If you like your thrillers cozy and cute, keep walking. GRABTOWN, the new novel by local Connecticut author Sarah P. Blanchard, doesn’t pull punches. Here’s a brief description:

The past collides with the present as twins Cassie and Ana uncover old crimes, finding a disturbing trail of abuse leading to an abandoned village called Grabtown.  When Cassie's volatile husband demands they stop digging, and a retired detective arrives asking dangerous questions, the twins realize someone believes the old story isn't fiction - it's a confession.  Why does the past refuse to stay buried? And why is a major crimes detective now urging them to flee? Set in rural New England (in a town that looks an awful lot like Putnam, Connecticut), Grabtown is a powerful story of sisterhood, danger, and recovery that exposes the dark underbelly of small-town secrets, where courage and unshakable loyalty become the only weapons against those who prey on the vulnerable.

The Seattle Book Review calls it “beautiful, bold, and utterly unforgettable.” This is the kind of book that keeps you up way past your bedtime, then lingers long after the last page.

Want more than a read? Sarah P. Blanchard (right here in northeastern CT) is available for book talks and events at libraries and book clubs, with discounts for group orders.

Support a hometown author, spark a conversation that matters, and grab your copy now, before someone spoils the ending. Prices: $18.99 softcover, $32.99 hardcover, $2.99 ebook. Available through any bookstore, online at bookshop.org, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and at sarahpblanchard.com.

Sarah is giving our community a chance to win 2 free signed copies of her novel. One winner will be randomly chosen this week and the following week.

Imagine this: it’s a Sunday afternoon in Hartford, and the Bushnell (166 Capitol Ave) isn’t just a theater anymore, it’s a portal. On October 12, 2025, 12-4PM, the Immersive Art Fest transforms the entire building and surrounding spaces into a living, breathing canvas. Digital installations flicker overhead, musicians jam live in corners, dance troupes materialize in unexpected alcoves, and you wander through it all like you’re inside your favorite daydream. Workshops let you try your hand at drumming or graffiti, talkbacks pull back the curtain, and films like Wonderland Immersive wrap you in spectacle. It’s free, it’s bold, and it’s the kind of arts event that refuses to just sit on stage - it demands participation

Last week’s word scramble was the Old State House in Hartford, and it’s not just another brick building downtown - it’s the place where Connecticut’s early political battles went down. Built in 1796 and designed by Charles Bulfinch (yep, the same architect behind the U.S. Capitol), it’s one of the oldest state houses in the nation. Inside those walls, lawmakers tackled everything from state budgets to the Amistad trial of 1839, when a group of Africans kidnapped into slavery won their fight for freedom. That courtroom alone makes the Old State House a landmark of national importance, not just local history.

The building itself is a showpiece of Federal-style architecture, complete with a gold dome that gleams over downtown Hartford. Step inside and you’ll find more than just dusty history - it’s part museum, part oddities collection, with treasures like the Charter Oak Chair (crafted from the legendary tree) and even a two-headed calf on display. It’s a reminder that Hartford wasn’t just the insurance capital, it once sat at the very heart of America’s democracy-in-the-making.

🥐 From Chan Bakeshop just opened in Avon (304 West Main St.) with pastries that mix American comfort, French flair, and Asian twists!

🥡 Mr. Tso just opened in Windsor Shops - serving up Chinese takeout favorites and bold twists like Chicken & Waffles and Vegan Ribs at 520 Windsor Ave!

🍳 Don’s Kitchen & Catering is now serving up hearty breakfasts, burgers, wings & more in Windsor (550 Windsor Ave.).

🥞 Franks' Place is now open in East Granby (16 South Main St.), serving lunch & dinner daily and brand-new weekend brunch (Sat–Sun 10–2) with house-smoked meats, stacks of pancakes, and more wing options than you can count.

🛍️ The Shops at Farmington Valley ( 10 Albany Tpke, Canton) are buzzing: J.Crew Factory and FP Movement are now open, VIO Med Spa just debuted, and Shake Shack is coming summer 2026.

