Savvy Shopper

Free Heirloom Festival at Comstock Ferre

Korky Vann — Sat, 25 May 2013 06:54:03 GMT

Comstock Ferre & Co, 263 Main St., Wethersfield, holds its annual Heirloom Festival on Sunday, May, 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The free event, (held rain or shine), features speakers, music, kids’ activities, vintage crafters and more. Information: 860-571-6590.

Military Pass At CT Science Center

Korky Vann — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:38:49 GMT

The Connecticut Science Center in Hartford marks Memorial Day with free general
admission for hometown heroes on Saturday and Sunday, May 25 and 26.
Active-service and veterans as well as firefighters, EMS and police officers,
(with valid ID) can visit at no charge, and immediate family members
accompanying service personnel get [...]

Cornwall Bridge Pottery Sale

Korky Vann — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:37:01 GMT

Take a ride in the country and get a great deal. Cornwall Bridge Pottery’s store holds its annual lamp clearance sale with savings of up to 75 percent on lighting and discounts on selected furniture as well. Cornwall Bridge Pottery is at 415 Sharon Goshen Turnpike/Route 128 in West Cornwall. Hours are Saturday, Sunday and [...]

Gas Deal at BJ’s in West Hartford

Korky Vann — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:37:38 GMT

Planning a Memorial Day road trip? Fill up cheap with this gas deal at BJs in West Hartford on Thursday, 5/23. The first 500 members in line at 6:30 a.m. get regular unleaded gas for just $2.50 a gallon. Not a member? You can purchase a membership while you’re waiting in line and then fill up at the discounted [...]

Hartford Stage Deal

Korky Vann — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:00:46 GMT

Hartford Stage is offering a summer holiday special: premium seats for Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night for $30, (regularly $77). Discounted tickets are available, while they last, for Friday, May 24, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 25 at 2 p.m. and Tuesday, May 28, at 7:30 p.m. Information: 860-527-5151 or www.hartfordstage.org.

Summer Hostess Gift Idea

Korky Vann — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:32:14 GMT

Looking for a cool hostess gift? This Out of Print coaster set, featuring classic book cover art, will give you A-list guest status. A set of 8 coasters is $20 and proceeds benefit Books for Africa, an organization that donates books to communities in need.

Free Bowling for Kids

Korky Vann — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:40:47 GMT

The Kids Bowl Free program, at eight Connecticut bowling alleys, (including Silver Lanes in East Hartford), lets children bowl two free games every day, all summer long. Each center has its own age restrictions, as well as any times coupons are not valid. Most programs beginn in May and run through the [...]

Free Family Day in Litchfield

Korky Vann — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:57:53 GMT

Have some old fashioned fun at Litchfield Historical Society’s free Family Day on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Activities include dance, games, crafts, live animals and free admission to the Litchfield History Museum, 7 South St. Information: 860-567-4501 and
www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.

Best Kids’ Apps

Korky Vann — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:03:49 GMT

Kids always grabbing at your smart phone or tablet? SmartAppsForKids.com rates the best children’s apps, organizes offerings by age and subjects, highlights a free app of the day and lets parents sign up for app alerts.

Art Museum Day

Korky Vann — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:13:43 GMT

Saturday, May 18, is Art Museum Day. The event, organized by the Association of Art Museum Directors, features free, discounted or pay-what-you-want admissions and special activities at more than 100 art institutions across the country, including the Wadsworth Atheneum, Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute in Massachusetts and the Museum of Modern Art in New [...]

Free Coffee at Hartford Panera

Korky Vann — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:26:32 GMT

Early birds get morning coffee on the house. Starting a 8 a.m., the first 500 customers in line Friday at the new Panera Bread, 10 State House Square, in Hartford, get a free Panera travel mug and free coffee refills for 30 days. (Offer available at the Hartford location only.) Information: [...]

A Shopping Bucket List And A New Column

Korky Vann — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:21:16 GMT

If you shop wherever and whenever you roam, you won’t want to miss my new column, “Shopping Around,” appearing each Sunday in the Courant’s Travel section. I’ll be writing about travel, shopping, retail and consumer issues, and – as always – deals.

Here’s my first column, World’s Markets, Malls Make A Great [...]

Free Car Check

Korky Vann — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:50:57 GMT

Hitting the road this summer? AAA is offeringfree vehicle maintenance inspections from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, at the Department of Transportation commuter lot near Buckland St. and Pleasant Valley Rd. in Manchester. (You don’t have to be a AAA member.) Roadside Rescue Team staff will check batteries, tires, wiper blades, [...]

