Weekender: Fun All Weekend and Holiday Week!

Here are just some of the festive things to in and around Montclair. Click on the ‘EVENTS’ tab to see even more opportunities. Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

WHAT:  
WHERE:   , 99 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair
WHEN:     Friday   6:30pm
WHY GO:   Hanukkah celebration featuring: Latkapalooza—Latkes fried on the spot and kugel too, activities for kids, special dining area for adults and Kabbalat Keshet—Lively, family-friendly, musical Shabbat Hanukkah.

WHAT: 
WHERE:  The lawn of Grace Presbyterian Church  
WHEN:    Saturday, Dec 24   6pm
WHY GO:  A very special Christmas Eve for All! Live animals and manger scene.  Children will have an opportunity to pet the animals as well.

WHAT:   
WHERE:   Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange
WHEN:     Friday, Saturday, Sunday  through 12/31 - exception -  Zoo is closed on Dec. 25 and there will not be a light display on Dec. 24.
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:  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:  The Montclair Museum of Art
WHEN:    Wednesday to Sunday from noon - 5 pm. Not open on Christmas
WHY GO:  This exhibition will explore various approaches to abstraction in American art by drawing examples from MAM’s permanent collection. Since the late 19th century, painters and sculptors have not always aimed to depict persons and objects realistically, but rather deliberately altered their subject’s natural appearance. Artists have made these transformations in an effort to communicate something they cannot convey through realistic treatments.
COST:  $12 nonmember adults, $10 for seniors (65+) and students with I.D.

WHAT:  
WHERE:   JCC MetroWest
WHEN:      Sunday the 25th   10am
WHY GO:   COME TO THE WINTERFEST AT JCC !
 * Carnival Attractions
 * Crafts
 * Games
 * Prizes
 * Food for Purchase
Special Musical Performance by Squeaky Clean !
Open to the Community! (No pre-registration - pay at the door)
COST:  $18 per child | Free Admission for Adults and Children under age 1

WHAT:  
WHERE:  , 49 Washington St, Newark
WHEN:     December 27, 28, 29 & 30     12:30 to 4pm
WHY GO:  Make the Newark Museum part of your holiday tradition!  Celebrate the season with four days of family festivities including: live music, theater performances, art and science hands-on activities, gallery games, scavenger hunts
Also enjoy:  special planetarium shows that illuminate stories of miracles from around the world and  tours of the Ballantine House bedecked for Christmas with all the trimmings of the Victorian age
Hands-on Activities:
Miracle of light—Roll a beeswax candle for your winter holiday celebration—be it Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice or more—and fill your home with cheery light!
Miracle of creation—Discover the Navajo legend of Spider Woman who created the universe by weaving it on her giant loom while learning to weave with artist Liz Heine on a real loom.
Miracle of good fortune—Join in an ancient tradition of pilgrims for blessing and empowerment by making a clay impression, or tsa
tsa, using authentic molds from our Asian art collection.
Gallery Tours:
1 & 3 pm    Ballantine House at Christmas: Feasting with Family and Friends2 & 4 pm    Patchwork from Folk Art to Fine ArtPerformances:
Tuesday, December 27, 2 pm
Yuletide Carolers present Songs of the HolidaysNothing captures the magic of the season like the Yuletide Carolers, adorned in authentic Victorian attire, and singing the world’s best-loved carols!
Wednesday, December 28, 2 pm
Pushcart Players present A Season of MiraclesA sparkling collection of holiday tales from different cultures around the world are set to music and the magic of theater. Miracles, heartwarming laughter, kindness and joy abound within each story.

WHAT:
WHERE:   Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street, Newark
WHEN:     Friday, Saturday, Sunday    12:00pm–5:00pm
WHY GO:   Season of Light (Limited run)   Saturdays & Sundays, 2 pm - Recommended for adults and children ages 6 and up    40 minutes
Trace the development of many of the world's endearing holiday customs, all of which involve lighting up the winter season—from Yule logs and sparkling Christmas tree lights to the lighting of the Hanukkah Menorah. This show recounts the historical religious and cultural rituals practiced during the time of winter solstice—not only Christian and Jewish, but also Celtic, Nordic, Roman, Irish, Mexican and Hopi.
Seven Wonders    Fridays, 2 pm  Saturdays & Sundays, 2 & 4 pm - Recommended for adults and children ages 9 and up    40 minutes
Turn back the pages of time and witness the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World as they have not been seen for thousands of years. 
The Little Star that Could    Saturdays & Sundays, 1 & 3 pm - Recommended for adults and children ages 5 to 8   35 minutes
A little star is born all by himself.  Lonely for some friends, he embarks on a journey through the galaxy.  Along the way he meets different stars, learns about their lives, colors and temperatures.  At the end of his voyage he is introduced to a star cluster, the Milky Way and the planets in our Solar System.
COST:   Adults $15; children under 12, seniors, and college students $9 - includes Museum & Planetarium admission

WHAT:   
WHERE:  Mountainside Hospital
WHEN:    Monday, Dec. 26   7pm
WHY GO:  This 1 hour session will discuss the topic of cord blood banking, which is the collection and storage of the stem cells found in your newborn's umbilical cord blood. When you bank your baby's cord blood, you are making a choice that could potentially provide a lifesaving treatment for your baby, sibling or family member.  This non-invasive collection is only available to you at the time of your baby's birth. Learn and discuss your options and decide whether it is right for your family.

WHAT:   
WHERE:  Montclair Library
WHEN:    Wednesday  Dec. 28   1pm
WHY GO:  The Man Who Came to Dinner - When acerbic critic Sheridan Whiteside slips on the front steps of a provincial Ohio businessman's home and breaks his hip, he and his entourage take over the house indefinitely.

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Kids and Youth: $5. For ages 3 to 17
Adults: $15 -- $20 on December 31
Ticket Sales:
First Night Montclair tickets are available for purchase at the Montclair Township Municipal Center, 205 Claremont Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey 07042. CASH AND CHECKS ONLY FOR TICKET PURCHASES AT THE MONTCLAIR MUNICIPAL BUILDING.
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: www.brownpapertickets.com
Ticket Sales Hours at the Municipal Building are:
December 12-30: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
The Municipal Building will be CLOSED MONDAY, DECEMBER 26.
Tickets also available at Investors Bank, 536 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair:
December 12-30: Monday & Wednesday 8:30-6:00; Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30-4:30; Saturdays 9:00 - 1:00
December 31: 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Investors Bank will be CLOSED MONDAY, DECEMBER 26.