H ot chocolate, colorful lights, skating on ice: ’Tis certainly the season.
Monday, December 23
The public library system steps up during school breaks, including with a teen-oriented session of “Latte Art with Hot Chocolate” from 5 to 6 p.m. at Ives Main Library (133 Elm St, New Haven; 203-946-8130). “Join us, enjoy a delicious beverage and learn mad skills.” Free.
For six months, daylight visited less and less, until, on December 21, the sun was out for just nine hours, 11 minutes and 29 seconds. At Cafe Nine (250 State St, New Haven), celebrate the return of longer days with Sun Parade, a band whose indie rock conjures fresh spring and languid summer days to come. The 8 p.m. show is free with RSVP or $5 at the door, with openers Zebvlon and SAP.
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Tuesday, December 24
It’s Christmas Eve, so the time is as right as it’s going to get for Fantasy of Lights, an annual array of Christmas light displays that’s up through December 31 at Lighthouse Point Park (2 Lighthouse Rd, New Haven). Open from 5 to 9 p.m. today (and 5 to 10 tomorrow), admission costs $10 for cars, $25 for minibuses and $50 for full-size buses.
Wednesday, December 25 – Christmas
It’s a quiet day outside the home, but if you don’t celebrate the holiday or don’t have plans, klezmer big band Nu Haven Kapelye has you covered, as it has every December 25 for the past two-plus decades. This year’s concert at Congregation Mishkan Israel (785 Ridge Rd, Hamden; 203-288-3877) begins at 4 p.m., and, since it’s also Chanukah, the band promises “traditional Chanukah favorites along with klezmer, Yiddish songs, and more.” Admission is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors and children under 13; and $20 for families of four or more, with the synagogue also requesting “a non-perishable food item to be donated.”
Thursday, December 26
Speaking of Chanukah, The Yurt (550 Amity Rd, Woodbridge; 203-687-8658), a space modeled after a Mongolian hut that periodically hosts live music and meditation, holds “a Chanukah light and sound gathering” at 7:30 p.m. “Doors open at 7:15 p.m. Wear comfortable clothing. $10 suggested donation.”
Friday, December 27
’Tis the season for this, too: Ralph Walker Ice Skating Rink (1080 State St, New Haven) hosts two-hour “open skate” sessions at noon and 4 p.m. as well as adult stick time from 7:30 p.m. to 9. (Public skates also happen at noon and 4 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday.)
Saturday, December 28
At 2 p.m., Ives Main Library (133 Elm St, New Haven; 203-946-8130) screens The Cranes Are Flying (1957), which “depicts the cruelty of war and the damage suffered to the Soviet psyche as a result of World War II.” Free.
Presumably lighter fare—albeit with the weighty theme of “family secrets”—is on the docket at pizza place Next Door (175 Humphrey St, New Haven; 475-234-5969), where the next monthly Songs + Stories event features singers Daniel Eugene, Sandy Lawson and Kriss Santala (with Stefany Brown) and storytellers Jeni Bonaldo, Mike Isko and Marco Rafala. Performances begin at 9 p.m., with late night happy hour pricing in effect. $5.
Sunday, December 29
In a 7 p.m. screening organized by the New Haven Documentary Film Festival and hosted by Whitneyville Cultural Commons (1247 Whitney Ave, Hamden), Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street “sets the record straight about the controversial sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street, which ended Mark Patton’s career just as it was about to begin.” Patton, you see, was the gay-in-real-life star of that sequel, who’s character was given an “overt gay subtext,” as a recent article in The Advocate puts it, that provoked a backlash from fans and from Hollywood itself. Following the screening, organizers promise a literal screaming contest, “with prizes awards for the BEST and WORST screams.” $10.
Written by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
