Free Holiday Events in Downtown New Haven

From The Shops at Yale: The Shops at Yale will celebrate this holiday season with Free 4-Hour Parking with Purchase, Gift Card Giveaways, Hop-On/Hop-Off Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, Ice Carving Demonstrations, Storytelling with Santa, Caroling, Weekend Craft Activities, Yuletide Carolers, Outdoor Horns and our featured event, an Ice Carving Competition with A Cappella Concert. Below is detailed information regarding each event, which can also be found online at http://theshopsatyale.com/holidays/.

Free 4-Hour Parking
Dates: November 29 – December 24
Locations: 56 Broadway, 255 Crown Street and 161 York Street

Enjoy free 4-hour parking with a $30 or more purchase from any of The Shops at Yale retailers.

The free parking offer is available 7 days per week at the following surface lots; 56 Broadway, across from L.L.Bean, 255 Crown Street, behind Union League Café and 161 York Street, behind Derek Simpson Goldsmith. Customers simply show their store receipt to the parking lot attendant when exiting.

Black Friday & Small Business Saturday
Dates: November 29 – 30, 12:00-4:00pm
Locations: Chapel Street Historic and Broadway Districts

Roaming greeters will be out on Chapel Street and Broadway on Friday and Saturday with special discounts to retailers at The Shops at Yale. In addition, greeters will have surprise giveaways for customers with a shopping bag from any retailer at The Shops at Yale, such as $10 gift cards to downtown merchants, free totes and more!

On Small Business Saturday, enjoy popcorn, giveaways and raffle opportunities at the New Haven Visitor’s Center at 1000 Chapel Street from 12:00-4:00pm sponsored by Town Green District. The Shops at Yale will be hosting an ice carving demonstration in front of Wave Gallery from 1:00-3:00pm at 1046 Chapel Street, storytelling with Santa at The Yale Bookstore from 1:00-3:00pm at 77 Broadway, a craft activity at Hull's Framing from 3:00-5:00pm at 1144 Chapel Street, roaming Yuletide Carolers from 1:00-5:00pm and outdoor holiday horns on Chapel Street from 2:00-4:00pm.

A Taste of Chapel – Holiday Series
Dates: Thursdays December 5, 12 and 19, 4:30-7:00pm
Complimentary local food & wine tastings, exclusive shopping discounts and more.
Location: Thursday, December 5, dwell New Haven, 1022 Chapel Street
Tastings: Union League Café is pairing wine, which was specifically selected by their sommelier,
with a variety of gourmet cheeses from Arethusa Farm Dairy.

Yale University Properties
433 Temple Street
New Haven, CT 06511
(203) 436-4046

Location: Thursday, December 12, Raggs for Men & Women, 1020 Chapel Street
Tastings: Harvest Wine Bar & Restaurant is highlighting their unique house label wine, which will
be complimented by a seasonal appetizer pairing from South Bay Restaurant.
Location: Thursday, December 19, Wave Gallery, 1046 Chapel Street
Tastings: Pacifico is pairing wine, which was specifically selected by their wine expert, with
decadent chocolate truffles from Wave Gallery.

Featured Event: Ice Carving Competition & A Cappella Concert
Date: Saturday, December 7, 12:00-4:00pm
Location: Broadway Island, 56 Broadway (across from L.L.Bean)
Six professional ice carvers will each transform 3 blocks of ice (900lbs) into a spectacular sculpture in only 4 hours!

Enjoy live performances by many accomplished a cappella groups, including The Yale Alley Cats, Whim 'n Rhythm, The New Blue, Proof of the Pudding, Yale Out of the Blue, Red Hot & Blue, Southern Connecticut State University’s NOTEorious and more! A hot cocoa contest between top restaurants in New Haven will be taking place from 12:00-3:00pm. Stops will be located inside retailers on Broadway and winners will be chosen by a people’s choice voting system. The hot cocoa contest is free to participate. Voting cards will be available at The Shops at Yale table on Broadway Island. Limited to the first 250 people.

There will be great photo opportunities with the ice sculptures after the event, and a chance to enter The Shops at Yale raffle to win gift cards and other prizes. Free event parking is available at the 150 York Street Garage, 11:00am-7:00pm. The Shops at Yale staff will be validating parking tickets during the event.

Ice Carving Demonstrations
Dates: November 29, 30, December 1, 8, 15 and 22, 1:00-3:00pm
Location: 1046 Chapel Street, in front of Wave Gallery
Watch as professional ice carvers create a themed ice sculpture in front of Wave Gallery at 1046 Chapel Street. The skilled ice carvers, from Ice Matters in Cheshire, CT, will begin with two 300lb solid blocks of clear ice, each measuring 40" tall x 20" wide and transform them into a Reindeer on Black Friday, the Elm City Elf on Small Business Saturday, Snowflake Selfie Frame (12/1), Bulldog (12/8), Train (12/15) and a Santa on a Chimney (12/22). The ice carvings will be accessible for photo opportunities.

Yale University Properties
433 Temple Street
New Haven, CT 06511
(203) 436-4046

Hop-On/Hop-Off Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
Dates: Sundays, December 1, 8, 15 and 22, and Saturday, December 7, 12:00-4:00pm
Location: Downtown New Haven
Enjoy free horse-drawn carriage rides this holiday season in downtown New Haven. Hop-On/Hop-Off at the corner of College & Chapel Streets (across from Claire’s Corner Copia) and at the corner of York and Elm Streets (across from Patagonia and GANT).

Storytelling with Santa
Saturdays: November 30, December 7, 14 and 21 from 1:00-3:00pm at The Yale Bookstore, 77 Broadway, with treats provided by Katalina’s Bakery

Sundays: December 1 and 22 from 1:00-3:00pm at Willoughby's Coffee & Tea, 194 York Street
Sundays: December 8 and 15 from 1:00-3:00pm at Claire’s Corner Copia, 1000 Chapel Street
Santa will visit The Shops at Yale and read various stories to children. Free snacks will be provided. Great photo opportunities for the whole family.

Free Weekend Craft Activities
Saturdays: November 30, December 7, 14 and 21 at Hull's Art Supply, 1144 Chapel Street, 3:00-5:00pm Sundays: December 1, 8, 15 and 22 at The Yale Bookstore, 77 Broadway, 2:00-4:00pm
Family-friendly craft projects, such as Holiday Card Making, Rock Painting, Gel Plate Painting and more.

Andy Wolf Holiday TUBULATION Series
Dates: November 29, 30, and December 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22 from 2:00-4:00pm.
Location: Chapel Street Historic District
Enjoy the sounds of outdoor holiday horns on Chapel Street.

Caroling
Dates: November 29, 30, and December 7, 14, 21 and 22, from 1:00-5:00pm.
Location: Chapel Street Historic District and Broadway District
Connecticut Yuletide Carolers will perform live at The Shops at Yale along Chapel Street and Broadway.

The traditionally garbed Victorian Carolers will fill the winter air with the bright sounds of the season.

Great photo opportunities!

This press released was produced by The Shops at Yale. The views are the author's own.