Honoring MLK, from Services to Activism

Cities and towns honor the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today. All events listed are scheduled for Monday unless otherwise noted.

BLOOMFIELD: Bloomfield Interfaith Association presents "Let Justice Roll Like a Mighty Stream” featuring music and readings at the Beth Hillel Synagogue, 160 Wintonbury Ave at 7 p.m. Refreshments to follow.

BRIDGEPORT: Bridgeport's Black Pride MLK Day Service at Mount Aery Baptist Church. 8:30 a.m., Mount Aery Baptist Church, 73 Frank Street, Bridgeport.

BRIDGEPORT: University of Bridgeport students participate in the University's 13th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service starting at 9:45 a.m. University of Bridgeport Student Center, 244 University Avenue, Bridgeport.

BRISTOL: Come celebrate the legacy of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr at one of Bristol's long running traditions. Breakfast, Music, and Keynote Speaker bringing the message of Dr. King to all of us. Tickets $12 each, $6 for children 12 and under. 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Bristol Eastern High School, 632 King St, Bristol.

BRISTOL: Imagine Nation Museum will be open starting at 9:30 a.m. One Pleasant Street, Bristol.

CHESTER: Join us as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Create, dance, sing, role play and more as we spread the message of brotherhood, freedom, and equality. Volunteers from the Chester Public Library Teen Action Group will join us this year to decorate sugar cookies! All are welcome. 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Circle of Friends Montessori, 25 W Main St, Chester.

DEEP RIVER: Join us on Martin Luther King Day for a facilitated discussion of his legacy in the era of Black Lives Matter. This event is designed for young people between the ages of 15 and 25. 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Steve Milton Memorial Community Room and Gallery, 169 Main Street, Deep River.

FAIRFIELD: Fairfield Museum & History Center: Join Museum Education staff for a Scavenger Hunt in the “Creating Community” gallery to explore and discover people who’ve made a difference in our community. Bring a photo or image of your own hero to create a painted portrait in the Education Classroom. Sponsored by People’s United Bank. 370 Beach Rd, Fairfield.

FARMINGTON: Hill-Stead Museum will offer Extended Museum Hours from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Martin Luther King Day vacation workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for ages 7 to 11. $40 members; $50 non-members. Register at www.hillstead.org. 35 Mountain Road, Farmington, CT.

GREENWICH: Bruce Museum: Fun family activities with themes of dreams, peace and community from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. African and African-American storytelling performance by Eshu Bumpus at 11:00 am and again at 1:00 pm. Eshu is a renowned storyteller, an accomplished jazz vocalist and a master at physical characterization, who has performed in 26 states across the country. Performances and activities are free with museum admission. 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich. 

HARTFORD: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. FREE admission and activities all day long. Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with family-friendly music by the Funky Dawgz Brass Band and students from Charter Oak Cultural Center, hands-on art activities, and a theater performance about the Underground Railroad. 600 Main Street, Hartford.

HARTFORD: Mark Twain House and Museum: Free admission for Hartford residents. Proof of residency required. Living history characters will be on hand to greet visitors. 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Last tour starts at 4:30 p.m. 351 Farmington Ave, Hartford.

HARTFORD: In recognition of civil rights icon The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Hartford Public Library presents two dramatic performances of King’s speeches and writings, with New York-based actor David Mills. As MLK, Mills will deliver excerpts from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, “Early Days”, “Be the Best”, “Promised Land”, “If I Had Sneezed” and the “I Have a Dream” speech from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Wednesday, January 18 at 2 p.m. at “The Bench” Performance Space, Main Floor, Albany Branch, 1250 Albany Ave. 

HARTFORD: Connecticut Science Center: The Connecticut Science Center has been busy building a new look for the new year. Join us when we re-open to the public on Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). Preview the all-new Science Alley and experience ten-stories of interactive and immersive exhibits from the depths of the deep sea to the far reaches of outer space. See the unseen and discover what lies beneath the skin of a life-size Sperm Whale or inside a Mercury-Redstone Rocket. Everyone pays kids admission price today from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 250 Columbus Blvd., Hartford.

