Here and There | Princeton Magazine

Friends and Foundation of the Princeton Public Library’s Annual Book Lover’s Luncheon

Join the Friends and Foundation of the Princeton Public Library on April 28 from 12 to 2 p.m. for the annual Book Lover’s Luncheon, featuring author, historian, and journalist Lynne Olson. This year’s event will be held at the Nassau Inn.

Olson is the New York Times best-selling author of Madame Fourcade’s Secret War, Last Hope Island, Those Angry Days, and Citizens of London. She has been a consulting historian for the National WWII Museum in New Orleans and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. more

17th Annual Watershed Streams Cleanup

On Saturday April 15 and 22, join the Watershed Institute for the 17th Annual Watershed Streams Cleanup. Over the years, thousands of volunteers have removed over 141,000 pounds of trash, helping to make the watersheds healthier, protecting the environment, and beautifying the local communities. There are 15 cleanups on the schedule located throughout Central New Jersey. To learn more and find a session close to you, visit https://thewatershed.org/stream-cleanups/. more

“The Price of Silence” at Princeton Garden Theatre

The Princeton YWCA presents a two-part documentary at Princeton Garden Theatre entitled The Price of Silence: The Forgotten Story of New Jersey’s Enslaved People. The event will take place on Thursday, April 6 at 7 p.m.

Part 1 of the film offers an overview of the state’s history of enslaved people and shares the poignant family stories of its earliest freed slaves. “New Jersey is known as the Garden State,” Beverly Mills says in Part 1. “We’re known for our blueberries. We’re known for our corn. But we’re not known for the slaves that were here tilling the soil. We’re not known for the whole history of slavery connected to New Jersey and how slavery was the underpinning of much of the wealth of New Jersey.” more

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Offers Neuroadaptive Concert for Kids

Adapted for neurodiverse audiences, including children with autism or other special needs, the Chamber Music Society (CMS) of Lincoln Center and host Rami Vamos will offer a unique musical experience on Saturday, May 20 at 1 and 3 p.m. at the Lewis Arts Complex’s Lee Rehearsal Room on the campus of Princeton University.

The interactive musical performance will be centered around the works of Antonín Dvořák. Vamos and the CMS artists will lead the audience in outward expression and enjoyment of the music. This is a judgement free environment, and the less formal setting is encouraging of supportive sensory, communication, movement, and learning needs. more

The Moth Storytelling Experience at McCarter Theatre

On Friday, April 14 at 8 p.m., McCarter Theatre presents The Moth, a storytelling experience that celebrates the ability to tell true, personal stories in front of a live audience in an effort to better understand the gift of shared humanity.

The Moth’s work allows people from all walks of life and all parts of the world to see that we are not so different from one another. Whether it’s an astronaut, a dental hygienist, a hot dog eating champion, a high school student, a mechanic, or an exonerated prisoner, we all have something to teach and share with one another. more

An Evening with David Sedaris at State Theatre NJ

On Tuesday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m., the State Theatre New Jersey welcomes humorist David Sedaris.

Beloved for his personal essays and short stories, Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls and Calypso, which was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. more

Park Day Spring Cleaning at Old Barracks Museum

The Old Barracks Museum in Trenton is looking for volunteers to help with some spring cleaning on the grounds of the property on Saturday, April 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Grab some gloves and a rake and join the other volunteers in prepping for another season of programming at the museum. Those who can offer their trucks for the hauling away of some larger logs and debris are especially needed. There’s plenty to do around the property. Guests should provide their own work gloves and rakes and the Barracks staff will be ready with lots of coffee and donuts. more

Joyce Carol Oates: From Alice to Marilyn

By Stuart Mitchner

In her introduction to the 20th Anniversary Edition of Joyce Carol Oates’s Blonde, literary critic Elaine Showalter calls it her “most ambitious novel,” in which she “uncannily channels” Marilyn Monroe’s “inner voice and demands that the star be given recognition, compassion, and respect.”

If you have ever fallen in love with Norma Jeane and Marilyn, the Girl and the Vision, it’s hard to believe that any mortal writer could produce such a book without exploiting so exploitable a human subject. But here the nature of exploitation is a given, like wind and rain, sun and shadow, and the book becomes a weather event driven by Oates’s gale force prose. There’s even an underground wind of sorts in one of the best-known images of the star, which Oates describes in Blonde and quotes from on her website Celestial Timepiece: “She’s standing with bare legs apart on a New York subway grating. Her blond head is thrown rapturously back as an updraft lifts her full, flaring skirt, exposing white cotton panties.” more

TCNJ Alumni Weekend 2023

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) will celebrate its Alumni Weekend on campus on April 21 and 22. The events begin with a performance by the TCNJ Orchestra at the Mildred and Ernest E. Mayo Concert Hall on Friday night. Come back Saturday for an action-packed day of alumni fun. The $30 Alumni BBQ package includes one drink ticket, T-shirt, and drawstring backpack. There will also be a campus tour of the athletic Hall of Champions, TCNJ’s Art Gallery and BFA Art Senior Exhibition, School of Business Social Hour, and Student/Teacher Reunion. more

Dalton Farms Tulip Festival

Tulips bring more than a powerful pop of vibrancy to your garden. Did you know that this flower has historically been a symbol of wealth and was considered to be as valuable as a diamond during the 17th century?

