[UPDATED] Five Things to Do This Weekend

There's no shortage of things to do this weekend, that's for sure. And for a change of pace, a lot of the action is in Lyme.

1. The big event, of course, is the Hamburg Fair. Among the special events today is a Horse Pull from noon to 2 p.m., a Karate demonstration from 2 to 3 p.m. and the 8 Mile River Band takes the stage tonight from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

On Sunday, highlights include the Ox Pull at 9 a.m. and the Bristol Old Tyme Fiddlers Club from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be daily blacksmith demonstrations too!

Fair organizers will be serving up breakfast daily and of course you'll find all the usual (and a few unusual) exhibits, contests, games, and carnival rides that you'd expect.  about each day's schedule, directions and parking.  

2. The golf tournament, which is being held as a fundraiser to help East Lyme man left him paralyzed, tees off today at Cedar Ridge Golf Course in East Lyme.

Organizers have also hatched a plan to take an aerial photograph of all 200 golfers holding signs that spell out a message for Landers, so that even though he's in a rehabilitation center in Atlanta right now, he'll know everyone's thinking of him! 

3. The will go on as always but with a few new additions this Saturday morning. Julia Leis, who is new to the market, will be displaying her note cards and the featured performer this week will be Alien Folk Music, which sounds very cool. 

4. The Niantic River will be awash with kayaks on Sunday, August 19, after the 9th annual  was washed out by rain on Saturday, (the original date set for the event). The kayak regatta, which is sponsored by Save the River-Save the Hills, Inc., will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Sunday's weather should be much more conducive, with a predicted high of 79 degrees and only a 10 percent chance of rain throughout the mostly sunny, partly cloudy day.

5. If you like to shop—and for some people it's practically a competitive sport—then you're going to love Sunday. August 19 marks the start of Connecticut's annual tax-free shopping week and it applies to sales of shoes and clothes up to $300. It's designed to help families kit out their kids before school starts but that doesn't mean you couldn't pick up a little designer something for yourself!