Features | Princeton Magazine

Soup’s On!

Comforting + Nourishing Soups for a Cozy Winter

By Mary Abitanto

Colder weather is upon us, which means cozy, woolly sweaters; warm puffy coats; tall leather boots; snuggling by the fire with hot cocoa loaded high with marshmallows; and making more soups, stews, and other delicious meals.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, we are expecting a chilly and snowy winter, so my soup recipes can help nourish you with healthy, nutrient-dense ingredients that will keep you warm all winter long. It’s like a big hug in a bowl. more

A Mid-Century Modern Book Tour

By Stuart Mitchner

The most surprising stop on the tour of Midwestern cities my father treated me to when I was 12 was Racine, Wisconsin, home of the headquarters of Johnson Wax. Looking forward to Chicago with its skyscrapers, I wanted to drive on. “Just wait, you’ll see,” my father said. What I saw and was amazed by was a city of the future created by Frank Lloyd Wright. After Wright’s otherworldly Research Tower, skyscrapers seemed temporarily passé, so very 1950s. I left thinking of architects as writers whose works are big enough to live in. more

The Art of the Crossword Puzzle

Do you love completing crossword puzzles in your spare time? Do you ever wonder how they are created with such regularity and precision by professional crossword puzzle experts?

On Sunday, January 14 at 3 p.m., the Arts Council of Princeton will be joined by crossword puzzle author and celebrity Mangesh Ghogre. Alongside bagels and coffee, Ghogre will give a refresher course on completing crossword puzzles and some handy tools for making puzzles of your own. Ghogre’s puzzles have been published in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. In an age of burgeoning artificial intelligence, Ghogre hopes to advocate for utilizing our own natural intelligence when it comes to clue making and problem solving. more

Groundhog Appreciation and Celebration at The Watershed Institute

The Watershed Institute will be celebrating Groundhog Day a little early this year to share fun facts about these unique, comedic, and sometimes misunderstood animals. On Saturday, January 27 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., visitors will be led through a series of educational outdoor stations that include learning about the characteristics of a groundhog, searching for groundhog holes, meeting with naturalists for a treasure hunt/nature hike and, eventually, finding Wally the Woodchuck. Attendees will also be able to try chucking wood with a catapult or trebuchet. more

Icelandic Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson Performs at Richardson Auditorium

On Thursday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m., Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson will perform at Richardson Auditorium on the campus of Princeton University. Ólafsson left a stunning debut impression with Princeton’s audiences when he performed during the 2022-2023 Princeton University Concert season.

J.S. Bach is especially close to the musician’s heart. Specifically, his album of the composer’s music for the Deutsche Grammophon label won both Best Instrumental Album and Album of the Year at the 2019 BBC Music Magazine Awards. more

Princeton Restaurant Week Returns March 2-8

Experience Princeton Restaurant Week this March with new menus, prix fixe, and reduced pricing options. This annual event is perfect for visitors and locals alike. It is an excellent way to experience curated meals at local eateries, as well as drink pairings, food trends, and the possibility to hear from the chef and cooking staff. more

“Experience the Battle of Princeton” on Jan. 7

On Sunday, January 7, the Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) will mark the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Princeton with its signature educational event, “Experience the Battle of Princeton.”

The event will begin at 9:45 a.m. with introductions and comments on the background of the battle. Members of the public are urged to arrive at the site by 9:15 a.m. to secure space and parking. A narrated reenactment of a portion of the Battle of Princeton will begin at 10 a.m. featuring reenactors portraying Crown and Continental forces. The reenactment will conclude by 11 a.m. more

“CelloGayageum: Lunar New Year Celebration” at McCarter

In 2016, Austrian cellist Sol Daniel Kim and Korean gayageum player Dayoung Yoon created a musical phenomenon bridging cultural divides through the universal language of music. Their unique fusion of instruments and musical styles will be showcased live at McCarter Theatre in “CelloGayageum: Lunar New Year Celebration” on Friday, February 2 at 8 p.m. By demonstrating the beauty and richness of South Korean music to audiences around the world, they are redefining what it means to be a global musical act. more

French American School of Princeton Hosts Open House

Interested students and families are invited to join the French American School of Princeton (FASP) for their Winter Open House on Saturday, January 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. This event is designed for prospective preschool through eighth grade students. more

Kwanzaa Celebration Dinner at Grounds For Sculpture

On Thursday, December 28 from 5 to 8 p.m., Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton will be honoring the third day of Kwanzaa. On this day, special attention will be given to Ujima, which means “collective work and responsibility.” The aim of Ujima is to build and protect community, aiding each other and solving problems while ensuring that no man or woman ever feels entirely left alone. more

Upcoming Exhibit at Brandywine Museum of Art Focuses on Influence of Kuerner Farm

Karl J. Kuerner (b. 1957), Pennsylvania Farmer, 1996.

