Historic Happenings Blog

Through July 31 -- Essex County Nubian Heritage Quilters Guild Presents Harlem Renaissance “All that Jazz.” The Nubian Heritage Quilters was established to preserve, and document the importance of African American quilting. Serving the community, to encourage and revitalize others in their knowledge of this craft, to give them a sense of their heritage through quilting.  The exhibit will be held at the Crane House & Historic YWCA. For more information on the exhibit visit  www.nubianquilters.org .  Demonstrations in hand piecing, machine piecing, hand quilting, rotary cutting and appliqué, and crazy quilt blocks. Special exhibits in Trees of Life, small little village, postcards, “The Great Migration” – Jacob Lawrence, Surprise Art Quilts, and “Oppression by Any other Name.” Exhibit opening and demonstrations will be held on June 9, 10, 16 and 17 from 1 to 4 pm. Admission is $6 adults, $2 students, children 5 & under are free. The exhibit will also be open to the

The lecture portion of the Grand Slam Summer Baseball Series @Ocean Library is upon us! 

Farm Camp: Early Bird Registration Montclair, NJ  – The Montclair Community Farms, Montclair History Center and Rutgers Cooperative Extension 4-H still have space in the below farm camp weeks. Scholarships available for families in need can be discussed with staff. Camps begin at 9 am; however, an 8:30 am drop off time is available for all camp weeks at a $25/child fee. Counselor in Training (CIT) opportunities are available for ages 12-15 for youth willing to serve as peer mentors while participating in camp activities are welcome to register at a half-price rate. A separate application is required for CITs. All camp fees are  nonrefundable.  For additional information or registration contact Rutgers Cooperative Extension 4-H at 973-353-1337 or  essex4h@njaes.rutgers.edu Down on the Farm: Experience farm life in suburban New Jersey. July 30 through August 3: ages 5 to 9 from 9 am to 1pm. Friday pick up at 3 pm after the field trip to Foster Fields. 250/child/week

Sunday, July 29 -- Essex County Walk. Talk. Taste Montclair. Discover the food and stories that make Montclair unique on this 3-hour food tasting and historical walking tour of downtown Montclair. Sample foods from 6 to 8 Montclair restaurants. Space is limited. $45/person; $40 for Montclair History Center members.  Join here . Begins at 2 pm in front of the Lackawanna Station. Registration required to 973-744-1796 or send a note to  mail@montclairhistorical.org . www.montclairhistory.org .

Sunday, July 29 - Morris Township, Morris County Horseradish: The Root of a Condiment On Sunday from  1:45 - 2:30 pm  at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, during National Horseradish Month, discover how this tangy root vegetable is processed and used as a condiment. Admission: $6/adult, $5/senior (65+), $4/child (ages 4 -16), $2/child (2 and 3). FREE for children under age 2 and Friends members, with a current membership card. Fosterfields Living Historical Farm is located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, NJ. For more information, visit  www.morrisparks.net .

Sunday, July 29  -  Morristown, Morris County Upcycle Sunday-Soda Can Cookie Cutters Get the most out of your things by upcycling soda cans into cookie cutters from 2:00 - 4:00 pm at Historic Speedwell. Admission: $5 per adult, $4 per senior, $3 per child age 4 - 16, FREE per child under age 4. Historic Speedwell is located at 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown. For more information, call 973-285-6550 or visit  www.morrisparks.net .

Sunday, July 29  - West Orange, Essex County Geothermal Tour at the Glenmont Estate Go "behind the scenes" at the Edison home. Join a guide for a walk through the basement of the famous house and learn about its new geothermal heating and cooling system. This program will last about 30 minutes at take place at 1:30 and again at 2:30 pm. It focuses on the technical aspects of the environmentally friendly geothermal system. The basement is not wheelchair accessible. The tour is included with regular admission. Tickets must be purchased at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park Laboratory Complex Visitor Center at 211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ. Admission is $10.00 for adults, and includes the Glenmont Estate and the Laboratory Complex. Children under age 16 are free. For more information, call 973-736-0550 x33 or visit  www.nps.gov/edis .

