Compiled by Nicholas Voltaggio:
This usually is the weekend when everyone gathers on the Morristown Green to celebrate our differences.
The difference this year: We will be gathering in cyberspace for the third annual Morris County Diversity Day.
Greater Morristown also offers a few outdoor events, in the form of farmers markets and a farm stand.
Scroll down for details. Check our handy calendar for even more activities–and add your own events, too!
VIRTUAL TOURS & ART SHOWS:
Who needs to sit outside swatting mosquitoes, when you can enjoy VIRTUAL fireworks from the air-conditioned comfort of home? These pyrotechnics are courtesy of the Borough of Morris Plains.
The Morristown and Morris Township Library has prepared an extensive array of videos on its YouTube channel, including book recommendations, storytime sessions for families, and read-alouds for beginning and young adult readers. Videos are added regularly.
As hard as the Morris School District is working to perfect the virtual education experience, it’s difficult to replicate a field trip. Luckily for students and families, Grow It Green Morristown has created a virtual visit to its Urban Farm.
The Lab, a multimedia endeavor of Arts By The People, is offering high school students a chance to express themselves by creating either a one-minute video or a one-page poetry or prose composition. The theme: My World During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Check out the latest virtual exhibit from Morris Arts, Vanishing Worlds.
Opera at Florham is posting videos of its past events, featuring young opera singers in 10 performances.
Take a virtual walking tour with the Morris County Tourism Bureau.
Catch an original short film, courtesy of the Thomas Edison Media Arts Consortium and Black Maria Films — and try one of their healthy recipes for “dinner and a show” in the comfort of home.
Dissonance, the Morris Museum’s virtual exhibition, looks at disorder and tension.
Check out new art, literature and more in the July edition of The Platform Review. The Review has compiled works of both original poetry and prose, with the intention of bringing diverse voices to light.
The Schiff Nature Preserve in Mendham has resumed educational and passive recreational activities — just in time for individuals and families to enjoy the great outdoors in the beautiful summer weather. Schiff also is offering a “Rent a Naturalist” program, for hour-long guided tours by an expert.
THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020:
Join the Morristown & Township Library at 7 pm for its Virtual Classics Book Club series. This week: Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. The meeting is open to fans of this classic and to those discovering it for the first time. A free e-book of Wuthering Heights is available here.
FRIDAY, JULY 10:
Start your Friday with yoga led by Munah Hayes at 9:30 am. The weekly session is offered virtually by the Morristown and Morris Township Library.
Singer-songwriter Claudia Schmidt takes The Folk Project’s virtual stage at 7 pm to headline the Acoustic Stayaway series. Calling on her Midwestern background, Schmidt blends jazz, folk, and the spoken word. “Admission” is free, with all donations going to the artist.
At 7 pm, Mendham’s Schiff Nature Preserve hosts Brilliant Fireflies, an event intended to provide insight into the unique little creatures that are synonymous with summertime. Participants will hike into the Great Meadow and observe fireflies in their natural habitat.
Singer-songwriter Carla Ulbrich specializes in making people laugh. Check out her free concert series at 7:30 pm, on YouTube and Facebook.
More laughs–and PPE resources for frontline medical workers–are coming from National Lampoon, which streams a comedy show at 8 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. Host Harrison Greenbaum welcomes popular comedic guests, while raising funds for the COVID Foundation.
SATURDAY, JULY 11:
The Morris Plains Farmers’ Market is back, every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm, until October 10, 2020. Fresh fruits and vegetables, all from local farms; Italian specialties include pastas, meats, and cheeses., will also be available for purchase. Safety protocols will be followed, for everyone’s health.
Grow It Green Morristown’s summer farm stand returns, from 10 am to 2 pm. More than 670 pounds of produce are ready to be sold! The farm stand is at The Urban Farm, 31 Hazel St., in Morristown.
Fresh off the release of her EP Classic, singer Brynn Stanley shares her silky stylings and girl-next-door charm from her living room, every week at 8 pm
SUNDAY, JULY 12:
The Morristown Farmers’ Market is back for its 30th season. It runs from 8:30 am until 2 pm every Sunday until Nov. 22, behind the Morristown Post Office in Municipal Lot 10, between Morris Street and Dumont Place. Safety protocols will be maintained for everyone’s health.
The Diversity Coalition of Morris County is sending out a beacon of hope, with a virtual Diversity Day Festival entitled United In Crisis. The festival, available online starting at noon, celebrates the unique contributions of all races, ethnicities, religions, and identities, based in the shared principle of mutual love and respect. Also, look for an original cookbook featuring meals from a vast array of cultures and geographical regions.
The Folk Project presents Joe Guzzo’s Stayaway Sundays Show at 3 pm. Guzzo shares performances and interviews with Folk Project favorites.
