From Greasy Whalermen to Skinny Sisters fiery step-dancers, there are plenty of eclectic entertainment choices around Greater Morristown this weekend.
Oh yes, and there is this little parade, involving 3,000 marchers and another 50,000 or so spectators. The line of march files onto South Street at noon on Saturday. Don something green and enjoy an early St. Patrick’s Day!
And if you still crave more excitement, check our great calendar for additional possibilities.
THURSDAY, March 10:
Humble Beginnings, an art exhibition featuring works made from “basic” or “humble” materials– from crayons to coffee cups– opens in Morristown at the Gallery at 14 Maple Ave., home of the Arts Council of the Morris Area. The reception runs from 6 pm to 8 pm. The show features creations by 31 artists with local ties and will continue for several months; it’s curated by Mary Birmingham, curator at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey.
The intriguing-sounding Greasy Luck: Tales of a New England Whalerman is at The Bethel, at Trinity Park in Mt. Tabor, from 7 – 9 p.m. David Emerson of History on the Hoof will hold forth as the fictitious Captain Leland Emerson, master of the brigantine Sarah Ann in the year 1843. Hear about life on board a whaling ship and of perilous adventures at sea — including encounters with the infamous great white whale, “Mocha Dick.” Funded by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and presented free to the public by the Mount Tabor Historical Society. Call 973 586-1564 for more (evening of event: 973 960-1113), or see www.mounttabornj.org. Parking on 26 Simpson Ave.
Tango Buenos Aires is back at the the Mayo Center for the Performing Arts, 100 South St., Morristown, starting at 8 pm. Tickets $32-$57. Contact phone 973 539-8008, or see www.mayoarts.org for more.
FRIDAY, March 11
Soprano Elise Figa sings Art Songs from the 17th Century, accompanied by instrumentalists from New York, at this Fridays-on-the-Green concert in Morristown, 12:15 pm at The Presbyterian Church on the Green, 57 Park Place. Admission: Free. Reasonably priced lunches are available from C’est Cheese of Morristown before and after the concert. Call 973 538-1776 or see www.pcmorristown.org for more. Listen to Elise sing early music at her website.
Irish band Celtic Fire comes to town on the eve of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 8 pm at the The Mayo Center for the Performing Arts, 100 South St., Morristown. A fusion of Irish artistry, including step-dancing and traditional folk music and songs under the artistic direction of Riverdance’s Michael Londra. Tickets: $32-$52. Call 973-539-8008 or see www.mayoarts.org for more.
It’s Open Stage night at the Minstrel, 8 pm at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township. This is an opportunity for acoustic musicians to play a 15-minute set, and an opportunity for listeners to hear a wide variety of musicians, some as previews to regular bookings in the future. To learn how to secure a performance slot, visit www.folkproject.org/fp_minstopen.html. Adults $7, children 12 and under are free. Call 973 335-9489, or see www.folkproject.org, for more.
SATURDAY, March 12
The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins at noon at Morristown Town Hall, 200 South St., moves toward the Morristown Green, and ends at Morristown High School on Atno Avenue at 2 pm. Free for everybody! See www.paradeday.com.
A Celtic art exhibit by Patrick Gallagher will open with a reception from 1 pm to 3 pm at Gallery Egan on Community Place in Morristown.
It’s Pirate Adventure Day at Madison’s Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, 1 pm to 3 pm, 9 Main St. An afternoon of pirate adventures for young buccaneers. Face-painting; paper parrot construction; official pirate hats; treasure maps; stories and snacks. Advance registration required; call 973 377-2982 x12. Admission is $5 for all participants and regular admission for all others. See www.metc.org for more.
The Morristown Neighborhood House Association hosts its Men’s Indoor Soccer League Championship Game today, at 12 Flagler Street. Teams from Parsippany, Dover, Morris Plains and other towns from Morris County and surrounding cities like Orange have played in the league. Teams FC Sula and Baguete Boys will square off in the third/fourth place game starting at 2:45 pm; the championship game, featuring the teams Yoguis vs. Sport Boys, will start at 4:30. The awards presentation starts at 7:30 pm and dinner and a dance follows. Prize money, trophies, and medals are on the line for the first, second and third place teams. Cost is $5 fee for the championship game, and includes admission to the ceremonies and the dance. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Alfaro, recreation coordinator, at 973 538-1229 ext. 40 or alfaroe@neighborhood-house.org.
Aztec Two-Step — often compared early on to Simon & Garfunkel — celebrates its 40th anniversary as a folk duo at the Sanctuary series in Chatham. The show will be hosted by WFUV’s Pete Fornatele and include another beloved twosome, Buskin & Batteau. Catch a preview via this MorristownGreen.com podcast. At the Presbyterian Church, 240 Southern Blvd., starting at 8 pm. Tickets $25.
SUNDAY, March 13
Hymns with Hicks continues at The Presbyterian Church in Morristown, 9:15 am at the Parish House at 65 South St. Classes on the History of Hymns. Bring your voices and an open mind. Contact James Hicks at jbvmdhicks@aol.com for information or call 973 538-1776.
Just down the street, new choir director Martha Niepold Johnson leads the singing of The Great Litany in Procession at the 11:15 service at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Litanies are one of the oldest forms of worship, and The Great Litany was one of the first liturgies written in English for inclusion in the original Book of Common Prayer. The Great Litany is frequently sung on the first Sunday in Lent. This is a service of worship, and is free.
Ladies of the Camp: Meet one of Washington’s aides during a Ford Mansion tour and learn about the role of women, both upper and lower classes, in the armies of the Revolutionary War. Part of the Morristown National Historical Park, the Ford Mansion — command central for George Washington’s Revolutionary War Continental Army (bivuoaced at Jockey Hollow) — also saw such Revolutionary War era luminaries as Alexander Hamilton cross its threshold. Tours at 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm at the Ford Mansion; $4 admission.
Macculloch Hall’s famous Skinny Sister Chandelier is having her spring cleaning today. This event has been postponed until March 16. The signature chandelier will be winched down on her steel cable for careful cleaning. The Skinny Sister was purchased from the country estate of Hamilton and Florence Vanderbilt Twombly. In 1955, Macculloch Hall’s museum founder W. Parsons Todd attended the estate auction and purchased chandeliers and other items to furnish the new museum on Macculloch Avenue. Last cleaned in 2005, this magnificent fixture hangs in the grand stairwell in the museum’s Center Hall. Tours of Macculloch Hall will take place from 1 pm onwards, and at 2:30 pm and at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, March 16, the Skinny Sister will be carefully lowered from its 30-foot-high mooring on the Center Hall ceiling. The hall is at 45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown. Admission: Adults $6, seniors and students $5; members and children under 12 are free. Call 973 538-2404, x 10.
Movie Night for NJ Professionals at the Qube Lounge at the Hyatt, from 4:30 – 8:30pm. Who can resist a lazy Sunday at the movies? Meet for drinks at Qube lounge in the Hyatt on Speedwell Avenue before walking over to the theater (both are in the same building). The group can easily divide up based on who saw what already and who wants to see what. Want to skip the movie and just meet for drinks? No problem! Cost: 1 item minimum at the bar (food, bottled water, beer, etc.), plus the cost of your theater ticket. Please arrive at 4:30 pm and look for signs. We will try to mingle close to the bar. Directions/Parking: morristown.hyatt.com. (Parking in the deck at the Hyatt or on the street at the meters.) More at: www.njprofessionals.org.
Is it too late to attempt to organize a group of individuals to collect donations to send towards the relief efforts in Japan during the events tomorrow?