Happy Little Activities 🌲🖌️

Good morning, Tolland County! Today is Thursday 1/16, and that means it’s National Get To Know Your Customers Day (it’s a real thing, for every third Thursday of each quarter). While you aren’t “customers” since you’re not buying anything from us, in the spirit of trying to get to know you, we’re asking that you take 60 seconds to fill out a brief survey (I know, I know, but it’s to help make the newsletter even better!).

The survey will help give us an idea of what we’re doing right, what we need to improve on, and what everyone is interested in hearing about! It’s pretty short (5 questions, almost all multiple choice) and would be much appreciated!

Now, let’s get to what’s going on this weekend in Tolland County.

In Today’s Tolland County Buzz:

• Sacred Spirituality Market 🧘🏼‍♀️

• Setback Night 🃏

• Sound Bath 🔊🛀

Let’s dive in!

-Tyler DiGiovanni

BRIEF BITES

• Watershed - Connecticut Water Company has acquired over 125 acres of land in Tolland and Prospect to protect its drinking water sources. The land purchases near the Long Hill and Shenipsit Lake reservoirs aim to preserve water quality and reduce treatment costs by maintaining natural filtration.

• Local Hero - Gov. Ned Lamont announced the 14 veterans selected for induction into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame, including Vernon’s own Ronald A. Farina, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. The induction ceremony will be held on Jan. 23, 2025, at the Gold Star Families Memorial Auditorium in Rocky Hill.

• Scholarship - Alexandra Bradley, an English major from Tolland, is among the eight UConn students awarded the prestigious Gilman Scholarship. She will study at L’Institut Catholique de Paris in the spring, furthering her academic journey while promoting global exchange.

• After School - The Hebron Parks and Recreation Department is offering two “Minds in Motion” after-school STEM classes this winter. These programs, held at Gilead Hill and Hebron Elementary Schools, aim to keep local children engaged with science, technology, engineering, and math concepts. You can find more info here.

Sacred Spirituality Market 🧘🏼‍♀️

Let’s Get Wired (105 CT-190, Stafford Springs) is hosting a gathering of the vibes, for an afternoon of mystic wonders on Saturday 1/18 from 12-5pm. Browse curios from the Witch’s Brew Shoppe (items made by a practicing witch filled with well wishes and good intentions. Beaded energy bracelets, protection jars, and soy wax melts. You can take a look at their goods here).

For those who are fans of the macabre, Morbid Curiosities & Oddities will be in attendance as well (not my cup of tea, but we’re not judging here). Pick something up for that weirdo in your life (their description, not mine), or just browse to see some out of the ordinary stuff.

If you ever saw something that you loved, but thought, “there is just way too much color in that.” Well, rejoice, because But I Wish It Was Black will be there to scratch your monochrome itch. You can check out their website here.

Believe it or not, there are more vendors to check out. Grab a mini-Reiki session with Charlette Michaud for $20, or get a Tarot reading from Jenn Newman (owner of Circle of Besties Metaphysical Online Shop) for $20/15 minutes.

Stop by and browse, listen to some music provided by Corey Hurrle, and connect with some spiritually similar neighbors!

Setback Night 🃏

Stafford Cidery (68 Main St, Stafford Springs) is hosting their monthly Setback or Pitch card games on Friday 1/17 from 6-8:30pm. If you haven’t played Setback, you are missing out on one of the most fun/competitive card games you can play! And if you’re interested, but a little rusty, head there early to check out some demo games.

Entry is $5 (CASH ONLY, you’ve been warned), and you can show up by yourself, or bring a friend. Just don’t expect to be matched up with them. Partners are selected out of a hat as well as what table you’ll be playing on. The winning team will split half the pot, while the other half will go to a non-profit of the Cidery’s choosing.

Rules will be available that night, and the first 24 people to sign up will play round 1 (if there are more than that, round 1 will relax and have a drink while round 2 plays). If you’re brand new to playing, either do your homework before showing up, or watch a couple rounds before jumping in.

And remember, the Cidery has the final say on how things go. NO ARGUING! Hope to see you there!

Sound Meditation Session 🔊🛀

Ever wonder what it’s like to take a sound bath? The Conduit is holding a special sound meditation at the American Karate Center (175 West Rd, Ellington) on Friday 1/17 from 7-8:30pm. Don’t worry, there’s no chopping or kicking involved, unless you count beating back negative energy and stress.

If you haven’t experienced a session like this, the idea is to get as comfortable as possible (keeping all your clothes on), and let soothing sounds of gongs (trust me, they can actually be quite nice, if you don’t slam them) and singing bowls (the Tibetan kind, not the Beauty and The Beast ones) wash your cares away.

They suggest bringing a zero gravity chair, or a beach towel with a yoga mat and a pillow. Basically, something you can get comfy in. Just try not to get too comfortable, snoring is not the sound bath they’re looking for. If you’re interested, you can purchase your ticket here.

BEE LINE EVENTS

1/17

Rockville | Bingo | 6:30pm - Head to St. Joseph Church (33 West St) for a night of Bingo, with $4,000 in guaranteed cash prizes, raffle prizes, sealed ticket games, food, and more. Doors open at 5pm, I’m unsure about the cost.

