The Great Give meets a wealth of great up-and-coming indie rock.
Monday, May 4
From 5 to 7 p.m., a community party at Mitchell Branch Library, including pizza at 6 p.m., kicks off Westville’s annual ArtWalk week. The rest of the week features open mics, art exhibitions, an outdoor movie screening, open studios, a block party, a beer garden, a fashion show and, on Saturday, an all-day bonanza with an art market, pet parade, live performances, creative activities and installations, a rubber duckie race and more.
Also, it’s May the Fourth. At 7, Dockside Brewery in Milford hosts a Star Wars trivia night, while, back in New Haven, Stella Blues holds a 7:30 Star Wars movie night featuring A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. For the movie night, “come in costume for a chance to win a free drink,” and “sip on our limited-time Death Star Martini.”
Sometime after 8, jangly indie pop band Good Flying Birds and their “wide-eyed spark of innocent love and gentle boy-girl dual vocals” headline the night’s bill at Cafe Nine.
Tuesday, May 5 - Cinco de Mayo
Cinco celebrations began over the weekend and (mostly) finish up today.
Wednesday, May 6
The Great Give, a “36-hour, online, community-wide giving event… created by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to raise visibility and resources for nonprofits serving Greater New Haven,” starts at 8 a.m.
The Movies in the Plaza series returns for 2026, starting with an 8 p.m. screening of Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) in Pitkin Plaza.
Also at 8, infectious indie rock band Gladie, whose singular yet relatable vocals ride buoyant, driving guitars and drums, headline Hamden’s Space Ballroom.
Thursday, May 7
At 6:30 p.m., Stephen King fans will gather at RJ Julia in Madison to listen to a different author, Caroline Bicks—“the first scholar to be granted extended access by King to his private archives”—dish on what she learned while working on her new book, Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King.
On an 8 p.m. bill back at Space Ballroom, headlining indie rock band Flight Attendant brings sultry lead singing and strings (including viola), suspenseful chord progressions and song structures and a sound that apparently doesn’t have to choose between dream pop, saloon rock and electronica.
Friday, May 8
The East Haven Rotary Club’s annual Anginette Wars cookie competition starts at 6 at East Haven High School. Along with cookies and the right to vote for their favorite, attendees will have “delicious pizza and stuffed breads” to enjoy as well as “opportunities to win amazing raffle prizes throughout the day.”
Saturday, May 9
Starting at 10 a.m. with a reenactment of Powder House Day—the day in 1775 when Benedict Arnold and his militiamen forced New Haven’s hesitant leaders to give them the key to the town ammo store and join the American Revolution—the annual Wake Up the Green festival, lasting until 4, promises “volleyball and outdoor games, [a] Mother’s Day marketplace, food trucks [and] live performances and activities.”
From 11 to 6, Rose Vineyards in North Branford holds its second annual Spring Fest. “Bring the whole family and enjoy a festive day filled with local craft vendors, live music, and seasonal food specials, all set against the beauty of the vineyard in bloom.”
Sunday, May 10 - Mother’s Day
We’ll be highlighting a number of things to do on and around Mother’s Day later this week. Stay tuned!
Written and photographed by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
