Know a local superhero hiding in plain sight?

Some of you reading this are doing awesome things for the community, and plenty of you probably know someone in your circle who is.

Let’s get them the love they deserve. Hit reply and nominate a person or organization helping neighbors, running events, supporting families, rescuing animals, mentoring kids, or just making this corner of Connecticut a better place.

Send me a little about who they are, what they’re doing, and why they deserve the spotlight.

Dinner Club is back May 21 at 6:30pm in Manchester.

Last one had 50+ locals show up, and people left with new friends, full stomachs, and significantly better stories than “I watched Netflix again.”

How it works:

Plus-ones are welcome, so bring a friend if you need a social safety blanket. Spots are limited, and once the tables are full, that’s it.

We’ve had a bunch of folks 50+ ask about doing a couples dinner or lunch, so naturally, we’re poking the bear. We would limit it to 9-15 couples.

Spots for two would be $35, you get matched with two other couples, receive a welcome drink at curated restaurant, pay your own tab, and meet some awesome new people who also remembered how to make plans outside the house.

I love doing crosswords, so naturally I decided to make one for the rest of us puzzle sickos.

This one’s all about the flora and fauna around here, because apparently I’ve reached the “getting excited about caterpillars and native plants” stage of life. Not mad about it.

🐶Adopt-a-pal: Meet Bowie, Jovi, and Dulce, a bonded trio of kiss-giving, toy-stashing, lap-napping ferrets ready to bring a little rockstar chaos and a lot of love into the right CT home.

🏡House of the week: This 1875 “Cottage Villa” has the kind of porch you buy rocking chairs for immediately, with views over the Fenton River Valley, Hanks Hill mill pond, waterfall, stone walls, fields, and woods. Built by Philo Hanks, a pioneer in the U.S. silk industry, it’s basically historic Connecticut with better scenery and fewer museum ropes. Have a look!

👀Sighting of the week: Nothing says “spring in Connecticut” like spotting your first spongy moth caterpillar in the backyard… tiny now, but give it a minute and it’ll be running a full-on leaf buffet like it owns the place.

🔭Sky report: The Full Flower Moon hits May 1, so expect a big bright moon doing its whole dramatic porch-light-in-the-sky routine. You may also catch Venus and Jupiter early in the evening, with a stray Lyrid meteor possible if you’re lucky and looking up from somewhere dark.

The Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce is throwing its 2026 Annual Awards Gala on Thursday, May 28 at 5pm at The Mansion at Bald Hill in Woodstock. Translation: a well-deserved night for the people and organizations who keep showing up for Northeastern CT.

Congrats to all the winners!

Circular Thinking Exhibit | May 2 to June 28

The Mill Museum in Willimantic is hosting a juried art quilt exhibit all about circles. The show features fiber art from Studio Art Quilt Associates, Connecticut, exploring the circle as a shape, symbol, concept, and metaphor. Basically, proof that even a circle can have main character energy.

Last week’s trivia got a solid number of you scratching your heads, with 35.65% getting it right. UConn has cranked out more than 700 patents, which is a pretty ridiculous number for a school most people still mainly associate with hoops. UConn has said invention runs deep there, with dozens of new inventions disclosed each year and a long track record of turning research into real companies and products.

A few of the coolest ones are not your standard lab-coat stuff. There is LambdaVision’s artificial retina, a UConn-linked breakthrough designed to help restore vision for people with retinal degeneration, and it was even tested through manufacturing work tied to the International Space Station.

Then you have IMCORP’s underground cable diagnostic tech, which grew out of UConn innovation and helps utilities find weak spots in buried power lines before they fail, which is the kind of invention nobody talks about until the lights stay on.

And because UConn apparently likes to dabble in the “future is now” category, researchers there also patented a fabrication technique for nanoscale solar rectennas, a technology aimed at capturing far more solar energy than traditional silicon panels.

So yeah, last week’s trivia was a sneaky good one. UConn is not just producing grads and jump shots. It has quietly become one of the state’s biggest invention machines.

