The Weekender: 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. 

WHAT:    Library Annual Harvest Desserts and Fun Auction
WHERE:  Belleville Public Library 
WHEN:    Friday    7pm
WHY GO:  Laugh along with auctioneer Library Director Joan Taub as you bid on the best restaurants and services in the area, while having access to delicious desserts.  There is something for everyone, and it all benefits the Library.
COST:   $15

WHAT:    Murder under the Mistletoe
WHERE:  Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center , 240 Belleville Avenue, Bloomfield
WHEN:    Friday    7pm
WHY GO:   Toy Company owner Harry Humbug has been murdered and it will be up to the audience to help our Detective figure it out as they form mini-CSI Teams at each table and try to win clues before time runs out!
COST:   $64.95 per person, includes dinner, show, tax and gratuity.   (973) 429-0960

WHAT:  Cathedral Basilica Concert Series: Christmas at the Cathedral "Navidad Latina 2011"
WHERE:  The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, 89 Ridge St, Newark
WHEN:     Friday   8pm  
WHY GO:  The Cathedral Spanish Choir under the direction of Olfary Guitérrez joins forces with singers and instrumentalists from other Latin-American communities of the Archdiocese of Newark to present a program of ethnic Christmas music. The program, conducted in Spanish, includes Ariel Ramíerez's "Navidad Nuestra" along with Villancicos Tradicionales. Come celebrate Christmas from the many aspects of Latin-American traditions.
COST:  Free will offering

WHAT:  Saturday Movie - "Secretariat"
WHERE:   Belleville Public Library
WHEN:     Saturday   2pm
WHY GO:   Take a break from the Holiday rush.  Penny Chenery Tweedy and colleagues guide her long-shot but precocious stallion to set, in 1973, the unbeaten record for winning the Triple Crown.

WHAT:    Christmas Bazaar
WHERE:   Little Zion Methodist Church
WHEN:     Saturday  11am
WHY GO:   Home-made items and baked goods – buy one for a gift and one for yourself. 

WHAT:  Free Seasonal Concert by The Garden State Concert Band
WHERE:  Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, 60 Byrd Ave, Bloomfield
WHEN:   Saturday  7pm
WHY GO:  The Garden State Concert Band will perform a free seasonal concert.  The concert will include a feature performance by soprano Andrea Covais, as well as holiday selections by the band, conducted by Dominick Ferrara III.    Rev. Fr. Charles Miller will narrate “The Night Before Christmas,” a poem by Clement C. Moore.

WHAT:   Spanish Christmas Service
WHERE:  River of Life Assembly of God
WHEN:    Sunday   4pm
WHY GO:  River of Life Assembly of God is pleased to announce that it will hold it's second Spanish Service on Sunday, December 11 at 4:00 P.M. If you or someone you know is seeking a Spanish-speaking church please pass on the information. Thank you.

WHAT:    Chorus of Communities' Christmas Concert
WHERE:    St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church
WHEN:     Sunday  4pm
WHY GO:   Watch the Chorus of Communities' 2011 holiday concert on December 11, Sunday, 4:00 p.m., at the Church of St. Peter in 52 William Street. This year's theme for the concert is "Midnight Mass for Christmas" by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, to be conducted by Chorus director Richard Morgan. The Choir will also be performing additional Christmas music.
COST:   Advanced ticket sales now available at $15 each, $12 for seniors and students. Interested persons may call 201-472-9362 for reservations.

WHAT:   Holiday Light Spectacular at Turtle Back Zoo
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:   Welcome Christmas! A Holiday Music Celebration
WHERE:   Glen Ridge Congregational Church
WHEN:   Sunday   3pm
WHY GO:   Get into the holiday spirit and share the magic of the season by joining in this community tradition.  You'll be treated to a wide variety of holiday music in a beautiful candlelit setting.  Favorite carols for all to sing!    Glen Ridge Choral Society, Children's Choir, Handbells, Brass, Percussion, Piano & Organ.  Thomas Mustachio, Music Director

WHAT:   Christmas in the Ballantine House
WHERE:   Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street, Newark
WHEN:     Friday, Saturday, Sunday    12:00pm–5:00pm
WHY GO:   This historically accurate installation offers the opportunity to step back in time to learn about nineteenth-century life and traditions. From the Christmas tree (a German tradition) to the wooden shoes by the hearth (a Dutch tradition) to the stockings on the chimney and plum pudding in the dining room (English traditions), visitors can get a sense of how Christmas evolved into a home-based secular holiday in the nineteenth century, linked to but distinct from the religious commemoration that was celebrated in church.
COST:  Museum Admission: Adult $10; Children, Seniors & Students with Valid I.D.: $6; Members free

WHAT:  Planetarium - Holiday Shows
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:    Holiday at Kip’s Castle
WHEN:    Friday & Saturday    12:00pm–4:00pm
WHY GO:  Visit Kip’s Castle during the month of December for a self-guided tour of the first floor and experience the holidays circa 1928.

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