Get Out: Coventry Regional Farmer's Market, Sommore at the Funny Bone, and a Case Mountain Climb

Sommore, one of the top-grossing stand-up comedians in the country, will tickle weekend Hartford Funny Bone audiences with her sassy take on today's range of issues. Her shows around the country sell out, even at Radio City and Madison Square Garden. And she is called Queen.

Sommore will perform five evening shows at the Buckland Hills comedy shop Friday through Sunday, July 29-31.

Sommore was the first woman to host BET's “Comic View,” and has appeared as special guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The View” and "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher.” She wrote and produced “The Queen Stands Alone,” a filmed version of her stand-up act, and has appeared widely on TV and film.

Oprah Winfrey calls the straight-talking comic “a force to be reckoned with in the new millennium.” 

Shows at the Funny Bone, 194 Buckland Hills Dr., Manchester, are at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $25 with a $3 service charge. For information, call 860-432-8600 or visit the Funny Bone site.

Case Mountain Climb

History buffs, are you buff enough? The Manchester Historical Society invites you to join a free history talk and 3-mile trek to the summit of Case Mountain, named for the historic twin brother industrialists of Manchester, Saturday, July 30.

You can opt to stay just for the talk at the first of the 1 p.m. program at the Case Brothers National Historic District in Highland Park, in the southeastern part of town. If you join the hikers, you will see a waterfall, stone walls, carriage path and Case mansions, as well as plenty of nature. At the summit you will see the Hartford skyline.

The brothers' district was added to the National Register of Historic Places two years ago. The twins, Alfred Wells Case and Albert Willard Case, opened their paper mill in Highland Park, producing washed cotton for Union soldiers during the Civil War. After the end of the war, they started making pressboard, a strong paper product used for shoe soles, albums and binders, and were lauded internationally as leaders in its manufacture. The 640-acre Case Mountain Recreational Area stretches from the Glastonbury border north to Case Pond.

The hike, led by society member Susan Barlow, will start at the Spring Street trailhead, off exit 4 on I-384. For information, visit the historical society events site. Wear sturdy shoes.

Eric Carle Series of Fun at Lutz

Three age groups of youngsters can vibe to author Eric Carle's artistic style Tuesday, Aug. 2, in separate sessions at the Lutz Children's Museum in Manchester. At 10 a.m., children ages 2-3 accompanied by caregivers, can channel the author/illustrator's finger painting enthusiasm and get messy creating art in the style of Little Cloud, the title character of one of Carle's books.

At 1 p.m., children ages 3-5 will work on art inspired by Carle's book, Rooster's Off to See the World, and perhaps be visited by one of the museum animals.

At 3 p.m., children ages 6-8 will learn how Carle illustrates his books and brings characters to life. You will be “as busy as a spider,” program organizers promise.

The first session lasts a half hour and is $10 for members, $12 for non-members; the second and third sessions last an hour each and cost $13 for members and $15 for non-members.

For information, call 860-643-0949 or visit the museum Web site.

You Simply Can't Beet This

Coventry Regional Farmers Market, one of the best in the land, will give the simple beet its due at an event called Beet-Nic Bash this Sunday, July 31, at the Nathan Hale Homestead.

Whole Foods Market chefs will prepare Beet and Fennel Salad with apples and mixed greens; Delmatta Farm will demonstrate how to make pickled beets; Connecticut Specialty Food Award winner Can't Beet It will give out samples of its Authentic Ukrainian-Polish beet and horseradish condiment, and kids can go home with a beet tattoo.

Music will be courtesy of Three Course Meal, a trio with a sound purported to be reminiscent of the roaring '20s. Over at the Hale Homestead, brains will be teased by a Fact or Fiction Contest and Children’s Scavenger Hunt.

That's the thing about the Coventry farmers market – there's plenty of action, plenty of entertainment, plenty of vendors, plenty of scenery, and plenty of homegrown foods and homemade goods for all tastes. About 75,000 people visit every year, half of them from outside the area. And good dogs are welcome.

Yankee Magazine, after visiting 50 such sites, has just dubbed it the best in Connecticut and among the top five in New England. Boston Magazine's Best of New England 2011 issue also gave Coventry the top nod among Connecticut markets.

Meanwhile, the market is one of three finalists in a national contest to win an $80,000 post-and-beam barn for its site. A victory over markets in Michigan and New Jersey could lead to shelter for some musical acts, demonstrations and other market activities in Coventry. Voting takes place Aug. 1-15 at the Yankee Barn Web site. You can also vote to keep Coventry in the lead for Connecticut in the America's Favorite Farmers Market Contest.

