The Weekend According to Mike for 3/5-7
Allison Demers

2 Home Shows…. 3 Basketball Tournaments… And Jim Brickman!  See what’s happening in music, theater, events and more! 

 ***Join Lite 100.5 WRCH’s Joan Dylan this Friday evening from 5-7 p.m. at the 63rd Connecticut Home and Remodeling Show  at the Ct. Convention Center in Hartford.  She’ll have giveaways including Lite 100.5 WRCH T-shirts, cd’s and dvd’s! Please scroll down and look under EVENTS for a complete description of the 63rd Connecticut Home and Remodeling Show! 

***Meet Lite 100.5 WRCH’s Joe Hann Sunday from 11am to 1pm at the PetSmart grand opening celebration in Enfield on the corner of Hazard Ave. and Phoenix Ave. in the Brookside Shopping Center.  Bring your pets for fun events, fabulous deals and unbelievable giveaways.  PetSmart has everything pet parents need for healthy and happy pets.

MUSIC:

Enjoy an Evening of Romance with Jim Brickman at the Bushnell’s Belding Theater in Hartford this weekend! Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Call 860-987-5900 or go to Bushnell.org for prices and times

Celtic Woman performs at the Toyota Presents Oakdale Theater in Wallingford on Saturday. Go to www.livenation.com for prices ad times.

Jay-Z: The BP3 Tour is at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday  at 8 p.m. Call 1-888-226-7711

The Dave Mason show is SOLD OUT at the Infinity Music Hall and Bistro in Norfolk on Sunday.

Alice in Chains is at the MGM Grand on Saturday at 8 p.m.  Go to www.mgmatfoxwoods.com

THEATER:

“The Lady With All The Answers” is at Theaterworks in Hartford now through Sunday.  “The Lady With All the Answers” brings us a hilarious and touching glimpse into the life of Ann Landers when, in 1975, we find her facing a crucial deadline – and this time the advice she is writing is for herself! Don’t miss stage and TV star Charlotte Booker as Ann Landers.  Please call (860) 527-7838.

Annie plays the Shubert Theater in New Haven this weekend.  Call 888-736-2663 www.capa.com

Enjoy an Evening with Garrison Keillor  at the Calvin Theatre on Sunday at 8 p.m.  19 King St., Northampton. Information:413-586-8686.   $85.00, $65.00, $55.00, $45.00

“Speed the Plow”  plays Theaterworks in Hartford this weekend.  Call (860) 527-7838.

Don’t miss “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild Live at Jorgensen!” on Sunday at 2 pm.  Jungle Jack Hanna and his furry friends will appear at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on the UConn campus in Storrs. Adult tickets are $13; children $11. For tickets and information, call the Box Office at 860.486.4226 www.jorgensen.uconn.edu

EVENTS:

The Big East Women’s Championship will take at the XL Center March 5-9.  Don’t miss a minute of the action. Visit XLCenter.com for more information. Full Session Packages are as low as $99 and include tickets to all 15 games including access to fan fest, the semi finals and finals!

The America East Men’s and Women’s Championship also comes to Hartford to the Chase Family Arena on the campus of the University of Hartford thru Sunday.  860-768-HAWK or www.HartfordHawks.com

The Original, 63rd Annual, Connecticut Home and Remodeling Show is back this weekend and better than ever at the Connecticut Convention Center in downtown Hartford. Friday 5 pm-9 pm, Saturday 10 am-9 pm, Sunday 10 am-5 pm. Tickets available at cthomeshow.com or at The Connecticut Convention Center box office.  www.cthomeshow.com.  The HBA of CT and the HBA of Hartford County are opening the show early for an afternoon dedicated to PROs ONLY from across the state.  Join them for an afternoon, including:
- Special product demonstrations
- Prize drawings & Show Specials
- Meeting vendors and talking pro to pro
- 2010 Builder & Remodeler Outlook with special guest speaker David Crowe, NAHB’s Chief Economist. Visit cthomeshow.com or hbahartford.com for more information

Also, the 16th Annual Spring Home Show is this weekend at the Ct. Expo Center in Hartford.  Times: Friday, 5pm – 9pm, Saturday, 10am – 9pm  and Sunday, 10am – 6pm.  Admission: $10 Adults.  $8 Seniors.  12 and under FREE.  Parking: $5 860.563.2111  or go to www.jenksproductions.com 

 The So Long Guiding Light Event, “So Long Springfield,” a  daylong farewell to Guiding Light, enters 2010 with more stars, more action and even more fun.  This extraordinary event will take place live at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday, and will feature twelve of Guiding Light’s best-loved actors, introducing several that have not appeared at previous East Coast locations. There are two very different sessions and an intimate brunch, with the daytime and evening sessions.  Go to mohegan sun.com or call 1-888-226-7711

Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition is at Foxwoods now through June 13th!  More than 100 artifacts salvaged from the ships wreckage.  Tickets $15-20  Call 800-200-2882 www.foxwoods.com 

Rock Cats’ FanFest is scheduled for Saturday! The New Britain Stadium gates will open at 10 AM, and morning visitors will be greeted by Rocky, the team’s popular mascot, who will be serving complimentary coffee and light breakfast foods. As the day rolls along, the free fare will change over to hot dogs, soda, peanuts and crackerjacks. The Saturday event will run to 2 PM.In lieu of an admission charge, the Rock Cats are asking their fabulous fans to kindly make a timely donation of goods and supplies to two of the team’s Foundation’s charitable partners – The Fairy Godmother Initiative and the CREC, Capital Region Education Council, All fans making such thoughtful donations – beauty supplies and/or baseball equipment – will be rewarded on the spot by the Rock Cats Foundation with 2 Free Tickets for the Rock Cats’ 2010 Opening Night Game on April 8th! Moreover, all those attending FanFest on March 6th will have the opportunity to receive an informative behind-the-scenes tour of New Britain Stadium, including the Rock Cats’ clubhouse, the Press Box, a luxury suite and, weather permitting, gain a unique look at the playing field from the home dugout! There will also be a variety of family-friendly activities offered on  the Stadium’s concourse – including a face-painter, arts and crafts, and a Rock Cats bouncy-house for kids – along with other games on which both children and adults can test their real or virtual baseball skills. Admission, tours, interactive games and complimentary food will be available to fans throughout the day free of charge. www.rockcats.com

The New Britain Youth Museum at Hungerford Park, 191 Farmington Avenue, Kensington will hold its annual Maple Sugaring Day and Pancake Breakfast on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Adults $6, children 2-11 $4, and children under 2 are free. Price includes breakfast and admission to the Center. Continuousseating; no reservations needed. Guided walks to the maple grove, demonstrations of the syrup making process, and children’s crafts are included. For further information call 860-827-9064.

The Healthy Family FunFest is Sunday from 11-4 p.m. at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville. It is a free, fun-filled day offering health-related information, speakers, screenings and activities for people of all ages, from young children to vibrant seniors. Kid zone full of fun activities, including virtual gym, obstacle course, other fun stuff. Games, prizes and giveaways. Cholesterol, blood pressure, vision, brain, balance and bone density screenings. Geocaching. Cooking, exercise and fitness demos. Passport to Great Health and the Healthy Changes Challenge featuring local folks who’ve lost weight. And much more! www.healthyfamilyfunfest.com