaway\nRaffle Admission: No purchase necessary\nRaffle Age: 21+\nRaffle Rules: Entrants must visit the Rathskeller in person on the applicable day; entries do not carry over to subsequent days\nSetting: Historic tavern\, restaurant and wooded outdoor entertainment property with the seasonal DownBack area\nWeather: Outdoor portions of the weekend may be affected by weather; check with the Rathskeller for any day-of changes \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/charlestown-rathskeller-turns-oktoberfest-into-a-three-day-party-with-german-food-live-music-and-big-prizes/2026-10-04/
LOCATION:Rathskeller\, 489A Old Coach Rd\, Charlestown\, RI\, 02813\, United States
CATEGORIES:Rathskeller
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T173000
DTSTAMP:20260716T173134Z
CREATED:20260716T173134Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260716T173134Z
UID:10006855-1791124200-1791135000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Sunday Jam Sessions at Deans Mill Farm
DESCRIPTION:Sunday Jam Sessions at Deans Mill Farm return every Sunday through the season\, bringing live local music\, food trucks\, and refreshing drinks to one of Stonington’s favorite outdoor gathering spots. Held from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.\, the free weekly series offers a relaxed afternoon where families\, friends\, and music lovers can unwind while enjoying performances from talented local musicians in the scenic setting of Deans Mill Farm. \nEach Sunday features a different performer\, giving visitors something new to experience throughout the season. Along with live entertainment\, food trucks serve a variety of favorites while the farm offers signature drinks and other cold beverages. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs\, settle in for the afternoon\, and enjoy a casual community atmosphere. The event is family-friendly\, although outside alcohol and pets are not permitted. \nEvent Details\n\nEvent: Sunday Jam Sessions\nSchedule: Every Sunday\nTime: 2:30-5:30 p.m.\nSeason: Through October (Weather Permitting)\nVenue: Deans Mill Farm\nAddress: 1189 Pequot Trail\, Stonington\, CT\nAdmission: Free\n\nWhat to Expect\n\nLive music from local performers\nRotating food trucks\nSignature drinks and cold beverages\nFamily-friendly outdoor atmosphere\n\n2026 Concert Schedule\nJuly 19 \n\nBig Lux\n\nJuly 26 \n\nT. Ray Taylor\n\nAugust 2 \n\nBen Freiert\n\nAugust 9 \n\nFrankenphil\n\nAugust 16 \n\nBen Freiert\n\nAugust 23 \n\nRobbed By Locals\n\nAugust 30 \n\nJames Harris\n\nSeptember 6 \n\nTo Be Announced\n\nSeptember 13 \n\nFrankenphil\n\nSeptember 20 \n\nTo Be Announced\n\nSeptember 27 \n\nJonny Debit\n\nOctober 4 \n\nKGB\n\nOctober 11 \n\nFrankenphil\n\nOctober 18 \n\nDan Watson\n\nOctober 25 \n\nJames Harris\n\nKnow Before You Go\n\nFamily-friendly event\nNo outside alcohol\nNo pets\nWeather permitting\nTimes are subject to change\n\nWhy Attend\n\nFree weekly live music\nRotating lineup of local musicians\nFood trucks and beverages\nRelaxed outdoor setting\nGreat Sunday afternoon tradition\n\n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/sunday-jam-sessions-at-deans-mill-farm/2026-10-04/
LOCATION:Deans Mill Farm\, 1189 Pequot Trail\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Deans Mill Farm
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Sunday-Jam-Sessions-at-Deans-Mill-Farm-Sundays-230-pm-530-pm.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T160000
DTSTAMP:20260930T024855Z
CREATED:20260930T023108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T024855Z
UID:10009206-1791115200-1791129600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Wild Mushroom Festival Turns Deans Mill Farm Into a Fungi Playground
DESCRIPTION:Wild Mushroom Festival Turns Deans Mill Farm Into a Fungi Playground Oct. 4\, when one of Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center’s signature fall events brings together mushroom hunters\, chefs\, growers\, artists\, and curious beginners for four hours devoted to the surprisingly enormous world of fungi. \nAnd you don’t need to know a chanterelle from a chicken of the woods to go. \nThe festival combines two experiences that don’t usually occupy the same afternoon: part food festival\, with approximately 10 local restaurants preparing mushroom dishes for sampling\, and part outdoor classroom\, where experienced foragers and mushroom experts teach visitors what they’re actually seeing when they encounter fungi in the woods. \nThen things get considerably more eclectic. \nThere’s live music\, a mushroom marketplace\, mushroom-themed crafts\, growers selling fungi\, mushroom ice cream\, and even tattoo artists offering mushroom designs. \nIn other words\, DPNC has gone pretty far down the mushroom rabbit hole. \nFirst\, Eat the Mushrooms\nFood has long been one of the festival’s biggest attractions. \nApproximately 10 local restaurants and chefs are expected to participate this year\, preparing mushroom-centered samples rather than simply setting up conventional food-vendor booths. \nAdmission includes food tickets: adults receive 12\, while children receive six. Additional food tickets can be purchased during the festival for $1 each. \nThe exact 2026 restaurant roster and dishes have not yet been publicly posted\, so there’s some discovery involved when you arrive. Previous versions have used the tasting component to show just how differently chefs can approach fungi rather than treating mushrooms as one ingredient with one flavor. \nAnd there’s one particularly unusual festival favorite returning to the conversation: candy cap mushroom ice cream. Candy caps are prized for an aroma often compared to maple syrup\, making them one of the stranger examples of just how far mushrooms can travel from the stereotypical sauté pan. The Wild Mushroom Festival also promotes mushroom beer among its specialty offerings. \nThen Learn How to Find Them\nEating mushrooms is only half the idea. \nDPNC is using the festival to introduce visitors to the much larger ecological world behind them. \nNaturalists\, foragers and mushroom experts will lead woodland walks and educational talks covering mushroom hunting\, identification\, cultivation and cooking. An identification table gives visitors an opportunity to examine specimens and learn the characteristics experts use to distinguish different fungi. \nThat’s an important distinction from simply heading into the woods with a phone app and deciding something looks edible. \nWild mushroom identification can be complicated\, and some toxic species resemble edible ones closely enough that beginners should never rely on photographs or a single identifying characteristic before eating something they’ve collected. \nThe festival provides a much better starting point: experienced people\, actual specimens and an opportunity to ask questions. \nDPNC has watched public interest in exactly this kind of knowledge grow dramatically. In its reporting on the festival\, the Nature Center noted that interest in foraging surged during the pandemic\, helped in part by people sharing their finds and woodland excursions on social media. \nThe Festival Got So Popular It Had to Move\nThe Wild Mushroom Festival has been around much longer than the current location. \nFor years it was held at DPNC itself\, where it developed into one of the organization’s signature events. Eventually\, success created a practical problem: the festival outgrew the Nature Center’s parking capacity. \nThat led to its move to Deans Mill Farm on Pequot Trail in Stonington. \nIt’s a particularly good fit. \nThe farm’s approximately 70 acres provide room for parking\, fields for vendors and restaurant tents\, and trails that can actually be used for the mushroom walks. Previous festivals at the farm have also included a beer garden as a place to settle in between programs. \nThat makes this less like a lecture series with some food attached and more like a small fall festival spread across a farm. \nThe Mushroom Marketplace Goes Beyond Something to Eat\nNot every mushroom at the festival is destined for a plate. \nThe expanded Mushroom Marketplace brings together artists\, mycologists\, mushroom growers\, foragers\, crafters and chefs selling their work and products. \nThat might mean cultivated mushrooms and fungi-related products at one table and mushroom-inspired artwork at another. \nThen there are the tattoos. \nLocal tattoo artists are scheduled for a pop-up offering mushroom-themed designs during the festival. \nSo someone could theoretically spend Sunday learning how to identify mushrooms\, eat several varieties\, buy mushrooms to take home and leave with one permanently attached to an arm. \nThat’s commitment. \nLive music runs alongside the marketplace and food sampling\, while crafts give children something hands-on to do between the walks and other programs. \nFour Hours May Go Faster Than You Think\nThe festival opens promptly at noon and runs until 4 p.m. \nUnlike a conventional fair where people can simply arrive whenever they want\, advance registration is required\, and DPNC is warning that the festival is expected to sell out early. \nAn adult ticket costs $36 and includes 12 food tickets\, admission to the Mushroom Marketplace\, educational talks and walks\, and crafts. Children’s admission is $18 and includes six food tickets along with the same access to the marketplace\, educational programming and crafts. \nThere’s also a larger purpose behind all that fungi. \nProceeds support the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center\, the Mystic-based nonprofit that works in environmental education\, conservation and wildlife rehabilitation while stewarding more than 350 acres of protected land. \nThe Wild Mushroom Festival manages to compress a surprising amount into four hours. \nYou can come because you want to eat mushrooms. \nYou can come because you want to learn how to find them. \nOr you can come knowing absolutely nothing about fungi and discover that the strange things appearing on fallen logs and forest floors every autumn occupy a world considerably larger — and considerably weirder — than the produce aisle suggests. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Wild Mushroom Festival\nDate: Sunday\, Oct. 4\, 2026\nTime: Noon–4 p.m.\nLocation: Deans Mill Farm\nAddress: 1189 Pequot Trail\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nOrganizer: Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center\nAdult Admission: $36\, including 12 food tickets\nChild Admission: $18\, including six food tickets\nAdditional Food Tickets: $1 each at the festival\nFood: Mushroom-inspired samples from approximately 10 local restaurants and chefs; the individual 2026 restaurant roster has not yet been published\nPrograms: Guided mushroom walks\, talks with naturalists and foragers\, mushroom identification\, cultivation and cooking education\nMarketplace: Artists\, mycologists\, foragers\, crafters\, growers and chefs\nAlso Planned: Live music\, mushroom-themed crafts and tattoo-artist pop-ups\nRegistration: Advance ticket purchase required; organizers expect the event to sell out\nPhone: 860-536-1216\nContact: alissa@dpnc.org \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/wild-mushroom-festival-turns-deans-mill-farm-into-a-fungi-playground/
LOCATION:Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center\, 109 Pequotsepos Road\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Wild-Mushroom-Festival-Turns-Deans-Mill-Farm-Into-a-Fungi-Playground.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T150000
DTSTAMP:20260712T235944Z
CREATED:20260531T024717Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260712T235944Z
UID:10003097-1791115200-1791126000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Denison Farmers Market
DESCRIPTION:Denison Farmers Market returns for its 22nd season on Sunday\, June 7\, bringing fresh Connecticut-grown products and a vibrant community atmosphere to Mystic. The popular weekly market showcases local farmers\, food producers\, and artisans\, offering residents and visitors an opportunity to shop directly from the people who grow and make the products they bring to market. \nThroughout the season\, shoppers can browse a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables\, along with locally produced foods and specialty items sourced from across Connecticut. The market has become a seasonal tradition for many families\, providing access to high-quality local products while supporting regional agriculture and small businesses. The 2026 season runs every Sunday from June 7 through October 25. \nWhether you’re stocking up on fresh produce\, discovering new local products\, or simply enjoying a Sunday afternoon in Mystic\, the Denison Farmers Market offers something for everyone. It’s an ideal destination for food lovers\, home cooks\, and anyone who appreciates supporting local farms and producers. \nEvent Details \nEvent: Denison Farmers Market 2026 \nDates: Every Sunday\, June 7 – October 25\, 2026 \nTime: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. \nLocation: Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center \nTown: Mystic\, CT \nAdmission: Free \nMarket Highlights \n\nConnecticut-grown fruits and vegetables\nLocal farmers and food producers\nFresh baked goods and specialty foods\nArtisan and handcrafted products\nSeasonal offerings throughout the summer and fall\nFamily-friendly community atmosphere\n\nWhy Attend \n\nShop directly from local farmers and makers\nSupport Connecticut agriculture and small businesses\nFind fresh\, seasonal ingredients\nDiscover unique local foods and artisan goods\nEnjoy a relaxing Sunday morning in Mystic\n\n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/denison-farmers-market/2026-10-04/
LOCATION:Denison Homestead Musuem\, 120 Pequotsepos Rd\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Denison Homestead Museum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Denison-Farmers-Market-Sundays-12-to-3-through-October-25.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T210000
DTSTAMP:20260913T020703Z
CREATED:20260913T020703Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T020703Z
UID:10007569-1791109800-1791147600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk Brings Five Weeks of Bavarian Food\, Seasonal Beer and Live Music to Mystic
DESCRIPTION:Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk isn’t a one-day festival. Mystic’s European-style beer hall is turning much of fall into Oktoberfest\, beginning Saturday\, September 19 and continuing through Saturday\, October 24\, with a special German-inspired menu\, seasonal beers\, live entertainment\, and Oktoberfest competitions and activities. \nThe extended celebration is something Jealous Monk has been doing for years\, and the restaurant takes the inspiration more seriously than the lederhosen-and-pretzel graphics might suggest. \nJealous Monk says members of its team have made annual research trips to Munich during Oktoberfest\, bringing ideas from the world’s most famous beer festival back to Mystic. \nThey even use the German word that helps explain what they’re trying to recreate: Gemütlichkeit. \nThere isn’t a perfect English translation. It’s a combination of warmth\, friendliness\, comfort\, good cheer\, and the feeling of enjoying yourself in good company. \nIn other words\, it’s pretty much the reason beer halls have big tables. \nMore Than a Single Oktoberfest Party\nJealous Monk’s 2026 celebration begins September 19\, but don’t read that as the date of the entire event. \nThe restaurant’s announcement calls this an “extended” Oktoberfest season running September 19 through October 24. \nThroughout that period\, Jealous Monk plans a special seasonal food menu and Oktoberfest beers along with a changing schedule of musicians and other entertainment. \nContests are part of the celebration as well\, including the most recognizable American Oktoberfest test of endurance: stein hoisting. \nThe restaurant is still completing its detailed 2026 entertainment schedule and Oktoberfest menu\, so individual performers\, contest dates and this year’s complete food and beer lineup have not all been announced yet. \nThat’s worth knowing before making plans around a particular weekend. \nBut the larger celebration is already confirmed. \nJealous Monk Was Practically Built for This\nThere are plenty of restaurants that can put bratwurst on the menu for three weeks and call it Oktoberfest. \nJealous Monk has a bit of a head start. \nThe locally owned restaurant describes itself as Mystic’s only beer garden\, and its home in Olde Mistick Village was designed as a contemporary interpretation of a European beer hall. \nInside\, there’s a barrel-vaulted ceiling\, old-world artwork and long communal tables rather than a dining room filled exclusively with little two- and four-person islands. \nOutside is an expansive beer garden with picnic tables\, games and gathering spaces. \nThen there are the taps. \nJealous Monk maintains 32 rotating draft lines\, allowing the restaurant to shift a significant portion of its beer selection as seasonal Märzens\, Festbiers and other fall releases arrive. \nIts regular menu already leans European in places\, too. Belgian frites\, a Bavarian-style pretzel\, bratwurst and schnitzel live comfortably alongside burgers\, wings\, chowder and other American pub food. \nOktoberfest isn’t much of a costume change here. \nThe Food Gets More German for the Season\nThe complete 2026 Oktoberfest menu has not yet been published\, but previous Jealous Monk Oktoberfest menus give a much better indication of what “special menu” means here. \nLast year’s seasonal offerings included Schweinshaxe\, the German pork knuckle strongly associated with Bavarian cooking. \nJealous Monk prepared its version braised and served it with spätzle\, rotkohl and beer au jus. \nSpätzle are small\, soft egg noodles or dumplings common throughout southern Germany and neighboring parts of Central Europe. \nRotkohl is braised red cabbage\, usually cooked until tender with a balance of sweet and acidic flavors. \nAnother recent Oktoberfest dish was Brathendl\, Bavarian-style roast chicken\, served at Jealous Monk with rotkohl and mashed potatoes. \nThose dishes went considerably further into Bavarian cooking than simply putting mustard on a sausage. \nUntil the restaurant releases this year’s finished menu\, however\, those should be treated as examples from previous celebrations rather than promises for 2026. \nSome Oktoberfest Food Is Available Even Before Oktoberfest\nA few things don’t have to wait until September 19. \nJealous Monk’s regular menu currently includes its Big A Pretzel\, a large Bavarian-style pretzel served with spicy and sweet mustards\, with bier cheese available to add. \nThere’s also a Bavarian Bratwurst\, available traditionally with sauerkraut and spicy mustard or prepared panini-style with Swiss cheese. \nThe regular Chicken Schnitzel is a less traditional Jealous Monk interpretation: crispy breaded chicken with Swiss cheese\, grilled onions and peppers and chipotle aioli\, served with house-cut Belgian frites. \nThose staples give the regular menu a European foundation before the temporary Oktoberfest dishes arrive. \nThen Come the Oktoberfest Beers\nBeer is where an extended celebration makes particularly good sense. \nOktoberfest beer doesn’t describe just one modern style. \nFor much of the 20th century\, Americans came to associate Oktoberfest with Märzen\, an amber German lager with a malty character and clean finish. \nThe beer traditionally had a practical connection to the brewing calendar. Before refrigeration\, brewing during warm summer weather was difficult and potentially dangerous for the beer. Märzen\, meaning “March beer\,” could be brewed in March\, stored through the summer and consumed in autumn. \nModern Munich Oktoberfest has shifted toward Festbier\, generally paler\, lighter in body and extremely drinkable despite retaining enough malt character to stand up to festival food. \nOnly beer from Munich’s six traditional breweries can officially be served at the Oktoberfest in Munich: Augustiner\, Hacker-Pschorr\, Hofbräu\, Löwenbräu\, Paulaner and Spaten. \nJealous Monk’s 32 rotating taps give the Mystic restaurant considerable room to explore both imported German beer and American interpretations of Oktoberfest styles. \nThe exact 2026 seasonal tap list is still developing\, so anyone hunting for a particular brewery should check the current list closer to their visit. \nThe Real Oktoberfest Isn’t Actually in October\nJealous Monk’s September 19 start also lines up almost perfectly with Munich. \nThe 2026 Oktoberfest in Munich runs September 19 through October 4. \nThat often surprises people who understandably assume a festival named Oktoberfest should happen primarily in October. \nIt used to. \nThe original Oktoberfest was held in October 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. \nThe public celebration included horse racing and proved popular enough to return. \nOver time\, the festival grew and its schedule moved earlier to take advantage of September’s generally better weather and longer daylight. \nThe October name stayed. \nJealous Monk begins its Mystic celebration on the same Saturday that Munich opens its 2026 festival\, then keeps going for another three weeks after Munich has packed up the tents. \nA Royal Wedding Started All of This\nThat first celebration took place on fields outside Munich’s city gates. \nThe site became known as Theresienwiese\, or Therese’s Meadow\, in honor of the bride. Munich residents still commonly shorten the name of Oktoberfest itself to the Wiesn. \nWhat began as a royal wedding celebration evolved into an enormous annual festival of beer\, Bavarian food\, music\, rides\, costumes and communal drinking. \nToday’s Oktoberfest bears little resemblance in scale to the 1810 event. \nMillions of people attend during a typical year. \nThe enormous beer tents can accommodate thousands of guests apiece. \nTraditional Bavarian clothing\, particularly lederhosen and dirndls\, has become inseparable from the modern image of the festival. \nAnd the beer arrives by the liter. \nAbout That Stein-Hoisting Contest\nJealous Monk says contests will be part of the 2026 festivities\, with stein hoisting among the activities being promoted. \nThe rules vary by competition\, but the basic concept is wonderfully uncomplicated. \nTake a full beer stein. \nHold it straight out in front of you with one arm. \nDo not bend the elbow. \nDo not lower the arm. \nDo not spill it. \nWait for everyone else to regret entering. \nA full one-liter glass stein weighs roughly five pounds\, so what seems fairly easy for the first few seconds becomes progressively less pleasant. \nIt’s become a staple of American Oktoberfest celebrations\, combining German beer-hall imagery with the very American instinct to turn practically anything into a contest. \nLive Music Will Rotate Through the Celebration\nThe other major piece still being assembled is the entertainment calendar. \nJealous Monk says live musicians will perform throughout the extended Oktoberfest season\, rather than concentrating entertainment into a single opening-day party. \nThat follows the format the restaurant has used in previous years. Its 2024 Oktoberfest\, for example\, featured live music on several dates spread between late September and late October. \nThe restaurant’s September 12 announcement says it is currently putting the finishing touches on its 2026 list of musicians and will add specifics to its events calendar