Grab a bucket, dust off your best sun hat, and cue up the “Berry Picking” playlist, Windham County’s bushes are officially bursting. From Buell’s century-old orchard and Raspberry Knoll’s cash-only berry bonanza to Woodstock Orchards’ doughnut-bribed U-pick, Lapsley’s wagon-ride rows, and Blueberry Hill’s pesticide-free bounty, you’re five farms away from an Instagram feed stained purple. Get picking, because those blueberries won’t selfie themselves.

FRIDAY 7/11

Oneco | Pick Your Own Flowers | 10:15am $ - Pick from a selection of sunflowers, zinnias, larkspurs, strawflowers, and a whole lot more at Sterling Flower Farm (1080 Plainfield Pike). Ticket admits two adults - kids under 12 free! Tix

🐶Adopt-a-pal: Paws Rescue League’s July (7/12) adoption bash is packed with pups of every size—get pre-approved now so you can meet, greet, and take home your new best friend in one tail-wagging swoop!

🏡House of the week: An 1870 Victorian charmer in Brooklyn, CT that sports 3,753 sq ft, 4 beds, 6 baths on 6+ rolling acres, is on the market. A fresh $30 K price chop sweetens the deal before peak leaf-peeping season. Have a look!

🥾Trail of the week: Park at the tiny pull-off by 652 E Thompson Rd, Thompson, cruise 0.6 flat miles on the old Air Line railbed (yep, the scene of the wild four-train pile-up of 1891), then grunt a quick uphill to the granite Tri-State Marker where you can high-five Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island at once—two miles round-trip, three-state bragging rights secured.

🔭Sky report: On July 15th at about an hour before dawn, look south: you’ll see the almost-full Moon sitting close to a bright yellow “star” (that’s Saturn). At the same time, another bright dot—Jupiter—will be peeking over the northeast horizon. Two planets and one big Moon, all visible with the naked eye before the sun comes up.

Thompson | Artist Talk | 6pm - Meet Alecia and Michael Underhill as they discuss their show Nature and Whimsy at Thompson Public Library (934 Riverside Dr). Light refreshments provided.

Thompson | Group Hike | 6-7:30pm $ - Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the West Thompson Dam (449 Reardon Rd) on a group hike with Living Kula and Concetta Codding. Sign-up

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Riverside Park - Brooklyn | Wild Nights | 6-8pm
⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Glenn Thomas | 8-11pm

Chaplin | Animal Adaptations | 10:30-11:30am - Step up your animal knowledge with a lesson in how animals adapt to their environment at Chaplin Public Library (130 Chaplin St), with a special visit from a couple special guests from the Goodwin Nature Center.

Pomfret | Peg Loom Weaving | 3-5pm $ - Pick up a new skill with a peg loom weaving workshop at Windsong Farm (54 Tull Ln). Use different types of wools and create something you’ll bring home same day. Tix

Thompson | Cruise Night | 4-9pm - Head to the Thompson Rod and Gun Club (93 Brandy Hill Rd) for their bi-weekly cruise night. Food is available for purchase (cash only).

Willimantic | Book Binding Workshop | 7:30pm - Learn the traditional techniques of creating your own books from scratch at Willimantic Public Library (905 Main St). Call (860) 465-3079 or email [email protected] to register.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ East Killingly VFW - Dayville | Jerry Day | 6pm
⬢ Plainfield Lions Park - Plainfield | Wooden Horse | 6pm

TRIVIA

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

Willimantic | Candy Aisle Science | 6pm - It’s family science night at the Willimantic Public Library (905 Main St), featuring experiments done with candy (you might even get to eat a little bit too!).

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Davis Park - Danielson | The O-Tones | 6-8pm
⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Straight Up Jazz Series | 5:30-7:30pm
⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Taillight Rebellion | 8-11pm

TRIVIA

Black Pond Brews - Dayville | Country Music | 7pm
Trolley Pub - Willimantic | 7:30pm
Midway Restaurant - Ashford | 7pm

Dayville | Tinned Fish Pop Up | 12-10pm - Yes, believe it or not, people go wild for tinned seafood. If you’re one of those people, head to Black Pond Brews (1001 Hartford Pike) for a smorgasbord of canned goodness.

