Strong Family Farm Harvest Festival
VERNON — On Saturday, Oct. 20, Strong Family Farm will host its 6th annual Harvest Festival at 274 West St. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair will include old fashioned demonstrations, canning, wool spinning, Civil War reenactors, the results of the farm’s 7th annual scarecrow contest, a hay bale maze, crafts for children, a corn box, pumpkin checkers, farm animals, face painting, tractors, music by “Gypsy Hearts” and a farewell to the farm’s chickens who are going to their winter home.
Vendors and local nonprofits will be present. A large raffle of items donated by the vendors will be run by the Hop-A-Long Gang 4-H Club to support the farm. The farm store will have end-of-season sales. Cow plop bingo will take place in the barnyard this year. Food will be for sale by Little Mark’s Big BBQ and LuAnn’s Bakery.
Admission is free. There is limited parking for a donation of $2 in the farm field, with an entrance on Peterson Road. Parking is also available on side streets and neighboring schools. Visit www.strongfamilyfarm.org for more information.
Tolland Football Game
TOLLAND — Two important segments of Tolland’s population will come together for an evening of fun and camaraderie on Friday, Oct. 26, at Tolland High School, 1 Eagle Hill.
The Tolland Veterans Recognition Commission, in cooperation with the Tolland High School Athletic Department, will bring together Tolland’s Veterans and Tolland Scouts and families for the Tolland Eagles vs. The Berlin Redcoats football game.
All veterans, Scouts and their families will be admitted free and will meet in the school cafeteria area for welcoming and lite refreshments at 5 p.m. Coaches and players will be available, pre-game. Kick-off is at 6 p.m. The short halftime program will be devoted to honoring the American flag.
Mattie’s Togs Thrift Shop
TOLLAND — Mattie’s Togs at St. Matthew Church, 111 Tolland Green, has a selection of new and gently used summer and winter clothing for children, preemie to size 18, and larger for youth.
The store also carries first communion dresses, flower girl dresses, baptismal outfits and boys’ Sunday best. A few Halloween outfits are for sale.
The $5 a bag sale is ongoing and specially priced items are three for $10. Winter jackets for boys and girls are available, along with summer and winter shoes and boots. The store is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and located on the Dunn Hill Rd side of St. Matthew Church. Any questions, please call Billie at 860-871-0260.
Saint Jude Layette Mass
ROCKVILLE — At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24, the Ladies of Saint Joseph’s at Saint Joseph’s Church, 33 West St., will sponsor the annual layette mass. Everyone is encouraged to bring an unwrapped baby gift to be placed by the altar prior to mass. All items will be donated to needy mothers via the Birthright of Greater Hartford, a pregnancy help center serving a wide area or women in need of guidance and support. Call 860-871-1970 with questions.
Harvest Supper
ROCKVILLE — The annual harvest supper will take place on Saturday, Oct. 20, at Rockville United Methodist Church, 142 Grove St.
Dinner is served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The cost is $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under for a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Call the church at 860-875-6562 for reservations; Walk-ins are welcome. Take-out is available after 5:30 p.m. Visit http://www.rockumchurch.com/events-2 for more information.
Trunk Or Treat
ROCKVILLE — Children and their parents are invited to trunk or treat at 11 a.m. Sunday Oct. 28, at Rockville United Methodist Church, 142 Grove St.
Wear a costume and bring a bag to hold your treats. A Leap of Faith concert will take place at 10 a.m., with a special appearance by youth group Grove Street Music Project. Visit https://www.rockumchurch.com/2018/10/02/2018-trunk-or-treat or call 860-875-6562 for more information.
Ty-Rods Auto Club
STAFFORD SPRINGS — Ty-Rods Auto Club of Vernon will host its 45th annual fall all-automotive swap meet at Stafford Motor Speedway, 55 West St., on Sunday, Oct. 21. Gates open to the public at 7 a.m. and the show will run until 4 p.m.
