Planning a Memorial Day road trip? Fill up cheap with this gas deal at BJs in West Hartford on Thursday, 5/23. The first 500 members in line at 6:30 a.m. get regular unleaded gas for just $2.50 a gallon. Not a member? You can purchase a membership while you’re waiting in line and then fill up at the discounted price. (There’s a 50 gallon limit per member.)
Hartford Stage is offering a summer holiday special: premium seats for Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night for $30, (regularly $77). Discounted tickets are available, while they last, for Friday, May 24, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 25 at 2 p.m. and Tuesday, May 28, at 7:30 p.m. Information: 860-527-5151 or www.hartfordstage.org.
Looking for a cool hostess gift? This Out of Print coaster set, featuring classic book cover art, will give you A-list guest status. A set of 8 coasters is $20 and proceeds benefit Books for Africa, an organization that donates books to communities in need.
The Kids Bowl Free program, at eight Connecticut bowling alleys, (including Silver Lanes in East Hartford), lets children bowl two free games every day, all summer long. Each center has its own age restrictions, as well as any times coupons are not valid. Most programs beginn in May and run through the end of August. Find lanes and sign up at www.kidsbowlfree.com.
Have some old fashioned fun at Litchfield Historical Society’s free Family Day on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Activities include dance, games, crafts, live animals and free admission to the Litchfield History Museum, 7 South St. Information: 860-567-4501 and
www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.
Kids always grabbing at your smart phone or tablet? SmartAppsForKids.com rates the best children’s apps, organizes offerings by age and subjects, highlights a free app of the day and lets parents sign up for app alerts.
Saturday, May 18, is Art Museum Day. The event, organized by the Association of Art Museum Directors, features free, discounted or pay-what-you-want admissions and special activities at more than 100 art institutions across the country, including the Wadsworth Atheneum, Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute in Massachusetts and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Information: www.aamd.org.
Early birds get morning coffee on the house. Starting a 8 a.m., the first 500 customers in line Friday at the new Panera Bread, 10 State House Square, in Hartford, get a free Panera travel mug and free coffee refills for 30 days. (Offer available at the Hartford location only.) Information: www.panerabread.com.
If you shop wherever and whenever you roam, you won’t want to miss my new column, “Shopping Around,” appearing each Sunday in the Courant’s Travel section. I’ll be writing about travel, shopping, retail and consumer issues, and – as always – deals.
Here’s my first column, World’s Markets, Malls Make A Great Shopping Bucket List.
If you’ve had adventures shopping around, I’d love to hear them. Post your stories here or send them to me at kvann@courant.com.
Hitting the road this summer? AAA is offeringfree vehicle maintenance inspections from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, at the Department of Transportation commuter lot near Buckland St. and Pleasant Valley Rd. in Manchester. (You don’t have to be a AAA member.) Roadside Rescue Team staff will check batteries, tires, wiper blades, fluid levels and lights and hand out free guides to traffic laws in popular drive destinations.
- -- ADVERTISEMENT --
- -- ADVERTISEMENT --