Plan ahead to hit these upcoming themed market draws: Old-Fashioned Corn Roast, Aug. 14; Heirloom Tomato Festival, Aug. 28; Three Sisters Celebration, Sept. 11; Fiber Twist, Sept. 19; Blues & Brews, Oct. 16; and Great Pumpkin Festival, Oct. 30.

Coventry Farmers Market runs Sundays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Nathan Hale Homestead, 2299 South St., from June through October. For information, visit the market's Web site.

'Dr. Doolittle' in Tolland Summer Stock

If you can talk to the animals, check out the Tolland Youth Services Community Theater production of “Doctor Doolittle” Friday and Saturday, July 29-30, in the Tolland High School Auditorium.

Performances start at 7 p.m. Tickets for this summer musical are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased through July 28, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Human Services Office in Town Hall or 6-6:30 p.m. at Tolland High School. For information, call 860-871-3612 or -3648 or e-mail nancydunn@tolland.org.

Many Stories at Rockville Lib

In its “One World, Many Stories” Summer Reading Program, Rockville Public Library is offering a “Life in a River” wildlife program at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, July 28, and Boston Museum of Science's “Super Cold Science” at 2:30 p.m. Friday, July 29. The “Life in a River” program requires pre-registration.

Programs next week include a movie at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1, and an event titled “Two Right Feet,” with music, movement and stories, at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2. Children ages 2-4 are invited to a story hour at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3.

For more information or to register, call the library at 860-875-5892 ext. 26.

Extreme Flying at New England Air Museum

There's flying . . . and then there is extreme flying – the kind required when helicopter pilots are called upon to rescue people in storms, or when hurricanes are being hunted. On July 30, the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks holds its first Extreme Flight Day. Special guests include Lieut. Col. Graham Buschor, one of two helicopter pilots forced to ditch in the Atlantic Ocean in the midst of rescue operations during what is now called "the perfect storm." (He survived five hours at sea in 70-foot waves until being rescued by the Coast Guard.) Major Kaitlyn McLaughlin is a "hurricane hunter," and a member of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. Kathy Wadsworth, a record-setting aeronaut, is among the first to fly a balloon over the jungles of the Amazon.

The Extreme Flight event runs from noon to 4 p.m. The price of admission is included in the museum's regular admission cost – $11 ages 12 and up; $10 seniors; $6 ages 4 to 11; children under 4, free. Two formal presentations, by Buschor and McLaughlin, begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission to the evening event is $10 per person; free to members. The New England Air Museum is at 36 Perimeter Rd., Windsor Locks. For more information, visit www.neam.org or call 860-623-3305. 

Discount Admission for Visitors of Air and Trolley Museums

Learn about the evolution of flight and pioneers in aviation or take a trolley for a 3-mile round-trip and take in the History & Evolution of the Electric Railway & its Impact on Society – when all at reduced admission charges when the New England Air Museum of Windsor Locks teams up with the Connecticut Trolley Museum.

The discounts are available throughout the month of August. Visit the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks at the regular admission rate and receive $2 off for up to four admissions on your visit to the Connecticut Trolley Museum or vice versa. (Bring your August receipt to the ticket counter at either location and receive the discount.) Members of each museum may visit the other museum free of charge during this promotion.

The New England Air Museum is at 36 Perimeter Rd., Windsor Locks. For more information, visit www.neam.org or call 860-623-3305. 

The Connecticut Trolley Museum is at 58 North Rd. (CT Route 140) in East Windsor.  For more information, call 860-627-6540 or visitwww.ct-trolley.org

Folk on Fridays at Cheney Hall

Cheney Hall in Manchester continues its open mic series  on July 29. Musicians are invited to sign up at 6:30 p.m. for a 10-minute slot. The music starts at 7 p.m.

Admission is free, but contributions are welcome. For more information, visit www.cheneyhall.org or call 860-647-9824. Cheney Hall is at 177 Hartford Road, Manchester.

Jazz Dance Boot Camp at Playhouse

Calling all dancers: Want to get back in shape for fall dance programs? West Hartford's Playhouse hosts a Jazz Dance Boot Camp, which runs Aug. 1 through 12. Dance instructor Darlene Zoller puts dancers through their paces with the goal of conditioning their bodies and teaching technique. Zoller has worked with the Hall High School Pops 'N Jazz program, the Little Theater of Manchester, and the Hartt School Community Division, among others. 

The camp is held in two sessions, August 1 through 5, and August 8 through 12. Classes run 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fee for one week is $200. Fee for both weeks is $350. Playhouse on Park is at 244 Park Rd., West Hartford. For more information, visit www.playhouseonpark.orgor call 860-523-5900 x10.