SOMERSET COUNTY'S JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST. Sites will hold tours led by costumed interpreters and actors portraying historical figures, special collections and exhibitions, and a seemingly unending variety of activities for public involvement and enjoyment. 12 - 4pm. Free.
VAN CAMPEN DAY. Tours of the eighteenth-century Van Campen Inn presented by costumed guides, music provided by the Colonial Musketeers Fife and Drum Corps, colonial crafts, re-enacted encampment and hikes to Fort Shapanack, the slave cemetery, and Shapanack cemetery. 10 - 5. Old Mine Road. More...
Walpack Historical Society; 973/948-4903
Thursday, 12-16; Hackettstown
SIX ROUNDS OF VENGEANCE. In post-apocalyptic "Lost Vegas," a young gunslinger named Jess December enlists the help of a mysterious samurai cowboy to help avenge the murder of her sister. NEXTstage Repertory. 8pm. Lackland Center, 715 Grand Ave..
FALL FESTIVAL. Celebrate an old-fashioned fun country lifestyle with food trucks, local artisans, pumpkin festival, bed races, pie contests. Footbridge Park .
Blairstown Enhancement Commitee; 908/318-4232
Saturday, 14; Ringwood
HARVEST FEST. Hayrides and pumpkin painting are just the start of this fun-filled family day. There'll also be games, face painting, booths, exhibits, food trucks, and many free activities for the youngsters. Enjoy the tasty food, all-day music and dancing, an autumn Plant Sale, free garden tours, lots of great photo ops and much, much more! 10am - 5pm. Free admission. Parking: $5/car. 2 Morris Rd..
SUSSEX COUNTY HARVEST, HONEY AND GARLIC FESTIVAL. The annual Sussex County autumn celebration features a farmers' market, family activities, craft demonstrations, agricultural exhibits, food vendors, local artisans, and live music. Shop our farmers' market for seasonal produce, flowers, and local wine. The Sussex County Beekeepers Assoc. will have educational displays, materials and an array of honey products. For those who love all things garlic, we'll have the Garden State Garlic Growers. Free family fun, rain or shine! 10am - 4pm. Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road.
A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED. Based on Agatha Christie’s 1950 novel of the same name and adapted for the stage in 1977 by Leslie Darbon. $25. 450 King George Road. More...
FAR HILLS RACE MEETING. This prestigious steeplechase horse race benefits numerous organizations. Moorland Farms 50 U.S. 202.
Somerset Medical Center; 908/234-9115
Saturday, 21; Pohatcong
POHATCONG’S HISTORIC HOUSE TOUR. Explore an eclectic mix of stone and clapboard structures dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. 10am - 5pm. $25 / $65 winery train. Alba Vineyard, 269 Route 627.
ALONE. This multi-disciplinary immersive show brings six stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe, including The Raven, Tell Tale Heart, and Annabel Lee to life in a way you'll never forget! 8pm. Lackland Center, 715 Grand Ave..
FALL CAR TREK. The theme of the Car Trek is Highlands Harvest: Discovering our Region's Bounty and features several family-owned businesses that produce foods and beverages along an expertly crafted route (50 – 70 miles in length). A tour packet that provides interpretive details about select points of interest along the route. 10am - 1pm. 25$ per vehicle. Reservoir Tavern.
HOMETOWN HALLOWEEN. Trick or Treating in the downtown shopping district of Washington Borough, DJ playing Halloween music, prizes for best costume, best group costumes and best pet costume. 3 - 5pm. Free.
September 1-September 30 • WOODLAND CREATURES, MAGICAL AND OTHERWISE. Beth Rosenburg, felted animals; Karen Klein, clay sculptures and diorama: Annie Graybill, wildlife photography. Come see our mixed media show featuring an enchanted landscape where one may find an Oreo hoarding raccoon, a silly dragon, or a waterfalls that sparkles with magic. Rules don’t apply here! Cards will be available with a 10% discount for any one item of Beth’s, Annie’s or Karen’s during the month of September. Reception Sept. 9
A full scale canal boat model is on display at Bread Lock Park
Second Sunday Every Month • MORRIS CANAL EXHIBITS. A premiere site along the historic Morris Canal Greenway, will have volunteers on hand to welcome visitors and answer questions. Exhibits tell the story of the valley now bisected by Route 57, also known as the Warren Heritage Scenic Byway, and the people who lived and worked here. There are also trails to explore so wear your walking shoes and check out the StoryWalk or the exercise trail or the trail to Stewartsville.1 - 4pm.
2627 State Route 57. ; 908/475-6532
NJAA Observatory, High Bridge
Weekends • ASTRONOMY PROGRAMS. New Jersey Astronomical Association Observatory
is open to the public every weekend from Memorial Day to Halloween.
Saturday
evening programs begin at 8:30 PM and include a tour of the facility and public
viewing of planets/deep space objects through the 26" telescope, as well as
other smaller scopes. On Sunday afternoons from 2-5 PM, the public is invited
to look at sun spots through the 10" scope equipped with special solar filters.
For additional information, call or visit NJAA’swebsite.
Above, the Rosette Nebula is approximately 130 light years in diameter and 5,000 light years from Earth. Young stars at the center excite the surrounding hydrogen gas and cause it to glow. The photograph was taken at the UACNJ site in Jenny Jump State Forest by Gregg Waldron, MMAS
Saturdays • ASTRONOMY TALKS. Presentations
followed by observing sessions, weather permitting, at the UACNJ Observatory located 1,100 feet above sea level in Jenny Jump State Forest. The site is one of the few dark sky locations left in the state and features several permanently mounted telescopes from a 7-inch APO refractor to a 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain.
Ongoing • TOURS OF WASHINGTON'S HEADQUARTERS AT THE FORD MANSION.
The Washington’s
Headquarters Museum includes includes three exhibit galleries, a 30-minute introductory video, and the Discover History Center. Tours of Fords Manion will be made available at 10 and 11am and at 1, 2, 3 and 4pm.