🌲Get Creative, Grab Pie & Head Outdoors

January 22, 2026

Good morning! Happy Thursday. If you’re looking for something creative, cozy, or hands-on to round out the week, today’s picks are all about getting kids and families out of the house and into something fun. From art workshops to sweet treats and a peaceful winter nature experience, there’s a little something for every kind of plan.

Inside this email:

🎨 A hands-on kids art workshop with museum inspiration
🥧 A two-day pie celebration with samples and sweet deals
🌲 A winter forest hike paired with sustainable art-making
📗 This Month in CT History: The Night Hartford Held Its Breath
📰 Local headlines you might’ve missed

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An interactive art workshop inspired by museum exhibits

The Mattatuck Museum is hosting Kids Curate!, a creative workshop that invites young artists to explore the Mixmaster exhibition and experiment with different styles and materials. After finding inspiration in the galleries, kids will paint, mix colors, and use imaginative techniques to design a personalized photo frame to take home.

It’s a playful, hands-on way to spark creativity while spending time in a museum setting. The workshop has been rescheduled for Saturday, January 24, following weather-related changes.

BOGO pies, samples, and family-friendly fun

Lyman Orchards is marking National Pie Day with a two-day celebration featuring buy-one-get-one-free select pies and plenty of samples to try before you choose. From classic fruit pies to pumpkin and savory chicken pot pie, the lineup is packed with favorites.

On Saturday, guests can also catch a live applesauce demonstration and let kids enjoy coloring activities, making this an easy and delicious stop for the whole family.

A peaceful outdoor adventure with a creative twist

Greenwich Botanical Center is inviting families to bundle up for a guided winter forest hike designed especially for kids. Along the way, children will learn how animals adapt in colder months while collecting natural materials like acorns, seed pods, and leaves.

Back in the classroom, those finds become the foundation for temporary nature mandalas, with all materials returned to the forest afterward. It’s a thoughtful mix of outdoor exploration, mindfulness, and creativity.

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More games, more wins, and way more bang for your buck

If you’re craving an easy, high-energy outing, this deal is a solid win. Dave & Buster's is offering $40 worth of game chips for just $20, making it a perfect excuse to level up your next night out without blowing your budget. Think classic arcade games, modern favorites, and plenty of competitive fun all under one roof.

This offer is great for date nights, family outings, or friendly rivalries that get a little loud in the best way. Just grab the deal, redeem it in one visit, and let the games do the rest. With a long redemption window, it’s also easy to buy now and play later when the mood strikes.

TOP EVENTS TODAY YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS YET?

THIS MONTH IN CONNECTICUT HISTORY

The Night Hartford Held Its Breath

In the late 1970s, Hartford Civic Center became the center of one of the most shocking near-disasters in Connecticut history. In the early morning hours, the arena’s massive roof gave way, collapsing onto thousands of empty seats below. The structure covered several acres and weighed more than a thousand tons, making the scale of the failure almost impossible to comprehend.

What stunned residents most was how narrowly catastrophe was avoided. Just hours earlier, thousands of fans had packed the arena for a college basketball game, and on most nights, overnight crews would have been working inside the building. A rare combination of scheduling quirks meant the arena was nearly empty when the roof failed, sparing lives by sheer chance.

Built only a few years earlier, the Civic Center had been praised for its modern design, including an innovative roof system created using early computer-aided design. After the collapse, investigations revealed serious flaws in both the roof’s design and its construction, with snow and ice only accelerating a failure that had been developing from the start.

The arena was eventually rebuilt with a more traditional and reliable roof design, reopening after a lengthy closure. The collapse remains a lasting reminder of how close Hartford came to disaster—and how timing alone can change the course of history.

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HEADLINES AROUND THE STATE

Police Investigate Jewelry Theft at Connecticut Post Mall

Authorities are investigating a smash-and-grab theft at Connecticut Post Mall, where roughly $50,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from a Macy’s store. Police initially responded to reports of shots fired, but later confirmed no gunfire occurred and the incident was a targeted theft.

Connecticut Ranks Mid-Pack in Best States to Drive

A new WalletHub study placed Connecticut 22nd overall in its ranking of the best and worst states for drivers. While the state scored high for safety, it lagged in areas like traffic congestion, infrastructure, and vehicle ownership costs.

Coyote Breeding Season Brings Increased Activity Across Connecticut

State wildlife officials say coyote mating season is underway, a time when the animals tend to be more visible, territorial, and aggressive. Residents are urged to keep pets closely supervised, as coyotes are more likely to view dogs as rivals during this period.

Thanks!

Thanks for being part of our community. We hope today’s newsletter helps you explore and enjoy more of Connecticut this week.

If you liked it, share it with a friend and keep the good ideas going.

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