This time of year, these organizations are the safety net for a lot of our neighbors, making sure people have a warm place to go, a meal to eat, and someone who actually shows up when life gets heavy. If you’ve got the ability to help, even a small donation, a quick share, or an hour of volunteering makes a real difference and supports the people doing the hard work quietly all season long.

Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation | Hartford - Provides housing assistance, supportive housing, and shelter for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in the Hartford area.

South Park Inn | Hartford - A long-running homeless shelter that provides emergency beds, support services, and housing-focused help for adults and families in greater Hartford.

Hands On Hartford | Hartford - Serves neighbors in need with food programs, housing assistance, and health support, including the MANNA Community Pantry and Gather55 community restaurant.

Journey Home | West Hartford / Hartford Region - Coordinates the Capital Region’s system to prevent and end homelessness, running programs like A Hand Up to furnish apartments for people moving out of shelters.

Chrysalis Center, Inc. | Hartford - Offers supportive housing, food programs, job training, and case management to help individuals and families living in poverty transform their lives.

MACC Charities | Manchester - Manchester Area Conference of Churches runs a soup kitchen, food pantry, community kitchen and outreach programs to break cycles of poverty in the Manchester area.

Friendship Service Center | New Britain - Provides a full continuum of services from emergency shelter to transitional and permanent supportive housing, plus daily community meals for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Human Resources Agency of New Britain (HRA) | New Britain / Bristol region - Community action agency delivering 30+ programs like Head Start, food and clothing drives, energy assistance, housing help and job training for New Britain, Bristol, Farmington and nearby towns.

Midwest Food Bank New England | Manchester - Huge warehouse operation rescuing and distributing millions of pounds of food at no cost to 150+ partner agencies across Connecticut and beyond.

Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford | West Hartford - Offers counseling, case management, a kosher food pantry and other community-based programs supporting vulnerable residents in the greater Hartford area.

Outrider Dogs Rescue is a foster based, volunteer powered nonprofit that is basically in the business of second chances, taking in abandoned and neglected dogs and getting them into real homes, with a special focus on pregnant and postpartum mama dogs and their litters (because the puppies get scooped up fast and the moms are the ones who get left behind). This is why this fundraiser matters, and why I love that Old Well Tavern (20 Tariffville Rd, Simsbury) is giving them the spotlight: Saturday, December 27, doors open at 6PM, music at 7PM, with a benefit concert for “The Den” featuring Ben Garson and his band, Ben Henry & the Auto Club. Come hungry, come thirsty, bring a friend who “doesn’t want a dog” (famous last words), and let your night out do more than just pad your camera roll. Book It

If your idea of “rest and recover” this week is watching one more streaming episode and slowly melting into the couch, here is a better plan: Dueling Pianos at Rocking Horse Bar & Grill (57 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon) on Friday, December 26. The show kicks off at 8:30pm, and it is a high-energy piano battle where requests are encouraged and your dignity is optional. Think part concert, part comedy show, part group therapy, except the cure is screaming “PLAY SWEET CAROLINE” with strangers who are also riding a cookie and chaos hangover. Come early for dinner and drinks, then prepare for the kind of night where you swear you are “only staying for one” and somehow end up singing like you are auditioning for American Idol. Reservations are highly recommended, so call or message Rocking Horse before it fills up. Book It

🥐 Paris Baguette is now open at Corbin’s Corner (1459 New Britain Ave) in West Hartford, serving up croissants, pastries, cakes, and coffee in their first Connecticut location, with more on the way.

Collinsville | Open Mic Night | 7:30PM - Bring a guitar, bring a poem, or bring the bravery to clap loudly for strangers at The Grindstone Tavern (3 River St). Soak up the holiday vibes and ugly sweaters are encouraged

Glastonbury | Fiber Arts Friends | 12-2PM - Knit, crochet, stitch, and swap “what are you making?” stories at Welles-Turner Memorial Library (2407 Main St).

Manchester | Crafts: Snowflake Day | 10AM-12PM $ - Head to Lutz Children’s Museum (247 S Main St) and make paper snowflakes the old-school way: folding, cutting, and pretending you didn’t forget how satisfying this is. Perfect “keep the kids busy while I recharge” holiday break energy.

Simsbury | 2025 Skate & Share | 12:30-2:30PM - Simsbury Farms Rink (100 Old Farms Rd) is doing a feel-good public skate where admission is free with a non-perishable food donation for the Simsbury Food Pantry. Expect hot cocoa and cookies, story time, and a Santa cameo, plus skate rentals are $5 while supplies last.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Milldale - Kinsman Brewing Co. | Stanley Street Big Band (Jazz) | 7-9PM

Merry Christmas! Wishing you a and a cozy, joy-filled day! 🎄 🎅 🤶 🦌 🛷 ❄️

East Hartford | LEGO Play Day | 2PM-4:30PM - Drop-in LEGO time at Raymond Library (840 Main St). Expect towers, chaos, and one kid who builds something suspiciously advanced. Free Registration

Hartford | Connecticut Science Center: Open Winter Vacation (12/26-1/04) | Time varies $ - A full-on “please burn off some energy” destination at Connecticut Science Center (250 Columbus Blvd). Explore 165+ hands-on exhibits. More Info

Manchester | Comic: Tony Rock (12/26-12/28) | 7PM & 9:30PM $ - Post-Christmas plans solved: grab a table at The Funny Bone (194 Buckland Hills Dr) and let Tony Rock do the heavy lifting while you laugh off whatever happened at your family gathering. Secure a Seat

Vernon | Dueling Pianos | 8:30PM $ - Rocking Horse Bar & Grill (57 Hartford Turnpike) turns into an all-request singalong where two pianists battle it out and you suddenly realize you know every word to every throwback song.

