Workshops, fairs and free stuff appear as stars of screen and stage shine in the flesh.
Monday, June 3
At 2 p.m. at East Haven’s Hagaman Library, former attorney David Robert Thomas “explain[s] the process of criminal and civil law in Connecticut… This is an informative and interesting program for those who wish to obtain a better understanding of our legal system.”
From 5 to 7, Mitchell Library’s family-oriented Ladybug Release Festival and Summer Reading Kickoff promises “a ladybug release, lawn games, popsicles, and a special craft led by our pals at the Yale Center for British Arts.”
Tuesday, June 4
Bestselling author Kate White presents an unusual kind of public-facing book talk—a writing workshop—at 6:30 p.m. at Madison’s RJ Julia. White “will share secrets she’s learned writing 18 suspense novels”—including her latest, The Last Time She Saw Him (2024)—as well as “a few tricks she says she’s sucked from the brains of her bestselling authors pals.”
A “School’s Out!” screening series at Hamden’s Best Video starts at 7 p.m. with a movie that shows the curator has a sense of humor to go with an appreciation for horror: The Faculty (1998).
Wednesday, June 5
The Yale Center for British Art is closed for renovations. Nevertheless, at 3 p.m., it seems there’s a public (but registration-required) talk in the Center’s study room, in which paper conservators Anita Dey and Emma Hartman discuss “the materials and techniques employed in [the] construction” of an object dubbed the Lucknow Scroll. “Explore the portrayal of the city of Lucknow from the Gomti River in India during the early nineteenth century, as captured in a remarkable thirty-seven-foot scroll (1826),” the talk’s organizers say. “The city became a nurturing ground for diverse and vibrant artistic expressions across various media as it stood at a unique intersection of Eastern and Western traditions.”
Thursday, June 6
At College Street Music Hall, a 20th anniversary screening of Napoleon Dynamite (2004) is “followed by a lively, freewheeling discussion with fan-favorite cast members: Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) and Efren Ramirez (Pedro). The live show—perfect for the whole family—is a wild and hysterical blend of Q&A, comedy improv, game show, and party, with plenty of audience participation.”
Friday, June 7
The Shubert Theatre’s 2024 fundraising gala features a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., an 8 o’clock performance by recent Tony winner Alex Newell and, at 9:30, a dessert reception. (Tickets are also available to the performance alone.)
One of the Westville Music Bowl’s only announced concerts this summer starts at 7, featuring up-and-coming opener Samia and headliner Bleachers, whose major hits include “Rollercoaster” and “I Wanna Get Better.”
Also at 7, Madison Lyric Stage presents Richard Strauss’s Elektra, a German-language operatic rendition of Sophocles’s Greek tragedy featuring “dramatic, harrowing music” and a “hair-raising finale.”
Saturday, June 8
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Q House, alumni members of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and Omega Psi Phi fraternity present their 12th Annual Free Market & Health Fair. “Join us for the day as you shop for free clothing, shoes, household items, books and more. There will be food and health screenings available on-site.”
Also at 9, a four-hour workshop starting at the Eli Whitney Museum focuses on an often-overlooked botanical subject: grass. “With a little practice… you can learn to recognize common species using plain English vocabulary and naked-eye characteristics. Lauren Brown, co-author with Ted Elliman of Grasses, Sedges, Rushes: An Identification Guide, will introduce these beautiful and abundant plants. We strongly recommend reading the text for the best learning experience in this class.”
In Milford from 10 to 5 (also 11 to 6 yesterday), the Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church’s annual Fair on the Green convenes “over 100 of the finest artists and craftspeople from the East Coast” selling “wooden furniture, pottery, jewelry, quilts, hand-dipped candles” and much more. Food and live music are also on offer, plus “a variety of new and gently used items” through a kind of tag sale in the church’s basement.
Starting at 11, Hamden Fest, located at Hamden’s Town Center Park, promises a business and community expo; an “arts, civic and craft fair”; food trucks and live music; and kids and sports zones.
At The Cannon, party producer The Inferno’s “very first daytime rave,” powered by DJs Dante Cantante and Ish, blasts off at 2 and sunsets at 5.
Sunday, June 9
A second “free market” in as many days happens in the form of the One Day Giveaway, Westville’s annual tag sale with no tags (because everything’s free). From noon to 5, participants will have goods arrayed in their front yards or driveways for the taking.
The new monument in Wooster Square, depicting a family of turn-of-century Italian immigrants, enjoys an official dedication and celebration from 1 to 4 p.m.
New Haven Chorale, an auditioned community chorus founded in 1950, offers its season finale concert, themed around “Music of Remembrance and Gratitude,” from 4 to 5:30 at Woolsey Hall. The showcase of the program is Dan Forrest’s “40-minute contemporary masterpiece” Requiem for the Living, “a highly moving work that will inspire you with its lush sounds, comforting words, and delicate sonorities.”
Written by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
