New Haven Festival Has It All: Arts, Ideas, Pizza

If you’ve passed the New Haven Green in the last week, you’ve undoubtedly turned your head to see what all the commotion is about.

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas kicked off its two-week long jamboree on June 11 with a free concert on the Green by an ensemble led by world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. This year’s theme is “Across Borders, Beyond Time.”

“The festival was founded 16 years ago,” said its current executive director Mary Lou Aleskie. “It was the idea of three women who believed that bringing together international artists in a great community could be transformative for that community.”

Against the backdrop of the Elm City and Yale University, the festival looks to “marry” international artists and musicians “to some of the great thinkers that live and breathe and work in our community,” said Aleskie.

Events range from bike and garden tours to free concerts on the Green to art exhibits at the Yale University Art Gallery to Pizza Fest, which benefits The Connection, a nonprofit human services and community development agency based in Middletown.

“This year 483 pizzas are being donated by 28 Greater New Haven pizzerias,” said Claire Bien, associate director of communications for The Connection. “It’s wonderful to be in partnership with the festival because we are able to get far more patrons, pizza lovers and supporters of our wonderful programs.”

Pizza Fest continues on the New Haven Green on Thursday, June 23, and Friday, June 24. On those days, it runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. Some local pizza shops that donated pies include: Atlantic Pizza in Hamden; P & M Fine Foods & Pizzeria in Branford; La Monaco’s in Northford; Michael Anthony’s in Milford; and Tolli’s Apizza in East Haven.  

Here’s some quick facts about the festival’s history – from 1996 to 2009 – taken from the event’s website:

Attendance                                                    1,483,314

Percentage of free events                      80% average

Number of tickets sold                                   149,357

Number of artists                                              18,082

Number of events                                               3,606

Number of days of festival activities                    193

And some events going on this weekend worth checking out:

Saturday, June 18

9 a.m. Discover the East Coast Greenway – Part II: a 30-mile, four-hour bike tour that starts at the festival information booth which is on the corner of Elm and Church Street (free).

11 a.m. Film: The Iraq Experience, “The Films of Petra Epperlein and Mike Tucker” at the Whitney Humanities Center at 53 Wall St. (free).

2 p.m. “Stories and Historic Encampment,” a Civil War walking tour that starts on the corner of Chapel and James Street (free).

3, 8 p.m. “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” a comedic play set off the coast of Ireland that has won nine major international awards and is directed by Tony Award-winning Artistic Director Garry Hynes. Catch either show at the University Theater at 222 York St. ($40).

7 p.m. Canadian fiddler Natalie MacMaster takes the stage on the New Haven Green for a free concert.

Sunday, June 19

1 p.m. Film: The Iraq Experience, “The Prisoner; Or How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair.” A man is mistaken as Tony Blair’s would-be assassin in this comedy that will be playing at the Whitney Humanities Center at 53 Wall St. Sunday afternoon (free).

3 p.m. “David Pogue: When Science Meets Music and Technology.” Pogue, the personal technology columnist for The New York Times, tackles the topic of cultural and societal change as it relates to making music (free).

6, 7 p.m. The Deedle Deedle Dees and the Ebony Hillbillies perform on the Green in a free concert. The Deedle Deedle Dees use song to teach youngsters about American history, and the Ebony Hillbillies are a black string band.

The festival runs to Saturday, June 25. For more information and scheduling of events, click here.