Art Happenings

OCTOBER 7 - 11, times vary
6th ANNUAL AMAZING PUMPKIN CARVE - DRIVE-THRU!
Woolsey Park, 221 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville

Hopewell Valley Arts Council
(609) 281-5887 | hvartscouncil.org
The Amazing Pumpkin Carve is back for its sixth year -- from the comfort and safety of your car! Dozens of colossal pumpkins will be carved and electrified by many of the area’s most talented artists and displayed in a beautifully illuminated drive-thru. The event, presented by the Hopewell Valley Arts Council, will bring spectacular art and Halloween fun to our local community. Pull up in your car to receive an event program, check out the creative pumpkins and decorated tents, listen to live or DJ’ed music throughout the weekend, pop out of your vehicle for a quick socially-distanced photo-op, and MORE! Visitors will receive a free mini-pumpkin while supplies last.  Popcorn and cider will be available for purchase. 
Location: Woolsey Park, 221 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville, NJ.
Entry: $25 per car
For all the details about the Amazing Pumpkin Carve, please visit www.hvartscouncil.org/amazingpumpkincarve

OCTOBER 17 & 18, 2 pm
ART & ABOUT: OPEN STUDIO
Princeton 

Arts Council of Princeton 102 Witherspoon St, Princeton
(609) 924-8777 | artscouncilofprinceton.org
Professional and amateur artists are invited to set up outside their homes or studios for passersby to safely experience them at work, purchase a piece, and celebrate the creative work happening all around us!
Artists are invited to set up an “open air studio” on their lawn, driveway, or front porch.  Open Air Studios: 2 to 5 pm on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18. For more information visit artscouncilofprinceton.org

OCTOBER 17, 7 pm
STEP RIGHT UP VIRTUAL FUNDRAISER

Trenton Circus Squad
675 S Clinton Ave, Trenton
(609) 984-8599 | trentoncircussquad.org
The Squad travels virtually around the state of New Jersey highlighting each of our partner organizations in Asbury Park, Newark, Camden, and Trenton. Through Fund-A-Need auction, you can help support a year of our programming, always offered free to the community. You’ll hear interviews with our partners, testimonies about our work, and witness moving performances from youth participants inspired by our country’s current state of civil unrest.
The Squad chose to tackle these tough topics, taking deep dives into understanding how local, national and global issues impact their lives.  For “Step Right Up! Plugged In,” the Squad will take their conversations and experiences, and express them through the art of circus. Tickets available at trentoncircussquad.org.

Concerts

NOW - DECEMBER 14, 7:30 pm
Fall 2020 ONLINE SINGER EDUCATION PROGRAM

Voices Chorale NJ
http://www.voiceschoralenj.org | info@voiceschoralenj.org
During this unfortunate time when we can’t come together to sing and share music with audiences, Voices Chorale NJ (VCNJ) members and other members of the singing community have the opportunity to “sharpen the saw” with a fall program of online education. VCNJ invites singers who would like to participate to take this opportunity to hone musical and singing skills through a popular online meeting application on Monday nights from 7:30 to 9 pm, Sept. 28 through Dec. 14, 2020.
All members of the singing community are welcome to participate. The cost for the program is $115. Interested singers should email info@voiceschoralenj.org to receive additional instructions.

OCTOBER 3, 6 pm
DRIVE IN CONCERTS: Superunknown & Into the Floyd
Cricket Field 

Mercer County Park Commission
(609) 303-0700 | mercercountyparks.org
This concert will be held at the Cricket Field. Doors for the concert will open at 5 pm; music will begin at approximately 6 pm. Parking lots will be closed once capacity is reached. 
Each parking space will have a designated area for one vehicle and lounging area to the side -- masks will be required once leaving designated area. Social distancing measures are in place for guests safety. Visitors are welcome to pack coolers with food and beverages. No liquor or glass bottles will be permitted.  
Parking and admission are FREE for this event.

OCTOBER 4, 4 pm
VIRTUAL CONCERT: Walker/Mozart/Rachmaninoff

Princeton Symphony Orchestra 
(609) 497-0020 | princetonsymphony.org/
PSO's concert series opens with a performance of George Walker’s Lyric for Strings, written while the composer was a graduate student at the Curtis Institute of Music. Mr. Walker was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Inon Barnatan performs his own arrangement of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances for solo piano, and string musicians have an opportunity to shine in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Divertimento in D Major.
For tickets https://princetonsymphony.org/performances/walker/mozart/rachmaninoff/2020-10-04

OCTOBER 6 - NOVEMBER 3, 7 pm
EARLY FALL ONLINE MINI COURSE 

Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey 
yocj.org | contactyocj@gmail.com
Four course options. Each course is $50 and runs for five weeks. Click here to register.