Windsor Locks | Parachute Drop Contest | 10:30AM-2:30PM $ - Build, test, and see whose creation survives the drop at New England Air Museum (36 Perimeter Rd). Deets

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Berlin - The Truck Bar | The Joe D Band | 8:30PM $
⬢ Bristol - The New Cambridge Project | Sister Funk Band | 6-9PM
⬢ Broad Brook - Main St. Grill | DriveTime | 6:30-9:30PM
⬢ East Granby - Almost Famous Brewing Co. | The Brat Pack 80’s Show | 7PM
⬢ Enfield - The Yarde Tavern | Deadheads Ma | 8PM
⬢ Hartford - Arch St. Tavern | Dre Island: Reggae on the Rise | 8PM $
⬢ Hartford - Black Eyed Sally’s | Latanya Farrell | 7-10PM $
⬢ Manchester - Elicit Brewing Co. | Amped | 9PM
⬢ Newington - The Flying Monkey | The KC Movement | 5:30-10PM

Hartford | Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour | 2PM & 7PM $ - Two chances to catch the Globetrotters at PeoplesBank Arena (1 Civic Center Plaza) for the full “how did he just do that” basketball circus, with trick shots, laughs, and enough kid energy to power the city grid. Snag your Spot

New Britain | Bachata vs. Salsa: Free Class | 8-9:30PM - Roll into The Assembly Room (222 Main St) for a free Bachata class from 8-8:45PM, then a free Salsa class 8:45-9:30PM, then stick around for the dance battle vibes after if you’re feeling bold.

Windsor Locks | Slingshot Glider Target Contest (Ages 4-13) | 10:30AM-2:30PM $ - Launch, aim, and argue about “wind conditions” at New England Air Museum (36 Perimeter Rd). More Info

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Berlin - The Truck Bar | The Pops Rocks (80’s Night) | 8-11PM
⬢ Hartford - Black Eyed Sally’s | Ryan Hartt Band | 8-11PM
⬢ Hartford - Infinity Music Hall | The Beakers (Tom Petty Tribute) | 8-11PM $
⬢ Hartford - Parkville Market | Fairfield Street Band: Ugly Sweater Party | 7-10PM
⬢ Hartford - The Webster Underground | FRIKITONA (Reggaeton) | 9PM $
⬢ Manchester - Ryan’s Sports Bar Sabotage (Black Sabbath Tribute) | 9PM-12AM
⬢ Manchester - The Main Pub | Mystic Dead | 9PM $
⬢ South Windsor - CT Valley Brewing Co. | Unleashed | 6:30-9:30PM
⬢ Southington - Blackstone Irish Pub | BackStage Pass | 8:30PM
⬢ Vernon - Rocking Horse Bar | Nightshift | 8-11PM $

Bristol | Giant Sized Cliff’s Comic Book, Toy and Collectible Show | 10AM-3PM $ - Spend your Sunday digging through comics, toys, cards, and collectibles at the DoubleTree by Hilton (42 Century Dr).

Hartford | Cocoa & Crafts: The Key to Adventure (Age up to 10) | 2-4PM $ - Head to the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History (1 Elizabeth St) for a kid-friendly storytime, cocoa, treats, and a craft where they decorate a “special key” to take home. It’s drop-in and included with museum admission, which is basically the perfect rainy-day plan when the holiday break chaos starts setting in.

Manchester | Winter Hike at Case Mountain | 11AM-2PM - Shake off the holiday fog with a family-friendly 5-6 mile hike on the Case Mountain trails, meeting at the Line St lot in Manchester. Easy-to-moderate pace, dogs welcome, and the summit snack moment hits different when it’s crisp out.

Windsor | Tea Leaf/Rune Readings | 10AM-4PM $ - Treat yourself to a little “let’s see what 2026 is about to do” session at Mondazzi Books (570 Hayden Station Rd). John Moore does tea leaf readings plus tarot and runes, so call early if you actually want a slot. More Info

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Southington - Witchdoctor Brewing Co. | Walter Jacobson, Norrises & Caught Between Clarity | 2-8PM

Berlin | Crafternoon: Mystery Winter Crafts (Gr. K+) | 2-3PM - School’s out, the kids are climbing the walls, and the library is basically saying: “we got you.” Pop into the Children’s Department at Berlin-Peck Memorial Library (234 Kensington Rd) anytime during the hour and crank out winter crafts with zero pressure. No registration, just show up and make something snowflake-y.

Rockville | Playdate @ The Library (Age 0-4) | 10-11AM - If you need to burn off toddler energy without spending money or pretending your living room is a jungle gym, this is the move. Rockville Public Library (52 Union St) sets up special toys in the Peck Room for kiddos and their grownup sidekicks.

Windsor | Book Buzz Event | 7-8PM - One hour of book talk that saves you from doom-scrolling “what should I read next” for the next month. Meet in Meeting Room 1 at Windsor Public Library (323 Broad St) and swap recommendations, book club picks, and the occasional “trust me, the ending is worth it.” Call 860-285-1918 to Register.