Good morning, Quiet Corner Swarm!

Today’ is Oct 6th, National Noodle Day, and I’m hungry for recommendations. Who serves your favorite pasta or noodle dish in the Quiet Corner? Hit reply with the place and your go-to order. I’m taking notes.

Lots to cover today plus a brief review of a recent pasta dish I had (and an exclusive discount for you!).

Let’s dive in!

-Tyler DiGiovanni

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If your October plans are just buying Halloween candy and eating it early, I made you a better list: haunted mini golf, flashlight corn mazes, ghost stories, and trick-or-treat nights across Windham and Tolland. Open our Halloween Guide, pick your first stop, and send it to the friend who always says there’s nothing to do around here.

My lovely wife and I took a nice day trip to visit Trigo Pizza (744 Main St., Willimantic) for lunch this past Friday, and if you haven’t made the trip yet, you’re missing out! We decided to grab a couple of warm-up dishes (the Caesar salad and Mussels - 10/10 would order both again), then onto the main event. We got a Carnitas pizza (one of their seasonal specials, seriously some of the best pizza in the state) and the absolute showstopper - the tagliarini. Al dente, flavorful with just the right amount of kick, savory perfection. The house-made pasta kicks it up to another level.

Growing up with an extremely Italian father, I take my pasta very seriously, and Trigo has knocked it out of the park. If you’re going to order one thing on the menu (and aren’t gluten-sensitive), get the tagliarini and thank me later. And let them know that the Quiet Corner Buzz sent ya. In fact, if you bring this newsletter with you and show it to them, you’ll get 10% off your bill for the month of October. Now you really don’t have an excuse to make the trip!

New BUZZWORD and BUZZEYE games just dropped, and today’s BUZZLE is live too, so play now and get on the leaderboard!

Buying in Connecticut? Price the insurance before you fall for the house. Get quotes, especially if the roof or wiring is older. Compare the annual premium, deductible, and replacement cost coverage, not just the monthly payment. Then check flood risk: standard homeowners policies generally exclude flooding, and sewer backup protection may cost extra. Send your quote to your lender early so the monthly cost doesn’t surprise you at closing. Ask Kimberly Joy how insurance affects your payment.

WHO’S HIRING IN THE QUIET CORNER? Local roles worth knowing about this week:

Hiring or Job Hunting? Email us

If you’ve ever wanted an excuse to wear a kilt in public, this is it. The 46th Highland Festival & Games takes over the Brooklyn Fairgrounds Saturday, Oct. 10 from 9 AM–5 PM with Highland athletics, bagpipes and drums, dancing, Scottish food, live performances, clan displays and plenty of tartan. Admission is $25, with discounts for seniors, students, veterans and kids. Kilt up!

🐶Adopt-a-pal: Meet Poco, a 1-year-old Dachshund/Chihuahua mix with a big personality in a tiny package, equal parts playful, independent, and slowly learning that people mean belly rubs, ear scratches, and dinner.

🏡House of the week: This 4-bed, 3.5-bath home packs 2,866 sq. ft. of character with wide-board floors, exposed beams, two fireplaces and a library that might finally justify buying more books. Out back, 1.71 acres bump right up against 60+ acres of protected Joshua’s Trust land, so your neighbors are basically trees and wildlife. Check it out!

🔭Sky report: 🔭Sky report: The Draconid meteor shower peaks after dark on Thursday (10/8), with little moonlight to get in the way. Find a dark spot and watch for a few slow shooting stars. Saturn is also near its brightest of the year and visible for much of the night.

Storrs | Virtual Author Talk with Joe Sasto | 2 PM - The Top Chef finalist and Food Network star talks pasta and his bestselling cookbook. It's online, hosted by Mansfield Public Library. Register!

Canterbury | "Abandoned Eastern CT" with Matthew Means | 7 PM - The author tours the region's forgotten places at Town Hall. Explore!

Mansfield | Taste of Mansfield Free Community Dinner | 5:30 PM - An Indigenous foods-inspired menu celebrating local farms at Mansfield Middle School. It's free, but you need to preregister. Dig in!

Storrs | Live at Huskies: The Jack Wood Quartet | 6 PM - Jazz night in Downtown Storrs. Swing!

Woodstock | Bonsai Bar | 6:30 PM $ - A ticketed bonsai night at Taylor Brooke. Prune!

Columbia | Movie at the Park: Hocus Pocus | 6:30 PM - An outdoor screening of the Sanderson Sisters at Columbia Recreation Park. Watch!

Putnam | Karaoke Thursdays | 6 PM - Sing between throws at Montana Nights Axe Throwing. Sing!

Storrs | Hot Fingers Trivia | 6:30 PM - Weekly trivia at Hops 44. Play

Willington | Malcolm Tillis Collage Art Exhibition | Oct. 3–17 | ($5 drawing tickets) – See Malcolm Tillis’ collage work at the Willington Public Library during regular hours, then enter a special drawing for one of four mounted collages. Creative

Coventry | Things That Go Bump in the Night | 7 PM $ - Candlelit ghost tours all the way up to the attic of the Nathan Hale Homestead ($25-30, reservations required). Boo!

Dayville | Next Stop Comedy | 8 PM $ - Stand-up night at Black Pond Brews. Laugh!

Putnam | Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap | 7:30 PM $ - Opening night at The Bradley Playhouse for the world's longest-running whodunit. Tickets!

Putnam | Oneal Armstrong | 8 PM $ - Live at The Stomping Ground. Listen!