as they are finalized. \nSo this is an event worth checking more than once. \nSeptember 19 is the beginning\, not the whole story. \nWhy Jealous Monk Works as a Beer Hall\nOktoberfest also makes some of Jealous Monk’s design choices easier to understand. \nTraditional beer halls aren’t designed around privacy. \nThey’re designed around gathering. \nLong tables put strangers next to one another. Food is hearty. Beer comes in substantial quantities. Music and conversation create enough noise that nobody expects a hushed dining room. \nJealous Monk borrowed that social model for its Mystic restaurant. \nThe indoor hall includes large communal tables\, while the outdoor beer garden uses picnic-style seating. Board games\, pinball and old-school video games add to the idea that customers are supposed to stay for a while rather than simply eat and leave. \nThe restaurant’s full name says it plainly: \nJealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden. \nFor five weeks beginning September 19\, the “beer garden” part gets to take center stage. \nYou Don’t Have to Drink Beer\nDespite the name and the Oktoberfest theme\, Jealous Monk isn’t exclusively for beer drinkers. \nThe restaurant also maintains wine\, liquor and cocktail selections\, and its food menu includes burgers\, sandwiches\, salads\, seafood and vegetarian options alongside the more obvious beer-hall fare. \nIt’s also a restaurant rather than a ticketed beer festival. \nThe currently announced Oktoberfest season does not carry a general admission charge. Customers visit Jealous Monk normally and order food and drinks\, while special entertainment and activities occur throughout the run. \nThat makes this fundamentally different from the one-afternoon Oktoberfests where admission buys a tasting glass and a fixed number of pours. \nYou can go once. \nOr you can go back as the taps\, menu specials and entertainment change. \nFive Weeks Gives You Time to Do It Properly\nThat’s really the advantage of Jealous Monk’s approach. \nOktoberfest doesn’t have to be crammed into one Saturday afternoon. \nThe first visit might be for the seasonal menu. \nAnother could coincide with live music. \nA third might involve a Märzen you haven’t tried. \nAnd eventually someone is going to convince you that holding a five-pound glass at arm’s length sounds like fun. \nThe 2026 celebration opens September 19. \nBy the time it ends October 24\, Mystic will be deep into foliage\, Olde Mistick Village will have shifted from late-summer visitors toward its fall crowds\, and Jealous Monk will have spent more than a month doing what a beer garden was designed to do. \nGather people around a table. \nPour the beer. \nBring out the food. \nProst. \nDetails\nEvent: Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk\nDates: Saturday\, September 19 through Saturday\, October 24\, 2026\nVenue: Jealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden\nLocation: Olde Mistick Village\, Building 20\nAddress: 27 Coogan Boulevard\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nAdmission: No general admission charge announced; food and beverages purchased separately\nFood: Special Oktoberfest menu planned for the season; complete 2026 menu is still being finalized\nBeer: Seasonal Oktoberfest beers plus Jealous Monk’s rotating draft selection\nDrafts: 32 rotating taps\nEntertainment: Live musicians throughout the Oktoberfest run; individual performers and dates are still being announced\nActivities: Oktoberfest contests and activities\, including stein-hoisting festivities\nIndoor/Outdoor: Indoor social hall and outdoor beer garden\, weather permitting\nRegular Hours: Monday–Thursday\, 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday\, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday\, 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.\nPhone: 860-536-6665 \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/oktoberfest-at-jealous-monk-brings-five-weeks-of-bavarian-food-seasonal-beer-and-live-music-to-mystic/2026-10-04/
LOCATION:Jealous Monk\, 27 Coogan Blvd\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Jealous Monk
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T180000
DTSTAMP:20260903T140908Z
CREATED:20260903T140908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T140908Z
UID:10007449-1791109800-1791136800@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/2026-10-04/
LOCATION:Lebanon Fair Grounds\, 122 Mack Road\, Lebanon\, 06249\, United States
CATEGORIES:Lebanon Fairgrounds
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T170000
DTSTAMP:20260930T021030Z
CREATED:20260930T020946Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T021030Z
UID:10009205-1791109800-1791133200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Jonathan Edwards Winery Celebrates 25 Years With Its Biggest Harvest Fest Yet
DESCRIPTION:Jonathan Edwards Winery Celebrates 25 Years With Its Biggest Harvest Fest Yet Oct. 4\, when the North Stonington vineyard turns its annual end-of-harvest celebration into a 25th anniversary party with three bands\, food trucks\, an artisan market\, hayrides\, children’s activities\, yard games and one of the winery’s most enduring traditions: adults climbing into a barrel to stomp grapes.\n\nThe festival runs from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.\, essentially turning the vineyard grounds into an outdoor fall fair for the day. \nAnd this year’s Harvest Fest arrives at an appropriate moment. \nJonathan Edwards Winery opened to the public in 2001\, making 2026 its 25th year in North Stonington. The winery’s story actually began a little earlier\, when the Edwards family became interested in the emerging Northeastern wine industry and eventually looked west as well. A trip to Napa Valley in 1999 led to their first California harvest in 2000 and ultimately to an unusual model: a Connecticut winery producing wines connected to vineyards on both coasts. \nTwenty-five years later\, they’re throwing a party in the vineyard. \nThree Bands Take the Stage\nThe music starts with The John Fries Trio\, and Fries himself describes Harvest Fest as a show his band will open. \nFries is a singer-songwriter and guitarist whose music sits at the intersection of blues\, soul and roots music. His stated influences range from Eric Clapton and the Black Crowes to John Prine\, Amos Lee\, D’Angelo\, Martin Sexton and Chris Whitley\, which gives a pretty good indication of the territory he occupies: guitar-driven music with blues underneath it but enough soul and songwriting to keep it from becoming a straight blues set. \nAlso playing is The Fake Experience\, a familiar name on the southeastern Connecticut winery and club circuit. If you’ve spent much time following outdoor music around Mystic and Stonington\, there’s a decent chance you’ve encountered them before. \nThe third act is Sugar\, completing a lineup designed to keep live music running through the festival rather than treating the band as background entertainment. \nJonathan Edwards has confirmed all three bands\, although it has not published individual 2026 set times beyond John Fries indicating that his trio opens the show. \nYes\, You Can Stomp the Grapes\nHarvest Fest also brings back the winery’s adult grape-stomping contest. \nIt’s exactly what it sounds like. \nGrape stomping reaches back thousands of years as one of the earliest methods of crushing grapes for winemaking. Modern wineries have long since replaced feet with considerably more efficient equipment\, but the old method has survived as one of harvest season’s more entertaining traditions. \nAt Jonathan Edwards\, it’s become part of the festival. \nThe winery is also advertising hayrides\, yard games and free children’s activities\, giving families considerably more to do than sit on the lawn while the adults sample wine. An artisan market will bring local makers onto the grounds as well. \nFood trucks are scheduled throughout the day. Jonathan Edwards has not yet published the names of the 2026 trucks\, so that’s one detail worth watching as Oct. 4 gets closer. \nAnd bring some extra cash. The winery specifically tells guests to bring pocket change for its “Truck Stop\,” the festival’s food-truck area. \nWhat Your $30 Actually Gets You\nAdvance admission is $30 per adult\, increasing to $35 at the gate if the festival hasn’t sold out. \nThat includes admission\, all three bands\, festival activities\, free parking\, a keepsake Jonathan Edwards glass and one complimentary glass of wine. \nThat last part is worth emphasizing: this isn’t an unlimited wine-tasting ticket. \nAdditional wine can be purchased during the festival. The outdoor bar is cash only\, while the winery’s tasting room accepts both cash and credit cards. There is no ATM on the property\, so anyone planning to use the outdoor bar or buy from vendors should arrive accordingly. \nThe winery is also promoting Connecticut craft beer as part of the celebration\, giving non-wine drinkers another option. \nGuests younger than 21 are admitted free when accompanied by a ticketed parent\, guardian or adult. They’ll receive a different-colored wristband identifying them as underage. \nBring a Chair and Make a Day of It\nThis is the kind of event where a little planning makes a difference. \nJonathan Edwards provides some tables and chairs\, but seating is limited and available first come\, first served. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets\, and pop-up tents are permitted in designated areas on the grounds. \nOutside alcohol and beverages aren’t allowed. That includes coffee cups\, cans and twist-top bottles. Coolers will be inspected at the entrance\, while water will be sold at the bars and water-filling stations will be available. \nLeave the dog home for this one\, too. Although Jonathan Edwards ordinarily welcomes leashed dogs in portions of the property\, the winery specifically prohibits dogs during Harvest Fest because of the size and activity level of the event. \nThe festival happens rain or shine\, and tickets are nonrefundable. \nPerhaps the best way to approach it is to treat Harvest Fest less like a quick winery visit and more like a day on the lawn: arrive when the gates open\, find a place to settle in\, hear three bands\, wander through the artisan tents\, grab lunch from a food truck\, take the kids for a hayride and watch otherwise sensible adults remove their shoes and discover how much work it once took to turn grapes into wine. \nTwenty-five years after Jonathan Edwards Winery opened its doors in North Stonington\, that’s a pretty appropriate way to celebrate another harvest. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Jonathan Edwards Winery Harvest Fest & 25th Anniversary Celebration\nDate: Sunday\, Oct. 4\, 2026\nTime: 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m.\nLocation: Jonathan Edwards Winery\nAddress: 74 Chester Main Road\, North Stonington\, CT 06359\nAdvance Admission: $30 per adult\nGate Admission: $35 per adult\, if not sold out\nUnder 21: Free with a ticketed adult\, parent or guardian\nAdmission Includes: One complimentary glass of wine\, keepsake glass\, parking\, three bands and festival activities\nBands: The John Fries Trio\, The Fake Experience and Sugar\nActivities: Adult grape-stomping contest\, hayrides\, yard games\, artisan market and free children’s activities\nFood: Food trucks will be on site; the 2026 truck lineup has not yet been published\nDrinks: Wine and Connecticut craft beer available; additional wine may be purchased\nSeating: Limited tables and chairs; guests may bring lawn chairs\, blankets and pop-up tents for the grounds\nOutside Beverages: Not permitted; coolers will be checked\nWater: Available for purchase and at water-filling stations\nDogs: Not permitted during Harvest Fest\nWeather: Rain or shine\nTickets: Nonrefundable\nParking: Free\nATM: None on site\nPhone: 860-535-0202 \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/jonathan-edwards-winery-celebrates-25-years-with-its-biggest-harvest-fest-yet/
LOCATION:Jonathan Edwards Winery\, 74 Chester Maine Rd\, North Stonington\, 06359\, United States
CATEGORIES:Jonathan Edwards Winery
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T160000
DTSTAMP:20261001T183158Z
CREATED:20261001T183158Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T183158Z
UID:10009227-1791108000-1791129600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:145 Juried Artists Take Over the Old Saybrook Town Green for a 62-Year Tradition
DESCRIPTION:145 Juried Artists Take Over the Old Saybrook Town Green for a 62-Year Tradition Oct. 3 and 4\, filling the center of Old Saybrook with paintings\, pottery\, glass\, jewelry\, photography\, sculpture\, fiber art\, metalwork\, woodcraft\, and enough mixed-media work to make a quick lap around the Green almost impossible. \nThe 62nd Annual Old Saybrook Arts & Crafts Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday on the Old Saybrook Town Green at 300 Main Street. \nAnd this is not an open-registration craft market where anybody with a folding table can buy a space. \nArtists and crafters apply to the Greater Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce\, submit photographs of their work\, and go through a jury process before being accepted. The Chamber says that process is intended to maintain both the quality and variety of the show. \nThe result this year is a sprawling roster of 145 artists and crafters working across nearly every medium you could reasonably expect to encounter at an outdoor art festival. \nThis One Rewards Browsing\nThere isn’t really one dominant art form here. \nTraditional painters are working in acrylics\, oils and watercolor. There are photographers and printmakers\, potters and ceramicists\, glass artists\, jewelers\, quilters\, woodworkers and metal artists. \nThen there are the exhibitors who don’t fit neatly into any of those boxes. \nThe mixed-media section alone contains nearly 30 exhibitors\, with coastal art\, maps\, shell work\, woodcraft\, decorative pieces and combinations of materials that explain why the Chamber needs a catch-all category in the first place. \nThat variety is one of the things separating a juried festival of this size from a smaller maker market. Someone looking for an original painting can spend the afternoon very differently from someone hunting for handmade jewelry\, stained glass\, pottery or something unusual for the house. \nSome Familiar Southeastern Connecticut Names Are Going West\nThere are exhibitors from well beyond Old Saybrook\, including some familiar names from southeastern Connecticut. \nMichelle Yozzo Drake of Drift by Stonington Designs is among the jewelry exhibitors. Her work draws heavily on the shoreline\, incorporating coastal influences into handcrafted jewelry. \nIan Evertson of Rogers Lake Woodworking is represented in the wood category\, while Devon Marsden of Oyster River Arts appears among the glass artists. \nThe broader roster stretches well beyond Connecticut as well. Weihong Liu Pan of Weih Fine Arts Studio in New York is among the acrylic painters\, one indication that the festival’s reach extends beyond the immediate shoreline. \nArtist Joseph Mushipi also independently lists the Old Saybrook festival on his 2026 exhibition schedule. \nPotter Robert Fishman is bringing a particularly broad collection of functional work. His current catalog includes mugs\, ramen bowls\, platters\, serving bowls\, goblets\, vases\, pitchers\, brie bakers\, cheese-and-cracker trays\, tagines and other handmade pieces. \nSo while “arts and crafts” can sometimes suggest primarily decorative work\, quite a bit here is intended to go home and actually be used. \nThe Festival Has Moved Into Fall\nLongtime residents may remember this as a summer event. \nThey’re remembering correctly. \nThe Old Saybrook Arts & Crafts Festival was traditionally held in July. The 55th edition\, for example\, took place in late July 2018. By the 58th festival in 2022\, the event had moved to the beginning of October. \nIt has stayed there. \nThe 2023 festival straddled September and October\, while the 2024\, 2025 and now 2026 editions have occupied the first weekend of October. \nThat gives today’s festival a noticeably different setting from its midsummer predecessor. Instead of being another event competing for attention during peak shoreline season\, it has become one of Old Saybrook’s major early-fall weekends. \nThere’s still some outdated information online describing the festival as a July event. For 2026\, the Greater Old Saybrook Chamber’s current schedule is definitive: Oct. 3 and 4. \nMore Than a Century of Art\, Spread Across One Green\nThe individual exhibitors are what make the weekend worth exploring\, and the Chamber has published its 2026 roster by medium. \nAcrylics: Andrew Armas — Andrew Armas Creations; Charlotte Leigh — Charleigh’s Web; Joseph Mushipi — Joseph Mushipi Visual Art; Weihong Liu Pan — Weih Fine Arts Studio\, NY; Zach Prosser — Zach Prosser Art; Lauren Sommerville — L. E. Sommerville Fine Art; Jeanette Vertentes — Jeanette Vertentes Fine Art; Iva Vranova — Iva’s Whimsical Art. \nCeramics: Megan McNivens — Knollwood Pottery; Missy Niemeyer — Missy’s Clayworks; Janet Osorio — Mill Court Ceramics; Kenneth Picard — Ken Picard Fine Arts. \nConsumables: Jo Atkinson — Muddy Mary’s Gourmet; Aimee Belknap — Cedar Island Candle Co.; Stacie Bourne — Gourmet Creations; Frances Bousquet — Crows Feet Primitive Candle Co.; Marlow Bull — Page of Wands Candles; Sahra Deer — Isankofa Skincare; Ryan and Grace O’Connor — Age of Grace CBD; Paul Scott — Seven Barrels; David Wallace — Bittersweet Herb Farm. \nEmbellishment: Claudia Cormier — Claudia Cormier; Linda Wojtasinski — Periwinkle Designs. \nFiber: Jessica Boyd — Krafty Corner; Eileen Breault — LeenB Bags; Jenny Csedrik — Lip Positive Threads; Sharon Gatzke — Now and Then; Robin Parker — Log Cabin Quilts; Tracy Pearson — Tracys Treasures; Judith Shaw — Pillows and Pillowcases; Sally Strasser — Taleo Handmade; Linda Yahyaoglu — Nayuka Design LLC. \nGlass: Rebecca Grills — Summer Glass; Constance Guerra — The Constance Collection; Beverly Hartmann — Blue Hearts Glass; India Kenyon — Cutie Curls Boutique; Devon Marsden — Oyster River Arts; Thomas O’Connell — Siena Stained Glass LLC; Cole Quinn — Blown Away Glass Studio; Marylee Schwarzer — Shattered Glass Studios. \nGraphics: Bill Dougal — DougalArt; James Polisky — James Polisky Silkscreen Art. \nJewelry: Brittany Bauer — Milly’s Clay Studio; Abigail Boeshans — Busy Bee Gallery; Alison Cargill — Alison Designs LLC; Linda Davidson — Quilibet; Laura Delvecchio — Bead Dangle Design; Melissa Fego — Fego Gioielli Jewelry; Sema Gurek — Floweredsky Designs; Robyn Hohenemser — Golden R Golden Designs; Daniel Kalisz — The Silver Seashell; Mackenzie Law — Edgeworth; Emily Munska — The Pirate’s Daughter; Karen Parker — K+T Jewelry & Accessories; Nick and Hillary Rezendes — M&D Fine Jewelry; Nancy Riley — String of Joy; Jill Scholsohn — Riverstone Jewelry; Davide Shapiro — American Princess; Julie Siegmund — Carnelian Knoll; Sharon Smith — Alling S Alling Jewelry Designs; Monique Sousa — MPearl; Gay Touma — Jewels Verne Jewelers; Wendy Waugaman — WLW Designs; Lina Wilder — Idle Gauds Jewelry & Metals; Michelle Yozzo Drake — Drift by Stonington Designs. \nLeather: Amy Corda — Amy Lee Bags; Michelle and Michael Vicino — Scarfbuckles. \nMetal: Troy Antoniewicz — Copper Rose Forge; Tiffany DeAngelo — Tiffany’s Trees; George Gabriel — Infinity Art; Rob Steinhilper — Rustic Iron Metalwork; James Takaki — Iron Arts. \nMixed Media: Stephen Allen — Shoreline Crafts LLC; Jennifer Avallone — Cahill JGA Creations; Andee Axe — Andee Axe; Jackie Barry — Jackie Art & Designs; Kristin Cafferty — Kristin Cafferty Art; Wendy Cole — Hydrangea Blue Design; Lora Congelosi — Lora’s Shell Decor; Chris Conti — Hadlyme GraphicWorks; Julie Cote — J. Cote Art and Coastal Creations; Gill Feng — Beadtopia; Maryann Gatheral — Designs By Maryann; Louise Gorsline — The Painted Lady; Don Hart — Hart Woodcrafts; Alexandra and Jeremiah Hazel — October Cult; Barbara Hernandez — Boot’s Creations USA; Emily Keating — Emily Keating Art; Amy Macy — 86 Pool Road; Christine McCarthy — Artful Intuition; Michael Michaud — Mijumi Art; Christine Montano — Shore-Line Creations; Kate and Bill Murphy — Vintage Times Maps; Sergei Novikov — Speaking Music; David Poppie — Oxbow Art and Design; Karen Preli — Karen Preli Design; Kim Previti — Beyond Beautiful by Kim; Michelle Sansevero — Beachling; Tammi Sauco — Grateful Heart Art; Esther Schiff — Salty Expressions; Margie Sleboda — Margie Sherman Design; Breanna Wentworth — Sea Bre’s Creations. \nOils: Julie Brayton — Julie Brayton Fine Art; Jeanne DeCoste — JeanneDeCosteART; Bob Ferraro — Bob Ferraro Studios; Fran Henderson — Henderson Studio; Catherine Johansen — Cathy Johansen; Frank Oggeri — Natural Settings Fine Art; Brian O’Malley — Brian C. O’Malley Artworks; Carlos Rios — Carlos Rios Gallery; Judith Shea — Jude Niosi Art. \nPhotography: Roger Charbonneau — Jr Roger’s Pix Photography; John and Marie Geary — JEMPV; Doug Hockman — Doug Hockman Photography; Hannah McAllister — Cladach Living; Nancy Nielsen — Nansea Studio; Eric Parnes; Jeffrey Payette — Ffej Photography. \nPottery: Rachel Brown — Deep Earth Pottery; Robert Fishman — Robert Fishman Pottery; Pat Shea-Orzechowski — Pottery by Shea. \nSculpture: Linda Hayden — Hayden Creations. \nWatercolors: Sakara Perry — Sakara Perry Studio. \nWood: Julianna Cameron — Julianna Design; Charles Clark — CB’s Creations; Ian Evertson — Rogers Lake Woodworking; Debi Hitter — Ms. Sticks; Fred Jakubiec — Birdhouse Accents; Judy and Dan Liddle — Old Tyme Toys; Peter Scotella — JAMShome Design LLC; Brahim Sehili — Unique-Touches. \nSaturday Has Another Reason to Walk Main Street\nThere’s an easy way to turn the festival into a larger Old Saybrook morning. \nThe Old Saybrook Farmers’ Market is scheduled for the same Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 210 Main Street\, a short distance from the festival. \nThat means early arrivals can start at the farmers market and continue to the Town Green when the art festival opens at 10. \nThe location also puts festival visitors directly on Old Saybrook’s Main Street rather than at an isolated fairground. Restaurants\, shops and the rest of downtown remain within walking distance once you’ve finished—or need a break from—the rows of booths. \nSixty-Two Years Is the Other Thing Worth Noticing\nThe scale is impressive\, but longevity may say more about this event. \nAn annual community festival doesn’t reach its 62nd edition because somebody found a successful social-media campaign. It gets there because generations of exhibitors and visitors continue putting it on the calendar. \nThe format is uncomplicated: put a large collection of juried artists on the Town Green\, give people most of two days to explore it and let the work do the selling. \nFor someone casually browsing\, that means plenty of relatively accessible handmade items and gifts. \nFor someone actually looking for art\, there are enough painters\, photographers\, potters\, glass artists and sculptors here to spend considerably more time comparing work than the words “craft festival” might suggest. \nAnd unlike a gallery exhibition\, there’s another advantage: in most cases\, the person standing behind the work is the person who made it. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: 62nd Annual Old Saybrook Arts & Crafts Festival\nDates: Saturday\, Oct. 3 and Sunday\, Oct. 4\, 2026\nSaturday Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.\nSunday Hours: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.\nLocation: Old Saybrook Town Green\nAddress: 300 Main Street\, Old Saybrook\, CT 06475\nAdmission: Free\nArtists and Crafters: 145 listed in the Chamber’s 2026 event registration; the festival page describes the event as featuring more than 150\nSelection: Juried; applicants submit photographs of their work for review\nArt and Craft Categories: Acrylics\, ceramics\, consumables\, embellishment\, fiber\, glass\, graphics\, jewelry\, leather\, metal\, mixed media\, oils\, photography\, pottery\, sculpture\, watercolor and wood\nFood: Food is available at the festival; current sources indicate local civic organizations have traditionally handled food service rather than a conventional lineup of commercial festival food vendors\nSaturday Nearby: Old Saybrook Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.\, 210 Main Street\nParking: Free parking is reported for the festival; follow posted event parking directions on arrival\nAccessibility: The festival is outdoors on the Town Green; an event listing identifies accessible amenities\, but visitors needing specific accommodations should contact the Chamber before attending\nWeather: Outdoor event; check the Greater Old Saybrook Chamber for any weather-related changes\nOrganizer: Greater Old Saybrook Chamber\nContact: 860-388-3266 \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/145-juried-artists-take-over-the-old-saybrook-town-green-for-a-62-year-tradition/2026-10-04/
