This weekend in Bristol, CT

Get ready for your Connecticut Pistol Permit with this state-required pistol permit course. The day includes classroom instruction covering concealed carry and home defense fundamentals such as handgun safety, shooting fundamentals, gear, and the legal use of force. The course also includes live fire, with the shooting portion taking place right after the class at a local indoor range in Bristol.

This family program at Colt Park celebrates the restoration of the Sam Colt Memorial with a hands-on craft activity. Participants can create a relief sculpture inspired by features of the monument or design their own, with materials available. The National Park Service will provide a guided tour of Coltsville.

Explore the stories of Cedar Hill’s trailblazing inventors on a guided walking tour of the historic cemetery. Learn how Gallaudet experimented with an airplane, how Colt reshaped firearms with his revolver, and how Gray advanced communication with the pay telephone, along with other inventive achievements. Foundation Director Beverly Lucas leads the tour, which departs from the flagpole at the end of the entrance drive. Admission is $10, with free entry for Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation members. Advance reservations are encouraged and can be completed online. Service animals are welcome, but other pets are not permitted.

Chess instruction is available for anyone, welcoming participants of any age and experience level. Whether you are learning the basics or brushing up on strategy, one-on-one and small group sessions provide personalized guidance. Offered every Saturday, this program is open to all and is made possible with support from the Connecticut Community Foundation.

The 64th annual West Indian celebration takes place in Bushnell Park, featuring a parade, a marketplace of vendors, and a concert. Admission is free. Food and other items will be available for purchase.

Stop by for a big in-person book sale at WorthWhile Reads Used Bookstore, featuring 20% off for the public and 30% off for members. There will also be author book signings with Kaitlyn and Megan McBryde, along with author Janaya Jones. Entry is free and no registration is needed. Members can get early access starting at 11:00 AM, and the public can visit from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM.

New England Auto Museum Car Show is shifting to a new spot in Bristol, Connecticut. The former North Main Street location is unavailable, so the event is moving a short distance to Hope Street. Attendees should enter from Riverside Avenue, which intersects North Main Street. Thanks to the City of Bristol for helping make the new location possible.

A single tour shares two intertwined stories, spotlighting the Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the white anti-slavery author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Their journeys are traced from childhood to literary influence, with attention to the roles of love, family, and education. Highlights include how Douglass secretly taught himself to read and write, the crucial support of Anna Murray in his escape to freedom, and the ways Uncle Tom’s Cabin drew inspiration from Douglass and other Black activists in the 19th century. This interactive, conversation-centered experience invites participants to handle historical objects and documents while engaging with difficult chapters of U.S. history in an empowering, age-appropriate setting. Created for intergenerational audiences, recommended for ages 6 and up.

An experience that brings together eating, drinking, and rock.

Join the Bristol Fish & Game Club for a charity trap shoot that supports CT Children’s Hospital. It’s a skeet-style shooting event focused on raising funds for a great cause.

The Hartford Yard Goats, the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, host the 2nd Annual G.O.A.T. Card Show at Dunkin’ Park. Partnering with THE 413 CARD SHOW, presented by Fox Sports 97-9, and supported by Nash In The Ville Honkytonk, this gathering welcomes collectors, hobbyists, and fans of every age. Browse more than 100 tables filled with sports cards, memorabilia, and collectibles from a wide range of sports and hobbies. Displays will extend around the full 360 degree concourse of Dunkin’ Park, a venue recognized as Best Ballpark in America four times. Look forward to convenient parking, open concessions, and a lively ballpark atmosphere while you shop, trade, and connect with fellow enthusiasts. Admission is $10, with free entry for children 10 and under. Vendors should secure tables only through official channels, as any offers made outside those channels are not valid.

Summer of Soul returns to Pratt Street in Hartford with a free outdoor yoga session presented by Afterglow Yoga Studios and Pratt Street. This all-levels class unfolds outdoors on the street, offering a welcoming space to move and stretch. It is free with RSVP. Please bring a yoga mat and water.

Spend the day riding the Litchfield County Clipper, a hop-on, hop-off scenic rail trip through the Litchfield Hills. Start at Thomaston Station or, for the first time, depart from Torrington at Market Street Creative or the new Water Street platform. Travel between stops at your own pace, stepping off to explore, shop, and enjoy local dining. Highlights include Thomaston Station, downtown Torrington’s shops and eateries, and Market Street Creative. One ticket covers unlimited same-day rides, so you can plan your route and choose the stops you want.

At Connecticut's Old State House, CT Witch Fest offers chances to learn some history, attend panel discussions, and enjoy dancing. Experience a weekend with a touch of magic as HCH presents multiple performances.

A new monthly Sunday market transforms Pratt Street into an open air marketplace where visitors can wander a charming, brick lined, pedestrian block in downtown Hartford to browse fresh produce, pantry staples, vinyl, and home goods. Each market morning begins with a free yoga session led by After Glow Yoga. Expect local farms, specialty food makers, and artisans, along with workshops, live music, and activities designed for attendees of all ages. The series is presented in partnership with the Hartford Culinary Collaborative. Vendors are welcome, especially those offering locally produced foods such as fruits and vegetables, eggs, cheeses and other dairy, meats, jams and pickles, dips and spreads, pasta with sauces, snacks and nuts, as well as artisan products and pet treats. The first market day is free for sellers, the full season rate is $200, and the drop in rate is $50 per day.

Presented by the Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut, this free community showcase brings a night of high-energy variety performances at Chez Est, an LGBTQ+ bar, cabaret, and entertainment venue. Co-hosts include Imperial Crown Princess to Reign 27, Anne Tikk, and Liege Dayanara Love Dégagé. Expect spirited numbers from ISCofAllCT members, the wider Imperial Court System, and Connecticut community entertainers, along with refreshing drinks from the bar. Net proceeds benefit Reign 27 partners, including the ISCofAllCT Scholarship Fund, the CT Breast Health Initiative, the Hartford Gay Men’s Chorus, and Trans Voice 365, a program at the Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford. Contributions are welcomed via Venmo or PayPal at @CTImperialCourt.

This all-ages event is hosted at Infinity Music Hall in Hartford, Connecticut. Attendees of any age are welcome.