The Weekender: Montclair Full Of Holiday Delights

Check out some of the festive events around the city and nearby. Click the EVENTS tab on the home page to see all the possibilities for the weekend. Feel free to add your own in the comments section below. 

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Thomas Edison National Historical Park, West Orange
WHEN:   Friday, Saturday, Sunday   10am – 4pm
WHAT:   Glenmont will be decorated much as it was while the Edison family lived there. Favorite musical pieces will be playing and greenery and red poinsettias will deck the mantles above the fireplaces. Staircases will be ringed with boughs and red ribbon bows and wreaths will hang in every window. In the Den, the majestic 10 foot tree will be lit and the presents underneath.
COST:   Admission is $7.00, and includes the Glenmont Estate and the Laboratory Complex. Children under age 16 are free.

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Luna Stage Theater, West Orange 
WHEN:    Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm,  Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm
WHY GO: Rediscover the true meaning of the holidays: tradition, family, and joy!    Join The Casa Band and Storytellers in a bilingual celebration for all ages.  Folksongs and Fables, Seasonal Poems, and Classic Holiday Tunes
COST:  $20 for adults; $10 for children 

WHAT: 
WHERE:   Montclair Public Library
WHEN:    Friday   7pm
WHY GO:  Mr. Gutman is the author of “The Baseball Card Adventure” series such as “Honus & Me” and “Roberto & Me,” the popular “My Weird School” series such as “Miss Daisy is Crazy,” the “Million Dollar” sports series, “The Homework Machine” and many other novels such as “The Kid Who Ran for President.” Mr. Gutman, who has sold over 5 million books, grew up in New Jersey and has won several Children’s Literature awards. After the presentation in the Auditorium there will be a Q & A and book-signing.  Registration required. Call 973 744-0500 ext 2236.  Grades 3 and up. *Books will be available for purchase courtesy of Watchung Booksellers.

WHAT:   
WHERE:  Luna StageTheater, West Orange
WHEN:    Saturday     11am
WHY GO:   Join puppeteer and magician “Mister Kipley” and his loveable fuzzy sidekick, Moo-Moo, for this multi-cultural celebration of winter holidays from around the world!    Live music, interactive puppetry, and dazzling magic tricks combine in this show that brings to life the traditions of winter holidays celebrated by many different cultures.   From Christmas & Chanukah, Kwanzaa to Chinese New Year, Eid Al Adha to Las Posadas, join Moo-Moo in a world of fun! Great for ages 3 and up!
COST:   $10.00

WHAT:  
WHERE:   Bnai Keshet, 99 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair
WHEN:   Friday  7:30pm – 9:30pm
WHY GO:  Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service (AJWS; www.ajws.org), will speak about "Fighting Hunger in a World of Plenty: Repairing our Global Food System."  Messinger will explain how Americans can pressure the government to reform food aid policies that exacerbate hunger and poverty. The program, open to all, is part of a Bnai Keshet year-long focus on Tikkun Olam ("repair of the world"). The 8 pm program is preceded by a vegetarian potluck dinner including a number of dishes prepared for the cost of an average weekly food expenditure of a Haitian family. The dinner (RSVP required) is at 6 pm, followed by Shabbat evening services at 7:30 pm and the program at 8 pm.  ( 973-746-4889)

WHAT:     
WHERE:   Essex Youth Theater, 14 Alvin Pl, Montclair
WHEN:     December 10 and 11.  Show times are at 1:30 and 3:30 each day.
WHY GO:   Chicken Little just got duped by the infamous Foxy Loxy. Is the sky really falling? Will the chicken be outfoxed by the fox? Join Chicken Little and the rest of his friends on the farm as this classic story is mixed with a lot of laughter and fun.
December 10, and 11.  Show times are at 1:30 and 3:30 each day.
COST:   $8

WHAT: 
WHERE:   Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange
WHEN:     Friday, Saturday, Sunday
WHY GO:  Experience Turtle Back Zoo in the winter as 100,000 bulbs and 40 lit displays illuminate the zoo this holiday season!
COST:   Free.   Turtle Back Zoo will be collecting non-perishable food, winter coats and unwrapped new toys for the needy each evening of holiday lights.

