Celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Wicoff House Museum in Plainsboro at its first outdoor History Faire on Saturday, August 31, from 12 to 4 p.m. Learn about the rich history of the 18th and 19th centuries during a day full of fun, education, and nostalgia.
The Wicoff House Museum is located at 641 Plainsboro Road, inside the municipal complex. It was the home of John Van Buren Wicoff, who led the successful effort of the residents of Plainsboro to incorporate the Township in 1919.
What’s a museum to do when there is not yet a site for the museum? The Princeton Einstein Museum has created a pop-up exhibit, “Einstein’s Attraction to Magnetism.” Funded by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, it is on view 24/7 through September 15 in Dohm Alley, located by 102 Nassau Street.
When he was 5 years old, Albert Einstein’s father gave him a compass, sparking his curiosity in invisible forces. The exhibit explores what magnetism is, how physicists use it, and includes an Einstein selfie for fun photos. There is also an image of the actual compass Einstein owned, which is in the collection of the Historical Society of Princeton at Updike Farm. more
Tavern Night at the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton on Friday, September 6 from 7 to 10 p.m. is a celebration of 18th century Colonial American history.
Enjoy savory hors d’oeuvres and an open beer and wine bar in an 18th century tavern. (No one under age 21 is permitted.) Share drinks, play card games, and learn dance steps to the most popular songs with ladies and gentlemen from the period as well as modern guests. Period dress, while not required, is not discouraged.
This fundraiser supports educational programming for thousands of New Jersey students through the Barracks “Meet the Past” field trips. Tickets, not sold at the door, are available here.
Wine Wednesdays are underway at The Perch at the historic Peacock Inn every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. Savor three wines from around the globe, each paired with a tasting menu created by Wine Director Chris Scully and Chef Mark, inspired by the featured wine region and sourced by local ingredients. more
Get out your pots and start collecting your seasonings for the Princeton Community Chili Cook-off on Sunday, September 22 from 12 to 3 p.m. at Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, sponsored by the Historical Society of Princeton and the Arts Council of Princeton. more
(Photo courtesy of Visit Bucks County)
Nearby Bucks County, Pa., is the home of 12 picturesque covered bridges, with locations along the Delaware River and inside state parks. Take a self-guided Bucks County Covered Bridge driving tour, crossing the county’s remaining covered bridges with the help of a map or a mobile app courtesy of Visit Bucks County. more
Tigertown Classic Jazz, a six-piece band that plays traditional jazz music from the 1920s to the 1940s, will perform at Hinds Plaza on Sunday, August 11 from 4 to 5 p.m. as part of Princeton Public Library’s “Listen Local 2024.”
Tigertown Classic Jazz plays music during this concert that explores the roots of jazz, including the music of New Orleans, Dixieland, and swing. It’s been called nostalgic and relevant at the same time, and appeals to all ages. more
Two unique events are coming up at the Roebling Museum, 100 Second Avenue, Roebling.
On Friday August 2, at 7 p.m., the first historic cemetery tour gets underway. Stories of both remarkable and everyday people who lived in the company town and worked at the mill will be highlighted. Attendees are asked to meet at Holy Assumption Cemetery. Tickets are $20.
If you are curious about the living conditions for laborers in a historic company town, take the behind-the-scenes tour “Step Inside a Roebling Rowhouse: Building a House Museum” on Saturdays in August and September from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Visitors can view newly donated artifacts, and see what it takes to transform a house into a museum. Six dates are available. Tickets are $20, $5 for members.
The annual Community Night Out in Princeton is on Tuesday, August 6 at the Community Park Pool, 400 Witherspoon Street, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Stop by for a free night of swimming; grilled hot dogs; and all kinds of information, swag bags, and fun stuff from Princeton area vendors. Meet members of the Princeton Municipal Government, Princeton Recreation Department, Princeton Police Department, Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad, Princeton Fire Department, Princeton University Department of Public Safety, and more, who will be on hand to demonstrate some of the equipment and services they provide. more
(Photo Courtesy of Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival)
There is still time to enjoy the long-running summertime Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University in the Lehigh Valley, Pa.
The musical The Color Purple runs until August 4. This year’s “Extreme Shakespeare” play is the romantic adventure Cymbeline, also running until August 4. A children’s show, Winnie-the-Pooh & Friends, runs until August 2, and “Shakespeare for Kids” until August 3.
This season, co-leaders Jason King Jones and Casey William Gallagher curated a lineup centered around the theme of “Persistence of Love,” reflected in each play or musical selected. more
Good news for carousel lovers: Ocean County and Seaside Heights have reopened the 1910 Dr. Floyd L. Moreland Carousel after a long restoration.