LOCATION:Old Saybrook Town Green\, 308 Main St\,\, Old Saybrook\, 06475\, United States
CATEGORIES:Old Saybrook Town Green
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/145-Juried-Artists-Take-Over-the-Old-Saybrook-Town-Green-for-a-62-Year-Tradition.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T180000
DTSTAMP:20260901T212201Z
CREATED:20260901T212201Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T212201Z
UID:10007336-1791104400-1791136800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill 2026: Complete Guide
DESCRIPTION:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is now open for the 2026 season\, beginning another fall of fresh-pressed sweet cider\, cider donuts\, traditional hard cider\, apple wine and one of the most unusual pieces of working history in Connecticut. \nThe family-owned Old Mystic landmark opened for the season September 1 and is currently scheduled to operate seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 129 North Stonington Road. \nBut calling Clyde’s a cider shop doesn’t quite explain why generations of families make a trip here every fall. \nThe mill has been family-owned since 1881. Fourth\, fifth and sixth generations of the family still work in the business. Apples are still crushed and pressed using historic machinery powered by steam. Visitors can watch the machinery operate\, descend into the cellar for traditional hard cider tastings\, sample apple wines in a converted grist mill and leave with a bag of cider donuts. \nClyde’s calls itself the oldest steam-powered cider mill in the United States. \nMore precisely\, it is the last operating steam-powered cider mill in the country\, according to the mill\, and its historic cider-making machinery has been recognized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. \nIt isn’t a reproduction of an old cider mill. \nIt’s the real thing. \nA Mystic Fall Tradition Since 1881\nThe story begins with Benjamin F. Clyde. \nIn 1881\, Clyde began producing cider from apples he had pressed at other local mills. He eventually rented a press before purchasing his own mill in 1897. \nThe equipment that followed would become the heart of the operation visitors still come to see. \nClyde purchased a screw press manufactured by Boomer & Boschert of Syracuse\, New York. The company also supplied the apple grater\, elevator and cider pump\, along with plans for the mill building. \nThe machinery was installed in 1898. \nAt the time\, cider mills were hardly unusual in rural America. \nThey served much the same role for apple growers that grist mills did for farmers growing grain. Orchards could bring surplus apples to a centrally located mill\, where the fruit could be processed and pressed into juice. Some of that juice could then be fermented into hard cider. \nMost of those community mills disappeared. \nClyde’s didn’t. \nThe Steam-Powered Mill Is Still Working\nThat’s what makes a visit different from touring a preserved historic building. \nThe machinery still has a job. \nApples enter the cider-making system and are elevated to a grinder\, where they’re reduced to pulp. That pulp is prepared for pressing\, and the historic screw press applies the tremendous pressure needed to extract the juice. \nThe technology was impressive for its era. \nAccording to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers\, the all-steel screw press could apply pressure at three speeds and represented one of the last generations of screw presses before hydraulic presses became widespread during the 20th century. \nASME designated B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1994\, recognizing the machinery as a rare survivor of an industry that was once common throughout America’s apple-growing regions. \nMore than a century after the equipment was installed\, Clyde’s still uses the mill to make cider. \nWhen Can You Watch Clyde’s Press Cider?\nVisitors don’t have to settle for looking at the machinery. \nClyde’s runs it during the season. \nThe mill’s typical pressing schedule is: \nTuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m.–noon\nSaturday and Sunday: 10 a.m.–noon \nThe schedule can vary because Clyde’s presses according to production needs\, so the machinery isn’t guaranteed to be running continuously throughout those periods. \nEven when the press isn’t operating\, visitors are welcome to look inside the historic press building. \nFor anyone specifically interested in seeing the steam-powered machinery at work\, a pressing morning is the best time to plan a visit. \nHow Clyde’s Makes Sweet Cider\nFresh sweet cider is the product that started everything. \nClyde’s purchases its apples from small orchards rather than operating a pick-your-own orchard of its own. The apples are processed at the mill and pressed into cider using the historic equipment. \nThe finished sweet cider is flash pasteurized on the property. \nVisitors can buy cider to take home or drink it while visiting\, and seasonal cider drinks have become part of the experience alongside the mill’s baked goods. \nThat combination has helped turn what was originally a working agricultural business into a fall destination. \nYou can come to learn how a 19th-century cider press works. \nYou can also come because you want cider and a donut. \nNeither is the wrong reason. \nAbout Those Clyde’s Cider Donuts\nFor plenty of visitors\, the steam engine has competition. \nClyde’s cider donuts have become almost as closely associated with the mill as the cider itself. \nThe store sells its well-known cider donuts along with other baked goods and seasonal treats. The selection can vary\, but the broader shop also carries jarred products\, honey from local beekeepers\, candied apples made by the family and other locally produced goods. \nIt’s part bakery\, part country store and part historic attraction. \nAnd on a busy fall weekend\, the line is evidence that plenty of people know exactly what they came for. \nThen There Is the Cider Downstairs\nThe word “cider” gets considerably more complicated at Clyde’s. \nSweet cider is only part of the story. \nClyde’s also makes traditional hard cider using a process very different from the sweeter\, carbonated canned ciders that have become common in supermarkets and bars. \nThe hard cider begins with apple juice and ferments before aging in oak whiskey barrels. \nThe process from juice to finished hard cider typically takes about a year. \nAfter fermentation and aging\, the hard cider receives relatively little filtration before being sold. That preserves more of the raw\, oaky character produced by the barrel. \nThe result is considerably stronger than many commercial hard ciders. \nClyde’s hard ciders and apple wines generally contain 12 to 14 percent alcohol. \nHard Cider vs. Apple Wine: What’s the Difference?\nThis is one of the more interesting parts of Clyde’s operation because the two products begin in essentially the same place. \nBoth the hard cider and apple wine start as fermented apple juice aged in oak whiskey barrels. \nWhat happens afterward separates them. \nClyde’s hard cider is only lightly filtered to remove sediment. That leaves it with a bolder flavor\, more pronounced oak character and more bite. \nThe apple wine receives considerably more filtration. \nThat additional processing produces a smoother\, somewhat sweeter product that is also shelf stable before opening. \nSo someone expecting Clyde’s hard cider to taste like a modern canned hard cider may be surprised. \nThis is closer to an older cider-making tradition. \nWhat’s in the Hard Cider Cellar?\nThe hard cider cellar sits underneath the press building. \nThat’s where visitors can taste Clyde’s traditional hard ciders and where the product has been made for generations. \nAvailability changes throughout the season\, but Clyde’s 2026 lineup includes several recurring varieties. \nThe Original is the starting point. It’s dry\, without added fruit flavors competing with the oak character of the barrel. \nLucky Lion is also dry and crisp\, with a character Clyde’s says some drinkers compare to Scotch. \nBlackout goes even further in that direction. It’s Clyde’s most popular hard cider and wine flavor\, with strong oak notes that the mill describes as almost reminiscent of whiskey. \nThen things get fruitier. \nBoomerang combines apple and cranberry for a tart\, sweeter cider. \nGoodfella adds blackberry and lands on the sweeter end of the lineup. \nYellow Jacket combines apple and orange\, producing some sweetness with a citrus bite. \nCherry Bomb adds another fruit-driven option. \nBecause Clyde’s rotates its hard ciders\, individual varieties can change during the season. \nThe Apple Wine List Goes Much Further\nThe wine side of the operation offers even more variety. \nClyde’s currently lists 14 apple wines\, ranging from dry expressions of apple to much sweeter fruit combinations. \nApple Wine is the driest of the wine lineup. \nSpiced Apple uses mulling spices for a distinctly fall-oriented version. \nSpider Cider combines sweetness with pumpkin spices and can be warmed or used in a hot toddy. \nStrawberry Bliss is the sweetest wine in the lineup\, combining apple and strawberry. \nBlueberry Spinner combines apple and blueberry. \nApple Raspberry leans sweet but tart. \nCider House Blend combines apple\, orange and cranberry. \nSeveral of the hard cider varieties\, including Original\, Lucky Lion\, Blackout\, Boomerang\, Goodfella and Yellow Jacket\, are also produced as wines. \nThe distinction comes back to filtration. \nSame roots. \nDifferent finish. \nYes\, You Can Taste Them for Free\nClyde’s offers separate hard cider and wine tastings throughout its season. \nAnd the tastings are free. \nNo purchase is required and no reservation is necessary. \nVisitors can sample up to four hard ciders and up to four wines at their respective tasting locations. \nHard cider tastings take place in the cellar beneath the press building. \nWine tastings are held in the tasting room\, which has its own connection to the property’s history: the building is a converted grist mill once used to produce johnnycake meal. \nTastings are first-come\, first-served. \nCurrent tasting hours are: \nMonday–Saturday: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.\nSunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. \nEveryone participating in a tasting must show a valid ID\, regardless of age or appearance. Clyde’s does not accept expired IDs or photographs of identification. \nConnecticut alcohol rules also mean Clyde’s cannot sell its hard cider or wine before 10 a.m. on Sundays. \nA Few Clyde’s Flavors to Know Before You Taste\nIf you don’t know where to start\, the tasting bottles are generally arranged from driest to sweetest\, and the staff can help narrow the choices. \nFor something dry: Original or Apple Wine. \nFor strong oak character: Blackout. \nFor dry and crisp: Lucky Lion. \nFor tart cranberry: Boomerang. \nFor something sweeter: Goodfella. \nFor fall spice: Spiced Apple or Spider Cider. \nFor very sweet fruit: Strawberry Bliss or Blueberry Spinner. \nOne warning for anyone accustomed to mass-market hard cider: remember the alcohol content. \nAt 12 to 14 percent ABV\, Clyde’s hard cider is much closer to wine strength than a typical bottle or can of commercial cider. \nCan You Bring Back a Clyde’s Growler?\nYes. \nClyde’s sells 64-ounce growlers of hard cider and offers growler refills. \nThere are a couple of important rules. \nClyde’s refills growlers rather than exchanging them\, so customers should clean their growler before bringing it back. The mill can only refill glass growlers that have a stamped or imprinted 64-ounce measurement. \nWine cannot be used for growler fills. \nThe refill program is for hard cider. \nHard cider should also be kept cool after purchase. Clyde’s recommends refrigeration. \nThere’s More Than Cider\nThe tasting room also contains Clyde’s gift shop\, with merchandise and locally made products that can include handmade earrings\, postcards and art prints. \nElsewhere at the mill\, visitors can browse honey produced by local beekeepers\, jarred foods\, family-made candied apples\, baked goods and other seasonal products. \nThat makes it possible to spend considerably more time at Clyde’s than simply buying a gallon of cider and heading home. \nWatch the press. \nGet cider and donuts. \nExplore the store. \nGo downstairs for a hard cider tasting. \nVisit the wine tasting room. \nBrowse the gift shop. \nIt’s effectively several different experiences spread across the historic property. \nIs B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill Good for Kids?\nYes. \nClyde’s welcomes children of all ages. \nThe working mill is also an opportunity to show kids a piece of machinery doing the job it was actually designed to do more than a century ago. \nThere is no alcohol involved in the regular sweet cider\, and the bakery\, cider and mill demonstration make Clyde’s an easy family fall stop. \nJust don’t confuse the two kinds of cider. \nThe traditional hard cider and apple wines are 12 to 14 percent alcohol and are strictly for adults 21 and older. \nCan You Pick Apples at Clyde’s?\nNo. \nThis is one of the most useful things to know before making the trip. \nB.F. Clyde’s is a cider mill\, not a pick-your-own orchard. \nThe mill purchases apples from small orchards and uses them to produce its cider. \nIf apple picking is part of your fall plans\, you’ll need to visit an orchard separately. \nCan You Bring a Dog?\nYes\, with restrictions. \nLeashed pets are permitted on the grounds. \nThey aren’t allowed inside the buildings or on the porch\, and visitors need to bring whatever they need to clean up after their pets. \nParking Can Be the Hardest Part of a Fall Visit\nClyde’s popularity comes with one predictable problem. \nIt gets busy. \nThe main parking lot can fill during peak periods\, particularly on fall weekends. \nClyde’s asks visitors to try the main lot first and to respect posted no-parking areas and neighboring properties if parking along nearby roads. \nAn auxiliary lot is available at 49 North Stonington Road. It’s approximately four-tenths of a mile from the mill\, so visitors using it should expect a walk. \nIf your schedule is flexible\, a weekday visit can make the entire experience easier. \nIf you’re coming specifically to see the press operate\, Tuesday or Thursday morning offers the combination of a weekday visit and a scheduled pressing window. \nClyde’s Isn’t a Museum\, and That’s the Point\nThere are plenty of places where historic machinery survives behind ropes. \nClyde’s is different. \nBenjamin Clyde started making cider in 1881. \nHe acquired his own mill in the 1890s. \nThe equipment installed in 1898 survived the arrival of hydraulic presses\, mass food production\, supermarkets\, interstate highways and more than a century of changes in how Americans buy their food. \nThe family survived with it. \nToday\, fourth\, fifth and sixth generations are involved in the operation. \nEvery September\, the doors open again. \nApples arrive. \nThe steam-powered machinery starts moving. \nFresh cider begins flowing. \nAnd people line up for cider donuts. \nThat’s why B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is more than another place to add to a Connecticut fall checklist. It’s a piece of New England’s agricultural and industrial history that never stopped doing its job. \n2026 Visitor Guide\nAttraction: B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill\n2026 Season Opening: September 1\, 2026\nCurrent Hours: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.\, seven days a week\nLocation: 129 North Stonington Road\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nAdmission: Free\nChildren: Welcome\nPets: Leashed pets allowed on the grounds; not inside buildings or on the porch\nApple Picking: No\nSweet Cider: Available\nCider Donuts and Baked Goods: Available\nHard Cider: Available for adults 21+\nApple Wine: Available for adults 21+\nAlcohol Content: Hard cider and wine are generally 12–14% ABV\nTastings: Free; no reservation required\nHard Cider Tastings: Cellar beneath the press building\nWine Tastings: Tasting room\nTasting Hours: Monday–Saturday\, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday\, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.\nTypical Pressing Schedule: Tuesday\, Thursday\, Saturday and Sunday\, 10 a.m.–noon\nParking: Main lot plus auxiliary parking at 49 North Stonington Road\nThanksgiving: Closed\nShipping: Not available\nPreorders/Call-Ahead Orders: Not available \nHard Cider Menu\nAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers History \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \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/b-f-clydes-cider-mill-2026-complete-guide/2026-10-04/
LOCATION:B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill\, 129 North Stonington Road\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T120000
DTSTAMP:20260929T222010Z
CREATED:20260929T222010Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T222010Z
UID:10009204-1791100800-1791115200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Safe Walk Turns a Morning at Waterford’s Duck Pond Into a Stand Against Abuse
DESCRIPTION:Safe Walk Turns a Morning at Waterford’s Duck Pond Into a Stand Against Abuse. Oct. 4\, Safe Futures brings families\, friends\, and community teams together for its annual walk during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. \nThe walk itself begins at 9 a.m.\, but this is more than a group making a lap around the park. \nBeginning at 8 a.m.\, Arnold Holm Jr. Memorial Park and the surrounding Waterford Duck Pond area become a small community gathering with a craft fair featuring local vendors\, basket raffles\, breakfast food trucks\, and activities surrounding the walk. \nThe goal is both symbolic and practical. \nSafe Futures hopes the event will raise at least $50\,000 to support free and confidential services for people in Southeastern Connecticut affected by domestic violence\, sexual assault\, stalking\, trafficking\, elder abuse\, and child abuse. \nThe Organization Behind the Walk\nSafe Futures is based in New London\, but its work extends throughout Southeastern Connecticut. \nFor someone experiencing abuse\, the organization can be a point of contact at virtually every stage of a crisis. \nSafe Futures operates a confidential hotline 24 hours a day\, 365 days a year. Its services include emergency shelter and safe-hotel placements\, transitional and supportive housing\, individual counseling\, court advocacy\, child and family advocacy\, assistance for victims working with law enforcement and prevention programs in area schools. \nThose services are provided free and confidentially. \nThat gives the Safe Walk a different significance than a typical Sunday-morning fundraiser. \nThe money raised doesn’t disappear into an abstract national campaign. It supports an organization working with people in this region who may need somewhere safe to sleep\, someone to accompany them through court\, help making a safety plan or simply a confidential person to call. \nWalk Together — or Build a Team\nAdults can register for $25\, while children under 18 and students participate free. \nWalkers can come individually\, gather family and friends or create fundraising teams. Participants receive fundraising tools through the event registration system\, and anyone who raises at least $100 receives a Safe Futures T-shirt. \nSame-day registration is available beginning at 8 a.m. \nThe morning’s craft fair also opens at 8\, giving people time to visit local vendors\, grab breakfast from the food trucks and enter the basket raffles before the walk gets underway. \nThen look for the purple balloon arch. \nThat’s the starting line\, positioned at the Waterford Public Library near the Duck Pond. Waterford Police will be on hand to assist pedestrians crossing the surrounding roads. \nWhy October Matters\nSafe Walk is deliberately held at the beginning of October. \nNational Domestic Violence Awareness Month is observed throughout the month\, with organizations across Connecticut holding walks\, vigils and community events intended both to support survivors and to make information about domestic violence and available services more visible. \nSafe Futures expands its mission beyond domestic violence alone. Its programs serve people affected by sexual assault\, stalking\, trafficking\, elder abuse and child abuse as well. \nAnd while Sunday’s event is designed to be welcoming and family-friendly\, the reason everyone is gathering at the Duck Pond is serious. \nSometimes awareness means knowing that help exists before you or someone you know needs it. \nSafe Futures’ confidential hotline is available around the clock at 860-701-6001. Connecticut’s statewide Safe Connect service can also be reached by calling or texting 888-774-2900. \nA Walk With a $50\,000 Destination\nSafe Futures has set a fundraising target of at least $50\,000 for this year’s walk. \nBut participation doesn’t require raising hundreds of dollars or assembling a large team. Someone can register\, show up and walk. Families can bring children. Students can participate free. Others can support friends who are fundraising\, shop the craft fair or donate without walking. \nParking will be available nearby at the Waterford Community Center\, Town Hall\, Waterford High School and Civic Triangle Park. The Waterford Public Library lot is reserved for craft-fair vendors and volunteers and will not be available for general parking \nOne other thing to leave home: the dog. Only service dogs and police dogs are permitted at Safe Walk. \nThe craft fair and registration open at 8 a.m.\, and the walk steps off at 9. \nFor Safe Futures\, however\, the destination is considerably farther away: a community where fewer people need the services the organization provides every day. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To register\, click the Event Registration link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Safe Walk 2026\nDate: Sunday\, Oct. 4\, 2026\nRegistration & Craft Fair: 8 a.m.\nWalk: 9 a.m.\nLocation: Arnold Holm Jr. Memorial Park / Waterford Duck Pond\nAddress: 37 Rope Ferry Road\, Waterford\, CT 06385\nAdmission: $25 adults; free for children under 18 and students\nSame-Day Registration: Available beginning at 8 a.m.\nFundraising Goal: $50\,000\nFundraising Incentive: Raise $100 or more and receive a Safe Futures T-shirt\nActivities: Community walk\, local craft vendors\, basket raffles and breakfast food trucks\nParking: Waterford Community Center\, Town Hall\, Waterford High School and Civic Triangle Park; no attendee parking at Waterford Public Library\nStarting Line: Purple balloon arch near the Waterford Public Library\nDogs: Service and police dogs only\nBeneficiary: Safe Futures\nSafe Futures 24/7 Confidential Hotline: 860-701-6001\nCT Safe Connect: Call or text 888-774-2900 \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/safe-walk-turns-a-morning-at-waterfords-duck-pond-into-a-stand-against-abuse/
