Events

During the summer season, the main street of Willimantic [1] is blocked off on the third Thursday of each month for the Willimantic Street Fest (Jillson Square to Walnut St., www.willimanticstreetfest.com [2], 6 p.m.–9 p.m. Oct.–Apr.), which features music, craft vendors, and beer from the local brewing company.

Willimantic’s July Fourth Boom Box Parade (Jillson Square, 860/456-1111, www.wili-am.com [3], 11 a.m. July 4th) began 20 years ago with a local resident who, hearing that the parade was cancelled, convinced an AM radio station to broadcast marching music and took to the streets with her radio. Now hundreds of townsfolk turn out with their own boom boxes for the parade—which features more and more elaborate costumes each year.

Fittingly for a town called Scotland, the Highland Games (Waldo Rd., Scotland, 860/423-9634, www.scotlandgames.org [4], 10 a.m.–5 p.m., early Oct. $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, $5 children 6–12, free children under 5) brings kilts, bagpipes, and caber tosses to the Quiet Corner [5].