Alright Connecticut Buzz crew, the Dinner Club is back and we’re doing it in a way that makes it stupidly easy to meet cool people without having to be the one who texts, “So… what are we doing?” five times.

Next dinner: Wednesday, January 15th at 6pm.
Locations will be either Manchester or Putnam (choose location that works best).

Here’s the deal:

✦︎ Take a quick quiz about your interests, food preferences, and what kind of people you want at the table.
✦︎ We match you with 5 other CT Buzz folks based on your answers.
✦︎ You get your invite the morning of the dinner with the restaurant reveal in either Manchester or Putnam.
✦︎ Roll in at 6pm, eat, laugh, make a few new friends, and then there’s an optional after hang for anyone who wants to keep the good vibes going (and for anyone who refuses to let the night end at “check, please”).

Logistics (aka the fine print that isn’t annoying):
It’s $16 per seat to cover the matching, planning, reservations, and reminders. You pay for your own meal at the end of dinner. I handle everything else. You just show up and be a normal person with a pulse.

If you’ve been saying “we should meet more people” for the last six months and then immediately going back to your couch… yeah. This is for you.

Got 30 seconds to make Quiet Corner Buzz even better? 🐝

Take our quick 9-question survey so we can tighten up the content, boost the fun, and deliver a better weekly experience for 2026. Your feedback steers the ship, we just do the driving.

I’ve been trying to only find non-stop flights from regional airports but if you’re open to multi-stops then I can find more deals. Just hit reply and let me know if this is something you’d like me to look into.

From Hartford to Charleston, South Carolina for 93 bucks* roundtrip, end of Jan. for an extended weekend stay. See the deal!

From Providence to Miami, Florida for 128 bucks* roundtrip, end of Feb. for a week. See the deal!

From Boston to Athens, Greece for 764 bucks* roundtrip, end of March for a week. See the deal!

*Prices at the time of writing subject to change

SATURDAY 1/3

Plainfield | Winter Trail of Lights | 5-8pm ($) - This is your last chance to take a beautifully lit wintry walk through Hay Burr Inn Equine Rescue (169 Black Hill Rd). Meet their wonderful rescued horses and donkeys (who you can see here), and know you’re doing something to help a place like this exist. This is a donation-based event, so give what you can, and make sure to wear appropriate footwear!

If you have any questions, you can text (860) 932-2092.

Last week’s word scramble had me watching people rearrange letters like they were defusing a bomb, so here’s your little CT holiday reward: Mervin “Mr. Christmas” Whipple’s Christmas Wonderland in the Ballouville section of Killingly. It started back in 1967 as a nativity scene with 225 lights, after Whipple’s stepson Edmond died and Whipple decided to keep their decorating plans alive. Over the years it snowballed into a full-blown local landmark with about 110,000 to 120,000 lights, hundreds of moving figures, and roughly 1.4 to 1.5 million visitors who came through during its run.

And the wild part is he never charged admission. After 35 years, Whipple said he was done and planned to turn off the lights on Jan. 1 and not turn them back on, because the costs and workload got brutal, volunteers dwindled, and he felt the “Christmas spirit” just was not there like it used to be. The season’s bill was in the $18,000 to $19,000 range in those final years, but he still wouldn’t put a price tag on it, even when donations barely moved the needle

Putnam | FROZEN Auditions | 6-8pm - There’s still time to audition for The Bradley Playhouse’s (30 Front St) production of Frozen. You can check out info about the roles here.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Jesse Desorcy and Co | 8-11pm

Central Village | NYE Partyoke | 8-11:55pm - Sing your heart out to bring in the new year at the Music Lady Cafe (6 Green Hollow Rd). Bring apps/food if you’d like!

