Free events in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT

Movies in the Plaza returns with free outdoor film screenings at Pitkin Plaza in downtown New Haven. Settle in with your own lawn chairs and picnic blankets, bring takeout from a nearby spot, and enjoy a lineup that spans blockbusters, nostalgic throwbacks, cult favorites, and family picks. Admission is free, and quick registration is required at the check-in table upon entry. Complimentary light snacks will be available, and a limited amount of on-site seating will be provided, so bringing your own is recommended. Screenings are weather dependent, and updates will be shared on the event website and Facebook event page on the day of the screening. Viewer discretion is advised, and guests are encouraged to review each film’s content before attending with children.

Pam from Wild Bloom hosts a music bingo event at Wood-n-Tap in Hamden, Connecticut. Numbers are replaced by short song clips, and a screen shows the title and artist to help players keep up. The game features four rounds with varied patterns and categories, with each round’s winner choosing the category for the next one. Prizes are given to winners in all rounds. The format brings together music and gameplay, along with food and drinks.

The Downtown Milford Farmers Market wraps up its season at Wasson Field with a lively sendoff. Fill your basket with peak-of-season fruits and vegetables, locally raised meats and dairy, and fresh-from-the-oven baked goods from Connecticut farmers. It is the final chance to stock up on farm-to-table ingredients for the week or a cozy family meal before the market pauses. A bustling lineup of more than 30 vendors brings flowers, sustainable clothing, baby accessories, home decor, pet products, art, and a wide array of artisanal foods. Food trucks add to the experience with breakfast and brunch options, coffee and matcha, ice cream, gluten-free treats, smoothies, barbecue, and other seasonal favorites. Local performers provide a welcoming soundtrack as you explore. Special activities include pet adoptions, cooking demonstrations, and demonstrations from agriculture experts. Families can enjoy the Children’s Market and the Piglets Club with hands-on learning, storytime, farm animal visits, face painting, and opportunities for enrolled kids to earn $1 tokens to pick out their own fruits and vegetables. Participating farmers accept SNAP, WIC, and senior vouchers. The Downtown Milford Business Association, in partnership with The Giggling Pig of Milford, supports the Piglets Club to inspire the next generation through connections to fresh food, agriculture, and community. Celebrate the harvest and the close of the season at Wasson Field.

Advancing Care in Liver Cancer is a patient and community symposium focused on surveillance, team-based approaches, and emerging treatments. As part of the CURE Educated Patient® Liver Cancer Summit, the program features talks from physicians at Smilow Cancer Hospital, live Q&A, conversations with patient panelists, and time to network with others. Attendance is free.

Zion Lutheran Church hosts an annual festival celebrating scarecrows, designed for all ages with free admission and on site parking. Browse more than thirty artisan vendors for handmade goods, cast a ballot for a favorite scarecrow, and enjoy live music. Take a hayride, try children’s games, get faces painted, bounce in an inflatable, and create a scarecrow of your own. Treat yourself at the baked goods table with apple fritters served warm, then grab lunch with options like hamburgers, hot dogs, soup, and pizza. Activity and meal costs apply, and proceeds support Fostering Family Hope, an organization that provides foster families with essential supplies and emotional support.

Start your Magic: The Gathering journey with a hands-on learn-to-play session at Phantasm Gaming. The event offers a step-by-step introduction to core rules and simple deck building, with time to play using Welcome Decks and other demo materials. It is designed for newcomers and also encourages experienced players to bring friends to share the experience. Entry is free, and the host is a Wizards Play Network store.

Phantasm Gaming hosts Magic: The Gathering Commander tournaments with no entry fee, offering a friendly setting to play with friends or meet new opponents. As a WPN store and a hub for trading card games, RPGs, wargaming, and board games, it welcomes both casual and competitive Commander players. The shop also buys cards.

Digital Tracks Entertainment brings Mixtape Match to The Cellar on Treadwell, a music driven spin on bingo where songs replace numbers and you mark your card to match what you hear. There is no cost to participate and no music knowledge is needed because the host announces the titles and artists. The game unfolds over three rounds, each with its own theme that might include 80s favorites, TV theme songs, classic rock, current hits, 90s alternative, one hit wonders, hair bands, or old school hip hop. Play any portion you like or stay for all three, and there is a chance to leave as a big winner.