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What does it mean when a book is censored? Join us for an age-appropriate story time highlighting beloved books that have been banned from bookshelves. A free of copy of Derrick Barnes, "I Am Every Good Thing" will be provided for each family while supplies last. Brought to you in partnership with The East Rock Lodge & Pocahontas Temple of I.B.P.O.E. W of Elks.
Join New Haven Poet Laureate Sharmont “Influence” Little for an engaging writing workshop that invites participants to explore their identities through introspection and creative expression. This interactive session encourages attendees to reflect on who they are and share their stories through the power of words. Whether you're an experienced writer or new to the craft, this workshop offers a...
Join a discussion with our Adult and Teen Services Librarians regarding censorship and book banning, one of the themes in the NEA Big Read selection for 2025. This conversation will include discussing this year's book, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, but also many other controversial titles. Open to ages 13 and up, including adults. Pizza will be provided.
This event is part of the 2025 NEA...
Come join us the in our book discussion every fourth Wednesday. It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! New members welcomed; books available for loan in advance of the discussion. Copies are first come, first served.
We'll be celebrating tough topics at storytime all of April, we will feature a book that has been a target for a book ban! As always, we'll have stories, songs, and playtime for children with parent/caregiver. Ages 0-5
Part of the 2025 NEA Big Read. NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Interested in activism? Looking for a way to translate your anxieties about the world into action? Join the Students for Educational Justice and learn the skills and history you need to know to make your schools, New Haven, and the country a better place.
Open to teens in grades 7–12
Celebrate your freedom to read! This week, we'll read This Book is Banned by Raj Haldar. Then, make your own book cover for one of your favorite books. Recommended for ages 5-8, with caregiver.
Join us at the Wilson Branch for a workshop designed to spark creativity through the themes of Ray Bradbury's iconic novel, Fahrenheit 451. Participants will explore the transformative power of storytelling and visual expression while reflecting on themes like censorship, individuality, and the enduring value of books. All skill levels are welcome to join this inspiring exploration of art and...
Come join us the fourth Monday of each month in our book discussion. It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! New members welcomed; books available for loan in advance of the discussion. Copies are first come, first served.
Directed by Lila Avilés, this critically acclaimed drama follows Eve, a dedicated hotel worker in Mexico City, as she navigates the routines of an unseen world, striving for something greater while being surrounded by luxury she can never claim as her own. A visually stunning and deeply human story, The Chambermaid is a must-watch for those who appreciate powerful, minimalist storytelling.
...The celebration kicks off at 11:00 AM with the Parade Line-Up at Martinez School (100 James Street), followed by the Parade Step-Off at 12:00 PM. Join us as we march through the heart of Fair Haven, celebrating our vibrant community spirit! After the parade, the fun continues from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Fair Haven School (164 Grand Avenue) with a lively festival featuring food, entertainment,...
Come out to the WEB Neighborhood Festival for a fun, free day of activities! Enjoy a children’s author reading, a hands-on gardening workshop, and a lively Capoeira session. Explore the neighborhood’s unique architecture on a guided tour, learn about the Armory Building, and connect with local non-profits. Satisfy your cravings with delicious food from local food trucks and groove to beats from...
The unhoused community in New Haven is growing. The pandemic, rising housing costs, and inflation has led to an increase in people experiencing homelessness across the city. In 2022, a family in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods opened up their backyard for people to live in, aspiring to create a self-governing community separate from the overburdened city shelter system. We follow the...
Let's combine art and literacy to create a one-of-a-kind book! Your books could serve as a journal, a space for your own work of fiction, a recipe book or so much more! (Families and Children 6-12)
Cirque Kikasse presents SANTÉ! a dynamic circus show with high-level acrobatics, contagious energy and breathtaking balances...All on our extraordinary food truck!
Join us for an engaging presentation exploring the rapidly evolving world of generative AI. From powerful tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Cursor.ai to the growing use of AI in creative fields, we'll examine how these technologies are reshaping writing, coding, design, and more.