LOCATION:Arnold Holm Jr. Memorial Park / Waterford Duck Pond\, 37 Ropeferry Road\, Waterford\, 06385\, United States
CATEGORIES:Arnold Holm Jr. Memorial Park / Waterford Duck Pons
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Safe-Walk-Turns-a-Morning-at-Waterfords-Duck-Pond-Into-a-Stand-Against-Abuse.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T230000
DTSTAMP:20261001T211608Z
CREATED:20261001T211608Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T211608Z
UID:10009232-1791057600-1791068400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Charlestown Rathskeller Turns Oktoberfest Into a Three-Day Party With German Food\, Live Music and Big Prizes
DESCRIPTION:Charlestown Rathskeller Turns Oktoberfest Into a Three-Day Party With German Food\, Live Music and Big Prizes Oct. 2–4\, filling the historic wooded tavern with German-inspired food\, cold beer\, three days of live music and a raffle lineup that ranges from gift cards to beer for a year and a Vermont getaway. \nThis isn’t a Saturday-afternoon Oktoberfest squeezed into a few hours. \nThe Rathskeller is making a weekend of it\, with festivities running Friday through Sunday at its Old Coach Road property in Charlestown. A special menu brings the German flavors\, while a different band takes over each day and raffle prizes are drawn throughout the weekend. \nThe restaurant’s own pitch gets right to the point: “Come for the Oktoberfest. Stay for the prizes.” \nConsidering what’s being given away\, that’s not much of an exaggeration. \nStart With the German Food\nThe Rathskeller is supplementing its regular offerings with an Oktoberfest menu built around dishes that go well beyond adding a pretzel to the bar menu. \nCurrywurst brings one of Germany’s great street foods to Charlestown: sausage served with the distinctive curry-spiced sauce that became a postwar favorite in Berlin. \nThere are Rathskeller soft pretzels\, along with frikadellen\, the German seasoned meat patties that land somewhere between a meatball and a small hamburger. \nFor something more substantial\, the menu includes cider-braised pork shank and sauerbraten\, the traditional German pot roast known for its sweet-and-sour character and long marinating process. \nAnd because this is still an American fall festival in Rhode Island\, there are funnel cakes for dessert. \nAdd cold beer\, and the Rathskeller has the food-and-drink side of Oktoberfest well covered. \nThree Days\, Three Bands\nThe music changes every day\, giving each part of the weekend a different personality. \nFriday: AD/HD\nAD/HD kicks off the music Friday from 8 to 11 p.m. \nThe AC/DC tribute act draws from both major periods of the Australian band’s career\, covering music associated with original frontman Bon Scott as well as the Brian Johnson era. \nThat opens Oktoberfest with hard rock rather than polka. \nAdmission for the performance is listed at $10 in advance and $15 at the door\, plus applicable advance ticketing fees. \nSaturday: Wicked Peach\nSaturday belongs to a band plenty of southeastern Connecticut music fans already know. \nWicked Peach performs from 8 to 11 p.m. \nThe regional rock band dates to 1996 and has built its following through decades of shows around southeastern Connecticut and southern New England. \nIts repertoire stretches across several generations of rock and pop-rock\, making the Saturday night show less about a single artist or era than the kind of recognizable songs designed to keep a weekend crowd moving. \nTickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. \nSunday: Timeless\nThe weekend shifts gears for its finale. \nTimeless performs Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m.\, turning the final day into more of an afternoon and early-evening party. \nThe Rhode Island-based group has been performing since 2016\, mixing classic rock\, pop\, country and dance music. Its résumé includes appearances at venues including Bally’s Twin River and Hard Rock Boston. \nSunday’s show is also listed at $10 in advance and $15 at the door. \nTogether\, the three bookings give Oktoberfest three very different musical flavors: an AC/DC tribute Friday\, regional rock favorites Wicked Peach Saturday and a broad party-band mix from Timeless Sunday. \nThen There Are the Prizes\nThis is where the Rathskeller’s Oktoberfest gets unusually ambitious. \nRaffle drawings take place throughout all three days\, and the prizes grow substantially beyond T-shirts and promotional swag. \nOrganizers are advertising hundreds of dollars in Rathskeller gift cards\, Oktoberfest merchandise and DownBack tickets alongside some much larger prizes. \nFriday’s festivities build toward a $500 Rathskeller gift card drawing at midnight. \nSaturday brings one of the weekend’s attention-getters: Beer for a Year. Another prize offers a dinner for two and wine every month for a year. \nSunday answers with Wine for a Year and perhaps the weekend’s most distinctive prize\, a two-night getaway for two to the von Trapp family’s Vermont resort and brewery\, including a brewery tour and a $200 dining credit. \nThere’s also a 2027 DownBack VIP pass among the prizes. \nThe raffle rules make entering relatively easy. There is no purchase necessary\, but participants must be 21 or older and must physically visit the Charlestown Rathskeller on the day of the drawing to enter. \nEntries are valid only for that day’s drawings and don’t carry over into the following day. \nVisitors don’t have to spend the entire day waiting to see if they’ve won. Winners can be contacted by email after the drawing. \nThat makes it possible to stop in during the afternoon\, enter the raffle\, have something to eat and return later for the night’s band without spending eight hours guarding a raffle ticket. \nOktoberfest at a Place That Dates to 1933\nThe setting gives the weekend considerably more character than a temporary beer tent in a parking lot. \nThe Charlestown Rathskeller traces its history to 1933\, the same year Prohibition ended nationally. \nIts secluded location in the woods became part of its identity\, and the property has long traded on the atmosphere of an old roadside tavern tucked away from the main coastal route. \nToday’s Rathskeller is considerably larger than a single historic dining room. \nThe property combines the restaurant and tavern with patios\, outdoor gathering spaces\, games including cornhole and bocce and the seasonal DownBack entertainment area. \nDownBack adds outdoor bars\, food\, a large fire pit and a concert stage to the wooded property. \nIts regular music season runs through the warmer months into October\, making Oktoberfest an appropriate way to push the outdoor-party atmosphere into fall. \nThree Days Instead of One Big Rush\nThe format also gives visitors options. \nSomeone interested primarily in the food and raffles doesn’t necessarily need to arrive for an 8 p.m. concert. AC/DC fans have a reason to choose Friday. Wicked Peach followers can make Saturday their night. Families or people who don’t want to stay out late can take advantage of Timeless’ earlier Sunday performance. \nAnd because raffle prizes are spread across the weekend\, there’s a reason to return. \nThat makes this less like a conventional Oktoberfest with a fixed four-hour program and more like the Rathskeller temporarily changing its personality for an entire weekend. \nGerman-inspired food provides the theme. \nThe beer certainly helps. \nBut between three bands\, three days of drawings and prizes that include everything from gift cards to a Vermont brewery getaway\, the Rathskeller has built plenty around the beer steins. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets for the individual live music performances\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Charlestown Rathskeller Oktoberfest\nDates: Friday–Sunday\, Oct. 2–4\, 2026\nLocation: Charlestown Rathskeller\nAddress: 489A Old Coach Road\, Charlestown\, RI 02813\nOktoberfest Menu: Currywurst\, Rathskeller soft pretzels\, frikadellen\, cider-braised pork shank\, sauerbraten and funnel cakes\nFriday Music: AD/HD\, 8–11 p.m.\nSaturday Music: Wicked Peach\, 8–11 p.m.\nSunday Music: Timeless\, 4–7 p.m.\nMusic Tickets: $10 advance/$15 at the door for the listed performances; advance ticketing fees may apply\nRaffles: Drawings throughout all three days\nMajor Prizes: Rathskeller gift cards\, Beer for a Year\, Wine for a Year\, monthly dinner-and-wine package\, 2027 DownBack VIP pass and a two-night Vermont getaway\nRaffle Admission: No purchase necessary\nRaffle Age: 21+\nRaffle Rules: Entrants must visit the Rathskeller in person on the applicable day; entries do not carry over to subsequent days\nSetting: Historic tavern\, restaurant and wooded outdoor entertainment property with the seasonal DownBack area\nWeather: Outdoor portions of the weekend may be affected by weather; check with the Rathskeller for any day-of changes \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/charlestown-rathskeller-turns-oktoberfest-into-a-three-day-party-with-german-food-live-music-and-big-prizes/2026-10-03/
LOCATION:Rathskeller\, 489A Old Coach Rd\, Charlestown\, RI\, 02813\, United States
CATEGORIES:Rathskeller
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T210000
DTSTAMP:20260929T024550Z
CREATED:20260929T024550Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T024550Z
UID:10009184-1791046800-1791061200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Pumpkin Passage Turns The Dinosaur Place Into a Glowing Halloween Playground
DESCRIPTION:Pumpkin Passage Turns The Dinosaur Place Into a Glowing Halloween Playground beginning Oct. 3\, when the dinosaurs stay up after dark\, and The Dinosaur Place in Montville transforms its prehistoric trails into a month-long Halloween world filled with glowing dinosaurs\, illuminated pumpkins\, mythical creatures\, live entertainers\, inflatables\, games\, and marshmallows around the fire. \nAnd despite all the ingredients that could make this terrifying — darkness\, enormous dinosaurs and Halloween — Pumpkin Passage is deliberately aimed at families with young children. \nThis is the eighth year for the annual event at Nature’s Art Village\, and rather than building a haunted attraction around jump scares and monsters\, the park uses its existing dinosaurs as the backdrop for a nighttime Halloween adventure kids can explore with their parents. \nThe result lands somewhere between a Halloween light walk\, an outdoor carnival\, and a visit to The Dinosaur Place after everybody forgot to tell the dinosaurs it was bedtime. \nWait Until the Sun Goes Down\nThe centerpiece is the illuminated trail. \nFamilies walk among glowing dinosaurs\, pumpkins and mythical creatures as Halloween lighting transforms the wooded attraction after dark. The Dinosaur Place is already home to more than 100 life-sized dinosaurs\, including animatronic creatures\, spread across its trails and attractions. Once daylight disappears\, those familiar prehistoric residents become part of the Halloween scenery. \nBut walking the trail is only part of the night. \nPumpkin Passage spreads activities throughout the grounds\, including the Jurassic Jungle bounce house\, a towering 20-foot Funhouse Super Slide\, an inflatable corn maze and other inflatables. \nThere are also lawn games and activities\, including inflatable axe throwing\, cornhole\, Connect 4 and Who’s Your Pumpkin. \nThen there are the pumpkins. \nAmong the more unusual attractions is an original performance by a family of singing animatronic pumpkins — which seems exactly like the sort of wonderfully odd Halloween creation children will either talk about for the rest of the month or insist on seeing again immediately. \nEvery Night Adds Live Entertainment\nPumpkin Passage isn’t exactly the same experience every night. \nThe Dinosaur Place is scheduling live entertainers throughout the run\, with the entertainment changing depending on the date. The lineup includes face painting and glitter tattoos\, balloon twisting\, a petting zoo\, DJs\, light performers\, stilt walkers and other specialty entertainment. \nThat means families planning around a particular performer should check the night’s entertainment schedule before choosing a date rather than assuming every attraction appears at every performance. \nThe regular attractions\, however\, give families plenty to do beyond the scheduled shows. \nOne of the simplest may also be one of the nicest on a cool October night: free marshmallow roasting around the fire pit\, including marshmallows and roasting sticks. S’mores kits\, hot apple cider and cocoa are available as extras. \nFood trucks rotate through Pumpkin Passage as well\, with different vendors scheduled during the month. The published lineup includes pizza\, barbecue\, burgers\, tacos\, Mexican street food\, ice cream\, shaved ice and other festival food. \nAnd because this is Halloween\, costumes are encouraged. \nHalloween for Kids Who Aren’t Looking to Be Terrified\nThe most important word in Pumpkin Passage may be friendly. \nThe event is specifically promoted as toddler- and kid-friendly. This isn’t the place to take a child who wants chainsaws\, blood\, actors leaping from behind trees and a terrifying haunted maze. \nIt’s almost the opposite. \nThe attraction uses the visual language of Halloween — darkness\, glowing pumpkins\, unusual creatures and dramatic lighting — without turning the night into a scare attraction. \nThat makes Pumpkin Passage an option for families whose children are excited about Halloween but aren’t ready for a traditional haunted house. \nIt also gives parents something considerably more substantial than walking around a parking lot collecting candy. Families can make an evening of it\, moving between the illuminated trail\, inflatables\, entertainment\, games\, food trucks and fire pit. \nAnd for a dinosaur-obsessed child\, there’s an obvious bonus: Halloween doesn’t replace the dinosaurs. \nIt joins them. \nThere Are 18 Chances to Go\nOpening night is Saturday\, Oct. 3\, but Pumpkin Passage continues throughout October and even spills into November. \nThe regular schedule includes Fridays\, Saturdays and Sundays beginning Oct. 3\, plus Columbus Day on Monday\, Oct. 12\, and three specially priced Thursday nights on Oct. 15\, 22 and 29. The final night is Sunday\, Nov. 1. \nPumpkin Passage begins at 5 p.m. each night. Friday and Saturday dates generally continue until 9 p.m.\, while Sundays\, the holiday Monday and specially scheduled Thursdays run until 8 p.m. \nOne caution when planning: some outside event calendars show slightly different times. The Dinosaur Place’s own current schedule says Pumpkin Passage begins at 5 p.m.\, so that’s the schedule we would use when planning a visit. \nThe Thursday nights are also less expensive than the regular weekend dates\, giving families some incentive to visit before Halloween weekend. \nOnline ticketing is required\, and reservations are strongly recommended because individual dates can sell out. \nFor families who already love The Dinosaur Place\, Pumpkin Passage offers something genuinely different from a daytime visit. And for children who want Halloween to feel magical rather than frightening\, glowing dinosaurs\, singing pumpkins\, bounce houses and marshmallows may be a pretty good place to start. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: 8th Annual Pumpkin Passage\nOpening Night: Saturday\, Oct. 3\, 2026\nFinal Night: Sunday\, Nov. 1\, 2026\nLocation: The Dinosaur Place at Nature’s Art Village\nAddress: 1650 Hartford-New London Turnpike\, Montville\, CT 06370\nRegular Dates: Fridays\, Saturdays and Sundays beginning Oct. 3\nAdditional Dates: Monday\, Oct. 12; Thursdays\, Oct. 15\, 22 and 29; Sunday\, Nov. 1\nStart Time: 5 p.m.\nFriday & Saturday Hours: Generally 5–9 p.m.\nSunday & Select Weeknight Hours: Generally 5–8 p.m.\nRegular Admission: Children ages 2–12\, $29; ages 13+\, $27; children under 2 free\nSpecial Thursday Pricing: Reduced admission applies Oct. 15\, 22 and 29; check current ticketing for final price before purchasing\nTickets: Online ticketing only; advance reservations strongly recommended\nIncluded: Illuminated Halloween trail\, glowing dinosaurs and pumpkins\, inflatables\, lawn games\, singing animatronic pumpkins\, marshmallow roasting\, photo opportunities and scheduled entertainment\nFood: Rotating food trucks; additional treats and drinks available for purchase\nCostumes: Encouraged\nAudience: Designed as a kid- and toddler-friendly Halloween event\nParking: Free\nWeather: Outdoor event; management may close attractions because of adverse weather. If Pumpkin Passage is forced to close because of rain or lightning at the scheduled visit time\, ticket holders may be offered a rain check to rebook.\nPhone: 860-443-4367 \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/pumpkin-passage-turns-the-dinosaur-place-into-a-glowing-halloween-playground/2026-10-03/
LOCATION:The Dinosaur Place at Nature’s Art Village\, 1650 Hartford-New London Tpke\, Montville\, 06370\, United States
CATEGORIES:The Dinosaur Place
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T230000
DTSTAMP:20261001T161601Z
CREATED:20261001T161601Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T161601Z
UID:10009223-1791043200-1791068400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Bison Brook Rodeo Brings Bulls\, Broncs and a $14\,000 Purse to North Stonington
DESCRIPTION:Bison Brook Rodeo Brings Bulls\, Broncs and a $14\,000 Purse to North Stonington Oct. 2 and 3\, turning a field on Button Road into a two-night rough-stock arena with professional bull riding\, ranch broncs\, country music\, food\, drinks and vendors. \nAnd this isn’t simply a Western-themed festival with a little riding thrown in. \nThe North Stonington competition is sanctioned by Elite Bullriders Association\, with $5\,000 added to the bull-riding purse each night and another $2\,000 added for ranch bronc riding each night. Winners also leave with buckles. \nThat puts $14\,000 in added money across the two nights and gives the riders considerably more incentive than applause from the grandstands. \nThe public side of the event runs Friday and Saturday\, Oct. 2–3\, at 42 Button Road in North Stonington\, with food\, drinks\, vendors and music surrounding the rodeo itself. \nThis Is Rough-Stock Rodeo\nThere are no timed barrel races or team-roping competitions on the North Stonington card published by Elite Bullriders Association. \nThe focus is on two of rodeo’s rough-stock events: bull riding and ranch bronc riding. \nBoth share a simple underlying idea that becomes considerably less simple once the gate opens: stay aboard an animal that has absolutely no interest in letting you do so. \nBull riding puts the competitor on the back of a bucking bull\, gripping a flat braided rope with one hand. A qualified ride lasts eight seconds\, with the rider judged along with the animal. The harder and more athletic the bull bucks\, spins and changes direction\, the greater the potential score if the cowboy can stay aboard. \nRanch bronc riding has different roots. \nIt grew from the practical riding skills of working cowboys and ranch hands and developed into a competitive event distinct from the more stylized saddle bronc riding familiar from traditional rodeo. \nAt Bison Brook\, the two disciplines divide the purse accordingly. \nThe Elite Bullriders Association lists $5\,000 in added money for sanctioned bull riding each night\, with a buckle going to each night’s winner. \nRanch bronc competitors have $2\,000 added each night\, again with a winner’s buckle on the line. \nFor competitors\, entry fees are listed at $100 plus a permit for nonmembers in bull riding and $75 plus a permit for nonmembers in ranch broncs. \nFor everybody else\, the assignment is easier: stay on your side of the fence. \nThe Rodeo Starts at 7\, but the Evening Starts Earlier\nThe sanctioned competition is scheduled from 7 to 11 p.m. both Friday and Saturday\, according to Elite Bullriders Association. \nBut the larger Bison Brook event begins before the first chute opens. \nThe organizers describe the weekend as two nights of rodeo action surrounded by food\, drinks\, vendors and music. Other regional listings place the public event beginning around 4 p.m.