Compiled by Kevin Coughlin
The Labor Day weekend was fairly quiet around Greater Morristown. But this weekend makes up for that with a vengeance.
Some 2,000 cyclists will descend on Morristown for the fifth annual Gran Fondo New Jersey. The town also boasts a community festival and a health day; Morris Township offers an end-of-summer pool party and a country fair.
Kristin Chenoweth kicks off the fall season at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. The Macculloch Hall Historical Museum introduces a new director.
And, on a solemn note, a pair of 9/11 memorial services are scheduled.
Scroll down for details, and see our handy calendar for even more activities.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 10, 2015:
Four magnificently restored World War II planes are on display through 5 pm at Morristown Municipal Airport in Hanover. Check out our video and photos. Tours of these bombers and Mustang fighter are $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12. Discounted rates for school groups. Free for WWII veterans. Flights on these aircraft range from $400 to $3,200 (fees are tax deductible); call ahead to see if seats are available: 800-568-8924. The Wings of Freedom national tour is operated by the Collings Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving our WWII aviation heritage. More details are here.
Does your child have a speech or language disorder? What then? Morristown speech therapist Joanne Summer will speak at the Morristown & Township Library at 7 p.m. about ways to help kids who have difficulty communicating verbally. Admission: Free, thanks to the Friends of the Library. Light refreshments will be served. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
The North Jersey American Revolution Round Table meets at 7:14 pm for a talk by William Chemerka about New Jersey’s Unsung Hero: Daniel Morgan. At Washington’s Headquarters Museum Great Hall, 30 Washington Place, Morristown. Admission: Free
FRIDAY, SEPT. 11:
Morris Plains hosts its annual 9/11 memorial service at 10 am on Friday, at the corner of Littleton and Tabor roads. All are welcome. (Bad weather moves the service to the Morris Plains Borough School). The Fire Department will sound sirens at these times, to commemorate the following tragic events:
- 8:46 a.m. – Impact at North Tower
- 9:03 a.m. – Impact at South Tower
- 9:37 a.m. – Impact at Pentagon
- 9:59 a.m. – Collapse of South Tower
- 10:03 a.m. – Impact at Shanksville, PA
- 10:28 a.m. – Collapse of North Tower
The Center for Spiritual Living Morristown presents The Secret, a movie about how to create a joyful life, at 7:30 pm. Selected shorts open the program at 7 pm. Admission: Free; goodwill offerings welcomed. At 331 Mount Kemble Ave., Harding.
The Morristown High School football varsity, 5-5 last year, kicks off its 2015 season in Montville at 7 pm. Go Colonials!
The universe is full of unbelievable events, and the Longo Planetarium wants to help demystify some of them. Space Extreme! starts at 7 pm at 214 Center Grove Road in Randolph. Explore black holes, supernovae, colliding galaxies and more. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, and free for kids under 12. Reservations for all shows are advised; call 973-328-5076. Read our planetarium profile.
Video: Gazing at the Longo Planetarium.
Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked, On the 20th Century, TV’s Glee), the biggest thing to emerge form Oklahoma since Mickey Mantle, belts out an evening of Broadway favorites and pop standards to open the 2015-16 season at Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center. This show is sold out, but you can try calling the box office at 973-539-8008 for any no-show tickets. Prices: $79-$129. At 100 South St.
At 8 pm, The Minstrel Open Stage offers an opportunity for acoustic musicians to perform a 15-minute set, and for the audience to enjoy a diverse collection of acoustic musicians. Many Open Stage acts return as opening acts at The Minstrel. To secure a performance slot, call 973-335-9489, or visit www.FolkProject.org/Minstrel/OpenStage. At 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 12:
The Morris Plains Farmers Market is back for its 13th season, every Saturday through Oct. 10, 2015, from 9 am to 2 pm. It’s on the Merchant Block, at the Speedwell Avenue extension, just before the train trestle.
The Mayor’s Kid Fondo is back for a fun morning of biking, safety instructions, games and food, starting at 10 am at the Vail Mansion at 110 South St. in Morristown. It’s free, and it kicks off the 2015 Gran Fondo New Jersey weekend in Morristown.
