This week in Stamford: Diana Ross at the Palace, Rogue One on the Karp Lawn, and twelve days until the first bell

Summer in the Park is over, Alive at Five is not coming back, and the downtown calendar has gone quiet in a way that would feel like a loss if Diana Ross were not playing the Palace on Sunday night. That is the week. A Star Wars movie on the lawn Friday, the carousel and the yoga mats doing their usual weekend work, and one genuine legend on Atlantic Street. School starts August 25, so this is the second to last free weekend of the summer.

Best for families this week: Rogue One on the Karp Lawn Friday night, and the Nissen Carousel at Mill River Park both weekend days.

The Nissen Carousel at Mill River Park, 1010 Washington Blvd (Downtown), 9 AM to 5 PM Saturday and Sunday. Still the cheapest reliable twenty minutes of goodwill you can buy from a five year old. Low cost per ride, kids welcome, outdoors. Details.

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Yoga Sculpt and Flow at Mill River Park, 1010 Washington Blvd (Downtown), 7 to 8 PM. Weights added to a flow class, outdoors, at the hour when the park finally cools off. All levels, outdoors. Details.

Barre on the Boardwalk at the Harbor Point Boardwalk, off Washington Boulevard at the water (Harbor Point). A 50 minute low impact full body class on the boardwalk, stretching at the end. All levels, outdoors. Details.

Movies in the Park: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on the Karp Lawn at Mill River Park, 1010 Washington Blvd (Downtown), starting promptly at 8 PM. Run in partnership with the Avon Theatre. Bring blankets and chairs, and know that "promptly" is doing real work in that sentence, because the lawn fills. Free, kids welcome, outdoors. Details.

Foodies and New Friends: Entrepreneurs Giving Back Edition, at that week's host restaurant downtown. A dinner built for people who work for themselves and have noticed that it gets quiet. Ticketed, adults, indoors. Details.

Stamford's first day of school is Tuesday, August 25, with orientation for kindergarten, sixth, and ninth graders the day before. The Board of Education meets that same evening at 7 PM. This is Dr. Adrian Talley's first opening day as superintendent; the Board appointed him unanimously and he took over July 1 after more than 35 years in education. If you have a rising kindergartner, sixth grader, or freshman, August 24 is the date that matters more than the 25th. Source: Stamford Public Schools.

Gov. Ned Lamont won Tuesday's Democratic primary and Stamford's congressman drew a challenger. Lamont beat State Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden and will face Republican state Sen. Ryan Fazio of Greenwich in November. In the 4th Congressional District, which includes Stamford, Republicans picked physician and attorney Michael Goldstein over Daniel Miressi to run against U.S. Rep. Jim Himes. Source: Greenwich Free Press.

Someone in Stamford is $13,000 richer off a KENO ticket. The Connecticut Lottery confirmed the claim this week. KENO tops out at $1 million depending on the game and the wager, which is the detail that keeps people playing a game they otherwise ignore. Source: Patch.

Pilates Fusion at Mill River Park, 1010 Washington Blvd (Downtown), 9 to 10 AM, followed by Zumba with Tristan at 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM on the same lawn. The park runs these back to back most Saturdays and the Zumba class is consistently the louder of the two. All levels, outdoors. Details.

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown at The Mead School, 1095 Riverbank Road (North Stamford). The Peanuts musical, done by a school company, which is exactly the right scale for this show. Ticketed, kids welcome, indoors. Details.

Speed Dating CT, men 43 to 57 and women 40 to 54, at Carmel Bar inside The Stamford Hotel, 700 East Main Street. Up to 15 dates in an evening. The organizers claim more than 85 marriages, which is either encouraging or a lot of pressure. Ticketed, adults, indoors. Details.

Isla Del Perreo at Tequila Escape, 845 Canal Street (Harbor Point). A reggaeton night with an island theme, late. Ticketed, 21+, indoors. Details.

Diana Ross: Diana in Motion at the Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic Street (Downtown), 7 PM with doors at 6. Tickets start around $176. The Palace opened in 1927 as a vaudeville house designed by Thomas W. Lamb and seats about 1,580, which means the farthest seat in the room is closer to Diana Ross than most people will ever get. This is the biggest booking Stamford has had since the park series ended, and it is not a nostalgia package with a backing band standing in. Ticketed, all ages, indoors. Details.

Harbor Point Farmers Market at Harbor Point Square, off Washington Boulevard at the water (Harbor Point), Sunday morning through midday. Greens, dairy, fruit, prepared food, flowers. Every Sunday. Free to browse, all ages, outdoors. Details.

Sunrise Yoga at 9 AM, Tai Chi at 10:30, and a Sound Bath with Lisa Cooper at noon, all at Mill River Park, 1010 Washington Blvd (Downtown). If you do all three you have accidentally scheduled a wellness retreat. All levels, outdoors. Details.

Orientation for kindergarten, sixth, and ninth grade is Monday, August 24, and the first day of school for all students is Tuesday, August 25. Details.

The Off-Main Experience returns to the Richmond Hill Riverwalk Thursday, September 24, 5 to 8 PM, free. RiseUP for Arts runs it around The SEED, the 24 hour walk up gallery built into a shipping container. This is the third and last of the 2026 series, so if you missed June and August, this is it. Details.

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