Now that the International Festival of Arts & Ideas is over, you’d think things would be quiet this week. But it’s still summer, which means energetic kids are out of school, musicians are performing outdoors and—this week, anyway—“bombs” are bursting out over East Rock Park.
Monday, June 30
The city runs a number of affordable activities-based summer camps for kids, with themes like “Music & Video” and “Eco Adventure Extreme.” Additionally, starting today and continuing most days until August 9, the city is sending out a pair of “fully loaded recreational buses” to provide what you might think of as free pop-up summer camps around the city, with arts and crafts, “nature education” and “mobile playground activities” on the agenda. Today from 4 to 8 p.m., find one bus at the Brookside apartments in West Rock and the other across town at Criscuolo Park. Check out the full schedule here.
Tuesday, July 1
America has about 30 times the population of Belgium, but that doesn’t stop the latter’s soccer team, known by fans of all stripes as the “Red Devils,” from being the favorite in today’s World Cup elimination match against Team USA. Where should you witness this classic underdog setup? Most everyone agrees Anna Liffey’s (17 Whitney Ave, New Haven; 203-773-1776) is the rowdiest, most hardcore soccer pub in town. But O’Tooles (157 Orange St, New Haven; 203-562-7468) has plenty going for it too, including a little more breathing room inside and a lot of fresh air outside in the adjacent Pitkin Plaza, where “New Haven’s World Cup Village” is broadcasting the game. 4 p.m. ESPN.
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Wednesday, July 2
Today at 12:30 p.m., explore the great American frontier during “Nineteenth-Century Views of the American West” at the Yale University Art Gallery (1111 Chapel St, New Haven; 203-432-0600). Tanya Pohrt leads an expedition through paintings of landscapes and cowboys, with particular attention paid to the works of Frederic Remington and Albert Bierstadt, whose stunner Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point Trail is pictured above. Free.
Thursday, July 3
“Gray skies are just clouds passing over,” jazz great Duke Ellington purportedly once said, and for outdoor concert audiences that thought can be a very real comfort. Tonight, the second installment of the free weekly “Branford Jazz on the Green Series” conjures Ellington with a performance by New Duke, a project led by Brian Torff and filled out by some of his fellow Fairfield University music professors. The impetus behind New Duke is to give us a “fresh take” on Ellington’s catalog, with updated arrangements spanning “funk, rock, hip-hop, reggae and Afro-pop.” Branford Town Green (along Main St between Taintor Dr and Montowese St). 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. No dogs allowed, sadly.
Friday, July 4 – Independence Day
New Haven’s annual Fourth of July fireworks show booms tonight from the summit of East Rock Park, where food vendors, face painters, a climbing wall and the St. Luke’s Steel Band entertain visitors from 6 to 9 p.m., with the main event starting at 9:15. As usual, there’s a shuttle to the summit, but this time it’s limited to the first 250 cars at $5 per car, making both early-birding and carpooling even wiser than usual. To take the shuttle, head to the park’s Davis Street entrance; alternatively, bring some chairs to the fields of Wilbur Cross High School (181 Mitchell Dr, New Haven) and enjoy the ’works. The rain date, by the way, is Saturday the fifth.
Mission Zero’s sister/brother members Megan Chenot (vocals, keyboard, guitar) and David Keith (drums, beats, vocals) call upon a synthesizer to help “keep the holiday party going” over at The Outer Space (295 Treadwell St, Hamden; 203-288-6400) tonight. But the musicians are also synthesizers themselves, bringing together a crazy range of styles and feels on their new record Sky Candy EP: catchy-as-pop choruses, rock guitar riffs, dance rock drum beats, interesting electronic flourishes and trip hop grooves. You get the sense there’s classical music training gone joyfully askew here, from Chenot’s impressive voice control to Keith’s confident skin-smacking. Opening the show at 9 p.m. is Rudeyna, followed by Jay Prince, whose deep voice can usually be heard singing with local rock/folk band Eurisko. $8, or $5 with a Facebook RSVP.
Saturday, July 5
You’re probably familiar with Wooster Square, home of the Saturday farmers’ market and annual Cherry Blossom Festival and Pepe’s and Sally’s. But what about Fort Wooster Park? It too was named to commemorate New Havener David Wooster, a Revolutionary War general who suffered mortal combat wounds in 1777. Located just above Morris Cove, near the East Haven border, it’s in the thick of the area where the British raided New Haven on July 5, 1779, which is a big reason why the non-profit group Friends of Fort Wooster picked today to celebrate the effort it’s put into cleaning up the park. Along with a flagpole dedication and flag presentation, expect “period reenactors, music, food, tours of the park and lots of history.” Noon to 4 p.m. Free.
Sunday, July 6
In late June, the Yale Center for British Art (1080 Chapel St, New Haven; 203-432-2800) exposed a new and novel exhibition, Bruce Davidson/Paul Caponigro: Two American Photographers in Britain and Ireland. According to the YCBA, the exhibit “pairs for the first time” the works of these two divergent shooters. Whereas Davidson “is a photojournalist” and extolls the virtues of “gritty street photography,” Caponigro “practices a pure, formalist approach to landscape.” Museum hours today are noon to 5 p.m. Free.
Written by Dan Mims. Image depicts Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point Trail by Albert Bierstadt, courtesy of the Yale University Art Gallery. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
