Bacon Banjo talk and performance in Groton

The Bill Memorial Library hosts a program on the history of Groton’s Bacon Banjo Company, including a live music performance on Bacon banjos at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 6.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Bacon Banjo Company was located on Thames Street in Groton and employed many area men. Founded by celebrity musician Frederick Bacon, the company produced high-quality instruments that are still sought after today.

Learn about the Bacon Banjo Company’s history and hear a live performance with musicians Marc Bernier and Bill Pratt. This program is free, but registration is required as space is limited. Call 860-445-0392 to register.

May Day dance at Conn

For the 48th year, the Westerly Morris Men will be “dancing the sun up” on the Connecticut College campus on Monday, May 1, as a celebration of the arrival of spring.

Morris is a traditional English ritual dance done primarily in the spring to assure a good crop. The Morris Men, founded in 1974 by Conn’s now-professor emeritus Peter Leibert, have regularly performed throughout New England and even abroad.

The May Day dance gets under way at 5:30 a.m. at Conn’s Tempel Green in front of the Blaustein Humanities Center. Social distancing and masks are required. For information, call Leibert at 860-887-9184.

New HOPE house dedication May 2

An open house and dedication of a new house, recently completed at 78 Belden St. in New London by HOPE Inc., will be conducted at noon Tuesday, May 2. It is the twentieth house that HOPE has built or renovated on that street.

78 Belden is a two-family house constructed by Dependable Contracting. It will be sold to a low-income young mother who has excellent credit. The second apartment will be rented to a very-low-income family.

Funded by $350,000 in tax credits from Eversource, through the state Housing Tax Credit Contribution program, deed restrictions associated with the sale of the house will ensure that it remains affordable for thirty years.

Rotary Club Day of Service project

Members of the New London Rotary Club will be assembling 50 “Kits for Kids” full of basic first aid supplies during the annual Rotary Day of Service on May 20.

The small, easy-to-transport kits full of various sizes of bandages, antiseptic wipes and other items, will be given to New London children from 6 to 12 years old who participate in the Boys and Girls Club programming through the Salvation Army. Boys and Girls Club leaders also will be teaching the children about basic first aid.

New London Rotary is working with the Ledge Light Health District to collect the needed items for the kits. It also welcomes community donations and volunteers.

For more information visit www.rotarydayofservice.org or email Rotarians overseeing this project: Mary Lenzini, mimi14jcc@gmail.com; Gigi Gonzalez-Cottrell, agonzalez0904@gmail.com, or Tom Hogsten, thogsten@aol.com.

CT Sun Golf Tournament

The Connecticut Sun Foundation’s 2023 Golf Tournament will take place on May 11 at the Mohegan Sun Golf Club (7 Dows Lane, Baltic). Participation in the tournament includes 18 holes of golf with a golf cart, lunch, course contests, a dessert reception, a silent auction and raffle prizes. The tournament will feature special guests, and attendees will have the chance to mingle with the Sun’s new coaches, general manager and players. Registration for the event is open; spots are limited.

For additional information, visit sun.wnba.com/golf-tournament.

Mother’s Day fundraiser in Sterling

A special Mother's Day all you can eat roast beef supper will be held on Saturday, May 13, at Ekonk Community Grange hall, 723 Ekonk Hill Road in Sterling. The menu will include a complete roast beef supper, and two members created a unique recipe for dessert that they titled Mother's Day Spring Citrus Delight Cake. Takeouts are always encouraged; call the Grange at 860-457-5551 the day of the supper. The doors open by 5 p.m. Adults $17, children ages 12 and under $8.50 and preschoolers always eat for free at the Grange.

Duck River Garden Club holding plant sale

The Duck River Garden Club in Old Lyme is holding its annual Spring Plant Sale at the Old Lyme Shopping Center from noon to 7 p.m. Friday, May 12, and 9-1 the following day.

Among the items on sale will be hanging baskets, geraniums, perennials, annuals, veggies and herbs. All proceeds support the club’s efforts in the fields of beautification, education and scholarships. For info, visit www.oldlymeduckrivergc.org.

