Hay Day at Hill-stead Museum Farmington

October 1, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Enjoy Fall Family Fun at Hill-Stead’s Hay Day!

All-day activities:

• Tour the museum at your leisure, plus live show tunes on the Steinway.
• Eat gourmet food! Culteavo is serving family-friendly food, hot cider, cocoa, coffee & tea at The Tea Room at Hill-Stead.
• Be a pumpkin Picasso! Paint a FREE pumpkin / one per child.
• Visit the Clatter Ridge sheep.
• Shop for toys, books and gifts at the Museum Shop.
• Play costume dress-up in the Education Station.
• Special Exhibition Guided tour of From Page to Stage: Broadway Costumes from the Goodspeed Musicals Collection will also be available.
• Rain or Shine!

Activities from 11 am to 2 pm

• Hay wagon rides.
• Face painting.
• Haystack treasure hunt.
• Live music by Essex Corinthian Jazz Band.
• Touch a fire truck and tractor.

Admission

Family/Grandparent Museum Members and above: Adults are FREE, Children $5, Farmington kids are FREE.
Non-Members: Adults $15, Children $10, Farmington kids are FREE.

Wethersfield Fall Craft Fair

	Wethersfield Fall Craft Fair
From:	10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
At	Cove Park
When	10/7/2017
The 36th Annual Old Wethersfield Craft Fair for the benefit of Wethersfield Historical Society will be held Saturday, October 7, 2017 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm at Cove Park on State Street, Old Wethersfield, rain or shine! The fair is renowned for its distinctive and high quality crafts from all over New England. There will be over 100 juried artisans displaying their handmade wares. In addition to the regular loyal following, this year’s show boasts an extensive variety of new crafters. As always, there will be great food served by Village Pizza, “I Made It”, “Spuds Your Way” and more! Lou’s Kettle Cooked Popcorn will serve up his famous, fresh popcorn for everyone! Wethersfield Historical Society will hold a delightful bake sale. Be sure to visit the Society’s Attic Treasures booth, too! The ever-popular Round Hill Alpacas will be returning and face painting will be there for the youngsters. Stop by and say “Hi” and feed an alpaca or two! Admission is $6.00 for adults and free for children under 12 when accompanied by an adult. For information about the event, call 860.559.5560 or email oldwethersfieldcraftfair@gmail.com. For information regarding Wethersfield Historical Society, call 860.529.7656 or email society@wethersfieldhistory.org.

Haunted History at the Nathan Hale Homestead

If you want something little spooky, why not try a haunted tour at the Nathan Hale Homestead. Tours take place at twilight on October 6, 7, 13 and 14. There is a haunted corn maze and a medium will hold a seance. Later in the month, more spooky tours on October 20,21, 27 and 28. Go to their website for more information. 

Harvest Festival at Jonathan Edwards Winery

When: Sept 30-Oct 1 noon to 6:00p.m.
Cost $25 per day
Where: Jonathan Edwards Winery North Stonington
What: Wine, bands, food and picnicking, face painting, photo booths, hayrides and grape stamping contest. 

Baci Grill Cromwell

For years we have been driving by this restaurant and thinking that we should probably give it a try. It has finally happened and I am now asking myself, "What were you waiting for"?

I have always thought that this restaurant might be a little too formal for us. I could not have been more wrong. We parked on the side of the building and entered through the bar area, and a very attractive bar area it is. The dining room is on the other side of the building and has a lot of comfortable booths. 

We got great service and were seated very quickly with menus in our hands and drink orders delivered. 

The lunch menu has lots of appetizers, soups and salads, a few entrees, sandwiches and wraps and stone pies. While there are a few Italian options, the menu is not Italian by any means. 

I opted for a salad with goat cheese and strawberries on a bed of field greens. I added a grilled chicken breast for a little protein. Steak, shrimp, portabello mushroom, chicken sausage and salmon are also available. The dressing was a light lemon poppy seed and was perfect for a hot summer day. It was a generous serving and I loved it. 

