Females in Aviation at Air Museum; NYC Singer/Songwriter in Windsor; Ghosts in Farmington

Women Take Flight at New England Air Museum

Twenty extraordinary women who have pioneered new careers for females in aviation and aerospace engineering share their experiences when the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks presents its seventh annual Women Take Flight event. Presentations, panel discussions, and impersonators portraying famous female aviators from bygone eras are all part of the Flight plan. The November 6 event is presented in cooperation with the New England Chapter of the Ninety-Nines (International Organization of Women Pilots). Among the twenty women expected are: Susan Kilrain (Commander USN, Ret.), NASA Astronaut (former) and veteran of two shuttle missions; Admiral Wendi B. Carpenter (first woman to become an Admiral with the Navy); and Patricia Beckman, commander US Navy (retired) and flight test navigator for Boeing.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $11 for ages 12 and up; $10 seniors; and $6 ages 4 to 11. Children under 4 are admitted free. The New England Air Museum is at 36 Perimeter Road, Windsor Locks. For more information, visit www.neam.org or call 860-623-3305. 

NYC Singer/Songwriter at Windsor Art Center

Ellen Woloshin, the New York City-based singer/songwriter, returns to the Windsor Art Center in Windsor for a November 3 performance.

Concert time is 6:30 p.m. Suggested donation is $10 at the door. The Windsor Art Center is at the corner of Central and Mechanic streets in Windsor. For more information, visit www.windsorartcenter.org or call 860-688-2528.

Playhouse Presents Reading of The Clowns 

Developing new plays – and new playwrights – is essential work in the American theater. On November 5 and 6, West Hartford's Playhouse on Park presents a staged reading of The Clowns, a new rock opera by Andy Mayo and Matthew Dicks. The reading is part of the Playhouse's New Work Series, which features the work of Connecticut artists. Mayo and Dicks' musical features a cast of wannabe rock stars whose personal lives are entangled. The rock score is based on operatic arias.

Reading times are 8 p.m. on November 5; 2 p.m. on November 6. A talk with the playwrights and director follows each performance. Suggested donation of $5.Playhouse on Park is at 244 Park Road, West Hartford. For more information, visit www.playhouseonpark.org or call 860-523-5900 x10.

Hill-Stead Presents Poetry Performance in West Hartford

Poets Taylor Mali and Lisa Starr are featured in a page-to-stage performance presented by Farmington's Hill-Stead Museum. The October 29 event will be held at the Hoffman Auditorium in the Bruyette Athenaeum, Carol Autorino Center for the Arts & Humanities at St. Joseph College in West Hartford. It is benefit for the Hill-Stead's Sunken Garden Poetry Festival and the Hill-Stead's new on-line journal, Theodate.

Starting time is 7:30 p.m. General seating tickets cost $25; student tickets cost $15. Priority seating, which includes a reception with the poets, cost $75. The Hoffman Auditorium is at 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford. For tickets, call 860-231-5555 or visit www.sjc.universitytickets.com.

Haunted Whitman Inne in Farmington

Ghosts, ghouls and gruesome figures wait around every corner when Farmington's Stanley-Whitman House hosts its third annual Haunted Whitman Inne. The October 29 event is a benefit for Halloween Against Hunger, a campaign for the Farmington Food Bank.

Suitable for ages 10 and over. Hours are 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Admission costs $8 plus a canned good for non-members; $5 plus a canned good for members. Reservations are required. The Stanley-Whitman House is at 37 High St., Farmington. For more information, visit www.stanleywhitman.org or call 860-677-9222.

Spaghetti Cake Rocks the Family for Halloween

An afternoon of family-friendly rock is full of tricks and treats when 41 Bridge Street Live in Canton presents the six-piece band Spaghetti Cake. The band of professional musicians, all of whom are experienced educators, is known for wholesome, high energy entertainment. Musical styles include rock, country, bluegrass, blues, reggae and world grooves. Children in the audience have the opportunity to dance, sing along, and even perform with the band. The October 29 show includes a costume contest with prizes. The first 50 kids through the door win a free CD.

Concert time is 2 p.m. Admission costs $5 kids; $10 adults. Bridge Street Live is at 41 Bridge St., Collinsville. For times and ticket prices, visit www.41bridgestreet.com or call 860-693-9762.

African Cats at Simsbury Public Library

Roar! Simsbury Public Library in Simsbury presents an afternoon screening of the 2011 Walt Disney documentary African Cats. Directed by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, the film features Mara, a lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother's strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five newborns; and Fang, leader of the pride who must defend his family from a once-banished lion. The film is rated G. 

Screening time is 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on October 27. Admission is free. The Simsbury Public Library is at 725 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury. For more information, visit www.simsburylibrary.info or call 860-658-7663.

HSO's Jazz and Strings Series Salutes Ella

The classic album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook is the subject of a tribute when the Hartford Symphony Jazz and Strings Series opens its season November 4. Conceived and directed by Jazz and Strings musical director Gene Bozzi, the concert features guest vocalist Tina Fabrique. The actress and singer played Fitzgerald in 2005 at Hartford's TheaterWorks and again at Hartford Stage. For the Jazz and Strings event, the playlist includes selections from the Cole Porter album plus other Fitzgerald favorites to include Begin the Beguine, I Love Paris, It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing), and Night and Day.

Concert time is 8 p.m. at the Theater for the Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor, 359 Washington Street, Hartford. Tickets range from $20 to $40, with $10 tickets for students with ID. To purchase tickets or for more information, phone 860-244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.

OSV Hosts Star of This Old House

Fans of public television's This Old House, head for Sturbridge, Massachusetts. On November 5, Old Sturbridge Village welcomes master craftsman, media personality and longtime Old House host Norm Abram. Joining him is Bruce Irving, author of New England Icons: Shaker Villages, Saltboxes, Stone Walls and Steeples. The men will share their thoughts on What Makes New England Such a Special Place during a lunch and book signing event. 

The buffet lunch runs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at Old Sturbridge Village's Oliver Wight Tavern. A discussion and book signing follow the meal. Tickets cost $65; $55 for Old Sturbridge Village members. For more information, phone 800-SEE-1830 or visit www.osv.org.