Ho! Ho Ho! Christopher Martin's Christmas Run for Children is Right Around the Corner

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo from JBSports.com

December is an exciting month in New Haven! The Elm City Elf will be making a daily appearance, the World AIDS Day Flash Mob happens next Friday, and on December 8th, the annual Christopher Martin 5k is on once again.

The 2013 Christopher Martin Christmas Run for Children kicks off on Sunday, 12/8 at 10:15am. The race starts and ends at Christopher Martin restaurant - 860 State Street. There is no race day registration so be sure to visit the official 5k page for registration details. $25 gets you race entry without a shirt, $45 gets you entry with a long sleeved t-shirt, sizes XS-XL. For reduced admission, fill out a form on the official page and donate a new, unwrapped toy. Toys will be distributed to children in New Haven who otherwise may not have a gift on Christmas. *sigh*

For the fast people, prizes are awarded to top finishers per age group. For volunteer opportunities, this event still needs volunteers! Please call 203-481-5933 for more details.

Early packet pickup available at Trailblazer - 296 Elm St. New Haven, CT on Friday, 12/6 & Saturday, 12/7, 11am-6pm.

New Connections, Inc. Hosts Holiday Celebration at Delaney's -- Food, Raffles, Fun!

First off: HAPPY THANKSGIVING, New Haven! You may be sleeping off that turkey coma right now, but I am wide awake and pumped to tell you about a holiday event at Delaney's Tap Room & Restaurant!

On Saturday, December 7th from 1-4pm, New Connections, Inc. will be hosting its holiday celebration at Delaney's. All are welcome to join! $25 gets you a friendly crowd, awesome menu, great raffle prizes. Get your tickets early because they are $30 at the door! Tickets available via drenaud@newconnectionsinc.org or 203-401-8700.

Delaney's is located in the Westville section of New Haven. Plenty of restaurants and little shops in the area, a stone's throw from Southern CT State University, and public transportation is easily accessible on Whalley Avenue. Oh, and Delaney's has a private lot if you're planning to drive.

Please see flyer below for more details!

Thanksgiving Eve Party at Elevate Nightclub! Cover & Drink Specials All Night!

This Wednesday!!! Before you fall into the inevitable Thanksgiving food coma, get your dancing shoes on and head over to Elevate at Alchemy -- CT's largest nightclub!

Located in the heart of downtown New Haven, Elevate has specials going on all night, including:

• NO COVER for 21+
• $2 drafts until 11pm
• $3 bottles and well drinks

You'll have a DJ spinning Top 40 hits all night, so if you're looking for some budget-friendly beverages and good tunes -- Elevate nightclub is your spot!! Doors open at 8:30pm.

Elevate at Alchemy

215 Crown Street

Btwn. College and Crown St.

Dress to impress...I went to Elevate over the summer and people were looking grown & sharp! :)

Guns Down, Books Up Thanksgiving Dinner: Call for Donations and Volunteers

It's that time of the year where we are reminded to give thanks for our blessings. Guns Down, Books Up is a local nonprofit taking an extra step to give thanks by providing its annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner for those in need.

Guns Down Books Up is calling for dinner donations, i.e. a healthy dish (click for some ideas), juice, water. If you're available and looking for volunteer opportunities, get in contact with the coordinator at 203-850-7254 or 203-503-4921. This event takes place at 3pm in Fair Haven.

I had the pleasure of meeting Raymond, the head of Guns Down Books Up, at a couple of events over the past year, and he is a passionate and dedicated leader in the New Haven community. I would recommend working with Raymond and his team if you can!

Thanksgiving Day Dinner @ Bella Vista
339 Eastern Street
Building D
203-850-7254 or 203-503-4921 for Donation/Volunteer Inquiries!!

Come See "The Fantasy of Lights" -- Now Through Dec. 31st

'Tis the season for colorful, pretty lights! Head down to Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven from now until New Year's Eve for a light show that draws crowds from all over New England. For a small fee, ranging from $10 (cars) to $50 (buses), you can see this mile-long exhibit of beautifully decorated displays. This year, for $2 extra, you can purchase 3D glasses to add some extra kick to your Fantasy of Lights experience.

Psst...If you've already visited The Fantasy of Lights this year, feel free to post some photos to the What's Up New Haven Facebook page! We newbies would love some encouragement to go pay a visit to these beautiful displays.

