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Hey Hartford, hope your week’s off to a good start!

In today’s wallet-friendly edition: Borinqueneers license plate, Curtis Stewart’s free concert, and St. Patrick’s Day Shenanigans + lots of fun things to do for free.

Today’s sponsor, American Hartford Gold, is helping folks around Hartford protect their savings as gold and silver continue to gain momentum. Their free guide explains what’s driving the surge… and what to know before adding precious metals to your portfolio. Grab your free copy here.

📰 In the news

Connecticut Hero Act milestone: A new Connecticut license plate honoring the Borinqueneers was unveiled by Rep. Geraldo Reyes, with fees from $60 and proceeds aiding Hispanic-American Veterans of Connecticut, giving motorists a lasting tribute — get all the details.

Strategic direction for city parking: Hartford Parking Authority appointed Khouloud “Kay” Al Mannai as CEO on Feb. 25, elevating her from interim since September. She will also continue as CFO while leading city parking operations — get details on the decision.

Quality validated by independent survey: Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital recently earned a three-year CARF accreditation, its third straight, recognizing top standards in inpatient rehab, stroke, and brain injury care for Hartford area patients — get details on this accreditation.

Nothing prepares you for a pet emergency: I learned that the hard way after charging $10k to a credit card for life-saving surgery on my cat, Miss Stache. As soon as we got home, I signed up for Spot. It’s super affordable – and reimburses up to 90% of the bill.

Highlights this week:

• Experience American art through choral music
• Enjoy Curtis Stewart’s free genre-blending concert
• Explore Yoruba Gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ across the Americas

🫶 We got your back

Upgrade your lunch rotation: Crackly baguettes, bright pickles, and lemongrass chicken or tofu make weekday banh mi a breeze at Banh Meee, with bubble tea and rotating specials keeping things fresh when you’re racing between meetings.

Downtown green reset: Need a quick reset between emails and errands? In downtown Hartford, Bushnell Park is your leafy breather, with towering trees, monument strolls, a gleaming carousel, and easy loops to clear your head. Pack a snack, call a friend, and remember joy sits surprisingly close.

Build-and-play paradise: If your crew digs models, puzzles, RC gear, or watching a miniature world whirl to life, Time Machine Hobby fills two floors with fun, plus a mind-boggling 5,000-sq-ft train layout inside a historic factory. The ultimate rainy-day rabbit hole.

Why your last diet didn’t work: Sustained weight loss is nearly impossible with diet alone. Your body literally fights back by making you hungrier the moment you start restricting calories. That’s why more doctors are recommending GLP-1s. The best part? Getting them has never been easier. We compared three programs to help you find the right fit. See which ones stood out →

Your data is for sale right now: There are over 400 websites selling your info to marketers, political campaigns, and scammers. They’ve got your phone number, home address, relatives’ names… you name it. That’s how robocallers seem to know everything about you before you pick up. You can remove your info one site at a time, or pay a service to do it for you. Here’s what we recommend →

📆 Free events worth checking out

Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →

All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.

📸 Intro to Smartphone Photography Class @ Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center (Manchester) | Thursday (3/12) at 1:00 PM – Learn to level up your phone pics at this free intro to smartphone photography, iPhone or Android welcome. Simple, hands-on tips so your grandkid, dog, and Sunday sunset no longer look like witness protection photos. Bring your phone, a charger, and your curiosity.

🎨 Second Saturdays for Families: Craft Connections @ Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Saturday (3/14) at 10:00 AM – Second Saturday brings free admission and a hands-on craft spree at the museum, with docent tours, nature-inspired projects, and a wooden masterpiece you can pretend was intentional. Watch Hartford Stitch add to America’s Tapestry, then snag free popcorn and a screening of The Inventor.

🍵 Poet-Tea\\ @ WORKSPACE (Manchester)\ | Saturday (3/14) at 10:00 AM\ – Second Saturday calls for a warm cuppa and some wordsmithing at WORKSPACE. Bring a poem, your inside voice, and that notebook you pretend not to carry, and let Manchester Poet Laureate Nadia Sims guide a friendly, free workshop. Gallery stroll included.

☘ St. Patrick’s Day Shenanigans @ Parkville Market | Saturday (3/14) at 12:00 PM – St. Patrick’s Day calls for pipes, pints, and pretending you know the jig, and Parkville Market’s throwing a free, family-friendly bash. Kids’ scavenger hunt and crafts, accordion tunes, the Manchester Pipe Band, Irish dancers, and Guinness glass etching, plus the food and drinks you want.

🎬 Film: The Inventor @ Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Saturday (3/14) at 2:00 PM – Whether you remember him from art class or as the guy who sketched helicopters, this stop-motion charmer follows da Vinci to the French court, brimming with curiosity, creativity, and big ideas. Free as part of Second Saturdays for Families, bring the kids, or borrow some.

🎬 Interfaith Film Series: Ida @ Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Sunday (3/15) at 2:00 PM – Grab a seat for Ida, a luminous gem in the interfaith film series, where a novice nun and her no-nonsense aunt unearth family secrets, and soul-searching feels earned. It’s a free screening, Polish with English subtitles, so your reading quota is covered, and registration encouraged.

🍀 Fuzz & Friends St. Patrick’s Day Party @ Infinity Music Hall (Hartford, CT) | Tuesday (3/17) at 7:30 PM – Free St. Patrick’s Day jam at Infinity Hartford with Fuzz Sangiovanni, plus Kris Yunker, Mike Oehmen, and Marc Balling. Skip the green-beer chaos, claim some real grooves, and call it quality time that pairs with a pint, not a parade.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

📻 Hartford report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 73°F – Low: 43°F – Precip: 2%

Sunny, with a high near 73. South wind 1 to 7 mph. Later: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. South wind 2 to 6 mph.

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Tomorrow – High: 63°F – Low: 45°F – Precip: 31%

A chance of rain and patchy fog after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. South wind 2 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Later: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. South wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Are you quietly overpaying for car insurance? 🚗

Premiums have been climbing across Connecticut but most folks won’t notice until they’re hit with a higher bill when it’s time to renew.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I had the same policy for half a decade. Autopay was on, it was out of sight and out of mind. Turns out I was blindly paying way more than everyone else I knew.

If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too – here’s the comparison tool I used.

This house is wild

This renovated South End 4-bed, 1-bath blends modern ease with classic warmth. A fireplace anchors the hardwood-floor living room, while an updated kitchen opens to an all-season enclosed porch. New windows and a 200-amp panel boost efficiency. The finished basement adds a workshop with tools, laundry with sink, and two flexible rooms. A fenced backyard completes the package.

Take a peek inside →