Events & Community

Mellow Monkey is proud to be part of the community we call home. From local fundraisers and charitable partnerships to special events that bring people together, here's a look at what we've been up to.

Upcoming Events

Thanksgiving Food Drive for nOURish Bridgeport: help provide Thanksgiving Feast in a Box meals for 500 families

Community Food Drive & Fundraiser

Thanksgiving Feast in a Box for nOURish Bridgeport

October 24–Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Drop off at Mellow Monkey, 360 Sniffens Lane, Stratford, CT
Monday–Saturday 10 AM–6 PM • Sunday 11 AM–5 PM

Help local families enjoy a brighter Thanksgiving. We’re collecting food and donations for nOURish Bridgeport’s Thanksgiving Feast in a Box program, preparing holiday meals for 500 families this year.

Needed items include canned sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, corn and cream of mushroom soup, plus dry stuffing mix and boxed instant potatoes.

Cash donations are also welcome: $35 provides a turkey, and $100 provides an entire family feast in a box.

Sip & Shop for Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic & Stratford Cat Project

Upcoming Fundraiser • Mellow Monkey

Sip & Shop for Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic & Stratford Cat Project

Thursday, November 12, 2026 • 6:30–8:00 PM
360 Sniffens Lane, Stratford, CT 06615

Enjoy complimentary libations, music and holiday shopping while supporting two organizations helping local animals.

15% of qualifying in-store event purchases will benefit Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic and Stratford Cat Project.

Free ticket required. Space is limited. Ages 21 and older.

Donation applies to regularly priced merchandise before sales tax purchased in-store during the event. Fundraising merchandise and gift cards are excluded.

Reserve your FREE ticket on Eventbrite →
Sunday Morning Shopping for Conservation benefiting Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Education Department, November 15, 2026, 10 AM–noon at Mellow Monkey

Upcoming Fundraiser • Mellow Monkey

Sunday Morning Shopping for Conservation

Sunday, November 15, 2026 • 10:00 AM–Noon
360 Sniffens Lane, Stratford, CT 06615

Get a head start on holiday shopping while supporting hands-on conservation and education projects led by Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Education Department.

15% of qualifying in-store event purchases will benefit local conservation projects.

  • Citizen Science: Monarch Butterfly Watch, Frog Watch, Project Limulus horseshoe crab tagging with Sacred Heart University, and the new SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) American Turtle Program.
  • Trout in the Classroom: Local middle school students raise and monitor river trout at the Zoo’s Kathy Brady Education Center before releasing them into the river in spring.

Free ticket required. Space is limited. All ages welcome.

Donation applies to regularly priced merchandise before sales tax purchased in-store during the event. Fundraising merchandise and gift card purchases are excluded.

View full event details on Eventbrite →

West Shore Middle School Parents Night Out

Upcoming Fundraiser • Mellow Monkey

West Shore Middle School Parents Night Out

Thursday, November 19, 2026 • 6:30–8:00 PM
360 Sniffens Lane, Stratford, CT 06615

Bring a friend for an evening of holiday shopping and complimentary beverages to support West Shore Middle School’s 8th Grade PTA Committee.

15% of qualifying in-store event purchases will support eighth-grade student activities.

Free ticket required. Space is limited. Ages 21 and older.

Donation applies to regularly priced merchandise before sales tax purchased in-store during the event. Fundraising merchandise and gift cards are excluded.

Reserve your FREE ticket on Eventbrite →

 

Community Outreach

 

Mellow Monkey Community Outreach Sip & Shop fundraising events for local nonprofit organizations

Is your nonprofit or community organization looking for a fun way to raise money? Mellow Monkey's private Sip & Shop events give your organization the store to itself for an evening of shopping, complimentary libations and fundraising — with 15% of event sales donated back to your organization.

For a copy of the application, email us at customerservice@mellowmonkey.com.

Past Events

Poster from the completed 2026 Only in Lordship Passport campaign Lordship, Connecticut, your off-season seaside escape

Past Community Event • September 15–October 27, 2026

Only in Lordship

Our Passport campaign invited visitors to discover Stratford’s seaside community, explore local businesses and collect punches for a chance to win prizes. Thank you to everyone who participated and to the businesses that helped make it happen.

