How we doing Hartford County!?
Today is October 13, aka National Train Your Brain Day 🧠. Lucky for you, we've got a whole arcade for that: a new BUZZWORD, BUZZEYE and today's BUZZLE are all live at hive.connecticutbuzz.com. And every good brain workout needs fuel...
Which brings me to coffee. Two weeks ago I asked for your favorite local coffee shop, the inbox filled right up, and I listened. So this week we mapped every independent coffee shop in the county, starred your picks, and on Saturday we're meeting up to drink some of it together.
Plenty to cover this week, so let's jump in!
-Todd DiGiovanni
40+ INDEPENDENT COFFEE SHOPS
No chains, just the local stuff. We found 42 locally owned coffee shops and roasters across 18 towns, put them all on one map and starred the ones you told us about:
"For coffee you can't beat The Bean@226." (Holly, Windsor)
"Best cup of coffee in Avon is Coffee Trade." (Eric)
The B. Hive in Burlington got two votes: "They roast their own beans and the atmosphere is terrific" and, my personal favorite, "thematically appropriate for ya, too!" 🐝
"My favorite is the cappuccino. Be sure to go when you have time to savor." (Andrea, on Heirloom Market in Wethersfield)
Plus Dom's Coffee, Rebel Dog, So G Coffee Roasters and two dozen more, sorted by town with directions for each one.
Coffee and good company! ☕ Our Coffee Meet-Up is happening Saturday 10/17 at BOP Coffee 10AM-12PM in Windsor. Swing by, grab a cup, and meet some neighbors!
FROM THE ARC-HIVES
🎃 Fall Festivals: Plenty of pumpkin patches, harvest celebrations, and local festivals still happening this month. See what's left →
👻 Halloween Fun: Haunted houses, ghost tours, spooky attractions, and family-friendly fun. Explore our Halloween Field Guide →
🍁 Fall Foliage: The colors are picking up, and we've mapped out 24 great spots for hikes, scenic drives, and leaf-peeping. Explore our Fall Foliage Guide →
SCIENCE ON SCREEN
Sponsored by Real Art Ways
Here's something different for your Saturday! October 17 at 3 PM, Real Art Ways brings Science on Screen to the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford for a fascinating look at what makes us happy. University of Hartford neuroscientist Dr. Paola Sacchetti kicks things off with a talk about dopamine and the brain, followed by a 3:30 PM screening of Agent of Happiness, a documentary exploring Bhutan's unusual approach to measuring happiness. Admission is $12, or $8 for seniors and students.
HOW IT WORKS:
▲ Take a quick quiz about what you like to eat, what you’re into, and the kind of people you’d like to meet. Nothing complicated.
▲ Get matched with five other people and head to dinner as a table of six.
▲ Find out where you’re going the morning of the dinner. We’ll send you the restaurant and the details.
▲ Keep the night going if you’d like. During dinner, we’ll text everyone the secret afterparty spot. If you’re full and ready for the couch, we get it.
BUZZWORTHY ACTIVITY:
51st GLASTONBURY APPLE HARVEST & MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Glastonbury Apple Harvest & Music Festival takes over Riverfront Park October 16-18, and there's plenty to keep everyone busy. We're talking live music, carnival rides, local food, vendors, and all the fall fun you can handle. Bring the kids, grab some friends, or just come hungry. It's one of Glastonbury's biggest weekends of the year and a pretty good excuse to get outside before the cold weather settles in. Check out the festivities!
BUZZ & TELL
🐶Adopt-a-pal: Meet Darling Denim, a 1-year-old, 45-pound Blue Heeler/Border Collie mix who loves hiking, swimming, and making friends, but is just as happy curling up on the couch for a good snuggle!
🏡House of the week: This 3-bed, 2.5-bath contemporary packs 2,413 sq. ft. of living space onto 3.2 private acres, with cathedral ceilings, a cozy fireplace, and some seriously impressive views. Backing up to protected Mary Edwards Land Trust property, it's got a screened porch, spacious deck, and the kind of peace and quiet that's getting harder to find. Check it out!
🔭Sky report: Look low in the southwest after sunset on Wednesday, Oct. 14, when the crescent Moon cozies up to Antares, the fiery red heart of Scorpius. Meanwhile, the Orionid meteor shower is already underway, sending bits of Halley’s Comet streaking across our skies ahead of its Oct. 21–22 peak!
ANCIENT BURYING GROUND
Last week’s trivia took us to Hartford’s Ancient Burying Ground, and [X%] of you got it right. Dating to 1640, it’s Hartford’s oldest historic site and served as the city’s primary graveyard into the early 1800s. An estimated 6,000 people were buried here, including some of Hartford’s earliest settlers and an estimated 300–500 African, African American and Native American residents. Here’s the wild part: only about 415 gravestones remain today. Tucked beside Center Church downtown, it’s a small surviving piece of Hartford that goes back nearly four centuries. Learn more
NEW OPENINGS
🍝 Bristol: Sei Bella Freestyle Italian just opened downtown, bringing creative Italian dishes, craft cocktails, and a fresh date-night spot to Main Street.
🥯 South Windsor: Benson’s Bagels is finally open on Sullivan Avenue, serving up massive breakfast sandwiches, fresh bagels, and its famous steak-and-egg Facebook Special.
🧸 Rocky Hill: Viral Vortex just opened on Cromwell Avenue, packed with TikTok-famous toys, squishies, collectibles, and plenty of nostalgia.
🥤 Newington: Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe has landed on the Berlin Turnpike with tropical smoothies, loaded açaí bowls, crepes, and croffles.
