PBS’s “Drive by History: Eats” Asks and Answers What Historical Figures May Have Eaten

What would George Washington or Walt Whitman have dined on? The new PBS series Drive by History: Eats answers these questions and more as it dives deep into New Jersey’s culinary past. 

In the first episode, New Jersey resident and Blair Academy alum Melissa F. Clark ’05 explores a meal designed to curry George Washington’s favor at The Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. Using ingredients that would have been on hand during the summer of 1778 and employing the food trends popular during the period, Clark dishes up a delectable fried breaded chicken with sorrel sauce and raspberry fool for dessert.  more

The Hun School Welcomes Freestyle Love Supreme Academy

Image Source: Hun School Office of Communications

On Wednesday, November 17, The Hun School welcomed Freestyle Love Supreme Academy to campus as part of the School’s Centennial Speaker Series and Her at Hun: Celebrating 50 Years of Girls and Women. The outdoor performance was high-energy, interactive, and carried a message of positivity and inclusivity.

Freestyle Love Supreme (FLS) was conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, and Anthony Veneziale. The group is currently performing on Broadway and are the subject of a Grammy Award-winning documentary on Hulu. FLS Academy are talented members of the cast who spin cues from the audience into humorous bits, instantaneous songs, and fully realized musical numbers. From singing to rapping to beatboxing with harmonies and freestyle flow, each show is unique to their audience.  more

Santa Arrival Party at MarketFair Mall

Celebrate Santa’s arrival as his helpers and musicians prepare for his grand entrance to MarketFair on Friday, November 26 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enjoy interactive holiday shows, arts and crafts, balloon sculpting, Mrs. Claus Storytime, and giveaways for the first 150 registrants.

Make a Santa photo reservation from November 26 through December 24 at marketfairshoppes.com. Your family will enjoy having photos of sweet memories that they will treasure forever.  more

Paul Muldoon Livestream Event, December 1

Labyrinth Books in Princeton will host a hybrid, livestream event with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon on Wednesday, December 1 at 6 p.m. Muldoon will introduce his 14th collection of poetry, entitled Howdie-Skelp: Poems. He will be joined by fellow poet Michael Dickman.  more

Penn Medicine Pavilion Offers a New Level of Care for Philadelphia-Area Patients

Image Source: www.pennmedicine.org

At the end of October 2021, Penn Medicine opened the doors to its 1.5-million-square-foot future-ready pavilion. The 17-story building on Penn Medicine’s West Philadelphia campus houses 504 private patient rooms and 47 operating rooms. The pavilion will play host to the latest inpatient care for cardiology, cardiac surgery, medical and surgical oncology, neurology and neurosurgery, and transplant surgery. It will also be the site for Penn Medicine’s new emergency department. more

Mimi’s Cookies: Custom Cookies for Any Occasion

Waldwick, New Jersey, baker Mimi of Mimi’s Cookies, makes cookie creations that not only taste delicious, but are beautiful and personal as well. 

What started 20 years ago as a hobby, Mimi has transformed her love of baking into a full-blown business in Bergen County and now ships throughout New Jersey. Known for her artful ability to create chic, custom designs, Mimi will cater to whatever the occasion may be. Holidays, birthdays, reunions, baby showers, graduations, religious celebrations and more, the possibilities are endless.  more

Winter Skating on Palmer Square is Back!

Image Source: www.palmersquare.com

Make lasting memories this winter season by skating on Palmer Square in Princeton’s “eco-friendly” outdoor synthetic skating rink. Located on Hulfish Street behind the Nassau Inn, open skate will run from Saturday, November 20 through Sunday, February 27.

Hours are Thursday and Friday, 4-7 p.m.; and every Saturday and Sunday, 12-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. more

Edison Township Menorah Lighting

Celebrate Hanukkah 2021 with the Lighting of the Edison Township Menorah on Tuesday, November 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. The event will be held at the Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County, 1775 Oak Tree Road in Edison. Following the lighting ceremony, guests will join local dignitaries, JCC members and visitors from around the state for indoor entertainment, light refreshments, music, and more. The event is free to attend, and all are welcome. Masks are required during the ceremony but may be removed when enjoying refreshments. For more information, visit www.jccmc.org. 