The 2026 contest has ended. Winners will be contacted directly with instructions on how to claim their prizes. Watch the prize drawing on the Only in Lordship page.

The exploring continues: VisitLordship.com remains a guide to Lordship’s restaurants, shops, beaches and waterfront attractions. Use it to plan your next visit and discover somewhere new.

 

 

Thanks to the generous contributions of our customers, we were once again able to contribute a large number of school supplies and filled backpacks so that every Stratford Public School student starts the school year with the supplies they need to be successful.

 

Mellow Monkey Mystery Box fundraiser benefiting nOURish Bridgeport

Community Fundraiser

Mystery Boxes for nOURish Bridgeport

$1,200 Raised

Six Mystery Boxes. Sold out in less than 24 hours.

Together, you helped us raise $1,200 for nOURish Bridgeport and its work fighting food insecurity.

Apparently you'll buy absolutely anything from us — even when we don't tell you what it is.

Mellow Monkey annual outdoor warehouse clearance sale

Annual Event

2026 Warehouse Clearance Sale

If you joined us for our 2026 Annual Clearance Sale, we apologize for how much of your home we now occupy.

Missed it? You'll have to wait until Summer 2027.

We recommend preparing now by clearing some space in your house.

Thank you to everyone who came out and made the event such a success.

Mellow Monkey Pride Day benefiting The Trevor Project

Annual Community Event

PRIDE Day at Mellow Monkey

Our annual PRIDE event supports The Trevor Project and its work helping LGBTQ+ young people.

  • 10% of product sales donated to The Trevor Project
  • Complimentary Pride flags and other giveaways with purchase
  • Strings of Support messages of encouragement
  • Rainbow Prize Pail surprises for participants

The Trevor Project provides free, confidential crisis intervention, suicide-prevention services, support and resources for LGBTQ+ young people.

We believe every young person deserves to feel accepted, valued and supported — and that visible allyship can make a meaningful difference.

Learn about The Trevor Project →
Connecticut Open House Day at Mellow Monkey

Connecticut Office of Tourism

Connecticut Open House Day 2026

Mellow Monkey once again participated in Connecticut Open House Day — the statewide celebration inviting Connecticut residents and visitors to explore destinations across the state.

Guests visiting us in Stratford enjoyed:

  1. A free Connecticut beeswax candle just for visiting
  2. 20% off one regularly priced item, up to a $50 discount
  3. A beverage from the Drowsy Whaler Coffee Truck with a qualifying purchase
  4. A Share With a Friend return-trip discount card
  5. Entry into our $100 Mellow Monkey Gift Card raffle

Our waterfront warehouse location near the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound gave visitors one more reason to make a day of exploring Stratford.

159 trees planted through Mellow Monkey Earth Day purchases

Earth Day Fundraiser

2026 Earth Day

159 Trees Planted

Purchases made during our annual Earth Day fundraiser resulted in 159 trees being planted in cooperation with One Tree Planted.

A small shopping trip. A considerably larger forest.

Learn about One Tree Planted →

Local Partnership

Stratford Junior Women's Club

$1,007.05 Raised

The Stratford Junior Women's Club supports programs throughout our community, including scholarships for local students, holiday assistance for Stratford families and connections between residents and important community resources.

We're grateful to everyone who helped us support their work.

Learn more about SJWC →
Donation to Stratford Utility Lifeline

Helping Stratford Neighbors

Stratford Utility Lifeline

$1,155 Raised

Stratford Utility Lifeline provides emergency assistance to residents struggling with heating and utility expenses.

The program helps prevent utility shutoffs, assists with oil and propane expenses and provides a critical safety net for neighbors facing unexpected financial hardship.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped us support families right here in Stratford.

Learn more about Stratford Community Services →

Fundraising Challenge

200 Miles for the Alzheimer's Association

$1,150 Raised

Mellow Monkey's owner took on a 200-mile cycling challenge to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Association and its work toward ending Alzheimer's disease.

Thank you to everyone who donated, encouraged the ride and helped push the fundraiser past its goal.