Greater Morristown weekend preview: No Super Bowl plans? No worries!

groundhog day football super bowl 2014
0

 Compiled by Katrina Langer and Kevin Coughlin

Don’t have tickets for the Super Bowl?  Don’t have a TV?  Don’t care?

There are plenty of worthy diversions around Greater Morristown this weekend for those who don’t know a football from a footstool.

Instead of gridiron warfare, you can relive the Civil War.  If Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Super Bowl halftime performers) don’t grab you, how about a classical quartet, some Loose Canons or Southside Johnny?

You can Go Polar and run four miles in your underwear.

We even have gardening and ground hogs.

And if you want to change plans at the line of scrimmage, check our handy weekend preview for even more entertainment options.

Happy Ground Hog Day, everyone!

groundhog day football super bowl 2014


THURSDAY, JAN. 30, 2014:

Heyward Emmell had a close-up view of the Civil War: As a stretcher-bearer.
Heyward Emmell had a close-up view of the Civil War: As a stretcher-bearer.

Music at Noon at the Morristown United Methodist Church features  A Musical Heritage, starring Pauline and Nancie Lederer (piano and violin, respectively) and Marnie and Rick Caller (cello, piano) from Romanticism to Ragtime.  Suggested donation: $6 adults/ $5 seniors. Free for students with I.D. Lunch available for purchase, for $7, between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. At 50 S. Park Place.

The Morristown & Township Library presents  “The Firsthand Account of Heyward Emmell: Witness to Battles and Treachery,”  featuring Jim Malcom, at 7 pm. Malcom will discuss the Civil War journey of infantryman and stretcher bearer Heyword Emmell of the Ambulance Corps in 1861. Emmell’s account of the war includes rarely-reported details, including attempts to poison Union soldiers with arsenic, and uncommon war technologies. This is one of two lecture programs related to the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War and the spring exhibition (Their Memory Shall Never Fade: Morris Country and the Civil War, March 10-May 11), so if you can’t make it this week, be sure to check our calendar for the next lecture in February.

The Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum presents Say Goodnight, Gracie, starring Joel Rooks as the legendary George Burns. Opening night curtain goes up at 7:30 pm, with repeat performances on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm. The show runs through Feb. 16. Admission is $45 for the general public; $40 for seniors, Morris Museum members, and Bickford Theatre Guild members; and $20 for students with a valid college ID. At 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morris Township. Call 873-971-3706 for more information.


FRIDAY, JAN. 31:

Hugh O'Doherty,
Hugh O’Doherty,

Morristown’s Critical Mass ride begins at 6:30 pm in the Morristown town hall parking lot, behind 200 South Street (access via Franklin Street). The route is about 3 1/2 miles, and is more a community event than an endurance ride. It is not part of any organization, but you can learn more about Critical Mass rides all over the world and right here in Morristown.

Say Goodnight, Gracie begins at 8 pm at the Bickford Theatre. See Thursday’s entry for details.

The Loose Canons
The Loose Canons

Songwriter Hugh O’Doherty takes the stage at The Minstrel in Morris Township at 8 pm. From romance to satire, audience members can expect a musical journey that ranges from deeply emotional to wonderfully silly. He will be joined by the appropriately named The Loose Canons.   This 11-member choral group sings music favorites ranging from folk to classical — but their specialty is parodies and satire. Showtime is 8 pm; admission is $8 for adults, children 12 and under are free. Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road in Morris Township.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes bring good times from the Jersey Shore to the Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. Tickets are $39-$69.  At 100 South St., Morristown. Call 973-539-8008.

 


SATURDAY, FEB. 1:

Museum of Early Trades & Crafts presents Pre-Groundhog Day Activities
Museum of Early Trades & Crafts presents Pre-Groundhog Day Activities at 4 pm

Is the family getting cabin fever thanks to all this cold weather? Warm up and have some fun with the kids with Pre-Groundhog Day activities at the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts in Madison from 4 pm to 5 pm. Recommended for ages 2-6, and pre-registration is suggested. Admission is $3 for all participants; regular admission for all others. At 9 Main St. Please call 973-377-2982 x 12 for more information.

Say Goodnight, Gracie begins at 8 pm at the Bickford Theatre. See Thursday’s entry for details.

If you’re passionate about guitar, check out Guitar Passions at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. Master guitarists include Grammy-winning Sharon Isbin, jazz musician Stanley Jordan, and Brazil’s Romero Lubambo, starting at 8 pm. Tickets for this evening of Latin and Brazilian are $19-$49. At 100 South St., Morristown. Call 973-539-8008.

Guitar Passions at MPAC
Guitar Passions features Sharon Isban, Stanley Jordan, and Romero Lubambo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


SUNDAY, FEB. 2:

Enjoy all the Super Bowl munchies you want…after burning off a few thousand calories at the third annual Pre-Game 4-Miler in Morristown.  The race starts at 11:30 am on DeHart Street. Close to 1,500 participants are expected. Costumes are encouraged, including “Polar Bear” themes (less is more!).  Proceeds will benefit the Community Soup Kitchen. Online registration is $35 through Saturday; on race day, it’s $40. Packet pickup is at the Morristown Running Co. on South Street. Call 973-401-1300 for more information.

Karl Leitz and fellow racer Sergio fend off frostbite at the 2013 Super Sunday 4 Miler in Morristown. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Karl Leitz and fellow racer Sergio fend off frostbite at the 2013 Super Sunday 4 Miler in Morristown. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Get your hands dirty at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm with A Winter’s Day on the Farm, from noon to 4 pm. Featuring traditional winter farm activities, including an open-air wagon ride, watching farmers harvest blocks of ice from the ice pond, and even tapping maple trees to collect sap. Collect eggs, get up close with many of the farm animals, and  saw some wood before heading inside to enjoy the savory (and warm) traditional foods cooking on the wood stove. Admission is $8 for adults; $7 for seniors; $6 for children 4-6; $4 for children 2 & 3 years of age; and free for younger children. Fosterfields farm is located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morris Township. Call 973-326-7645 for more information.
Say Goodnight, Gracie begins at 2 pm at the Bickford Theatre. See Thursday’s entry for details.
If you’re itching to kick off spring, instead of watching the Super Bowl kickoff, then head to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum  for a lecture and hands-on workshop called Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History. It’s presented by author Carol Gracie, followed by hands-on wildflower plantings led by Dr. Randi Eckel of Toadshade Wildflower Farm. The program starts at 6 pm, at 353 E. Hanover Ave. in Morris Township. Registration is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Space is limited so register early — call 973-326-7600.

 

LEAVE A REPLY