\, making this more of an evening at the farm than a show where everyone arrives five minutes before the first bull comes out. \nFriday has an especially local connection. \nNick Bosse & The Northern Roots perform at 5 p.m. Friday\, giving the rodeo a North Stonington country soundtrack before the competition begins. \nNick Bosse Is Playing in His Hometown\nBosse isn’t being imported from Nashville to provide generic country music before a Connecticut rodeo. \nHe’s from North Stonington. \nThe singer-songwriter and his Northern Roots band have built their sound around older-school and outlaw country\, drawing on the tradition of artists including Merle Haggard\, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash while writing contemporary songs about working people\, rural life and the direction of modern country music. \nBosse began playing local bar gigs in 2013 before forming The Northern Roots. Since then\, he has recorded in Nashville\, headlined shows at both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun and won a New England Music Award for Best Vocalist. \nHis song “What Happened to Country” has accumulated more than 2 million streams\, according to his official biography. \nThere aren’t many venues where that material fits more naturally than a rodeo a few miles from home. \nBosse’s own tour schedule confirms the band at Bison Brook Rodeo at 5 p.m. Friday\, Oct. 2. \nHe is not listed for Saturday; his schedule puts him in Vermont that evening. \nYou Can Build a Cowboy Hat While You’re There\nAt least one of the vendors is leaning completely into the occasion. \nThe Hat Social\, a sister-owned custom hat business\, has announced that it will be at Bison Brook both nights with its mobile hat bar. \nVisitors choose a felt or straw hat and then customize it with combinations of bands\, ribbons\, feathers\, pins and other details. Branding can add letters\, dates\, initials or symbols directly to the finished hat. \nAppointments are recommended\, although the company says walk-ups will be accepted when availability allows. \nIt’s the sort of vendor that makes considerably more sense beside a rodeo arena than it would at the average Saturday craft fair. \nThe Bulls and Broncs Are Part of a Larger Circuit\nThe Elite Bullriders Association schedule provides another useful piece of context. \nNorth Stonington isn’t an isolated demonstration. The Bison Brook competition sits on an active October schedule of sanctioned bull and bronc events stretching through the Southeast. \nThe association has other competitions scheduled the same weekend in Florida\, followed by rodeos in Georgia and additional Florida dates later in October. \nThat matters because “sanctioned” has a specific implication here: riders aren’t simply being recruited locally for an exhibition. Bison Brook is appearing on the same competition calendar as the association’s other bull-riding and ranch-bronc events. \nThe prize structure reinforces that. \nA rider who wins on Friday doesn’t simply receive bragging rights. There’s money and a championship-style buckle attached to the result\, and Saturday starts the contest again with another purse and another buckle. \nTwo Nights\, Two Separate Competitions\nAnyone considering which night to attend should understand that Friday isn’t a preliminary round leading to a Saturday final. \nElite Bullriders Association lists added prize money and a winner’s buckle each night. \nThat gives each performance its own stakes. \nFriday has the additional attraction of the 5 p.m. Nick Bosse & The Northern Roots performance. Saturday offers the same sanctioned bull-and-bronc format without Bosse\, who is booked elsewhere that evening. \nThe Eventbrite listing describes the event as all ages\, making this one of the relatively unusual opportunities in southeastern Connecticut to take kids to an actual rough-stock rodeo rather than a Western-themed attraction. \nThey should also understand what they’re going to see. \nBull riding and bronc riding are loud\, fast and inherently physical sports involving large animals and riders being thrown to the ground. For some children\, that’s precisely what makes a rodeo exciting. Others may find the noise and intensity overwhelming. \nNorth Stonington Goes a Little Bit West\nThere’s something slightly improbable about finding sanctioned bull riding in the woods and farm country between Mystic and the Rhode Island line. \nBut North Stonington may be one of the Connecticut towns where it makes the most sense. \nThis is still a rural part of southeastern Connecticut\, a landscape of working farms\, stone walls\, fields and winding back roads sitting only minutes from the casinos and the busy shoreline. \nFor two evenings\, Button Road gets something considerably louder. \nThere will be country music before the gates open\, vendors and food around the grounds\, riders competing for money and buckles\, ranch broncs coming out of the chutes and bulls trying to end an eight-second ride considerably earlier than the cowboy would prefer. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Bison Brook Rodeo\nDates: Friday\, Oct. 2 and Saturday\, Oct. 3\, 2026\nLocation: The Overpass Arena\nAddress: 42 Button Road\, North Stonington\, CT 06359\nPublic Event: Regional listings indicate activities begin around 4 p.m.\nSanctioned Rodeo: 7–11 p.m. each night\nRodeo Sanction: Elite Bullriders Association\nCompetition: Bull riding and ranch bronc riding\nBull Riding Purse: $5\,000 added each night; buckle to each night’s winner\nRanch Bronc Purse: $2\,000 added each night; buckle to each night’s winner\nTotal Added Money: $14\,000 across both nights\nFriday Live Music: Nick Bosse & The Northern Roots at 5 p.m.\nSaturday: Nick Bosse is not scheduled to perform Saturday\nOther Attractions: Food\, drinks\, vendors and music\nCustom Hat Bar: The Hat Social is scheduled for both nights; appointments recommended\, with walk-ups subject to availability\nAges: All ages\nTickets: Multiple ticket levels are offered through Eventbrite\, including VIP options; check the ticketing page for current prices and availability\nRefunds: No refunds\nWeather: Check the organizer’s Eventbrite page for its current weather policy before attending\nParking: Check the Eventbrite FAQ for current parking information\nAlcohol: The event FAQ includes alcohol information; attendees should check the current ticketing page for service rules and restrictions\nGate Sales: Check Eventbrite for current ticket availability and whether tickets remain available at the gate \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/bison-brook-rodeo-brings-bulls-broncs-and-a-14000-purse-to-north-stonington/2026-10-03/
LOCATION:The Overpass Arena\, 42 Button Road\, North Stonington\, 06359\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T180000
DTSTAMP:20261005T192801Z
CREATED:20260913T030059Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261005T192801Z
UID:10007591-1791039600-1791050400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Sun BrewFest Brings 200+ Pours\, Food\, Live Music and Festival Games to Mohegan Sun
DESCRIPTION:Sun BrewFest returns to Mohegan Sun Saturday\, October 3\, with unlimited samples of more than 200 beers\, hard seltzers and canned cocktails\, chef-inspired food samples\, live music from The Rakes\, stein-hoisting contests\, line dancing and a cornhole tournament offering $1\,000 in cash prizes. \nThis year’s festival also has a new home. \nInstead of the Earth Expo & Convention Center used for last year’s event\, the 2026 BrewFest moves into the Uncas Ballroom\, with general admission running from 3 to 6 p.m. \nAnd Mohegan Sun has now released a substantial vendor lineup for the festival\, ranging from familiar national beer companies to Connecticut and Rhode Island craft breweries\, cideries\, distilleries\, food vendors and specialty exhibitors. \nThis Is More Than a Beer Festival Now\nSun BrewFest began in 2012 with beer at the center of the experience\, and beer remains a major part of it. \nBut the modern version has expanded considerably. \nMohegan Sun says there will be more than 200 varieties of beer\, seltzer and canned cocktails available for unlimited sampling during the three-hour general admission session. \nThat means visitors aren’t limited to traditional breweries. \nCider\, spirits\, ready-to-drink cocktails and newer alcoholic beverages are represented alongside IPAs\, lagers\, ales and other beer styles. \nFood has become a bigger component as well. Local culinary vendors will provide complimentary samples\, while larger portions will be available to purchase. \nAnd those vendors aren’t simply feeding the crowd. \nThey’re competing. \nYou Get to Pick the Best Food\nThe People’s Choice Food Competition puts participating culinary vendors head-to-head\, with BrewFest guests serving as the judges. \nVisitors can sample the competing dishes and cast a vote for their favorite. \nVoting closes at 5:45 p.m.\, with the winner scheduled to be announced at 6 p.m. \nMohegan Sun has not yet published the complete 2026 culinary lineup. The event page currently tells visitors to check back for participating food vendors\, so additional names should be expected as October approaches. \nOne food vendor already included in the broader published vendor list is PHYGIT Pretzels. \nThe current event page also features NoRA Cupcake Company imagery\, although NoRA is not presently included in Mohegan Sun’s published 2026 vendor list. Until Mohegan Sun adds it to that list\, it shouldn’t be treated as a confirmed 2026 participant. \nLast year’s event featured food from Hungry Lion\, Keifer’s Kettle Korn\, Knot of this World Pretzels\, NoRA Cupcake Company\, Philly’s\, Rubino’s Full Scoop\, Spuds Your Way and Whey Station\, but those were 2025 vendors and should not be assumed to be returning this year. \nThe Complete 2026 Vendor List So Far\nMohegan Sun’s current list includes beverage producers\, distributors\, food and specialty vendors\, automotive businesses and other exhibitors. Some distributors represent multiple beverage labels\, which helps explain how the festival reaches more than 200 individual beverages without listing 200 breweries. \n1013 Rustic Designs creates handcrafted rustic and decorative products. \n1911 Established Hard Cider comes from New York’s Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards and produces a broad family of hard ciders and flavored cider beverages. \n78 Brewing Co. joins the craft-beer side of the festival. \nBoston Beer Company brings one of the country’s largest craft-beverage portfolios. The company is behind Samuel Adams and also has brands including Truly Hard Seltzer\, Twisted Tea and Angry Orchard within its larger family. \nBoozy Candles adds a non-drinking option to the vendor floor with alcohol and cocktail-inspired candles and gifts. \nBrescome Barton Inc. is one of Connecticut’s major beverage distributors. Its presence means additional brands can appear at BrewFest under the distributor rather than being individually named in the vendor list. \nBully Boy Distillers is a Boston distillery producing whiskey\, rum\, gin\, vodka and ready-to-drink beverages. \nCampari America represents a large spirits portfolio that includes Campari\, Aperol and other internationally known labels. \nCharles Toyota is among the local automotive businesses participating in the event. \nCigar Nowhere joins the specialty-vendor side of BrewFest. \nConnecticut Cigar Company adds another cigar-related exhibitor. \nConstellation Brands / Beer Division represents one of the largest beer portfolios in the country\, including major imported brands. \nEquilibrium Brewing comes from Middletown\, New York\, and has built a substantial following among craft-beer drinkers\, particularly for its IPAs and other modern craft styles. \nFunny Water produces flavored alcoholic still water\, a lighter alternative to carbonated hard seltzer. \nGirard Ford is another southeastern Connecticut automotive participant. \nGood Boy Vodka produces vodka and canned ready-to-drink cocktails. \nGreenhouse Agency works with beverage brands on marketing\, promotion and consumer events and will be represented on the festival floor. \nGrey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island and Outer Light Brewing Company appear together on Mohegan Sun’s vendor list\, giving BrewFest two familiar breweries from The CT Beacon’s immediate coverage area. Grey Sail brews in Westerly\, while Outer Light operates in Groton. \nHeineken USA brings another major international beer portfolio to the tasting floor. \nI Got A Guy CT is among the non-beverage exhibitors scheduled for the festival. \nJack Daniel’s Canned Cocktails brings the Tennessee whiskey brand into the ready-to-drink side of BrewFest with its line of canned mixed drinks. \nLitchfield Distillery represents Connecticut-made spirits\, producing bourbon\, whiskey\, gin and vodka in Litchfield. \nMartignetti and Martignetti Companies of Connecticut are both included on Mohegan Sun’s published list. The major New England beverage distributor represents an extensive portfolio of wine\, spirits and other alcoholic beverages. \nNissan of Norwich joins Charles Toyota and Girard Ford among the local automotive businesses represented. \nOcean State Charity Events is also scheduled to participate. \nOwl’s Brew makes tea-based alcoholic beverages and ready-to-drink cocktails using ingredients including tea and botanicals. \nPHYGIT Pretzels brings food into the vendor mix with handmade pretzels. \nReed’s Inc. is best known for ginger beer and ginger beverages and also operates the Virgil’s craft soda brand. \nSpiked Ade joins the growing ready-to-drink portion of the festival. \nSuntory Global Spirits has one of the largest spirits portfolios represented at BrewFest. The company formerly known as Beam Suntory owns brands across whiskey\, tequila\, gin and other categories. \nTapped Apple Cidery & Winery provides another particularly local connection. The Westerly producer makes hard cider and wine using apples and other fruit. \nThese Guys Brewing Company comes from Norwich\, where the downtown brewery and restaurant has been part of the local craft-beer scene for years. \nTwo Roads Brewing Company represents Stratford and one of Connecticut’s most widely distributed craft breweries. \nWaypoint Spirits brings locally produced spirits from Bloomfield\, Connecticut. \nWhalers Brewing Company comes from Wakefield\, Rhode Island\, and is particularly well known for its Rise American pale ale. \nWormtown Brewery brings Massachusetts craft beer to the floor from its Worcester roots. \nThat list is current as of September 12\, and Mohegan Sun can still add participants before October 3. \nThere Are Some Strong Local Breweries in the Mix\nFor southeastern Connecticut and southwestern Rhode Island drinkers\, several names stand out. \nOuter Light is practically down the road in Groton. \nGrey Sail has been brewing in Westerly since 2011 and has become one of Rhode Island’s better-known craft breweries\, particularly through beers including Captain’s Daughter. \nTapped Apple also comes from Westerly but approaches fermentation through fruit rather than grain\, producing cider and wine. \nThese Guys gives Norwich a representative. \nWhalers comes from South Kingstown. \nAnd Two Roads gives the lineup one of Connecticut’s largest independent craft-beer names. \nThe larger distributors then dramatically expand the selection beyond the breweries named individually. \nThat’s how this becomes a tasting of 200-plus beverages rather than simply the three dozen businesses listed on the event page. \nThe Rakes Supply the Soundtrack\nConnecticut band The Rakes will provide live music during the festival. \nThe Rakes are a five-piece band built around rock and pop covers\, with a repertoire spanning decades rather than concentrating on a single artist or genre. \nThey’re familiar throughout Connecticut’s live-music circuit and have played festivals\, clubs\, private events and larger community celebrations around the state. \nFor BrewFest\, the band isn’t a separate ticketed performance. \nLive entertainment is included with admission. \nThen Someone Hands You a Full Stein\nSun BrewFest’s Stein Hoisting Competition returns with six sessions beginning every half hour from 3 through 5:30 p.m. \nEach round is limited to 10 contestants. \nThe concept is simple and increasingly painful: contestants hold a full stein straight out in front of themselves for as long as possible without dropping their arm or violating the competition rules. \nThe 2026 sessions begin at: \n3 p.m.\, 3:30 p.m.\, 4 p.m.\, 4:30 p.m.\, 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. \nMohegan Sun’s August announcement describes alternating men’s and women’s sessions\, beginning with the men’s competition at 3 p.m. \nParticipation is free for BrewFest attendees\, with registration taking place at the Stein Hoisting Stage on a first-come\, first-filled basis. \nEach winner receives a swag bag donated by festival sponsors. \nCornhole Gets Much More Serious\nThe cornhole tournament begins before general admission. \nReal Wicked Events runs the tournament from 2 to 6 p.m.\, with advance registration required. \nTournament participants receive access to BrewFest’s otherwise unavailable VIP hour\, entering before the 3 p.m. general admission crowd. \nThere’s real money involved\, too. \nFirst place receives $500 cash\, a future complimentary Mohegan Sun hotel stay and two tickets to a Mohegan Sun Arena performance\, subject to availability. \nSecond place gets $300. \nThird gets $200. \nThat’s $1\,000 in cash prizes before counting the hotel room and show tickets. \nAnyone interested in playing needs to register for the tournament separately in advance. This isn’t something to decide after the fourth IPA. \nLine Dancing and Games Fill Out the Afternoon\nThe festival also includes line dancing sessions and other games throughout the afternoon. \nThat makes the event structurally different from a tasting where guests simply move from brewery table to brewery table for three hours. \nThere’s always something else happening. \nListen to The Rakes. \nVote for food. \nEnter a stein-hoisting round. \nTry line dancing. \nWatch the cornhole tournament. \nThen return to the serious business of determining whether you really needed to sample another beer. \nMohegan Sun Online Casino Has Its Own Competition\nMohegan Sun Online Casino presents Spin to Win during BrewFest. \nParticipants must download the Mohegan Sun Online Casino app\, register an account and place a $25 wager on any game to unlock a spin. \nPrizes can include cash\, hotel stays\, in-app bonus credits and other rewards. \nParticipation is restricted to guests 21 and older\, and self-excluded individuals are not eligible. \nIt’s separate from the tastings and other included BrewFest activities because participating requires the qualifying wager. \nWho Are the Sponsors?\nThere’s an important distinction between the published vendor list and a formal sponsor list. \nAs of September 12\, Mohegan Sun has published the full current list of participating vendors but has not published a separate comprehensive 2026 sponsor roster on the event page. \nThe sponsors and event partners that are explicitly identifiable from the current material include Mohegan Sun Online Casino\, which presents Spin to Win\, and Real Wicked Events\, which partners with BrewFest on the cornhole tournament. \nMohegan Sun also states that stein-hoisting prizes are donated by “our sponsors\,” indicating additional beverage or event sponsors are involved\, but the current page doesn’t identify every one of those businesses by sponsor status. \nRather than label all 36 listed vendors as sponsors when Mohegan Sun itself doesn’t do that\, the safest distinction is: all of the businesses in the vendor list above are confirmed participants; Mohegan Sun Online Casino and Real Wicked Events are explicitly identified event partners/presenters. \nIf Mohegan Sun publishes a separate sponsor roster before October 3\, we’ll update the list. \nUnlimited Really Does Mean Unlimited Samples\nOne of the biggest changes from many beer festivals is that Sun BrewFest doesn’t operate with a fixed tasting-ticket system. \nMohegan Sun’s current FAQ specifically describes the alcohol tastings as unlimited. \nAdmission includes samples of beer\, cider\, hard seltzer and canned cocktails\, along with complimentary samples from participating culinary vendors. \nFull-size food portions will also be available for purchase. \nOf course\, unlimited availability doesn’t eliminate the usual practical consideration. \nThere are more than 200 beverages and only three hours. \nNobody needs to complete the collection. \nThis Year’s BrewFest Is 21+ Only\nUnlike some food-and-beverage festivals that offer designated-driver admission or allow younger guests\, Mohegan Sun’s published rules for the 2026 Sun BrewFest require everyone attending to be at least 21 years old. \nA valid photo ID and ticket or event wristband are required for entry. \nThat’s worth emphasizing because previous editions have offered designated-driver ticket options. The current 2026 event information does not advertise one. \nThe venue change also matters for returning guests. \nDon’t head automatically toward the Earth Expo Center because that’s where you remember BrewFest being held. \nThis year\, go to the Uncas Ballroom. \nDetails\nEvent: Sun BrewFest\nDate: Saturday\, October 3\, 2026\nGeneral Admission: 3–6 p.m.\nVenue: Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun\nAddress: 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard\, Uncasville\, CT 06382\nAge: 21+ only; valid photo ID required\nBeverages: More than 200 varieties of beer\, cider\, hard seltzer and canned cocktails\nTastings: Unlimited beverage samples included with admission\nFood: Complimentary samples from participating culinary vendors; full-size portions available for purchase\nPeople’s Choice Food Competition: Voting closes at 5:45 p.m.; winner announced at 6 p.m.\nLive Music: The Rakes\nStein Hoisting: Six sessions from 3–6 p.m.; 10 contestants per session; free with admission and first come\, first filled\nCornhole Tournament: 2–6 p.m.; advance registration required through Real Wicked Events/Eventbrite\nCornhole VIP Access: Tournament participants receive access to the pre-general-admission VIP hour\nCornhole Prizes: $500 plus hotel stay and two Arena tickets for first; $300 second; $200 third\nOther Activities: Line dancing\, games and Spin to Win\nParking: Free; Mohegan Sun has more than 13\,000 on-site parking spaces\nCurrent Confirmed Vendors: 1013 Rustic Designs; 1911 Established Hard Cider; 78 Brewing Co.; Boston Beer Company; Boozy Candles; Brescome Barton Inc.; Bully Boy Distillers; Campari America; Charles Toyota; Cigar Nowhere; Connecticut Cigar Company; Constellation Brands/Beer Division; Equilibrium Brewing; Funny Water; Girard Ford; Good Boy Vodka; Greenhouse Agency; Grey Sail & Outer Light; Heineken USA; I Got A Guy CT; Jack Daniel’s Canned Cocktails; Litchfield Distillery; Martignetti; Martignetti Companies of CT; Nissan of Norwich; Ocean State Charity Events; Owl’s Brew; PHYGIT Pretzels; Reed’s Inc.; Spiked Ade; Suntory Global Spirits; Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery; These Guys; Two Roads Brewing Company; Waypoint Spirits; Whalers Brewing Company; Wormtown\nExplicitly Identified Event Partners/Presenters: Real Wicked Events and Mohegan Sun Online Casino\nAdditional Food Vendors: Mohegan Sun says the participating culinary list is still to come \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/sun-brewfest-brings-200-pours-food-live-music-and-festival-games-to-mohegan-sun/
LOCATION:Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan\, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd\, Uncasville\, 06382\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mohegan Sun
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T180000
DTSTAMP:20260929T021803Z
CREATED:20260929T021803Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T021803Z
UID:10009183-1791036000-1791050400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Rum Rendezvous Brings a Caribbean-Style Rum Party to Foxwoods
