New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Spring in their step: Five cute towns for a perfect spring day Travel
The weather is warming. The snow is leaving. Spring is springing.
Put the boots away and get ready for soft grass and seasonal allergies.
This list of Connecticut cities and towns (and one neighborhood) for an ideal spring day includes Instagrammable covered bridges, fresh spring flowers, waterfront dining and miles of hiking and biking trails.
Read on for five Connecticut towns perfect for a spring day.
Westport
Downtown Westport straddles the Saugatuck River, with waterfront restaurants and a row of shops lined with string lights. As the Spring weather approaches and the temperatures rise, Westport offers riverfront dining at places like Bartaco, Rainbow Thai and La Plage at Longshore.
Visitors can also catch concerts and performances at Levitt Pavilion and the Westport Country Playhouse. Westport also has two beaches for long spring walks. Canine companions are allowed on Compo Beach until March 31. The city is also home to Sherweood Island
State Park, which has picnic areas and walking trails for a brisk spring day.
Black Rock
This Bridgeport neighborhood is right on the border with Fairfield, with small local shops along Post Road. In the spring, the trees along the road bloom and scatter pink petals across the sidewalks in front of niche hobby stores like Rogue Comics and the vintage and esoterica shop Pious Bird.
Head further toward the coast and visit Saint Mary’s by the Sea, a coastal park that provides scenic views of Jennings Beach and several light houses. The neighborhood also plays host to Captain’s Cove Seaport, a kitschy summer hangout with little boardwalk shops and an indoor-outdoor bar and restaurant space overlooking a marina. Bridgeport was also recently listed as one of 15 Connecticut towns and cities where the real estate market is on fire.
New Haven
While it’s more a city than a small town, in the spring, New Haven is, well, a haven. Yale’s campus is scattered with colorful cherry blossoms, budding flowers and returning butterflies and bees. The city’s spring restaurant week will take place the last week in March, and the Audobon Shop’s Saturday bird walks return halfway through April at Hammonasset State Park, 30 minutes from the city.
Other outdoor pursuits include Lighthouse Point Park and East Rock Park and Pardee Rose Gardens. There are also plenty of places to enrich the mind, including the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Old Saybrook
The coastal town of Old Saybrook sits at the mouth of the Connecticut River and dates back to colonial times. The town is home to Essex Village, a cute downtown area with a main street lined with picturesque New England houses and white picket fences.
Visitors can enjoy the breezy street and visit stores and restaurant such as Toys Ahoy!,Chocolate Geeks and the Black Seal. The town also holds The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, also affectionately called “The Kate,” named for the legendary Hollywood actress and longtime Connecticut resident. Hepburn’s Old Saybrook home still stands and was on the market as recently as 2017.
Cornwall
Cornwall offers several scenic hiking trails for outdoor enthusiasts emerging from winter slumber into the fresh air of spring. The Pine Knob Loop Trail runs through Housatonic Meadows State Park and Housatonic State Forest and merges in some points with the Appalachian Trail.
The West Cornwall Covered Bridge is one of the last covered bridges in Connecticut and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Cornwall is also a short drive from Arethusa Farm in Litchfield. The farm is famous for its homemade ice cream, eggnog and cheese.
BRANFORD Dance
Open Dance Party, Dance in Rhythm, 19 S. Main St. 2fl. March 26, 7:30-10 p.m. $15. Group lesson, 7 p.m. danceinrhythm.com
BRIDGEPORT Comedy
Ali Siddiq, Bridgeport Stress Factory Comedy Club, 167 State St. March 24, 7:30 p.m.; March 25, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. bridgeport.stressfactory.com
Music
Running on Empty-Jackson Browne Tribute, Bijou Theatre, 275 Fairfield Ave. March 26, 8 p.m. $37-$22. Also live streamed at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $10. bijoutheatrect.net
Carole King by Tapestry, Downtown Cabaret Theatre, 263 Golden Hill St. March 26, 5 & 8 p.m. $46. dtcab.com
Park City Music Hall, 2926 Fairfield Ave. Lineup: World Reggae Night with MSM Band, March 24, 8 p.m. $15; Tangled Vine, March 25, 9 p.m. $10; Talkpeck Soundsystem, March 26, 9 p.m. $25; Joseph, March 29, 8 p.m. $36. parkcitymusichall.com
Stage
“Beauty and The Beast,” Downtown Cabaret Theatre, 263 Golden Hill St. April 2-May 22. Sat, Sun only noon & 2:30 p.m. dtcab.com
BROOKFIELD Stage
“Shirley Valentine,” Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, 184 Whisconier Road. Through March 26. $25, $20 seniors, students. brookfieldtheatre.org
DANBURY
Lectures
Western Connecticut State University Professor of Biology Stephen “Mitch” Wagener will present free virtual talks called “Earth in Crisis” on Zoom. Lineup: Stronger Storms and Rising Seas, March 28; Climate Hope: How Do We Fix This?, April 25. All talks 5:30-6:30 p.m. Register at danburylibrary.org
Climate Change Lecture Series hosted by WCSU’s Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Studies, Western Connecticut State University Science Building, Room 125, 181 White St. Topics: “Is Climate Change a Driving Factor of Major Disasters?” March 23, 7 p.m.; “Global Climate Change and Mental Health,” March 28, 7:30 p.m. Free. wagenerm@wcsu.edu
Music
Western Connecticut State University Department of Music live events at Veronica Hagman Concert Hall in the WCSU Visual and Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Ave. ext. Lineup: Borealis Wind Quintet, April 10, 3 p.m.; and A Far Cry, with mezzo-soprano Krista River, May 15, 3 p.m. Concerts are $25 each. Tickets for all events can be purchased at wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com.
Western Connecticut State University Department of Music live events at Veronica Hagman Concert Hall in the WCSU Visual and Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Ave. ext. Lineup: A Night of Jazz with Frankensax, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra, March 25, 7 p.m.; Jazz Combos, March 27, 3 p.m. $ 7 advance online, $10 door.; Tickets for all events can be purchased at wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com.
JC Cole & Folsom 68 John