CALENDAR

Monday, Dec. 30

BLOOD DRIVE: Red Cross blood drive, 1-6 p.m. Dec. 30, Henry Carter Hull Library, 10 Killingworth Turnpike, Clinton. Appointments can be made in advance at redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS. Walk-ins welcome.

Tuesday, Dec. 31

NEW YEAR’S PARTY: Midnight @ Noon, 11 a.m., Dec. 31, Russell Library, Activity Room, Middletown. Celebrate the new year by making lots of noise and special count down with an actual ball drop. For ages 1-6 years old (toddlers-1st grade), older and younger siblings welcome. No registration required, but space is limited to the first 50 friends who arrive that day.

PEACE GATHERING: Fire of Hope, Peace Gathering, 1-3 p.m., Dec. 31, Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main St., Middletown. Hear the wisdom of Annaita Gandhy, as she talks about the natural energies of 2020, planetary alignments, world consciousness and how we can best manage them and actually help our world through our deliberate actions. We will write our Hopes for the future and burn them ceremoniously, with music and singing. Details, buttonwood.org.

NEW YEAR’S EVE: New Years Eve at Trinity-on-Main, 69 Main St., New Britain, 8 p.m.-1 p.m, doors open at 7 p.m. Refreshments, music, dancing and raffles. Cash bar. Live music by the Shaded Soul Band. Tickets $50 per person, purchase at www.trinityonmain.ticketleap.com Details, call 860-229-2072 or go to Trinityonmain.org.

Wednesday Jan. 1

FIRST DAY HIKE: New Year’s Day hike, 1 p.m., Jan. 1, Meigs Point Nature Center, Hammonasset Beach State Park, 1288 Boston Post Rd, Madison. Bring binoculars, dress for the weather, bring water. Arrive at 12:45 p.m. No dogs permitted. Anticipate wintry conditions; trails may be icy in spots. Hikers participate at their own risk. Refreshments will be available in the Nature Center, after the hike. For information call 203-245-8743, or go to www.hammonasset.org or www.meigspointnaturecenter.org

LANGUAGE CLASS: English conversation skills, vocabulary class, second and fourth Wednesday, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Estuary Senior Center, 220 Main St, Old Saybrook. Classes are held twice a month from January through May. Free, sign-up is required; open to all ages. Call 860-3881611 to reserve your space today.

NEW YEAR’S HIKE:New Year’s Day Hike at Pleasant Valley Overlook, 1 p.m., Jan. 1. Free. Meet at Pleasant Valley Parking Lot, Macintosh Road, Lyme. Details, email openspace@townlyme.org

Friday, Jan. 3

‘MERMAID’ AUDITIONS: Madison Arts Barn will hold auditions for “The Little Mermaid,” Jan. 3, 4-6 p.m., Jan. 12, 12-2 p.m., callbacks Jan. 13. Actors will be given a short piece from the show to recite. Singers will be tested for range and are asked to prepare 16 bars of a song that best showcases their voice. Everyone will be given a short dance routine to learn and perform. Callbacks may be required for certain roles, and if necessary will be January 13, 2020. All Connecticut students are welcome and everyone who auditions will be included in the show. Details at http://madisonartsbarn.org/the-littlemermaid. For information, call 203-2452689 or email madbarnproductions@gmail.com

STORYTELLERS: Story City Troupe, a "Moth" Storytelling event, 8 p.m., Jan. 3, $10, and First Fridays, at the Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main St., Middletown. This month's tellers: Saul Fussiner, Wendy Marans, Cynthia Rojas, Maire Greene, Jeff Freiser, Joyce Teed, Margot Camacho, Denise Santisteban. Topic is Teller's Choice. The audience is invited to participate and share a story of their own, time permitting. Details at buttonwood.org.

Saturday, Jan. 4

FAMILY STORY TIME: Family Story Time, 10:30 a.m., Jan. 4, free, no registration is required. Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore, 413 Main Street, Middletown. Details at www.wesleyanrjjulia.com or call 860-6853939.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Aligned with Source Personal Development Workshop, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Jan. 4, Jan. 11, $10. Each session ends in a powerful guided meditation. New topics every week. Details at buttonwood.org.

ART SHOW OPENING: Art Reception: “Wildlife in the Tree” with works by Elizabeth Molitar, 2-4 p.m., Jan. 4, Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main St., Middletown. Details at buttonwood.org.

JAZZ BAND: The Subliminals, an instrumental jazz/groove band from New London, 8 p.m., Jan. 4, $10. Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main St., Middletown. Details at buttonwood.org.

GENEALOGY CLUB: Godfrey Memorial Library, 134 Newfield Street, Middletown, 9:30-11 a.m., Jan. 4. Topic: “New Year’s Resolution: Get Organized” a work and share session. Bring your solutions for organizing digital or paper files or get ideas. Free to Godfrey Premium members. $10 per session for all others. Open to the general public. Attendees will have time after the meeting to do research at the library.