With this in mind, Dalton Farms is gearing up for the Annual Tulip Festival. This year’s event will run from April 1 through April 23. The “you-pick” tulip opportunity includes the cost of an admissions ticket, as well as the cost of the flowers, which are $10 for 10 tulips, $20 for 20 stems, $30 for 30 stems, or $2 per stem. The tulips are available in a rainbow of colors and make for a magical way to spend a spring afternoon. more

Trenton Punk Rock Spring Fling

The Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market’s annual Spring Fling shopping experience returns on April 1 and 2 to the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton. This is the largest and most unique shopping experience in Central New Jersey. Over 500 small businesses, artists, makers, and crafters from nearly 25 states will be present. The 40,000-square-foot-arena will also be occupied by food trucks, live tattooing, live music, celebrity guests, punk rock karaoke, and a huge scavenger hunt filled with prizes. Guests can also sign up for the VIP area, which is limited to 100 people and includes perks and goodies. more

Experience Lambing Day at Howell Farm

On Saturday, March 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Howell Living History Farm, experience the seasonal joy of lambing day. Will a lamb be born on lambing day? It has happened before, but it’s ultimately up to the schedule and the timing of the ewes. Lambing season lasts for several week and whether you’re at Howell Farm or not, there is much to learn about the practice of lambing in the barn where sheep spend much of their winter. more

Pi Day Princeton Celebration 2023

Pi Day Princeton and Einstein’s birthday celebration this year will be more fun than ever!

Einstein was born on March 14 — 3.14, the numeric equivalent of Pi. Every year, the town of Princeton celebrates with an irrational number of events, including:

Pre-Teen Pi Recitation Winner receives $314.15

Youth Einstein Look-Alike Winners receive $314.15

Pie Eating Contest

Pie Throwing Contest

Pie Flight Tasting

Dinky Rides with Einstein more

Sourland Mountain Festival is Back

Mark your calendars now because on July 15, from 3 to 8:30 p.m., the Sourland Conservancy will be hosting its 18th Annual Sourland Mountain Festival at Unionville Vineyards, 9 Rocktown Road in Ringoes. This event will again be presented by Unionville Vineyards, with a VIP Experience provided by The Ryland Inn. more

“Beware the Ides of March” Sonnet Slam at the Princeton Public Library

Love Shakespeare? Savor the sonnets? Looking for an early spring diversion to lift the spirits? Join McCarter Theatre for an in-person “Sonnet Slam” on Tuesday, March 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Princeton Public Library’s Community Room. more

Public Reading and Discussion of “The World and All That It Holds” at Princeton Public Library

On Monday, March 6 at 7 p.m. Labyrinth Books and Princeton Public Library welcome author Aleksandar Hemon for a discussion of his novel, The World and All That It Holds. The in-person event will be held at Princeton Public Library, but there is also the option to participate remotely through a streaming link. more

Winter Fairy Festival at The Watershed

On Saturday, March 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., join The Watershed for a Winter Fairy Festival. Friends and fairies will gather for some winter fun outdoors, creating magical spaces and games. Children can build fairy cottages using natural materials, search for fairies hidden at each activity station using a scavenger hunt sheet, create some fun crafts, play games, and flutter their way over and under The Watershed’s obstacle course and expansive property. more

Philadelphia Flower Show Returns Indoors

The highly acclaimed Philadelphia Flower Show will return indoors at the Pennsylvania Convention Center this March 4 through 12. The event is the largest and longest-running horticultural event in the U.S. and features stunning displays by the world’s premier floral and landscape designers. more

“Wuthering Heights” Community Read Aloud

In advance of the presentation of Wise Children’s Wuthering Heights at McCarter Theatre, theater and literary lovers are invited to participate in a community reading of Emily Brontë’s magnum opus on Saturday, February 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will be held in the Princeton Public Library’s Community Room. more

Frost Fest 2023

Mark your calendar and get ready for some fun at Palmer Square’s Frost Fest 2023 on Sunday, February 26 from 12 to 3 p.m. The event features ice carvings, a live DJ, igloo Photo Booth, complimentary caricature drawings, spiked hot chocolate (un-spiked too!), winter activities, and a special beer bar hosted by the Yankee Doodle Tap Room. more