 

For more information or to sponsor a display, e-mail events@esginh.org and find out how you can help. Please keep in mind that all proceeds go to Easter Seals Goodwill "to enhance employment, educational, social and recreational opportunities for people with disabilities and other challenges". 

Operating hours are Sunday-Thursday from 5-9pm, and Friday & Saturday from 5-10pm. 

 

Update: Mini Flash Mob in New Haven - Friday, December 6th!

Hello friends! I hope you are staying warm in this suddenly chilly city. We have an update for the New Haven World AIDS Day 2013 "Mini Flash Mob" for those wishing to participate. This event needs YOUR participation and positive energy, so please grab your friends and get downtown next Friday if you can! This event is sure to turn heads and be a good story to tell over the holidays. :)

 

This post is an update to my previous write up. Please click here for more information, and get excited about being a part of this spirited event!

"The Princess and the Firebird" at Woolsey Hall

New Haven: If you think you have nothing to do tomorrow night, think again. You most certainly do! Grab a friend or a date and enjoy a concert performed by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra entitled "The Princess and the Firebird".
  

"The Princess and the Firebird" takes place Saturday, November 23rd from 7:30-9:30pm, and the performance is conducted by award-winning William Boughton. Tickets range from $15 - $69 and may be purchased online.

From the NHSO website:

An evening of incandescent ballet music from Russia and France brings Stravinksy’s Firebird, Delibes’s dancing doll, and Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty to life.


Program:

Léo DELIBES - Excerpts from Coppélia Suite
Jean FRANÇAIX - The Flower Clock
Piotr Ilych TCHAIKOVSKY - Panorama & Waltz from Sleeping Beauty Suite, op. 66a
Igor STRAVINSKY - The Firebird Suite

Downtown New Haven is known for its lively restaurant and nightlife scene on Saturday night, but if you're looking for another outlet, I encourage you to check out this performance from the New Haven Symphony Orchestra -- the 4th oldest orchestra in the United States!

Woolsey Hall
500 College Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Directions to Woolsey Hall

Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce's "Big Connect" Happens Tomorrow!

My apologies for the extremely late post about this event -- I just found out about The Big Connect earlier today. I hope you have a clear schedule tomorrow because there is an all-day B2B Expo that is happening from 8am-6pm!

The Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce is hosting The Big Connect -- their Annual Business Expo at The Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford. Great networking opportunity for businesse of all sizes! There are several events in the lineup, including the GNHCC Leadership's Breakfast with Entrepreneur Ruma Bose, Connection Concierge and a CEO Power Panel with Tariq Farid (CEO, Edible Arrangements), Ben Berkowitz (CEO, SeeClickFix), and Gregg Richard (President/CEO, PC Richard & Son). Click here for a list of all events.

Another great reason to attend? Most expo events are FREE! The event "The Big Taste" has a $15 fee, but it must be a hit since it's the 5th year they're hosting this particular event.

If you have the time, and you're looking to connect with other CT businesses, head on down to Wallingford for this invaluable opportunity!

The Toyota Oakdale Theatre
95 South Turnpike Road
Wallingford, CT 06492

CEO Panel (L-R): Tariq Farid, Edible Arrangements; Gregg Richard, PC Richard & Son; Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix.

JCC Fitness Food Drive Marathon - This Weekend!

Before you pile on the hot dogs at the Yale-Harvard tailgate on Saturday: think fitness!

The Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven will a host a Fitness Food Drive on Saturday, 11/23 and Sunday, 11/24. One can of non-perishable food gets you 30 minutes of fitness -- as well as a fulfilled heart and spirit. :) You can always donate more to party more! Non-members are welcome to join this event.

Saturday will be a Four Hour Spin Marathon with new instructors every 30 minutes from 7:30-11:30am. Sign up is required for Spinning. Sunday is the Zumba Dance Marathon portion (yay!) with new instructors every 45 minutes. Sign up is not required for Zumba.

Please note for Zumba: A couple of blocks feature specialty Zumba classes. The 10:30-11 block is Zumba® Toning, in which Toning Sticks are used to provide lightweight resistance. The 11-11:30 block is Zumba Sentao™, in which a chair is used to provide targeted resistance training. Toning sticks and chairs will be provided by the JCC.

I will be there on Sunday, and I hope to see you, too!

