Other projects being spearheaded by Riverfront Recapture include the restoration of Great River Park, on the East Hartford side of the river, where a free public boat launch and picnic area will be connected by a riverwalk extending from the Bulkeley Bridge to Charter Oak Bridge. Bikers eventually will be able to make a loop around the river, starting at Constitution Plaza, crossing over Founders Bridge to East Hartford, heading south to the Charter Oak Bridge and crossing back over to a walkway that heads north into downtown Hartford. For information on Riverfront Recapture, call 713-3131. Slightly further afield, fans of the great outdoors can flock to the Hartford area's two main reservoir areas, including reservoirs 1 through 5, located off Route 4 in West Hartford near the Farmington line and reservoir No. 6 off Route 44, halfway up Avon Mountain. Both areas feature free hiking and breathtaking views of the water, with plenty of room for mountain biking and picnicking.
Parking is also free.
If you're hungry for an artistic smorgasbord and you want to enjoy an evening out on the town with free performances in Hartford, the first stop should be the city's monthly First Thursday events. Happening the first Thursday of every month, the program has featured hundreds of performances over the last three years, including Latin festivals, parades, kids' events, club crawls and, if we can take a moment for a shameless plug, the Advocate 's annual Grand Band Slam , Connecticut's biggest free outdoor local music festival. The August event features winning local and regional bands from the Advocate 's annual readers' poll, in categories ranging from rock and ska to hip-hop, jazz, reggae and country. While not every event presented for First Thursday is free, a good portion of them are offered without charge, and the Greater Hartford Arts Council distributes flyers that clearly mark the events with no admission fee. The Greater Hartford Arts Council can be reached for information about First Thursdays at 525-8629.