1/18

Coventry | Stitch & Sip | 10am-1pm $ - Looking to do a little day drinking (of non-alcoholic beverages) and make something crafty? Courtside Nutrition (3466 Main St) is pairing with Handmade by Penny Lane to bring you a morning of hydrating mimosas and hand knit blankets. You can get your ticket here.

Ellington | Chili Cook-Off | 12-2pm - Think you make the best pot of chili in the area? Stop into Old School Harley Davidson (398 Somers Rd) to show everyone whatcha got. This is a completely free event! If you want to participate, register here by 1/17!

Union | Towing and Safety Seminar | 10am - Airstream of Southern New England (2 Mashapaug Rd) is holding a seminar on how to get your RV around as safely as possible. You can register here.

1/19

Coventry | Movie Matinee | 2-4pm - The Booth and Dimock Library (1134 Main St) are holding their monthly Sunday movie matinee. They’ll be showing Epic (2013), an animated fantasy action-adventure movie. Local authors Justin and Irina Trzaskos will be in attendance to do a signing and guest host, as well.

Hebron | MLK Day Concert | 3-6pm $ - St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (30 Church St) is holding a concert featuring African-American composers from the 19th, 20th, and 21st century. Music will be performed by the Andante Strings. Registration is required, and there’s a suggested donation of $20 for adults and $5 for youth.

Tolland | Envision Workshop | 10:30am-12:30pm $ - Want to set out your goals for manifesting in 2025? Shakeup Makeup (45 Industrial Park West Road) is holding a vision board workshop. All supplies are included. Tickets are $20.

Vernon | Vernon Historical Society Presentation | 2-4pm - The Vernon Historical Society (734 Hartford Tpke) has invited local historian Joe Roe to tell the story of Rev. Edward Payson Hammond., a famous evangelist from Vernon Center (he’s credited with converting a General Booth, who became the father of the Salvation Army).

1/20

Coventry | Dragon Hunt | 12-3pm - Alright, so technically this would fall into Monday’s newsletter, but I wanted to put it on here because I think it’s a really neat idea. Looking for something to do with your kids on their day off from school? Crafts Unleashed is holding a scavenger hunt around Coventry to find miniature dragons. The owner will be hiding 5-6 dragons at locations around town, posting a clue and close-up picture of where they were left every half hour on this Facebook event page. This event is open to everyone, the owner of Crafts Unleashed asks that you only take one dragon, so other have a chance at getting one.

Live Music

1/18

⬢ Bidwell Tavern - Coventry | Gene Donaldson and The Stingrays | 8:30-11:30pm
⬢ Sonny’s Place - Somers | Change-Up | 7pm
⬢ Rocking Horse - Vernon | Feedback | 9-11pm

1/19

⬢ Joanna’s - Somers | Jim Blanch and Boot Hill | 5-8pm

Trivia

1/16 - Rocking Horse - Vernon | 7pm

1/18 - Stafford Cidery - Stafford | 6:30pm

THE HIVE’S PICK

Everyone knows who Bob Ross is. Happy little trees, beautiful mountains, and beating the devil out of that paint brush. Well, did you know that you can learn how to create a Bob Ross style masterpiece, locally? Well, neither did I, until my wife booked us a couple’s class with Mr. Bob Weneck (a certified Bob Ross instructor, actually only 1 of 3 in the entire state!) in Vernon.

Not only does Bob share a name with everyone’s favorite public access painter, he shares his knack for providing a relaxed, informative, and fun lesson. Both myself and my wife haven’t picked up a paint brush since middle school art, and to pat ourselves on the back (pat, pat), we managed to create a work of art that will hang proudly in our house (after it’s done drying in a couple weeks).

While we opted for a more intimate couple’s class, Bob runs 4 hour classes (they go by in a flash!) every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month (if you’re looking for something else, like we did, you can shoot him an email at [email protected]). Even though we just did a class this week, I’m already trying to plan out the next time I can attend another class.

For the open group classes, you’ll get a 16”x20” canvas to paint and take home, for only $65 (for a piece of art that will last a lifetime, honestly, it’s a heckuva deal. Custom classes may vary in pricing)! If you’re interested, check out his website for the upcoming schedule. I really can’t recommend Bob enough!

UCONN SPORTS

1/17 - Women’s Swimming and Diving vs. University of New Hampshire | 2pm

1/17 - Women’s Ice Hockey vs. Maine | 6pm

1/17 - Men’s Ice Hockey @ Maine | 7pm

1/18 - Men and Women’s Track and Field @ Battle in Bean Town

1/18 - Men’s Basketball vs. Creighton | 12pm

1/18 - Women’s Ice Hockey vs. Maine | 4pm

1/18 - Women’s Swimming and Diving vs. Seton Hall | 4pm

1/18 - Men’s Ice Hockey @ Maine | 7pm

1/19 - Women’s Basketball vs. Seton Hall | 1pm

Well, that’s it for this week’s Tolland County Buzz. If you got something out of it, please share it with someone who doesn’t make mistakes, only happy little accidents!

See you next week!

Tyler

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