Compiled by Kevin Coughlin and Katrina Langer
Arbor Day plantings … bugs and bikes … garden galas and gas-free cars… this should be a great weekend to get outside in Greater Morristown.
And there is plenty of indoor fun to be had, too, from the likes of uking Kennedys and Russian ballerinas to the King of Romance himself.
Students of all ages even can learn a thing or two, from finance to history to artistic survival.
And if that’s not enough, check our handy calendar for even more activities.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015:
Drew University is hosting what promises to be a provocative conference on Medicine, Bioethics and the Holocaust. The daylong gathering features keynote speaker Dr. Arthur L. Caplan, from the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. The conference will explore the lasting legacy of the Holocaust for bioethics, in hopes of averting future atrocities. The public is welcome. Admission: $36 for the general public, $18 for students, and $112 for physicians (including continuing education credits). Holocaust survivors may attend free of charge. The cost for the 7 p.m. keynote speech alone is $10 for the public and $2 for students. Kosher food will be provided. Register at the site above. Drew is at 36 Madison Ave., Madison.
What’s happening in New Jersey cycling circles? What are the latest pedestrian issues? Find out on April 16, 2015, in Morristown. The New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition is hosting a meeting for advocates, at the Hyatt Morristown from 7 pm to 9 pm. Participants will include Bike and Walk Morristown, the Morris Area Freewheelers and the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey. Suggested donation: $5 per person. RSVP here.
What’s bugging your organic garden? Learn how to separate the good bugs from the bad bugs, at a 7 pm talk in the Morristown & Township Library. Organic gardener Marleny Franco, former Rutgers professor and creator of the website Gardening the Organic Way, will share tips on weeding out the pesky insects in your life. Light refreshments (presumably, of the non-insect variety) will be served. Admission: Free, courtesy of the Friends of the Library. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
The Russian National Ballet performs Swan Lake at the Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. Petipa choreographs this famous piece, which may be the Mona Lisa of classical ballet. Tickets: $29-$59. At 100 South St. Call 973-539-8008 for more.
FRIDAY, APRIL 17:
Video: The Kennedys at ‘Uke New Jersey Too’ in 2014.
If someone pointed a ukulele at our head and forced us to choose our favorite musical duo, “The Kennedys” just might emanate from our trembling lips. The husband-and-wife team of Pete and Maura Kennedy does things with hula hoops and ukes that defy the laws of physics. Charming, entertaining, dazzling–choose your own adjectives at The Minstrel in Morris Township, where the Kennedys perform at 8 pm. With singer-songwriter Michael Braunfeld as opener. At the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road. Admission: $9, plus what you think the show is really worth. Children 12 and under, free.
POSTPONED because of illness. Hang onto your tickets. The King of Romance, Engelbert Humperdinck, rolls his Royal Highness into the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown at 8 pm. Hear such hits as Release Me and After the Lovin. Tickets:$49-$89. At 100 South St. Call 973-539-8008 for more.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18:
Making it as an artist is hard. Discover Steps for Artist Survival, from six artists who have done well, at a seminar co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Morris Arts. It runs from 8:30 am to noon at the Morris Museum, at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morris Township. Musicians, writers, actors, visual artists and videographers will speak and field questions. Admission: $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Free for students with valid i.d.
Get down and dirty with your neighbors! Celebrate Arbor Day for the 27th year with the Burnham Park Association, from 9 am to 12:30 pm at Burnham Park in Morristown. The association will join with the Morristown Shade Tree Commission to plant four trees, while author Michael Rockland recites Trees, by the late Joyce Kilmer, who taught at Morristown High School. Gather at the large gazebo at 9 am; bring shovels, rakes, garden gloves, clippers, gardening cloths and bug repellant. Workers will get lunch at the gazebo after the planting. Rain date is Saturday, April 25, 2015. Founded in 1948, the award-winning neighborhood association has planted more than 3,500 trees, shrubs, bushes and grasses. “The (Burnham) heirs entrusted us with the stewardship of this park,” according to Dr. Lynn Siebert. “We have spent thousands of dollars – and hours – on Arbor Day plantings to maintain the Burnham family’s vision for this beautiful park.”
Hey kids, want to become millionaires? A free seminar can get you started, on Saturday, April 18, 2015, from 10 am to 1:30 pm at the Marion Sally Residence Center in Morristown. Learn about savings, interest rates and budgets. Open to students in grades K-12, the sessions are sponsored by Our Youth Their Future and JPMorgan Chase. Participants will get a free gift, too. Space is limited, so call 973-285-2219 to register. The residence center is at 23 Clyde Potts Drive.
If antiques are your thing, then you’ll want to explore the 34th Annual Antiques Show and Sale of The Rotary Club of the Mendhams, from 10 am to 5 pm at Mendham High School. Also on Sunday, from 11 am to 4 pm. Admission: $7 ($6 with discount card). Parking is free and lunch will be provided. More than 40 antique dealers from five states are coming; look for automobile collectibles, early American and Victorian furniture, Lionel trains, stoneware, rare books and prints, 19th century vintage prints, porcelain, Majolica, Roseville, Daltons, linens, and more. There’s even a bake sale, to support a high school volunteer trip to Costa Rica.
Iceland isn’t quite The Land of Ice and Fire, but it is a land of both fire and ice. Get a virtual tour of glaciers, volcanoes, and of course, puffins, from Phil and Becky Whitt at the Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary at 11 Hardscrabble Road in Bernardsville, at 1 pm. Free for members, $5 for nonmembers. Please call 908-766-5787 to register.
Grow It Green Morristown is throwing its third annual Diamonds for Kale gala, at the Kellogg Club in Morristown from 7 pm to 10 pm. Enjoy music, dancing, local seasonal hors d’oeuvres by Ome Caterers, decadent desserts by The Artist Baker, a silent auction, themed cocktails, craft beer and more. Tickets are $125; proceeds benefit the nonprofit’s efforts at the Community Garden and the Urban Farm at Lafayette.
Manhattan Comedy Night returns to the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown at 8 pm. Stand-up comics venture from New Yorkclubs. Mature themes, language. Adults only. Tickets: $25. At 100 South St. Call 973-539-8008 for more.
SUNDAY, APRIL 19:
The Spring Antiques Show and Sale concludes in Mendham from 11 am to 4 pm. Please see Saturday entry for details.
Congratulations to our friends at the 23 South Boutique who are celebrating their third year in Morristown, from 11 am to 5 pm. Check out their ads on our home page for all the fun details!
When Bob Dylan went electric all those years ago, he made a bold statement. Finally, many Americans finally are ready to follow… not with guitars, but with cars. Learn more about the electric car movement, when several authors — and several electric vehicles — visit the Morristown & Township Library. Authors of What is the Electric Car: 79 Reasons to Drive Electric will field questions at 2 pm. Above is a trailer about the award-winning documentary that is a companion to the book. Admission: Free. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