Cirque Kikasse presents SANTÉ! a dynamic circus show with high-level acrobatics, contagious energy and breathtaking balances...All on our extraordinary food truck!
Join the club for a discussion of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Bradbury’s dystopian novel presents a future American society where books are outlawed, and “firemen” burn any that are found. Copies of the book are available.
In the spring of 2005, an elderly mother in Hanoi receives a diary—one that belonged to her daughter, Dang Thuy Tram, a young doctor who served at a liberation front hospital during the Vietnam War. From 1968 until her tragic death, she documented her experiences, hopes, and sacrifices in the pages of her journal. Decades later, her words resurface, sparking a national sensation in Vietnam and...
Join The Honorable Clifton Graves for an engaging introductory discussion on civics. Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding or just getting started, this discussion is a great opportunity to learn and ask questions in an open and informative setting.
Join us for the 2025 Hill Neighborhood Festival as we celebrate the incredible contributions of our community! This year, we are honoring longtime Hill advocates Ms. Ann Boyd, Mr. John Dye, Hip-Hop Bearer Mr. Lee Stucky, and the brave Veterans of the Vietnam War. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, we also pay tribute to our heroes at the Veterans Memorial located in Hill South on...
"We bombard people with sensation," he said, "That substitutes for thinking." – Fahrenheit 451
Join Mercy Quaye for an insightful discussion on the overwhelming nature of mass media. In a world flooded with information, media often evokes strong emotions but doesn’t always leave room for critical thinking and deeper analysis. This conversation will explore how we process media, its impact on...
Join Juanita Sunday and New London Poet Laureate AnUrbanNerd for an insightful conversation on how science-fiction serves as a powerful tool for warning signs of potential futures. Through discussions of novels like Fahrenheit 451, Parable of the Sower, 1984, and others, they will explore how these works challenge us to confront pressing issues and shape a better, more equitable future. This...
Let's gather at the West Hills/West Rock Neighborhood Festival—a free event full of fun and community spirit! Start your day with exciting morning workshops where you can learn new skills and connect with neighbors. Afterward, unwind and celebrate with a small concert, bringing live music and good vibes to the heart of our neighborhood. It's a day of creativity, connection, and celebration—...
Come celebrate community, fun, and the heroes who make a difference in Newhallville! This free, family-friendly event is filled with kids' activities, toys, and games that will bring smiles to faces of all ages. It’s more than just a day of play — it’s a chance for neighbors to come together and honor the local heroes who inspire and support our community. Whether it's first responders, educators...
La Yuma tells the inspiring story of a young girl from a poor Nicaraguan barrio who dreams of becoming a boxer. While she longs to spend her days training, her mother insists she work at a second-hand clothing store under the watchful eye of manager Scarlett. Despite these challenges, Yuma’s determination remains strong.
When her friend Yader, a former gang member turned gym owner, signs her...
Set in 1980s Naples, Italy, The Hand of God follows Fabietto Schisa, a teenager who is deeply passionate about both cinema and football. When Napoli, his local football team, signs the legendary Diego Maradona, Fabietto decides to stay home to watch Maradona play instead of joining his parents on vacation.
The film is a personal story for director Paolo Sorrentino, who uses the coming-of-age...
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the iconic Elm City Freddy Fixer Parade, and we’re celebrating in a big way! Join us for a weekend full of excitement and community spirit. The festivities kick off on Saturday, May 31st with our Neighborhood Festival from 12PM–4PM at Dixwell Q House Plaza. Later that night, the Elm City Freddy Fixer Parade will be having their 7th Annual Gala from 7PM–11PM...
The official Juneteenth Coalition of Greater New Haven (JCGNH) welcomes all to commemorate the triumphant efforts of previous generations by raising the official Juneteenth flag—created by Connecticut resident Elder Ben Haith. Rejoice with JCGNH, city officials, a live trumpeter, and artists from New Haven for the inaugural exhibition and press conference. Join us as we usher in the month-long...