DESCRIPTION:Rum Rendezvous Brings a Caribbean-Style Rum Party to Foxwoods Oct. 3\, turning the Rainmaker Expo Center into a four-hour celebration of rum\, live music and island-inspired entertainment — with unlimited vendor sampling\, a live cigar roller\, food\, games and a chance to win a trip to Puerto Rico. \nThe name undersells this one a little. \nFoxwoods isn’t setting up a few tables and calling it a tasting. Rum Rendezvous is designed more like an afternoon festival built around the spirit that runs through everything from daiquiris and mojitos to tiki drinks and centuries of Caribbean history. \nGeneral admission allows guests to sample from all participating rum vendors\, with light\, dark\, and spiced varieties represented. Foxwoods has not published a 2026 list of participating distilleries\, so exactly what will be poured remains a surprise for now. \nBut the rum is only part of the afternoon. \nRum\, Rhythms and a Little Taste of the Caribbean\nThe entertainment includes live music from Miami Sound Revue\, a band built around the tropical\, Latin and dance sounds associated with South Florida\, along with a live DJ. \nBetween pours\, guests can watch a master cigar roller at work in the cigar lounge\, hit the games and interactive experiences or step into a 360-degree selfie station. \nFood will also be available. Every general admission ticket includes one dessert item from the event menu\, with additional food available for purchase. A cash bar will serve specialty cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks. \nAnd there is one particularly appropriate grand prize. \nFoxwoods is giving attendees a chance to win a trip to Foxwoods El San Juan\, its sister property in Puerto Rico. The winner must still be at Rum Rendezvous when the prize is awarded to claim it. \nPut all of that together and this feels less like a technical spirits seminar and more like an indoor Caribbean party where the tasting glass happens to be your passport around the room. \nYou Don’t Have to Drink to Come Along\nFoxwoods has also created a designated-driver ticket\, which makes Rum Rendezvous considerably easier to turn into a group outing. \nThe $25 designated-driver admission includes entry to the event\, dessert\, games\, the selfie station\, attractions and entertainment. Those guests receive a special wristband and cannot sample from alcohol vendors or purchase alcoholic beverages. \nRegular general admission is currently $50. Foxwoods is also offering a Me + 3 promotion: buy three general-admission tickets and receive a fourth free. \nEveryone attending — including designated drivers — must be 21 or older. \nThere is no VIP tier\, so the general admission ticket provides access to sampling from all of the participating vendors rather than dividing the room into different tasting levels. \nFour Hours\, But Don’t Arrive Too Late\nRum Rendezvous runs from 2 to 6 p.m.\, but there are two times worth remembering if you’re thinking about making this a late-afternoon stop. \nThe doors close to new arrivals at 5:15 p.m. \nThe final rum pours happen at 5:30 p.m. \nThat gives the final half-hour a natural wind-down before the event ends at 6. \nFor anyone who likes rum but doesn’t necessarily want an event devoted entirely to standing at tasting tables discussing barrel finishes\, that may be the appeal here. There’s enough happening around the sampling — music\, food\, cigars\, games and the Puerto Rico theme — to make the afternoon feel like a party rather than a trade show. \nRum Rendezvous takes place Saturday\, Oct. 3\, at the Rainmaker Expo Center at Foxwoods Resort Casino. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Rum Rendezvous\nDate: Saturday\, Oct. 3\, 2026\nTime: 2–6 p.m.\nLocation: Rainmaker Expo Center\, Foxwoods Resort Casino\nAddress: 350 Trolley Line Blvd.\, Mashantucket\, CT 06338\nAdmission: $50 general admission; $25 designated driver (plus fees)\nMe + 3 Deal: Buy three general-admission tickets and receive one free\nAge: 21+ only\, including designated drivers; valid government-issued identification required\nGeneral Admission Includes: Access to the event and sampling from participating vendors\, one dessert item\, 360-degree selfie station and interactive experiences\nEntertainment: Miami Sound Revue\, live DJ\, cigar lounge and live cigar rolling\, games and interactive experiences\nFood: One dessert included; additional food available for purchase\nDrinks: Vendor rum samples included for general-admission guests; specialty cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks available from the cash bar\nGrand Prize: Chance to win a trip to Foxwoods El San Juan in Puerto Rico; winner must be present to claim prize\nLast Entry: 5:15 p.m.\nLast Pour: 5:30 p.m.\nParking: Rainmaker Garage recommended\nBags: No shopping bags or backpacks; permitted bags are subject to search\nTickets: All sales final and nonrefundable\nParticipating Rum Brands: Foxwoods has not published a 2026 vendor list; offerings are subject to change \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/rum-rendezvous-brings-a-caribbean-style-rum-party-to-foxwoods/
LOCATION:Rainmaker Expo\, 350 Trolley Line Boulevard\, Mashantucket\, 06338\, United States
CATEGORIES:Foxwoods
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T200000
DTSTAMP:20261005T192831Z
CREATED:20260913T023652Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261005T192831Z
UID:10007590-1791028800-1791057600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Outer Light Fall Fest Packs Oysters\, Axe Throwing\, Animals\, Cheese & Live Music Into a Groton Bash
DESCRIPTION:Outer Light Fall Fest takes over the Groton brewery Saturday\, October 3\, with eight hours of local food\, fresh oysters\, axe throwing\, live animals\, seasonal beer\, and live music from Austin Neal. \nThe party runs from noon to 8 p.m. at Outer Light Brewing Company on Bridge Street\, and the brewery has assembled a lineup that feels more like a small fall festival than a typical Saturday afternoon in the taproom. \nKingdom Axe rolls in with its mobile axe-throwing trailer. Carly’s Critters brings animals for an interactive encounter. Mystic Cheese supplies the local cheese. Sixpenny Oyster Farm handles the raw-bar side of the equation. Mr. Hot Dog takes care of something considerably less complicated. \nThen Austin Neal performs from 4 to 7 p.m. \nOuter Light will handle the beer. \nFall Fest Is Back\nThis isn’t Outer Light’s first attempt at a fall party. \nThe Groton brewery has turned Fall Fest into one of its seasonal community gatherings\, and the 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday\, October 3 from noon until 8 p.m. \nOuter Light is promising seasonal releases alongside its year-round beers\, and its current draft lineup already offers a pretty substantial clue about what’s coming. \nFall Fest Märzen\, a 6.1% ABV Oktoberfest-style lager\, is currently pouring at the brewery. \nMärzen is the amber\, malt-forward German lager most Americans traditionally associate with Oktoberfest. The name literally refers to March\, when the beer was historically brewed before warm weather made brewing more difficult. It was stored through summer and ready to drink when fall arrived. \nIn Groton\, apparently\, it’s also good preparation for throwing an axe. \nKingdom Axe Brings the Targets to the Brewery\nFrom 1 to 3 p.m.\, Kingdom Axe brings its mobile axe-throwing setup to Fall Fest. \nThis isn’t a tabletop carnival game. \nThe Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut company operates a custom mobile trailer containing two separate throwing lanes\, enclosed with protective barriers and equipped with targets\, axes\, lighting and music. \nKingdom Axe also supplies instructors it calls “axe-perts” to teach participants how to throw and supervise the activity. \nThe company says its setup uses anti-bounce-back targets\, and its coaches are First Aid and CPR trained. \nThere is one important restriction for families: Kingdom Axe’s regular minimum throwing age is 12\, with adult supervision required for minors. \nOuter Light hasn’t published separate Fall Fest participation rules\, so families interested in throwing should follow the instructions being given by Kingdom Axe staff at the event. \nCarly’s Critters Brings a Completely Different Kind of Attraction\nAlso appearing from 1 to 3 p.m. is Carly’s Critters. \nIf axe throwing sounds like an odd thing to encounter at a brewery\, wait until you add a mobile farm. \nCarly’s Critters is an eastern Connecticut-based mobile mini farm and petting zoo that travels throughout Connecticut\, Rhode Island and Massachusetts for festivals\, schools\, parties and community events. \nIts larger operation includes goats\, pigs\, chickens\, ducks\, rabbits\, guinea pigs and ponies\, along with more unusual visitors. \nIt also has a separate “Creepy Crawly Critters” program featuring reptiles\, amphibians and invertebrates. \nExactly which animals Carly’s Critters will bring to Outer Light hasn’t been announced\, and the company notes that animal selections for traveling events can change according to availability\, weather and the event setup. \nSo don’t promise the kids a particular animal. \nYou can promise them there will be critters. \nSixpenny Oysters Are About as Local as Seafood Gets\nThe raw-bar portion of Fall Fest comes from Sixpenny Oyster Farm\, a small family-run aquaculture operation based in Noank. \nSixpenny grows its oysters in Beebe Cove near the mouth of the Mystic River\, making this a genuinely local brewery-and-oyster pairing. \nThe farm is operated by William Ceddia and Jason “Matt” Hamilton II\, two aquaculture professionals who met while working at Fishers Island Oyster Farm. \nCeddia grew up in Mystic and studied Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology at the University of Rhode Island. Hamilton came to southeastern Connecticut in 2012 and entered the aquaculture world through marine science fieldwork before eventually working professionally in oyster farming. \nThe pair turned Sixpenny into a full-time operation around the beginning of the pandemic. \nToday\, the farm sells directly to customers\, supplies restaurants and events\, operates catering and raw-bar services and has expanded into educational programs and guided kayak tours of its working oyster farm. \nWhat Does a Sixpenny Taste Like?\nSixpenny describes its oysters as distinctly briny\, with a smooth texture\, clean finish and mild mineral notes. \nThat reflects their environment. \nOysters don’t merely live in coastal water. Their flavor can carry characteristics of the water in which they’re grown\, producing differences in salinity\, minerality\, sweetness and finish from one growing area to another. \nWine drinkers have terroir. \nOyster people sometimes call the marine version merroir. \nSixpenny also puts considerable emphasis on the environmental side of oyster farming. The company participates in the Shellfish Grower’s Climate Coalition and works in education and sustainable aquaculture. \nThat’s particularly appropriate because oysters themselves perform useful ecological work. \nThey’re filter feeders\, drawing water across their gills as they feed on phytoplankton and suspended particles. Oyster reefs and farms can also provide habitat for other marine organisms. \nSo when Sixpenny arrives at Outer Light\, the distance from farm to pint glass isn’t particularly far. \nMystic Cheese Handles the Other Half of the Pairing\nThen there’s cheese. \nMystic Cheese Company is another southeastern Connecticut producer with a story considerably more interesting than simply buying wheels of cheese and cutting them into wedges. \nMystic Cheese actually makes the stuff. \nThe company began in 2013\, originally producing cheese inside converted shipping containers on a farm in Lebanon\, Connecticut. \nAs the business grew\, Mystic Cheese moved production to a purpose-built cheesemaking facility in Groton. \nIts cheese is made and aged locally using milk sourced exclusively from Connecticut farms. \nCurrent cheeses include Melinda Mae\, The Gray and Whaledale\, among others\, and the company has earned recognition for its increasingly ambitious aged cheeses. \nThe Gray\, a Cheshire-style cheese\, was named to Culture magazine’s Best of 2025 list. \nMystic Cheese also operates its retail shop at the Velvet Mill in Stonington\, selling its own cheeses alongside domestic and imported selections\, charcuterie and provisions. \nOuter Light has not yet announced what Mystic Cheese will be serving or selling at Fall Fest\, nor has it posted the vendor’s appearance time. \nMr. Hot Dog Keeps Things Simple\nFrom 1 to 6 p.m.\, Mr. Hot Dog joins the food lineup. \nOuter Light currently identifies the vendor simply as Mr. Hot Dog and has not published a Fall Fest menu. \nSo rather than invent a list of elaborate toppings\, we’ll stick with what we know. \nThere will be hot dogs. \nFor five hours. \nSometimes journalism is easy. \nAustin Neal Takes Over the Music From 4 to 7\nThe live-music portion of the day belongs to Austin Neal\, who performs from 4 to 7 p.m. \nNeal is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who works the regional brewery\, restaurant and event circuit and has become a recurring performer at Outer Light. \nIn fact\, Fall Fest isn’t his only Outer Light appearance this fall. \nHe’s also scheduled to play the brewery’s Groton Firefighters Fundraiser on September 26\, one week before Fall Fest. \nThat familiarity makes him a natural fit for the brewery’s big community events: live music that can carry an afternoon without turning the taproom into a formal concert venue. \nFall Fest is built for people to move around\, eat\, have a beer\, visit the vendors and come back to the music. \nOuter Light Has Been Brewing in Groton Since 2015\nThe host has now been part of Groton’s craft-beer scene for more than a decade. \nOuter Light Brewing Company opened in 2015\, establishing its brewery and taproom at 266 Bridge Street. \nIts beer lineup ranges widely rather than sticking to one style\, with IPAs\, lagers\, ales\, sours and seasonal releases moving through the taps. \nOne of its best-known beers is Lonesome Boatman\, an amber ale that has become a year-round fixture. \nThe current tap list illustrates just how broad things can get. Alongside Lonesome Boatman and the Fall Fest Märzen\, recent pours have included a passion-fruit New England IPA\, cherry-limeade sour\, orange hefeweizen collaboration and green-tea pale ale. \nFall Fest gives the brewery a reason to lean particularly hard into the seasonal side. \nThe Brewery Is Also a Coffee Shop Now\nHere’s something people who haven’t visited Outer Light recently may not know. \nThe brewery now opens in the morning as Outer Light Brewing Coffee. \nThe same industrial taproom that pours beer later in the day serves espresso drinks\, drip coffee\, cold brew\, cappuccino\, lattes\, chai\, matcha and other nonalcoholic drinks earlier in the day\, along with light food including bagels\, muffins and croissants. \nOuter Light’s Fall Fest promotion specifically says coffee will be available at the bar all day\, along with its seasonal beers and year-round favorites. \nThat makes this one brewery festival where “I don’t drink beer” doesn’t leave you holding a bottle of water for eight hours. \nIt Works as a Family Fall Festival\, Too\nThe combination of Carly’s Critters\, food vendors and afternoon activities makes Fall Fest much broader than a beer release. \nOuter Light itself is generally child friendly\, and the festival doesn’t carry a published 21-and-over restriction. \nKingdom Axe has its own age restriction for participating in axe throwing\, but families can still visit the animals\, get something to eat\, listen to the music and spend time at the brewery. \nOuter Light also has outdoor seating. \nDogs are permitted outside only\, according to the brewery’s current policy. Only service animals are allowed indoors. \nWith Carly’s Critters on the property\, that distinction may be especially worth remembering. \nStart With an Axe. Finish With an Oyster and a Märzen.\nThe schedule also makes it possible to plan the day without having to stay for all eight hours. \nThe festival opens at noon. \nAt 1 p.m.\, the activity ramps up when Kingdom Axe\, Carly’s Critters and Mr. Hot Dog get started. \nKingdom Axe and Carly’s Critters wrap at 3. \nAustin Neal begins at 4. \nMr. Hot Dog continues until 6. \nThe music carries the party until 7. \nOuter Light keeps Fall Fest going until 8. \nMystic Cheese and Sixpenny Oyster Farm are confirmed for the festival\, although Outer Light has not yet posted their specific serving times. \nThat gives the day a nice progression. \nCoffee if you’re early. \nAnimals and axes in the afternoon. \nOysters\, cheese and beer somewhere along the way. \nLive music into the evening. \nAnd\, because this is New England in October\, presumably at least one person wearing flannel who has been waiting since July for permission to wear it again. \nDetails\nEvent: Outer Light Fall Fest\nDate: Saturday\, October 3\, 2026\nTime: Noon–8 p.m.\nVenue: Outer Light Brewing Company\nAddress: 266 Bridge Street\, Unit 1\, Groton\, CT 06340\nAdmission: No admission charge is listed by Outer Light\nKingdom Axe: 1–3 p.m.\nCarly’s Critters: 1–3 p.m.\nMr. Hot Dog: 1–6 p.m.\nMystic Cheese: Confirmed; time TBD\nSixpenny Oyster Farm: Confirmed; time TBD\nAustin Neal: Live music\, 4–7 p.m.\nBeer: Seasonal releases\, including Fall Fest Märzen\, plus year-round Outer Light beers\nOther Drinks: Coffee available at the bar throughout the day\nFamilies: Outer Light is child friendly; individual attractions may have participation restrictions\nAxe Throwing: Kingdom Axe normally allows participants ages 12 and older\, with adult supervision for minors\nDogs: Permitted in Outer Light’s outdoor seating area only; service animals allowed indoors\nPhone: 475-201-9972 \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/outer-light-fall-fest-packs-oysters-axe-throwing-animals-cheese-and-live-music-into-one-big-groton-bash/
LOCATION:Outer Light Brewing Company\, 266 Bridge Street\, Groton\, CT\, 06340\, United States
CATEGORIES:Outer Light Brewing
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T150000
DTSTAMP:20261001T150233Z
CREATED:20261001T150233Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T150233Z
UID:10009218-1791028800-1791039600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Hygienic Art’s YART Sale Digs Into the Closets for an Art-Lover’s Treasure Hunt
DESCRIPTION:Hygienic Art’s YART Sale Digs Into the Closets for an Art-Lover’s Treasure Hunt Saturday\, Oct. 3\, when the New London arts institution empties its corners and storage spaces for three hours of abandoned artwork\, old posters\, prints\, T-shirts\, and whatever other creative oddities have accumulated over the years. \nThis isn’t a conventional gallery sale. \nHygienic is specifically pulling out unclaimed and abandoned artwork\, along with its own memorabilia and assorted odds and ends\, and offering it at what the organization describes as bargain-friendly prices. \nThere may be polished artwork worth hanging over the sofa. There may be a forgotten Hygienic poster from years ago. There may be something wonderfully strange for which no reasonable person has an immediate use. \nThat’s rather the point. \nThe YART Sale runs from noon to 3 p.m. at 79 Bank Street\, with cold adult beverages also available for purchase. \nWhat Exactly Is a YART Sale?\nThink yard sale\, except the attic belongs to an arts organization that’s been collecting things for decades. \nHygienic says it is clearing out closets\, corners and storage areas\, producing a sale that includes artwork that was never reclaimed as well as T-shirts\, posters\, prints\, merchandise and miscellaneous pieces of Hygienic history. \nThat makes this less predictable than walking into an art gallery knowing what’s currently hanging on the walls. \nThe organizers aren’t promising a neatly catalogued collection. They’re inviting people to dig. \nAnd at Hygienic\, decades of accumulation could make that interesting. \nThe Place Has Been Collecting Art Since 1979\nThe YART Sale makes more sense when you understand the institution holding it. \nHygienic Art traces its beginnings to 1979\, when a group of New London artists began staging an annual exhibition inside the old Hygienic Restaurant. \nThe idea was modeled on the independent salon tradition that challenged the gatekeepers of the established Paris art world. \nNew London’s version developed rules that remain central to Hygienic’s identity: no judge\, no jury\, no fees and no censorship. \nArtists could bring one piece and participate without first convincing a curator or selection committee that their work deserved a wall. \nIt became an annual tradition. \nThe restaurant eventually closed\, but the artists kept the exhibition alive at other locations. When the old Hygienic building itself was threatened with demolition in the 1990s\, the arts community organized to save it. \nHygienic Art ultimately acquired the property in 1998\, renovated it and reopened its galleries in 2000. \nToday the organization operates galleries\, artist live/work spaces and an outdoor Art Park while continuing the annual Hygienic Art exhibition that started the whole thing. \nSo when Hygienic says it has old art and assorted material tucked away in storage\, there is potentially quite a history behind those closets. \nSome of the Art Has Literally Been Left Behind\nThe phrase “unclaimed and abandoned artwork” is what separates this from a normal merchandise clearance. \nThese aren’t simply reproductions Hygienic ordered too many of. \nThey are pieces that\, for one reason or another\, remained behind. \nThe organization isn’t publishing a complete inventory in advance\, which preserves the garage-sale quality of the afternoon. Buyers won’t necessarily know what’s waiting until they start looking. \nHygienic itself sums up the mystery nicely: some pieces have stories\, some need new homes\, and some apparently fall into a category that requires seeing them in person. \nFor anyone who enjoys flea markets\, estate sales\, thrift shops or digging through record-store bins\, that uncertainty may be the best part. \nPosters and T-Shirts Can Be Little Pieces of New London History\nDon’t overlook the non-artwork. \nA poster from an old Hygienic event isn’t simply advertising once enough time has passed. It becomes an artifact from New London’s arts scene. \nHygienic’s annual exhibitions have been happening for more than four decades\, while the organization has also hosted concerts\, festivals\, performances and exhibitions throughout the year. \nIts Bank Street home has an even longer history. \nThe building predates Hygienic Art and was associated for decades with the Hygienic Restaurant\, once a fixture of downtown New London. The restaurant became the unlikely home of those early artist exhibitions before the nonprofit eventually took over the building itself. \nOld Hygienic shirts\, prints and posters can therefore carry a little of that history with them. \nExactly which years\, designs and events will turn up Saturday isn’t specified. That’s another part of the hunt. \nAn Art Sale That Fits Hygienic\nThere is something particularly appropriate about unwanted artwork getting another chance at Hygienic. \nThis is an organization whose best-known exhibition was built around removing barriers between artists and gallery walls. \nIts annual Salon des Indépendants has traditionally accepted work without judging whether it is fashionable\, marketable or worthy of inclusion. \nSaturday applies a similarly democratic principle to the other end of an artwork’s life. \nSomething was made. \nSomebody left it behind. \nNow somebody else gets to decide whether they love it. \nNo curator required. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: YART Sale\nDate: Saturday\, Oct. 3\, 2026\nTime: Noon–3 p.m.\nLocation: Hygienic Art\nAddress: 79 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nSale Includes: Unclaimed and abandoned artwork\, Hygienic Art T-shirts and merchandise\, posters\, prints\, odds and ends and other creative finds\nPrices: Described by Hygienic Art as bargain-friendly; individual prices have not been published\nAdult Beverages: Cold adult beverages will be available for purchase\nAdmission: No separate admission charge is listed for the sale\nPhone: 860-443-8001\nRegular Gallery Hours Saturday: 11 a.m.–7 p.m. \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/hygienic-arts-yart-sale-digs-into-the-closets-for-an-art-lovers-treasure-hunt/
LOCATION:Hygenic Art\, 79 Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Hygenic Art
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T210000
DTSTAMP:20260913T020703Z
CREATED:20260913T020703Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T020703Z
UID:10007568-1791027000-1791061200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk Brings Five Weeks of Bavarian Food\, Seasonal Beer and Live Music to Mystic
