There’s plenty to do in and around town this weekend: Buy some fresh produce, take in some history, listen to some great music. Check the calendar for more, and add your own events anytime.
FRIDAY, July 29
Join Bike and Walk Morristown. The ride starts at Morristown Town Hall at 6:30 pm (tonight, and the last Friday of every month). Zebu Forno will donate 20 percent of its sales from 6 – 10 pm to help Bike and Walk Morristown get off to a great start — so please swing by before or after the ride tonight. Hang out, eat, and help support the goal of making Morristown a great biking and walking town. Zebu Forno is at 9 South St. in Morristown. See Bike and Walk Morristown’s Event Facebook page for more.
There’s another Acapella Concert starting at 7 at the Morris Museum. Enjoy an evening of doo wop singing performed by Sammy and the Del-Larks, Quiet Storm, Joe Z, and Bobby Thomas’s Tribute to the Orioles. $20 for members; $25 for non-members. At 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown. Call 973-971-3706 for more.
The Minstrel celebrates its 36th Birthday from 8 – 11 pm. The annual Birthday Show is a celebration of the founding in 1975 of the coffeehouse that was to become the Minstrel Acoustic Concert Series. The evening features members of the Folk Project teamed up in randomly selected duos and trios performing on stage: seasoned professionals and talented amateurs who join together in tribute to this durable organization that has been making music for these many years. Admission for this night only is $8 (includes birthday cake!). At the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown. Call 973-335-9489 for more information. A production of The Folk Project.
The Barclays, the first event in the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedEx Cup — featuring 125 of the top players on the Tour – will take place August 23 – 28, 2011, at Plainfield Country Club, Edison, N.J. You can buy discounted tickets to the event through Aug. 14, and support the Morristown-based Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey at the same time. Tickets purchased this way are $50 per (normally $100); 75 percent of the sale of each ticket will go to the VNA. Find out more — including how to purchase tickets online — at “Tickets-Fore-Charity,” or call the VNA at 973-451-4133.
SATURDAY, July 30
Get in on the Produce Sales today from 9 am – 12:30 pm at the Urban Farm at Lafayette. In keeping with its mission to educate, you’ll team up with a volunteer, intern or Farmer Shaun to “shop” the farm. The folks at the Urban Farm will walk you through the farm, teaching you about the plants as they harvest the items you’d like to purchase. Remember that there is a limited amount of produce to sell and that the Urban Farm’s prices are very low so that they can offer fresh produce to all members of the community, no matter what their economic status. If you feel you are able to afford produce at standard farmer’s market prices, they’d appreciate and accept donations above their market rates. Or, if you’d rather, during the same time this morning you can take part in Open Hours, and help with farm chores — or just relax and take in the beautiful surroundings. All are welcome, no experience necessary — and children are welcome to work with their caregivers. At 31 Hazel St., Morristown (behind the Lafayette Learning Center).
Relive the “Trial of the 19th Century: Antoine LeBlanc” from 10 – 11:30 am, in another of Morris Tourism’s “Morristown in Three Centuries” series. This was Morristown’s most famous murder trial — and you’ll sit in the actual courtroom where Antoine LeBlanc was tried in 1833 for the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Sayre and their servant Phoebe. The triple-murder trial shocked the state and resulted in LeBlanc’s execution by hanging on the Morristown Green. The Honorable Kenneth C. MacKenzie, retired judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, historian, and member of the board of trustees of Historic Speedwell, will tell the tale and share his legal insights into one of Morris County’s most notorious trials. The tour starts at 6 Court St., Morristown; cost is $10. Call 973-631-5151 for information.
Our Youth Their Future celebrates its second year with a community rally at Morristown’s Cauldwell Playground from noon to 6 pm. Started by moms in response to a teen suicide, this nonprofit organization aims to show kids that people care about them. The rally will feature inspirational talks, a basketball game, representatives of social service agencies and a barbecue.
Today is Butterfly Day at Bamboo Brook, with special programs from 2 – 4 pm. The North American Butterfly Association has chosen this historic garden for its outstanding native plantings and natural areas which attract and sustain many kinds of butterflies. Learn all about New Jersey butterflies from these experts, see a digital slide show and take a walk through this lovely garden. Wear appropriate shoes and clothing for an off trail experience. This is a family friendly activity with no registration but it’s suggested that you come early to reserve your seat. For more information, see Butterflies of New Jersey and Their Host Plants. Free, at the Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center, 11 Longview Road, Far Hills (GPS Coordinates: 40°43’56”, -74°42’27”).
Tern Swings with Reeds, Rhythm & All That Brass tonight from 8 pm – midnight at the First Presbyterian Church in East Hanover: a swing dance for dancers and a swing concert for listeners. Reeds, Rhythm and All That Brass is an 18-piece big band made up of Folk Project members playing classic swing and jazz numbers. No contras tonight—just swing dancing from 8 pm till midnight. Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and $10 for students. At 14 Hanover Road, East Hanover; call 973-551-4441 to find out more.
It’s a Bruce Springsteen Tribute Concert with The E Street Shuffle from 8 – 10 pm at Camp Jefferson Amphitheatre: A high energy tribute to “The Boss.” Full concert lighting, with bench, stadium, lawn, and wheelchair seating areas. Free parking, but please carpool. No smoking, alcohol or coolers permitted; food sold on site. A meet and greet follows the show. Produced by Jefferson Highlights Television, a nonprofit organization. At 81 Weldon Road, Lake Hopatcong. Tickets are $20 Adult, $15 Senior(+62), $10 Child(-15). Children age 9 and under get in free. Call 973-663-5590 for more information.
SUNDAY, July 31
The Morristown Farmers Market is open from 8 am – 2 pm every Sunday throughout the summer and fall (until November), in public parking lot 10 at the corner of Morris Avenue and Spring Street adjacent to Dumont Place. In its 21st season, the market hosts NJ farms and specialty vendors as they offer fresh fruits and vegetables (including organic), herbs, flowers, eggs, baked goods, honey, pickled products, fish, poultry, pork, and grass-fed beef. On the second and fourth Sundays from July-October meet with market sponsors and Morristown businesses as they showcase their products and services. Call 973-455-1133 for more about the Farmer’s Market.