North Grosvenor Dale | Collage Night | 5:30 PM - Get creative with mixed media art at this community crafting session at Thompson Library (934 Riverside Dr).

Tolland | Paint and Sip with Maryann | 6 PM | ($) - Sip wine and create your own canvas masterpiece on Tolland Red & White (46 Tolland Grn).

Willimantic | ECSU University Hour: America's 250th Committee | 3 PM - Learn about Windham's role in the American Revolution at Eastern CT State University. Step Back in Time

Woodstock | Trivia Wednesdays | 6:30 PM - Grab your team for weekly pub trivia at the Woodstock Tavern.

Bolton | Zentangle Workshop | 4:30 PM | ($) - Learn meditative drawing patterns at Charhouse Cookie (299 Boston Tpke). Find Your Zen

Danielson | Trivia Night | 6:30 PM - Weekly brain-busting fun at a downtown Elks Lodge #1706 (13 Center St).

Dayville | Plant Bingo | 6 PM | ($) - Win houseplants in this fun twist on classic bingo at Black Pond Brews (1001 Hartford Pike). Play to Grow

Putnam | Brandon Maciolek | 8–11PM - Modern country, outlaw classics, southern rock, and acoustic favorites take over The Stomping Ground.

Woodstock | Art in the Studio: Crystal Bracelets & Tea | 6:30 PM | ($) - Create beaded jewelry while sipping tea at Roots to Fly Wellness (3 Route 171). String Along

Brooklyn | Book & Bake Sale | 5-8PM - Browse neatly sorted books by category and author, then reward yourself with baked goods at Our Lady of La Salette Church (25 Providence Rd).

Canterbury | Paul Revere's Ride: The Truth Behind the Tales | 7:30 PM - Historical lecture uncovering the real story at Canterbury Town Hall (1 Municipal Dr).

Dayville | Next Stop Comedy at Black Pond Brews | 8 PM | ($) - Live stand-up comedy showcase at the craft brewery (1001 Hartford Pike). Laugh Out Loud

Hebron | The Syndicate | 8:45 PM - Live rock music at The Greenleaf Cafe (47 Main St).

Putnam | Bob Moon | 7:30 PM - Acoustic folk performance with desserts at Sawdust Coffee House (91 Main St).

Scotland | Strangecreek Pre-Party with Desert Rain | 7 PM | ($) - Live jam band music under the stars at Hurricane Farm (65 Kasacek Rd).

Stafford Springs | Laffs by the Lake Comedy Show | 7 PM - Stand-up comedy night at Four Seasons by the Lake (51 Old Springfield Rd).

Stafford Springs | Sea Glass Windows Workshop | 6:30 PM | ($) - Craft beautiful suncatchers at Stafford Cidery (68 Main St). Catch Some Light

Vernon | Bloom & Sip Experience | 4 PM - Floral arranging with wine at this creative workshop (352 Hartford Tpke). Petal & Pour

Willimantic | Circular Thinking Quilt Exhibit | 1PM | ($) - The Mill Museum opens a new juried fiber art exhibit exploring circles as symbols, shapes, and stories. exhibit runs through June 28. Interesting

Willimantic | Acoustic Blues Cafe: Harmonica Edition | 7:30 PM | ($) - Blues harmonica showcase at The River Room (50 Riverside Dr). Blow the Blues

Windham | Full Moon Workshop: Practice & Candle Ritual | 5:45 PM | ($) - Guided meditation and intention-setting at The Mantra Room (661 Windham Rd). Find Balance

Woodstock | Disney's Frozen | 7 PM | ($) - Community theater production of the beloved musical at The Loos Center (150 Route 169). Let It Go (also running 5/2)

Bolton | 12th Annual Town Wide Tag Sale | 8AM-4PM - Treasure hunt across Bolton with dozens of yard sales town-wide. Hunt for Deals

Canterbury | Spring Fling | 12 PM | ($) - Family fun fundraiser with animals at The Riley Farm Rescue(13 Barstow Rd). Meet the Animals

Chaplin | Pirate Fest | 12-4 PM - Ahoy matey! Pirate-themed family festival at 304 Parish Hill Rd. Arrr Matey

Columbia | By The Pond Flea Market | 9 AM - Vintage finds and vendors along Route 66 (187 Route 66 East).