For the past nine years, Seaside Heights has worked with volunteers to restore the Wurlitzer organ, carousel, and carvings, and refurbish the mechanics of the carousel, bringing it back to life for riders of all ages to enjoy. more
Explore Lambertville, and visit a city that is ranked among “50 of the Most Charming Small Towns in America” by HGTV.
For this feature, the Home and Garden Television Network selected one small town from each of the 50 states, with Lambertville named as the New Jersey selection. Known as “The Antiques Capital of New Jersey,” the online article says that Lambertville is “home to a variety of talented artists and crafters whose shops and galleries sit alongside the scenic Delaware River. This town of 4,000 residents, founded in 1705, also boasts federal townhouses and Victorian homes, a restored 19th-century train depot, Zagat-rated restaurants, and award-winning hotels and B&Bs.” more
Save your spot for a history and nature hike led by the Historical Society of Princeton (HSP) in the Institute Woods, at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), on July 20 or July 27 from 4 to 6 p.m. each day.
The tour exploring bits of history and the sights and sounds of the serene setting will meet at the Princeton Battlefield parking lot at 500 Mercer Street. more
Juicy corn, sweet blueberries, succulent tomatoes, and crunchy cucumbers are among other produce and homemade breads, pies, salads, and specialty stands at the Trenton Farmers Market in Lawrence Township.
A farmer-owned cooperative since 1939, the market is New Jersey’s oldest continuously running farmers market. Located on Spruce Street since 1948, it also carries Amish meats and poultry, kielbasa, cheese, and barbecued rotisserie chicken as well as homemade entrees at vendors such as Pulaski Meats, which specializes in Polish, German, Hungarian, Ukrainian, and Russian food items. more
Be among the first audiences to view a never-before-performed play at the historic Phillips’ Mill in Bucks County, Pa. The Phillips’ Mill Community Association is presenting a Premiere Showcase production of The Half of It by Domenick Scudera, a Pennsylvania playwright. The play runs July 18-21 and is directed by Phillips’ Mill Theater Resident Griffin Horn. The Half of It is inspired by the life and work of Bert Savoy, a Vaudeville drag artist who was active in the 1910s and early 1920s and who, until now, has been largely forgotten. The Half of It runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m., with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, July 21. more
For those who want to see if “our state fair is the best state fair,” as the Rogers and Hammerstein song declares, New Jersey’s State Fair Meadowlands is open through July 7, with fireworks on July 3 and 4. As the song concludes, “it’s the best state fair in the state.” more
Join the Arts Council of Princeton’s Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence Ronah Harris for a hands-on workshop on quilting on Sunday, July 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Princeton Public Library first floor exhibit area.
During her residency at the Arts Council, Harris is designing and completing a quilt dedicated to the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood. Sewing experience is not required to participate, and registration is not required. more
A big outdoor movie weekend is coming up in Princeton. On Friday, July 12 at 8:30 p.m., enjoy a family-friendly movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids under the stars on the Palmer Square Green. Then, on Saturday, July 13, enjoy Jurassic World Dominion at 8 p.m. on the lawn at the Princeton Shopping Center, 301 North Harrison Street. more
Play “hide and seek” during July at Princeton small businesses for the third annual “Find Waldo Local,” sponsored by jaZams and Candlewick Press. Kids and adults alike can join in on the free fun.
Visit 24 shops in Princeton, as well as the Princeton Public Library, from June 30 to July 31, and perhaps discover some shops you didn’t know about.
Here’s how it works: Start at jaZams, 25 Palmer Square East, on June 30 during the kickoff event, or any day in July to start a stamp card. Collect a stamp at each of the 24 businesses specified, and return your card to jaZams by 6 p.m. on July 31 for prizes and to be entered into a raffle for several grand prizes. You can earn a mini-prize for collecting 10-plus stamps, too. more
Head of Victory by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
How did the careers of two preeminent sculptors of the Gilded Age intersect, and what was the significance? The Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa., now presents “Monuments and Myths: The America of Sculptors Augustus Sant-Gaudens and Daniell Chester French,” on view through January 5.
Daniel Chester French (1850–1931) and Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907) were friends and sometimes rivals who transformed sculpture in the U.S. They produced dozens of the nation’s most recognizable public artworks, including French’s Seated Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and Saint-Gaudens’s Diana, which graced the top of Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“Monuments and Myths” features approximately 70 sculptures, models, maquettes, and more drawn from the collections of the two artists’ historic homes. more