North Grosvenordale | Mediterranean Supper | 5pm $ - Learn to make Mediterranean favorites at New Boston Beef (17 Fabyan Woodstock Rd). Tix

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Duke Robillard Trio | 8-11pm

TRIVIA

Taylor Brooke - Woodstock | 6:30pm

Canterbury | Hands-On Art Series | 12-2:30pm $ - Learn the basics of silkscreen printmaking at the Finnish American Heritage Society (76 North Canterbury Rd). Register

Danielson | ‘Americana’ Second Saturday | 12-4pm - Enjoy patriotic food, live music, the NE Witches Guild, vendors and more at this family friendly event at Davis Park (250 Main St).

Danielson | Story Half Hour | 10:30-11am - Bring the kids to Pourings & Passages (103 Main St) for a story time every Saturday throughout July & August.

East Killingly | 2nd Vendor Fair | 10am- Hideaway Cove Family Campground (1060 North Rd) is holding a vendor fair, all are welcome.

Eastford | Free Frog Jump | 5-8pm - The Congregational Church of Eastford (95 Cove Rd E) is holding a frog jump, with a cookout, followed up with ice cream sundaes and a band concert featuring the East Woodstock Cornet Band.

North Windham | Paint Night | 2:45-6:15pm $ - Create a beautiful coastal creation at the Franco-American Club (116 Club Rd) with Paint with Pammy. Tix/more info

Putnam | Can and Bottle Drive | 12-3pm - Help out Paws Cat Shelter (74 School St) by bringing your (cleaned) cans and bottles down, so they can continue to help kitties in need.

Thompson | Clam Cakes & Chowder | 4-7pm $ - Help support the East Thompson Volunteer Fire Dept (530 E Thompson Rd) by buying some chowder and/or clam fritters. Drive thru only, cash or Venmo accepted.

Willimantic | Brian Charette Organ Trio | 8-10pm $ - If you’re a jazz lover, you won’t want to miss this show at The River Room (50 Riverside Dr). Featuring Brian Charette on Hammond organ, Eric Zolan on guitar, and Jordan Young on drums. More deets

Willimantic | Making Honey | 10am $ - Learn all about beekeeping, get a personalized handmade journal, info packet on techniques and recipes, sample different types of honey, and take home a jar of local golden goodness from the Windham Historical Society (627 Main St). Tix

Windham | Multicultural Latin Festival | 1-10pm - Enjoy a day filled with Latin music and flavors at the 4th Latin Multicultural Festival at the Shaboo Stage (1 Jillson Sq). Free for all!

Woodstock | Touch-a-Truck | 10am-2pm - Bring the kids to Roseland Park (205 Roseland Park Rd) to check out fire trucks, a crane, ambulance, rescue boat, and more. Games, hot dogs, and hamburgers while supplies last.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Edward Garrison Park - Chaplin | Heartland | 6pm
⬢ Brialee Campground - Ashford | Change-Up | 7pm
⬢ Riverside Park - Thompson | Wonderland Mafia | 6-7:30pm
⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | The Island Farm Ceilie Band | 1-4pm
⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | The Euphoralites | 8-11pm
⬢ Taylor Brooke - Woodstock | Goodbye Irene | 2-5pm
⬢ Triple Raven Brewing - North Grosvenordale | Tony Garcia | 4-7pm
⬢ 4G’s - Dayville | KT Lay | 5-8pm

Putnam | Micro Wrestling | 6-8pm $ - Check out some professional wrestlers…on a slightly smaller scale at Charlee Bravos (9 Grove St). More info

Putnam | Closing Reception & Artist Talk | 1-3pm - Artist William Hays is closing out his time at Silver Circle Gallery (134 Main St) with a discussion of his works and processes.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Fort Hill Farms - Thompson | Blackstone Valley Bluegrass | 1pm
⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | The Bishops | 1-4pm
⬢ Stomping Ground - Putnam | Open Mic | 7-11:30pm
⬢ Taylor Brooke - Woodstock | Turas | 2-5pm
⬢ 4G’s - Dayville | Bruce John | 2-5pm

Brooklyn | Edible Insects | 7pm - Before you get weirded out, it’s common in a lot of other places in the world to eat insects. UConn Extension (139 Wolf Den Rd) is doing a deep dive into the potential of edible insects. Free, but you must register by 7/9.

Pomfret | Blood Drive | 1-6pm - Help save a life by donating blood at First Congregational Church of Pomfret (13 Church Rd). Register

Pomfret | Lego Camp | 9am $ - Lego Camp is returning to Pomfret Community School (20 Pomfret St) with two different sessions for two age groups. Find more info here.

LIVE MUSIC

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