Halloween has dozens of ways to possess us this week. Here are a few more, along with occasions beyond the holiday’s grasping reach.
Monday, October 27
At the Peabody Museum, brains are top of mind for a 5 p.m. panel discussion held in conjunction with the closing of the exhibition Mind/Matter: The Neuroscience of Perception, Attention, and Memory. Panelists Paolo Mazzarello and Benjamin Ehrlich, respective biographers of Camillo Golgi and Santiago Ramón y Cajal—“two towering figures whose opposing views on the nervous system sparked a scientific revolution”—are joined by “renowned science writer Carl Zimmer, whose work unpacks the mysteries of biology for global audiences.”
In the auditorium at 53 Wall Street, the Yale Student Film Festival presents a non-festival screening of In Our Blood (2024), a smart-looking horror/thriller produced and directed by three filmmakers who overlapped at Yale. “Stick around after the screening for a conversation and a chance to meet the filmmakers, who’ll share behind-the-scenes stories, their journeys from Yale to Hollywood, and how they turned an idea from their undergraduate days into a full-length feature film.”
Tuesday, October 28
During an often chilling week, an 8 p.m. show by Cuco at College Street Music Hall may be a knit blanket. Warm synths and Latin threads provide color and texture for patient, grounded, confessional love songs.
Wednesday, October 29
Starting at 7 p.m., Elm City Social hosts a Horror Movie Trivia Night to go with some just-announced Halloween cocktail specials.
Thursday, October 30
Details are thin, but the title of Princeton professor Hal Foster’s 6:30 p.m. “keynote lecture for the symposium Criticism in the New Commons,” held at Yale’s architecture school, intrigues: “Utopia or Extinction.”
At 7, it’s The Life and Music of George Michael, a tribute performance at the Shubert. “This dynamically staged concert-style show chronicles George Michael’s remarkable career with live renditions of his blockbuster hits including ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go,’ ‘Freedom,’ ‘Faith,’ ‘Careless Whisper,’ ‘Father Figure’ and many more.”
At Madison Cinemas, a late-night, 11 o’clock “Graveyard Grindhouse” screening of 1983 horror flick Sleepaway Camp offers a 1983 ticket price ($3.50) with 2025 amenities (“luxury rockers,” a full-service bar and “hot finger foods too”). The film features “Angela Baker, a traumatized and very shy young girl, [who] is sent to summer camp with her cousin. Shortly after her arrival, anyone with sinister or less than honorable intentions gets their comeuppance.”
Friday, October 31 - Halloween
From 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hamden’s Whitneyville Cultural Commons, a Red Cross Blood Drive flips the Halloween script.
So do a pair of Intoxicated Chemist events up the road at the mysterious address of 4133 Whitney Avenue, where it sounds like you can become, rather than merely portray, a mad scientist. A ticket to the BYOB affair, either at 7 or 10 p.m., “includes general admission, immersive experience, one lab coat, one pair of safety goggles, gloves, and all materials and supplies needed for our experiments,” during an experience that also promises “games, karaoke… and vibes!”
Saturday, November 1
From noon to 5, Yale’s Schwarzman Center hosts the Yale Powwow of Light, “an annual celebration of Native American culture, community, and tradition, bringing together Indigenous dancers, drummers, artists, and visitors from across the region. Hosted by the Yale Native American Cultural Center, the participatory event features traditional and contemporary dance performances, live drumming, artisan vendors, and indigenous foods. Open to all, the Powwow honors Native heritage while fostering cross-cultural understanding and community connection.”
Geronimo downtown and Camacho Garage in Westville, owned by the same restaurant group, host a duo of all-day Día de los Muertos fiestas starting at noon. Camacho’s party features face painting from 1 to 3, a live mariachi band/Hornitos tasting from 7 to 8 and a costume contest. Geronimo’s promises mariachi from 9 to 10 and, coinciding with a DJ, a Hornitos tasting from 10 to 11.
Sunday, November 2 - Daylight Saving Time Ends
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Annex Y.M.A. Hall, the next New Haven Comic & Collectible Spectacular promises “over 55 tables brimming with treasures and cool finds” across “a spectacular selection of comics, toys, and collectibles.”
Also from 10 to 3, after having been postponed due to weather, The Sidelot, an open-air vintage market featuring “vinyl, tees, home goods, art [and] upcycled goods” organized by New Haven Flea, happens at 1008 State Street.
Written by Dan Mims. Image features Brittany O’Grady in In Our Blood Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
