Here and There | Princeton Magazine

Make Fresh Mozzarella in a Cheese Class at Olsson’s

The Mozzarella Making class at Olsson’s Fine Foods is a true hands-on experience and a must for those who want to use only the freshest mozzarella in their cooking (or eating). Participants will leave with a fresh ball of mozzarella after learning how to properly stretch, heat, and mold the cheese. Olsson’s says: “Get those Jersey tomatoes ready!”

Classes fill quickly, but are constantly being added. Upcoming classes are on Saturday, September 14, 28, and October 5 at 9 a.m.; and on Thursday, October 17 at 7 p.m.

Young Patriots Day at Battlefield State Park

Calling all young patriots! Learn about colonial life and the American Revolutionary War at Young Patriots Day at the Princeton Battlefield on Sunday, September 15 from 12 to 3 p.m.

Activities for school-age children and families begin with a flag raising at noon with Gen. George Washington and the Princeton Girl Scout Service Unit.

Activities include demonstrations and drilling with the New Jersey Grays; a talk with George Washington and Ben Franklin; demonstrations including weaving, woodworking, Colonial Spies, and 18th Century Medicine; artillery and musket firing; information tables from historical organizations and sites; and tours of the Thomas Clarke House and Museum.

Families who plan on attending can register at pbs1777.org/young-patriots-day/.

Celebrating 45 Years of Scarecrows in the Village

Celebrate fall! An autumn tradition kicks off on Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, Pa. For six weeks, more than 100 scarecrows line the brick pathways of the Village. Some are inspired by famous characters, some are humorous, some are scary, and all are handmade by area residents and organizations. The display is free and on view daily through October 27. Guests are invited to vote on their favorite scarecrows, and the creators of the winning scarecrows receive prizes.

The festival includes entertainment, outdoor treats, pumpkin painting, and scarecrow-making workshops. Click here for the schedule of events.

Wicoff House Museum Celebrates Five Years

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.

Old Barracks Tavern Night Supports Student Field Trips

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.

Experience the Past on Saturdays at Howell Farm

Take a step back in time to the year 1900 at Howell Living History Farm with its special Saturday events. Try Canning & Pickling on Saturday, August 17; a Fiddlin’ Contest and Picket Fence Art Show on Saturday, August 24; and the 41st annual Plowing Match on Saturday, August 31. The events are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the farm, a facility of the Mercer County Park Commission, located at 70 Woodens Lane in Hopewell Township. more

Visit the Flower Garden at Pretty Bird Farm

View the colorful flowers in the private garden and more at Pretty Bird Farm in Rosedale, Hunterdon County, on August 24 through the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program. The farm will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a $10 donation to the Conservancy. more

Saying Goodbye to Ocean City’s Wonderland Pier

Kids and adults alike who love the amusements in Ocean City take note: Gillian’s Wonderland Pier will close after this season.

A letter on gillians.com from owner Jay Gillian states that he is retiring after 47 years. Wonderland and 6th Street Pizza (the complex is at 600 Boardwalk) will be open through the summer, but visitors to Ocean City might want to visit and take advantage of some specials:

Until August 30, there are unlimited rides “after dark” on Sunday nights from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. for $25.

Wristband Days are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; $25 for unlimited rides from 4 to 6 p.m.

And Tuesday through Thursday, from 4 to 6 p.m., rides are three tickets each. more

Inaugural Princeton Community Chili Cook-off

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

Take a Self-Guided Tour of the Bridges of Bucks County

(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

Toe-tapping with Tigertown at Hinds Plaza

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

Cemetery Tour and Rowhouse Visits at Roebling Museum

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.

Buy tickets for either event here. more

Shop the yART Sale for Creative Local Art Finds

Shop the Arts Council of Princeton’s yART sale for creative bargains and one-of-a-kind finds, all handcrafted by local artisans, on Saturday, August 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This flea-market style event will be held outdoors in the Arts Council’s parking lot and around the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, 102 Witherspoon Street. Working in ceramics, jewelry, printmaking, painting, and more, 30-plus vendors will sell seconds, misprints, discontinued designs, and one-of-a-kind items at studio clean-out prices. more

Community Night Out Brings Princeton Together

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

Have Your Requests Ready for Dueling Pianos

(Photo courtesy of Palmer Square)

If you ask, “Do you know. . .?” You may hear, “Hum a few bars and we’ll play it.” Have your song requests ready, because the dueling piano players probably know them.

Sing, dance, and laugh along to this high energy, all-request, interactive dueling piano show performed by the Flying Ivories every Thursday on the Green at Palmer Square through August 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. more

Historic Seaside Heights Carousel Spins Again

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

History and Nature Hike at Institute Woods

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

Jersey Fresh Produce in Season at Trenton Farmers Market

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

Ocean Adventures

Shipwrecks, Mutinies, & Survival At Sea

By Stuart Mitchner

The sea never changes and its works, for all the talk of men, are wrapped in mystery.

—Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)

A well-traveled old friend once told me, “If you want to know what it’s like to command a sailing ship, read Conrad’s The Secret Sharer.” In fact, the story has less to do with the unnamed narrator’s command of an unnamed ship than with the author’s command of the suggestive psychological nuances of the captain’s relationship with the fugitive he rescues and hides in his living quarters. Formerly the chief mate of a ship anchored nearby, the man had been hastily accused and confined for killing a rebellious crew member during a violent storm. After a single conversation, the captain believes the other’s story and empathizes with him, even to the extent of imagining the fugitive as a double of himself. He takes advantage of his status as commander to help conceal his “secret self” from the crew, even when his choices are risky and suspect, most eventfully when he steers the ship dangerously close to an island so that the fugitive can safely escape, “a free man, a proud swimmer striking out for a new destiny.” more

Racing Pigs, Rides, and More at State Fair Meadowlands

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