nothin New Haven Independent | Cool Events This Weekend, Here & Beyond

Cool Events This Weekend, Here & Beyond

The Branford Jazz series is winding down for the summer, so catch tonight’s performance. And the New Haven Jazz Festival is not to be missed Saturday evening. Fair season is upon us and the Chester Fair is one of many coming up in the next month or so – it’s a beautiful drive out there. It goes without saying that the Stony Creek Brewery is one of the most happening places along the shoreline – check out their Sun Juice Fest. Looking ahead a bit toward Labor Day… Short Beach Days caps the summer, but there are plenty of cool events coming up in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

Thursday, Aug. 25

Opius Bliss: Rain-Out Rescheduled!

Rescheduled from their July 7 rain out, Opius Bliss will return to the Branford Green tonight at 6:30 p.m. for the penultimate performance of the Branford Jazz on the Green series.
Described as a a stunning fusion of talent” by the Boston Globe, and a highly charged, brand new blues frenzied band on the rise” by The Beehive, the five-person ensemble known as Opius Bliss has logged far more minutes of fame than the average person’s 15. The group, fronted by international jazz vocalist Michelle Walker, has gathered acclaim for their creative, improvisational instrumentals and their unique musical style: a signature blend of blues, bebop, swing, and soul.
For more information about Opius Bliss or Jazz on the Green, visit the series’ website.

Friday, Aug. 26 – Saturday, Aug. 27

Italian Festival

In Guilford this weekend, everyone’s Italian. The St. George Men’s Group will host its Italian Festival on the grounds of St. George Church, Whitfield Street, in support of local organizations involved in fighting the opioid epidemic.

The festival runs from 5 to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and from 3 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Featured will be Italian food specialties such as lasagna, meatball subs, and friend dough pizza, and gelato, along with an old-fashioned grape-stomping competition and bocce. Live music will be courtesy of the Sin Sister Band on Friday night, and the Steamroller Band and Shiny Lapel Trip on Saturday.

Raffles and plenty of activities for kids will also be included.

Admission is $5; free for those age 15 and under. For more information, visit stgeorgemensgroup.org or call 203 – 410-4682

Friday, Aug. 26 – Sunday, Aug. 28

Chester Fair

The Chester Fair will take place from 6 to 11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27; and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28, at the Chester Fairgrounds, Route 154.

The Chester Fair is a major agricultural fair with livestock/animal shows and pulls, garden tractor pull, flowers, arts and crafts, baking contests, midway, children’s games, musical entertainment and lots of food assures fun for all. It’s been an integral part of the town since 1877.

Admission is $8, $6 for seniors, children under 12 free. Call 860 – 526-5947 or visit chesterfair.org.

Friday, August 26

2nd Annual Sun Juice Fest at the Stony Creek Brewery 

Beginning at 4 p.m., the Stony Creek Brewery will be hosting its second annual Sun Juice Fest, named for its signature Belgian Summer Ale.
Feed your soul with some blues, soul, and rock and roll performed live by Greg Sherrod Band, The New Dirty, and Seth Adam. Or, placate your stomach with some seafood and barbecue from Nellie Greens and The Stand.
The Brewery will also be hosting its first ever corn hole tournament starting at 6 p.m. Live music will begin at 5:30.
Tickets are $45 each, which includes food, two pints of Sun Juice, and hours of fun! To purchase a ticket, or to learn more about the event, visit http://stonycreekbeer.com/events/sun-juice-fest.

Connecticut Open Tennis Tourney

The Connecticut Open Tennis Tournament will be wrapping up its annual convocation of powerhouses this weekend at the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven. The tournament includes five different competitions including WTA qualifying, WTA singles, WTA doubles, PowerShares Legends, and the US Open National Playoffs Championship. The Connecticut Open is prominently featured domestically on ESPN2 and is also broadcast in 160 countries around the world. For match times, tickets, and more information, visit http://www.ctopen.org/