DESCRIPTION:Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk isn’t a one-day festival. Mystic’s European-style beer hall is turning much of fall into Oktoberfest\, beginning Saturday\, September 19 and continuing through Saturday\, October 24\, with a special German-inspired menu\, seasonal beers\, live entertainment\, and Oktoberfest competitions and activities. \nThe extended celebration is something Jealous Monk has been doing for years\, and the restaurant takes the inspiration more seriously than the lederhosen-and-pretzel graphics might suggest. \nJealous Monk says members of its team have made annual research trips to Munich during Oktoberfest\, bringing ideas from the world’s most famous beer festival back to Mystic. \nThey even use the German word that helps explain what they’re trying to recreate: Gemütlichkeit. \nThere isn’t a perfect English translation. It’s a combination of warmth\, friendliness\, comfort\, good cheer\, and the feeling of enjoying yourself in good company. \nIn other words\, it’s pretty much the reason beer halls have big tables. \nMore Than a Single Oktoberfest Party\nJealous Monk’s 2026 celebration begins September 19\, but don’t read that as the date of the entire event. \nThe restaurant’s announcement calls this an “extended” Oktoberfest season running September 19 through October 24. \nThroughout that period\, Jealous Monk plans a special seasonal food menu and Oktoberfest beers along with a changing schedule of musicians and other entertainment. \nContests are part of the celebration as well\, including the most recognizable American Oktoberfest test of endurance: stein hoisting. \nThe restaurant is still completing its detailed 2026 entertainment schedule and Oktoberfest menu\, so individual performers\, contest dates and this year’s complete food and beer lineup have not all been announced yet. \nThat’s worth knowing before making plans around a particular weekend. \nBut the larger celebration is already confirmed. \nJealous Monk Was Practically Built for This\nThere are plenty of restaurants that can put bratwurst on the menu for three weeks and call it Oktoberfest. \nJealous Monk has a bit of a head start. \nThe locally owned restaurant describes itself as Mystic’s only beer garden\, and its home in Olde Mistick Village was designed as a contemporary interpretation of a European beer hall. \nInside\, there’s a barrel-vaulted ceiling\, old-world artwork and long communal tables rather than a dining room filled exclusively with little two- and four-person islands. \nOutside is an expansive beer garden with picnic tables\, games and gathering spaces. \nThen there are the taps. \nJealous Monk maintains 32 rotating draft lines\, allowing the restaurant to shift a significant portion of its beer selection as seasonal Märzens\, Festbiers and other fall releases arrive. \nIts regular menu already leans European in places\, too. Belgian frites\, a Bavarian-style pretzel\, bratwurst and schnitzel live comfortably alongside burgers\, wings\, chowder and other American pub food. \nOktoberfest isn’t much of a costume change here. \nThe Food Gets More German for the Season\nThe complete 2026 Oktoberfest menu has not yet been published\, but previous Jealous Monk Oktoberfest menus give a much better indication of what “special menu” means here. \nLast year’s seasonal offerings included Schweinshaxe\, the German pork knuckle strongly associated with Bavarian cooking. \nJealous Monk prepared its version braised and served it with spätzle\, rotkohl and beer au jus. \nSpätzle are small\, soft egg noodles or dumplings common throughout southern Germany and neighboring parts of Central Europe. \nRotkohl is braised red cabbage\, usually cooked until tender with a balance of sweet and acidic flavors. \nAnother recent Oktoberfest dish was Brathendl\, Bavarian-style roast chicken\, served at Jealous Monk with rotkohl and mashed potatoes. \nThose dishes went considerably further into Bavarian cooking than simply putting mustard on a sausage. \nUntil the restaurant releases this year’s finished menu\, however\, those should be treated as examples from previous celebrations rather than promises for 2026. \nSome Oktoberfest Food Is Available Even Before Oktoberfest\nA few things don’t have to wait until September 19. \nJealous Monk’s regular menu currently includes its Big A Pretzel\, a large Bavarian-style pretzel served with spicy and sweet mustards\, with bier cheese available to add. \nThere’s also a Bavarian Bratwurst\, available traditionally with sauerkraut and spicy mustard or prepared panini-style with Swiss cheese. \nThe regular Chicken Schnitzel is a less traditional Jealous Monk interpretation: crispy breaded chicken with Swiss cheese\, grilled onions and peppers and chipotle aioli\, served with house-cut Belgian frites. \nThose staples give the regular menu a European foundation before the temporary Oktoberfest dishes arrive. \nThen Come the Oktoberfest Beers\nBeer is where an extended celebration makes particularly good sense. \nOktoberfest beer doesn’t describe just one modern style. \nFor much of the 20th century\, Americans came to associate Oktoberfest with Märzen\, an amber German lager with a malty character and clean finish. \nThe beer traditionally had a practical connection to the brewing calendar. Before refrigeration\, brewing during warm summer weather was difficult and potentially dangerous for the beer. Märzen\, meaning “March beer\,” could be brewed in March\, stored through the summer and consumed in autumn. \nModern Munich Oktoberfest has shifted toward Festbier\, generally paler\, lighter in body and extremely drinkable despite retaining enough malt character to stand up to festival food. \nOnly beer from Munich’s six traditional breweries can officially be served at the Oktoberfest in Munich: Augustiner\, Hacker-Pschorr\, Hofbräu\, Löwenbräu\, Paulaner and Spaten. \nJealous Monk’s 32 rotating taps give the Mystic restaurant considerable room to explore both imported German beer and American interpretations of Oktoberfest styles. \nThe exact 2026 seasonal tap list is still developing\, so anyone hunting for a particular brewery should check the current list closer to their visit. \nThe Real Oktoberfest Isn’t Actually in October\nJealous Monk’s September 19 start also lines up almost perfectly with Munich. \nThe 2026 Oktoberfest in Munich runs September 19 through October 4. \nThat often surprises people who understandably assume a festival named Oktoberfest should happen primarily in October. \nIt used to. \nThe original Oktoberfest was held in October 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. \nThe public celebration included horse racing and proved popular enough to return. \nOver time\, the festival grew and its schedule moved earlier to take advantage of September’s generally better weather and longer daylight. \nThe October name stayed. \nJealous Monk begins its Mystic celebration on the same Saturday that Munich opens its 2026 festival\, then keeps going for another three weeks after Munich has packed up the tents. \nA Royal Wedding Started All of This\nThat first celebration took place on fields outside Munich’s city gates. \nThe site became known as Theresienwiese\, or Therese’s Meadow\, in honor of the bride. Munich residents still commonly shorten the name of Oktoberfest itself to the Wiesn. \nWhat began as a royal wedding celebration evolved into an enormous annual festival of beer\, Bavarian food\, music\, rides\, costumes and communal drinking. \nToday’s Oktoberfest bears little resemblance in scale to the 1810 event. \nMillions of people attend during a typical year. \nThe enormous beer tents can accommodate thousands of guests apiece. \nTraditional Bavarian clothing\, particularly lederhosen and dirndls\, has become inseparable from the modern image of the festival. \nAnd the beer arrives by the liter. \nAbout That Stein-Hoisting Contest\nJealous Monk says contests will be part of the 2026 festivities\, with stein hoisting among the activities being promoted. \nThe rules vary by competition\, but the basic concept is wonderfully uncomplicated. \nTake a full beer stein. \nHold it straight out in front of you with one arm. \nDo not bend the elbow. \nDo not lower the arm. \nDo not spill it. \nWait for everyone else to regret entering. \nA full one-liter glass stein weighs roughly five pounds\, so what seems fairly easy for the first few seconds becomes progressively less pleasant. \nIt’s become a staple of American Oktoberfest celebrations\, combining German beer-hall imagery with the very American instinct to turn practically anything into a contest. \nLive Music Will Rotate Through the Celebration\nThe other major piece still being assembled is the entertainment calendar. \nJealous Monk says live musicians will perform throughout the extended Oktoberfest season\, rather than concentrating entertainment into a single opening-day party. \nThat follows the format the restaurant has used in previous years. Its 2024 Oktoberfest\, for example\, featured live music on several dates spread between late September and late October. \nThe restaurant’s September 12 announcement says it is currently putting the finishing touches on its 2026 list of musicians and will add specifics to its events calendar as they are finalized. \nSo this is an event worth checking more than once. \nSeptember 19 is the beginning\, not the whole story. \nWhy Jealous Monk Works as a Beer Hall\nOktoberfest also makes some of Jealous Monk’s design choices easier to understand. \nTraditional beer halls aren’t designed around privacy. \nThey’re designed around gathering. \nLong tables put strangers next to one another. Food is hearty. Beer comes in substantial quantities. Music and conversation create enough noise that nobody expects a hushed dining room. \nJealous Monk borrowed that social model for its Mystic restaurant. \nThe indoor hall includes large communal tables\, while the outdoor beer garden uses picnic-style seating. Board games\, pinball and old-school video games add to the idea that customers are supposed to stay for a while rather than simply eat and leave. \nThe restaurant’s full name says it plainly: \nJealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden. \nFor five weeks beginning September 19\, the “beer garden” part gets to take center stage. \nYou Don’t Have to Drink Beer\nDespite the name and the Oktoberfest theme\, Jealous Monk isn’t exclusively for beer drinkers. \nThe restaurant also maintains wine\, liquor and cocktail selections\, and its food menu includes burgers\, sandwiches\, salads\, seafood and vegetarian options alongside the more obvious beer-hall fare. \nIt’s also a restaurant rather than a ticketed beer festival. \nThe currently announced Oktoberfest season does not carry a general admission charge. Customers visit Jealous Monk normally and order food and drinks\, while special entertainment and activities occur throughout the run. \nThat makes this fundamentally different from the one-afternoon Oktoberfests where admission buys a tasting glass and a fixed number of pours. \nYou can go once. \nOr you can go back as the taps\, menu specials and entertainment change. \nFive Weeks Gives You Time to Do It Properly\nThat’s really the advantage of Jealous Monk’s approach. \nOktoberfest doesn’t have to be crammed into one Saturday afternoon. \nThe first visit might be for the seasonal menu. \nAnother could coincide with live music. \nA third might involve a Märzen you haven’t tried. \nAnd eventually someone is going to convince you that holding a five-pound glass at arm’s length sounds like fun. \nThe 2026 celebration opens September 19. \nBy the time it ends October 24\, Mystic will be deep into foliage\, Olde Mistick Village will have shifted from late-summer visitors toward its fall crowds\, and Jealous Monk will have spent more than a month doing what a beer garden was designed to do. \nGather people around a table. \nPour the beer. \nBring out the food. \nProst. \nDetails\nEvent: Oktoberfest at Jealous Monk\nDates: Saturday\, September 19 through Saturday\, October 24\, 2026\nVenue: Jealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden\nLocation: Olde Mistick Village\, Building 20\nAddress: 27 Coogan Boulevard\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nAdmission: No general admission charge announced; food and beverages purchased separately\nFood: Special Oktoberfest menu planned for the season; complete 2026 menu is still being finalized\nBeer: Seasonal Oktoberfest beers plus Jealous Monk’s rotating draft selection\nDrafts: 32 rotating taps\nEntertainment: Live musicians throughout the Oktoberfest run; individual performers and dates are still being announced\nActivities: Oktoberfest contests and activities\, including stein-hoisting festivities\nIndoor/Outdoor: Indoor social hall and outdoor beer garden\, weather permitting\nRegular Hours: Monday–Thursday\, 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday\, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday\, 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.\nPhone: 860-536-6665 \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/oktoberfest-at-jealous-monk-brings-five-weeks-of-bavarian-food-seasonal-beer-and-live-music-to-mystic/2026-10-03/
LOCATION:Jealous Monk\, 27 Coogan Blvd\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Jealous Monk
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T160000
DTSTAMP:20261001T201856Z
CREATED:20261001T201856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T201856Z
UID:10009229-1791025200-1791043200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:New London Art Stroll Turns Downtown Into a 28-Stop Citywide Gallery
DESCRIPTION:New London Art Stroll Turns Downtown Into a 28-Stop Citywide Gallery Oct. 3\, when artists move beyond traditional galleries and into shops\, studios\, restaurants\, cultural institutions and unexpected corners of downtown for five hours of art\, music\, fashion\, demonstrations and open studios. \nRunning from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday\, the 2026 Art Stroll stretches roughly 0.7 miles through downtown New London\, with 28 locations marked on this year’s official map. \nAnd “Art Stroll” considerably understates what organizers have assembled. \nThere are painters\, sculptors\, photographers and jewelry makers\, but also four group art shows\, three vendor markets\, live singers\, poetry and open-mic spoken word\, a fashion show\, printmaking demonstration\, artist studios\, an art swap and guided tours. \nSome stops take only a few minutes. Others could become destinations of their own. \nThe idea is to keep moving. \nDowntown Becomes the Gallery\nThe New London Arts Council and New London Cultural District have effectively removed the walls from a conventional art exhibition. \nInstead of gathering everyone inside one building\, artists have been paired with locations throughout downtown. Visitors follow the map from Broad and Federal streets through State and Golden streets and eventually down Bank Street toward the waterfront. \nSome participating locations are established arts organizations. Others are businesses that become temporary exhibition or performance spaces for the afternoon. \nThe arrangement also means visitors are likely to discover places they haven’t entered before while moving between artists. \nThere is no admission charge for the Stroll\, and artists exhibiting through the Arts Council keep their sales rather than paying the organization a commission. \nStart at Fiddleheads and Work Toward the Waterfront\nAt the northern end of the route\, Fiddleheads Food Co-op at 13 Broad Street becomes Stop No. 1\, featuring whydoirock. \nNearby\, Red Square Gallery at 116 Federal Street is offering tours at noon and 3 p.m. \nAt St. James Episcopal Church\, 76 Federal Street\, visitors will encounter work connected with Louis Comfort Tiffany\, along with artists Cathy Cosby\, Roxanne Steed\, William Allyn and Garrett Brennan. \nFrom there\, the route begins moving deeper into downtown. \nThe Garde Becomes a Group Gallery\nThe Garde Arts Center at 325 State Street is one of four group-show locations on the Stroll. \nArtists listed there include Maurene Kennedy\, Virginia Reyes Conde\, Trish Reyburn\, Heather Flynn\, Beth Pite\, Kira Seamon and Michael Congdon. \nThat makes the Garde worth entering even if you’ve walked past its marquee dozens of times without thinking of it as an art gallery. \nAcross the route\, the historic theater is functioning as one piece of a much larger temporary exhibition spread across the city. \nGo Upstairs: Some of the Most Interesting Stops Are Studios\nThe Stroll isn’t limited to street-level galleries. \nInside the Dewart Building at 300 State Street\, visitors can head upstairs to find participating artists. Katie Fogg is in Suite 310 on the third floor\, while Esmeralda Bustamante and Ellen Kleckner are exhibiting in Suite 203 on the second floor. \nAt 250 State Street\, Jacob Cullers opens J. Cullers Studio to visitors\, although this is one stop where timing matters: the studio is scheduled to close at 1:30 p.m. \nEbbe Dahlor is exhibiting at Washington Street Coffee House at 13 Washington Street. \nThese are the kinds of stops that make the map useful. Some of the day’s art won’t necessarily announce itself from the sidewalk. \nThree Vendor Markets Add Another Layer\nThe Stroll also incorporates several mini-markets rather than limiting shopping to individual artist displays. \nAt Harris Place Atrium\, 165 State Street\, a Vendor Market & Art Swap brings together Jac Meyers/TheBrassGlass\, Hanah Masters\, Olivia Wolfe\, Ari C.\, Alyssa Drake and Quinn Lee/Writer’s Block Ink. \nAnother vendor market takes over The Union Room at 86 Golden Street\, where participating artists and makers include Ivan Abarca\, Chloe Dankocsik\, Theresa Bryan\, Sara Leone/The Verge Collective\, Patrick Miller/Dead Photo Society\, Bryan R. Tyler and Jaylynn Claudio. \nThat stop also includes live music. \nAt the other end of the route\, Tox Brewing at 123 Bank Street is hosting its Toxoween Vendor Market\, with Dan Desrochers among the artists identified by the Arts Council. \nThat creates an interesting overlap: Toxoween isn’t simply another event happening elsewhere in New London Saturday. It becomes part of the larger Art Stroll. \nPoetry\, Music and Performance Join the Visual Art\nThis isn’t an afternoon devoted solely to things hanging on walls. \nAt 19 Golden Street\, Casaundra Fenty is exhibiting artwork while Madeline Weisbeck presents a poetry reading and open-mic spoken-word program. \nSara Leone/The Verge Collective participates at The Union Room\, where visitors can learn more about the collective alongside the vendor market and live music. \nThe performance schedule also sends visitors between several downtown locations\, including Telegraph Autonomous Zone at 137 Bank Street\, The Union Room at 86 Golden Street and Favorites Bistro at 90 Bank Street. \nZachary Vincent is scheduled at Telegraph Autonomous Zone beginning at 11:30 a.m.\, with additional performances occurring throughout the afternoon. \nRather than building a single stage\, the Stroll scatters performance across the same streets occupied by the visual artists. \nThere Is Even a Fashion Show\nOne of the more unusual stops is New Youth Affairs at Map Location 18\, where the day’s programming includes a fashion show. \nElsewhere\, the map identifies Spark Makerspace for a printmaking demonstration. \nThose additions expand the definition of what counts as art during the Stroll. Visitors can move from painting and sculpture to fashion\, poetry\, printmaking and music without leaving the downtown route. \nExpressiones Opens an Artist-in-Residence Studio\nAt Expressiones Cultural Center\, 84 Bank Street\, visitors get something different again: an opportunity to enter the working world of an artist rather than simply see finished pieces. \nCurrent Artist-in-Residence Ixel Orozco Peregrina will open her studio from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. \nHer practice brings together sculpture\, installation\, ecology and craft\, and Expressiones is inviting visitors to see work in progress\, learn about her creative process and talk with her about the residency. \nThat’s an important distinction. \nAn art stroll doesn’t have to be only about seeing what an artist has finished. At Expressiones\, visitors can encounter the process while it is still happening. \nBank Street Is Packed With Stops\nThe southern portion of the route becomes particularly dense as the Stroll reaches Bank Street. \nThe official map includes Flavours of Life/Faire Trade Store\, Favorites Bistro Bar\, The Local\, Studio 33 Frame & Art Gallery\, Custom House Maritime Museum\, Thames River Gallery\, Old Testament Electric Tattooing\, Telegraph Autonomous Zone and Tox Brewing. \nEddie Shaw is participating at Old Testament Electric Tattooing\, while Zachary Vincent is among the performers at Telegraph. \nSeveral of these locations sit only a short walk apart\, allowing visitors to hit a cluster of stops without repeatedly crossing downtown. \nHygienic’s YART Sale Joins the Stroll\nThere’s another crossover we’ve already been following. \nHygienic Art’s YART Sale is officially Stop No. 17 on the Art Stroll map. \nFrom noon to 3 p.m.\, Hygienic is digging into its closets and storage areas to sell unclaimed and abandoned artwork\, prints\, posters\, old Hygienic T-shirts and assorted creative oddities. \nThat means someone following the Art Stroll can fold the YART Sale into the route rather than treating it as a separate Saturday event. \nAnd it illustrates just how much is happening simultaneously. \nThe Art Stroll isn’t competing with New London’s other arts events Saturday. In several cases\, it is connecting them. \nThe Stroll Reaches Beyond the 0.7-Mile Core\nOne stop sits noticeably beyond the compact downtown route. \nThe Lyman Allyn Art Museum is offering its Free First Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.\, with Pick and Paint a Pumpkin from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. \nChildren can choose and decorate a pumpkin while supplies last\, and museum admission is free throughout the day. \nWe’ve covered that as its own event\, but the Art Stroll map deliberately includes Lyman Allyn\, creating a connection between downtown’s independent artists and one of New London’s major museums. \nDon’t Try to See This Like a Checklist\nWith 28 mapped locations and only five hours\, attempting to spend meaningful time at every stop would leave roughly ten minutes per location before accounting for walking. \nThat’s probably the wrong way to approach it anyway. \nLook at the map before leaving. Circle the artists\, performances or demonstrations you particularly want to see. Then allow yourself to wander into some places you didn’t plan on visiting. \nThat’s what makes the format work. \nA conventional arts festival brings the artists to one field. \nThe New London Art Stroll asks visitors to explore the city to find them. \n[ 2026 New London Art Stroll Map ] (pdf) \n2026 Art Stroll Artists & Makers\nUse the map numbers to find participating artists and makers along the route. \n1 — Fiddleheads Food Co-op\, 13 Broad Street: whydoirock\n2 — Red Square Gallery\, 116 Federal Street: Mike Alewitz; gallery tours at noon and 3 p.m.\n3 — St. James Episcopal Church\, 76 Federal Street: Louis Comfort Tiffany\, Cathy Cosby\, Roxanne Steed\, William Allyn and Garrett Brennan\n4 — Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street: Maurene Kennedy\, Virginia Reyes Conde\, Trish Reyburn\, Heather Flynn\, Beth Pite\, Kira Seamon and Michael Congdon\n5 — Dewart Building\, 300 State Street: Katie Fogg\, Suite 310\, third floor; Esmeralda Bustamante and Ellen Kleckner\, Suite 203\, second floor\n8 — J. Cullers Studio\, 250 State Street: Jacob Cullers; studio closes at 1:30 p.m.\n9 — Washington Street Coffee House\, 13 Washington Street: Ebbe Dahlor\n12 — Harris Place Atrium\, 165 State Street: Vendor Market & Art Swap with Jac Meyers/TheBrassGlass\, Hanah Masters\, Olivia Wolfe\, Ari C.\, Alyssa Drake and Quinn Lee/Writer’s Block Ink\n14 — The Union Room\, 86 Golden Street: Vendor Market & Live Music with Ivan Abarca\, Chloe Dankocsik\, Theresa Bryan\, Sara Leone/The Verge Collective\, Patrick Miller/Dead Photo Society\, Bryan R. Tyler and Jaylynn Claudio\n16 — The Golden Owl Bookstore\, 19 Golden Street: Casaundra Fenty; Madeline Weisbeck presents poetry and open-mic spoken word\n26 — Old Testament Electric Tattooing\, 191 Bank Street: Eddie Shaw\n27 — Telegraph Autonomous Zone\, 137 Bank Street: Zachary Vincent\n28 — Tox Brewing\, 123 Bank Street: Toxoween Vendor Market with Dan Desrochers \n2026 Art Stroll Performances\nPerformances are spread across the Stroll rather than concentrated on one stage. \nThe Union Room — Map 14\, 86 Golden Street: Vendor market and live music\, including Sara Leone/The Verge Collective. Performances are listed at noon and 1 p.m. \nThe Golden Owl Bookstore — Map 16\, 19 Golden Street: Madeline Weisbeck presents a poetry reading and Open Mic Spoken Word. \nTelegraph Autonomous Zone — Map 27\, 137 Bank Street: Zachary Vincent is listed at 11:30 a.m.\, with another performance scheduled at 1 p.m. \nFavorites Bistro — Map 21\, 90 Bank Street: Performance scheduled for 3 p.m. \nDetails\nEvent: 2026 New London Art Stroll\nDate: Saturday\, Oct. 3\, 2026\nTime: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.\nLocation: Downtown New London and additional participating locations\nMain Route: Approximately 0.7 mile through downtown\nMapped Locations: 28\nAdmission: Free\nPresented By: New London Arts Council and New London Cultural District\nWhat You’ll Find: Painting\, sculpture\, photography\, jewelry\, mixed-media art\, fashion\, poetry\, spoken word\, live music\, printmaking\, open studios and other creative work\nGroup Art Shows: Four listed by organizers\nVendor Markets: Three listed by organizers\nSpecial Activities: Artist studio visits\, Red Square Gallery tours\, printmaking demonstration\, art swap\, fashion show\, poetry reading and open-mic spoken word\nInformation Booth: Corner of Eugene O’Neill Drive and Golden Street\nTimed Stop: J. Cullers Studio closes at 1:30 p.m.\nExpressiones Cultural Center: Open studio with Artist-in-Residence Ixel Orozco Peregrina\, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.\, 84 Bank Street\nHygienic Art: YART Sale\, noon–3 p.m.\nLyman Allyn Art Museum: Free admission 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Pick and Paint a Pumpkin 11 a.m.–1 p.m.\nParking: Several public parking areas are marked on the official Art Stroll map\nPlanning: Check the map before arriving because several performances\, tours and participating studios have their own scheduled times \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/new-london-art-stroll-turns-downtown-into-a-28-stop-citywide-gallery/
