Hartford & Beyond Mix & Mingle 50+

Join us for an atmospheric fall evening at historic Cedar Hill Cemetery!

Led by lantern light, we’ll travel through the cemetery as costumed actors bring Hartford’s past to life, sharing fascinating true stories about some of Cedar Hill’s notable—and not-so-notable—residents.

🎃 Date: Friday, October 30
🕕 Tour time: 6:00 p.m.
📍 Cedar Hill Cemetery
453 Fairfield Avenue, Hartford
🎟️ Admission: $20

I have already purchased my ticket. Everyone must purchase their own ticket directly from Cedar Hill Cemetery before registering for this Meetup:

https://cedarhillfoundation.org/event/hallowed-history-lantern-tour/

Please arrive by 5:45 p.m. so we have time to gather and check in. This is an outdoor walking tour, so dress warmly for the weather, wear comfortable shoes and consider bringing a small flashlight.

🍕 Optional Dinner After the Tour

Afterward, anyone interested is welcome to join us for dinner at First & Last Tavern, located approximately 0.7 mile from the cemetery.

First & Last Tavern
939 Maple Avenue
Hartford, CT 06114

First & Last is a casual Hartford favorite serving pizza, pasta, salads and traditional Italian entrées. Dinner participation is optional, and each person will be responsible for their own food and beverages.

Restaurant website and menu:
https://firstandlasttavern.com/

Space for the lantern tour is limited, and this popular event may sell out. Please do not register for the Meetup unless you have purchased your tour ticket and are certain you can attend.

Saturday, November 7, 2026
🍽️ Dinner at 5:00 p.m. — pending reservation
🎶 Show at 7:30 p.m.

Let’s make a night of it! We’ll start around the dinner table at Gather55, where a delicious meal does something good for our community, then head to The Bushnell for an evening of soulful music with John Violinist.

🍽️ Gather55: A Seat at the Table, A Purpose Behind Every Plate
📍 55 Bartholomew Avenue, Hartford

Good food has a way of bringing people together—and at Gather55, that’s the whole idea.

Operated by Hands On Hartford, this welcoming restaurant pairs creative cooking with a mission: helping ensure our neighbors have access to nutritious meals, regardless of their ability to pay. Its dinner program features a three-course menu created by rotating guest chefs, with proceeds supporting its food-access mission.

Gather55’s daytime café offers opportunities to pay what you can or volunteer in exchange for a meal. When we sit down to dinner, we’re helping make room at the table for others, too. That’s a pretty wonderful reason to go out to eat! (gather55.com, handsonhartford.org)

Dinner: Currently $55 per person, plus tax and a 20% service charge supporting the daytime café. (gather55.com)

🎻 Next Stop: John Violinist Live!
📍 Belding Theater at The Bushnell
166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford
🕢 7:30 p.m.

If your idea of violin music is strictly classical, John Violinist will give you something new to enjoy!

Blending R&B, soul, hip-hop, pop, and contemporary music, John brings an expressive sound and lively stage presence to his performances. Think soulful melodies, familiar sounds reimagined, and the kind of energy that might have you swaying in your seat. It’s a fitting way to follow an evening of food and conversation! (johnviolinist.com)

🎟️ Tickets & Getting Together

Please purchase your concert ticket before RSVPing. Everyone is responsible for their own dinner and concert ticket; concert prices vary by seat and availability.

I’ll be in Rear Mezzanine, Section D, Row F, Seat 423, if you’d like to find a seat nearby.

Purchase tickets through The Bushnell.

Come hungry, bring your love of music, and join us for a Saturday night with a little heart and a whole lot of soul!

Thursday, November 12 | 4:30–6:30 PM
Fire by Forge Restaurant
539 Broad Street, Hartford
🎉 We’re celebrating ONE YEAR!

It feels only right to celebrate our first anniversary where it all began — Fire by Forge, the site of our very first Meetup! Come raise a glass, reconnect with friends, meet some newer members, and celebrate a wonderful year of getting out, trying new things, and making connections.
Fire by Forge is a chef-driven, upscale-casual restaurant featuring Pan-American–inspired cuisine influenced by the food cultures of North, Central, and South America. Even better, it’s a social enterprise of Forge City Works. Dining there helps support culinary and hospitality job training, internships, and employment opportunities for people overcoming barriers to employment.
🍹 Our Anniversary Happy Hour Meetup: 4:30–6:30 PM

And there’s more! Going forward, I’ll be hosting a monthly Happy Hour at different local restaurants. It will be a fun, easy way for us to get together between our other activities, discover new places, and just enjoy each other’s company.

💡 Know a great Happy Hour? Send me your suggestion! If we use your recommendation, I’d love to make you the co-host for that event. This is our group, so I’d love to get more members involved in choosing and hosting some of our outings.

🥂 Come celebrate our first year — and help us kick off year TWO!
Please RSVP only if you plan to attend so I can provide the restaurant with an accurate head count.

Join Hartford & Beyond Mix & Mingle 50+ for dinner followed by Rufus Wainwright live at UConn’s Jorgensen Center!

Rufus brings a remarkable voice and a theatrical touch to music that crosses pop, folk, cabaret, and opera. From deeply personal songs to his celebrated interpretations of Judy Garland, he knows how to make a concert feel like an occasion. Let’s share the evening together!

Saturday, November 21, 2026
Concert: 8:00 p.m.
Location: Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Road, Storrs, CT

Dinner before the show: Restaurant and meeting time to be determined. I’ll update everyone once dinner plans are set.

Let’s sit together: I purchased my ticket in the Right Mezzanine, Section J, Row A, Seat 1. When buying yours, please look for an available seat in Section J, as close to Row A, Seat 1 as possible. If you don’t see a nearby seat, message me before purchasing so we can coordinate.

Purchase your ticket before RSVPing: I bought mine directly from the Jorgensen box office through its official ticket site: https://jorgensenuconn.vbotickets.com/events

Looking forward to good company, dinner, and a wonderful night of music!