They say things come in threes—and this week has three of them, from a holiday to a bar to a trio of art openings.
Monday, January 6
At 3 p.m., Wilson Branch Library hosts its annual Three Kings Day celebration, with the kings on hand giving presents to children and Son Chaneques Rebeldes performing.
The next virtual Mondays at Beinecke talk features multimultihyphenate Colin Caplan discussing local food history at 4 followed by a 4:30 Q&A.
Tuesday, January 7
A Hang Out Film Fest—“It’s like an open mic, but for the movie folk!”—comes to Spruce Coffee (where Gather used to be) at 7 p.m.
Thursday, January 9
The Branford Arts & Cultural Alliance comes to “BACA West”—a satellite gallery at 360 State Street, New Haven—for a 5:30 p.m. opening reception featuring artworks by Jay Babina, John Fallon, Carl Fasano, Marian Wittink and Don Wunderlee.
The Ely Center of Contemporary Art holds its next Weird Music Night at 7. This installment of the monthly series curated by artist, performer and professor John O’Donnell promises “an evening of experimental sound, performance art, and puppetry that challenges conventional boundaries and celebrates the unexpected.”
Also at 7, Elizabeth Ward, an ecologist working for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, discusses “Tree Stressors in Connecticut”—specifically, “how Connecticut’s forests are changing in response to Beech Leaf Disease and Emerald Ash Borer invasion”—at the Guilford Free Library.
Friday, January 10
From 6 to 8, Witch Bitch Thrift hosts an opening reception for a show of works by Lovey Dovey and Shady Dankin, “two dynamic artists whose works challenge convention…”
At 7, The Cellar on Treadwell in Hamden hosts a hip hop bill with over a dozen acts headlined by Wu-Tang Clan’s Cappadonna.
Saturday, January 11
WorkWorkshop, a Woodbridge space “where we explore what is possible through a creative process [and] experiential learning,” hosts a Forged Marshmallow Skewers Workshop (which is exactly what it sounds like) at 10:30 a.m.
CT Nerf Ops holds a Nerf gun battle day from 2 to 8 at Woodbridge’s CT Sports Center. Note: “You must be 16+ to attend. Eye protection is REQUIRED for everyone, including spectators and media. Water and sports drinks will be provided. You do not need to own any equipment in order to play! Loaner blasters, magazines, and darts will be provided for anyone who needs them.”
Starting at 3, Cro-Mags and Dead by Wednesday drummer Opus, a.k.a. Christian Lawrence, throws his 2025 Blizzard B-Day Bash at Toad’s Place, featuring two stages and seven hours of heavy rock.
It’s not every day you get to watch a politician being officially roasted, but, if you can figure out how to get a ticket, you can do that between 6 and 11 at the West Haven Elks Club, where a retirement party for state rep Charles Ferraro includes dinner, an open bar and a DJ.
At 7, Jazzy’s Cabaret hosts local and regional “rising jazz stars” via the Avery Wyman Quartet.
At 8 tonight and 2 p.m. tomorrow, it’s back to Witch Bitch Thrift for “an evening of short-form puppet theatre for adults” performed by Pinned & Sewtured.
Sunday, January 12
Featuring “regionally and nationally known artists,” Kehler Liddell Gallery’s ninth annual juried show, ABRACADABRA, gets an opening reception from 2 to 5 p.m. “Thought to originate from the ancient Aramaic phrase ‘avra kadabra,’ [which] translates as ‘I create as I speak,’” the show’s title references the “everyday magic” of being an artist.
At 4, Three Sheets hosts the next monthly installment of Three Sheets Unplugged, wherein “local musicians… play acoustic versions of their songs [and] talk about their music, inspirations and motivation in an intimate environment.” The performers this time are Rex Scott, Dan Soto and Trouble Girl.
Written by Dan Mims. Image features Greer Wilkins’s painting Kairos, part of ABRACADABRA at Kehler Liddell Gallery (source). Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
