Eclectic summer waves lap our balmy shores.
Monday, July 13
After last week’s rain cancellation, tonight’s installment of the Hi-Fi Pie Fest, hosting live music and a pie contest outside Mitchell Library, features not one but two categories of pie: berry and apple/pear/quince. Slices are served starting at 6:15, with the music, from Moto Caribbean, at 6:30.
Tuesday, July 14
At 7 p.m., the Music Under the Stars concert series on the North Haven Green, attended by “a variety of food and beverage options,” picks up with a tribute night to an obscure little band known as The Beatles.
Meanwhile, at 8, Space Ballroom in Hamden hosts an intimate appearance by two arena-seasoned frontmen: Craig Finn of The Hold Steady and Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers.
Wednesday, July 15
At 6:30 p.m., East Rock Brewing hosts a summer blockbuster trivia night “test[ing] your knowledge of the biggest movies to dominate summer screens.”
Also at 6:30, East Haven’s Hagaman Library hosts a talk “explor[ing] the culinary possibilities of the best tasting edible wild plants and mushrooms found in southern New England.”
Thursday, July 16
Starting at noon, ConnectiCon, “Connecticut’s longest-running pop culture convention” and “oldest fan-run convention” and also, in my view, it’s hardest-to-comprehend convention, mishmashes cosplay, gaming, karaoke, some kind of “FMV” competition and more over the course of four days at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.
Back here in New Haven, wine, food and shopping crawl Flights of Fancy returns for a summer edition starting at 4:30. Expect “20 sipping, tasting and shopping stops, souvenir wine glasses and event bags, shopping discounts and promotions, raffle prizes, giveaways and more!”
Friday, July 17
Starting today at 10 a.m. and ending Sunday at 5 p.m. on the Guilford Green, the Guilford Art Center’s 2026 Craft Expo, “one of the longest-running craft shows in the US,” convenes “handcrafted jewelry, ceramics, fine art, fashion, home decor, furniture, glass, woodwork, fiber arts, and more by over 175 talented artists from across the country,” along with the artists themselves.
Also on the town green, also lasting three days and also starting at 10 a.m. is the Guilford Art League’s 79th Annual Art Exhibit.
Saturday, July 18
From 6 to 11 p.m., ThirdSpace Arcade Lounge in Westville celebrates its third anniversary with a party featuring Liberian food, live music, “casual high score game competitions,” cooperative puzzling and more.
At 8, Neighborhood Music School hosts a Seeing Sounds Jam out back in the Park of the Arts, promising “a full night of live music featuring some of the most creative musicians in the region” alongside “food, drinks, community, and more.”
Meanwhile, at Cafe Nine, a 9 o’clock bill features locally based headliner Wally’s dreamy modernized ’70s sound.
Sunday, July 19
From noon to 4, a family-oriented Bubble Palooza party at Two Roads in Stratford turns the brewery’s backyard into “a bubble wonderland” with “interactive bubble stations, dazzling bubble demonstrations, giant bubbles, hands-on activities, and a massive foam pit.”
From 1 to 3:30, the Pardee-Morris House hosts two events in one. First, “Robert Lecce of Pewter Pot Chocolates will don colonial garb and share the joys of chocolate history, demonstrating the process of how chocolate was sourced, made, and consumed in the 18th century. Lecce will use period-appropriate tools and ingredients developed by a prominent businessman from Norwich, Connecticut, who produced chocolate in the 1770s.” Then, “history will come [back] to life as renowned reenactor George Baker portrays President John Adams and recounts his remarkable life.”
Written by Dan Mims. Photographed by Marina Gordejeva (Shutterstock). Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