Quiet Corner Film Fest May 31

The seventh Quiet Corner Film Festival will be held at Killingly High School on Wednesday, May 31, at 5:30 p.m.

This high school film festival is open to high school filmmakers from all over the state. Films created between September 2022 and May of 2023 are eligible. Student films will be judged by a panel of expert judges and be eligible for cash prizes totaling nearly $1,000. The audience will also have a say with an award for audience favorite.

The event is free to the public but donations will be accepted. For more information, visit www.quietcornerfilmfestival.org

Day of Prayer event May 4

A National Day of Prayer event will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at Veterans Park in Jewett City.

People of all faiths are invited to attend an event that was established in May 1952 so people could gather to pray for the nation, the local community and other topics nationwide. It is advertised as non-political, taking place all over Connecticut.

For more information, go to www.NationalDayofPrayer.org and click on events.

Bingo Night in Old Saybrook

The Children's Tree Montessori School in Old Saybrook will hold a Bingo Night with a Silent Auction from 6 to 9 p.m. May 13 at The American Legion, 80 Essex Road.

The event costs $30 per person. Reserve your pack by May 10, or pick them up for $40 at the door. Bingo packs can be reserved online at www.ChildrensTree.org or call 860-388-3536.

Workshop for Mental Health Awareness Month

The New London Arts Council will host a meeting on “How to Ensure Safe Creative Communities” from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 14 at the Public Library of New London, 63 Huntington St.

This free, one-hour workshop will explore how power dynamics and scarcity impacts artistic communities and how we can make sure our spaces are equitable, trauma informed, and consent-forward. Participants will leave with a basic understanding of power and privilege as well as tools to advocate for themselves and others when injustices occur.

Presented by Carin Jennie Estey, the free event is sponsored by Artreach Inc. and New London Arts Council. Call (860) 447-1411 for information.

NAMI holds family support groups

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Southeast Connecticut offers Family Support Groups for family, partners, friends and significant others of adults living with mental illness.

In-person support groups are held on the first and third Monday of the month, at 7 p.m. at Brian's Healing Hearts, 461 Main St, Niantic.

For more information, visit www.namisoutheastct.org.

Guided tour at the Mystic Aquarium

The Mystic & Noank Library is hosting a 45-minute tour of Mystic Aquarium at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6 and 4 p.m. Monday, May 15. Meet at the Milne Center front entrance 15 minutes prior to the free tour, which doesn’t include the cost of admission. Register to enter on the library’s online events calendar or by calling 860-536-7721.

AARP driver safety class

Mystic & Noank Library is hosting an AARP Smart Driver course from 10:15 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, on Zoom. Learn research-based safety strategies to help keep you safe while on the road. Many participants may be eligible for a multi-year insurance discount after taking the course, which is open to drivers of all ages and costs $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members. To register, visit www.mysticnoanklibrary.org.

Stonington hears recycling pitch

“Waste Not Stonington,” a free public program, will be presented on Wednesday, May 17, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the La Grua Center in Stonington Borough. Hosted by the Stonington Garden Club, the program will feature Jill Senior, director of Stonington’s Recycling & Solid Waste Management Office outlining her plans for the future, both in terms of collection and the ultimate disposal of waste. She hopes these plans will position Stonington as a model for other municipalities.

Groton library virtual programs

The Groton Public Library will host two virtual programs next month, including one exploring “Mohegan Culture, History, and Tradition” at 6:30 p.m. May 11. The program will share insights into Mohegan tribal oral traditions, beliefs, music, and agricultural practices, presented by David Eichelberg, Outreach and Tradition Specialist from the Mohegan Tribe.

The other program is “From Merlin to Doc Martin: The Best of England’s Dramatic Cornwall” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 30. The program explores England’s far west country bordered by the North Atlantic and the English Channel. Join anglophile and former UK resident Claire Evans for a discussion about this underappreciated English destination. Register for these virtual programs through the library’s online calendar at grotonpl.org.