Stadium XV in Farmington (15 Farm Springs Rd) turns 1 year old today (Nov 11th), and they’re celebrating hard: $3 draft beers, $5 wings, and FREE simulator time all night (use promo code 1YEARONUS - while openings last). If you’ve been meaning to check out the craft kitchen + sim bar setup, tonight’s the move. Bring a crew, grab a lane, and make it your pre-game, post-game, or main event.

Menu’s got range from smash burgers to tacos, and those 48-hour-brined jumbo wings locals rave about; plus there are plenty of screens for the games. Quick heads-up: the anniversary specials are today only, so don’t overthink it. Roll through, celebrate a local win, and let ’em know Hartford County shows up.

Open Studio Hartford is the city’s Super Bowl for art nerds and culture curious wanderers: two days, dozens of venues, hundreds of artists, and zero gallery snobbery.

On Saturday and Sunday, Nov 15 & 16, it’s 11am-5pm choose-your-own-adventure; bounce from ArtSpace (555 Asylum Ave, home base with the Group Show and $5 validated Union Station parking) to the private studios at 56 Arbor St, then grab bites while shopping balcony pop-ups at Parkville Market, and finish at 1429 Park St and 30 Arbor St for more makers, murals, and impulse buys you won’t regret. It’s walkable, wildly eclectic, and built for serendipity; show up with comfy shoes and leave with something original under your arm. More Info

We’re opening up 5 spots for Hive Partners: local businesses that want their name buzzing through our newsletter every month. Get in front of thousands of engaged neighbors with a clean, consistent shoutout that actually moves the needle.

🎄 Spirit Christmas just popped up in Manchester; aisles of décor, gifts, and stocking stuffers for full-send festive mode.Find them at 1440 Pleasant Valley Rd (Manchester, former Joann Fabrics) - and yes, Santa’s doing meet-and-greets.

🛍️ Gap Factory is now open at The Shops at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor; freshly renovated (in the former full-line Gap) and stocked with tees, logo hoodies, and their best-selling jeans for the whole crew.

Picking up from last week’s word scramble, yep, “Windsor Settlement” was the clue. Here’s the quick backstory and the friendly controversy it still stirs. Windsor stakes its “first in Connecticut” claim on a 1633 English trading post; Wethersfield counters with “Ye Most Ancient Towne,” pointing to permanent settlers arriving in 1634. Both sides have receipts, which is why you’ll still hear locals debate who truly came first.

In September 1633, Lt. William Holmes and a Plymouth crew sailed past the Dutch House of Hope in what’s now Hartford (cannon threats and all) and set up a fortified trading post at the confluence of the Connecticut and Farmington Rivers (then Matianuck). The Dutch later marched about 70 men to push them out; the English held firm, occupied the post for four years, and Dorchester families followed in 1635-36, laying the groundwork for a lasting town; Windsor’s core claim as the colony’s first English settlement.

You can still walk the early footprint: Palisado Green, where the fortified center and first meetinghouse stood, features a 1930 Founders monument; and down by the southern edge of the Loomis Chaffee campus, a marker notes the “First English Settlement” site along the riverbank. It’s local history you can see on a Saturday stroll.

Manchester | Thanksgiving Soap-Making Workshop | 6-8PM $ - At Urban Lodge Brewing Co. (47 Purnell Place), you’ll pour, scent, and swirl festive fall bars in a hands-on class with take-home soaps and cozy taproom vibes. More Info & Tix

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Hartford - Infinity Music Hall | The Lone Bellow w/ Caroline Spence | 8PM $

Hartford | Riverwood Poetry Series: Michelle Phuong Ho & Scott Frey | 7-9PM - Real Art Ways (56 Arbor St) hosts a free reading plus first-come open mic for the first ten poets, books and light bites on hand, vibes high.

Suffield | Shrubs, Switchels & Mocktails | 6-8PM $ - Blessed Creek (456 S Grand St, West Suffield) teaches old-school vinegars-meet-herbs with take-home recipes, zero proof, all flavor. Register

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Milldale - Kinsman Brewing Co | Stanley St Big Band | 7-9PM

Hartford | Comic: Bert Kreischer: Permission To Party | 7PM $ - PeoplesBank Arena (1 Civic Center Plaza) hosts The Machine’s new arena tour stop with big energy, bigger laughs, and bragging-rights selfies after. More Info & Tix

Manchester | Steve-O: Crash and Burn Tour | 7PM $ - The Funny Bone Comedy Club (194 Buckland Hills Dr) brings Steve-O’s unfiltered stories and wild clips to the stage for a rowdy night of comedy mayhem. More Info & Tix

Vernon | Annual Holiday Artisan Craft Fair (11/13-11/16) | Times Vary - Arts Center East (709 Hartford Turnpike) packs the galleries with 60+ makers for a four-day gift hunt of pottery, jewelry, woodcrafts, and more. Event Details

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Glastonbury - Hops on The Hill | Chris Marodla | 4:30-7:30PM

Hartford | Murder Mystery: Solve the Case in Hartford | 5-9PM $ -
When the sun goes down, the city becomes your crime scene. Join the self‑guided outdoor game from Questo at 578 Main St and roam 2 km across 12 stops investigating the mysterious death of travel blogger Bella Wanderlust. Uncover clues, interrogate suspects, and see Hartford like you’ve never seen it before. Anytime. Tix

Hartford | Stone Soup & Other Heartwarming Tales (Gr. Pre-K-3) | 10AM & 12PM $ - The Bushnell (166 Capitol Ave) brings the classic folktale to life in a 55-minute kid-friendly show; limited morning seats, public tickets available. More Info & Passes

