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- ✨ Free Shows, Sold-Out Cookware & 26 Artsy Pigs
✨ Free Shows, Sold-Out Cookware & 26 Artsy Pigs
🎉 Happy Wednesday! Hope you’re having a fantastic week so far. We’ve got live performances on the river, cookware chaos in Hartford, and piggy public art in Stamford — yes, it’s as fun as it sounds. Whether you’re hunting for free events, rare finds, or just something quirky to post about, there’s something worth bookmarking below:
Here’s what’s inside:
🎭 A full-day arts stage lighting up Mystic this Saturday
🍳 Le Creuset fans crashed the ticket site in minutes
🐷 26 pigs, zero barns: Stamford’s got an art exhibit you’ll want to walk through
📗 This Month in CT History: When Connecticut Stations Tried to Cancel the Beatles
📰 Local headlines you might’ve missed
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A full day of free family fun + evening performances by the river
The Garde Arts Center is bringing the magic back to Mystic this weekend, August 9, & 10 with their Performing Arts Stage at the 67th Mystic Outdoor Art Festival — and you’ll want front-row blanket real estate.
On Saturday:
✨ 11AM–5PM brings a joy-packed day for the kids: youth theatre, storytelling, puppets, and cultural dance.
🌅 6:15PM–9PM transforms the stage into a grown-up showcase of music, opera, and theatrical highlights — all with a river view.
Sunday the fun goes from 10 am to 5 pm with lots of other great activities.
It’s free, festive, and full of local talent. Just bring a blanket and some snacks.
📍 Mystic River Park
🎟️ Free Admission
This is not an advertisement.
🍳 LE CREUSET TICKETS SOLD OUT IN UNDER 30 MINUTES
The cult cookware event is coming to Hartford — but good luck getting in
The Factory to Table Sale by Le Creuset is kind of like the Beyoncé of kitchenware events. And this week, when tickets dropped for the Hartford edition? Gone in under 30 minutes.
The sale (Sept 4–7 at the CT Convention Center) promises exclusive discounts, limited-edition colors, and rare styles that make home cooks feral. VIP tickets were $35, general admission $15 — both sold out fast.
👀 Still want in? Start stalking resale groups and watch for last-minute drops.
📍 Connecticut Convention Center, Hall A
📅 Sept. 4–7
Walkable art? Yes. Fiberglass pigs? Also yes.
Through September 26, Stamford Downtown is home to 26 life-sized fiberglass pigs turned into art by regional creators. It’s weird. It’s whimsical. It’s Instagrammable.
The project, Oink! Art in Public Places, is a juried exhibit meant to get people out exploring local art — and snapping pig selfies along the way. Whether you’re art-curious or just pig-obsessed, it’s worth a wander.
📍 Stamford Downtown
📅 Now through Sept. 26
💰 Free & outdoors
Identity theft isn't just a national issue—it's hitting close to home. In 2023 alone, Connecticut reported over $120 million in identity fraud losses. Major data breaches have impacted everything from healthcare systems to government and tech providers, putting personal information at serious risk.
Here are 5 simple ways to reduce your chances of becoming a victim:
✅ Freeze your credit — Block thieves from opening accounts in your name.
✅ Use multi-factor authentication — Strengthen login security on your financial accounts.
✅ Set alerts on credit cards — Get notified if any charge goes over even $1.
✅ Leave sensitive info at home — Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet.
✅ Think twice before sharing personal data — Especially online or over the phone.
If you’ve been targeted—or want to stay ahead of the next scam—AARP’s Fraud Watch Network™ is a trusted, free resource that’s here to help:
📞 Fraud Helpline: Call 877-908-3360 for free, expert support
📍 Scam-Tracking Map: See real-time fraud activity in your area
📩 Watchdog Alerts: Stay ahead of the latest scams
🤝 Support groups: Emotional care from people who’ve been there
Want even more tools and protection?
With AARP membership, you get:
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Right now, it's just $15 for your first year with automatic renewal.
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Discover an unexpectedly fun legal museum — and score up to 55% off admission while it lasts
Yes, tort law — as in hot coffee lawsuits, dangerous toys, and the legal system that (sometimes) keeps corporations in check. Welcome to the American Museum of Tort Law, the only museum in the country dedicated entirely to the power of civil justice — and it’s way more interesting than you think.
This quirky gem in Winsted, CT, features interactive exhibits about famous legal cases (yes, that McDonald’s coffee burn case is in there), Ralph Nader’s infamous red Corvair, and a “Gallery of Dangerous Toys” that might haunt your childhood memories. It’s thought-provoking, a little bizarre, and totally worth the field trip — especially now that admission for two, four, or six is up to 55% off on Groupon.
🧑⚖️ Whether you're a true crime nerd, legal drama junkie, or just looking for an indoor activity with bite, this museum delivers smart, unexpected fun in under two hours.
🎟️ Snag your deal now (up to 55% off)
⚠️ Promo code KIDSFUN saves you even more — but the deal ends soon
TOP EVENTS TODAY YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS
Roméo et Juliette at The Kate (Old Saybrook) - Enjoy a stunning HD performance of Gounod’s classic operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s story.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at Westport Playhouse (Westport) - Experience the enchanting story of Willy Wonka in this beloved musical classic.
Music at the Mansion at Long Hill Estate (Middletown) - A series of outdoor concerts offering food trucks and picnicking before the performance.
Hartford Athletic vs New Mexico at Dillon Stadium (Hartford) - Celebrate Small Business and Grow the Trades Night with an exciting soccer match.
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HAVE YOU BEEN HERE YET?
THIS MONTH IN CONNECTICUT HISTORY
When Connecticut Stations Tried to Cancel the Beatles
In the summer of 1966, Connecticut radio stations joined a growing national wave — and it wasn’t Beatlemania. Instead, it was a boycott. Several local pop stations, stretching from Stamford to Putnam, refused to play Beatles songs after a controversial interview resurfaced in the U.S., where John Lennon had remarked that the band was “more popular than Jesus.”
The quote, originally printed months earlier in a London paper, barely made a ripple in the UK. But once it hit American magazines in July, the backlash was fierce — especially from southern states. Connecticut, however, wasn’t immune. By early August, stations across the state had joined in the protest.
Though not all stations participated — Hartford’s WPOP kept spinning Beatles records — the boycott here was part of a larger global uproar that marked a turning point in the band’s career. The firestorm disrupted their U.S. tour, fueled record burnings, and may have helped push the Beatles off the stage for good: after that tour, they never performed live again.
Even in the land of steady habits, the Fab Four hit a few unexpected notes.
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HEADLINES AROUND THE STATE
⚡ CT to Borrow $155M to Ease Electric Bills
The state is issuing $155 million in bonds to shave a few bucks off your monthly electric bill—an estimated $5–$10 in savings for most residents starting in September. Officials say it’s a step toward lowering energy costs long-term, though some lawmakers say it doesn’t go far enough.
🦎 “Goose” the Giant Lizard Caught in Massachusetts
After multiple sightings in Connecticut, “Goose,” an illegally owned water monitor lizard, was finally captured by animal control in Webster, MA. The 5-foot reptile had been on the loose for days, leaving residents stunned and a little creeped out.
👻 Matt Rife Buys Ed & Lorraine Warren’s Haunted Museum
Comedian Matt Rife and influencer Elton Castee have purchased the Warren Occult Museum in Monroe—home to the infamous Annabelle doll and hundreds of haunted artifacts. The pair plan to reopen the long-closed museum for tours and possibly overnight stays. Sleep tight?
Thanks!
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