Danielson | Book Signing | 10:30 AM - Meet local author signing "The Silver Fox" at Pourings and Passages.

Ellington | Vintage and Antique Market | 8 AM-2 PM - Browse treasures from local dealers downtown at Nellie McKnight Museum (70 Main St).

Ellington | Ellington Farmers Market Opening Day | 9 AM-12 PM - Fresh local produce, baked goods, and crafts (72 Maple St).

Hebron | Brian Dolzani as The Loner | 6 PM | ($) - Neil Young tribute at Blackledge River Tavern (180 West St). Heart of Gold

Mansfield | Maypole Celebration | 2-4PM - Welcome spring the old-fashioned way with Maypole dancing, live fiddle music, and fresh-air charm at Atwood Farm (624 Wormwood Hill Rd).

Mansfield | Clean Water Festival | 9:30AM-3PM - Learn how local watersheds stay clean with tours, hands-on exhibits, games, and family-friendly activities at Windham Water Works (174 Storrs Rd).

Putnam | Comic Book Day 2026 | 10 AM - Comics for all ages at Wonderland Comics (160 Main St).

Putnam | Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical | 7 PM | ($) - Bradley Playhouse presents the Tony-winning musical (30 Front St). See the Show (running through the month)

Stafford Springs | Plant Swap at Stafford Cidery | 2-4 PM - Trade cuttings and seedlings with fellow plant lovers (68 Main St).

Sterling | Sterling Community Yard Sale | 9 AM - Town-wide treasure hunt at Sterling Recreation (1183 Plainfield Pike).

Thompson | 7th Annual Maker Fair | 11 AM - Local artisans showcase handmade goods (815 Riverside Dr).

Vernon | Marching Still: Civil War Poetry Tribute | 3 PM - Musical performance honoring Civil War verse (14 Park Pl).

Vernon | Savage Brothers Band | 8:30 PM | ($) - Rock the night away at Rocking Horse Bar & Grill (57 Hartford Tpke).

Willimantic | Co-op Neighborhood Street Fair & YONO Wellness Fair | 12-4 PM - Food, vendors, and wellness at Willimantic Food Co-op (91 Valley St).

Willimantic | An Evening With The Hazel Mae Quintet | 8 PM | ($) - Jazz quintet at Windham Theatre Guild (779 Main St). Jazz It Up

Willington | Opening Day | 8 AM - Season opener at this Willington Heirloom (305 Village Hill Rd).

Windham | Jane's Walk: Revolutionary War Sites | 10 AM - Free walking tour of historic sites on Windham Green (9 Windham Green Rd).

Woodstock | Woodstock CT Marathon & Relay | 8 AM - Scenic 26.2-mile race through Woodstock (First Congregational Church).

Hebron | Hebron Creates Art Show 2026 | 11 AM - Local artists showcase at Colebrook Village (55 John E Horton Blvd). View the Art

Pomfret | Drag Bingo Brunch at Grill 37 | 10:30 AM - Fabulous brunch with bingo hosted by drag performers at Grill 37. Brunch & Bingo

Stafford Springs | Acoustic Sundays with Eddie Derocher | 2 PM - Live acoustic music at Mill Pond Country Store (220 East St).

Stafford Springs | Luke Domozick at Four Seasons by the Lake | 2 PM - Live music lakeside (51 Old Springfield Rd).

Tolland | First Market of the Season | 10 AM-1 PM - Tolland Farmers Market opens on the historic Tolland Green.

Vernon | Creed de Mayo Part Deux | 2 PM - Tributes to Creed, Staind, and Alanis at Rocking Horse Bar & Grill (57 Hartford Tpke).

Putnam | Movie Night: Star Wars - A New Hope | 7:30 PM | ($) - Celebrate Star Wars Day with the original classic at Bradley Playhouse (30 Front St).