The Weekender: Fun this Weekend and the Holiday Week!

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

WHAT:   
WHERE:    Essex Bar & Grill, 41 Broughton Ave
WHEN:   Friday  8:30pm
WHY GO:    Come join the fun with a Great variety of Songs and Talent. 

WHAT:   
WHERE:   Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange
WHEN:     Friday, Saturday, Sunday  through 12/31 - exception -  Zoo is closed on the 25^th and there will not be a light display on the 24^th.
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:  
WHERE:   Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street, Newark
WHEN:     Friday, Saturday, Sunday    12:00pm–5:00pm  (Closed Christmas Day)
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: 
WHERE:   Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street, Newark
WHEN:     Friday, Saturday, Sunday    12:00pm–5:00pm    Closed Christmas Day
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:  Kip's Castle, 22 Crestmont Road, Verona
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: 
WHERE:  Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville
WHEN:  Monday  12/26   4pm
WHY GO:   Sponsored by Clara Maass and the Essex County American Cancer Society, this group offers women the chance to share experiences with other breast cancer survivors. Patients, families and friends are invited. A speaker is usually featured each month. Meetings are held on the last Monday of the month at 4 p.m. in the 3 South Annex "Room of Healing." Refreshments are served and parking is free.

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.
COST:  Museum Admission: Adult $10; Children, Seniors & Students with Valid I.D.: $6; Members free

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Essex County Environmental Center, 621 Eagle Rock Ave, Roseland
WHEN:   December 27, 28 & 29
WHY GO:  For children in kindergarten to 3rd grade.  Camp sessions are available for Forest Explorers – Kindergarten to 1st grade from 9am to Noon –  and Wildlife Adventurers – 2nd to 3rd grade from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.
COST:  $30 per child per day or $75 for all three days