#bacigrillcromwell

Al had a steak wrap with cheese and grilled onions. He gave it two thumbs up and brought home half which he ate for dinner. He said it was even better the second time, high praise indeed. 

We were in a rush so didn't stay for dessert but given the number of items on the menu that I want to try, I think we are likely to become regulars. 

Deacon Timothy Pratt Bed and Breakfast Old Saybrook, Conn.

Old Saybrook, Conn. is over 300 years old. It has a perfect location at the mouth of the Connecticut River on Long Island Sound. There are many historic houses in town but only one of them has been turned into a lovely bed and breakfast. The Deacon Timothy Pratt House was built in 1746 and was built right across the street from the meeting house by deacon and carpenter, Timothy Pratt. It is located right next door to the equally historic James Pharmacy.

Anna James was an African American and she was also the first black female pharmacists in the Connecticut. Today her pharmacy is a soda fountain and a Mediterranean market and café. There are several rooms that are part of the Deacon Timothy Pratt bed and breakfast which are located in the James Pharmacy building which also dates from the same time period and was originally part of the Humphrey Pratt Tavern.

We had the Suite which is on the second floor of the original house. It is a large two room suite with a queen sized four poster carved wood pineapple bed. The room is done in a soft rose color with wood paneling, a fireplace,  and stenciling on the walls.

 It includes a second room with a single bed that is separated by glass doors. The TV was in the smaller bedroom. The large room had a sitting area with two comfortable chairs and there was a hooked rug on the painted wide plank wood floors.

The bathroom is large with a huge jetted tub and shower combination as well as a pedestal sink. There is plenty of storage in the room from both the nightstands and a highboy and an additional closet and dresser in the bathroom. The TV has lots of channels and there is Wi-Fi available though I was not able to access it. The owner was kind enough to hardwire me to the internet so that I could do my work.

A very pretty parlor on the first floor is available where you can sit and read or look at the books about the history of Old Saybrook and the Pratt family and house. The bed was very comfortable and we slept well but be warned, if you are a very light sleeper, ask for a room at the back of the house. The house is historic and close to Main St and you can hear cars going up and down the street.

We were greeted when we arrived by owner Rich. We arrived late and our welcome information was attached to the front door. If you are looking for a little snack there are cookies in the dining room as well as a Keurig to make yourself a cup of coffee. There is a refrigerator for guests in the dining room. Breakfast is served between 8:30 and 10 a.m. with checkout at 11 a.m.

If you have difficulty with stairs, the library room is on the first floor. Given the age of the house, it is not surprising that the stairs are quite a challenge. The grounds are beautiful and in June there were hollyhocks in bloom and a fountain and seating area in the back yard. There is plenty of room for a private moment.

 We went down to breakfast at 8:30 and the innkeeper Pat was prepared for us. It included a bowl of fresh fruit, coffee and juice, bagels and apple fritters. On the weekends there is a hot entrée as well. We were a little disappointed but certainly didn't leave hungry.

I would high recommend Deacon Timothy Pratt B&B if you are planning a visit to Old Saybrook. The welcome is warm, the house is lovely and the location is perfect for walking and driving to everything Old Saybrook has to offer.

Harvest Music Festival at Lyman's Orchard

Come out to the farm for a good old fashioned music festival, featuring some of the best local and regional bands, all to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. September 9, 2017. 

This free, family-friendly festival brings together great music, delicious food, an amazing Corn Maze and fun activities for kids! Plenty of activities for the whole family including pony rides, face painting and fruit picking in our orchard! The music festival is free though some of the activities are available for a nominal fee.

A Silent Auction with continue throughout the day. It's a terrific opportunity to help St. Jude continue its mission to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.

All the bands have committed to donating their time to help the children at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital with their fight against childhood cancer. Please consider them for all your musical needs. Just click on their name to reach their websites. 

Presley & Taylor	11am
Goldrush	12:15pm
Joe Ladore	12:45pm
SinSisters	1:15pm
Downtown Train Band	2:15pm
The Kingpins Blues Band	3:00pm