Manchester | Comic: Chris Hardwick (11/14 & 11/15) | Times Vary $ - The Funny Bone Comedy Club (194 Buckland Hills Dr) stacks four shows across two nights; 21+, fast jokes and faster callbacks. More Info & Tix

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Broad Brook - Opera House | New York’s Finest ( The Police Tribute) | 8PM $
⬢ East Granby - Almost Famous Brewing | Shout (Bob Dylan Tribute) | 7-10PM $
⬢ East Hartford - Carmine’s | Blue Mountain Haze | 8:30PM
⬢ Hartford - Black Eyed Sally’s | Jake Kulak & The Modern Vandals | 8PM
⬢ Hartford - Hartford Symphony Orchestra | Dvorak & Rachmaninoff | 8PM $
⬢ Hartford - Infinity Music Hall | Marc Cohen & Shawn Colvin | 8PM $
⬢ Hartford - The Webster | Emery ft. Dangerous Summer Wolves At The Gate | 7PM $
⬢ Manchester - Ryan’s Sports Bar | Steal Your Funk ft. Jen Durkin | 9:30PM
⬢ Milldale - Kinsman Brewing Co | Blondie & Beyond + Bowie Rebel Rebel (Tributes) | 7-11PM $
⬢ Simsbury - Talcott Mountain Collective | 7 Below (Phish Tribute) | 8-11PM
⬢ South Windsor - CT Valley Brewing Co | Change Up | 6PM
⬢ West Hartford - New Park Brewing | Dead Meets Marley (Bob Marley & Grateful Dead Tribute) | 8PM $

Hartford | Broadway Bar Crawl | 7PM-Late - Pratt Street Historic District throws a Hamilton-hyped crawl: 7pm Broadway Trivia at Vaughan’s Public House (59 Pratt St), 9pm Broadway Karaoke at Sunberry (65 Pratt St), 10pm Broadway Dance Party at Urban Lodge Pratt (88 Pratt St), plus Hamilton drink specials at Hartford Flavor Cocktail Parlour (54 Pratt St). Dress colonial, sing loud, go home hoarse.

Hartford | Open Studio Hartford (11/15 & 11/16) | 11AM-5PM - Open Studio Hartford anchors a citywide weekend where hundreds of artists throw open their doors across venues like 56 Arbor St and Parkville Market. Free. Event Details

Windsor Locks | Open Cockpit Day | 10AM-2PM $ - New England Air Museum (36 Perimeter Rd) lets you climb into historic aircraft, poke around the Pratt & Whitney exhibit, and live your Top Gun dreams without leaving the hangar.

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Berlin - The Truck Bar | Darik & the Funbags | 8PM
⬢ Bristol - Downtown Live @ The Rockwell Theater | The Police Experience (The Police Tribute) | 7PM $
⬢ Bristol - Bleachers Bar | Into The Floyd (Pink Floyd Tribute) | 7-11:30PM $
⬢ Broad Brook - Opera House | Completely Unchained (Van Halen Tribute) | 8PM $
⬢ East Granby - Almost Famous Brewing | Livio & The Free Spirit Society | 7PM
⬢ Hartford - Arch St Tavern | Strange Machines & Jelly | 8PM $
⬢ Hartford - Black Eyed Sally’s | The Mighty Soul Drivers | 8-11PM
⬢ Hartford - The Webster | Black Stone Cherry | 7:30PM $
⬢ Manchester - Ryan’s Sports Bar | The Leftovers | 9PM
⬢ Manchester - The Main Pub | Dead Dawgs | 9PM-12AM
⬢ New Britain - Trinity On Main | Ticket To Ride (Beatles Tribute) | 7:30-10PM $
⬢ Newington - The Flying Monkey | Linda Ransom | 12PM
⬢ South Windsor - The Pub | The Deadheads MA | 8PM
⬢ Windsor Locks - Polish American Club | Zach Nugent’s Dead Set w/ She Sings Dylan | 7PM $

Hartford | Hefenlagers Homebrew Contest | 9AM-12PM - Dead Language Beer Project (1429 Park St) hosts judging for hefeweizens and lagers with bragging rights on the line and brewers swarming Parkville.

Hartford | UConn Women’s Basketball vs. Ohio State | 12PM $ - PeoplesBank Arena (1 Civic Center Plaza) packs in Husky Nation for a noon tip and a Big Ten test. More Info & Tix

Manchester | Comic: Rip Michaels | 6:30PM $ - The Funny Bone Comedy Club (194 Buckland Hills Dr) brings the Wild ’N Out star for a fast-punch Sunday set, 21+ only. More Info & Tix

Windsor | Abstract Glass Mosaic Workshop | 11AM-2PM $ - Windsor Art Center Studios (35 Central St) teaches cutting, nipping, and designing your own glass piece - materials included. Sign Up

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Glastonbury - Hops on The Hill | Joe Check | 2PM
⬢ Hartford - Infinity Music Hall | Richard Thompson | 8PM $
⬢ South Windsor - CT Valley Brewing Co | Bobby Morrill Acoustic | 2-5PM

Berlin | Cookbook Club | 6:30-7:30PM - Berlin-Peck Memorial Library (234 Kensington Rd) serves up a potluck page-turner: cook from My Vermont Table by Gesine Bullock-Prado, bring your dish, and talk shop while you taste. Register

LIVE MUSIC

⬢ Hartford - Parkville Market | Celtic Sounds: James Fiddler, Jeanne Freeman & Friends | 6:30-8:30PM