Summer's hitting its stride between the river and Route 9, and this weekend's got a little of everything. There's outdoor yoga under the big trees by Court Street, a zine fest tucked into a craft supply shop on Main, and yes, actual goat cuddling at Riverport Park on Friday evening. We've also got a Big Story about City Hall that's been a long time coming.
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š Goat Cuddle Therapy is a real thing at the Cromwell market Friday
šØ A zine fest lands at Revive Art & Craft Supply on Saturday
š Tim Boyle's running adaptive and skills football clinics at Xavier both days
šļø Middletown's finally doing something about that 'obsolete' City Hall
Plus a DJ brunch, friendship bracelets, and a chicken BBQ, all below.
All Weekend Long
šØ Collecting China: Missionary Assemblages of a Distant World, 1844, 1911 A free exhibition at Olin Library lets you wander into a vanished world. It reconstructs the spirit of Wesleyan's own Museum of Natural History, gone since 1957, through cultural and natural objects that University graduates brought back from 19th-century China. It's up all weekend in the lower level corridor, and it rewards a slow look.
Friday
š„ Cromwell Farmers Market
Produce, artisans, food trucks, and live music at Riverport Park, plus Bradley Mountain Farm's goat cuddle therapy from 5 to 6:30.
Middletown's City Hall has needed work for a long time. Officials finally said the quiet part out loud this week, calling the building 'obsolete' as the city announced it's ready to begin renovations.
That word matters. 'Obsolete' isn't deferred maintenance. It's an admission that the building as it stands doesn't serve the people who work in it or the residents who have to show up there to get things done. When your city hall can't function well, neither can the city.
The one oddly specific thing to hold onto here: this announcement came from the city's own officials, unprompted. That's either a sign of genuine urgency or the beginning of a very long public process, and Middletown residents have seen both. Either way, it's in motion now.
Keep an eye on what 'renovations' ends up meaning in practice. Scope, cost, and timeline will matter enormously. The city has a real opportunity to bring the building into the century we're actually in. The question is whether the ambition matches the moment.
In Case You Missed It
š MILESTONE:Middlesex County America 250 Parade The county's big 250th anniversary parade in Middletown has been postponed because of heat. Why it matters: No new date yet; worth watching for the rescheduled announcement.
š ON THE RIVER:water quality advisory for the Connecticut River DEEP issued a water quality advisory for the Connecticut River after heavy rain hit Middletown this week. Why it matters: Hold off on swimming or paddling near Middletown until the advisory lifts.
š¦ HEADS UP:West Nile virus detected in Connecticut mosquitoes State officials found West Nile virus in mosquitoes captured in Milford on June 29, the first detection in CT this year. Why it matters: It's a reminder to use repellent and empty standing water around the yard this weekend.