WHAT: 
WHEN:   Saturday & Sunday   noon
WHY GO:  We’re part of Essex County’s Holiday House Tour again this year, an event in which 11 historic houses will be decorated in period-appropriate style.  Our three houses will be decorated in a historic fashion for the season.   Visit our Orange Road location and see the 1796 Israel Crane House lavishly decorated in period-appropriate holiday décor by the Garden Club of Montclair. Then stop next door at the 1818 Nathaniel Crane House for the Museum Shop and see some more simple, period holiday decorations. Next, stop by the Charles Shultz House at 30 North Mountain Avenue to see the Shultz family’s original holiday decorations, including a revolving Christmas tree. This three-story Victorian residence that is known for its untouched state of preservation.
COST: Admission is $8 per site for adults. Children under 12 free. Tickets can be purchased at 108 Orange Road or 30 North Mountain Avenue. Admission is free for Montclair Historical Society members. Here’s a listing of all the sites on the 2011 Holiday House Tour. 

WHAT:   
WHERE:  Montclair Library 
WHEN:    Sunday   2pm
WHY GO:  Enjoy a concert of handbell music for the holidays as performed by the children of St. Paul Baptist Church.

WHAT: 
WHERE:  St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
WHEN:     Sunday    5pm  
WHY GO:  Seasonal Program combines traditional favorites with music from many lands.  The Lessons and Carols service will begin with a handbell prelude, provided by the multi-generational Handbell Choir of St. James Episcopal Church, Hackettstown, directed by Louise Olshan.    Words—spoken and sung—are at the heart of the service, which will include a generous amount of congregational carol singing interspersed among the readings and choral masterworks.  The choral selections will be international in scope, with the choir and soloists performing anthems in Church Slavonic, Italian and Swahili as well English.  Notable pieces include, “Rejoice, O Virgin,’ from the All-Night Vigil by Sergei Rachmaninoff; a modern setting of “Ave Maria,” by German composer Franz Biebl; “Watu Wana,” a twentieth century work arranged for choir and percussion by Mr. Hunter, and sung in Swahili and English; and Franz Schubert’s “Mille Cherubini,” a nineteenth century carol for chorus and soloists.  Pam Laura will also use American Sign Language to “sign” at least one of the lessons and two of the carols.  An organ postlude will conclude the early evening event.

WHAT:  White Christmas
WHERE:  Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ
WHEN:    Nov 16 – Dec 24    (showtimes: http://www.papermill.org/whats-playing/season-at-a-glance/cat/cat_id/1.html)  
WHY GO:  Based on the beloved Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye film, this merry musical tells the tale of two famous song-and-dance men who stage a show in a scenic, snow-topped Vermont inn — and end up finding love with two singing sisters under the mistletoe.
COST:   $25 to $80

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Bloomfield (John A. Bukowski) Animal Shelter
WHEN:   Tuesday   4pm – 7:30pm
WHY GO: The Bloomfield Animal Shelter will be holding an Open House on Tuesday, December 13th.   Stop by and visit the shelter and see the wonderful cats and dogs longing to be a part of your family.   There will be a variety of homemade baked goods, appetizers, finger sandwiches, and beverages - including hot chocolate & coffee - will be available.  Approved Cat & Dog adoptions between December 13th through December 25th will be only $25.

As an aside, don't forget about Santa’s Mailbox!
Kids can mail a letter to Santa and receive one in return. Please bring or mail the letter to:

     Santa Claus
     c/o Recreation and Cultural Affairs Office
     205 Claremont Avenue
     Montclair NJ 07042
Letters to Santa must be received by December 15.