Compiled by Katrina Langer and Kevin Coughlin
This is a weekend for counting our blessings–blessings of freedom secured by servicemen and women who gave their lives.
Remember them Friday at a lunchtime service outside the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown.
And you won’t want to miss the 27th annual Memorial Day Parade in Morris Plains on Saturday. The Community of Caring always presents a spirited morning. More than 100 groups–including MorristownGreen.com–are scheduled to participate this year.
Look for themes of freedom at Morristown High School’s first film festival.
Then, unwind with an elementary school teacher’s band.
If you feel the itch to travel this weekend, start with a wild and woolly Alternative Commuter Challenge. Then throw your guitar in the Prius and head to the hills for the annual Folk Project Spring Festival.
And the kids can kick off summer properly–with a Red Bulls player who is giving a clinic on Monday.
P.S. Don’t forget to check our handy calendar for even more options. We wish you a safe and meaningful holiday.
THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013:
Marty Epstein of Marty’s Reliable Cycle has invited any and all brave commuters to the third annual Alternative Commuter Challenge, a race from Madison to Morristown. Any type of vehicle is welcome this year: Bikes, trains, hybrids, the list goes on… Participants should gather at 8 am at Drip Coffee, at 34 Main St. in Madison, for an 8:40 am start. Transit riders should catch the 8:49 am train in Madison. The finish line is at the Hyatt Morristown on Speedwell Avenue. Please note that all safety and traffic laws must be followed. Contact Marty’s shop at (973) 584-7773 with any questions; or call TransOption Vice President Don Watt at (973) 267-7600.
How are older buildings “recycled” to maintain their life into the future? it’s more than just turning them into museums. Historic Speedwell invites Morristown residents ages 6 and up to Recycling the Past, for fun hands-on activities. Come to 333 Speedwell Ave. from 3 pm to 4:30 pm. Call 973-285-6550 with questions.
Morris Township resident and longtime writer Christy Potter will read from her new book, The World Was My Oyster But I didn’t Know How to Cook, at Glassworks Studio, 151 South St. in Morristown, at 6 pm. All are welcome.
The North Jersey Civil War Roundtable meets for its 108th meeting at 7:14 pm at the Haggerty Education Center, at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 53 E. Hanover Ave., Morris Township (opposite the Morris County Library). William R. Chemerka, Teacher of the Year, documentary producer, and author, will discuss The Gothic Saga of Paul Revere’s Grandson, Gen. Joseph Warren Revere. Admission is $5. First time guests and students are free.
How do high school students see the world in 2013? Get a peek into the minds of young Morristown students at the MHS Film Festival. More than 40 short documentaries, ranging in topic from teen pregnancy to an homage to bacon, will be judged by three film aficionados. Screenings begin at 7 pm, at 50 Early St. Admission is free.
REGISTRATION CLOSES at midnight for the Folk Project Spring Festival, running Friday through Sunday in a lovely wooded area near Hackettstown. It’s a weekend of concerts, workshops, jamming, and relaxing for musicians and non-musicians. Featuring Brother Sun, Tom Chapin, Cliff Eberhardt, Jacob Johnson, and more. Meals included with ticket price Lodging available onsite. Attendance limited to 150, and by pre-registration only. No tickets sold at the door. For further information, send email or call 201-207-8696.
FRIDAY, MAY 24:
Morris County’s annual Memorial Day ceremony begins at noon on the Morris County Courthouse lawn in Morristown. The keynote speaker will be Hjalmar Johansson of Montville, a WWII veteran of the Army Air Force, and a former prisoner of war.
Morristown teacher Brad Marullo and his SteppingSTONE band will perform at the Dublin Pub , where they will celebrate their new CD, I’ll be Coming Home. Brad’s day job is teaching instrumental music to 4th- and 5th graders at the Thomas Jefferson- and Sussex Avenue schools; parents can enjoy his other side at 9 pm. The Dublin Pub is on Pine Street.
SATURDAY, MAY 25:
UPDATE: The 27th annual Morris Plains Memorial Day Service and Parade has been CANCELLED because of bad weather. Services in Morris Township and Morristown, connected by a small parade, remain scheduled for Monday, May 27. See Monday’s entry for details.
The 27th annual Morris Plains Memorial Day Service and Parade starts at 9 am, with a ceremony at Robert’s Garden at the corner of Glenbook Road and Mountain Way. Morris County’s largest Memorial Day parade–with more than 100 units and 15 bands, including the Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni and for the first time, the Orange High School Marching Tornadoes–follows at 9:30 am, from the same intersection. The route then heads south, turns east on Rosedale Avenue, and then proceeds north on Speedwell Avenue to Littleton Road, ending at VFW Watnong Post 3401. A flyover by the International Acrobatic Club is expected at 10:40 am. Morris Plains Firefighter Don Geary is being honored as Grand Marshal in recognition of his volunteer work during and after Hurricane Sandy. Call Parade Chairman Steve Welsh at (973) 644-2746 for more information. And don’t forget to wave at MorristownGreen.com, by George!
The Memorial Day Weekend may seem like an odd time to discuss mutiny. But George Washington had to deal with one in 1780. Learn how he dealt with the mutineers, from a Park Ranger during a hike at Jockey Hollow. Meet at 10 am at the visitors center.
Morristown is reopening the renovated Cauldwell Pool, and celebrating with refreshments from 11 am to 1 pm. The pool is at the Cauldwell Playground, at the intersection of Martin Luther King Avenue and Flagler Street.
George Washington is remembered as the father of our country and arguably the greatest American. Let a Park Ranger describe Washington’s formative years, and discover how our first president can to be loved and idealized. The Making of An American Icon is scheduled for 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm at the Washington’s Headquarters Museum, 30 Washington Place, Morristown. Admission is $4 per adult.
SUNDAY, MAY 26:
Tell the family to take a hike: For 2 ½ miles, from the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center to the replica huts and back. Along the way, learn about life of 18th century soldiers. Hands-on activities include musket drills and marching, as well as 18th century camp games. This program is geared towards kids at the 5th grade level and above. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Hike begins at 1 pm at the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center, in the Morristown National Historical Park.
MEMORIAL DAY, MONDAY, MAY 27:
After wreaths are laid at local monuments and cemeteries, a Memorial Day service will be held at Morris Township’s municipal building on Woodland Avenue at 10 am. At 10:30, a parade proceeds to the Morristown Green for an 11 am service. All are invited.
Kids can get their kicks with New York Red Bulls player Connor Lade–a Morristown High School graduate and member of the 2012 U.S. Men’s National Team–at 3 pm at Morristown High School. The 90-minute soccer clinic is geared for 8-10 year olds, and it’s presented by the Morristown Neighborhood House in partnership with the law firm Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP. The organizers promise that “the children will learn basic soccer skills through skill-building activities and games, familiarizing each child with the structure of a game setting, while including lots of positive reinforcement.” For more details, call the Nabe at 973-538-1229 x 40 or 973-538-1229 x 31.
