Dance like an extraterrestrial, pump your fist like a reality star and squeeze a little more summer out of the season, even after Labor Day.
Monday, September 1 - Labor Day
At its longest, the 48th Annual Faxon Law New Haven Road Race, starting and finishing Downtown and spanning distances from a quick kids’ race starting at 8:10 a.m. to a half marathon at 8:30, runs from Downtown to Dixwell to Beaver Hills to Edgewood to Westville to Edgewood to Dwight to Downtown to Wooster Square to Mill River to Fair Haven to East Rock to Whitneyville (in Hamden) to East Rock/Prospect Hill and back to Downtown. Which is to say that if you live in any of those neighborhoods, you can pretty easily spectate while trying not to grumble too much about disrupted traffic patterns.
Tuesday, September 2
An Alien Rave? On a Tuesday? Yes, at 8 p.m. at Cafe Nine, where the prime directive is to “dress like you're from outta dis world and dance.”
Wednesday, September 3
RJ Julia’s Middletown location hosts a book event featuring three local authors of historical fiction: Loretta Goldberg, Jackson Kuhl and Margaret McNellis.
Thursday, September 4
During a 4 p.m. conversation in conjunction with William Blake: Burning Bright at the Yale Center for British Art, curators Elizabeth Wyckoff and Timothy Young “provide an overview of Blake’s career as presented in the exhibition and then focus on how he defied the norms to create the highly original ‘illuminated books’ at the core of this show.”
Opening at 5 p.m. today and closing at 7 p.m. on Sunday, the 2025 North Haven Fair happens right where it should, on the North Haven Fairgrounds. “Come see the exhibits entered by your neighbors and friends, listen to the music, see the exciting entertainment around the grounds, take in a tractor pull and eat great fair food!”
Sometime after 8, Jersey Shore favorite DJ Pauly D headlines Toad’s Place.
Friday, September 5
From 6 to 9 p.m., CitySeed hosts a Friday Food Fest featuring “mouth-watering dishes from local vendors,” which, we’re told, include Chauncey’s Delights, Khemis Vegan Food Truck, Kosys African Kitchen, MeaKai, Mitho, Momma Kiss Kitchen and Sanctuary Kitchen.
At 7, Lake Street Dive and their “boldly original cross-pollination of soul, folk, jazz, classic pop, and more” make a late-summer appearance at Westville Music Bowl.
Also at 7, “the best combined dancers from Jamaica and the Caribbean” come to the Shubert to “perform dances from various genres and international and local choreographers, to include Jessica Lang, Robert Battle, Andrew Winghart, Shahar Binyamini, Renee McDonald, Steve Cornwall and Orville McFarlane.”
Saturday, September 6
The CT Folk Fest & Green Expo returns to Edgerton Park. From 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., expect “live music from local acts to national headliners, delicious food trucks and a Green Expo highlighting artisan vendors, nonprofits and workshops” while offering “a fun-filled day of activities and experiences in our Green Kids Village.”
From 5 to 9:30, South Asian Community Gathering’s second annual Bollywood Concert promises “an unforgettable evening of rhythm, color, and heart-pounding performances that will leave you breathless” on the Woodbridge Town Green.
In Branford, Stony Creek Day events include a 1:30 parade as well as “food and drinks, fun and games for the kids [and] music for everyone,” with the music, at least, starting at 6:30.
At 8, it’s the year’s second-to-last Bash at the Brewery at Armada Brewing. “Bring your own chair” to this outdoor pro wrestling event “and get ready for jaw-dropping moves, epic showdowns, and an unforgettable atmosphere!”
A Neon Glow dance party presented by Baila con Gusto in the parish hall of St. Paul and St. James Church starts at 8:30 with a bachata lesson and shifts to a wider salsa, bachata and Latin house party at 9.
Sunday, September 7
Promising “incredible vendors, entertainers, and more,” the annual New Haven Pride festival happens from noon to 6 at Orange and Crown Streets.
From 2 to 5, with an artists’ talk at 3, Kehler Liddell Gallery holds an opening reception for its 2025 new members exhibition featuring watercolors by Mary Burke, sculptures by Craig Frederick, photos by Sean Kernan and oil paintings by Dganit Zauberman.
At Lighthouse Point Park, a 30th-anniversary, black tie-optional Pearl Gala to benefit the International Festival of Arts & Ideas starts with a cocktail hour at 4, dinner and programming at 5:30 and dessert and dancing at 7.
Written by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
