The Weekender: Inkalicious, Anyone?

With summer events winding down in Maplewood, this may be the perfect weekend to explore the burgeoning Valley Arts District in Orange and West Orange. A haven for artists over the past 10 years, this 10-block area in the former industrial valley area of Orange and West Orange, is really gaining traction. This past year saw the opening of Hat City Kitchen (the area was once known as the "hat making capital of the world"). And this weekend brings Inkalicious.

Inkalicious is an arts festival hosted by ORNG Ink, a summer program for young artists in the community. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday August 14 in their studio grounds at Ironworks. Events include performances, a salad making competition, music recordings, photography, lessons in t-shirt printing and more. The festival is free.

While you're in the neighborhood, you may want to head over the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange. All U.S. national parks are open and free of charge this weekend. The park is open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Read about the National Park free weekend program and the recent renovations to Edison's laboratory and home here.

For something completely different, head to Millburn's Taylor Park concert for the final concert in their summer series. The Characters will be playing Sunday 7-8:30 p.m. Admission is free. The Characters have appeared all over New Jersey since they joined forces in 1982. Members are Danny Solazzi on vocals and guitar, George Messina on drums, Rob Traegler on keys and guitar, Craig Colandro on bass and Frank King of guitar.

Have a dog? Take it for a walk this weekend with the South Mountain Conservancy. This Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., they will be hosting a dog walk through South Mountain Reservation. Participants should meet at the dog park off of Crest Drive. Dogs must be kept on leashes.

This weekend also marks the opening of a new play at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison. The play, "No Man's Land," is not by Shakespeare, but author Harold Pinter could be called one of today's most important playwrights as the winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature. The play runs from August 11-19. Tickets can be purchased here for a variety of show times and price ranges.

On Friday the Millburn Public Library will be having a movie night for children ages 4-12 years old. "Tale of Despereaux" will be a free showing, but registration is required here. The movie will begin at 6:30 p.m. and should end around 8:30 p.m.