Compiled by Kevin Coughlin
Greater Morristown offers something for everyone this weekend.
Country music. Standup comedy. The latest 19th century fashions. Football. Roller derby. Poetry in the sunshine. Park-like parking spaces. Storytelling with our own Kristin Ace. Free movies. Morristown’s origins in a nutshell. Trains. Electric cars.
Scroll down for details.
And don’t forget to check our handy calendar for even more activities.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 17, 2015:
What lurks in the bowels of Downton Abbey? Drill deep with British historian Dr. George Robb, in a 10 am presentation of the Morris School District Community School, at the Morris Plains Community Center, 51 Jim Fear Drive, Morris Plains. Admission: $31. Call 973-292-2063 for more.
How did Morristown become Morristown? Ask the experts, at the Morristown & Township Library at 7 pm. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the town’s incorporation, and a library exhibit will explore this history through Dec. 31, 2015. Tonight’s reception is in the F.M. Kirby Gallery upstairs. The library is at One Miller Road, Morristown.
Country superstar Martina McBride (My Baby Loves Me, Independence Day, Wild Angels) comes to Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm, with her hits and music from her new album, Everlasting. With opener Greg Foresman. Tickets $59-$109. At 100 South St. Call 973-539-8008 for more.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 18:
Celebrate public parks with Grow It Green Morristown, in a converted parking space at the corner of South and DeHart streets, from noon to 6 pm. PARK(ing) Day is a national movement to create temporary, pop-up public spaces. Visit with Grow It Green volunteers, and learn more about expansion plans for the Early Street Community Garden.
The Minstrel features Geoff Muldaur, who has recorded with Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Garcia and his former wife, Maria Muldaur, among others. Folk Project favorites Frank Sole and Hank (Hen3ry) Nerenberg open the 8 pm show, at 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township. Admission: $9, plus what the show really is worth to you. Children 12 and under, free.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 19:
Yoga at the Farm continues, from 8:30 am to 9:45 am at the Urban Farm, 31 Hazel St., Morristown. Presented by instructor Lauren McTigue and Grow It Green Morristown. Pay what you can. Then pick your own fresh vegetables, herbs, and flowers; the farm stand is open until 2 pm. Call 201-874-5481 for more.
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.
- FUELING UP: A Tesla Roadster, pictured re-charging its battery on the Morristown Green in 2013, is coming to the Presbyterian Parish House. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Celebrate National Drive Electric Week with the Electric Auto Association of New Jersey, which will feature more than 30 electric vehicles outside the Presbyterian Parish House between 10 am and 2 pm. Everything from modern Tesla Roadsters to a 1917 Detroit Electric will be there for your inspection. Meet the owners, take test drives, and get coupons from SmartWorld Coffee. The church lot is at 65 South St. in Morristown. Admission: Free. Presented with Sustainable Morristown.
Having your head in a cloud isn’t always a bad thing–not if you’re storing your digital life there. Learn how to use the cloud storage available through your email accounts (gmail, yahoo, hotmail, msn, icloud) to access stored files from any computer, anywhere, in this hour-long class at 10 am, at the Morristown & Township Library. Registration is required. Please call 973-538-2592 for more.
The New Jersey Highlands Coalition presents the Highlands Festival at Waterloo from 11 am to 9 pm, and again from 11 am to 6 pm on Sunday, at the Waterloo Village and Concert Field in Byram and Allamuchy. Performers include Garland Jeffreys, Willie Nile, Hub Hollow and the Atlanta Cafe Band. Advance tickets (for sale through Friday) are $15 for one day; $25 for both days; and $25 for a campsite reservation. At the gate, tickets are $25 for one day; $40 for both days; and $45 for a campsite if spots remain.
Football action returns to Memorial Field when the 1-0 Morristown High School Colonials try to make it 2-0 against Randolph. Kickoff for this home opener is at 1 pm.