HARTFORD: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.'s 32nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast featuring keynote speaker Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III. Connecticut Convention Center, 9 a.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Donation is $55. 

HARTFORD: The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center will hold an open house on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Day. The event features tours of the Katharine Seymour Day House, hands-on family activities, a film screening and discussion, and bell ringing for nonviolence and peace. All activities are free. 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Bells will ring at noon. In the spirit of giving, visitors can bring new bath towels and feminine hygiene products for donation to emergency shelters -- a project of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut. 77 Forest Street, Hartford. 

HARTFORD: The Greater Hartford Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. will collect handbags from 10:00 am to noon on Monday, January 16th at The Amistad Center for Art & Culture's MLK, Jr. Community Day. The Handbag Project is an international effort to support women who are homeless or who have been victimized by rape or domestic abuse, or both. The handbags we collect will be donated to a local shelter. To participate, simply take a handbag that you no longer use and fill it with personal care items. The Amistad Center for Art & Culture is within the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art located at 600 Main Street in Hartford.

HARTFORD: On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, True Colors is hosting a GSA Summit for racial justice. This summit is free and open to everyone, with lunch provided. During the day, we’ll explore the intersections of our identities, history, and social movements. 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; 30 Arbor Street, Hartford. Stay tuned for more updates over the following weeks, and click this link to RSVP to the Summit: https://goo.gl/forms/wt8CIlBCbY6mWcsA2

HARTFORD: The State of Connecticut Holiday Commission invites you to attend the 31st annual bell ringing ceremony and commemoration of the lift of Dr. King. Hall of Flags of the State Capitol Building, Hartford. 10:00 a.m. breakfast, 11:00 a.m. ceremony.

MANCHESTER: The Town of Manchester’s 32nd Annual Martin Luther King Celebration will be held on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 from 6:30-8:00pm at Manchester High School (Bailey Auditorium). The theme for this year’s celebration, “LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!” addresses Dr. King’s belief that “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” The event will include entertainment by the Manchester High School Jazz Ensemble, keynote from the Manchester Youth Commission and presentation of awards to recognize students who are promoting positive change in their school and community. This event is free and open to the public. For questions, please contact the Manchester Youth Service Bureau at (860) 647-5262.

MERIDEN: 32nd Annual MLK and Albert Owens Scholarship Breakfast. Local and state elected officials, religious leaders, and city educators expected to attend at Maloney High School Cafeteria, 121 Gravel Street, Meriden starting at 8:00 a.m.

MIDDLETOWN: The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Committee of Greater Middletown will host its 24th annual Dr. Martin Luther Dr. King Jr. birthday celebration Monday at 12:30 p.m. at South Congregational Church on Pleasant Street. Prior to the formal celebration, there will be a noon-time speaking program at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Main Street. All are invited to attend the event and celebration at South Congregational Church, U.C.C.; 9 Pleasant St, Middletown.

MIDDLETOWN: The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center, Saturday night: Warren Byrd’s Byrdspeak Sessions brings The Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King into high focus. January looms large in Byrd’s calendar as not only the month of his birth but also of one of the stellar Americans of the 20th Century. Martin Luther King will be the subject of one of Warren’s latest “Palettes”, to be premiered with co-innovators Dutch Jazz luminary Saskia Laroo on Bass, Trumpet, and alto sax, New England jazz legend Mixashawn Lee Rozie on tenor sax and Emile de Leon on drums. Spoken word will also be an aspect of this presentation with excerpts and renditions of selected poets. 605 Main St, Middletown. 8:00 p.m. $10 

NEW BRITAIN: Join Mayor Erin Stewart in celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King. Event hosted by Mayor Stewart's office and the New Britain Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities at Angelico's Restaurant, 542 East Main Street, New Britain. Event begins at 9:45 a.m.