Sauce for the Goose Art Market 2021

Ready, set, shop small!

The Arts Council of Princeton’s Sauce for the Goose Outdoor Art Market returns to the Princeton Shopping Center on Saturday, November 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A rain date is scheduled for Sunday, November 14. 

Purchase handmade gifts directly from local artisans and crafters working in ceramics, textiles, jewelry, fine art, and more. Find one-of-a-kind gifts all while supporting the creatives living and working in the greater Princeton community. more

Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance Presents Princeton Dance Festival

Choreographer Omari Wiles (center foreground) with Princeton students in rehearsal for his new work to be featured in the 2021 Princeton Dance Festival (Photo by Jonathan Sweeney).

The 2021 Princeton Dance Festival returns with in-person performances featuring new and repertory works by choreographers Rebecca Lazier, Kyle Marshall, Justin Peck (staged by Michael Breeden), Larissa Velez-Jackson, Omari Wiles, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, and Germaine Acogny (staged by Samantha Speis), and new work staged by Tina Fehlandt inspired by Mark Morris’ choreography on the 40th anniversary of the founding of his famed dance company, performed by Princeton dance students. All performances will take place at McCarter Theatre on November 19-21.  more

Nature Therapy Walk: A Shinrin-yoku Experience, Nov. 21

On Sunday, November 21 from 9:30 a.m. to noon, Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve will lead a unique and relaxing nature therapy walk. These guided walks are an immersive and slow-paced experience with proven health benefits. Inspired by the Japanese practice of forest bathing and led by certified nature and forest therapy guide Linda Domino, guests will explore the land of the Preserve and awaken their senses to its sounds, creatures, textures, and beauty.  more

The Shakespeare Theatre’s Not-So-Silent Auction — Holiday Edition

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s unique and virtual (silent) auction returns just in time for the start of the holiday season! This year’s event launches on November 10 and will continue for 10 days. The third installment of this event promises hidden gems, unique finds, gifts for theater lovers, and plenty of one-of-a-kind objects.  more

Morven Museum’s Festival of Trees Opens Nov. 17

Image Source: www.morven.org

Morven Museum’s Festival of Trees will be on view Wednesdays through Sundays from November 17 to January 10, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This holiday tradition will celebrate its 16th year with a juried collection of themed trees and mantels displayed throughout the museum’s galleries, all decorated by members of garden clubs and organizations. 

This year’s decorators include American Spaniel Club, Contemporary Garden Club, Mount Laurel Garden Club, New Jersey Audubon Society, Nottingham Garden Club, Princeton Public Library, Stony Brook Garden Club, The Garden Club of Princeton, The Present Day Club, and West Trenton Garden Club.  more

Fused Glass Ornament Workshop at WWAC

Just in time for the holidays, West Windsor Arts Council (WWAC) is offering a fused glass ornament workshop on Wednesday, November 24 at 3 p.m. at 952 Alexander Road in Princeton Junction. 

The class will be two hours long, during which participants will make three of their own inspired keepsake glass ornaments. The class will include hands-on instruction on how to design several ornaments for tack fusing, including cutting small pieces of glass and using a flame to shape glass stringers. The participants will glue their ornaments and fuse them together using a special kiln in the studio. The finished products will be returned to the students in 7-10 days, complete with a silver-plated bail for hanging on their Christmas tree.  more

“Slice of Life” Quilt Art Celebrates 300 Years of Hightstown History

Ever wonder what your day-to-day life would be like if you lived 100 years ago? 200 years ago? How about 300 years ago? The Hightstown Woman’s Club thought just that same thing and created a “Slice of Life” Art Quilt to commemorate 300 years of living in Hightstown, New Jersey. On Sunday, November 14 at 2 p.m., they will be presenting this work of living history and art to the Borough officials at the historic Fire House event room, 140 North Main Street. 