OCTOBER 8, 5:30 pm
WIND QUINTET 
Featuring Principal Musicians of the PSO at Morven Museum & Garden

Princeton Symphony Orchestra 
(609) 497-0020 | princetonsymphony.org/
Relax and enjoy Samuel Barber's Summer Music, Valerie Coleman's Umoja, and more performed by members of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra's woodwind section.

OCTOBER 18, 4 pm 
VIRTUAL CONCERT: Sim/Bach/Shostakovich/

Princeton Symphony Orchestra 
(609) 497-0020 | princetonsymphony.org/
Carlos Simon’s An Elegy: A Cry from the Grave, a piece the composer dedicates to “those murdered wrongfully by an oppressive power,” and Dmitri Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony are paired with a solo by star cellist Pablo Ferrández.
For tickets https://princetonsymphony.org/performances/simon/bach/shostakovich/2020-10-18

OCTOBER 23, 7 pm
VIRTUAL SEASON PREVIEW CONCERT

Capital Singers of Trenton
(609) 434-2781 |  capitalsingers.org
Live recordings, conductor's chat, special guest appearance.

Exhibitions

NOW - OCTOBER 23
ART & HEALING EXHIBITION

West Windsor Arts Council
952 Alexander Road, Princeton
(609) 716-1931 | westwindsorarts.org
WWAC has created an exhibition that looks at art as a healing tool, reflecting the realities, feelings, or experiences during this surreal time, or from other past events, both personal or public. Viewable at the following link, https://westwindsorarts.org/exhibitions/

Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie
Cadwalader Park, Trenton
(609) 989-1191 | ellarslie.org
Showcasing 40 abstract works by sixteen artists that communicate predominantly through form rather than subject matter, Madelaine Shellaby has installed unexpected groupings that "converse" about their differences while drawing viewers into their conversations to perhaps find common ground among what is initially perceived as difference. Replacing a traditional opening reception for the exhibition will be a “Meet the Artists Weekend” planned for Oct. 2 and 3 from noon to 4 pm and Oct. 4 from 1 to 4 pm, when select artists are available at different times. Artists: Joyce Chen, Tim Eads, Lisa Fischetti, Terri Fridkin, Erika Gehringer, James Jansma, Shirley Kern, Marsha Levin-Rojer, Christina MacKinnon, Eva Mantell, Florence Moonan, Jim Perry, Debbie Reichard, Richard Sanders, and Adam Welch.

NOW - NOVEMBER 15, In the Museum & Online
ON THE FOREFRONT: Trenton’s Junior 1, 1916

Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie
Cadwalader Park, Trenton
(609) 989-1191 | ellarslie.org 
Curator Karl J. Flesch was inspired to create the exhibit by haunting and beautiful photographs of the building’s interior and exterior by J. Carlos Vargas and Robert J. Sammons. “I wanted to go further and tell the history of building the school and thus my research began,” he said. “Junior Number 1 was one of the first junior high schools to be built in the east and became a model for other districts to see. I soon discovered that the story was not just one story but many: the nationwide junior high school movement; architect William A. Poland; Herman C. Mueller the school board president and founder of the Mueller Mosaic Company; High school principal William A. Wetzel; Mayor Frederick W. Donnelly; the 1916 Infantile Paralysis epidemic; the building of Trenton’s other Junior High Schools and High School; and the Integration of Trenton’s public schools.

ONGOING
19 SAMPLERS, Online Only

Old Barracks Museum
101 Barrack Street, Trenton
(609) 396-1776 |  barracks.org
Needlework was an essential part of a young girl’s education during the 18th and 19th centuries. Typically created by girls ranging in age from eight to fifteen and working under the instruction of a teacher, samplers demonstrated the individual’s necessary skills of sewing or mending for their future home life. Depending on the skill and age of the creator, samplers could range from simpler “marker samplers” to embroidery with beautiful landscape subjects resembling paintings.
https://www.barracks.org/samplercollection.html

History

OCTOBER 5, 7 pm
PRINCETON'S GARGOYLES & GROTESQUES

The Mercer County Library
Lawrence Headquarters Branch 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville
(609) 883-8294 | mcl.org
Princeton University’s gargoyles can be found perched on Gothic arches and towers. Most are not true downspouts, but decorative designs ranging from historic, to symbolic, to just plain fun. In this virtual tour, you'll get a bird's eye view of many of the stone creatures adorning the campus. Presented by Eve Mandel, Director of Programs and Visitor Services at the Historical Society of Princeton. Registration with an email is required, so we can send you a link to connect through GoToMeeting. You will receive the link approximately 24 hours before the program. CONTACT: Mercer County Library System (609) 737-2610 hopeprogs@mcl.org

