Halloween’s drip-drip-drip lands amid cinema, fashion and communal popups.
Monday, October 6
At 7 p.m., Riva in West Haven kicks off a new Karaoke Mondays series.
Tuesday, October 7
24 hours later, aiming for the feeling of “an outdoor movie (but inside),” East Rock Brewing shows the offbeat dark comedy/satire Death Becomes Her (1992) on a 20-foot screen set up in the brewery’s Game Garden. “Classic movie snacks” will be for sale, alongside an invitation to “bring lawn chairs, camping chairs, bean bags, whatever you’d like for [a] comfortable viewing experience.”
At Cafe Nine, “Honk Heaven 2” is the name of a party featuring puppetry, burlesque, drag, tarot, face painting and DJs.
Wednesday, October 8
At 8 p.m. at Lotta Studio, New Haven Fashion Week picks up with Fashion Palette, “a boutique-style fashion show” featuring “multiple genres [including] high fashion, cultural wear and sustainable looks” from Connecticut designers.
Thursday, October 9
From 5:30 to 8 p.m., the New Haven Museum hosts an opening reception for Pronounced Ah-Beetz, an exhibition “examin[ing] the fun, the flavor and the history of pizza”—especially New Haven-style. Slices from Pepe’s, Sally’s and Modern will help bring the experience home.
Looking for some timely movie recommendations? At 7, Best Video in Hamden hosts members of the New England chapter of the Horror Writers Association for “an evening of thrills and chills… discuss[ing] fifteen of their favorite horror movies,” with trailers to show for each.
Friday, October 10
“Celebrat[ing] the vibrant New Haven and Connecticut community’s entrepreneurs, art, music, food, drink, culture and more,” the New Haven Night Market pops back up in the Ninth Square (centered at Orange and Crown Streets) from 5 to 10 p.m. An always-dynamic array of attractions includes live music, a salsa dance party, a “junk journal” station, a tie-dye station, a participatory mural, flash tattoos, a hand-pulled noodle demo and a bigger New Haven Fashion Week show.
A few blocks east, with support from the St. PJ’s Jazz Ensemble, a 6:30 benefit concert at the Episcopal Church of St. Paul and St. James features a headline performance by electronica artist Ionne, whose work is “at the same time futuristic, spiritualized, polarized, and polarizing—or at least thought-provoking.”
Much farther the other way, in Stratford, Two Roads Brewing hosts a 7 p.m. Feud Night involving Family Feud-inspired gameplay.
Saturday, October 11
Starting whenever you like this weekend, the 2025 Big Sit, a “semi-competitive birding event originated by the New Haven Bird Club in 1992,” once more asks, “How many birds can you identify in one day while staying within a 17-foot / 5.2-meter diameter circle?”
From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Witch Bitch Thrift holds a Samhain Vendor Market in conjunction with the release of “our all-black collection!”
From noon to 4, the next New Haven Chalk Art Festival convenes more than 60 live chalk artists for “a day of music, art and family entertainment.” Attendees can watch the art being made and vote for their favorites while enjoying complimentary Italian ice and kettle corn, dining and shopping specials, family-friendly activities, live music and more.
New England Brewing Company’s original Woodbridge location hosts Nerdvana, an event celebrating “comics [and] cosplay” culture with “vendors, artists and much more.”
From 5 to 10 at Madison Cinemas, ReEntry, a locally filmed and pretty star-studded romantic sci-fi drama directed by Guilfordian Brendan Choisnet, is the star of a ticketed world-premiere event featuring a red carpet, a reception with the filmmakers, “sips and small plates,” a Q&A with cast and crew and even a diamond ring giveaway. The film “tells the story of Lucas Bello (Sam Trammell), the first human to attempt multidimensional travel. But when Lucas steps through the quantum portal and vanishes, his wife Elenore (Emily Deschanel) is left behind—grappling with grief and uncertainty. One year later, Lucas suddenly reappears, changed and also unaware that any time has passed.”
Ex-Every Time I Die frontman Keith Buckley’s metalcore band, Many Eyes, headlines a 7 p.m. bill at Hamden’s Space Ballroom. Album The Light Age, especially, pulls off a winning combination of hard-charging technicality and melodic “hallelujah choruses,” with enough deviations to keep listeners on their toes.
At 8, back at St. Paul and St. James, a “dress-to-impress” Hispanic Heritage Dance Gala organized by Baila Con Gusto offers a dance class, a dance show and a salsa/bachata social dance fueled in part by “light apps.”
Sunday, October 12
A “Barktober Fest” at Hamden’s Mikro Depot doesn’t seem to have much to do with Oktoberfest. But it does involve “Sunday brunch, [a] pet food drive, [a] dog adoption bus, raffles, drink specials, and more.”
Written by Dan Mims. Image, featuring Keith Buckley of Many Eyes, photographed by Jena Yannone. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