Android Deal

Korky Vann — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:26:28 GMT

Planning to purchase a new smartphone? Get one free at CVS.com/smartphone instead. To promote its new app, the company is giving away a million Android phones, including Samsung Galaxy, HTC EVO and LG Viper. Offer available to Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile consumers eligible to upgrade their phones or who sign up for [...]

Free McDonald’s Egg White McMuffin

Korky Vann — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:22:09 GMT

Want a coupon for a free McDonald’s Egg White McMuffin?

Be one of the first to send me an email, (kvann@courant.com), with your name, mailing address and the answer to this riddle: Why can’t you tease egg whites?

Brimfield Rush

Korky Vann — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:42:41 GMT

Brimfield’s legendary outdoor antiques and collectibles fair begins at dawn Tuesday, May 14, in fields along Route 20 in Massachusetts. The event features thousands of dealers and even more attendees. Some fields charge $5 admission and parking is about $10. Show ends Sunday, May 19. Information: www.brimfield.com.

Free Golf GPS Range Finder

Korky Vann — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:30:50 GMT

Looking to improve your golf game? Swing by Swing, a free app for Android and iOS, puts a golf GPS range finder and scorecard as close as your mobile phone. Information: www.swingbyswing.com.

Baseball BOGO

Korky Vann — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:08:44 GMT

Nothing cheesy about this deal. KRAFT Singles and Minor League Baseball are offering a “Tuesday Night Tickets” special. Fans who present an empty Kraft Singles wrapper get a second ticket free at any Tuesday night minor league home game, including the New Britain Rock Cats, through Sept. 6. (Remember to leave the cheese home and [...]

Take Mom Shopping!

Korky Vann — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:54:43 GMT

Looking for Mother’s Day activities? Take mom to a spring sale, market or fair.

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 41 Park St., Manchester holds a May fair on Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event includes a huge white elephant tag sale. (Admission is free, but a non-perishable [...]

Free Family Fun At Valley Sports Center

Korky Vann — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:44:16 GMT

Valley Sports Center, 310 Albany Turnpike in Canton, gets ready for summer with a free family celebration on Friday, May 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. Activities include open basketball, volleyball and ping pong games, contests, prizes, a bounce house, face painting, balloons and refreshments. (Kids under 10 need parental supervision.) Other free events and [...]

Gift Card For Mom

Korky Vann — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:08:07 GMT

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Tanger Outlets in Westbrook is selling $50 gift cards for $40. The cards, available at the shopper services desk, can be used at any store in the center. offer ends at 6 p.m. on sunday. A $1.50 fee to activate the card is waived for Tanger Club members. Join [...]

Free Circus Preview

Korky Vann — Tue, 07 May 2013 07:37:16 GMT

The circus is coming, and if you’re in downtown Hartford on Wednesday, May 8, you can get a free preview. Starting at 10:30 a.m., elephants will parade from the XL Center to the Old State House, 800 Main St. Around 11 a.m., the circus ringmaster arrives on horseback and performers and clowns entertain. Afterwards, the [...]

Portland Townwide Tag Sale

Korky Vann — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:39:02 GMT

Expect stop and go traffic in Portland on Saturday when the Portland Historical Society holds its annual town-wide tag sale. More than 100 sales are scheduled and most run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., rain or shine. Free maps of sale locations will be available starting Thursday at the museum, 492 Main St., and [...]

Half-Price Happy Hour At Starbucks

Korky Vann — Sat, 04 May 2013 07:41:31 GMT

All frappuccino beverages are half-off during Starbuck’s happy hour promotion, which runs from 3 to 5 p.m., each day through May 12. Fans can also visit www.Frappuccino.com, to submit “selfies” of themselves drinking their favorite blends. Information at www.Starbucks.com.

New Beautiful Day Collection At Bath & Body Works

Korky Vann — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:20:42 GMT

Looking for Mother’s Day gift ideas? Bath & Body Works’ new Signature Collection Beautiful Day includes Eau de Toilette ($29.50), Fine Fragrance Mist ($14), Body Lotion ($11), Shower Gel ($11), Triple Moisture Body Cream ($12.50), Shimmer Mist ($14), Swirl Gel Lotion ($14), 2-in-1 Superfruit Body Scrub + Wash ($14), Travel-Size Body [...]