Amid a flurry of college commencements, New Haven catches its breath, while surrounding towns step up.
Monday, May 18
A 6:30 The Office trivia night at New England Brewing in Woodbridge cranks it up with a matching themed menu from the Supreme Poutine food truck.
Space Ballroom in Hamden hosts headliner Saintseneca, an indie crooner whose moves feel both surprising and natural, on an 8 p.m. bill.
Tuesday, May 19
At 7 p.m., Lyric Hall hosts a screening of Claire Denis’s acclaimed Beau Travail (1999)—a “masterpiece,” presenter Best Video says, supported by this beguiling trailer.
Wednesday, May 20
At 6 p.m., with RSVPs requested, Frank Sciulli, an emeritus professor at Columbia, explains the broad strokes of physics to a lay audience at the Institute Library. [Ed. note: This event has since been postponed.]
At 7:30 at The Cannon, a fundraiser screening to benefit the forthcoming Lighthouse Lens Film Festival winkingly shows a stinker, Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010), in which “a platoon of eagles and vultures attacks the residents of a small town.” “Deemed ‘one of the worst films ever made’ by The Huffington Post, you can't be disappointed! Come support us and have some fun at our inaugural B-Movie night.”
Thursday, May 21
At 7 p.m., Woodbridge’s Massaro Community Farm hosts Who Croaks There?, “an un-frog-gettable”—and interactive—“evening of learning all about Connecticut’s frog species!”
Friday, May 22
From 5 to 8 p.m., Guilford D.A.Y. (Developmental Assets for Youth), a group devoted to reducing alcohol and drug use among young people, holds a bonfire at Jacob’s Beach “featuring a blazing beach fire, DIY s’mores, DJ-curated music and beachfront dancing, free [pizza from] Naples pizza truck, [a] Guilford D.A.Y. Information Station, family-friendly games and more!”
Saturday, May 23
From noon to 4, a Spuds & Suds event at Two Roads Brewing in Stratford offers a “fully loaded baked potato bar,” fried potato spirals, “classic, potato-themed games” and “live music to keep the good vibes going.”
At 1 at the Shubert, New Haven Ballet presents “a special children’s edition of the beloved classical ballet” The Sleeping Beauty (1890). “Set to the luminous score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty tells a timeless story of fate, courage, and transformation as fairies shape a kingdom’s destiny and a princess comes of age in an enchanted world of dance.”
At 6:30, Grateful Dead tribute band Joe Russo’s Almost Dead opens Westville Music Bowl’s 2026 season.
Starting at 7 at Best Video in Hamden, local Brazilian-born musical collaborators and bossa nova specialists Isabella Mendes and Flávio Lira perform a farewell concert as they prepare for a move to Florida.
Sunday, May 24
From 4 to 7 p.m., a Memorial Day Weekend Summer Kick-Off Lawn Party at the Madison Beach Hotel is a mouthful, because of an outdoor beach bar, and a (pleasant) earful, because of the steel drum band Caribbean Vibe.
Written by Dan Mims. Image, sourced from @caribbeanvibesteeldrumband, features Carribean Vibe. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