Fahrenheit 451 is a 1966 British dystopian drama film directed by François Truffaut and starring Julie Christie, Oskar Werner, and Cyril Cusack. Based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Ray Bradbury, the film takes place in a controlled society in an oppressive future, in which the government sends out firemen to destroy all literature to prevent revolution and thinking. This was Truffaut's...
Join us for our 15th annual Visionary Leadership Award, honoring Monique Martin, propagator of art, culture, and ideas. The evening will consist of a moderated conversation and presentation by Monique, followed by a reception.
Inspired by the real stories of New Haven apizza pioneers, Family Business: (A)Pizza Play follows the Carbonizatto family’s pizza shop from it’s immigrant beginnings as it passes down over generations. This production explores New Haven’s pizza magic (la magia dell'apizza) from New Haven’s cultural and historic connection to pizza.
Family Business: (A)Pizza Play is a special collaboration...
Travel North from New Haven to Cheshire and learn about plans to connect the former rail trail to Northampton, MA. Visit historic Locks 12 and 14 before returning to New Haven. A representative of ECG will lead the ride and provide information and background on the trail.
Distance: 18 miles OR 26 miles
Traces reflects Bill Graustein’s ongoing practice of exploration, rooted in deep attention and quiet inquiry. The photographs serve as markers of a personal journey – moments of discovery, excitement, discomfort, and care. Graustein approaches the work not to explain, but to witness as he walks the boundary between reverence and trespass, seeking to better understand his own place within layered...
A walking tour of New Haven’s “Tudor Capital”! Beaver Hills is one of New Haven’s earliest planned and developed neighborhoods, and is home to some of the best examples of unique and well-preserved Tudor revival houses in the city. We will explore the heart of this neighborhood and talk in detail about a number of representative examples, chat with some homeowners about their houses, and discuss...
The Witness Stones Project aims to bring attention to the history of slavery with the goal of fostering a deeper understanding of the past and its impact on the present. By researching and commemorating the lives of enslaved individuals, the project seeks to create meaningful connections between history, memory and contemporary conversations about race and equality.
To date 260 stones have...
Martyna Majok was born in Bytom, Poland and raised in Jersey and Chicago. She was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her Broadway debut play, Cost of Living, which was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. Other plays include Sanctuary City, Queens, and Ironbound, which have been produced across American and international stages, and the libretto for Gatsby: An American Myth,...
Conceived by Monique Martin, Minty Fresh Circus is a US-based circus show performed by an all-Black cast, with a majority-Black creative team celebrating the healing power of Black music and movement, infused with the joy and resilience of those who traversed the transatlantic slave trade.
Grounded in Sankofa (a Ghanaian word encouraging one to learn from the past to inform the future) with...
Now is your chance to test out New Haven's e-bike share. Learn the ins and outs of how the program works and take a test ride yourself. Test rides will be free of charge.
Distance: 10 miles
Feast your eyes (and stomachs!) on the return of Juneteenth Restaurant Week. Explore the vibrant and savory flavors of Elm City’s ever-expanding culinary scene. Dine on a select prix fixe Juneteenth menu from a variety of local Black-owned eateries, including Sandra’s Next Generation Soul Food, Jazzy’s Cabaret, and many more.
A bridge to Long Island? An « emerald necklace » for the Elm City? A heliport in Wooster Square? Since the 17th century, New Haven’s dreamers, schemers, and planners have taken Daniel Burnham’s dictum — « make no little plans » — to heart. But big plans don’t always pan out. On this tour, we’ll see the sites that might have been.
Distance: 10 miles
Join the Yale Choral Artists and Victory Players, led by Dr. Jeffrey Douma, for a powerful world premiere performance of Cancionero de Luto (Mourning Songbook) by Armando Bayolo.
