Trick or treat! Halloween isn’t here yet, but the weekend before Halloween is.
Monday, October 22
From 6 to 9 p.m., an introductory water bath canning class at MakeHaven (770 Chapel St, New Haven) “will cover the basics…” organizers say, “from material needed and water bath canning safety to starter recipes you can take home and use with confidence”—the first one being spicy dilly beans. Attendees can also “taste samples of other pickled delights that could appear in future canning workshops.” $25, or $20 for MakeHaven members.
Tuesday, October 23
Emerging from the one-room exhibit Captive Bodies: British Prisons, 1750-1900, which “focuses on the experience of prisoners in the 18th and 19th centuries and the structures that confined them,” a free lunchtime “Art in Context” talk focuses on the present and beyond. Delivered by architect and critic Trattie Davies, “The Future of Prisons and the Problem of Mass Incarceration” starts at 12:30 p.m. at the Yale Center for British Art (1080 Chapel St, New Haven; 203-432-2800).
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Wednesday, October 24
From 7 to 9 p.m. at Thimble Island Brewing Company (16 Business Park Dr, Branford; 203-208-2827), you can make your own sea glass window—basically a framed pane decorated in a maritime theme—with a lot of help from organizers, who are providing step-by-step guidance as well as “a prepped window, sea shells, sand, colored glass and more” (though “you can bring your own items” too). Depending on the size of the window you want to make, registration costs $35, $55 or $75. By the way, Thimble Island Brewing is also hosting a “Halloween Luminaries” class at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow as well as its annual Harvest Fest this Saturday from 2 to 8 p.m.
Thursday, October 25
Even though, as a colony, it birthed America’s and apparently the world’s first written constitution, “… does Connecticut deserve to be called the Constitution State?” Prompted by the bicentennial anniversary of the creation of Connecticut’s Constitution of 1818, that’s one of the questions Robert Imholt, emeritus professor of history at Albertus Magnus College, is asking during a free lecture at the New Haven Museum (114 Whitney Ave, New Haven; 203-562-4183). 5:30 p.m.
Friday, October 26
From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., LEAP—Leadership, Education, Athletics in Partnership (31 Jefferson St, New Haven; 203-773-0770)—is hosting its free annual Halloween Festival. Conceived to give “parents… an environment that is both safe and fun for their children,” activities include “face painting, pumpkin painting, storytelling, a haunted house and trick-or-treating.”
Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History (170 Whitney Ave, New Haven; 203-432-8987) is going supernatural with a Haunted Hall & Costume Ball, an 18+ affair featuring a “haunted laboratory,” a “scary scavenger hunt,” a “monster dance party,” a costume contest and “spooky libations.” Lasting from 7 to 10 p.m., registration costs $30 and includes two drink tickets, with discounts for Yale faculty/staff, Peabody members, college students and those who aren’t yet 21 years old. For those who aren’t yet even 18, there’s a Spooky Science Family Night—promising “spooky science demos, creepy crawly creatures, slithering snakes, a scavenger hunt and scary snacks”—tomorrow from 6 to 9 p.m., with regular tickets costing $15.
Elsewhere tonight, Halloween parties convene at Christy’s, Geronimo, Hop Knot, Jack’s, Partners and Toad’s, the last boasting a “glow” theme illuminated by glowsticks, a laser light show and a costume contest.
Saturday, October 27
“The lights will be off in Connecticut’s oldest house, so bring a flashlight to explore—even the basement, which may have surprises for visitors brave enough to venture there.” Held from 10 a.m. to 4:30, “Halloween Hysterics at Henry’s”—as in, the Henry Whitfield State Museum (248 Old Whitfield St, Guilford; 203-453-2457)—also include crafting gargoyles out of clay; educational displays about the Guilford Green’s graveyards and the origins of Halloween; and, of course, “CANDY!” Admission costs $6, though kids 12 and younger may enter for free.
City-Wide Open Studios culminates this year with Alternative Space Weekend, held for the first time at Yale West Campus (100 West Campus Dr, Orange), in Building 410. Also for the first time, the weekend extends across three days, from yesterday to tomorrow, noon to 6 each day. As the official festival guide notes, “a record-breaking 200+ artists
From 1 to 4 p.m., some 22 stops in the Whitney-Audubon Retail & Arts District are welcoming both fun-sized and full-sized trick-or-treaters in costume. Check in at Audubon Plaza (65 Audubon St, New Haven), then collect some candy and enjoy other activities including quick arts projects, a DJed dance floor and an adult costume contest. Free.
There are also plenty of adults-only Halloween parties tonight, including at Barcade, Elm City Social, GPSCY, Oak Haven and Vandome.
Sunday, October 28
And that’s not all. “The Shops at Yale and Shubert Theatre are teaming up for an afternoon of arts, crafts, films and trick-or-treating” downtown. For its part, from 11 a.m. to 3, the Shubert (247 College St, New Haven; 203-562-5666) is hosting “family-friendly activities including arts and crafts projects, temporary tattoos, Halloween film shorts
For a change of pace that’s still Halloweenish—although it might require specialized training and equipment—the boat ramp at Sound School (60 S Water St, New Haven) is hosting a session of “underwater pumpkin carving” from noonish to 3ish. Organizers—the Sound School Dive Club, the Connecticut Scuba Academy and New England Dive—promise “raffles, snacks and prizes for the best pumpkins,” though you’ll have to bring your own pre-gutted pumpkins and carving tools. $10, or free for Dive Club members.
Written and photographed by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