NEW BRITAIN: New Britain Museum of American Art Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2017. 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Guests can enjoy free admission to the Museum all day and participate in a variety of activities. Walk-in tour at noon and 2 p.m., story reading of Faith Ringgold’s Tar Beach in the Moser Library at 1 p.m.; create art inspired by in the art studio from 3-4 p.m. Free admission. 56 Lexington Street, New Britain.

NEW HARTFORD: Lam is teaming up with Donna Gentile at The Hive for a free day of events called "Peace Out." It's a free community day, aimed at teenagers - and celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Lam will offer three free classes that day - our regular 9:15 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. classes, along with a special 11:00 a.m. class. All ages are welcome. Lam Yoga, Hurley Business Park, 37 Greenwoods Rd, New Hartford.

NEW HAVEN: Storytelling & Amistad Exhibit at the New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Avenue. Free Admission to the New Haven Museum from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. At 11:30 a.m. Joy Donaldson presents “Martin Luther King Word and Song.” 1:00 p.m. Waltrina Kirkland Mullins presents “We’ve Come a Long Way! Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. King.”

NEW HAVEN: Peabody Museum’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy of Environmental and Social Justice; 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Various World Stage Performances (Great Hall of Dinosaurs) including Hip Hop Dance Battle, Community Poetry Open Mic and drum circle. David Friend Hall (3rd floor) showing of “I Have A Dream” starts at 10:30 a.m. Free admission. 170 Whitney Ave, New Haven. 

NEW HAVEN: 7th annual MLK Concert celebration honoring the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Music Haven students and teachers, Harmony in Action, and St. Luke's Steel Band will perform. 2:00 p.m., St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 111 Whalley Avenue, New Haven.

NEW HAVEN: The Connecticut American Red Cross and the City of New Haven are joining together to offer free smoke alarms and installations to residents in New Haven on Monday, January 16 as part of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The smoke alarm installations are part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries. Residents can schedule a visit by visiting www.redcross.org/ct/schedule-a-visit or by calling 877-287-3327 and choosing option 1 on the menu to request a smoke alarm installation.

NEW HAVEN: An MLK Day Tea with Blain Snipstal. 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Blain Snipstal is a peasant farmer and food sovereignty activist. Sponsored by the Yale Sustainable Food Program, Pierson College, and the Yale Center for the Study of Race, Indigeneity & Transnational Migration. Free and open to the public. Pierson College, 211 Park St, New Haven.

NEW LONDON: MLK Day March and Ceremony at City Hall and Shiloh Baptist Church. March begins at 10:00 a.m. at City Hall at 181 State Street, followed by service at Shiloh Baptist Church at One Garvin Street.

NEWTOWN: EverWonder Children’s Museum will be open on Martin Luther King Day. Make mixed media winter paintings in the classroom from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. 31 Pecks Ln, Newtown.

NIANTIC: Children’s Museum of Southeastern CT: Stop by the museum to learn about how Dr. King wanted to make the world a better place. Complete a craft activity on what you would do to change the world. Open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 409 Main Street, Niantic.

NORWALK: The Stepping Stones Museum for Children is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Watch King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech from 11:00 a.m. to noon; children can also make paper doves for peace. $15 adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free. 

NORWICH: Norwich NAACP Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom March and Program. Honoring Dr. King with a freedom march and program. 1:30 p.m. at David Ruggles Freedom Courtyard at Norwich City Hall.

RIDGEFIELD: The Town of Ridgefield will present the 21st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration with a special performance by Broadway’s Daniel Levine and Bryan Perri. This year’s ceremony will also include a special posthumous award presented to the family of Tom Belote. This event, which begins at 3:00 p.m. at The Ridgefield Playhouse is free to the community and will also feature performances by The Ridgefield Chorale, Deborah Katchko-Gray, Kimberly Wilson and student from Keys, anon-profit organization that brings music education to underserved inner city children. The Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E Ridge St, Ridgefield.