JCC of Greater New Haven
360 Amity Road
Woodbridge, CT 06525
Main Office: 203-387-2522

Update 11/25/13: What a fun event! Several boxes of food were collected, and Zumba fans of all levels shook, shimmied and squatted their way through the morning. Congrats to instructors April, Heather, Joy and Julie on a great job. Thanks to Fitness Director, Susan Donovan, for alerting What's Up New Haven to this high energy event!

Cookies On9 Event to Benefit "Neighbors In Need"

You're going to have a busy day on Friday, December 6th! After you participate in the New Haven flash mob in the morning, head on over to 9th Square in the evening for a cookie crawl!

A cookie crawl is similar to a pub crawl, but far sweeter: $25 gets you a nice stroll around New Haven's Historic Ninth Square District and the opportunity to collect over a dozen cookies from local shops! Cookies are baked by the Gateway Community College Culinary Department and ticket proceeds benefit the "Neighbors in Need" dinner hosted by GCC.

Tickets can be purchased here. Now go and make Cookie Monster proud! ;o)

New Haven County: Jennel Garcia, The GiGi Sisters and Sarah Barrios Perform at The Space!

Looking for a great evening of live music? Then mark your calendars for 6pm on Friday, November 29th for a cool show at The Space in Hamden. Yes, I know Hamden is not New Haven, but it's a hop away from our beloved city. Close enough!

The Space is an all ages music & arts venue located near New Haven and is accessible using CTTransit bus line*. Come support CT native Sarah Barrios as well as former X-Factor contestant Jennel Garcia and The GiGi Sisters! Tickets are $15 in advance (purchase online here) or $20 at the door.

All three artists offer sultry, powerful performances. If you don't believe me, just check them out on YouTube. Throw on your cutest "night out" outfit, grab your friends and head on over to The Space on November 29th!

*The Space is approx. 15 minutes by car from downtown New Haven, or you can get there by taking the "O" bus line to Treadwell St. and Martin Terrace in Hamden.

Mini Flash Mob Opportunity in New Haven!

Listen up, New Haven: A mini flash mob is coming to your neighborhood. 

Cool? Absolutely! But the reasoning behind it is equally as important.

World AIDS Day 2013 is upon us, and the theme this year is "Getting to Zero". Until AIDS is no longer a threat, we as a community must raise awareness so that we prevent rather than treat the virus. The New Haven Mayor's Task Force will host an event in honor of World AIDS Day on December 6th, 2013.

There will be a traditional reception on the New Haven Green honoring Mayor John DeStefano (please see flyer below), and a not-so-traditional way to promote awareness: a mini flash mob!

 

What is a Flash Mob?

A flash mob is an event where people gather in a public space such as a courtyard or building, and they act like every day people -- until they start a routine that seemingly comes out of nowhere! Participants have a great time and it really catches the rest of the crowd off guard. Flash mobs have been featured on shows like Modern Family and Oprah. A local and sentimental reference may be seen below, when the Closer to Free flash mob was filmed at New Haven's Union Station to benefit the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven:

 

Have you ever seen such positive energy radiating from that train station before? Wouldn't it have been fun to be a part of that excitement? Now it's YOUR turn to Flash Mob for a great cause! There will be a gathering with the Mayor's Task Force on the Green before the ceremony. Details are being finalized, and this post will be updated as we more information is provided.

For any additional questions regarding the World AIDS Day mini Flash Mob, please contact Sandra Gossart-Walker or Jocelyn Antunes.

Veteran's Day 2013 in New Haven

What's Up New Haven would like to take a moment and say THANK YOU to our local heroes who served in the military. Their bravery and commitment to our country will be honored tomorrow, November 11th, 2013, at the following places. As always, please feel free to comment and contribute your own findings:

Events

Downtown/Long Wharf

At 11am, there will be a ceremony at Center Church on the Green, 311 Temple St. Remarks by Mayor John DeStefano, keynote address by Korean War veteran Army Col. Kenneth Gertz, musical selections by the Unity Boys Choir under direction of Lillie Perkins, solo by Ruth Rosa. Wreath-laying at War Memorial on lower New Haven Green and Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Long Wharf follows.

University of New Haven

At 11am, the University of New Haven will offer its campus community the opportunity to recognize and honor our past, present and future veterans at our annual Veterans Day Ceremony. The 12th Annual Veterans Day Ceremony will be held at 11:00 AM in the Maxcy Quad.

Specials for Our Troops!