An introduction to the Grove Street Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark and the nation's first publicly chartered burial ground organized with streets and family plots, established in 1797. This tour will focus on the lives and legacies of Black New Haveners including William Grimes and family; John, Vashti, and Courtland Creed; Bias and Margaret Stanley; Mary Ann Goodman; the Park and Bassett...
Join Gallery staff for spotlight talks on displays across the museum. Brooke Krancer, Senior Curatorial Assistant, Yale Center for British Art, reflects on the exhibition Romney: Brilliant Contrasts in Georgian England. Daniel Menzo, the Marcia Brady Tucker Fellow, Department of Photography, discusses the exhibition David Goldblatt: No Ulterior Motive. Miranda Saylor, the Alice and Allan Kaplan...
Step back in time to 1804 when America was 17 states stong, the Townshend family built their landmark home in New Haven. Generations of Townshend's lived in the estate until recently when it was loving restored to the original opulensce. The Estate is now an event space. This tour will tour both the house and the grounds.
Distance: 8 miles
You thought you knew what was coming. You thought you knew what the end would be. But when you get there, you realize it is something entirely different. It makes you think, “Hmmm… wasn’t expecting that!”
This year we Stir the Style with narratives of surprise, disappointment, triumph, and transformation—tales where the destination wasn't quite what was imagined, but the journey proved remarkable...
Join us for Hip-Hop Scholarship through a multisensory journey with Hip-Hop 101- an interactive workshop focusing on the elements of Hip-Hop music featuring a live DJ/Turntablist, live graffiti artist, dancers, and emcees, a keynote by Hip-Hop pioneers M-1 and Umi of Dead Prez, interdisciplinary and multi-generational panels, a youth panel and independent film festival.
Learn about the treatment processes we use to take the water from the Lake Whitney reservoir and turn it into reliable, high-quality drinking water.
Join us for a special evening with Jacques Pépin, legendary French chef, author, and artist. Pépin will share stories from his extraordinary career—from cooking for French presidents to co-starring with Julia Child in the Emmy-winning Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home.
Jumpstart your two-week Festival experience with a performance that pays homage to the Juneteenth holiday and celebrates our collective dedication to harmony and truth!
HartBeat Ensemble presents a staged reading of Woodhull/Beecher, a new play by Leslie Gabel-Brett exploring the tension between hope and despair in the struggles for personal and social justice. Victoria Woodhull – feminist, spiritualist, free-love advocate and first female presidential candidate – clashes with Henry Ward Beecher – minister, abolitionist, brother to Harriet Beecher Stowe and, to...
Travel South on the East Coast Greenway to Silver Sands State Park in Milford. This section of the ECG incorporates the Vision Trail, the Harbor side trail, the Long Wharf Nature Preserve, and the Savin Rock Trail. representative of ECG will lead the ride and provide information and background on the trails.
Distance: 18 miles OR 28 miles
New Haven has it's share of mixed surfaces often creating a challenge for even the most seasoned rider. Learn techniques from one of New Haven's most prolific riders and skilled educators on the subject.
Distance: 15 miles
Communities start with families bonded by love, experiences, and principles. The concept of unity - Umoja - is the lifeblood of any community. In the spirit of family, experience the values of intergenerational respect and learning through cooperative economics (Ujamaa). Join us for an Elder Honoring Ceremony with Ms. Hanan's Dance and Beyond, The Juneteenth Artist Showcase, Juneteenth Youth Zone...
Join us this summer for an innovative community dialogue on New Haven's environmental future! Local environmental organizations and self-nominated groups of concerned residents are invited to participate in a collaborative reading and action planning process.
The borough of Fair Haven East, incorporated in 1872, represents the city’s one (and only) experiment with this semi-autonomous form of local government. With much of the waterfront already built out for the oystering trade, residents sought a different approach to developing the steep, wooded hills to the east of the village. By directly electing their neighbors to serve as government officials...