🌋 Lava Island opened at 169 Hale Rd, Manchester with a 3-level jungle gym, trampolines, foam pits, signature volcano slide, toddler zone, party rooms & more!

Manchester | Mosaic Moon Workshop | 6-8PM $ - Elicit Brewing Co. (165 Adams St). Sip + craft your own moon mosaic, good for your walls and your soul.

West Hartford | Full Moon History Tour | 7-8PM - Elizabeth Park (flagpole outside the Cottage, 1561 Asylum Ave). Free, lowlights of Hartford history under the Hunter’s Moon. Bring a flashlight.

Berlin | Hilarious Halloween Magic Show | 6:30-7:30PM - Ghoulish laughs with magician Tommy James at Berlin-Peck Memorial Library (234 Kensington Rd). All-ages, silly-spooky fun.

Hartford | Music Bingo | 7PM - Free tunes-and-trivia at Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ (25 Front St). No numbers, just bangers.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Hartford - Arch St Tavern | BooYah Plays the Beatles ft. Rory Dolan | 1PM $
⬢ Milldale - Kinsman Brewing Co | Jazz Night W/ Stanly St. Big Band | 7-9PM
⬢ Newington - The Flying Monkey | Abreu Latin Jazz ft. William Mendoza | 6-10PM

East Granby | Trivia Night | 6-8PM - Brain-busting brews at Almost Famous Brewing (17 Kripes Rd). Weekly game night hosted by Bar Rated Entertainment - teams, laughs, and prizes.

South Windsor | Brad Loree & Butch Patrick Meet & Greet | 5-7PM $ - Horror-fan catnip at Galaxy Pops & Beyond (980 Sullivan Ave). Selfies, autographs, and monster-movie small talk.

South Windsor | Psychic Angelina Diana | 6-8PM $ - Gallery readings at Connecticut Valley Brewing Co. (765 Sullivan Ave). Bring an open mind…and maybe tissues. Tix

Vernon | Medicare 2026: Understanding Changes & Coverage Options | 6PM - Plain-English walkthrough at Rockville Public Library (52 Union St). Decode IRMAA, Advantage vs. Supplement, and your 2026 moves. Registration

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Hartford - Arch St Tavern | Skylab + Up on the Downbeat | 9PM $
⬢ Hartford - Infinity Music Hall | Eva Ayllon 55 Years w/ Daniela Darcourt | 8PM $

Canton | Halloween Paint & Sip | 6-8PM $ - Spooky strokes and sips at Kismet Collinsville (30 Depot St). Easy step-by-step, big fall vibes. BYOB More Info

Hartford | Pizza, A Love Story: Screening & Pizza Party | 6:30-9:30PM $ - Film + blind slice throwdown at Real Art Ways (56 Arbor St). Zephyr’s vs. Sally’s vs. Joey’s -you judge. More Info & Passes

Hartford | Pratt St Disco Block Party | 5-9PM - Open-air nu-disco hitting Downtown Hartford (73 Pratt Street). Glitter, grooves, and street-party energy.

Manchester | Fall Festival | 5-8PM - Northwest Park (448 Tolland Tpke) goes full autumn: vendors, haunted trail, the works.

Suffield | Pasta Making (3 Shapes) | 5:30-7:30PM $ - Roll, cut, and twirl at 11 High St, Suite 104. Carb class you’ll brag about. Register

Wethersfield | 16th Annual Old Wethersfield Lantern Light Tours | 6:30-8PM $ - 70-minute, lantern-lit stroll from Keeney Memorial Cultural Center (200 Main St). Not for littles; perfect for history nerds. Tix

