8/20-8/22: Fest-filled Fun

HALF SHELLED: It's all about the oyster this weekend in Milford. The 35th annual Milford Oyster Festival gets underway on Friday night. Every year, local residents and visitors from all over come to the Milford Green to take in all the sights and sounds, and oh yeah, tastes of the city. Besides all the oysters, the festival offers entertainment for the whole family, live music, canoe and kayak races, a car show and tons of arts and crafts. The Festival runs Friday, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

ROCKIN' THE BLOCK: Downtown Hartford will be filled with music on Friday night. The Black Bear and Up Or On The Rocks are putting on a block party. And this party has quite the guest of honor -- '90s Rock stars Filter will  headline the fun in the streets. Also on the menu are Bronze Radio Return, Feed the Animals, Hearts & Thieves and Remixx Rockstars. The party starts at 5 p.m.

METAL MANIA:  Mama, keep your bats in the cave. The Wizard of Ozz himself is coming to Connecticut. Ozzfest 2010 is on Saturday.  Besides Ozzy Osbourne, folks who flock to the Comcast Theatre will also see Motley Crue, Rob Halford, Kataklysm, Black Label Society and oh, so many more. Tickets for the lawn are $39.50. Reserved seats are $60 to $135. And admission into the pit will run you $160.  Heads start banging at 1 p.m.

DON'T ROCK THE BOAT: Get a taste of the Far East right here in Connecticut this weekend. The Riverfront Dragon Boat & Asian Festival hits the shores of the Connecticut River in Hartford on Saturday and Sunday. Head to Mortensen Riverfront Plaza for the dragon boat races, as well as all kinds of Asian entertainment, food, martial arts demonstrations, games and even a table tennis tournament. And the whole thing is free. The fun starts Saturday at 10 a.m.

ALL THAT JAZZ: This weekend marks the finale of the 3rd New Haven Jazz Festival. The New Haven Green is home to a full lineup of local and international Jazz artists. The festival is a chance for the city to celebrate different cultures, while giving people some fabulous music for free. The jazz will be jammin from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday.

LET'S CALL THE WHOLE THING ON:  It's one of the summer's most delicious events, and one of the most creatively named. The Tomato/To-mah-to: Slow Food Connecticut's Heirloom Tasting Fest takes place on Sunday at Upper Forty Farm in Cromwell. More than 100 varieties of the pre-ketchup fruit will be on display and available for tasting. Besides the To-maters, other locally produced foods will be available for tasting and sale from some of the state's best vendors, chefs and restaurants. It's $45 to attend. The tasting runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

NOT THE COUNTRY, OR THE TEMPERATURE: It's all about the chili and the brews on Sunday at Mohegan Sun. CPTV and WNPR's Craft Beer & Chili Challenge. More than 30 different brewers will have more than 100 beers on display as you taste more than 20 of the best chili offerings from some of the best restaurants in the state. Then, you get to vote for your favorite. Tickets are $30 to $75. Dont forget your Beano. The dinner bell rings at noon (though that'd probably be the lunch bell). 

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