COME TO THE FESTIVAL!

                                         TAYLOR MAC, ONE STAR OF THE FESTIVAL

New Haven has a terrific gift for the community, and it can only be opened from Friday, June 12 to Saturday, June 27.  That two week window will include incredible theater engagements like the world premiere of celebrated performer Taylor Mac that salutes the 1990's with music by this dazzling entertainer and the innovative acrobatic antics of Quebec's Machine de Cirque juggling with humor and spunk.  And that's just the tip of the wonderful iceberg.

The New Haven Green will offer a plethora of free evenings of song, featuring such luminaries as rock 'n roll legend Darlene Love and Afropop superstar Angelique Kidjo, an award winning Grammy singer and songwriter sharing the First Niagara Stage with the French-Cuban twin sister duo Ibeyl.

Have you caught the foreign flavor yet?  These are stars not only locally but from all over the world. Excited?  You should be.  This is the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, featuring activities for the whole family as well as music, theater, lectures, films, poetry, bike rides, gourmet adventures, dance, story telling and walking tours.

Every day offers something new and novel.  Hear about cartooning from Roz Chast in her revealing family memoir, pay tribute to Ol' Blue Eyes himself in a series of photographs and a talk, catch a pop-up performance by the String Quartet Truck that will travel around the city, hear two brand new musicals being workshopped, or take a walking tour of Yale's spectacular neo-Gothisc Sterling Memorial Library.  Food experiences will focus on flavors of Ethiopia, Thailand and France for your culinary enjoyment, with sampling allowed.  Hop on a boat for a tour of Lighthouse Point Park and the Mill River or jump on a bike and explore the Farmington Canal Trail or the Community Gardens, among other destinations.

Grab the kiddies for a lively concert by Jeffrey Friedberg and The Bossy Frog Band or treat yourself to a master class with Hanan Hameen and the Hip Hop Roots.  Let famed dancer Carmen de Lavallade spin you tales of her fascinating career on stage and then attend the Connecticut Critics Circle Awards celebration of CT theater where she will be honored with a special award named for theater critic Tom Killen.

The activities are plentiful and varied and rich in culture, occurring morning, noon and night, all around the city and environs, from venues like the Shubert, Long Wharf and Yale Repertory Theaters, to the Yale University Art Gallery, to area restaurants like Roia and farms for Strawberry Festivals.  Go online to www.artidea.org for the full schedule or call 203-498-3772.. Most events are free but you can purchase an Ideas Fast Pass so you can literally jump the line.

Leap into frolic and fun as the International Festival of Arts and Ideas celebrates two decades as New Haven's port of entrance into the world of exciting and energizing entertainment.