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Broad Brook - Opera House | Michael Glabicki w/ Dirk Miller | 8PM $
⬢ Hartford - Arch St Tavern | Shakedown | 9PM $
⬢ Hartford - Black Eyed Sally’s | Dr. G & The Believers | 8-11PM
⬢ Hartford - Infinity Music Hall | Pete Yorn: You & Me Solo Acoustic | 8PM $
⬢ Hartford - The Webster Underground | Rave Till The Grave | 9PM $
⬢ Manchester - The Hungry Tiger | In Deep | 9PM
⬢ South Windsor - CT Valley Brewing Co | Mass-Conn-Fusion | 6:30PM
⬢ Southington - Blackstone Irish Pub | Nashville Drive | 8:30PM
⬢ Vernon - Rocking Horse Bar | Aquanett | 8:30PM

Hartford | Hartford Marathon Charity 5K | 7:55AM-2PM $ - Citywide runner takeover starting by the Capitol, finishing under the Soldiers & Sailors Arch; festival hub at Bushnell Park (Capitol Ave & Trinity St). Register

Manchester | 8-Ball Tri-Annuals (10/11 & 10/12) | Sat 9AM; Sun finals $ - Rack ’em at Buckland Billiards & Bar (1131 Tolland Tpke, Ste C). All-weekend showdown, big bragging rights.

Manchester | Comics: Marshall Brandon & Andre Kim | 9PM $ - Tag-team laughs at The Funny Bone (194 Buckland Hills Dr). Two hitters, one stage. Passes

Southington | Apple Harvest Festival (10/11 & 10/12) | Sat 11AM-6PM; Sun 11AM-5PM - Town Green turns apple-obsessed: rides, music, crafts, fritters = family fun.

Vernon | Live Gulf of Maine Lobsters (Direct from Boat) | 10AM-2PM $ - Dock-to-driveway deals at American Legion (114 West St). Load up the pot. More Info

Wethersfield | Harvest Festival | 10AM-4PM - Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre (263 Main St). Vendors, music, bites - pure fall core.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Berlin - The Truck Bar | 384 East | 8PM
⬢ Enfield - The Yarde Tavern | Drivetime | 8PM
⬢ Glastonbury - Rooftop 120 | Nightshift | 9PM
⬢ Hartford - Parkville Market | Goza Latin Jazz | 7-10PM
⬢ Hartford - Infinity Music Hall | Bearly Dead | 8PM $
⬢ Hartford - The Webster | Skin Crawl & Friends | 6PM $
⬢ Manchester - The Main Pub | Candy-O (The Cars Tribute) | 8PM
⬢ Simsbury - Talcott Mountain Collective | Mauve Lloyd (Pink Floyd Tribute) | 8PM $
⬢ Suffield - Shamrock Cafe | The Storytellers | 7PM
⬢ Vernon - Rocking Horse Bar | Shot of Poison (Poison Tribute) | 8:30PM
⬢ West Hartford - New Park Brewing | Drew Angus | 8PM $

East Hartford | Jeeps Takeover: Broke East Meet | 8AM convoy; 9AM-3PM $ - Rentschler Field (615 Silver Ln). Jeep convoy meets 8AM at the East Hartford Park & Ride. Register & Tix

Hartford | Immersive Art Fest | 12-4PM - Free, hands-on digital art, live performances, and backstage tours at The Bushnell (166 Capitol Ave). Theater Week glow-up.

Southington | Kinsmen Fall Sip & Shop | 12-4PM - Clark Hall at Kinsmen Brewing (409 Canal St). Cozy market, pints, live tunes - peak sweater-weather browsing.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Hartford - Real Art Ways | Instantiations: Improve Music in Realtime | 2:30PM $
⬢ Newington - The Flying Monkey | Stoltz & Co Blues | 5:30PM
⬢ Simsbury - Rosedale Farm & Vineyards | Michael Sasportas & Dennis Fancher | 2PM
⬢ South Windsor - CT Valley Brewing Co | Daniel Reeds | 2PM
⬢ Vernon - Rockville USA Studios | Screaming Eagles | 3-6PM $

South Windsor | Cruise Night | 3-9PM - Chrome parade at Connecticut Valley Brewing Co. (765 Sullivan Ave). Family-friendly, beer + Birdhouse bites, and a parking lot full of bragging rights.