As we transition to “the holidays,” a reception celebrates four new shows at an art space in transition.
Monday, November 10
From 7 to 8:30 p.m., the Institute Library holds “a low-key evening of bridge”—the card game—“for people who know how and people who don’t know anything at all.”
Tuesday, November 11 - Veterans Day
The city’s official Veterans Day observance starts at 11 a.m. at City Hall, where speakers, a chamber orchestra, a color guard and solo performances of the national anthem and “Taps.”
At noon, Yale observes the holiday on Beinecke Plaza, featuring a handful of speakers and a brass quartet.
At 7 p.m. at Middletown’s Church of the Holy Trinity, Jim Calhoun, the UConn men’s basketball coach who architected a holy trinity of his own (three national championships), appears with award-winning journalist Dom Amore, longtime sports writer for the Hartford Courant, to discuss their co-written book, More Than a Game (2025).
“Internationally acclaimed” pianist Paul Lewis, whose playing and thinking you can glimpse here, comes to Yale’s Morse Recital Hall for a 7:30 performance.
Thursday, November 13
At 6:30 p.m. at Armada Brewing, “real talk in a world that forgot how” is the promise of a ticketed social salon—“a night of prompted small-group conversations that make meeting people easy and fun”—organized by New Haven IRL.
Friday, November 14
Kitchen Sink, a show of works by more than 50 first-year MFA students, gets a public reception at the Yale School of Art’s Green Hall Gallery from 6 to 8 p.m.
At 7, Trinity Church on the Green celebrates 140 years of choral music with Lift Your Heads Up, an “evening of glorious choral music.” Trinity’s choirs are “rich exponents of the Anglican choral tradition, offering a living heritage of sacred music that lifts hearts and minds. More than a tradition, Trinity’s choirs are also a profoundly valuable educational opportunity for young musicians, nurturing artistry, discipline, and collaboration within a vibrant community of faith and song.”
Also at 7, A Touch of Evil (1958) directed by Orson Welles screens at Yale’s Humanity’s Quadrangle. “A car bomb, crooked cops, and heavy chiaroscuro. In this florid film noir masterpiece, Welles ‘takes a B-movie thriller set on the Mexican border and gives it a Shakespearean grandeur’ (Geoffrey Macnab).”
Saturday, November 15
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Mackrille Merriment Festival at Edith E. Mackrille School, a public elementary school in West Haven, features food trucks, Santa, photo ops, face painting and “handcrafted gifts, baked goods and more” from “50+ talented artisans.”
At noon, North Haven’s Twelve Percent Beer Project holds the opening round of its 2026 (yes, 2026) Connecticut Homebrew Championship. The price of admission includes “samples of the homebrewers’ beers and a souvenir tasting glass” to go with the right to vote to decide who advances.
From 6 to 9, Fairhaven Furniture hosts its annual Holiday Hoopla, “an opportunity to relax and spread some holiday cheer... before the holiday rush. We’ll have plenty of festive food and drink, plus live music from Dave Lefkin and Rich Dart.”
At 7 and 8:30, The Regicides, “New Haven’s original improv group,” present two “holly jolly” performances at Lotta Studio, promising “a night of fast, smart, unscripted comedy.”
Speaking of laughing, the Shubert hosts famed comedic magician Justin Willman—star of Magic Lover, “Netflix’s first-ever magic comedy special”—for a one-night stand starting at 7.
Sunday, November 16
An 11 a.m. Vinyl & Vintage Fair at East Rock Brewing features vendors selling vintage records, clothing and videos alongside a pair of DJs.
From 1 to 3 p.m., the Ely Center of Contemporary Art hosts a reception to celebrate four new exhibitions, even as it “ends its tenure at 51 Trumbull Street”: Jillian Shea: A Rare Look from Some Old Red Oak; If the blocked artist were free, would the world breathe easier?; I N T E R S T I C E: Jihyun Lee; and Unfolding between walls.
Meanwhile, at 2, Kehler Liddell Gallery hosts an opening reception for Winter Solstice, “an annual holiday show featuring framed and unframed art by 25 local artists” with an eye toward holiday gifting. The gallery promises “an eclectic mix of local art: photography, painting, pen and ink, mixed media, sculpture and prints” across “varying sizes and all price ranges.”
At 4 at Cafe Nine, “legendary CT band Fountainhead returns.” Get an advance yet vintage preview with this surprisingly high-quality recording from a show at Toad’s Place back in 1979.
Written by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