Sunday, Jan. 5

SUNDAY HOURS: Sunday hours are back in 2020 at the Henry Carter Hull Library, Clinton, 12-4 p.m. through March. Free coffee or tea, free Wi-Fi, and stock up on books, movies, and more. Details go to hchlibrary.org.

Monday, Jan. 6

ROBO MONDAYS: Robo-Mondays, 6 p.m., Jan. 6, Durham Public Library. Explore coding & robotics. Grades 2 and up. Register at 860-349-9544, www.durhamlibrary.org.

MOVIE MATINEE: Movie Matinee: Downton Abbey (2019), 1 p.m., Jan. 6 and every first Monday, Henry Carter Hull Library, Clinton. With free popcorn from Chips Pub III.

OPEN MIC: Anything Goes Open Mic and Moments of Gratitude, 7-10 p.m., $5, Mondays at the Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main St., Middletown. Signup starts at 6:30 p.m. Moments of gratitude at 8 p.m. Pizza included with admission. Details at buttonwood.org.

ROBO MONDAYS: For grades 2 and up, Robo-Mondays, 6 p.m., Jan. 6, Durham Library. Explore coding, robotics. Register at 860-349-9544 or www.durhamlibrary.org

TREE PICKUP: The annual curbside Christmas tree pickup for Cromwell residents will begins Jan. 6. Public works crew will make only one pass on each public road throughout the entire town. Pickup begins on the east side of town and will proceed west. Trees are not to be decorated or bagged. The town asks that trees be no longer than six feet (6’) in length and placed by the curb of the road (not in the road). If you miss the pickup, take your tree to the Transfer Station at 100 County Line Drive. Tree disposal is free.

Tuesday, Jan. 7

CON BRIO AUDITIONS: Auditions, 7 p.m., Jan. 7, Con Brio Choral Society, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 56 Great Hammock Road, Old Saybrook. For information, call Sue at 860-575-9668 and go to www.conbrio.org and click the Join tab.

TRANSFORM CAREERS: Emerge: 7 Steps to transform Your Career in 2020, 6 p.m., Jan. 7, Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown, 860-3472528, https://russelllibrary.org/ Maureen Ross Gemme, author of Emerge: 7 Steps to Transformation (No Matter What Life Throws at You) will show seven steps to lead yourself to the perfect opportunity for YOU, which could bring you great levels of success in your career.

MEN OVER SIXTY: Reservations are due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 7 for the Shoreline Men Over Sixty meeting, Jan. 10 at Hubley Hall of the First Congregational Church of Madison on the Madison Green. Speaker is former Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel “Hersh” Hernandez, sharing his experience as a U.S. m ilitary advisor. Lunch at 11:30 a.m., lasagna with salad, bread, cannolis for dessert, $12 per person. For reservations, phone Hank Petroskey at 203-4849002 or email your RSVP to: Pete Hughes at ct.smos.ph@gmail.com Reservations are required.

LAUGHTER YOGA: Laughter Yoga, 7 p.m., first Tuesday, 6 p.m. third Tuesday, at the Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main St., Middletown. Details at buttonwood.org.

AUTHOR TALK: Ryan La Sala, Reverie, 7 p.m., Jan. 7, free, registration is required. Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore, 413 Main Street, Middletown. Details at www.wesleyanrjjulia.com or call 860-685-3939

FRONTIER LEGENDS: Jim Motavalli, The Real Dirt on America’s Frontier Legends, 7 p.m., Jan. 7, free, registration is required. Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore, 413 Main Street, Middletown. Details at www.wesleyanrjjulia.com or call 860-685-3939.

SPEAKER SERIES, ARTIST: Steve Cryan, train professional and artist, opens the Connecticut River Museum speaker series, 6 p.m., Jan. 7, with a discussion on Steam Power of the Connecticut River Valley. Cryan is the museum’s Train Artist in Residence through Feb. 23 with the annual Holiday Train Show. Seating is limited; call 860-767-8269 ext 121 to reserve a spot or register at https:// shop.ctrivermuseum.org/collections/ public-programs. Members may attend any of the speakers in the series for free, non-members pay $5.

BABYSITTER TRAINING:Tri-Town Youth Services offers the American Heart Association’s Pediatric First Aid and CPR course along with a babysitter training certificate program, Jan. 7, 14, 21, 6-8 p.m., at Tri-Town Youth Services, 56 High Street, Deep River. The $75 fee includes instruction, books, and certificate. Register at http://tritownys.org/

Wednesday, Jan. 8

JAMBOREE: Musical Jamboree, 10:30 a.m, Jan. 8, Durham Public Library. Explore music & musical instruments. Ages 2.5 & up. Register at 860-349-9544, www.durhamlibrary.org.

BOOK CIRCLE: Book Lovers’ Circle, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 8, Durham Public Library. “An American Marriage” by Tayari Jones. All are welcome. Details, call -349-9544, www.durhamlibrary.org.