Compiled by Katrina Langer and Kevin Coughlin
If we could wish one thing for our readers, it would be a lifetime of Julys in Greater Morristown.
This weekend you can enjoy Molière or moths by moonlight, music in a garden or a barbecue in the park.
Run, swim, sing, kick back in a caboose… life is good.
Need more convincing? See our handy calendar for added leisure fun. Take things nice and slow. It’s July.
THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014:
The Lawyers for Kids 5K Run, Two-Mile Walk and Kids Gallop celebrates its 10th year with a 7:15 pm start at Ginty Field in Morris Township. The cost is $25 for adults; $5 children, and proceeds support community outreach programs of the Morris County Bar Foundation, and the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Morris and Sussex Counties (CASA), volunteers who advocate for foster care children. Call 908-902-8587 for more.
The Learned Ladies , Molière’s family friendly farce, continues its outdoor run with an 8 pm show at the Greek Theatre of the College of Saint Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road in Morris Township. Tickets: $35. A production of the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.
Nightlife existed before the invention of bars. Discover a different set of nocturnal creatures, on a starlit hike with the Great Swamp Watershed Association. It’s from 8:30 pm to 10 pm at Primrose Farm, at 15 Brook Drive South in Harding Township. Family-friendly activities will include a music lesson, to help you differentiate the songs of crickets, grasshoppers, cicadas and katydids. You’ll also learn how moths finds their way through the dark. Advanced registration is strongly recommended, at GreatSwamp.org or by calling (973) 538-3500 x22. Participation is free, but visitors are asked to consider donations of $10/adult or $5/child (6 to 17 years). There is no suggested donation for children five and under. This hike is suitable for all ages; expect a few slight inclines and some uneven ground.
FRIDAY, JULY 11:
The Morristown Jewish Center invites everyone to a “Barechu & You” Shabbat Barbecue and Service, from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Loantaka Brook Reservation at468 South St. in Morris Township. Cost is $10; kids under 12, free. Call 973-538-9292 or visit the website for more details.
The Longo Planetarium at the County College of Morris in Randolph will blast you across the universe and back, starting at 7 pm. Suitable for ages 8 and up, the hour-long Space Extreme show “will explore the biggest, hottest, and most amazing things we can find. We’ll visit black holes, supernovae, colliding galaxies, and others – all of which push the edge of our understanding and imagination.” Admission: $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and kids under 12. Call 973-328-5076 for more. At 214 Center Grove Road.
Molière’s farce The Learned Ladies continues its outdoor run in Morris Township. See Thursday entry for details.
Ever wanted to try your hand at performing? The Minstrel’s monthly open stage is your chance. Acoustic musicians can perform a 15-minute set, and the audience can scope out new talent. Quite a few new acts have graduated to the Minstrel’s Friday concert stage. For information on how to secure a performance slot, call 973-335-9489, or visit www.FolkProject.org/Minstrel/OpenStage. The Minstrel is at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, at 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township.
SATURDAY, JULY 12:
School is over and the temperatures are climbing. Get the kids off the couch and into the pool with The Morris Township Department of Parks and Recreation annual Tri-Harder Kids Triathlon event. Designed for children ages 4 to 15 who are not already in high school, it will feature age-appropriate swimming, biking, and running activities. The goal isn’t to win — it’s to participate! Each participant will receive a ribbon, and only unofficial results will be posted. Pre-registration is required before July 11; please visit the event page to sign up, or visit the Morris Township Parks & Recreation Department at 50 Woodland Ave. Call 973-326-7371 for more information. All events begin at 8:30, participants are required to check in at 7:30 am at the Ginty Pool on Fanok Road in Morris Township.
The Longo Planetarium at the County College of Morris in Randolph has shows at 1 pm (Shapes in the Sky) and 3 pm (Tour of the Planets). See Friday entry for details.
Molière’s farce The Learned Ladies continues its outdoor run in Morris Township at 4:30 pm and 8 pm. See Thursday entry for details.
SUNDAY, JULY 13:
The Morristown Farmers Market is back for its 24th season, courtesy of the Morristown Partnership and its sponsors. From 8:30 am to 2 pm, you can find produce from North Jersey farms, baked goods, and more, in the municipal parking lot 10, behind the post office. Lots of entertainment- and wellness events will be sprinkled throughout the year. The Farmers Market is open on Sundays through the end of November.
Enjoy a train ride that doesn’t involve arriving late for work. The Whippany Rail Museum offers 45-minute rides in vintage cabooses and passenger cars at 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm. Ticket prices look like this: Adult: $14; child (under 12): $9; infants (1 year and under): Free. (Fare includes Museum admission.) Roll to the museum website or call 973-887-8177 for more. At One Railroad Plaza.
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum presents its Summer Concerts in the Garden Series at 4 pm. This week, local band Hub Hollow returns for its fourth appearance in the Macculloch Hall garden. Drawing on bluegrass, rock, and old time music, Hub Hollow has been described as “a new kind of old-time music.” Beautifully blended vocals and intricate melodies reflect more than 20 years of music-making. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Tickets go on sale at 1 pm, and cost $15 for general admission, and $10 for members, seniors and students. Children under 12 get in free. Attendees are invited to tour the historic museum grounds before the show (last tour leaves at 3 pm), with an additional $5 museum ticket. Service animals only, please. In case of bad weather, please call the museum before noon for contingency plans, 973.538.2404 ex 10.
The Devil’s Disciple, George Bernard Shaw’s only play about America, is set during the American Revolution. The production at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison starts at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15-$75. At 36 Madison Ave. Call 973-408-5600 for more.
At 7:30 pm, Molière’s farce The Learned Ladies unfolds outdoors in Morris Township at 4:30 pm and 8 pm. See Thursday entry for details.
