HARTFORD, CT — Hartford's Columbus Day weekend has a distinctly spooky edge, with a new take on "Dracula" in previews at Hartford Stage and ghost tours at the Mark Twain House, from Thursday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 11.
TheaterWorks opens a new Samuel D. Hunter play, the Bushnell throws open its doors for a free Sunday art fest, and Black-eyed Sally's brings in a member of a famous blues family.
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This Weekend's Arts & Entertainment
- "Little Bear Ridge Road" — Opens Thursday, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.; also Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Samuel D. Hunter's play follows a family reunion involving a crumbling house, an estranged nephew, a sharp-tongued aunt and years of unresolved history; it runs through Nov. 8. TheaterWorks Hartford, 233 Pearl Street
- Summer Music Series featuring Thomasina Levy — Friday, Oct. 9, noon to 1 p.m. The award-winning songwriter, mountain dulcimer player and former Connecticut State Troubadour performs a free lunchtime concert of traditional and contemporary folk music. Connecticut's Old State House, 800 Main Street
- "Dracula" — Previews Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2 p.m. Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, directed by Jackson Gay, retells the gothic tale from a new point of view; opening night is Oct. 16, and the run continues through Nov. 1. Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street
- Ghost Tours — Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10, with tours at 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m. The evening tours explore the house's paranormal investigations and Twain's own fascination with the supernatural. Tickets are $31 for adults, $29 for seniors and $23 for children, and reservations are required. The Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Avenue
- Immersive Art Fest — Sunday, Oct. 11, noon to 4 p.m. The free afternoon includes a showing of "Worlds Beyond: Astranova," digital art installations, live music and dance, backstage tours, mini-workshops and artist talkbacks, with sensory-friendly programming. The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue
This Weekend's Restaurants & Bars
- Sally's All Star Band — Friday, Oct. 9, 8 to 11 p.m. Veteran players Tim McDonald, Tommy Whalen, Ray Morant and Liviu Pop share the stage at the downtown barbecue and blues spot; the cover is $5. Black-eyed Sally's, 350 Asylum Street
- Tyrone Vaughan — Saturday, Oct. 10, 8 to 11 p.m. The son of Fabulous Thunderbirds founder Jimmie Vaughan and nephew of Stevie Ray Vaughan plays a $20 show; tickets do not include a table, so diners who want a view of the stage should call the restaurant to reserve. Black-eyed Sally's, 350 Asylum Street
From Dracula's first previews on Church Street and evening ghost tours at the Twain House to a Vaughan on the Black-eyed Sally's stage, Hartford gives the long weekend plenty of after-dark options, with a free Sunday afternoon at the Bushnell to close it out.
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