After a month of escalating hijinks, this week offers chances to take a beat and soak up some jazz; to gaze, not howl, at a very full moon; and to get a (Lindy) hop on Veterans Day.
Monday, November 3
The next New Haven Restaurant Week, which lasts two weeks this time, began yesterday and has arranged special prix fixe lunches and dinners at 23 city restaurants.
At the West Haven High School pool, the West Haven parks and rec department offers a chance to try underwater hockey, a sport that sounds silly but actually looks pretty intense. Swimmers wearing goggles and snorkels use a knife-sized stick to move a puck around the bottom of the pool and score in the opposing team’s goal.
Tuesday, November 4 - Election Day
Connecticut voters head to the polls from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find yours here, and familiarize yourself with a sample ballot here.
Wednesday, November 5
At 7:30 p.m. in Yale’s Sprague Hall, Wayne Escoffery leads the Yale Big Band in a tribute performance to Miles Davis, featuring new arrangements of Davis’s seminal album Birth of the Cool (1957).
As we adjust to darker evenings following the end of Daylight Saving Time, “the biggest and brightest full moon of 2025” arrives. With it comes a Full Moon Labyrinth Walk ushered by local labyrinth expert Bill Ludwig, starting at 7:30 at the Branford Labyrinth on the Greenway Trail.
Thursday, November 6
The next Jazz Night at BLDG, the Hotel Marcel’s lobby restaurant and bar, features “the smooth notes of New Haven Jazz Underground” along with “happy hour bites and hand-crafted cocktails in our lobby’s sunken lounge.”
The Guilford Land Conservation Trust leads “a short one-hour hike to see the full moon over Lost Lake. Meet at the end of Three Corners Road (off of Sam Hill Road). Please bring a headlamp or flashlight. Rain or heavy clouds cancel this hike.”
Friday, November 7
Starting at 7, the Yale men’s hockey team, whose season is only one game long so far, face a gargantuan test at home against neighboring Quinnipiac, who are currently eight games deep and ranked seventh in the nation.
Also at 7, Armada Brewing hosts a Villains Trivia Night ranging “from iconic movie baddies to comic book masterminds and TV’s most devious characters.”
At 7:30, New Jazz Underground (not to be confused with yesterday’s New Haven Jazz Underground) come to Yale’s Morse Recital Hall, “infus[ing] modern jazz with hard bop, hip-hop, and pop” and “bringing fresh perspective while honoring tradition.” Here’s a recorded performance from a few years ago, which, in a rare feat for the genre, has surpassed one million views.
If you want even more of the fresh perspective and even less of the tradition, Firehouse 12 hosts 8:30 and 10 p.m. sets by Sweet World. Featuring an unusual instrumentation of trumpet, cello and drums, this is experimental jazz that ranges and roves to delightful effect and doesn’t, at least in my listening experience, lose sight of the point (to entertain audiences in addition to the musicians).
Saturday, November 8
From 9 a.m. to noon, Milford’s first annual Pumpkin Smash invites you to “bring your leftover pumpkins” to the town’s Eisenhower Park, where you can smash them (or not) and leave them to be turned into compost.
Later, from 3 to 5 p.m., a Massaro Community Farm Pie and Try held at the Woodbridge Town Library invites you to “bake your favorite sweet or savory pie, bring it and its recipe to share, and taste all the other yummy pies that others have brought to the event too.”
Also starting at 3, the West Haven Veterans Museum & Learning Center, “in partnership with the Hot Cat Jazz Band and [the] Yale Swing, Blues & Fusion community,” holds a 1945-style USO Swing Dance to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. An hourlong beginner-friendly dance lesson opens the event, leading, after a ceremonial moment, into a two-hour dance. Attractions also include “light refreshments” and raffles.
At 6:30, New England Brewing in Woodbridge hosts—and Pints & Pasties presents—a country burlesque revue. “Get ready for a night of unforgettable burlesque performances, creative costumes, and more…”
Sunday, November 9
Starting at noon, a Flannel Fest at Milford’s Dockside Brewery asks you to “throw on your favorite flannel and join us for a festive afternoon of fall-inspired food and drink specials, cozy outdoor seating, and good times…”
From 3 to 6, Longley’s in Branford hosts a US Marine Corps 250th Birthday Celebration “with an afternoon of pride, tradition, and camaraderie” featuring a ceremony, speeches and cake. “Come share in the traditions, pay tribute to those who’ve served, and celebrate the spirit of the Corps.”
Written by Dan Mims. Image sourced from New Jazz Underground. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