Saturday, Aug. 27

Nature Walk: Red Hill Woods

Beginning at 10 a.m., members of the Branford Land Trust will a nature walk through Red Hill Woods, a stunning 29-acre parcel at the end of Red Hill Road, just north of 950 acres of protected open space protected by the Branford Land Trust, the Guilford Land Conservation Trust, and the Town of Branford. The goal is to raise $200,000 to preserve and protect this property, along with Spectacle Island, for generations to come! The walk is part of an ongoing series being held this summer.
The walks are approximately one mile in length, and will take about an hour. Walkers should expect moderate terrain, with some sloping trails and inclines. Bring water. Walking sticks welcome.
Directions: From Leetes Island Road, turn onto Red Hill Road and continue past Van Wie Pond to the very end of the road. Park along the gravel lane.
Visit www.branfordlandtrust.org today to learn more about Red Hill Woods and to make a donation.

Madison Antiques Fair

Browse through a curious mix of antiques – from eighteenth century cookware to Victorian folk art – at the Madison Antiques fair Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, on the Madison green. The event draws as many as 100 antiques exhibitors from the Northeast, New York State, the mid-Atlantic states, and Florida.
Coffee service will be available in the morning, while sidewalk cafe seating will be provided all day. In the afternoon, Durham’s Spice Catering will be serving fresh-made pork sandwiches, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese, grilled chicken sandwiches, salad, hot dogs, and hamburgers.
Admission is $7 ($6 with the fair’s newspaper ad) for non-members, $5 for members, and free for children ages 12 and under. For more info on the event, visit the Madison Historical Society’s website.

New Haven Jazz Festival

Presented by Jazz Haven in association with New Haven Mayor Toni Harp, the New Haven Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism, and the New Haven Board of Alders, the 2016 New Haven Jazz Festival will take place on the New Haven Green from 6 to 9 p.m.
The free event will feature performances from the NMS Premier Jazz Ensemble, the Mitch Frohman Quartet (pictured), and the Christian Sands Quartet, as well as food, arts, and craft vendors. For more information, visit the Jazz Haven website.

Sunday, Aug. 28

Art Show at the Branford Art Center Gallery and Workshop

From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, head to the Branford Art Gallery and Workshop for an open house reception with the artists behind its newest exhibit, which will feature oil paintings by Michael Quirk and watercolors by Maureen Wilkinson.
The gallery will also host an Ink/Plate/Paper Show with Marilynn Arm, Lexi Axon, Elanna Bernstein, Elisabeth Catasus, Krista Naricsco, Sue Rollins, and Mary Sobol.

Ongoing

Working Boats of Stony Creek Exhibit at Stony Creek Museum

Take a trip back in time and explore the world of Stony Creek’s oldest working boats with the latest exhibit at the Stony Creek Museum.
Stony Creek Museum, located at 84 Thimble Islands Road, is open from 1 to 4 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. For more about the museum, or to find out how to get involved, visit their website here

< www.stonycreekmuseum.org/>
Friday, Sept. 2 – Monday, Sept. 5

Short Beach Days

File Photo

This is the weekend that Short Beachers live for!

The 70th annual Labor Day festival will kick off with a movie Friday evening with pizza and drinks. On Saturday, events include running and field events, swimming, sand sculpture, talent show, and DJ Kids’ Night. Sunday features softball, rubber duck races, family events, judging for the pie baking contest, free trolley rides, awards, and the band Hit List.” The highlight of the weekend is the Labor Day Parade, open to all ages, rain or shine.

Throughout the weekend, a scavenger hunt will feature pictures from the neighborhood.

For more information, visit the website, www.shortbeachdays.com.

Saturday, Sept. 3

First Saturday Walk

Celebrate Labor Day weekend with a walk along the Tabor section of the Shoreline Greenway Trail, at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 3, where construction work on the final trail surface will begin in 2017. Visit Ecology Park, the former Branford landfill, which was capped and converted to open space and now features panoramic views of Long Island Sound.

This is a mostly flat walk of about two miles with one hill. Meet in the parking lot of Tabor Lutheran Church, 45 Tabor Drive (from center of town, go south on Montowese Street, cross bridge over the Branford River, and take first left onto Tabor Drive).

For more information, call the walk’s leader, Leo Cristofar at 203 – 214-5824.

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