BEE LINE EVENTS
TUESDAY (10/13)
Hartford | Dan and Phil: Hard Launch World Tour | 7:30PM - YouTube favorites Dan and Phil bring their comedy tour to the Bushnell. Step back in time!
Hartford | Dracula | 7:30PM | ($) - Hartford Stage's fast-moving, fang-filled take on the Stoker classic. Get spooked! (daily 10/9-11/1)
Hartford | Greater Hartford Theater Week | ($) - Shows all over Hartford through 10/18. Watch! (daily 10/1-10/18)
Wethersfield | Scarecrows Along Main - Scarecrows line Main Street in Old Wethersfield all October. Play! (daily 10/1-10/31)
WEDNESDAY (10/14)
Hartford | Hartford Wolfpack vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms | 6:30PM | ($) - AHL hockey at PeoplesBank Arena. Drop the puck!
Newington | Acoustic Wednesdays- Martin Piggot | 6PM - Live acoustic music at The Flying Monkey Grill & Bar. Listen!
Suffield | Native American Author’s Perspective on the American Revolution | 7:30PM - UConn's Chris Newell on the American Revolution from a Native perspective. Read!
THURSDAY (10/15)
Glastonbury | KT Lay | 6PM - Live music at Cotton Hollow Kitchen. Play!
Hartford | 6000+ Declarations of Independence | 9:45AM - Comic-art exhibit on Black abolitionists' fight for freedom at the Stowe Center. Step back in time!
Manchester | 3rd Thursday Listening Room / Open Mic | 6:30PM - Live music and spoken word open mic at WORK_SPACE. Sing!
Manchester | Hanging The Ghosts Out To Dry Paint Night | 6:30PM - Ghostly paint night at Aussakita Acres Farm. Create!
South Windsor | Psychic Medium Angelina Diana | 6PM | ($) - Gallery-style reading night with medium Angelina Diana at CT Valley Brewing. Read!
FRIDAY (10/16)
East Granby | Comedy Night at Brignole Vineyards | 7:30PM - Stand-up and wine at Brignole Vineyards. Laugh!
Hartford | 90s Con | ($) - 90s TV and movie stars, panels and cosplay at the Convention Center. Celebrate!
Hartford | Ghost Tours of The Mark Twain House | Evening | ($) - Candlelit ghost tours of the Mark Twain House. Get spooked! (daily 10/16-10/17)
Hartford | LOGAN MIZE - Hartford, CT | 8PM - Country singer Logan Mize live at The Webster. Listen!
Manchester | POP DIVAS & The Women Who Shaped Them | 7PM - 28 icons, one night of pop at Cheney Hall. Watch!
Manchester | Steely Beck – Tim Palmieri & Friends | 5PM - Tribute to Steely Dan and Jeff Beck at The Main Pub. Listen!
Southington | Yves LeBel Flying Solo | 9:15PM - Solo live music at Cadillac Ranch. Listen!
Wethersfield | Annual Cove Side Carnival - Weekend carnival at Cove Park. Celebrate! (daily 10/16-10/18)
SATURDAY (10/17)
Bristol | Tejano Queen Forever: Selena Tribute | 7PM | ($) - Selena tribute at the Rockwell Theater. Listen!
Bristol | VIP Rainbow Bear Splatter Bash at Creative Jam Art Co. | 11AM - Rainbow bear splatter-paint party at Creative Jam Art Co. Play!
Canton | Mushroom Marlene | 10AM - Forage and learn about fall fungi at Roaring Brook Nature Center. Explore!
Farmington | 11th Annual Farmington Valley Music Festival | 11AM - All-day acoustic music festival at Winding Trails. Celebrate!
Hartford | Cheyenne Jackson | 7:30PM | ($) - Broadway and "30 Rock" star sings at the Bushnell's Belding Theater. Listen!
Manchester | Oktoberfest at Murphy's in Manchester | 12PM - Vendors, live music, food and games at Murphy's, 12–6PM. Sip!
West Hartford | Pumpkins & Squash | Life on the Webster Farm | 12PM | ($) - Taste an early American squash recipe and make a paper pumpkin at Noah Webster House. Fall for it!
Wethersfield | 3rd Annual Fall Market | 3PM - Fall market at Cottonwood + Church, 10AM–3PM. Play!
SUNDAY (10/18)
Hartford | Postmodern Jukebox | 8PM | ($) - Pop hits rebuilt as ragtime, swing and doo-wop at Infinity Hall. Listen!
New Britain | Fryderyk Chopin Society of Connecticut | Luigi Carroccia | 3PM - Italian pianist Luigi Carroccia plays Chopin and more. Watch!
Simsbury | HOPtober Barrel & Brew Fest | Afternoon | ($) - Fall beer-and-barrel fest at Rosedale Farms; proceeds to Journey Home. Cook!
Simsbury | McLean Presents: String of Pearls Big Band | 2PM - String of Pearls Big Band plays swing and the Great American Songbook at McLean. Listen!
KID FRIENDLY
10/16
Glastonbury | 2026 Glastonbury Apple Harvest and Music Festival | 5PM - Live music, food, vendors and family fun at Riverfront Park. Fall for it! (daily 10/16-10/18)
10/17
Windsor Locks | Amelia Earhart Day | 10AM - A day of activities honoring Amelia Earhart at the New England Air Museum. Play!
10/18
East Granby | "Light into the Dungeon:" A Jack O' Lantern Experience | 11AM - Jack-o'-lantern display inside an abandoned copper mine at Old New-Gate Prison. Play!
That’s a wrap for this week’s Hart Co Buzz. If you enjoyed Hart Co Buzz then please share with friends and family who will also benefit from staying in the loop with local happenings. See you next week!
Talk soon,
Todd