Autumn Peltier is Anishinaabe-kwe and a member of the Wikwemikong First Nation and an internationally recognized advocate for clean water. She is a water protector and has been called a “water warrior”. Peltier addressed world leaders at the UN General Assembly on the issue of water protection at the age of thirteen in 2018.
Peltier lives on the Unceded Anishinawbe Territory on Manitoulin...
City of Floating Sounds is an invitation to connect with our surroundings and each other. Experience a shifting soundscape as you journey through the city. Can you find other audience members to create a richer sound?
Pushing the boundaries of classical music performance, City of Floating Sounds uses cutting-edge creative technology to take music out into the city. Guided by a bespoke mobile...
Experience a magical summer evening on the New Haven Green with the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, as the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with Yale Schwarzman Center, presents City of Floating Sounds, a free, open-air concert that celebrates New Haven’s rich history and culture. The evening begins with an immersive journey through New Haven, where participants playing Huang...
Ever wonder about those mysterious buildings in New Haven with a grandiose façade but no windows? Chances are you are looking at a secret society. Learn about the origins of secret societies, their impact on America’s history and how they influence modern society.
Distance: 10 miles
Take a walking tour of Downtown New Haven, but seen through a queer lens. Discover a hidden history—four centuries in the making—among the nine squares in the country’s first planned city. See where Cole Porter got his kick from champagne…Doors’ front man Jim Morrison was bloodied and arrested…Bette Davis had a bumpy night…Judy and Liza played on parallel streets…Jodi Foster’s hang out the night...
A renaissance is unfolding in Fair Haven and one of its exciting outcomes is the rediscovery of mural and other forms of public air. Some of these art works were created decades ago, while others emerged within the past three years. Local artists contributed many of these pieces, but nationally and internationally recognized figures also left their mark. Regardless of their creator's origins,...
Kasey Cortez is a multidisciplinary artist exploring the intersection of music, theatre, photography, design, fashion, and installation art. Her creative work is driven by a curiosity about collective culture, the subtleties of human behavior, and the quiet rhythms of everyday life. With nearly a decade of experience as a yoga teacher, Kasey brings mindfulness and intention into every project....
Complete your Juneteenth holiday weekend with a night of mesmerizing music featuring violin sensations, Sons of Mystro, and youth collaborations. Mentored by Black Violin, Sons of Mystro is a musical duo that plays over ten popular music genres. They use their violins to interpret reggae classics, American pop songs, and their creations, accompanied by a DJ & a drummer. They are winners of the...
WHITMAN ON WALLS! (WoW!) is a hybrid project juxtaposing film and live performance in response to New York poet Walt Whitman's radical "Song of Myself." Devised by Compagnia de' Colombari Director Karin Coonrod in response to performance cancellations in 2020, Colombari's original production of MORE OR LESS I AM, based on Whitman's iconic poem, was transformed into seven short films featuring 50...
Join visual artist Serena Scapagnini and scientist Florian Carle for a walking tour of New Haven to discover Serena’s original artworks created during her residency at the Yale Quantum Institute. The stops include installations on the New Haven Green, at the Robert B Haas Family Arts Library, and at the Yale Quantum Institute. The artworks are site-specific, composed of copper plates encapsulated...
Take the absolute best event in New Haven (PechaKucha New Haven, of course), smash it into the absolute best Arts & Ideas Festival in the history of the world, and what do you get? The best thing in the world. An event that could change your life, regrow your hair, make your teeth shine bright, and save the world. Yes, it is the "False Advertising" edition of PechaKucha New Haven at the...
Latin Grammy winning, multiple Latin Grammy and Grammy nominee vocalist, musician, composer, producer, arranger and founder of Flor de Toloache – NY’s only all women mariachi.
Inaugurated in 1867, Street Hall—today part of the Yale University Art Gallery—housed the first collegiate school of art in the country. Its curriculum permitted students from a variety of disciplines to sketch from live models and original works of art. Take part in this centuries-old practice by joining us for an evening of guided sketching. Offered in conjunction with the International...
