Seasonal Activities:
SUMMER
Canoeing
• http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/parks/outdooradventure/#Canoeing
• Certified instructors and canoe leaders will provide you with ample opportunity for learning basic paddling techniques and wildlife observation.
City Seed Farmers' Market
• Wooster Square, New Haven, CT - www.cityseed.org
• May-October, Every Saturday 9am-1pm. Great farm stands offering fresh, locally grown tomatoes, squash, corn, apples, greens, herbs, and more, including farmstead cheese, honey, farm-fresh eggs and bread.
Free Concerts in Hartford
• http://www.elizabethpark.org/summer-concert-series-2013.htm
• Early-July through Early-September. At the park below the Capitol building in Hartford.
Free Shakespeare in the Park
• www.elmshakespeare.org
• Mid-August through Labor Day. Bring a blanket and lawn chair for nighttime outdoor theater in Edgerton Park. Productions start about 8pm.
International Festival of Arts and Ideas
• www.artidea.org
• This festival presents theater, music, dance, opera, poetry, discussions, and debates. Family programs run every day. Takes place each year over the course of several weeks in June. Many events are free!
New Haven Jazz Fest
• http://www.jazzhaven.org/
• Mid-July through mid-August. Free concerts on the downtown green every Thursday night. Brings in greats like Joshua Redman and attracts music lovers from all over Connecticut and beyond.
BEACHES
• Since there are many beaches on the CT coast, this is a short list of the favorites, but you can see a complete list at: http://www.visitconnecticut.com/current_category.1475/companies_list.html
Block Island
• http://www.blockislandinfo.com
• New London, CT - Excellent beaches, great seaside biking, and a delightful place to visit according to New Englanders.
Charles Island
• Milford, CT - Although the island is not that pretty, a rock path connects the mainland to this island only during low tide, making the trip worthwhile.
Hammonasset State Park
• http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325210&deepNav_GID=1650%20
• Fishing, acres of woodland and marsh, camping sites, picnic areas, scuba diving, and a great boardwalk. Just down the road is Lenny and Joe's, an excellent seafood joint. Has a terrific beach (free if you have CT plates).
Lighthouse Point
• http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/parks/parksinformation/lighthousepoint.asp
• New Haven, CT - Memorial Day to Labor Day it has a carousel that runs on Saturdays. There are also volleyball nets and BBQ grills. Greek festival here in early September and a Christmas light display in December.
Rocky Neck State Park
• http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325256
• Another beach on the Long Island Sound. Charges weekend parking during the summer.
Sherwood Island State Park
• http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325260&deepNav_GID=1650%20
• Westport, CT - Another nice beach. Two large picnic groves near the water. Scuba diving. Summertime parking is charged.
Stoney Creek and Thimble Islands
• Stoney Creek, CT - A fabulous beach, lots of boats, and a great little pizzeria/deli where you can sit on the porch and watch the sun set. Also, the harbor is full of little islands called the Thimble Islands, where Garry Trudeau and Jane Pauley live, along with others who are glamorously wealthy. Take a guided tour by boat from the Stoney Creek Harbor.
West Haven Beach
• http://www.cityofwesthaven.com/foundations/store/storepage.asp?page=Tourism
• West Haven, CT - This is the closest beach to the Yale campus. There is a huge rock you can climb that overlooks the whole area and a quaint boardwalk. There are also some great seafood places right by the coast.
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FALL
General Info - Orchards in Connecticut
• www.applejournal.com/
Bishop's Orchards
• Guilford, CT - (203) 453-6424 - www.bishopsorchards.com
• Pick your own raspberries, peaches, apples, and pears all fall (off I-95 No.)
Lyman Orchards
• Middlefield, CT - www.lymanorchards.com
• Pick your own pumpkins in a huge patch on a hill! Also features sunflowers, apples, pears (including Asian pears), and peaches (be ready to hike a little). Fair with booths, pony rides, and food. Great market on premises featuring deli, grocery, fresh produce, cheese, cider donuts, etc., and a corn maze in the fall.
