Two like-minded parades make way for two very different conferences, the latter of which is one of two Shindigs.
Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day
Stepping off from Hamden High School, the Hamden Memorial Day Parade heads north along Dixwell Avenue starting at 10 a.m., while the West Haven parade, pushed back to avoid possible morning rain, now begins at 1 p.m., marching down Campbell Avenue from Captain Thomas Boulevard to Center Street.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a Swap-O-Rama at Books & Company in North Haven invites you to “bring any puzzles (please tape boxes closed), jewelry, nail polish, perfume/cologne, sunglasses, wallets and purses that you no longer want/use” and/or “take any items [you] like.”
At 3, Riva in West Haven throws a Memorial Day party with party band the Rum Runners.
Tuesday, May 26
On an 8 p.m. bill at Space Ballroom in Hamden, headliner Oranssi Pazuzu levitates its atmospheric black metal with electronic effects, while opener Wayfarer offers its own proprietary take on the genre, melding it with gothic country and western Americana.
Wednesday, May 27
The 2026 Yale Innovation Summit commences at 8 a.m. “As the Northeast’s largest innovation gathering, the Summit convenes thousands of founders, funders, researchers, policymakers, creatives, and operators from across the globe for two high-energy days of ideas, investment, and unlikely collisions,” with some of that investment going to the winners of “dynamic pitch competitions spotlight[ing] 300+ ventures.”
At 12:30 p.m., Yale University Art Gallery fellow Jennifer Paige Blue examines three objects that exemplify midcentury “California Cool.”
At 7, Alisa Bowens-Mercado, founder of the local dance studio Alisa’s House of Salsa, hosts a Latin dance party (beginning with a lesson) at rooftop bar High George, which is offering food and drink specials.
Thursday, May 28
At 6:30 p.m., Massaro Community Farm in Woodbridge hosts Sip & Seedling, featuring wine and a workshop. “Each ticket includes everything you need to create your own 12-inch tabletop herb garden, including a pot, soil, and seedlings (basil, parsley, and chives), plus up to two glasses of wine.”
Friday, May 29
Starting today at Camp Cedarcrest in Orange, a Shirefolk Shindig offers the chance to community-cosplay as a hobbit for the weekend. Promising “giant-sized fun for the discerning halfling,” the gathering promises “cozy vibes and low-stakes mischief” while living “in a rustic village making friends, sharing meals, playing games, and singing songs by the fire.”
Saturday, May 30
At 10 a.m. in Quinnipiac River Park, the 14th Annual New Haven Family Stroll & Festival, a “fundraiser to increase awareness about the importance of quality early childhood education while highlighting family-friendly resources in the Fair Haven community,” begins with a walk bridging both sides of the Quinnipiac. “After the stroll, the festival activities begin, including drums, parachute play, face painting, food vendors, bubbles, arts and crafts, and a whole lot of door prizes.”
Also at 10, a Hang Out and Film Workshop at Hamden’s Eli Whitney Museum offers “an opportunity for filmmakers of all levels to meet, collaborate, and shoot a short film in a day.”
Across Whitney Avenue, a Hamden Art League exhibition at the Eli Whitney Barn gets a 3 p.m. reception, with artist awards handed out at 4.
At 6:30 at North Haven’s Small Batch Cellars, a Spring Shindig, the first of what’s intended to be an annual affair, features a lineup of “jam and funk all-stars” including One Time Weekend, Tim Palmieri (and friends) and rotating supergroup J. Wail’s Live Band.
Ever seen coming-of-age classic The Breakfast Club (1985) on the big screen? At 8 p.m. (7:30 doors), the Strand Theater in Seymour offers a chance to live or relive the experience with the first screening of a monthly John Hughes series.
Sunday, May 31
From noon to 4, Stratford’s Two Roads Brewing hosts Paws & Pints, a dog-friendly affair featuring relevant vendors, canine competitions, a “dog play zone,” free on-site caricatures and “brews, music and fun!”
Written by Dan Mims. Image, featuring “parachute play” during a past Family Stroll and Festival, sourced from @FriendsCenterForChildrenCT. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