OCTOBER 10, 1 pm
DIGGIN UP TRENTON'S HISTORY - Native American Life on the William Trent House Property and in the Trenton Area

The William Trent House
15 Market Street, Trenton
(609) 989-3027 | williamtrenthouse.org
Richard Adamczyk will give an overview of the field of prehistoric archaeology in New Jersey, including how the Trent House property fits with the other ancient Trenton sites. He will focus on artifacts found on the Trent House property and what they tell us about Native American life before European colonization. Put https://bit.ly/2HdXghT in your browser window to join via Zoom or participate by phone at 1 (929) 205-6099.

OCTOBER 10, 1 pm
VIRTUAL TELETHON

Old Barracks Museum
101 Barrack Street, Trenton
(609) 396-1776 | barracks.org
The content will range from historical to hysterical, and be performed by staff, volunteers, and friends of the Old Barracks. Throughout the telethon, donations will be solicited and collected via Facebook donations and PayPal to help support the educational programming of the Old Barracks Museum. It’s free to tune in.

Lectures

OCTOBER 11, 2 pm
THE HISTORY OF US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS & NEW JERSEY 

The Mercer County Library, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville
(609) 883-8294 | mcl.org 
Lecture about the history of US Presidential elections and how New Jersey voted. Emphasis will be all elections from 1912 to the present discussing the candidates, the issues, the campaigns, and the results. Brian Armstrong, a Political Science major from American University in Washington, DC, is a collector of US presidential election memorabilia and will show some of his favorite campaign buttons and other items during the presentation.
Co-sponsored with the Lawrence Historical Society.
Registration with an email is required, so we can send you a link to connect through GoToMeeting. You will receive the link approximately 24 hours before the program.
CONTACT: Mercer County Library System  (609) 737-2610  hopeprogs@mcl.org

OCTOBER 13, 6 pm
WHO REALLY ELECTS THE PRESIDENT: The Workings of the Electoral College 

The Mercer County Library, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville
(609) 883-8294 | mcl.org      
Have you ever wondered about how the Electoral College actually works? How many votes does each state receive? How someone comes to be an elector? In the early days of the Republic, the Founding Fathers designed this political process as a way to manage an unruly public and, if needed, overturn the election results. So has it worked in the way it was intended? In this program, participants will learn about the history of the Electoral College and how it works through the account of Frank Argote-Freyre, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Kean University, Department of History.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lawrence Library, Friends of the Ewing Library, Friends of the West Windsor Library, Friends of the Hickory Corner Library and the Robbinsville Township Library Advisory Committee.
Registration with an email is required, so we can send you a link to connect through GoToMeeting. You will receive the link approximately 24 hours before the program.
CONTACT: MCLS Staff hopeprogs@mcl.org

OCTOBER 20, 7 pm
LAWRENCE: Love It or Leave It, The Millham Secession and Other Dissatisfactions

The Mercer County Library, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville
(609) 883-8294 | mcl.org     
In 1882 Lawrence lost half its population when Millham, the South Lawrence neighborhood on the Trenton border, seceded to form its own township. Millham’s declaration of independence capped several decades of dynamic growth that was largely ignored by the North Lawrence farmers who ran the township. Today Millham is part of Trenton’s North Ward. Presented by Dennis Waters, a member of the Mercer County Library Commission, as well as a former Lawrence Township Historian and member of the Board of Trustees of the Lawrence Historical Society.
Registration with an email is required, so we can send you a link to connect through GoToMeeting. You will receive the link approximately 24 hours before the program.
CONTACT: Mercer County Library Staff  (609) 737-2610  hopeprogs@mcl.org

OCTOBER 25, 1:30 pm
WAR OF THE WORLDS

The Sarnoff Collection
The College of New Jersey, 200 Pennington Road, Ewing
davidsarnoff.tcnj.edu
Join the Sarnoff for a spooky pre-Halloween rebroadcast of the 1936 radio play, War of the Worlds. Location TBD

OCTOBER 26, 7 pm
LIVING ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

The Mercer County Library, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville
(609) 883-8294 | mcl.org     
Share in the adventure of how astronauts live and work in space! Discover how the absence of gravity affects the human body and what we can do about it. See breathtaking pictures of the Earth from this orbiting laboratory. Presented by Paul Cirillo, a volunteer outreach “Ambassador” for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as a member of the New Jersey Astronomical Association, which operates the largest public observatory in New Jersey.
Registration with an email is required, so we can send you a link to connect through GoToMeeting. You will receive the link approximately 24 hours before the program.
CONTACT: Mercer County Library System  hopeprogs@mcl.org

