🎤 Anything Goes Open Mic
Musicians, comedians, poets, dancers, and storytellers of every stripe are welcome to take the floor with rotating hosts.
The Buttonwood Tree · Monday, October 5 · 7:00 PM
Details →between the river and Route 9
Greater Middletown · week of October 5, 2026
Veterans cemetery expansion gets a federal boost
Hope the weekend treated you well. There's federal money headed toward the Veterans Cemetery, a new crop of businesses registered with the state, and a football season already taking shape in Cromwell and Portland. Let's get into it.
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The Weekend in Middletown
🪖 GRANT: the Middletown Veterans Cemetery expansion A federal grant is stacking on top of a state grant to fund an expansion of the Middletown Veterans Cemetery, adding cremation burial plots. Families planning ahead will have more options close to home.
📈 DEVELOPMENT: 39 new businesses registered out of Middletown September brought 39 new business entities registered with the state out of Middletown, a geophysical mapping firm among them. That's a lot of new names to watch for storefronts and signage in the months ahead.
🏈 SPORTS: the Cromwell-Portland football season preview A fresh preview lays out the Cromwell-Portland football team's 2026 schedule, key players, and what to expect this fall. Friday nights under the lights just got a lot more worth circling.
🚬 HEADS UP: three Cromwell stores fined Police fined three Cromwell retail stores after finding they sold cigarettes and vape products to minors. Worth knowing which corners are getting watched closer this fall.
This Week
💃 Beginner Swing Lesson
A beginner-friendly swing lesson with Kira Eaton gets your Monday moving, no partner or experience needed.
Vinnie's Jump and Jive · Monday, October 5 · 7:00 PM
Cost: $5
Details →🎨 Fall Makers Market
Local makers and vendors set up for a fall-themed market, a good excuse to start your holiday shopping early.
The 1851 · Tuesday, October 6 · 5:00 PM
Details →🎸 Lily Erin Live
Indie folk and neo-folk artist Lily Erin opens October's Klekolo Sessions with original songs and covers.
Klekolo World Coffee · Tuesday, October 6 · 7:00 PM
Details →🏛️ Wadsworth Historical Tour
Docents from the Friends of Long Hill Estate lead a guided walk through the mansion's history.
Wadsworth Mansion · Wednesday, October 7 · 2:00 PM
Details →📚 Local Author Series: Fiction
RJ Julia's Local and Independent Author Program brings local fiction writers to the Middletown shop.
RJ Julia Booksellers · Wednesday, October 7 · 5:00 PM
Details →🍺 Books and Brews: Good Dirt
Russell Library's monthly book discussion tackles 'Good Dirt' by Charmaine Wilkerson over drinks at Forest City Brewing.
Forest City Brewing · Thursday, October 8 · 6:00 PM
Details →🎭 Beginner Broadway Jazz
Lynn Agnew teaches classic jazz routines with Broadway flair. Jazz shoes required, enthusiasm optional but encouraged.
Vinnie's Jump and Jive · Thursday, October 8 · 5:00 PM
Details →Want more than fits in one email? The full week, updated daily: middletownpulse.com/events
On the Horizon
💍 Connecticut Bridal & Wedding Expo Sunday, October 18, Vale Fieldhouse. If a wedding's anywhere on your horizon, the Connecticut Bridal & Wedding Expo at Vale Fieldhouse is worth blocking off now.