Morristown Medical Center and local churches present Community Health Day, from 9 am to 1 pm at Headquarters Plaza in Morristown. Free health screenings will be offered; pre-registration is required for some screenings: Call 1-800-247-9580. Celebrities are scheduled to include former New Jersey Devil Grant Marshall and MeriJoel Duran of Univision 41. Music, raffles, kids activities and more are planned. Admission is free.
Morristown’s 13th annual Community Family Day, from noon to 5 pm at the Cauldwell Playground, has a special twist this year: The Neighborhood House and its parent organization, Cornerstone Family Programs, will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Morristown’s incorporation. Local artists will perform and historical artifacts will be displayed. Children can enjoy bounce houses, arts and crafts and carnival games; hot dogs and hamburgers for all! Admission is free. At Flagler Street in Morristown.
Say goodbye to summer with a party at Ginty Pool in Morris Township, from 1 pm to 5 pm. The Due South Band will perform, and there will be a deejay, games, a barbecue and, of course, swimming. Admission: $10. Call 326-7371 for more.
The Longo Planetarium presents Shapes In the Sky at 3 pm. Storytelling includes myths and legends, fun for the whole family. Recommended for kids 4 and up. See Friday entries for prices and location.
Take a Tour of the Planets (for ages 6 and up), at 5 pm inside the Longo Planetarium at the County College of Morris in Randolph. See Friday entries for prices and location.
The Simon Gallery opens its 20th season with a reception for artist Nola Zirin from 5 pm to 7 pm. At 48 Bank St., Morristown. Zirin’s exhibition runs through Oct. 10, 2015.
Syndicated talk show host Wendy Williams brings her standup comedy to the Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. Mature content. Adults only. Tickets: $39-$79.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 13:
The Morristown Farmers Market celebrates its 25th season, from 8:30 am to 2 pm every Sunday through Nov. 22, 2015, in municipal lot 10. That’s behind the Morristown Post Office, accessible via Morris Street or Dumont Place. Organized by the Morristown Partnership, the market features 16 area farms and specialty vendors, with entertainment offered once per month.
The Gran Fondo New Jersey is back for its fifth year, and this promises to be the biggest event yet: Some 2,000 cyclists from near and far will visit Morristown to start rides of varying lengths at 7 am. Throughout the day they will return to Park Place, facing the historic Green, for food, live music, awards and more. Vendors will display the latest in cycling gear. It’s all organized by Marty’s Reliable Cycle at 173 Speedwell Ave., where you still can register for rides ranging from 18 to 107 miles (the rest stops feature some tasty treats!). Some of the proceed go to charity; over the years, the Gran Fondo has donated more than $600,000 to area nonprofits. Not a cyclist? Swing by the Green to soak in the colorful scene.
A 1920s-style Country Fair and Harvest Festival comes to the Fosterfields Living Historical Farm in Morris Township from noon to 5 pm. Farm animals, wagon rides, live period music, old-fashioned games and cooking demonstrations are on the program. The horse– New Jersey’s state animal–will be featured. Milk a wooden cow (?), and listen to the Long Hill String Band. Food trucks will be on hand, too. Admission: $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (65+), $6 for children ages 4-16, and $4 for children ages 2 and 3. Free for children under age 2. At Kahdena Road. Call 973-326-7645 for more.
The sixth annual South Mountain International Blues Festival comes to the South Mountain Reservation in West Orange from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m. Admission: Free. See website for details.
Author Linda Barth will discuss the Delaware & Raritan Canal at 4:30 pm at the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum. Then, at 5:30, gather on the back porch and say hello to the museum’s new director, Tricia Pongracz. Admission: Adults $8; seniors and students $6; children 6 – 12, $4. Members and children under 5 are free. At 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown.
Morris County’s 9/11 memorial service and candlelight vigil has been moved to 5 pm this year, to avoid conflicting with Rosh Hashannah. The service occurs at the September 11th Memorial on West Hanover Avenue in Parsippany, across from the Morris View Healthcare Center. A color guard of police, firefighters and emergency responders will march to the site, for a ceremony that will remember the 64 Morris County residents who lost their lives in the terror attacks of Sept, 11, 2001.
