H ello, 2024.
Monday, January 1 – New Year’s Day
The calendar resets, and so can you, with one of two nature walks.
Leaving at 10 a.m. from the Meigs Point Nature Center, “walk the Cedar Island trail, an easy walk, and see what lives at Hammonassett Beach State Park. Led by Ranger Russ, we will identify trees, shrubs, birds and more. Learn the stories that make them fascinating.” (Also, from 11 to 3 at the nature center, an Archaeology Road Show invites people to bring in rocks, fossils or artifacts for identification.)
At 11, a registration-required “forest therapy” or “forest bathing” session at West Rock Park aims to “enhance health, wellness, and happiness” by reminding people “how to immerse themselves in nature to rest from all that consumes them in their daily lives.” Note: “Forest therapy walks are not hikes. This will be a gentle slow-paced walk where you will be invited to connect with nature through a series of sensory-based invitations.”
Tuesday, January 2
At 6 p.m. in Ingalls Rink, the Yale and Northeastern women’s hockey teams meet for the first time since the Huskies ended the Bulldogs’ best season ever just before last year’s Frozen Four.
Wednesday, January 3
A film-focused trivia night at the cinema-centered nonprofit Best Video seems sure to attract movie mavens.
Thursday, January 4
At 3 p.m., an early Three Kings Day celebration at Wilson Library promises three kingly figures bearing gifts for children alongside “crafts, refreshments and other activities.”
At 5:30, a casting call held by local filmmakers at 900 Chapel Street seeks actors to play a “military man,” two detectives, a mayor, a news anchor and more for “a new suspense/thriller movie to be shot in New Haven.”
Friday, January 5
Yale is on break, but at at Yale’s West Campus in Orange, a first-Friday tour of the Hume American Furniture Study Center proceeds. Starting at 12:30 p.m., registrants can examine some of the “more than 1,300 examples of American furniture and clocks from the 17th century to the present… as well as an outstanding collection of contemporary wood art.”
From 6 to 7:30, a First Night Branford event on the Branford Town Green promises “entertainment, [a] bonfire, ice carving, s’mores and more!!!”
At 7, a concert at the Shubert aims to resurrect the generational talent of Whitney Houston. “Be stunned by the breathtaking vocals of Belinda Davids performing some of Houston’s greatest hits like: “I Will Always Love You,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” and more. With the accompaniment of a live band and backing vocalists, plus state-of-the-art sound, lighting and theatrical effects, this is a beautifully crafted tribute to one of the world’s most revered singers.”
Starting an hour later at the Space Ballroom, YYNOT conjures a very different sonic legacy: of the prog rock band RUSH. The show promises “a unique blend of unbeatable accuracy, high energy, and raw power with their vintage RUSH classics and a fresh new spark with their own original progressive rock.”
Saturday, January 6
Second and third celebrations of Three Kings Day happen on the day itself. At 11 a.m., Casa Otoñal offers music and refreshments to go with the kings, while, at 2 p.m., East Haven’s Hagaman Memorial Library presents a “celebration concert” featuring “engaging Latin musical ensemble” GOZA, who perform “exciting music and dance rhythms from Latin America, Brazil and Spain.”
If “a night of weird sounds with weird people” sounds fun, then head to Never Ending Books at 6 for a show of ambient music by Neonach, Hissquiet and Marie Carroll.
Written by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
