L ike its cast of ghosts, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol comes three ways during this first full week of the holiday season.
Monday, November 27
Jordan Schneider, a Yale alum and founder of newsletter/podcast ChinaTalk, talks about “carving [out] a career in independent media” in Yale’s Harkness Hall at 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 29
Legacy Theatre’s original musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol returns for its annual Christmastime presentation, starting at 7 tonight.
Thursday, November 30
New Haven’s annual tree lighting festivities begin at 5 p.m. Attractions and activities include a “Holiday Village” stocked with local vendors (who will reportedly open at 4, with hours Friday and Saturday as well); a carousel and other rides; visits and photos with Santa; the New Haven Free Public Library’s Bookmobile; a toy and book drive; community performances; and, of course, the tree lighting, at 7:30.
With the first of five performances tonight at 8, THEATRE CAMP, Yale Cabaret’s Season 56 Festival, promises “a celebration of theatre and storytelling, and the joyful search for the spark of inspiration that made many of us think, ‘I could do that!’ In the spirit of Sandbox, THEATRE CAMP will feature performances of all varieties, including short plays, solo work, musical theatre, and everything in between, all in one evening of entertainment!”
Friday, December 1
A 4 p.m. Firelight Festival in Guilford’s Henry Whitfield State Museum promises “the glow of luminaria, lanterns and three outdoor fires”; “roasted marshmallows, popcorn, hot cocoa and mulled cider”; and “readings of ‘The Night Before Christmas,’” among other things to see and do in and around “Connecticut’s oldest house.”
Starting at 5 at Middlefield’s Lyman Orchards (with hours through December 23), a “Charles Dickens Christmas” attraction invites you to “immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of a simple and traditional family Christmas event. Admire the outdoor lighted scenes; engage with familiar characters from the treasured book, A Christmas Carol; and head inside the beautifully decorated Lyman Family Homestead to experience the joy of the holiday season.”
“Indefinable magic” and “a yogic attention to the sustained sound of the strings resonating traditionally” fill The Dome at Yale’s Schwarzman Center at 7:30, when JACK Quartet performs Catherine Lamb’s divisio spiralis.
From 8 to close at Cafe Nine, it’s the most wonderful time of the year—if your favorite season is summer. For a Halfway to Summer Luau, the bar is “transforming into a lush tropical paradise,” featuring live bossa nova-“inspired” and surf music, Tiki drink specials and “a variety of Hawaiian fusion bites made especially for tonight.”
Saturday, December 2
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Common Ground’s 2023 Winter Festival brings together a wreath-making workshop, local artisan and craft vendors, seasonal kids’ activities and a food and bake sale.
At 2, the Shubert Theatre presents and the Stetson Library hosts a family-oriented Christmas Carol Workshop with “story time, arts and crafts, and a free book for every child attending.”
At the Shubert itself, starting at 7, singer/pianist Jim Brickman conjures “A Joyful Christmas” during “a heartwarming evening of music and laughter fill[ing] the air with the sounds of Yuletide carols, holiday classics and all of Brickman’s biggest hits.”
Also at 7, the Strand Theater in Seymour presents the 1946 Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life on the big screen.
Oh, and there’s a citywide theme party, spanning some 20 local bars and restaurants, celebrating the repeal of Prohibition. From 5 to 10 p.m., those bars/restaurants—view the list here—“will serve at least 2 special ‘prohibition-era cocktails’ at a reduced price.” Guests, meanwhile, are encouraged “to dress like your favorite flapper, bootlegger, gangster or crooked politician… just like you were living in 1933!! We look forward to seeing all of you in your hats, spats, pearls and boas!!”
Sunday, December 3
The Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven’s 19th Annual Craft & Gift Fair lasts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and promises “a fantastic day filled with creativity, artistry, and unique handmade treasures” within its Woodbridge campus.
In Hamden’s Brooksvale Park, a Winter on the Farm day from noon to 3 offers “kids’ games, craft activities, hot chocolate and more!”
Meanwhile, from 1 to 3 at the New Haven Museum, “fans of dollhouse miniatures will delight in the diminutive… as Eliza de Sola Mendes, an independent decorative arts scholar from New York City, presents ‘A History of the Victorian Dolls’ House,’ followed by a tea reception and a special ‘tour’ of NHM’s Levy Dolls’ House!”
Written by Dan Mims. Image 1, featuring the cast of Legacy Theatre’s 2021 production of A Christmas Carol, photographed by T. Charles Erickson. Image 2, taken during the 2021 New Haven tree lighting, photographed by Dan Mims. Image 3, featuring the JACK Quartet, photographed by Cherylynn Tsushima. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