Sunday, July 29  - Montague, Sussex County Montague Open Houses MARCH, the Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History, is pleased to announce that both its museum sites will be open on Sunday. The Foster-Armstrong House and the Nelden-Roberts Stonehouse will be open to the public from 1:00 - 4:00 pm for museum house tours. Tours will be held every 30 minutes and docents will be available at both sites to guide you through our local history and artifact collections. The Foster-Armstrong House, circa 1790, a two-story Dutch colonial, is located on SC521/ 320 River Road, about 1 mile north of the Milford/Montague Bridge. It is listed on the State Historic Register of NJ and is a National Historic Register Site. Ten rooms are set up with local history displays in each room. Rooms contain an original beehive oven, native Indian artifacts, Duke Mortimer's Dramatic Art Workshop collection, a military room, a quilt room and to scale model covered bridges of the northe

Saturday-Sunday, July 28-29 – Cape May County HANDS-ON HISTORY WEEKEND AT HISTORIC COLD SPRING VILLAGE INVITES VISITORS YOUNG AND OLD TO EXPERIENCE THE PAST, JULY 28-29 Two days of family-friendly, interactive and educational fun are planned for Historic Cold Spring Village’s  “Hands-on History” Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, July 28-29, from 10am to 4:30pm. Children will be given a “Pastport” at the start of their Village trip, which can be stamped at the buildings they visit after completing a take-home craft or activity, like writing with a quill pen, carding wool or churning butter. Pastports can be redeemed at the Country Store for a free treat! Other family-friendly activities include games and live entertainment from traditional musician Mary Roth. Mike Kochan will give an electrifying portrayal of Benjamin Franklin in the Dennisville Inn. This jam-packed family-fun weekend event is sponsored by PNC Charitable Foundation. Historic Cold Sprin

Saturdays, July 14 and 28 – Mercer County Fife & Drum Taptoe Concert Series Returns to Trenton’s  Old Barracks Museum  Trenton, NJ—The Old Barracks Museum celebrates history, music, and warm summer evenings with the fourth annual Taptoe Concert Series on July 14 and July 28. The gates open at 7:30 PM and the music starts at 8 PM to magically and musically transport you to the 18 th  century. Reserved seating is available on the balconies or you can bring a lawn chair and enjoy the performance from the ground.   The Taptoe recreates a summer evening in 18 th  century Trenton when the musick and the guard would march through a garrison town signaling the time for the taverns to close their taps and for the soldiers to return to their barracks. Beginning at dusk, the evening will be illuminated with dramatic lighting by torches, candles, and spotlights. In addition to a selection of military tunes, an orchestral and dramatic production of music from the motion pict

Saturday, July 28 – Mercer County Joe Zook and Blues Deluxe Returns in  Trenton Blues Jam 3 An All-Blues Extravaganza   Saturday, July 28 6:45 pm. Blues, Blues and more Blues Food and beverages, too. $30 TMS Members; $35 all others Buy your tickets now . Ellarslie Museum, Cadwalader Park, Trenton

Saturday,  July 28  - Chester, Morris County Sail, Sail Your Boat Decorate boats and sail them in the tail-race at the Cooper Gristmill in Morris County from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Please wear closed-toe shoes or boots. Cost: FREE. Boats can be purchased for $10 (Friends members $5), or borrowed for FREE. The Cooper Gristmill is located at 66 Route 513, Chester, NJ. For more information, call 908-879-5463 or visit  www.morrisparks.net .

Saturday,  July 28   -  Morris Township, Morris County Meet the Servants at The Willows On Saturday at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, a t 1:00 and 2:00 pm, during a hands-on guided tour, learn about the role of the domestic servants at the Foster home, The Willows, during the WWI era. Help the maid with household chores, and learn it was a full workout to keep a proper house. At the end of the tour, you can help the cook prepare historic foods using the wood-burning cook stove. Admission: $6 for adults; $5 for seniors (65+); $4 for children ages 4 – 16; and $2 for children ages 2 and 3. FREE for children under age 2 and Friends members with a current membership card. Fosterfields Living Historical Farm is located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, NJ. For more information, visit  www.morrisparks.net .

