T his week’s Thanksgiving meal is made from gratifying traditions, amusing deviations and making itself.
Monday, November 25
At 6:30 p.m., maker space MakeHaven (770 Chapel St, New Haven) hosts Michigan-based inventor/entrepreneur Ben Logan for a free talk about “the real-life ups and downs of independent product development.” Subjects include not just manufacturing but also “package design, UPC, assembly process, marketing, online sales, Amazon sales, fulfillment and customer support”—all “from the perspective of a solo entrepreneur.” Logan’s most successful product to date, by the way, is Rootpods, a system that allows users to easily “clone” their plants and is manufactured via injection molding.
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Tuesday, November 26
There’s usually at least a little twisting in yoga, but the twist is bigger at Stony Creek Brewery (5 Indian Neck Ave, Branford; 203-433-4545) during a 6:30 p.m. session of Rage Yoga. Oriented toward people who “can’t relax or let go in a traditional yoga class,” Rage Yoga is “about achieving a state of calm and getting a great workout by cursing, yelling and boozing it up.” $30 (first beer included); bring your own mat.
Wednesday, November 27
Anti-social as ever, long-running Thanksgiving live music tradition Dean Falcone’s Annual Vomitorium returns to Cafe Nine (250 State St, New Haven; 203-789-8281) for volume 23. “Come hear your favorite songs from the dirty ’70s slaughtered and massacred the way they deserve,” organizers say, “in this festive American holiday tradition where friend and foe come together and then attack each other with blows of unrehearsed tunes.” 9 p.m.; $10.
Just up the block, starting at 9:30 p.m. in The State House (310 State St, New Haven), local legend Dooley-O DJs the next installment of his Back Room dance party featuring classic hip hop, funk, disco, house and ’90s R&B. $5.
Thursday, November 28 – Thanksgiving
If you’ve got plans, you’re all set.
If you don’t, Elm City Games (71 Orange St, New Haven) invites you to join its second annual Thanksgiving potluck, where, from 3 to 9 p.m., a meal will be shared, games will be played and the TV will be tuned to the football game. All you need to do is bring some food or drink. Also “feel free to bring friends, family, and friendly dogs.”
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Friday, November 29
The Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop (915 Whitney Ave, Hamden; 203-777-1833) opens Mr. Gilbert’s Railroad, its annual exhibition of American Flyer trains—wondrous working scale models of real trains that eventually came under the purview of famous local toymaker the A.C. Gilbert Company—from noon to 5 p.m. As per tradition, there will be a tracks-traversed model town (like the one above, pictured in 2015) with controls you can use to make the trains chug along, plus an array of Erector Set parts—another Gilbert product—meant to “challenge young hands to experiment.” Free.
The Shops at Yale are melding Black Friday with Small Business Saturday and pulling Sunday in too with a series of attractions and enticements: free parking at participating lots with a minimum purchase of $30 at any retailer; ice carving demos from 1 to 3 p.m. all three days; hot cocoa and brassy holiday tunes from 2 to 4 p.m. all three days; roaming yuletide carolers from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; random “customer appreciation giveaways” from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday; storytelling with Santa events from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and, believe it or not, more.
Saturday, November 30
From 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Common Ground High School, Urban Farm, and Environmental Education Center (358 Springside Ave, New Haven) hosts a free family-friendly campfire and fort building workshop. The event, which will have a campfire going throughout, coincides with the school’s final Open Farm Day of the season, meaning you can interact with the animals too.
After an opener yesterday at 6 p.m., the Shubert Theatre (247 College St, New Haven; 203-562-5666) presents 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. stagings of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical. Adapted from the classic 1964 TV special, producers invite you to “come see all of your favorite characters from the special including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph.” $39-89.
Sunday, December 1
Need to laugh? Hosted by local comic Josh Levinson, the free monthly comedy open mic at “gastrodive” Three Sheets (372 Elm St, New Haven; 475-202-6909) starts at 7 p.m. And if you need to make others laugh, signups start at 6:30.
Written and photographed by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