From January 27 to May 19, 2024, the Brandywine Museum of Art will be spotlighting Andrew Wyeth’s artistic connection and inspiration that he drew from the Kuerner family and their farm. During his lifetime, Wyeth painted numerous masterful studies of the Kuerner Farm, which sat adjacent to his own property. more

Cupid’s Chase 5K in Princeton

Attention all runners and walkers! It’s time to put on your sneakers and hit the pavement for Cupid’s Chase 5K in Princeton on Saturday, February 10, 2024. Check in opens at 8:30 a.m. and the starting gun will go off at 10 a.m. more

Princeton Palmer Square DIY Project: Illustrated Recipe Cards

On December 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., join the Arts Council of Princeton in its cozy Palmer Square studio to learn how to hand-embellish favorite recipe notes and notecards with charming drawings and written instructions. The workshop is led by teaching artist Barbara DiLorenzo, and all materials will be provided. It is intended for adults, but children ages 12 and older are welcome with adult supervision. more

Volunteers Plant 100 Trees in Lambertville

Sixteen volunteers recently gathered to plant 100 native trees and shrubs along a new section of the Lambertville Nature Trail. The group, including Lambertville Mayor Andrew Nowick, planted a variety of native trees and shrubs including eastern red cedar, flowering dogwood, sweet birch, white oak, and eastern redbud. These trees and shrubs will help to reduce flash flooding from this hillside neighborhood, filter and cool air and water, and provide important wildlife habitat. more

Princeton Holiday Trolley Tours

Image Source: Palmer Square and Princeton Holiday Trolley Tours

On December 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Princeton Holiday Trolley Tours will take visitors past some of the town’s most significant sites. 2023 marks a complete re-design of the popular experience with an expanded route that will teach participants about the area’s prize-winning thinkers, writers, scientists, and noteworthy history. From Woodrow Wilson and Albert Einstein to F. Scott Fitzgerald and Toni Morrison, this tour is action-packed! more

Neurodiverse Crafting Circle and Social Networking at PPL

On Thursday, December 21 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., Princeton Public Library (PPL) welcomes any neurodivergent individuals who are looking to connect with Princeton community members while working on their own crafting projects (brought from home). The crafting session will be held at PPL’s STEAM Studio. The program is intended for people ages 17 and older. more

S’mores by the Sleigh at Earl’s New American in Peddler’s Village

Every day from 5 to 7 p.m. from December 18 to 22, Earl’s New American will welcome guests to a holiday celebration in the courtyard, against the backdrop of their festive Christmas sled. Guests can enjoy a bonfire, free s’mores, and a cash bar serving hot toddies, hot Washington apple cider (with vanilla vodka and apple brandy), and hot chocolate. Earl’s New American’s full restaurant menu will remain open until 9 p.m. Be sure to snap an Instagram-worthy picture in front of the sleigh and other decorations! Also, take advantage of the extra holiday shopping hours, which means that stores are open until 9 p.m. more

“Where the Wild Things Are” at Princeton Garden Theatre

Princeton Garden Theatre will present a screening of Spike Jonze’s creative film, Where the Wild Things Are, based on the beloved book by Maurice Sendak. The in-person showing will take place on Sunday, January 14 at 10 a.m. The film is approximately 1 hour and 41 minutes and is suited to children and adults of all ages. more

From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

Welcome to your Fall issue of Princeton Magazine.

It’s my job to tell you a little bit about what’s in a particular issue, and this issue is particularly interesting because there is a set of common themes that runs through most of the articles within.

One of the main themes is books, so I will begin by mentioning Stuart Mitchner’s Book Scene where he writes about Dr. Seuss and his 1971 book The Lorax, in which he taught the youth of the day about the oncoming climate change. Stuart also brings our attention to other children’s books on the topic. more

Lake Carnegie

A Princeton Treasure

By Laurie Pellichero | Photography by Charles R. Plohn

Andrew Carnegie portrait by Howard Russell Butler. (Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, Scotland)

It all began with a portrait. In 1902, steel magnate and noted philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was posing for painter Howard Russell Butler, Princeton University Class of 1876, when Carnegie brought up the many lochs he had built in his native Scotland. Butler, a former member of the University rowing team, took the opportunity to inform Carnegie of the cramped rowing conditions along the Delaware and Raritan Canal, where the team practiced but also had to deal with freight traffic traveling between New York and Philadelphia. This had forced the rowing program to disband in 1886.

Butler suggested a building a dam at the confluence of the Millstone River and Stony Brook, which would flood the swamps around the Washington Road Bridge, creating a reservoir that would be a much better option for the University’s team. According to Princetoniana, it was an idea that Carnegie quickly embraced. more