Saturday, July 28 – Burlington County Roebling Museum Saturday Lecture Series “Preserving and Conserving Roebling: Next Steps for our Mill Yard Artifacts" with Dr. Justin Parkoff 1pm -- $7 General Admission; $6 Museum Members The Roebling Museum is proud to present another installment of its monthly, Saturday Lecture Series, J oin us for a discussion and demonstration presented by Dr. Justin Parkoff from AECOM. Dr. Parkoff will include film footage demonstration of conservation and preservation methods to be utilized. The existence and daily operations of the Roebling Museum are a result of decades of work and efforts to document, preserve and exhibit the history, heritage, and legacy of the John A. Roebling’s Sons Company, the Roebling family and the village of Roebling. The Museum's focus is not only on the industrial and technological achievements of the company but on the unique social history of its workforce and the town it created. In

Saturday,  July 28  - Hopewell Township, Mercer County 4-H Fair and Wheat Threshing In the 1920s and early 1930s, the local Pleasant Valley Calf Club held an annual fair at the Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse and grounds adjacent to Howell Farm. These fairs, organized by the school children and their parents, drew visitors from many parts of Mercer and Hunterdon Counties. "With this historical basis in mind, we thought the 4-H Fair was a great match for us," said Pete Watson, Howell Farm director. "With our visitor center barn, we're now well equipped to handle a fair like this." Highlights of the fair will include cow milking, a sheep show, a goat show, a poultry show, and a small animal show. Tents for the animals and exhibits will be located near the farm's visitor center. Howell Farm's farmers will contribute by running hayrides, giving tours, and conducting historical farming demonstrations out in the fields. For more information about the fair, cli

Wednesday, June 13 -- Union County CARNEGIE LIBRARY SUMMER SERIES The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites residents and visitors to celebrate the rich legacy of the Carnegie Libraries this summer, with a series of three  FREE  special events in June, July, and August. Events will be held at the  Main Library in historic midtown Elizabeth , at 11 South Broad Street. Wednesday, June 13 at 6:00 p.m. — A panel discussion with representatives of the five Union County towns that have or had a Carnegie Library, including presentations, pictures, and documents associated with the six buildings .  For more  information on all Cultural and Heritage programs visit  ucnj.org , email  jprescott@ucnj.org or call 908-436-2912 Please join the New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance and the Union County Cultural & Heritage Commission at the Elizabeth Public Library for a Summer Series about the Carnegie Libraries! All events are free and open to the public. On Wedn

Friday, July 27 – Burlington County Outdoor Movie Night 8 pm DOUBLE FEATURE Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and bring the family for a fun-filled family evening. This is a FREE EVENT! Popcorn and other snacks available for purchase. The Friends of White Hill Mansion, 217 Fourth St (Burlington St), Fieldsboro, NJ 08505 email: whitehillinfo@gmail.com ; whitehillmansion.com

Friday, July 27 -- Ocean County S-5 Submarine Sinks Off Cape May , a DVD about a dramatic sinking that took place in May of 1920.  All of our events are at the Little Red Schoolhouse Museum, 182 Wells Mills Rd, Waretown, NJ 08758.  Adele R. Shaw,  adele170@aol.com ;   609-661-1733

"Revolutionary New Jersey (Part 2 of 2)" JERSEY BAYSHORE COUNTRY

Thursdays, July 26 – Mercer County July Storytimes Ages 2 to 6 $10; Free with Family membership - Limit 12 Thursdays, July 26 at 10:00 a.m. This month’s Storytimes at Morven Museum & Garden are read by our Curator of Education and Public Programs Debra Lampert-Rudman and one of Morven’s docents and are followed by visits to Morven’s gardens and special take-home crafts! Bring along a hat and your favorite blanket for storytime!    July 26:  The Very Big Carrot  at Morven! What would YOU do with a very big carrot? Join us for a reading of Satoe Tone’s luscious book  The Very Big Carrot  and meet six rabbits who have some very interesting ideas of things to do with a very big carrot. Following our reading, we will design our own very big carrot to take home! All craft materials supplied.