LOCATION:Downtown New London\, 181 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Downtown New London
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T180000
DTSTAMP:20260903T140908Z
CREATED:20260903T140908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T140908Z
UID:10007448-1791023400-1791050400@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/2026-10-03/
LOCATION:Lebanon Fair Grounds\, 122 Mack Road\, Lebanon\, 06249\, United States
CATEGORIES:Lebanon Fairgrounds
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T183158Z
CREATED:20261001T183158Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T183158Z
UID:10009226-1791021600-1791046800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:145 Juried Artists Take Over the Old Saybrook Town Green for a 62-Year Tradition
DESCRIPTION:145 Juried Artists Take Over the Old Saybrook Town Green for a 62-Year Tradition Oct. 3 and 4\, filling the center of Old Saybrook with paintings\, pottery\, glass\, jewelry\, photography\, sculpture\, fiber art\, metalwork\, woodcraft\, and enough mixed-media work to make a quick lap around the Green almost impossible. \nThe 62nd Annual Old Saybrook Arts & Crafts Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday on the Old Saybrook Town Green at 300 Main Street. \nAnd this is not an open-registration craft market where anybody with a folding table can buy a space. \nArtists and crafters apply to the Greater Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce\, submit photographs of their work\, and go through a jury process before being accepted. The Chamber says that process is intended to maintain both the quality and variety of the show. \nThe result this year is a sprawling roster of 145 artists and crafters working across nearly every medium you could reasonably expect to encounter at an outdoor art festival. \nThis One Rewards Browsing\nThere isn’t really one dominant art form here. \nTraditional painters are working in acrylics\, oils and watercolor. There are photographers and printmakers\, potters and ceramicists\, glass artists\, jewelers\, quilters\, woodworkers and metal artists. \nThen there are the exhibitors who don’t fit neatly into any of those boxes. \nThe mixed-media section alone contains nearly 30 exhibitors\, with coastal art\, maps\, shell work\, woodcraft\, decorative pieces and combinations of materials that explain why the Chamber needs a catch-all category in the first place. \nThat variety is one of the things separating a juried festival of this size from a smaller maker market. Someone looking for an original painting can spend the afternoon very differently from someone hunting for handmade jewelry\, stained glass\, pottery or something unusual for the house. \nSome Familiar Southeastern Connecticut Names Are Going West\nThere are exhibitors from well beyond Old Saybrook\, including some familiar names from southeastern Connecticut. \nMichelle Yozzo Drake of Drift by Stonington Designs is among the jewelry exhibitors. Her work draws heavily on the shoreline\, incorporating coastal influences into handcrafted jewelry. \nIan Evertson of Rogers Lake Woodworking is represented in the wood category\, while Devon Marsden of Oyster River Arts appears among the glass artists. \nThe broader roster stretches well beyond Connecticut as well. Weihong Liu Pan of Weih Fine Arts Studio in New York is among the acrylic painters\, one indication that the festival’s reach extends beyond the immediate shoreline. \nArtist Joseph Mushipi also independently lists the Old Saybrook festival on his 2026 exhibition schedule. \nPotter Robert Fishman is bringing a particularly broad collection of functional work. His current catalog includes mugs\, ramen bowls\, platters\, serving bowls\, goblets\, vases\, pitchers\, brie bakers\, cheese-and-cracker trays\, tagines and other handmade pieces. \nSo while “arts and crafts” can sometimes suggest primarily decorative work\, quite a bit here is intended to go home and actually be used. \nThe Festival Has Moved Into Fall\nLongtime residents may remember this as a summer event. \nThey’re remembering correctly. \nThe Old Saybrook Arts & Crafts Festival was traditionally held in July. The 55th edition\, for example\, took place in late July 2018. By the 58th festival in 2022\, the event had moved to the beginning of October. \nIt has stayed there. \nThe 2023 festival straddled September and October\, while the 2024\, 2025 and now 2026 editions have occupied the first weekend of October. \nThat gives today’s festival a noticeably different setting from its midsummer predecessor. Instead of being another event competing for attention during peak shoreline season\, it has become one of Old Saybrook’s major early-fall weekends. \nThere’s still some outdated information online describing the festival as a July event. For 2026\, the Greater Old Saybrook Chamber’s current schedule is definitive: Oct. 3 and 4. \nMore Than a Century of Art\, Spread Across One Green\nThe individual exhibitors are what make the weekend worth exploring\, and the Chamber has published its 2026 roster by medium. \nAcrylics: Andrew Armas — Andrew Armas Creations; Charlotte Leigh — Charleigh’s Web; Joseph Mushipi — Joseph Mushipi Visual Art; Weihong Liu Pan — Weih Fine Arts Studio\, NY; Zach Prosser — Zach Prosser Art; Lauren Sommerville — L. E. Sommerville Fine Art; Jeanette Vertentes — Jeanette Vertentes Fine Art; Iva Vranova — Iva’s Whimsical Art. \nCeramics: Megan McNivens — Knollwood Pottery; Missy Niemeyer — Missy’s Clayworks; Janet Osorio — Mill Court Ceramics; Kenneth Picard — Ken Picard Fine Arts. \nConsumables: Jo Atkinson — Muddy Mary’s Gourmet; Aimee Belknap — Cedar Island Candle Co.; Stacie Bourne — Gourmet Creations; Frances Bousquet — Crows Feet Primitive Candle Co.; Marlow Bull — Page of Wands Candles; Sahra Deer — Isankofa Skincare; Ryan and Grace O’Connor — Age of Grace CBD; Paul Scott — Seven Barrels; David Wallace — Bittersweet Herb Farm. \nEmbellishment: Claudia Cormier — Claudia Cormier; Linda Wojtasinski — Periwinkle Designs. \nFiber: Jessica Boyd — Krafty Corner; Eileen Breault — LeenB Bags; Jenny Csedrik — Lip Positive Threads; Sharon Gatzke — Now and Then; Robin Parker — Log Cabin Quilts; Tracy Pearson — Tracys Treasures; Judith Shaw — Pillows and Pillowcases; Sally Strasser — Taleo Handmade; Linda Yahyaoglu — Nayuka Design LLC. \nGlass: Rebecca Grills — Summer Glass; Constance Guerra — The Constance Collection; Beverly Hartmann — Blue Hearts Glass; India Kenyon — Cutie Curls Boutique; Devon Marsden — Oyster River Arts; Thomas O’Connell — Siena Stained Glass LLC; Cole Quinn — Blown Away Glass Studio; Marylee Schwarzer — Shattered Glass Studios. \nGraphics: Bill Dougal — DougalArt; James Polisky — James Polisky Silkscreen Art. \nJewelry: Brittany Bauer — Milly’s Clay Studio; Abigail Boeshans — Busy Bee Gallery; Alison Cargill — Alison Designs LLC; Linda Davidson — Quilibet; Laura Delvecchio — Bead Dangle Design; Melissa Fego — Fego Gioielli Jewelry; Sema Gurek — Floweredsky Designs; Robyn Hohenemser — Golden R Golden Designs; Daniel Kalisz — The Silver Seashell; Mackenzie Law — Edgeworth; Emily Munska — The Pirate’s Daughter; Karen Parker — K+T Jewelry & Accessories; Nick and Hillary Rezendes — M&D Fine Jewelry; Nancy Riley — String of Joy; Jill Scholsohn — Riverstone Jewelry; Davide Shapiro — American Princess; Julie Siegmund — Carnelian Knoll; Sharon Smith — Alling S Alling Jewelry Designs; Monique Sousa — MPearl; Gay Touma — Jewels Verne Jewelers; Wendy Waugaman — WLW Designs; Lina Wilder — Idle Gauds Jewelry & Metals; Michelle Yozzo Drake — Drift by Stonington Designs. \nLeather: Amy Corda — Amy Lee Bags; Michelle and Michael Vicino — Scarfbuckles. \nMetal: Troy Antoniewicz — Copper Rose Forge; Tiffany DeAngelo — Tiffany’s Trees; George Gabriel — Infinity Art; Rob Steinhilper — Rustic Iron Metalwork; James Takaki — Iron Arts. \nMixed Media: Stephen Allen — Shoreline Crafts LLC; Jennifer Avallone — Cahill JGA Creations; Andee Axe — Andee Axe; Jackie Barry — Jackie Art & Designs; Kristin Cafferty — Kristin Cafferty Art; Wendy Cole — Hydrangea Blue Design; Lora Congelosi — Lora’s Shell Decor; Chris Conti — Hadlyme GraphicWorks; Julie Cote — J. Cote Art and Coastal Creations; Gill Feng — Beadtopia; Maryann Gatheral — Designs By Maryann; Louise Gorsline — The Painted Lady; Don Hart — Hart Woodcrafts; Alexandra and Jeremiah Hazel — October Cult; Barbara Hernandez — Boot’s Creations USA; Emily Keating — Emily Keating Art; Amy Macy — 86 Pool Road; Christine McCarthy — Artful Intuition; Michael Michaud — Mijumi Art; Christine Montano — Shore-Line Creations; Kate and Bill Murphy — Vintage Times Maps; Sergei Novikov — Speaking Music; David Poppie — Oxbow Art and Design; Karen Preli — Karen Preli Design; Kim Previti — Beyond Beautiful by Kim; Michelle Sansevero — Beachling; Tammi Sauco — Grateful Heart Art; Esther Schiff — Salty Expressions; Margie Sleboda — Margie Sherman Design; Breanna Wentworth — Sea Bre’s Creations. \nOils: Julie Brayton — Julie Brayton Fine Art; Jeanne DeCoste — JeanneDeCosteART; Bob Ferraro — Bob Ferraro Studios; Fran Henderson — Henderson Studio; Catherine Johansen — Cathy Johansen; Frank Oggeri — Natural Settings Fine Art; Brian O’Malley — Brian C. O’Malley Artworks; Carlos Rios — Carlos Rios Gallery; Judith Shea — Jude Niosi Art. \nPhotography: Roger Charbonneau — Jr Roger’s Pix Photography; John and Marie Geary — JEMPV; Doug Hockman — Doug Hockman Photography; Hannah McAllister — Cladach Living; Nancy Nielsen — Nansea Studio; Eric Parnes; Jeffrey Payette — Ffej Photography. \nPottery: Rachel Brown — Deep Earth Pottery; Robert Fishman — Robert Fishman Pottery; Pat Shea-Orzechowski — Pottery by Shea. \nSculpture: Linda Hayden — Hayden Creations. \nWatercolors: Sakara Perry — Sakara Perry Studio. \nWood: Julianna Cameron — Julianna Design; Charles Clark — CB’s Creations; Ian Evertson — Rogers Lake Woodworking; Debi Hitter — Ms. Sticks; Fred Jakubiec — Birdhouse Accents; Judy and Dan Liddle — Old Tyme Toys; Peter Scotella — JAMShome Design LLC; Brahim Sehili — Unique-Touches. \nSaturday Has Another Reason to Walk Main Street\nThere’s an easy way to turn the festival into a larger Old Saybrook morning. \nThe Old Saybrook Farmers’ Market is scheduled for the same Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 210 Main Street\, a short distance from the festival. \nThat means early arrivals can start at the farmers market and continue to the Town Green when the art festival opens at 10. \nThe location also puts festival visitors directly on Old Saybrook’s Main Street rather than at an isolated fairground. Restaurants\, shops and the rest of downtown remain within walking distance once you’ve finished—or need a break from—the rows of booths. \nSixty-Two Years Is the Other Thing Worth Noticing\nThe scale is impressive\, but longevity may say more about this event. \nAn annual community festival doesn’t reach its 62nd edition because somebody found a successful social-media campaign. It gets there because generations of exhibitors and visitors continue putting it on the calendar. \nThe format is uncomplicated: put a large collection of juried artists on the Town Green\, give people most of two days to explore it and let the work do the selling. \nFor someone casually browsing\, that means plenty of relatively accessible handmade items and gifts. \nFor someone actually looking for art\, there are enough painters\, photographers\, potters\, glass artists and sculptors here to spend considerably more time comparing work than the words “craft festival” might suggest. \nAnd unlike a gallery exhibition\, there’s another advantage: in most cases\, the person standing behind the work is the person who made it. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: 62nd Annual Old Saybrook Arts & Crafts Festival\nDates: Saturday\, Oct. 3 and Sunday\, Oct. 4\, 2026\nSaturday Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.\nSunday Hours: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.\nLocation: Old Saybrook Town Green\nAddress: 300 Main Street\, Old Saybrook\, CT 06475\nAdmission: Free\nArtists and Crafters: 145 listed in the Chamber’s 2026 event registration; the festival page describes the event as featuring more than 150\nSelection: Juried; applicants submit photographs of their work for review\nArt and Craft Categories: Acrylics\, ceramics\, consumables\, embellishment\, fiber\, glass\, graphics\, jewelry\, leather\, metal\, mixed media\, oils\, photography\, pottery\, sculpture\, watercolor and wood\nFood: Food is available at the festival; current sources indicate local civic organizations have traditionally handled food service rather than a conventional lineup of commercial festival food vendors\nSaturday Nearby: Old Saybrook Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.\, 210 Main Street\nParking: Free parking is reported for the festival; follow posted event parking directions on arrival\nAccessibility: The festival is outdoors on the Town Green; an event listing identifies accessible amenities\, but visitors needing specific accommodations should contact the Chamber before attending\nWeather: Outdoor event; check the Greater Old Saybrook Chamber for any weather-related changes\nOrganizer: Greater Old Saybrook Chamber\nContact: 860-388-3266 \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/145-juried-artists-take-over-the-old-saybrook-town-green-for-a-62-year-tradition/2026-10-03/
LOCATION:Old Saybrook Town Green\, 308 Main St\,\, Old Saybrook\, 06475\, United States
CATEGORIES:Old Saybrook Town Green
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T160000
DTSTAMP:20261001T174931Z
CREATED:20261001T174931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T174931Z
UID:10009225-1791021600-1791043200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Niantic Artisan & Vintage Market Turns Downtown Into a Village-Wide Treasure Hunt
DESCRIPTION:Niantic Artisan & Vintage Market Turns Downtown Into a Village-Wide Treasure Hunt Oct. 3\, spreading visiting vendors\, vintage finds\, handmade goods\, food trucks\, and even a chainsaw demonstration across downtown Niantic rather than containing everything inside a single fairground. \nThe market runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday\, with vendors setting up in several locations throughout the village and along the Main Street shopping district. Instead of walking rows of identical tents in one field\, visitors can move through downtown\, browse temporary vendors and duck into Niantic’s existing shops along the way. \nThe organizers describe the mix as local artisans\, vintage finds\, handcrafted and bespoke goods\, and antique treasures\, with participating downtown businesses also planning store specials for the day. \nAnd judging from the response to the event on Facebook\, plenty of people have already put it on their Saturday plans: more than 1\,000 people have indicated interest in the event. \nThe Market Spreads Across Downtown\nThis isn’t a market with one entrance or a single central vendor area. \nNiantic Main Street describes it as village-wide\, with vendors occupying several areas around downtown. At least one participating artisan\, Connecticut ceramic artist JQ Clay\, says vendors will line the Main Street strip and that her booth will be positioned in front of Grace. \nWilks Works\, the Niantic shop specializing in handmade candles\, room sprays and car diffusers\, is also promoting the market as a town-wide event. \nThat decentralized layout is really the point. \nNiantic already has an unusually walkable collection of independent stores\, restaurants and waterfront spaces packed into its downtown. The Artisan & Vintage Market essentially adds another layer of temporary shops to the existing ones for six hours. \nVintage Finds\, Handmade Goods and Antique Treasures\nThere isn’t a complete 2026 vendor roster available\, so anyone looking for a booth-by-booth preview is out of luck. \nWhat organizers have announced is deliberately broad: vintage pieces\, antiques\, handmade items\, artisan goods and one-of-a-kind finds\, with visiting vendors joining the permanent downtown businesses. \nThat makes this less of a conventional craft fair and more of a browse-until-something-stops-you kind of market. \nThe event has been part of Niantic Main Street’s calendar for several years. Earlier editions followed the same village-wide concept\, mixing artists and artisans with vintage goods\, downtown shopping\, food and other attractions. \nThe market itself was spearheaded by longtime Niantic Main Street volunteer and board member Sue Kumro\, whose work with the downtown organization has included several of its community events. \nFour Food Trucks Are Coming to Main Street\nOrganizers have now filled in one of the biggest blanks in the original event listing: food. \nSaturday’s announced lineup includes Beach Buns\, Curb Your Appetite\, Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee of Mystic and Kona Ice. \nThat gives visitors options for grabbing something while working their way through the market instead of treating shopping and lunch as separate stops. \nOther food vendors may be present around town\, but those are the four mobile vendors specifically announced by Niantic Main Street for Saturday. \nThere’s a Chainsaw Demonstration at Scheer Park\nThe day’s strangest attraction may also be one of the more interesting reasons to wander beyond the vendor tables. \nOrganizers have announced a chainsaw demonstration at Scheer Park. \nNo detailed demonstration schedule has been published\, so this isn’t something we’d recommend planning an arrival time around. But it adds another stop to what is already intended to be a walk-around-the-village event. \nScheer Park sits along Main Street and is also closely connected to another increasingly recognizable Niantic tradition. \nYou Can Get an Early Start on the Buoy Trees\nNiantic Main Street will have a tent at the Old Police Station\, where visitors can purchase a buoy for the organization’s annual Niantic Buoy Trees. \nThe holiday installation transforms Scheer Park into what the organization calls a little tree farm\, with tree-shaped structures covered in hundreds of individually decorated buoys contributed by people\, organizations and businesses from around the region. \nThis year’s Buoys by the Bay display is scheduled to open Nov. 20 and remain up into January. \nSaturday’s market therefore provides an early opportunity to pick up a buoy and become part of the display before the holiday season arrives. \nIt’s a Market Designed Around Niantic Itself\nThat’s probably the most useful way to approach this event. \nThere isn’t a published list of 75 vendors to methodically check off\, a stage schedule to follow or a single fairground to navigate. The attraction is the combination of the market and downtown Niantic. \nStart walking. Check the visiting vendors. Go through the stores. Stop for food or coffee. Wander toward Scheer Park. Pick up a buoy. See what somebody dragged out of an antique collection or what a local maker brought to sell. \nThe lack of a complete vendor roster makes it difficult to predict exactly what will be waiting from block to block. \nFor a vintage market\, that unpredictability may not be entirely a disadvantage. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Niantic Artisan & Vintage Market\nDate: Saturday\, Oct. 3\, 2026\nTime: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.\nLocation: Downtown Niantic\nPrimary Area: Main Street and several locations throughout Niantic Village\nAdmission: No admission charge is listed\nMarket: Visiting artisans\, vintage sellers\, handmade and bespoke goods\, antiques and other finds\nDowntown Shopping: Participating businesses will offer store specials and host visiting vendors\nFood Trucks: Beach Buns\, Curb Your Appetite\, Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee of Mystic and Kona Ice\nSpecial Attraction: Chainsaw demonstration at Scheer Park\nNiantic Main Street Tent: Located at the Old Police Station\nBuoys by the Bay: Buoys for the annual Niantic Buoy Trees will be available for purchase at the Niantic Main Street tent\nVendor Map: A complete 2026 vendor map or roster has not been published\nWeather: Outdoor event; check Niantic Main Street for any weather-related updates before heading out \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/niantic-artisan-vintage-market-turns-downtown-into-a-village-wide-treasure-hunt/
LOCATION:Downtown Niantic\, 159 Main Street\, Niantic\, 06357\, United States
CATEGORIES:Downtown Niantic
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