Starbucks - Downtown
 
Veterans, active duty military and their spouses get a free tall brewed coffee at participating U.S. company-owned stores. New Haven has two Starbucks locations downtown: 1068 Chapel Street (cross: Church Street) and 896 Chapel Street (cross: High Street).

Ikea - Long Wharf

Veterans get a free entrée which includes a sandwich, hot dish or entrée salad. Value up to $9.99. Not valid with any other discount or offer. Ikea is located at 450 Sargent Drive in the Long Wharf area.

Yale vs. Quinnipiac Rematch Happens Tonight!!

The Battle of Whitney Avenue goes down tonight in Mens Hockey! The defending champion Yale University Bulldogs take on the Quinnipiac Bobcats at QU. 

You can catch the game tonight at Anna Liffey's - 17 Whitney Avenue if you're downtown or at Fireside Bar & Grill at 810 Woodward Avenue if you're in the Annex. Feel free to comment any other locations airing the game tonight! Game starts at 7pm.

May the best team win!!

UPDATE:

The Yale/Quinnipiac game ended in a TIE! I had no idea games could end in a tie. It was a bit of a letdown, given the excitement of the rest of the game!

Each team played their heart out as Yale took a 3-2 lead after being in a 0-2 deficit, and Quinnipiac came back to score a goal seconds before the end of 3rd period. Tremendous effort on both sides!

There's An "Elm City Elf" On The Loose!

Where is the Elm City Elf today??

Here's a fun holiday activity for New Haven: Find out where the Elm City Elf is each day for a prize! Visit the Elm City Elf's official Facebook and Twitter pages for clues as to where he's hiding, beginning on December 1st. Gotta dig this new era hide-and-seek!

So, how did the Elm City Elf idea come about? Here is some background info taken from Facebook:

"Elm City Elf” is a hybrid promotion of Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket and the popular Elf on the Shelf craze. For 24 days leading into Christmas, Elf dolls will be placed in one store or restaurant per day throughout the city. Each day a photo will be posted of the Elf "shopping" via Twitter & Facebook. Consumers following ElmCityElf need to determine where the Elf is, physically locate the Elf and turn it for a prize. The consumer will get to keep the Elf along with the prize. Once the Elf is redeemed we will post a photo of the winner in the store with the Elf. This promotion is sponsored by: Economic Development Corporation of New Haven, Market New Haven & The Shops at Yale.

Bonus: They're pretty active tweeters and will let you know if you're Naughty or Nice! Thankfully, our Elf friend made the right choice and put What's Up New Haven on the NICE list. ;-)

A Tweet from the Elm City Elf! Woohoo!

ZINC Restaurant: My First Farm-To-Table Experience!

Heads up! This week is New Haven's Restaurant Week. There are plenty of stores participating in this promotion: a prix fixe meal at $18 for lunch and $32 for dinner. 

ZINC is a Restaurant Week participant, and in turn, my friends and I were happy new customers today. ZINC is located at 964 Chapel Street, right in the heart of downtown New Haven where Yalies, public transit buses and business people fill the streets. The earth tones and greenery in the front provided a welcoming atmosphere.

The welcome continued inside the restaurant. The staff was attentive and friendly as we ordered our three-course, prix fixe lunch. I ordered the butternut squash soup, mushroom ravioli and creme brûlée. We noshed on some delicious, complimentary fennel bread with a tomato and pepper based dip while we waited for our meal.

Mmm...Mushroom Ravioli:)

ZINC is a farm-to-table restaurant and lived up to the farm-to-table reputation: everything tasted so fresh! The meal was filling and portioned just right. ZINC is open six days a week and boasts different happy hour specials each day. 

When we left, other customers were very polite, mindful of holding doors for my friends and me. It was a pleasant experience all around and I will be back to check out a happy hour and try other cuisines on the menu!

Topping off our meal with creme brûlée!

More info: ZINC Restaurant. 964 Chapel St. New Haven, CT 06510. 203-774-4326. www.zincfood.com

What's Up New Haven!

Hello, world. Thank you for checking out my blog -- What's Up New Haven!

Autumn on the New Haven Green

New Haven, CT is home to Yale University as well as several restaurants, parks, nightlife and museums. This blog is intended to show people some of the entertainment that this city has to offer. People are welcome to comment with suggestions or opinions, as long as we keep it clean and keep it constructive!

I hope you enjoy this blog and what New Haven has to offer!