At the event, the Woman’s Club CIP Committee will reveal the two-year process that brought them to the finished product. This was a community effort, with 26 makers from Hightstown and East Windsor participating. An accompanying book has been produced with a rich historic compilation of the art quilt subjects, and will be available to view and purchase in time for the holidays.  more

Monmouth Museum Holiday Train Display Returns

The Holiday Train Display at Monmouth Museum makes a much anticipated return this November 21 through December 31. Situated in the Main Gallery, the display will be accompanied by elaborately decorated Christmas trees and seasonal artwork crafted by The Arc of Monmouth participants. The Arc is a nonprofit I/DD organization that aims to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The group’s holiday artwork is sure to get visitors into the Christmas spirit.  more

Celebrating Community and the Library: 2021 Virtual Events

Princeton Public Library invites book lovers to connect and enjoy community at the Beyond Words 2021 events. The virtual talks for November and December will conversations with journalist and novelist Omar El  Akkad on November 12 at 7 p.m. and novelist Jean Hanff Korelitz on December 3 at 7 p.m. The cost to attend is $60 per participant, per event.

El Akkad is the author of the recently-released What Strange Paradise, which has been shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize for excellence in Canadian fiction. He is also the author of the award-winning 2017 novel American War. He will be joined in conversation by Professor Deborah Amos, the Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University, an NPR international correspondent, and recipient of a 2021-22 Berlin Prize Fellowship. more

Broadway Musical “Anastasia” Debuts in NJ

Image Source: https://www.stnj.org

Inspired by the beloved film, the romantic and adventure-filled new musical Anastasia is coming to the State Theatre of New Jersey in New Brunswick. From the Tony Award-winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime, this show transports viewers from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family. more

Flemington’s Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 2021

The CEA School of Flemington presents the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K on Thursday, November 25. Winding through the historic streets of Hunterdon County, the race is an inspiring and uplifting way to celebrate a season of thanks, goodwill, and gratitude.

Since 1993, the CEA Turkey Trot has attracted upwards of 6,000 runners and walkers, all in benefit of the CEA’s employment programs, which bring much needed jobs to individuals with disabilities. The CEA School, located at South Hunterdon Regional High School ,was established to meet the needs of Hunterdon County’s students in a more inclusive environment. The CEA School is a New Jersey Department of Education approved private school located within a public school setting serving middle and high school aged students with disabilities. more

Women Inspiring Women Celebrates its 8th Global Event at Montclair State

The 8th annual Women Entrepreneurship Week (WEW) at Montclair State University was kicked off by cosmetics giant Bobbi Brown in conversation with friend and award-winning WNBC-TV reporter Tracie Strahan.

Brown was one of a dozen speakers who shared their stories of pivoting, as well as of failures and successes along their entrepreneurial journeys with the in-person and virtual audience. WEW is a global event, as students and attendees from 250 universities in 40 countries and 48 states participated this year, said Mimi Feliciano, a Montclair State University Advisory Board member for The Mimi & Edwin Feliciano School of Business and board member of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (FCE&I), which hosted the event. more

National Geographic Live: “Secrets of the Whales,” Nov. 7

Image Source: https://www.mccarter.org

McCarter Theatre inaugurates its new series of three National Geographic Live Sunday afternoons featuring the world’s leading explorers, adventurers, writers, and photographers, bringing their work from the pages of the iconic magazine to the stage. It kicks off with Brian Skerry’s Secrets of the Whales, based on a Disney + channel TV special featured as part of its Earth Day observances this past April. more

How to Stay Safe Amidst the Return of Flu Season

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that health is precious and the nation’s health care system can buckle under the strain of a pandemic. While COVID-19 proliferated throughout much of the world, the 2020 flu season was noticeably mild due to the implementation of mask wearing, social distancing, and extra hand sanitizing. This makes sense since the coronavirus and influenza are both spread by respiratory droplets. Both illnesses can go undetected until the actual symptoms set in, meaning that you can test positive for the flu, but you may not feel ill until two, three, or even four days later. more

Special Screening and Discussion of “The Third Man”

THE THIRD MAN, Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles, 1949

Princeton Garden Theatre will hold a special screening of The Third Man on Thursday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m. Directed by Carol Reed and starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, and Alida Valli, The Third Man was voted the No. 1 British Film of the Century by the British Film Institute. The post-screening, virtual discussion of the film will take place on Sunday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. The dialogue will be led by Hannah Jack of Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Register for the virtual discussion and in-person film screening, here: https://princetongardentheatre.org/films/third-man. more

Faux Bois Workshop by Ricky of Luna Parc

Image Sources: https://www.thetileworks.org

Join The Tileworks of Bucks County on Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30 for a Faux Bois Workshop led by Ricky of Luna Parc. 