There will be parts for all makes and model cars as well as streetrods, tuners, antiques, muscle and anything else on wheels. There are over 1,500 vendor spaces and 200 cars for sale. The meet will take place rain or shine. No pets are allowed. Call 860-649-3697 for more information.
Arts Center East Events
VERNON — Arts Center East, 709 Hartford Turnpike, is hosting the following events. Visit www.artscentereast.org or call 860-871-8222 for more information.
Write your memoir or novel with instructor C. Flanagan Flynn: The fall session sold out so registering early is recommended. All levels welcome. Date: Nov. 7, Nov. 14, Nov. 28, and Dec. 12, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Cost: $95.
Pouring medium fun with acrylics with instructor Ceil Rossi for children ages seven to 14 will take place on Dec. 1 from 9 to 11 a.m. Cost: $40 includes materials.
A session for adults will take place on Dec. 8 from 9 to 11 a.m. Cost is $40 and includes materials. Artist Loretta Medeiros will provide a demonstration using pouring medium and show you how cells are formed. No painting experience necessary. Organizers recommend wearing clothing you do not mind getting paint on, as the paint will not wash out. Class size is limited. Artwork must be picked up on Sunday, Dec. 2, from the children’s class, or Dec. 9 for the adult class, as the work needs to dry overnight.
Mixed Media Workshop: Fall Gold Leaf Gourd Bowl with instructor Ceil Rossi. Students will use a cleaned craft ready gourd bowl 5″ – 7″ in diameter. Using a heat controlled wood burner, they will stencil maple leaves onto the bowl. Metallic ink dyes will be used and students will learn how to blend the colors together to create the shimmering look of the leaves.This bowl can be used to display dried flowers, candy or as a centerpiece for fall. No tools are required. The instructor will supply all equipment and dyes necessary. Dates: Saturday, Nov. 17, and Sunday, Nov. 18, time: noon to 3 p.m. Fee: $100 and includes materials.
Fun With Scratchboard: Artist Loretta Medeiros will demonstrate and provide instruction. No experience necessary. You will need to bring a terry cloth hand towel and a black and white photo you have taken printed 5″ X 7″ on computer paper. All other supplies will be provided. Date: Nov. 10 from 9 a.m. to noon. Cost: $60 includes materials
November Write Your Memoir or Novel with instructor C. Flanagan Flynn. The fall session sold out so registering early is recommended. If you have a desire to make writing your memoir or novel a priority, this collaborative workshop will provide you the necessary guidance, structure, and writer’s tools. All levels welcome. Dates: Nov. 7, 14, 28 and Dec. 12, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Cost: $95, includes $5 materials fee for instructor.
Harvests and Hauntings: The autumnal season begins with a celebration of harvests, via landscapes, still life and more. Later in the season, the center celebrates the scary and unnerving. Exhibition runs through Oct. 28.
Pastel Class Winter Session with instructor Jane Penfield: Topics include building a strong composition, understanding values, creating light and shadow, and developing cohesive color harmony to develop a strong painting from start to finish. Various underpainting techniques will be introduced. Reference photos you have taken yourself may be used for subject matter, or you may bring still life materials. All levels of experience are welcome. Dates: Nov. 6 through Dec. 18 on Tuesdays from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Cost: $205 for seven-week session.
Poetry Rocks with Edgar Allen Poe-try, features MCC’s John Stanizzi and an open mic of spooky poetry. Date: Sunday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. Cost: Suggested donation of $5 to $10. The student poet will be Rockville High School’s Venecia Fultz. Participants in an extended open microphone session are asked to read spooky and macabre works, preferably with a tie to Poe’s works.
Red No. 5 Concert: Saturday, Oct. 20, at 3 p.m. This is a non-ticketed event. Donations welcome. Cost: Suggested donation of $5 to $10.
Kids & Family Costumed Movie Night showing Hotel Transylvania: Sunday, Oct. 28, at 4 p.m. Donations welcome. Call the gallery at 860-871-8222 to register.