What could be better than a ladies roller derby match? Two ladies roller derby matches! The Jerzey Derby Brigade hosts a doubleheader: The Corporal Punishers vs. the Jersey Shore Roller Girls, followed by the Garden State Roller Girls vs. Shore Points Roller Derby. Doors open at 5 pm at Inline Morristown, 38 Dumont Place, Morristown. Admission: $12 at the door, $10 in advance (search “Jerzey Derby Brigade”). Children 12 and under are free; senior and military discounts are available. First whistle blows at 6 pm! Seating is limited, so bring a chair, or arrive early to secure a good seat.
He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, thanks to hits like Do You Believe In Magic; Hot Time, Summer In The City; Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind and Welcome Back. You know him from the Lovin’ Spoonful… but he almost was a Monkee. We’re talking about John Sebastian, and he’s coming to the Sanctuary series in Chatham at 8 pm. With the duo Open Book as openers. Tickets: $25. At the Presbyterian Church, 240 Southern Blvd.
Jim Breuer, named one of Comedy Central’s “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time,” comes to Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. Tickets: $35-$150. At 100 South St. Call 973-539-8008 for more.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 20:
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.
A new off-road duathlon for women will benefit the Mental Health Association of Morris County, on Sunday Sept. 20, 2015, at Lewis Morris Park in Morris Township. Girls, guts, glory starts at 9 am and consists of a 1.5-mile run or hike, 6-mile mountain bike ride and repeat of the 1.5-mile run/hike. It’s a timed event on a hilly dirt path. On-site registration is $80 and opens at 7 a.m. For more details, see the website, e-mail the organizer or call 937-270-0349.
Love trains? Check out the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Festival in Boonton from 10 am to 4 pm. Enjoy vintage trains, live music and food, at the West Boonton Yard, 104 Morris Ave.
The Highlands Festival at Waterloo continues from 11 am to 6 pm. Please see Saturday entry for details.
Visit fashions of the 1830s to the 1860s, with special mansion tours at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris Township at 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm. Godey’s Lady’s Book guided American women in the 19th century; learn more about it at this unique event. Preregistration is advised to guarantee a spot. Admission: $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $5 for children. Children under 4 are free. Call 973-285-6550 for more. At 353 East Hanover Ave.
Morristown’s Kristin Ace, whose Good Vibrations podcast appears on Morristown Green each Saturday, takes the stage at the New Jersey Storytelling Festival at 3 pm. The Festival runs from noon to 6 pm, rain or shine, at the Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton. The storytelling is free with park admission: Adults $15; seniors (65+) $12; students 6-17 or with college ID $10; members and children under 5 free. Lunch will be available for purchase. And singer Mike Agranoff of the Folk Project will be one of the instructors in a storytelling workshop series from 9:45 am to 11:45 am. A pre-registration workshop fee of $50 includes park admission, and three professional development credits and lunch.
Voice of the Faithful NJ presents a continuing discussion of Fr. Richard Rohr’s book, Falling Upward, Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life, at 3:30 pm at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 100 Harter Road in Harding. Admission is free.
Cool Women return to the 17th annual Poets in the Garden program at the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, at 4 pm. The museum compares Cool Women to jazz musicians, who “tune around a basic theme and riff off it, making each reading unique—by turns playful, analytic, joyous, elegiac.” Tickets include admission to a museum tour: Adults $8, seniors and students, $6, children 6-12, $4. Members and children under 5, free. At 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown. Call 973-538-2404 ext. 10.
The Morristown Newcomers Club is holding its annual autumn patio party at 4 pm to greet new members and reconnect with current members. A buffet and beverages will be served. Hosted at a member’s home; drop a line here to join the club. Party Call 973-769-7211 for more.
The Presbyterian Church in Morristown’s Faith on Film series presents Words & Pictures, starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche, at 4 pm. The film will be followed by a pizza dinner and a discussion led by Vern Verhoef. Admission: Free. In the Chapel at 57 East Park Place. Call 973-538-1776 for more.