Faux Bois is the technique of creating the illusion of wood using cement. This technique was developed in France in the mid 1800s. With Ricky’s masterful teaching skills and creative insight, each attendee will leave with a cement Faux Bois planter. The height of the planters will be approximately 24 inches. Participants will be given a basic armature made of galvanized mesh. These armatures will be manipulated and covered with cement the first day. Day two is when the magic happens, and the technique of the wood simulation will be done. All materials will be provided. Students should bring their own pair of heavy leather gloves. The two-day workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Purchase tickets here: https://www.thetileworks.org/events.  more

Pop-Up Beer Garden at ACP on Saturday, October 23

The Arts Council of Princeton has partnered with Old Hights Brewing Company to bring a pop-up beer garden to downtown Princeton. Old Hights’ balanced, hand-crafted beers are derived from the finest, locally sourced ingredients. Sip unlimited brews from a custom handmade ceramic beer stein, enjoy live local tunes by Dan Kassel, and spend an afternoon in celebration of community. more

Halloween Parade and Pumpkin Flotilla in Central Park

Image Source: Central Park Conservancy

From Tuesday, October 26 through Thursday, October 28, New York City’s Central Park will become the home of all things seasonal! Not only is Central Park a great place to enjoy fall foliage, but this year the park will also play host to magical, family-friendly entertainment. more

PU Public Lectures Welcomes AI Scholar Kate Crawford

Professor Kate Crawford is a leading international scholar of the social and political implications of artificial intelligence (AI). Her work focuses on understanding large-scale data systems in the wider contexts of history, politics, labor, and the environment. Crawford will deliver a free public lecture at Princeton University’s McCosh 50 on Wednesday, October 27 from 5 to 6:15 p.m. Crawford will also be joined by Wendy Brown, a political theorist who works across the history of political thought, political economy, and critical legal theory.  more

Four George School Students Named National Merit Semifinalists

George School has announced that Anjali Amin ’22, Forest Ho-Chen ’22, Christian (Zachary) Kalb ’22, and Arshdeep (Arshi) Nagra ’22 have each been named National Merit Semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

These four students are among 16,000 semifinalists throughout the country, each qualifying for one of the 7,500 available National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million that will be offered in the spring. more

Atlantic City Marathon Race Series

New Jersey’s historic marathon returns to the boardwalks and beachside roadways of coastal New Jersey and Atlantic County on October 17. 

Established in 1958, the Atlantic City Marathon is the third oldest marathon in the United States. The course is noted for being flat and fast, a great qualifier for both the Boston and Chicago marathons. With eight miles of boardwalk running, the scenic landscape is decidedly beachy and a beautiful setting for a fall race.  more

Taste of the Seaport in Downtown Manhattan

Downtown’s premier food festival, Taste of the Seaport, will return for its 11th year on October 16 at Pier 16 and 17 in the Seaport District of Manhattan. 

Over 40 of the best restaurants in Lower New York City will come together to highlight one of the city’s fastest growing neighborhoods and its vibrant food and social scene. Culinary lovers are invited to explore a variety of food options that the Seaport and Financial Districts have to offer. Delicious dishes will be available for purchase from Eataly Downtown, Brooklyn Chop House, Industry Kitchen, Watermark Bar, Beatnic, Fresh Salt, Stout FiDi, Route 66 Smokehouse, and Mac Daddy’s, to name a few. Proceeds from the festival support enrichment programs for children at both Spruce Street School PS 397 and the Peck Slip School PS 343.  more