Digital Photography 1 (Beginning). Dates: Saturdays, Dec 1, 8, 15. Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cost: $95. Instructor: Peter Glass. The major emphasis of this class will be on moving away from the automatic mode, which most beginners gravitate towards, to shooting modes where you have total control of your camera. Bring your digital camera, with instruction booklet, to class, along with photos you have taken, saved as JPGs, on a flash drive. Be sure your camera can operate in non-automatic modes, such as manual or shutter priority. If it does not and you still want to take the class, that certainly is fine too.
Take Great Photos With Your Smartphone: Friday, Nov. 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. Cost: $35. Instructor: Peter Glass. This is a class for those truly interested in producing quality images with their smartphone cameras. Visit www.meetup.com/Connecticut-Photography-Workshops and www.peterglass.com for more information on Glass.
Bolton Lakes Watershed Community Forum
BOLTON — The Friends of Bolton Lakes, an organization dedicated to protecting the Bolton Lakes and its watershed, is sponsoring the fifth annual Bolton Lakes Watershed Community Forum at Bolton Town Hall on Monday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. The Lower, Middle and Upper Bolton Lakes are located in the towns of Bolton, Vernon, Coventry and Tolland.
Featured forum speakers include Greg Bugbee of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, who will speak about the recent study of plants and weeds in the Lower Bolton Lake; John Williams, who will speak about the invasive weed Fanwort and the treatment of fanwort in the Middle Bolton Lake; and Debby Zeppa, who will speak about the threat posed by the invasive weed hydrilla and the attempt to treat and eradicate it in Coventry Lake. A short business meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m.
Bolton Town Hall is located at 222 Bolton Center Road. Email friendsofboltonlakes@comcast.net with questions.
Local Dancers Heading To Ballroom Championships
MOSCOW — Local ballroom and latin dance couple Evgueni Chaoulski and Sara Schilling qualified to compete at the World Ballroom Championships taking place Friday, Oct. 26, inside the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia.
There is only one World Ballroom Championship held per year. Each country can send two couples to represent them at the World Championship, based on the couples’ results at the National Championship. Evgueni, who is from Montreal, and Sara, originally from Tolland, will be one of these two couples, representing Canada.
Evgueni and Sara have been dancing together for 11 years now. After meeting on an England dance partner search website, they tried dancing together and decided to pair up. Their partnership has flourished since then both professionally and personally. They have traveled not only locally to compete, but internationally as well, ranging from Japan to Costa Rica and many more countries. They are not strangers to World Championships either. Most couples are honored to get to compete at one in their dance career. This will be Evgueni and Sara’s 7th World Championship.
Outside of their professional careers, they started and run a successful dance studio, EdanSe Company & Ballroom, in Enfield. The studio is home to dancers of all ages and levels from social dancing to competitive dancing.
When they are not at the studio, they are coaching or judging the Collegiate ballroom circuit. They are proud coaches of four college teams: UConn, Trinity College, Wesleyan University and UMass Amherst’s ballroom teams.
Silhouette Event Benefits Tolland Historical Society
TOLLAND — Appointments can be made now for a sitting with silhouette artist Marcella Comerford on Sunday, Nov. 11, at an event that will benefit the Tolland Historical Society.
By appointment only, Comerford will provide hand-cut silhouettes at the Old Tolland County Court House Museum, 53 Tolland Green. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the society.
All work is done free-hand and children are welcome. Visit www.signupgenius.com and search for portraitsinsilhouette@gmail.com to make an appointment. Click on “Silhouette Appointments at Tolland Historical Society” and select a time.
A single silhouette costs $37, with a duplicate costing $15. A 5×7 frame for one silhouette is $35, and an 8×10 frame for two to three silhouettes is $45. Each silhouette is mounted on an acid-free museum board. Email Ni-Ni Reinard at nkjtr@sbcglobal.net with questions.
