Ready to have a bang-up July? Make plans now to fill your July calendar with local happenings. Here is your guide to summer fun, events, concerts, kids' activities, theater performances and more for July 2008 in the Greater Hartford area.
Next Month: August in Hartford
July Overview
Here in Hartford, July brings reliably hot and often steamy, humid weather. Days are long, kids are out of school, and the beaches of the Connecticut shoreline beckon.July Weather in Hartford
- Average High Temperature: 85°F
- Average Low Temperature: 62°F
- Average Precipitation: 3.2"
- Average Number of Days with Precipitation: 10
- Record High: 102°F
- Record Low: 44°F
- Record July Rainfall: 8.39"
July Highlights
Riverfest--Hartford's 4th of July celebration--is July's biggest highlight. Scheduled for Saturday, July 5, this 28th annual free event features food, music and family activities at four riverfront locations and fireworks at night.The Talcott Mountain Music Festival, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra's outdoor summer concert series in Simsbury, is also a July tradition. Highlights include the Celebrate America! concerts with fireworks on July 4 and 5 and Movie Classics night July 18.
Jazz lovers won't want to miss the 17th Annual Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz in Hartford's Bushnell Park, July 17-19. It's free! The Podunk Bluegrass Festival kicks off in East Hartford July 31.
Also in July, see Free Outdoor Movies in Rocky Hill and Canton.
More Summer Fun on the Hartford Riverfront
July features a busy schedule of concerts and festivals on the Hartford riverfront. Here's your complete guide to riverfront events, including this month's Riverfront Dancing II (7/11), Latin Jazz and Salsa Festival (7/12), Opera al Fresco (7/26) and XTREME 5K Run (7/31).Sports
This month, catch WWE Monday Night Raw wrestling action at the Mohegan Sun Arena on July 21.Sports fans will also enjoy cheering for these local teams in July:
- Rock Cats Baseball - The season continues at New Britain Stadium, home of the Eastern League Double-A Affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.
- Connecticut Sun - WNBA Women's Basketball action continues in July at the Mohegan Sun Arena. This year's roster features four former UConn stars.
Music
July concerts in Hartford and beyond include:- 7/4: Chicago/Doobie Brothers @ Mohegan Sun
- 7/4: Michael Bolton @ MGM Grand
- 7/7: Rush @ Mohegan Sun
- 7/9: Donna Summer @ Mohegan Sun
- 7/11: Trisha Yearwood @ MGM Grand
- 7/12: Carole King @ MGM Grand
- 7/12: Frankie Valli @ Mohegan Sun
- 7/16: Foreigner/Bryan Adams @ MGM Grand
- 7/18: 3 Doors Down @ N.E. Dodge Music Center
- 7/18: Steve Miller/Joe Cocker @ MGM Grand
- 7/20: Projekt Revolution @ N.E. Dodge Music Center
- 7/24: Brad Paisley/Jewel @ N.E. Dodge Music Center
- 7/25: Melissa Etheridge @ MGM Grand
- 7/26: Sheryl Crow @ Mohegan Sun
- 7/26: Avril Lavigne/Jonas Brothers @ N.E. Dodge Music Center
- 7/26: Lionel Richie @ MGM Grand
- 7/29: Poison @ Mohegan Sun
- 7/30: Sevendust/Alter Bridge @ Webster Theater
- 7/31: The Eagles @ Mohegan Sun
Stage
Don't miss your chance to see Shakespeare Under the Stars this month. Other July theater events include:- July 1-20: Rabbit Hole @ TheaterWorks
- July 8-31: Ella @ Hartford Stage
For Kids and Families
Here are some Greater Hartford July events that are fun for children and families:- 7/2, 7/9, 7/16 & 7/23: Free Riverfront Music Festival @ Welles Street Riverfront Park in Glastonbury
- 7/5: Free Rides @ Bushnell Park Carousel
- 7/6, 7/13, 7/20 & 7/27: Free Carillon Concerts @ Simsbury United Methodist Church
- 7/9: Snow White @ Chevrolet Theatre
- 7/9: Girls Night Out @ Imagine Nation
- 7/12: Mid-Summer Nature Walk @ Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Glastonbury
- 7/16: Pinocchio @ Chevrolet Theatre
- 7/17: Celebrate the Graham Cracker Campfire @ Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Glastonbury
- 7/22: Between the Lions @ Imagine Nation (pre-register)
- 7/23: Cinderella @ Chevrolet Theatre
- 7/30: Jack & the Beanstalk @ Chevrolet Theatre
Exhibitions
See these limited-run exhibitions while you can!- Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition @ the XL Center through August 31
- Making a Splash: American Beach Fashions, 1850-1920 @ the Wadsworth Atheneum through July 13
- Daxin Wu "Currency Portraits" @ Real Art Ways through July 13
- Eric Sloane's America @ the New Britain Museum of American Art through August 3
- 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:Dining Events
July is a perfect month for dining outdoors in the Hartford area. Looking for an added incentive to visit Hartford area restaurants in July? Consider one of these area dining events:- Fridays and Saturdays: Outdoor Happy Hour @ the Bushnell Park Cafe
- 7/24: Jewish Home Cooking Dinner @ Metro Bis in Simsbury
