W e’ve got a queen, soothsayers, witches, ghosts, bards and bacchanals—and that’s not even getting into the Shakespeare.
Monday, August 14
At MakeHaven, a Mechanical Deconstruction session at 7 p.m. offers the chance—the excuse?—to disassemble and “explore the hidden mechanics within everyday toys, gadgets, and electronics. Bring your own unused items and, with guidance from our Makerspace team, unravel their secrets, learning about their inner workings and designs. … No prior technical knowledge is needed—it’s all about the thrill of discovery.”
Wednesday, August 16
At 9 p.m., on the Queen of Pop’s 66th birthday, her self-produced documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991) screens during the latest Summer Movie Night on the Patio at 168 York Street Cafe.
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Thursday, August 17
Arts & Ideas’s 2023 Rhythm Exchange, a series of weekly noontime musical events on the New Haven Green, features a dance party led by local DJs Dooley-O and Ch’Varda.
At 8 p.m., after a 7:30 opening concert by cast members, Elm Shakespeare Company presents the opening performance of this year’s presentation of The Bard in Edgerton Park: The Merry Wives of Windsor. Picnics encouraged.
Friday, August 18
From 1 to 7 p.m. today and tomorrow, a Psychic Fairfest at Two Roads Brewing in Stratford “feature[s] 20 psychics, readers, spiritualists, authors, healers, and vendors”—plus, according to the flyer, a “Goody Bassett Witch/Ghost Hunt” involving “dinner, [a] haunted artifacts display, equipment [and an] investigation” from 6:30 to 7:30.
From 4:30 to 7:30, Happy Hour in the Plaza offers “music, food, drink and game[s]” in Temple Plaza. The music this time is produced by the New Haven Jazz Underground, while the food comes from Zinc.
At 6:30, a three-act show in Hamden at a hush-hush place called The Shop (or maybe The Church; either way, you have to email or DM the booker for the address) features M.A.G.S., whose raw-sounding but secretly really polished high-energy garage pop sounds perfect for an underground show.
Saturday, August 19
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the ever-popular Milford Oyster Festival in downtown Milford returns with a food court promising 30,000 local oysters; a craft beer and wine garden; three stages of musical acts headlined on the main one by hitmaking Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm; an arts and crafts show; a car show; and a family area with rides and entertainment geared toward the kids.
Also starting at 10 a.m. but on the other side of New Haven, Branford’s Blackstone Library hosts a Library Lawn-a-Palooza featuring “games, live music, and fun for the whole family.”
From 1 to 4 p.m. in Stratford’s Shakespeare Park, the seventh annual ShakesBeer Festival promises “over 50 craft breweries, live music, local food trucks and vendors, as well as games and activities.”
The Sanctuary series presents Neo Haven 20X3, a cyberpunk-themed dance party at Cafe Nine. “DJs R.I.C.H.A.R.D and Azrael are back on the decks for another round of Industrial, Darkwave, Dark Synthwave, and other music for a night full of dark, dystopian debauchery,” themed costumes strongly encouraged. “And once again, we’ve got the aug specialists at Sparkle Squad CT back for UV facial enhancements (aka glow-in-the-dark face paint) at competitive prices!”
Written by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
