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84 | DOING BUSINESS IN CONNECTICUT | 2018 2018 | DOING BUSINESS IN CONNECTICUT | 84 That's Entertainment! Festival of Arts & Ideas turns New Haven into the world's stage By Joan Hunt It's always innovative, often provocative, and perennially entertaining. The International Festival of Arts & Ideas draws 100,000 people to the city of New Haven during the month of June, while putting the state on the map for artistic performance and expression. "Culturally speaking, we bring the best artists from around the world to New Haven and we take New Haven to the world," said Chad Herzog, the festival's director of programming. "We hire local employees, we contribute to our downtown and regional businesses, and we place millions of dollars into the local economy." And besides that, it's great fun. This year, more than 170 festival events will take over New Haven's theaters and open spaces from June 9-23. Visitors can enjoy strolling, biking, boating, sipping and tasting along with film screenings, free headline concerts on New Haven Green (bring a blanket and a picnic), pop-up neighborhood festivals, music, dance and theatre performances. Festival artists include Grammy winners, Tony winners, Oscar winners, MacArthur Genius Fellows, and more. Most of the festival events are free to the public. "We are lucky to have the state of Connecticut and the City of New Haven who continue the partnership started 23 years ago," Herzog said. On top of that, the festival receives arts endowments from state and national sources and private foundations. "And individual donors are our biggest support," he added. "Our community is supporting the festival at levels that allow us to maintain our 85-percent free programming." This year, the festival honors the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' groundbreaking album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with Pepperland at the Shubert Theater on June 21-22. The Mark Morris Dance Group's creation includes fresh arrangements of Beatles songs, with new pieces composed by Ethan Iverson for a great tribute to a phenomenal rock album. On June 12-13, "Radicals in Miniature" – a collaboration between Obie Award-winning playwright Ain Gordon and percussionist Josh Quillen – will be presented at the Iseman Theater to tell the stories of people who left an indelible impression on the world, and how all of them (and all of us) are connected. "Pepperland" at the Shubert Theater on June 21-22 is a ticketed performance, starring the Mark Morris Dance Group, to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the Beatles' groundbreaking album "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Kaki King performs at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. TOURISM, ARTS & CULTURE