Your guide to the heart of Litchfield County:
Discover local stories, hidden gems, and must-know events.

Greatest Sitcoms of All Time

Need a laugh? Join author and pop culture historian Marty Gitlin for a funny program about funny programs! Marty will talk about the evolution of sitcoms over the decades, from I Love Lucy to The Big Bang Theory. Test your knowledge of sitcom trivia and enjoy hilarious clips from some of your favorite shows at this fun and interactive program. This program is suitable for teens and adults. Please register @harwintonlibrary.org/events

Harwinton Public Library
80 Bentley Drive
Harwinton, CT 06791
860-485-9113
Time: 6:30 pm

The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time

Chess Club

Chess players of all ages are invited to join our Monday night Chess Club. Sharpen your skills and make new friends while you enjoy a friendly game. Players should already be familiar with the basics of how to play. Registration is helpful, but not required.

Harwinton Public Library
80 Bentley Drive
Harwinton, CT 06791
860-485-9113

Chess Club

Meet Author Stephen Hall

Meet Author Stephen Hall: Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World

Live, In-Person & on Zoom:
Thursday, May 1 – 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Registration is required ONLY to attend In-Person.

“Stephen Hall is not just a terrific science writer, he’s a terrific writer, period.” – Michael Pollan

Join us as we explore with author Stephen Hall his spellbinding scientific and cultural study of snakes, the fascination and fear they inspire, and how surprising new science is indelibly changing our perception of these stunning and frightening creatures.

For millennia, depictions of snakes as alternatively beautiful and menacing creatures have appeared in religious texts, mythology, poetry, and beyond. But where there is hatred and fear, there is also fascination and reverence. How is it that creatures so despised and sinister, so foreign of movement and ostensibly devoid of sociality and emotion, have fired the imaginations of poets, prophets, and painters across time and cultures?

Stephen S. Hall has been reporting and writing about the intersection of science and society for more than 40 years. In addition to numerous cover stories in the New York Times Magazine, where he also served as a Story Editor and Contributing Writer, his work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, New York Magazine, Wired, Science, Nature, Scientific American, Discover, The Sciences, Hip-pocrates, Smithsonian, and more. He is also the author of six critically acclaimed non-fiction books about contemporary science. He currently serves as an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University, and previously taught graduate seminars in science writing and explanatory journalism at Columbia University.

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield CT 06759
https://www.owlibrary.org/adult-events.aspx

The Abner Hotel

From Courthouse to The Abner Hotel
Thursday, May 8 from 6:30 – 7:30 PM

In-Person ONLY: Registration Required

One of Litchfield’s most recognizable buildings is the Historic Courthouse on the Litchfield Green. The courthouse was built it 1889 but now in 2025 the beautiful building has taken on a new function. Join the new owners, David Boyd and Kevin O’Shea as they take us on a visual journey of turning an 1889 building into a 2025 boutique hotel, the Abner.

David and Kevin will also invite you to stroll over to the hotel after their presentation to see the inside of the hotel and to enjoy a cocktail as their guest.

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield CT 06759
https://www.owlibrary.org/adult-events.aspx

Saturdays at OWL

Saturdays in May at 10:30 AM

All Ages Welcome!

Saturday Storytime is BACK! Come to OWL for an all ages storytime in the children’s room every Saturday at 10:30 then stay to play.

Enjoy our puppet theater, wooden blocks, train set and dollhouse! We also have an ongoing Scavenger Hunt with fun prize for winners, well as a special weekly craft for older children. And most importantly come in to browse our collection of print books, Nutmeg nominees, and Wonderbooks!

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield CT 06759
https://www.owlibrary.org/childrens-events.aspx

Preschool Storytime

Thursdays in May at 10:30 AM

Perfect for 3 – 5 year olds, but fun for everyone!

Join Mrs. Tricia for a classic library storytime – books, songs, bubbles, and more! Come for early literary skills, social connections, and fun! We will focus on one special picture book author each week.

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield CT 06759

https://www.owlibrary.org/childrens-events.aspx

Rhyme Time & Playgroup

Wednesdays in May at 10:30 AM

Perfect for 18 – 36 months, but fun for everyone!

Lots of rhymes, a sprinkling of songs, and one or two shared board books round out this library program that is perfect for little ones who need to get those wiggles out. Stay to PLAY! After the rhymes, stay for some unstructured play time with other kiddos.

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield CT 06759

https://www.owlibrary.org/childrens-events.aspx

Baby Time

Tuesdays in May at 10:30 AM

Perfect for 0 – 12 months, but fun for everyone!

Meet us in the Children’s Room for Baby Time! This calm, cozy program is designed for pre-walkers who aren’t quite ready for the high energy of Rhyme Time. We will focus on nursery rhymes, lullabies, and bonding with your baby.

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield CT 06759

https://www.owlibrary.org/childrens-events.aspx

Flannery O’Conner Series

Exploring Flannery O’Conner with Mark Scarbrough

Friday: May 2 & 9: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Live, In-Person & on Zoom:
Registration required for In-Person ONLY

Flannery O’Connor is considered one of America’s greatest fiction writers and her writing often reflects her Catholic faith and frequently examined questions of morality and ethics.
When she died in August of 1964, The New York Times called her “one of the nation’s most promising writers.”

O’Connor is now as canonical as Faulkner and Welty. More than a great writer, she’s a cultural figure: a funny lady in a straw hat, puttering among peacocks, on crutches she likened to “flying buttresses.”

Discussion Schedule for May:

May 2: Greenleaf; The Enduring Chill; and The Comforts of Home

May 9: Everything That Rises Must Converge; The Lame Shall Enter First; and Revelation

Stop by OWL for copies of the May Titles and join in the discussion!

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield CT 06759

https://www.owlibrary.org/adult-events.aspx

Move Your Mind & Body

Move Your Mind, Move Your Body with Nancy Schuler

Tuesdays in May: 10:15 – 11:00 AM*
Live at OWL – Live on Zoom
Registration required for In-Person only.

Note: This Class is designed for senior women.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2021 to 2030 The Decade For Healthy Ageing. The OWL has always been committed to expanding minds and now we would like to help our community expand their physical strength.

Join Nancy Schuler in this exercise class for senior women. You can attend the class in person, here at the OWL, or online in the privacy of your home. The class features stretching and exercises that can be done in a chair or standing, and lifting of 1 or 2 lb. weights. All exercises are gentle and easy to understand. Exercise has been proven to help one’s cognitive abilities, blood pressure, insomnia, digestive issues, depression, strength and independence. The Alzheimer’s, Diabetes and Heart Associations all recommend exercise for healthy ageing.

No prior experience is necessary. Bring in a set of light weights for this class – 1 to 2 lbs.

Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield CT 06759

https://www.owlibrary.org/adult-events.aspx#anchor_move

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