SIMSBURY: The annual MLK Day in Simsbury Celebration is an annual event recognizing and celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the time he spent in Simsbury. The 2017 keynote speaker is Greg Jones of the Legacy Foundation Hartford. International performing artist Jolie Rocke Brown will perform in song at the event. 2:00 p.m., First Church of Christ Simsbury, 689 Hopmeadow St, Simsbury.

STAMFORD: 3rd Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Stamford Community Breakfast. A citywide celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a message from Professor Marilyn Ford, Esq. of Quinnipiac University. Presented by the Stamford Community Collective. 8:30 a.m. to11 a.m. at the Patio Café, 888 Washington Boulevard, Stamford. *Tickets $50 at the doors

STAMFORD: 2017 Stamford MLK Committee's Annual Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Noon luncheon program. Yerwood Center, 90 Fairfield Avenue, Stamford.

STORRS: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Observance at the University of Connecticut. The UConn community celebrates and reflects on the works and teachings of Dr. King, and the efforts that continue in his name today. The keynote speaker for 2017 will be Dr. Marc Lamont Hill. Dr. Marc Lamont Hill is the host of BET News and VH1 Live, as well as a political contributor for CNN. Monday, 4:00 p.m., Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. 2132 Hillside Road, Unit 3104, Storrs.

WALLINGFORD: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, 10:00 a.m. Monday. Artwork, essays, readings, Lyman Hall HS choir performs. Town Hall, Robert F. Parisi Town Council Chambers, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford.

WATERBURY: Waterbury Fellowship of the Christian Churches' service honoring Dr. King. Representatives with member churches Grace Baptist Church, Mt. Olive AME Zion, and Zion Baptist Church will be in attendance for the event. Mount Olive AME Zion Church, 82 Pearl Street, Waterbury. Service starts at noon.

WEST HARTFORD: The community is invited to come together for the 21st annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, at the West Hartford town hall auditorium, 50 South Main St., from 10 to 11:30 a.m. This year’s keynote speakers are Victoria Christgau and Pastor James A. Lane, Jr. of the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence, Hartford.

WEST HARTFORD: “Inclusion, Acceptance and Social Justice Advocacy: The Legacy of Martin Luther King,” an evening of storytelling with various storytellers, including Maxx Smith-Rapaport, a student at Solomon Schechter Day School (SSDS); co-hosted by SSDS, West Hartford Public Schools and Speak Up; 7 – 8:30 p.m.; at SSDS, 26 Buena Vista Rd., (860) 561-0700, rsvp@ssds-hartford.org. FREE

WEST HARTFORD: West Hartford – In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: “A History of Black-Jewish Relations and Why It Matters Today More Than Ever,” with guest speaker Dr. Cheryl Greenberg, a history professor at Trinity College; light refreshments; 7 p.m.; The Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Dr., (860) 236-1275.

WEST HARTFORD: "Continuing the Legacy: Freedom, Peace, Respect for All" will be the theme of the University of Hartford's Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance being held from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, Jan. 16 in the University's Lincoln Theater. This event, which is free and open to the public, will feature an inspirational program of music and reflections commemorating the life and legacy of the civil rights leader. Lincoln Theater, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford. Parking is available in Lot F.

WEST HARTFORD: First Baptist Church Free Screening of the 2016 Netflix Original "13th" The Documentary: A Community Conversation about Racism in America. “13th” is not rated and has a run time of 1 hr 40 min. This event will begin a series of conversations about building relationships across the lines of social difference. 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. First Baptist Church West Hartford, 90 N Main St, West Hartford.

WINDSOR: The Archer Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church is sponsoring its' annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration for the community at the Windsor Town Hall Council Chambers. Keynote speaker is Windsor High School Principal Uyi Osunde. The program will include musical tributes and words of reflection. All are welcome to celebrate Dr. King's life, dream and legacy. The event is free and open to the public. 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served after the program. For more information, please call 860-688-5225.

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