Apple Harvest Festival
• Southington, CT - http://www.southington.org/AHF
• Early October. Apple harvest, 5 mile road race, parade, pie-eating contests, live entertainment, crafts show, food, antique car show.
Cranberry Harvest
• http://www.cranberries.org/festival/festival.html
• Mid-October in Massachusetts.
Leaf-Peeping Driving Tours
• Find out best routes and peak color weekends at: http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=322764&depNav_GID=1631&dsftns=27469
Thanksgiving Macy's Day Parade
• http://social.macys.com/parade/?cm_mmc=VanityUrl-_-parade-_-n-_-n
• New York, NY - Balloon inflation happens the day before from about 3-10 pm near the American Museum of Natural History at 77th St. and Central Park W.
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WINTER
Christmas Tree Lighting, New Haven
• On the New Haven green in the first week of December (hay rides and a carousel, etc.).
First Night Hartford
• www.firstnighthartford.com
• Hartford's premiere New Year's Eve party, a multicultural, artistically unique, alcohol-free New Year's experience with hundreds of professional musicians, artists, performance groups and exhibits. Starts at 3 p.m. on December 31 and continues through midnight.
Fantasy of Lights
• Lighthouse Point Park, CT
• Drive through a lit-up Christmas display of over 60 large scenes.
Hamden Ice Rink
• http://www.hamdenrink.com/home.html
• 595 Mix Ave., Hamden, CT
Ralph Walker Skating Pavilion
• http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/parks/parksinformation/walker.asp
• 1080 State St., New Haven, CT
• Ice skating rink reachable by car or M bus. Skate rentals available, food concessions, and a roaring fire.
• Open mid-December through mid-March.
Rockefeller Center, NYC
• http://www.rockefellercenter.com
• New York City ice-skating at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
SKIING
Attitash-Bear Peak
• Bartlett, NH - www.attitash.com
• 5 hours from New Haven in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. This place is absolutely beautiful! There are 2 mountains and over 67 trails, all varying in difficulty. Plan on a weekend trip for this one.
Butternut Resort
• Great Barrington, MA - www.skibutternut.com
Catamount
• www.catamountski.com
• 2 hours from New Haven on the MA/NY border in the Berkshire Mountains. 35 trails in all, with a good variety of beginner, intermediate, and expert courses. Snowboarders welcome.
Connecticut Ski Council
• www.skiclub.com
• This is a state club for ski lovers and it is a great way for frequent skiers to SAVE money! Go to website to join one of the 35 clubs in CT. By becoming a member, you can get season discounts at resorts in VT, MA, NH, and CT. The membership is usually $20 to $65 per year depending on the club and if you are single or a family. The clubs have monthly meetings, sometimes weekly.
Lake Saltonstall Park
• Has the best cross-country skiing around. You have to pay for annual membership - but once you do, you virtually have a private park.
Leisuretime of Southbury
• Southbury, CT - http://leisuretime-southbury.com/default.aspx
• 45-50 minutes away. Rents and sells ski equipment and has a "try before you buy" rental system that allows you to pay half up front and the rest at the end of the season if you want to keep them. Call by October to rent used skis; new ones (plus used boots and poles) start at $180. Renting this way saves you money if you are planning to ski more than 6 times in the season.
Okemo
• Ludlow, VT - www.okemo.com
• A favorite among CT residents. Family friendly, 3.5 hour drive.
Killington
• Killington, VT - http://www.killington.com/winter/index.html
• An annual ski trip is usually planned by SOM students to Killington. Open to students and partners.
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SPRING
Aer Blarney Balloons - Hot Air Balloon Rides
• www.AerBlarney.com
• Flights average just over an hour in duration, during which time you'll travel anywhere from 2 to 15 miles depending on the wind speed and directions you encounter flying at various altitudes. During the flight, the pilot will vary the balloon's altitude from tree-top level, a height that allows one to reach out and commune with nature, to heights of several thousand feet, where one may look out in a visual sweep and see much of southern New England.
Leila Day's Spring Festival
• http://www.leiladay.org
• Held every spring, there are pony rides, music, food, games, a zipline, and a yard sale.