Connecticut
Bushnell Carousel offers free rides as Hartford celebrates America’s 250th
As Hartford celebrated America’s 250th birthday Saturday, one of the city’s oldest attractions welcomed visitors for one of the few days each year when admission is free.
The Bushnell Park Carousel opened its doors at no cost as part of the city’s Independence Day festivities, giving families a chance to experience a piece of Hartford history while escaping the summer heat.
“It’s one of the most incredible pieces that we have here in downtown Hartford,” said Morgan Fippinger, executive director of the Bushnell Park Conservancy.
The carousel itself is older than many visitors realize.
“It is a 1914, so it’s a true antique carousel,” Fippinger said.
For many Hartford residents, the carousel has long been a fixture in Bushnell Park. For others, including newcomers to the city, it offered a chance to experience one of Hartford’s most recognizable landmarks for the first time.
Fippinger said the free ride day is one of the conservancy’s ways of participating in Hartford’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
“The free days when we have thousands of people in the park, it can be a lot,” Fippinger said. “It’s a lot of impact on the park and the infrastructure of the park. But also it’s an amazing time for so many people that are not necessarily always from Hartford, get to come in and see the amazing resources that Hartford has.”
While the Bushnell Park Conservancy cares for much more than the carousel, Fippinger said the attraction often serves as an introduction to the city’s rich history.
“There’s an amazing amount of history here, resources here,” Fippinger said. “And, you know, so we are kind of the eyes and ears for the City of Hartford.”
The air-conditioned carousel building also offered visitors a chance to cool off as temperatures climbed during the holiday celebration.
“We do want to make sure that everybody stays hydrated,” Fippinger said. “And the carousel building is air conditioned. So if people are feeling hot or feeling like they need to get cool, they can come in and take a ride. Plus, when you’re on the ride, it feels amazing.”
Connecticut State Parks announced that several parks, recreation areas, and beaches are closed on Friday after reaching capacity.
As of 1 p.m., the following are closed due to the parking lots being full:
- Rocky Neck State Park
- Millers Pond State Park
- Hammonasset Beach State Park
- Mount Tom State Park
- Gardner Lake State Park
- Squantz Pond State Park
- Silver Sands State Park
- Pattaconk Recreation Area (Cockaponset State Forest)
- Scantic River State Park, Powder Hollow
- Satan’s Kingdom State Park
Connecticut continues to face excessive heat heading into the holiday weekend.
For a full forecast, head here.
The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut is now available in a new vitola, one that also comes in a metal tube.
It’s the second different toro for the line, though it will be difficult to confuse the two cigars. The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Toro, the existing cigar, is a 6 1/4 x 52 box-pressed toro. The new AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Tubo is a 6 x 52 round toro. Blend-wise, the line uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos grown by AGANORSA. The line is made at the company’s factory in Nicaragua.
The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Tubo has an MSRP of $19.99 and comes in boxes of 10 cigars.
“The Aniversario Connecticut Tubo offers a perfect combination of elegance, convenience, and flavor,” said Terence Reilly, vp of sales & marketing for AGANORSA Leaf, in a press release when the cigar was announced in March. “It’s an ideal cigar for both longtime fans of the brand and smokers discovering Aganorsa for the first time.”
Connecticut
Motorcyclist seriously injured after crashing into parked, unoccupied vehicle in Meriden
MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A motorcyclist has serious injuries after a crash early Friday morning in Meriden, according to police.
The crash happened just after 3:00 a.m. in the area of Lincoln Street. The motorcyclist was navigating a turn when they struck a parked, unoccupied vehicle, police said.
The motorcyclist was taken to an area trauma center, according to police.
A section of Lincoln Street is blocked for the investigation, police said.
Meriden’s accident investigation team responded to the scene.
Additional information was not immediately available.
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