T his week’s menu includes breakfast on a summit, dinner in a park and drinks on a roof.
Monday, August 12
The next Manic Monday at Cafe Nine (250 State St, New Haven; 203-789-8281), when it’s free if you RSVP or $5 at the door, stars “psychedelic Afro-soul revivalists” Gentleman Brawlers, whose latest single, “My Theory,” wends slowly and suspensefully and is their sharpest output to date. Sharing the bill is South African-turned-New Havener Thabisa, a singer whose got plenty of soul herself, and local “alternative neo-soul” artist Ro Godwynn. 8 p.m.
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Tuesday, August 13
A local author night at RJ Julia (768 Boston Post Rd, Madison; 203-245-3959) starts at 7 p.m., and the theme this time is a crowd-pleaser: the mystery genre. You can meet and hear from Loretta Goldberg, author of The Reversible Mask, in which “intrigue, lust, and war combine irresistibly”; R.C. Goodwin, author of “psychological thriller” Model Child; John J. O’Brien, a former DEA agent writing about what he knows in Unlikely Allies; and Rose Young, author of a title that introduces itself: Roses, Wine & Murder: In the City of Steeples. Free.
Wednesday, August 14
Social Cycling New Haven offers a clarion call for early risers/riders: “Get your Wednesday started with a bike ride up East Rock, coffee, and pancakes!” You can join from the get-go by meeting at Bradley Street Bike Co-Op (138 Bradley St, New Haven) at 7 a.m., or you can ride up on your own and meet the others at the top. Free.
Thursday, August 15
Elm Shakespeare Company’s 2019 edition of Shakespeare in the Park—Edgerton Park (75 Cliff St, New Haven), that is—opens at 8 p.m., marking the company’s 24th annual offering under tree and star. (A previous one is pictured above.) Staging Tuesdays through Sundays until September 1 (weather permitting), the play this time is The Comedy of Errors, where Shakespeare pushes one of his favorite comic tropes—mistaken identities—to the max. Come early, ideally with a blanket and picnic, to get a good spot.
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Friday, August 16
Rescheduled to 7 p.m. today due to a rain-out in July, local act Jeff Fuller & Friends, usually a triangle comprised of bassist Jeff Fuller, pianist Darren Litzie and drummer Ben Bilello, becomes a square thanks to the addition of crooner Atla DeChamplain. But don’t expect the music to be square, because this is jazz—part of the Branford Jazz on the Green series, which takes place, of course, on the Branford Town Green. Free.
Saturday, August 17
Promising 30,000 oysters pulled from the waters off Milford’s own coast, the 45th annual Milford Oyster Festival, centered around the city’s harbor, starts at 10 in the morning and finishes at 6 in the evening. Along with the oysters, organizers promise plenty of other food, a craft beer and wine garden, live music, arts and crafts vendors, a children’s stage, carnival rides, canoe and kayak races, schooner cruises and a classic car show. Free to attend.
Also seaside, in spirit anyway, is the next installment of the State House Cabaret. Situated, naturally, at The State House (310 State St, New Haven) and presented by Lipgloss Crisis, the variety show, featuring aerial silks, live music, burlesque, bellydancing, drag and more, starts at 8:30 p.m. $20 in advance, or $25 at the door.
Sunday, August 18
Hosted by The Shops at Yale and benefitting the Robin I. Kroogman New Haven Animal Shelter, the 3rd Annual Appetizer and Dessert Crawl runs from noon to 4 p.m. Ticketholders should first head to Broadway Island (56 Broadway, New Haven), from which point they’ll embark on one of two overlapping routes, each with 13 stops—including Ashley’s, Tarry Lodge, Harvest and South Bay—offering either apps or desserts. $20.
Meanwhile, from 2 to 5 p.m., the latest New Haven Cocktail Week opens with a “Spirits Ball” at one of the city’s latest bars: High George, located on the roof of the Blake Hotel (9 High St, New Haven). $50 advance tickets ($60 at the door) include “an afternoon sampling of all the spirits from NHCW sponsored vendors,” a tasting glass, “complimentary snacks” and a soundtrack by DJ Connie Carmona.
Also starting at 2 p.m. is “an up-close-and-personal visit with monarch butterflies in various stages of their magical life cycle” at the Pardee-Morris House (325 Lighthouse Rd, New Haven). The monarch of the occasion is Nancy DuBrule-Clemente, owner of Natureworks Horticultural Services in North Haven, who will also show attendees “how [they] can help safeguard these regal creatures.” Free.
Written and photographed by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