The New Haven Picnic Basket: Bring your appetite for a bike tour picnic extravaganza. Visit local food manufacturers and proprietors to see where your food originates and to collect your perfect meal. A picnic in a local park concludes the ride.
Distance: 10 miles
"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." —Victor Hugo
Sometimes there is nothing more refreshing than a nice – deep - belly laugh. A laugh that makes your side hurt, your eyes water and your breath hard to catch. A laugh so powerful that - at least for a moment - you forget all about your troubles.
Get to know the CAES through this guided tour of the grounds and explore this renowned scientific institution! The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), established in 1875 (turning 150 years old this year!), is the first agricultural experiment station in the United States. The main mission of the CAES is research. The CAES programs exist to educate the public and to transfer new...
Brouhaha, Squonk’s newest show, is an immersive outdoor spectacle bursting with rollicking music, dazzling imagery, and the thrill of audience participation. At the center of this riotous romp is the Squonkcordion, an enormous musical instrument the audience gets to play. Experience the joy of community, the power of live music, and the pageantry of Squonk’s visual extravaganza.
HHTTS is an indie Asian dreampop/shoegaze band from Brooklyn, New York. HHTTS began like many indie bands—as a weekend passion project, rehearsing once a week while its members balanced full-time jobs.
For more than twenty years that the group has been rolling its hump in the world of jazz manouche and revisited song, Christine Tassan and the Impostors has been able to win the esteem and loyalty of an ever-growing audience.
Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the 1990’s. Born in Berkeley, California he is the son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman and dancer Renee Shedroff. In 1991 Redman graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude and had already been accepted by Yale Law School, but deferred entrance for what he believed was only going to be one year....
Step into MakeHaven, New Haven’s community workshop where creativity meets cutting-edge technology. Explore a space designed for artists, entrepreneurs, and hobbyists, equipped with tools for woodworking, metalworking, textiles, 3D printing, laser cutting, and more. See firsthand how materials transform—from wood cut with precision lasers to metal shaped by water. Learn how our members bring...
Seny Tatchol is a master drummer, dancer, and cultural educator from Guinea, West Africa. Rooted in the rich musical traditions of the Manding culture, Seny has spent his life studying, performing, and teaching West African drumming and dance. With a deep understanding of rhythm and an infectious love for sharing his craft, he brings both technical expertise and cultural authenticity to every...
Sol and The Tribu is a group of Cuban musicians who blend traditional Caribbean music and modern technology with a Miami twist. As ambassadors of the New Miami Sound, they pride themselves on what makes Miami “The Magic City,” with its blend of Caribbean influences and American swamp funk.
Did you ever wish there was a way to travel Eastward on the shoreline by bike? The Shoreline Greenway Trail shares that vision to build a 25-mile trail for bikers, walkers and outdoor enthusiasts. Learn of the plans to connect the East Coast Greenway to the Shorline Greenway trail and ride the East Haven and Branford sections of the Shoreline Greenway Trail
Distance: 25 miles
Solve the unsolvable murder mystery in New Haven. Or just come along for the ride. Prizes for solving the murder.
Distance: 15 miles
The first third of the 20th century is known as the era of “The Comfortable House,” a time when technological improvements and ongoing traditional styles helped bring the lifestyle of the growing American suburbs to more and more people. Designer-contractor Alice Washburn (1870-1958) was only one of many creators whose Tudors and Bungalows and Colonials in many ways still shape what we think of...
Join us for an unforgettable multi-cultural celebration at the New Haven Caribbean Heritage Festival, where the vibrant tastes, sounds, and culture of the Caribbean come alive! Experience a delightful array of Caribbean food trucks while browsing stunning island apparel, jewelry, crafts, and more. Enjoy the colorful representations of various Caribbean nations, and live performances that showcase...
