English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in New Haven, CT

The city said it hosted thousands of party-goers at the 10th annual Apizza Fest, with 4,525 participants in attendance and eating at least two slices of pizza.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — It's another notch in the belt of "the Pizza Capital of the U.S." The City of New Haven announced it has succeeded in its attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for hosting the world's largest pizza party.

The city and Taste of New Haven hosted thousands of party-goers at the 10th annual Apizza Fest on Friday evening, with 4,525 participants in attendance and eating at least two slices of pizza. The city's achievement is for "Largest Pizza Party" is now listed on the Guinness World Record website.

"New Haven has once again demonstrated its pizza supremacy, and why the Elm City is the pizza capital of the country and the world. With 4,525 pizza party participants, the love for pizza and New Haven was literally palpable and on clear display. It was a magical, one-of-a-kind New Haven night. New Haven ah-beetz can’t be beat!” said New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.

U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) shared a video on social media, congratulating the Elm City.

"If it's New Haven, it's pizza. And yes, the largest pizza party ever held is being held on the New Haven Green and my congratulations to you, once again reinforcing that New Haven is the capital for pizza in the country," DeLauro said in the video.

Congratulations to New Haven, the pizza capitol of the United States, for breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest pizza party! It's no surprise we succeeded — you can't beat New Haven apizza. pic.twitter.com/v8SqVhs2GN

— Rosa DeLauro (@rosadelauro) September 13, 2025

New Haven's pizza party surpassed a record set in 2023, when 3,357 people attended a pizza party in Tulsa, Okla.

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Forget the golden foliage of the Catskills or the cozy cottages of the Adirondacks, the trendiest fall getaway near New York City is…New Haven, Connecticut?

According to Skyscanner‘s annual Travel Trends report, the New England town is one of the places with the biggest increase in searches over the past 12 months — and the shortest trip from NYC.

While jet-setters typically flock to the tropical beaches and cute cobblestone streets, New Haven — a city best known for its Ivy League university and its proud pizza joints — has made its way to be the 8th trending travel destination.

From flights to hotels to rental cars, Skyscanner brings together thousands of options from over 1,200 trusted providers in one place, so you can compare, choose, and book with confidence. Whether you’re planning a cozy Thanksgiving visit or a festive Christmas getaway, they make it easy to find the best deals and plan the trip that’s perfect for you.

The town, located about a two-hour drive or train ride from Manhattan, beat out Mykonos, Greece, and Bilbao, Spain, which came in as 9th and 10th, respectively.

However — making more sense — Limon, Costa Rica, Jaipur, India, Bodrum, Turkey, and Madeira, Portugal topped the list in that order.

The European-inspired ski town of Vail, Colorado, made the list as the most desired American spot, coming in at No. 5.

And the far-off places of Zadar, Croatia and Olbia, Italy, ranked 6th and 7th.

New Haven — which is anything but new, being one of America’s oldest cities — has apparently appealed to travelers in the last year.

The college town allure of Yale — Rory Gilmore really did sell a generation on that cozy vibe — and the hot but not fresh debate of historic “apizza” joints, Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s, in the self-proclaimed “pizza capital” may be cheesy, but apparently has good pull.

And that’s not all New Haven has to offer.

It’s nicknamed Elm City thanks to all the trees lining the streets, filled with charming craft breweries, coffee shops and bookstores. The jazz and indie music venues have always gathered a decent crowd and the Shubert Theater is known for being a great rehearsal space for shows aiming to make their Broadway debut.

Despite the overwhelming options for awe-inspiring destinations, New Haven has managed to catch the eye of Skyscanner’s algorithm.

The site reported that New Haven has seen a 39% increase in searches.

Lourdes Losada, Director of Americas for Skyscanner, noted that this aligns with Americans’ interest in “lesser-known leisure destinations.”

However, New Haven may be a bit too lesser-known and leisurely for us to be considered a trendy vacation spot.

NEW HAVEN, CT (WFSB) - As the school year began, most high school students in New Haven have had to get used to having no cell phones in class.

Mayor Justin Elicker and the district’s superintendent spoke about the new policy at Metropolitan Business Academy on Monday morning.

The district-wide policy went into effect on Monday. It required students at nine of New Haven’s 10 public high schools to lock away their phones for the whole school day.

“I thought that I would not get used to it and that I would always be fidgeting around,” said Brandon Martinez, a senior. “I need my phone, scrolling on social media.”

The same rule was applied to nearly all public school students in the city, from elementary to high school.

City and school leaders said the move is aimed at improving student focus, reducing classroom disruptions, and supporting better mental health.

The decision followed growing concerns over how smartphones may affect learning environments.

“I would see people in the bathroom, they’re like, ‘I need my phone. I need to doom scroll on social media,’” Martinez said.

According to a study cited by the district, schools that implemented similar phone-free policies saw a 15 percent increase in the probability of students earning passing grades and a 44 percent drop in average monthly behavioral referrals.

“I feel like this is a gift that I am giving our children,” said Dr. Madeline Negron, superintendent. “It is giving them the gift to disconnect even for just a few hours.”

The district received $375,000 in funding from the city for the program. With the money, the district acquired Yondr pouches. The pouches lock up phones.

“Within the first week of school, it’s felt like some of the best teaching and learning that’s happened,” said Max Comando, a social studies teacher.

District leaders said they planned to continue monitoring the effects of the policy throughout the school year.

Some students, however, said they were skeptical about the new policy.

Drew Walker, for example, takes dual-enrollment classes at Yale and Southern Connecticut State University.

Walker said not having a phone creates problem when trying to coordinate with family.

“We do still have a lot of responsibilities,” Walker said. “I know there’s a lot of kids who have to work because they have to help support their families. There’s a couple students who do have kids they need to check on. I hope there can just be a bit more flexibility with phone usage.”

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WFSB) - Connecticut’s bold pizza marketing campaign has paid off with global recognition, as New Haven was named one of the world’s top 10 trending destinations for U.S. travelers.

Skyscanner’s newly released Travel Trends 2026 report places New Haven alongside destinations like Jaipur, India, Mykonos, Greece, and Olbia, Sardinia. The global travel search engine analyzed thousands of flight searches from January through June 2025, identifying destinations with the greatest year-over-year growth.

New Haven earned its spot with a 39% increase in searches, according to the report.

“It’s one thing to make headlines, it’s another to positively impact how people see our state,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “Our pizza might have started the conversation, but now the whole world wants a slice of what Connecticut’s serving. When travelers start searching for New Haven alongside getaways like Costa Rica and Mykonos, you know you’ve captured something uniquely special.”

The recognition caps a year-long “Pizza Capital of the U.S.” campaign launched by the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing & Tourism.

“Our goal was never just to market pizza, it was to ignite a movement,” said Anthony Anthony, Chief Marketing Officer for the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing & Tourism. “We took something humble and universal, pizza, and turned it into an invitation to see Connecticut differently.”

According to the Office of Statewide Marketing & Tourism, Connecticut saw a 50% increase in pizza-related searches on CTvisit.com and a 22% surge in day trips from New York City to New Haven during the June phase featuring billboards.

Other phases included a media event at BAR New Haven on National Pizza Day, a statewide vote to determine the top 100 pizzerias, and rage-bait billboards in New York City that sparked viral debate.