Somers | Emotion | 6:30 PM - A live band in the main hall at Joanna's. Dance!

Stafford | October Witches Walk | 6 PM - Witches take over Main Street in Stafford Springs. Cackle!

Thompson | Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing | Day 1 $ - The 64th running kicks off a three-day weekend at Thompson Speedway. Race!

Bolton | Fall Succulent Gourd Decorating | 11 AM $ - Turn a gourd into a succulent planter at Cropley's. Plant!

Coventry | James Schribert Jazz Duo | 12-2:30 PM - Jazz at Cassidy Hill Vineyard. Sip!

Coventry | Museum of CT Glass Open House | 9 AM-1 PM - Free tours of the 1812 Turner House plus an outdoor antique bottle sale. Dig!

Coventry | Things That Go Bump / Nightmare on Main | 7 PM $ - Coventry's spooky double feature. Shiver!

Eastford | Buell's 45th Annual Harvest Festival | 10 AM-4 PM - Pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, wagon rides, chicken BBQ and soft serve. Pick!

Ellington | Saturday Dyno Shoot Out | 10 AM - See whose ride puts down the most horsepower on Somers Road. Rev!

Ellington | Touch-A-Truck | 10 AM - Big rigs and work trucks for kids to climb on. Nearly 1,000 people have marked interest. Honk!

Plainfield | Enchanted Autumn Market | 10 AM - Witchy makers and fall finds at Crystal Visions. Shop!

Pomfret | Improv Workshop | 12 PM - Try your hand at improv comedy on Pomfret Street. Yes, and!

Putnam | Colonial Fashions | 12:30 PM - A fashion historian on 17th- and 18th-century style. Learn!

Putnam | The Island Farm Céilí Band | 1 PM - An afternoon of Irish dance tunes at The Stomping Ground. Jig!

Putnam | Makers Market | 12 PM - Local makers set up at Montana Nights Axe Throwing. Shop!

Putnam | The Mousetrap | 7:30 PM $ - The whodunit continues at The Bradley Playhouse. Tickets!

Rockville | Death Takes a Bow Murder Mystery | 2 PM & 6 PM - A whodunit dinner show at Rockville Public Library. Solve!

Somers | The 60's Experience | 6:30 PM - A trip back through the '60s songbook at Joanna's. Groove!

Storrs | Art on the Square | 12 PM - A fine arts and artisan show in Downtown Storrs. Browse!

Storrs | Jake Shimabukuro | 8 PM $ - The ukulele virtuoso at Jorgensen. Strum!

Thompson | Learn to Grow Garlic | 1 PM - Get your cloves in the ground before winter at Silent Meadow Farm. Plant!

Thompson | Matt Andrews | 6 PM - Live music at Triple Raven Brewing. Listen!

Vernon | Fall Fest | 1 PM - A fall festival on Hartford Turnpike. Celebrate!

Willimantic | Elktoberfest | 12 PM - Oktoberfest at the Willimantic Elks Lodge. Prost!

Willimantic | Lou Frink Art Exhibit & Presentation | 11 AM - A gallery talk on Windham's self-taught folk painter at the Jillson House Museum. Browse!

Woodstock | Jediah | 2 PM - A Dudley singer-songwriter at Taylor Brooke Brewery. Listen!

Woodstock | Layālaya Global Arts Festival | 1:30 PM $ - The inaugural festival of world music, art and conversation at the Loos Center. Explore!

Woodstock | Samhain Candle & Craft Workshop | 1 PM $ - Make seasonal candles and crafts at Mystic Pines. Create!

Ashford | Ashford Farmers Market | 10 AM - Sunday market on Tremko Lane. Shop!

Coventry | Coventry Farmers Market | 10 AM-1 PM - Sunday market at the Nathan Hale Homestead. Shop!

Plainfield | Haunted Trail: Spooks & Rescues | 6 PM - A haunted trail on Black Hill Road, with more nights later in October. Scream!

Pomfret | Lapsley Orchard Fall Harvest Festival | 10 AM-4 PM - Free hayrides, live music, apples and cider donuts. Runs through Monday. Harvest!

Somers | The Dukes of Hazardville | 5 PM - Sunday evening country rock at Joanna's. Yeehaw!

Thompson | Sunoco World Series 150 | Evening $ - The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour crowns its 2026 champion at the season finale. Race!

Willimantic | Columbus Day Horseshoe Tournament | 1 PM - A pitch-off at the American Legion honoring Timothy Dziekan. Ringer!

Woodstock | Turas | 2 PM - Irish trad music at Taylor Brooke Brewery. Jig!

Eastford | Buell's Harvest Festival | 10 AM-4 PM - The holiday finale of orchard fun. Pick!

Plainfield | Gray Ledge Tree Farm Leaf Hunt | 10 AM & 2 PM - Leaf peeping with a plant-science twist. Peep!

Pomfret | Lapsley Orchard Fall Harvest Festival | 10 AM-4 PM - The last day of hayrides and music. Harvest!

Storrs | VOCES8 | 7:30 PM $ - The Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble at Jorgensen. Listen!

Thompson | Books in the Barnyard | 9 AM - A farm-and-books morning in Fabyan, with 150-plus people interested. Read!

Woodstock | Tony Garcia | 1 PM - A one-man band playing classic rock and blues at Taylor Brooke. Listen!

That’s it for this week’s Quiet Corner Buzz. If you got something out of it, please share it with someone who loves noodles!

See ya next week,

Tyler