Labor Day today offers a respite from the usual grind, and you’ll need the extra energy to experience all the major happenings in and around New Haven this week. Between the New Haven Road Race, the North Haven Fair, this month’s On9 goings-on and the CT Folk Festival and Green Expo, it’s one of the busiest stretches in a while.
Get busy this week in New Haven.
Monday, September 2
The Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race is running its expected 7,000 racers all over town this morning. If you aren’t one of them, you can pick a spot along the route to cheer from, or you can head straight to the Green to catch the start (at 8:40 a.m.) and finish (5Kers will begin to complete the race shortly after 9 a.m.). From 9 to 11:30 on the Green, enjoy a “post-race party” featuring live music.
Tuesday, September 3
New Haven’s L’Alliance Francaise (203-606-6866), offering French classes for grownups and kids, begins its Fall 2013 Session today in the cool climes of co-working space The Bourse (839 Chapel St, 2nd Floor, New Haven). The fee for adults, which covers 10 classes, is $300; for children, it’s $120.
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Wednesday, September 4
Happy new year! If you’re Jewish, anyway. Tonight is the start of Rosh Hashanah, and a couple of area organizations are offering opportunities to gather. Yalies can observe the holiday and its traditions during a 6:45 p.m. service-plus-dinner tonight at Chabad at Yale (36 Lynwood Pl, New Haven; 203-498-9770), with a dinner to follow. Meanwhile, over at Chabad of Westville (110 Marvel Rd, New Haven; 203-389-8472), there’s a candle lighting scheduled to take place at 7:03 p.m., to be specific.
Thursday, September 5
The opening salvo of the 71st Annual North Haven Fair, located on Washington Ave near I-91 in North Haven (map), happens tonight from 5 to 10 p.m. Noting that the four-day festival promises food stands, carnival games, live music, magic shows, a petting zoo and a pie-eating contest barely scratches the surface. Tomorrow’s hours of operation are 3 to 10 p.m.; Saturday’s, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday’s, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is either $10 or free if you’re 12-and-under and accompanied by an adult.
Friday, September 6
It’s the first Friday of the month, which means it’s time to celebrate New Haven’s Ninth Square with On9. This month’s theme is “Breathe On9,” which makes sense of the free outdoor Zoomba and yoga classes in Pitkin Plaza starting at 6 p.m. (organized by FITWEEK), as well as open-air, cafe-style seating to be set up on Orange Street between 6 and 7:30 p.m. Another stretch of Orange turns into a fashion runway, showing off Neville Wisdom’s 2013 Fall/Winter collection. Not far away, near Crown Street, the Vintanthromobile vintage fashion bus, which is used to setting up shop outside, will be open for browsing and trying-on. Early on, at 4 p.m., Artspace will unveil its new nine-hole mini-golf installation, crafted by several local artists, in “The Lot” behind the bus stop on Chapel Street near Orange.
Saturday, September 7
The beloved annual CT Folk Festival and Green Expo (pictured above during a past festival) hums along today from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. in New Haven’s Edgerton Park. Performances by local, regional and touring artists abound, including Elm City-based Goodnight Blue Moon at 11 a.m. Along with several food vendors, the Green Expo side of things features a dizzying array of exhibitors. The whole affair is family-friendly, but the young’uns get special attention in the Green Kids Village, with “workshops, activities and entertainment” including eco-themed magic by CJ May, a.k.a. Cyril the Sorcerer. The event is free, though you can pitch in a donation if you like.
Those looking for a more indoorsy way to expand their horizons can perch themselves in front of Brighton Rock, a well-rated British noir flick released in 1947, at the Whitney Humanities Center (53 Wall St, New Haven). 6:30 p.m. Free.
Sunday, September 8
Feeling the need to shred or pound some skins? Cafe Nine’s weekly “Sunday-After-Supper” jam session offers a house band to back you up. The event starts at 8 p.m.; don’t forget to sign up for your turn. 250 State St, New Haven; (203) 789-8281. Free.
Written by Dan Mims. Photographed by Judy Sirota Rosenthal.
Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
