W hether you love it or not, this year’s Valentine’s Day feels less like serendipity and more like fate.
Monday, February 10
Open noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 5 p.m. on Friday, the annual XOXO valentine sale at Creative Arts Workshop (80 Audubon St, New Haven; 203-562-4927) is making it possible to buy “one-of-a-kind cards, books, boxes, pottery and more” right up to the last minute.
In the meantime, you can show some love for the planet by showing up at the free launch party for this year’s Rock to Rock Earth Day Ride. The ride happens in April, but the party—promising “food, drinks, live music [and] youth climate speakers”—happens from 5:30 to 7 tonight at City Hall (165 Church St, New Haven).
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Tuesday, February 11
At 7 p.m., Elm City Speed Dating returns with a timely round of mixing and mingling. This time, the host is coworking space KNOWN (139 Orange St, New Haven), and the agenda includes “Wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and light fare”; “a series of brief dates with prompts”; and a closing activity that isn’t so structured. Free; registration required.
Wednesday, February 12
At 4 p.m. in Room 117 of Yale’s William L. Harkness Hall (100 Wall St, New Haven), Gregory Pine of the Thomistic Institute presents his case for the thesis that “Happiness Cannot Be Had Alone.” Embattled singles rest assured: He’s not saying—at least overtly—that you can’t be happy while being romantically unattached; he’s arguing that “the pursuit of happiness without regard for or relation to other people can only end in disappointment and disillusionment.” Free.
Thursday, February 13
Brotherly love—or contempt—is the subject of littleboy/littleman at Yale Cabaret (217 Park St, New Haven; 203-432-1566). “In Sweetwater, Florida, two Nicaraguan brothers, Fíto and Bastian are at odds when their views on identity and the American Dream collide. At the expense of their relationship, each makes conflicting decisions to pursue their dreams. With poetry and a rhythmic drive, we are invited into a space where live music, ritual, and reality intertwine in this fable about the bond between brothers.” Showtimes are 8 p.m. today and 8 and 11 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, with tickets costing $25 (discounts available for Yale faculty, staff and students) and pre-show dinner reservations available.
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Friday, February 14 – Valentine’s Day
Ordinary (990 Chapel St, New Haven; 203-907-0238) is back with what has become an annual tradition: an Anti-Valentine’s Day party. The theme this year—“Postmodern in Pink,” a “riff on the John Hughes classic… Pretty in Pink”—entails “postmodern approaches to John Hughes-themed cocktails and food” starting at 4 p.m. and DJ Shaki “taking care of the vibe” from 9 p.m. on. No cover.
New bar PARK on Crown (260 Crown St, New Haven) nurtures new love with Pour Your Heart Out, a speed dating event geared to the 25-to-35 set. Sign-in begins at 5:30 p.m.—“make sure you’re early enough to sign in, grab a drink and get situated”—and the speed dating lasts from 6 to 8. $18.
At 9 p.m. at Three Sheets (372 Elm St, New Haven; 475-202-6909), dating becomes a spectator sport with a live version of The Dating Game emceed by Professor M. No cover.
And from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at The State House (310 State St, New Haven), DJs Wave and R.I.C.H.A.R.D. present Love Stinks, a “Valentine’s Day dance party with all your favorite ’80s/’90s alternative, new wave [and] post punk music.” $5.
Saturday, February 15
Seduction of the Minotaur, featuring the “Labyrinth” series of a-maze-ingly intricate line drawings by local artist Daniel Eugene, enjoys a free opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at DaSilva Gallery (897-899 Whalley Ave, New Haven; 203-387-2539).
The New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s “Vision | 2020 & Beyond” fundraising gala happens at 7 p.m. at the Omni Hotel (155 Temple St, New Haven). For $150, you can “enjoy live music, silent and live auctions, delicious food and decadent desserts… all while supporting your New Haven Symphony’s legacy of artistic excellence, education and innovation.”
Sunday, February 16
Friday at 8 p.m. at the Shubert Theatre (247 College St, New Haven; 203-562-5666), yesterday at 8 p.m. and today at 2 p.m., Yale Opera presents Florencia en el Amazonas, “a new production of the first Spanish-language opera commissioned by celebrated U.S. opera companies”—one that “ingeniously connects operatic tradition to the sounds of the story’s South American jungle setting.” $19-54.
The next screening in the Treasures from the Yale Film Archive series features the “psychological thriller” We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), “a harrowing story of a family reeling from a son’s unthinkable violence.” The movie, which was apparently filmed partly in Stamford, gets rolling at 2 p.m. in the Whitney Humanities Center (53 Wall St, New Haven).
Written by Dan Mims. Photographed by Stephen Giles. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
