Book lovers, Bard lovers and Golden Girls lovers, your weekend has arrived.
Malcolm Gladwell and a small army of authors descend on Morristown for the Festival of Books, Hamlet starts brooding in Madison and the Golden Girls are back—sort of. Add Tom Papa, Broadway royalty Susan Stroman, Cuban rhythms, chamber music and a party for banned books, and there should be plenty to read, hear, ponder and laugh about.
Scroll down for details. Check our handy calendar for even more activities–and add your own events, too.
THURSDAY, OCT. 8, 2026:
The Morristown & Morris Township Library offers Morning Yoga at 10 a.m. upstairs in the Gallery. All ability levels are welcome; no registration is necessary. Bring your own yoga mat and equipment. Free. One Miller Road, Morristown. More info
The Mayo Performing Arts Center presents comedian Tom Papa’s Grateful Bread Tour at 7 p.m. Papa brings more than two decades of stand-up experience to Morristown. Adults only; mature themes and language. Tickets: $57-$91. Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown. More info
Anthem Books gets a jump on Festival of Books weekend with its I’m with the Banned Books Party from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Glenbrook Brewery. Celebrate the freedom to read with a pop-up bookstore benefiting Unite Against Book Bans, live music by Morristown’s The Middle, five-minute portraits by New Jersey artist Anna Stair and swag and prizes from the Morristown Festival of Books. Free; all ages. Glenbrook Brewery, 95 Morris St., Morristown. More info
Drew University presents An Evening With Artist-in-Residence Susan Stroman at 7:30 p.m. The five-time Tony Award-winning director and choreographer joins Drew President Hilary L. Link for a conversation about Stroman’s career and work, accompanied by video clips. Admission: $11. Dorothy Young Center for the Arts, Drew University, 36 Madison Ave., Madison. More info
FRIDAY, OCT. 9:
The Midnight Run Charity Car Show & Rally returns from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., bringing hundreds of car enthusiasts together for exotic, classic, modified and high-performance vehicles, along with food trucks, music, an open bar and awards. Ticket proceeds benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Greater Middlesex & Morris Habitat for Humanity. At 1 Apollo Drive, Whippany. More info
The Morristown Festival of Books presents An Evening with Malcolm Gladwell at 7:30 p.m. at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. The bestselling author of Outliers and The Tipping Point and host of Revisionist History will discuss his new book, The American Way of Killing, an examination of America’s gun violence crisis. Tickets: $68. Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown. More info
The Folk Project presents Open Stage at 7:30 p.m., offering North Jersey’s premier monthly live showcase for performers of all stripes. Audience members can sign up for two songs or 10 minutes, whichever comes first, while the rest of us sit back and see what the local folk universe has to offer. Admission: $7 at the door; children 12 and under free with a parent or guardian. Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township. More info
SATURDAY, OCT. 10:
Sadly, it’s the final day for this season’s Morris Plains Farmers Market, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Last call for fresh produce, baked goods, specialty foods and other local goods. Free. But don’t despair — the Winter Market returns on Nov. 21! Merchant Block, 738 Speedwell Ave., Morris Plains. More info
The Morristown Festival of Books returns from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., bringing authors from a range of genres to five downtown venues for talks, discussions and audience questions. Free. Downtown Morristown. More info
If it’s broke, why not fix it? Madison Repair Cafe, in partnership with Madison Rotary, returns from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers will attempt to repair bikes, appliances, lamps and more—for free. Grace Church, 4 Madison Ave., Madison. More info
The Mayo Performing Arts Center welcomes Golden Girls — The Laughs Continue at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sophia is out on bail, Blanche and Rose have launched a senior dating app and Dorothy is trying to hold everything together in this adults-only stage parody. Tickets: $61-$101. Ages 18 and older. Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown. More info
The Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship hosts Democracy in Action from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., a free, all-ages afternoon and evening of civic engagement featuring postcard writing, a ranked-choice voting activity, food and family activities. A screening of Lightworkers, about activism and civic responsibility, will be followed by a Q&A with writer, director and producer Bobby Roth. Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township. More info
Something is rotten in Madison. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey begins previews of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet at 7:30 p.m. Directed by Brian B. Crowe, the tragedy follows the Prince of Denmark through a deadly maze of betrayal, secrets, conscience and revenge. Saturday’s Pay What You CAN preview offers $10 admission at the box office with a donation of two canned goods, starting at 6:30 p.m. Regular tickets: $45-$85. Recommended for ages 12 and older. Runs through Nov. 15, 2026. F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Ave., Madison. More info
SUNDAY, OCT. 11:
The Morristown Farmers Market continues from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with produce, baked goods, specialty foods and more from local vendors. Free. Morristown Parking Authority lot at Spring and Morris streets, behind the Morristown Post Office. More info
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents a 2 p.m. preview of Hamlet. See Saturday’s entry for details.
Lyrica Chamber Music opens its 2026-27 Sunday Afternoon Series with Storm & Song, featuring piano trios by Clara Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn. Co-artistic directors Ani Kalayjian on cello and David Kaplan on piano are joined by violinist Suliman Tekalli. Tickets: $35-$39. The Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township, 240 Southern Boulevard, Chatham Township. More info
The Madison Community Arts Center presents Soundscapes at 4 p.m., bringing award-winning performers and an assortment of musical genres together on one stage. Tickets: $20-$25. Madison Community Arts Center, 10 Kings Road, Madison. More info
The Mayo Performing Arts Center presents the Buena Vista Orchestra at 7 p.m., with musicians whose résumés include the Buena Vista Social Club, Afro-Cuban All Stars and the bands of Celia Cruz, Omara Portuondo, Chucho Valdés and Willie Colón, in a celebration of Cuban music and culture. Tickets: $45-$97. Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown. More info
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