One year ends as loudly as you’d expect, while another comes less quietly than you’d think.
Monday, December 30
An all-ages “nature playdate” at Common Ground High School runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Campus play spaces will be open for kid-led play and adventure,” including “farm animal visits,” “fort building” and a BYOM (bring your own marshmallows) campfire.
Tuesday, December 31 - New Year’s Eve
At 12:31 p.m., Woodmont, Milford, gets a jump on 2025 with a polar plunge at Anchor Beach followed by a “warm-up event” at the neighborhood’s Borough Hall.
And we’ve got a few more New Year’s Eve parties to add to the master list we published earlier this month.
At 8, Jazzy’s Cabaret hosts NYE in NHV IV—a party featuring a catered dinner buffet, live music from Prince tribute band Purple Luscious Love, DJs, “networking,” party favors and a champagne toast at midnight.
From 9 to 11, Reruns in West Haven is offering something nobody else on our radar is: karaoke. Revelers can also expect “drink specials and jello shots all night long” plus what sounds like complimentary bubbly at midnight.
144 Temple hosts a ticketed open bar from 10 to midnight, presumably with DJs and dancing in the mix.
Finally, at 10, a Bollywood/desi theme party (featuring South Asian music) sets Terminal 110’s New Year’s Eve apart.
Wednesday, January 1 - New Year’s Day
New Year’s/“first day” hikes hit the ground walking in Guilford and Madison at 11 a.m. and Hamden and Branford at 1.
Meanwhile, another polar plunge, at Stratford’s Surfside Hotel, takes the dip at 12:15 while raising funds for Make-A-Wish Connecticut. “We'll have a special countdown this year, prizes for plungers, and coffee/hot chocolate afterwards.”
Thursday, January 2
“New Year New Money Habits,” a three-part weekly workshop series covering “basic financial literacy” at the Mitchell Library, starts at 4 p.m. with a session on budgeting.
Friday, January 3
At 4 p.m. at Bowlero in Milford, a fundraiser for Bleeding Blue for Good—a UConn initiative that “empower[s]” student-athletes to do charity and community work—empowers you to bowl with the UConn women’s basketball team. “Players will rotate through lanes to bowl with you and take pictures, making it an unforgettable experience!”
Opening the doors at 6 both nights, Woodbridge community center 10Selden hosts a two-night, all-ages, BYOB (if you’re 21+) Scott Pilgrim Fest featuring local bands covering songs from the not-so-cult film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010), with a costume contest to encourage getting into the spirit.
Also at 6, three days before the actual holiday, the Hamden Library holds a Three Kings Day celebration promising “food, music, dancing and fun.”
Saturday, January 4
New Haven’s take on a “first day” hike is a first Saturday hike. Stepping off at 10 a.m. from the Canal Dock Boathouse and “exploring the southerly connection to West Haven along the East Coast Greenway,” the route covers “the Long Wharf Pier, Food Truck Paradise, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park, Long Wharf Nature Preserve, Bayview Park, and historic City Point with a stop at the Pequonnock Yacht Club to warm up and [take a] bathroom break.”
Sunday, January 5
From 1 to 3 p.m., the Ely Center of Contemporary Art holds a closing reception for a whopping seven exhibitions (as well as the Summer Apprenticeship Mural outside).
Also at 1, a Three Kings Day event at the West Haven Elks Lodge promises “free toys, photos with the Kings, music and refreshments.”
Written by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