Library Membership Drive
VERNON — The Friends of Rockville Public Library, 52 Union St., will hold its membership drive during October. Applications can be obtained online at rockvillepubliclibrary.org or at the circulation desk of the library. Members can be active or inactive and all donations are tax-deductible.
Seeking Vendors
ELLINGTON — The Ellington Senior Center is currently seeking vendors for its annual holiday craft and vendor fair to be held on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All vendors must have a current sales and use tax permit. For more information, visit http://seniorcenter.ellington-ct.gov/160/Arts-Crafts, email Samantha Baer at sbaer@ellington-ct.gov or call 860-870-3133.
Seeking Crafters
VERNON — Trinity Lutheran Church’s TLC Marketplace is seeking crafter vendors. The event will take place Trinity Lutheran Church, 20 Meadowlark Road, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3. For more information, email trinity.lutheran@sbcglobal.net or call Annette at 860-875-2170.
Read To The Dogs
ELLINGTON — Healers with Halos Therapy Dogs will visit Hall Memorial Library, 93 Main St., on the following Saturdays: Oct. 27, Nov. 10 and 24, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Children ages 5 to 12 may register online in order to secure a space to read for 10 minutes to one or more therapy dogs. Visit www.library.ellington-ct.gov to register. All children’s programs are free and open to the public.
Library Events
VERNON — Rockville Public Library, 52 Union St., is hosting the following events. Visit rockvillepubliclibrary.org or call 860-875-5892, ext. 100, to register.
On Monday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m., a Halloween card craft for adults will take place. Participants must be 18 or older to attend.
On Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 6:30 p.m., the library will present a beginner’s meditation class.
Preschool Programs
ELLINGTON — Hall Memorial Library, 93 Main St., is hosting the following events. Visit www.library.ellington-ct.gov to register or call 860-870-3160 for more information.
For babies ages 9 months to 2 1/2 years old, along with a caregiver, Babies & Books will meet each Monday from Oct. 15 through Nov. 5. There will be the reading of board books, the singing of songs and play time from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. each week. A second session of Babies & Books will meet 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each week.
Choose the session that fits best in your schedule. A 2 1/2 year story hour is planned for children who are already 2 1/2, along with a caregiver. This program meets on Fridays from 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. each week, from Oct. 19 through Nov. 16. Led by the children’s librarian, there will be stories, songs and age appropriate crafts. For the 3- to 5-year-olds who are ready for an independent experience, 3-5 year story hour will meet each Tuesday from 10:15 to 11 a.m. from Oct. 16 through Nov. 27.
Parks And Rec Programs
VERNON — Vernon Parks and Recreation is offering the following programs. Visit www.vernonrec.org or call 860-870-3520 for more information.
Cross Country Challenge: The meet is open to students in Vernon Elementary Schools, K-5, on Monday, Oct. 24. Experience with running is not necessary. All runners will be recognized for their participation and they will earn points for their school. The schools with the most points will be awarded the Cross Country Challenge trophies. This event is held at Rockville High School. Pre-registration is required and participation is free. Visit www.vernonrec.org for info on all start times for each grade level.
Zumba: Mondays and Wednesdays, 7 to 8 p.m., Center 375 Gym. Drop-in rate at $8 per class.
Halloween Boo Bash: A walk down trick-or-treat aisle, games, candy and giveaways. A special thank you to Price Chopper for their support and donations. Children ages 10 and under may attend. Date: Saturday, Oct. 27, from 3 to 4:15 p.m. Vernon Teen Center, beginning at the lower level side entrance. No fee. Bring a canned good.
New York City Bus Trip: Sunday, Dec. 2. The bus will leave from the Vernon Teen Center at 8:30 a.m., to arrive in NYC at approximately 10:45 a.m. The bus will depart from NYC at 6 p.m., to arrive back in Vernon at approximately 9 p.m. Fee: Residents at $45, Non-residents at $55.
