Vendors wanted for annual flea market

GOSHEN — Vendors are needed for the 17th annual flea market in Goshen, held to support the preservation of the historic St. Thomas of Villanova Chape. The market will be held Saturday, Feb. 24, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in Donahue Hall at St. Thomast Church, Route 63 North in Goshen.

Eight-foot tables are $21 each. For information call Diana at 860-491-2504.

Button society to meet

The Connecticut State Button Society will hold our annual winter meeting at the Grace Lutheran Church, 222 Farmington Ave., Rte. 10 , Plainville, Jan. 27. Show hours are 9 am to 3:00 pm. A button club Show and Tell program will follow our button lunch break. All button collectors and friends are welcome to bring and share their artistic button displays. Coffee and dessert will be served and walk-ins are welcome. For more contact information and weather related cancellations: www.connecticutstatebuttonsociety.org

Hartford Boat Show returns for 49th year

HARTFORD — With Evinrude/BRP and Geico leading its fleet of sponsors and exhibitors, The 49th Hartford Boat Show (HBS2018) will be cruising into the Connecticut Convention Center Feb. 8-11. Presented by the Connecticut Marine Trades Association (CMTA), the event will feature over 400 watercraft and 125 exhibitors and is expected to draw over 14,000 visitors. Evinrude has been a lead sponsor of HBS2018 for over ten years, and this year, also joining Geico as new sponsors are the Connecticut Port Authority, Renewal by Andersen and Leaf Filter of CT.

Over 20 new exhibitors are joining HBS2018 including Cabela’s now merged with Bass Pro, Lake View Marine,Connor’s & O’Brien Marine, Island Cove Marina, Essex Marine Group, North East Dock Sales, C & D Underwater Maintenance, Air Chair, Boat Locker, Click Heat, NESS, Noank Village Boatyard, Port Milford, Maritime Insurance International, 64 Solar, and skube.me.

Bay State Woodies is also a new exhibitor. As the Massachusetts chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS), the group will be bringing three vintage wood boats including a notable 1932 Chris Craft.

Three boat lines will be appearing at HBS2018 for the first time. Beacon Point Marine will debut a Blackfin for fishing and leisure, Lake View Marine is bringing a new Larsen and Island Cove a Nordic Star.

More than 95 percent of HBS2018 exhibitors are Connecticut based companies, representing the vast scope of recreational boating in the state. Connecticut businesses from all regions of the state are participating, with the inland regions represented from Candlewood to Columbia, the shoreline from Noank to Norwalk and the Connecticut River Valley from Saybrook to Portland.

Welcome 2 Our Waters: Destination CT is a special new HBS2018 section sponsored by the Connecticut Port Authority, highlighting shoreside activities, communities and attractions that are destinations enhanced by their proximity to the waters of Connecticut. The arena will feature new exhibitors such as Thimble Island Brewery which will be hosting tastings, towns, chambers, other food and beverage locations and more.

Sponsored by Renewal by Andersen, the new Windows to the Future section will showcase students from Thompson Public School District’s boat building program constructing a small wood boat, boat building activities for kids,The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), New England Science and Sailing, and Cedar Island Marine Research Lab. To support growth in the boat building trades in Connecticut, Renewal by Andersen is also donating to the Thompson program. Students from The Sound School of New Haven and several of the state’s technical school automotive departments will also participate in events in this new area.

At the always lively Happy Hour on Friday, Feb. 9, and throughout the HBS2018, visitors will enjoy live entertainment sponsored by Leaf Filter. Shore Side Docks is once again supporting The Paddler’s Paradise Demo Pool: an 800 square foot area on the second level of HBS2018 which will feature a full schedule of demonstrations of kayaks, stand up paddle boards and special paddling activities for adults and children. No Hartford Boat Show would be complete without its share of fun media personality appearances, and already scheduled are live remote radio broadcasts from HBS2018 for WUCS - ESPN Sports, WHCN- The River, and WWYZ - Country 92.5.

Tickets for The Hartford Boat Show are available at www.hartfordboatshow.com. Pre-show online tickets are $10 and a multi-day pass is available at $18 which allows access to the show any two days. The Senior Skip’rs pass for February 9 is $8. Admission on-site at the Show will be $12. Children under 12 accompanied by an adult are free. Group sales for groups over 15 people may be arranged by contacting CMTA Show Staff at 860-767-2645.

The Hartford Boat Show will be open Thursday, Feb. 8 from 3-8 pm.; Friday, February 9 from 12-8 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 10, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For schedule details and a full list of exhibitors, visit www.hardfordboatshow.com. Follow new developments on Facebook at @CMTAboating, Twitter at @HartfordBoatSho and Instagram at ctmarinetrades.

Connecticut Horticultural Society Symposium 2018

HARTFORD — The Connecticut Horticultural Society Symposium 2018, “Striking a Balance,” will be held Feb. 3, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., at the Mark Twain House, Hartford.

Gardening is ever-changing. With introductions of new design styles, new plants and new methods it can all get a bit confusing. These and many more ideas will be discussed by three experts who will dig deep into contemporary thought about gardens to help you find your comfort zone amid a wide array of styles and choices. Rick Darke will discuss The Living Landscape; Christina Salwitz will present For the Love of Horticulture. Claudia West’s program is Creating Stunning Plant Communities that Stand the Test of Time

Guests will also find vendors and a silent auction to pick up a garden treasure or two. Meals are included and prepared by Delicacy Caterers, voted BEST Chef and Caterer by Hartford Magazine for the past two years.

To register, go to cthort.org or call the CHS office at 860-529-8713.