May is such a great month in Connecticut! It's staying light later, flowers are in bloom and blue-sky days just make you want to get out and play. Here is your guide to springtime fun, events, concerts, kids' activities, theater performances and more for May 2008 in the Greater Hartford area.
Next Month: June in Hartford
May Overview
Here in Hartford, May is the month when we finally pack turtlenecks, sweaters and coats away and begin to reliably count on warm daytime weather.May Weather in Hartford
- Average High Temperature: 71°F
- Average Low Temperature: 47°F
- Average Precipitation: 3.8"
- Average Number of Days with Precipitation: 12
- Record High: 97°F
- Record Low: 28°F
- Record May Rainfall: 12.02"
May Highlights
May is a month for celebrations, and I'm not just saying that because it's my birthday month! The festivities begin with local celebrations of Cinco de Mayo (that continue through Nueve de Mayo), and don't forget to plan a special treat for your mom on Mother's Day.On Saturday, May 17, celebrate Connecticut's official state fish at Windsor's 54th annual Shad Derby.
Memorial Day Parades are planned in many Hartford County towns.
The Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival begins its nine-day run at Hartford's Cinestudio on May 30.
Another highlight: Lake Compounce in Bristol--America's oldest theme park--opens for its 162nd season on May 10.
Sports
May holds plenty of excitement for Hartford-area sports fans!- Rock Cats Baseball - The season is underway at New Britain Stadium, home of the Eastern League Double-A Affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.
- Connecticut Sun - WNBA Women's Basketball action gets underway in May at the Mohegan Sun Arena. This year's roster features four former UConn stars.
Music
Here are some of the concerts scheduled for this May in Greater Hartford and beyond:- 5/7: Third Eye Blind @ Toad's Place
- 5/8: Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z @ Mohegan Sun Arena
- 5/9: Hot Chocolate Soul @ the Bushnell
- 5/10: Panic at the Disco @ Chevrolet Theatre
- 5/11: Finger Eleven @ Webster Theater
- 5/16: Kanye West Glow in the Dark Tour @ New England Dodge Music Center
- 5/20: Van Halen @ Mohegan Sun Arena
- 5/16-17: Hartford Chorale performs Beethoven's Missa Solemnis @ the Bushnell
- 5/23-25: Gloria Estefan @ MGM Grand at Foxwoods
- 5/26: Stone Temple Pilots @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Stage
May theater events include:- May 1-4: The Scene @ Hartford Stage
- May 1-11: Blackbird @ TheaterWorks
- May 5: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl @ the Bushnell
- May 6-11: Jesus Christ Superstar @ the Bushnell
- May 15-June 15: Tennessee Williams' The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Any More starring Olympia Dukakis @ Hartford Stage
- May 15-June 1: Neil Simon's Proposals @ Park Road Playhouse
- May 30-June 7: Connecticut Opera presents Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio @ Bushnell
For the Kids
Here are some Greater Hartford May events that are fun for children and families:- 5/3: The Wizard of Oz @ the Bushnell
- 5/7-11: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Over the Top @ the XL Center
- 5/9: Children's Festival @ New Britain Stadium
- 5/10: Astronomy Day @ the Children's Museum
- 5/17: Farm Day @ West Hartford's Westmoor Park
- 5/18: Recreation Day @ the West Hartford Reservoir
- 5/27-29: NASA's Space Exploration Experience @ Imagine Nation
Exhibitions
See these limited-run exhibitions while you can!- Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition @ the XL Center through June 30
- Cathie Bleck: 13 Years of Artistic Expression @ the New Britain Museum of American Art through May 4
- Impressionists by the Sea @ the Wadsworth Atheneum through May 11
- Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art @ the University of Hartford's Joseloff Gallery through June 10
- All Things Bright and Beautiful: California Impressionist Paintings from the Irvine Museum @ the New Britain Museum of American Art through June 29
- Making a Splash: American Beach Fashions, 1850-1920 @ the Wadsworth Atheneum through July 13
- Faith & Fortune: Five Centuries of European Masterworks @ the Wadsworth Atheneum through December 30
Conventions, Trade Shows and Public Events
Here's your guide to conventions, trade shows and public events in the Hartford area this month:- 5/9-10: May Market @ Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington
Dining Events
Looking for an added incentive to dine out in the Hartford area in May? Consider one of these area dining events:- 5/1: Perfect Recipe Dinner @ Metro Bis in Simsbury
- 5/3: New England Regional Chili Cook-off @ Pleasant View in Somers
- 5/3: Run for the Roses Dinner to benefit Cedar Hill Cemetery @ Hartford Golf Club
- 5/3: Taste of the Cove Gala to benefit Cove Center for Grieving Children @ Hartford Marriott Downtown
- 5/22: Taste of the Nation @ 960 Main in Hartford
- 5/24-26: Lobster Days @ Mystic Seaport
- 5/27: Smokin’ Barbeque & Cigar Dinner @ Black-eyed Sally's