Moosup | NYE Speakeasy Celebration (w/child care) | 4-8pm $ - Parent’s Corner (worth checking into them) is hosting a NYE event with baked-in childcare at Hope Lodge Venue (1 Lake St). Live DJ, photo booth, theme party games, costume contest, catered buffet, and more. This is a non-profit worth supporting! Tix

Putnam | NYE Party | 9pm-12am $ - A whopping $5 gets you in the door at the VFW Post 1523 (207 Providence St). Live music be provided by Jailbreak, drinks flowing (and in my experience, always more than fairly priced at VFWs). If you’re looking for something to do to bring in the new year, not a bad option at all.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ The Quarterback Club - Putnam | Jediah | 6-9pm

TRIVIA

Stomping Ground - Putnam | 7pm
Hank’s - Brooklyn | 6:30pm
Bear Hands Brewing - Putnam | 6pm
Mill Town Grill - Thompson | 6:30pm

Danielson | Women’s Circle | 10-11am $ - Quiet Corner Yoga (13 Water St) is holding their intention-setting session, filled with sharing, journaling, and gentle yoga practices. Tix

Putnam | Movie Matinee at The Bradley | 2pm $ - Go Back to the Future with a showing of the 80s classic at The Bradley Playhouse (30 Front St). Tickets are $8 at the door, no presales.

Windham | Yoga & Manifestation Collage Workshop | 10am-12pm $ - Start the new year with a reflective workshop at The Mantra Room (661 Windham Rd) including a relaxing yoga session followed by a creative exercise to create what you want to see happen in the coming year. Tix

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Bob Moon | 1-4pm
⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Straight Up Jazz Series | 5:30-7:30pm

TRIVIA

Trolley Pub - Willimantic | 7:30pm
Midway Restaurant - Ashford | 7pm

Canterbury | Holiday Blood Drive | 12-5pm - Start the new year off by helping out someone in need with a blood donation at St Augustines Church (144 Westminster Rd). Make an appointment

Hampton | New Year’s Barn Bash | 7pm $ - Hurricane Farm (65 Kasacek Rd) is kicking off the new year with some live music in their barn. $20 at the door, BYOB, dress warm (barn is heated, but there will be a fire pit going outside, as well). Only park on one side of the road!

Windham | Paint Party | 6-9pm $ - Pick between a Santa Gnome or Gingerbread Man, for this painting class at the Franco-American Civic & Social Club (116 Club Rd). Tix

Woodstock | Kids’ Dungeons and Dragons Drop-In | 11am-1pm - Bring your creative kids (ages 10+) to Bracken Memorial Public Library (57 Academy Rd), for an age-appropriate DnD adventure. Everything needed to play will be provided, they’ll just need their imagination!

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Big Jon Short | 8-11pm

TRIVIA

Taylor Brooke - Woodstock | 6:30pm

Moosup | All Levels Vinyasa Yoga | 9-10am $ - Love & Light Healing Studio (5 Legacy Dr) is holding an all levels yoga class. If trying something new is on your resolution list, this might be a good place to start. Tix

Putnam | Vintage Pop-Up Shop | 12-4pm - Check out a pop-up shop at Block 134 (134 Main St), with over thousand pieces of vintage gear to browse through.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Elks Lodge 574 - Putnam | Incredible One Hand Band | 7:30pm
⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Stattic | 8-11pm

Brooklyn | Bingo on the Farm | 1-3pm $ - As part of Brooklyn’s Celebrate America 250, Little Dipper Farm (499 Wolf Den Rd) is hosting an afternoon of Bingo in their heated barn. $5/person, or $15/family. Just the drive there is worth it (it’s beautiful!).

Canterbury | Melting Tin - Finnish Style | 12pm - Celebrate the Finnish New Year tradition of melting tin at the Finnish American Heritage Society (76 N Canterbury Rd). Bring a potluck dish to share and learn about why this is a tradition (the tin, not the potluck). If you have questions, shoot them a message.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Alpaca Lunch | 1-4pm

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Music Lady Cafe - Central Village | Brandt Taylor | 5:30pm