Literature

OCTOBER 7, 8 pm
SHORT STORY DISCUSSION: 'The Cask of Amontillado' by Edgar Allan Poe

The Mercer County Library, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville
(609) 883-8294 | mcl.org
The short story -- short in length, but full of content! Join our discussion group, which focuses on a different short story the first Wednesday of every month. This month's story is "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe.
The eBook and audiobook are available in hoopla.
Direct link to story's full text at https://tinyurl.com/MCLSShort20.
CONTACT: MCLS Staff  hopeprogs@mcl.org
https://www.facebook.com/mclsnj/

OCTOBER 17, 12 pm
ART & ABOUT: Pop Up Poetry

Arts Council of Princeton
102 Witherspoon Street, Priceton
(609) 924-8777 | artscouncilofprinceton.org    
Use your voice for Pop Up Poetry! Find us on Hinds Plaza to create your own six word poem to be displayed in a collaborative poetry installation. Then join us for an outdoor edition of Story & Verse, a poetry & spoken word open mic at Pettoranello Gardens, 3 to 5 pm.

Nature

OCTOBER 3, 7:45 pm
FULL MOON BIKE RIDE

Nature Center at Washington Crossing State Park
355 Washington Crossing Pennington Rd
(609) 737-0609 | nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/washcros.html
Take a guided night time bicycle ride, by the light of the Harvest Moon, up the Delaware & Raritan Canal Towpath toward the Lambertville wing dam (approx. 13 miles round trip). Meet at the Nelson House parking lot. Bring your own bike, bike light and helmet. Advanced registration required. Call the Nature Center for directions. Free.   

OCTOBER 17, 10 am
BASKET & BROOM MAKING 

Howel Living History Farm
70 Woodens Lane, Titisville
(609) 737-3299 | howellfarm.org
Take a close-up look at the craftsmanship that goes into making a basket, a broom, and a bucket when the artisans preserving these trades visit the farm for a day of demonstrations and teaching. There will be opportunities to try your hand at some of the steps involved, and you’ll also learn about the skills workshops and classes offered at the farm throughout the year.   

OCTOBER 25, 9 am
MINDFULLNESS IN NATURE: A Guided Sensory Forest Walk at Mountain Lake House

Friends of Princeton Open Space
(609) 921-2772 | fopos.org
Friends of Princeton Open Space invites you to join us for a Mindfulness in Nature workshop, led by Alex Crowley, a Nurse Practitioner and an Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Certified Guide. Alex will lead us on a short, structured walk—which will include a lot of sitting time—that incorporates exercises to help participants focus on mindfulness and attentiveness in nature, while also embracing the many opportunities for creativity and serendipity offered by the forest.
$30 per person, plus Eventbrite fee | Must be 18 years or older. Wear comfortable clothing and a mask and social distancing practices will be in place. This is an outdoor event and will take place rain or shine. There are no refunds. There will be no public restrooms. Please meet the group around the back of the Mountain Lakes House near the lake at 57 Mountain Ave, Princeton, NJ.

Reopening

THE MERCER COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM

The Mercer County Library, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville
(609) 883-8294 | mcl.org     
The Mercer County Library System is pleased to announce they are ready to reopen the library branches to the public, with a hybrid service model and limited occupancy, beginning on Monday, Oct. 5, 2020.

Open to the Public:

• Monday and Friday: 10 am to 4:30 pm
• Wednesday: 1 pm to 7 pm
• Saturday: 2 pm to 4:30 pm

Curbside Pickup:

• Tuesday, Thursday: 10 am to 4:30 pm
• Saturday: 10 am to 12:30 pm

Workshops

OCTOBER 3, 11 am
NEW! Splash and Pour Photography 

Princeton Photo Workshop
Herrontown Road, Princeton
princetonphotoworkshop.com/classes  Dive into the endlessly surprising, creative world of Splash and Pour photography. In this full-day class, we will investigate techniques to capture images of liquids in motion, shooting into a glass and more. We'll begin with discussion and demonstrations of the equipment, theory, and process of Splash and Pour Photography, including how to freeze the motion of liquid at a moment in time with simple inexpensive flashes. We'll work in teams, experimenting, creating and shooting splashes and pours. Come with the expectation that you'll need some luck, practice, and lots of patience. This class will be challenging, filled with eureka moments and lots of fun.