This year’s transition to the next is uniquely muted, even if we can control the volume.
Monday, December 28
Still holding onto the holidays? The annual Fantasy of Lights drive-through display at Lighthouse Point Park (2 Lighthouse Rd, New Haven), prominently featuring seasonal imagery, is open every day through New Year’s Eve from 5 to 9 p.m. Admission is charged by the vehicle: $10 for a car or family van, $25 for a minibus and $50 for a full-sized bus.
Wednesday, December 30
At 6:30 p.m., Ives Squared Creative-in-Residence Nadine Nelson hosts her latest Co-Create session, in which she and a guest artist co-stream while working on creative projects. The guest artist this evening is Patti Moreno, “an independent film producer and television personality best known for her work as Garden Girl on the hit web video series Garden Girl TV.” Viewers are “invited to watch, ask questions and discuss creativity.” Free.
Local bar Pacific Standard Tavern, which pivoted to virtual shows during the first months of the pandemic and has been largely quiet since, aims to “end this shit show of a year on a high note!” with its 3rd Annual Holiday Onesie Party at 9 p.m. “Put on your finest onesie and join the PST crew for a virtual edition of our yearly holiday celebration. Featuring special guests and all sorts of surprises that you don’t wanna miss.” Free.
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Thursday, December 31 – New Year’s Eve
At 8 p.m., the Shubert Theatre facilitates a live streamed version of its annual First Night of Funny comedy show. The comics this time are Mike Gaffney, Jaye McBride, Ross Bennett and Steve Caouette, and you can watch it via “the Watch Live Now app on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV as well as WatchLiveNow.com.” A household ticket costs $20, or $18 if you use promo code “SHUBERT.”
At 9 p.m, local live music producer Manic Presents helps present Kiss 2020 Goodbye, a very non-local “virtual concert like no other… with over 50 cameras and 360-degree views” of face-painted, platform-booted, leathered-and-spandexed Kiss at the Atlantis Dubai. Pay-per-view access with a 24-hour replay period costs $39.99, while a $49.99 option bumps that period up to 72 hours.
Friday, January 1 – New Year’s Day
There’s no Plunge for Parks in New Haven this year, but there is a Plunge for Paws in Branford, at The Owenego inn and beach club, where 25 staffers and volunteers with the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter are live streaming a dip in the Sound at 3 p.m. to raise money for medical care of abandoned animals. You can watch via Facebook and make a donation here.
Written and photographed by Dan Mims. Image depicts a portal at Fantasy of Lights. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
