Compiled by Katrina Langer and Kevin Coughlin
Nature can get nasty, as a new art show demonstrates.
Or it can be as genteel as Alfresco in the Garden.
You can see both sides in Greater Morristown this weekend–along with some canine masterpieces and a little rock ’em sock ’em ladies roller derby action.
Why not make it a rock ’em sock ’em doubleheader, with the Morristown High School football home opener?
For all this and more, scroll below.
And for more activities, don’t forget to check our handy calendar!
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11, 2014
What’s better than a little history? How about a little history mixed with cocktails? The Morris County Historical Society presents Bottom’s Up: Cocktails, Cider, and Civil Rights from 1 pm to 4 pm at Acorn Hall. From 1918 to 1978, Morris County boasted a fascinating tavern, hotel, and restaurant culture, and this exhibit showcases the businesses that flourished during Prohibition, as well as those that cultivated African-American, LGBT, and Jewish culture. The exhibit runs through Oct. 5. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for students, and free for children under age 12. Viewing the exhibit only (without a tour of the Acorn Hall) is half the price. Acorn Hall is at 68 Morris Ave., Morristown.
After you buff up on your history of indulgence in New Jersey, you can get in on the fun at The Morris County Historical Society’s 1920s Speakeasy Night — also at Acorn Hall. This celebration, from 4 pm to 7 pm, will feature light refreshments, historically inspired beverages, and 1920s themed tours of the Hall. At 5 pm, Professor Peter Mabli of Fairleigh Dickinson University is on tap with a whiskey-themed lecture. Admission is $15 for non-MCHS members; $8 for members.
Retired Army Col. James Johnson discusses the Battle of Stony Point, at the North Jersey American Revolution Round Table, at 7:14 pm in the Washington’s Headquarters Museum Auditorium, at 30 Washington Place in Morristown. Admission is free.
It’s been almost two years since Sandy blew through the region, but the memory is still fresh in many minds. At the new Morris Arts exhibit, photographer Kevin Burkitt, wood-turner Bruce Perlmutter, and artists Laura Petrovich Cheney and Roddy Wildeman document the hurricane’s devastation as well as the inspiring regrowth in its aftermath. Stop by the opening reception of SANDY: Destruction/Constructions at the Gallery at 14 Maple in Morrisown, from 6 pm to 8 pm.
If you think it’s time to get big money out of politics, head to the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship at 7:30 pm. Speakers from New Jersey for the Overturn of Citizens United , a coalition of 27 organizations, will discuss national grassroots efforts to press Congress for campaign finance reform in the wake of the Supreme Court’s controversial 2010 Citizens United decision. (That’s the one that ruled that corporations are people, too, when it comes to political contributions.) The venue is at 21 Normandy Heights Road in Morris Township. Call 973-838-8576 for more details.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12
Love dogs? The Morris Museum has a new exhibit for you: The Dog Show: The Art of Our Canine Companions opens today and runs through Dec. 14, 2014. The show celebrates dogs in British and American art from the 19th century to now. The Museum is at 6 Normandy Heights Road (at the corner of Columbia Turnpike) in Morris Township, and is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm and Sunday, noon to 5 pm. Museum admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children, students and senior citizens. Free for Museum members. For more, call (973) 971-3700.
Seeking some inspiration to start your weekend? Try You Can Heal Your Life, a movie by motivational lecturer Louise L. Hay. It’s free, at The Center for Spiritual Living Morristown, at 331 Mount Kemble Ave. in Harding. Short features start at 7 pm, and the main feature rolls at 7:30 pm. Goodwill donations appreciated. Call 973.539.3114 for more.
Blue Collar Comedy Tour veteran Bill Engvall brings his popular common-sense comedy to the Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. Tickets are $59-$89. Mature themes, language. Mayo Performing Arts is at 100 South Street in Morristown. Call 973-539-8008 for more.
The Minstrel presents trio Finest Kind is CANCELED because one of the featured singers has come down with strep throat. The Minstrel will return next Friday with opener Sharlys Dugan of Madison at 8 pm at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship. The vocal trio of Ian Robb, Shelly Posen, and Anne Downey come together to create beautiful and intricate harmonies in the folk world, inspired by their native countries of England, Canada and the US. Admission is $9 for adults; children 12 and under are free. The Minstrel is at 21 Normandy Heights Road in Morris Township.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 13
Summer is almost over, but you don’t have to give up the flavors of the season. The Frelinghuysen Arboretum presents Pres-herb-vation: A Workshop on Saving Summer’s Herbal Flavors from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Make herbal vinegar, herb-flavored salt and sugar, herbal honey, herbal extract, and herb compound butter. Bring a lunch or make a purchase at Matilda’s Café, and the group will eat outside in the herb garden during a break. The $65 admission fee includes all materials needed. At 353 East Hanover Ave. in Morris Township. For more information, or to register, visit www.arboretumfriends.org or call 973-326-7603.
The Longo Planetarium at the County College of Morris presents two special Planetarium shows. At 1 pm: Shapes in the Sky, followed by Tour of the Planets at 3 pm. Each presentation is delightful and engaging for the whole family. Admission: $10 for adults; $5 for seniors and kids 12 and under. Call 973-328-5076 to learn more.
Football returns to Morristown High School at 2 pm, when the Colonials kick off against Montville at Memorial Field. Help get the boys in maroon off on the right foot! MHS is at 50 Early St.
It’s time for Alfresco at the Farm, the Third Annual Family Festival at Grow it Green Morristown. Perfect for the family (ages 5 and up), there’s face painting, planting, crafts, live entertainment — and of course, amazing food. Check out fire-grilled pizza from Millie’s Old World Meatballs and Pizza, and artisan desserts from the Artist Baker. For the adults: A plant sale and silent auction. Admission is $40 per person or $100 per family pack; the event is a fund-raiser for the nonprofit, which runs a community garden and a teaching farm, and contributes produce to area food banks. Call 973-320-4177 to learn more. The Urban Farm at Lafayette is at 31 Hazel St., just behind the Lafayette Learning Center in Morristown.
The Jerzey Derby Brigade takes on the Philly Block Party in women’s roller derby action at InLine Morristown. Doors open at 6:25 pm with the opening whistle at 7 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, with discounts for military and seniors and free admission for kids 12 and under. At 38 Dumont Place.
Country music legend Don Williams comes to the Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. He brings with him, of course, hits like Tulsa Time, I Believe in You and Some Broken Hearts Never Mend, plus, new songs from his 2014 release, Reflections. Tickets are $39-$69. Call 973-539-8008 for more, or visit www.mayoarts.org.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 14
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 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.
Wrap up the weekend the way it began: In the roaring ’20s ,at the Fosterfields Living Historical Farm from noon to 5 pm. The 1920s Country Fair & Harvest Festival is an award-winning event featuring antique cars, wagon rides, cow judging and even cider pressing. The whole family will love chatting with a side-saddle rider, dancing the Charleston, and nibbling on tasty treats. Cost is $8 for adults; $7 for seniors; $6 for children ages 4-16; $4 for children ages 2 and 3; and free for children under the age of 2 as well as Friends and Members. Call 973-326-7645 for more. Fosterfields is at 73 Kahdena Road in Morris Township.
