Events
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Feb 5: Toronto’s Classical Theater Project is bringing the original brooding teens to the Mayo Performing Arts Center in its production of Romeo and Juliet.
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My Mummers
Feb 25: New Year’s Day 2013 might be a long way off, but this show by the Philadelphia Mummers is just around the corner. Boardwalk Hall will be a sea of glitter and sequins as the Mummers’ Show of Shows sashays its way back to Atlantic City.
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Little Boy Blew
Feb 8: The Ocean County College MidWeek Jazz series presents trumpet prodigy Geoff Gallante. Back by popular demand, Gallante first played at the college last year, enrapturing the audience with his classic jazz.
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Barnum and Bohr
Feb 11-12: What do you get when you cross a clown with an electromagnetic particle accelerator? The Newark Museum and Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey are joining forces to bring you Circus Science, an interactive showcase that teaches kids the science behind their favorite circus acts.
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Put a Ring On It
Feb 4: From the treacherous cliffs of Mount Doom to the golden forests of Lothlorien, Charlie Ross is ready to conjure up Middle Earth. Ross, the actor behind One Man Star Wars, returns to the State Theater with One Man Lord of the Rings.
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Keel Deal
Feb 1-5: Hoist sails and set a course for the Atlantic City Boat Show. The annual extravaganza promises to promote a vessel for every lifestyle and budget. In addition to browsing the sales floor, customers are invited to take part in a variety of interactive activities and educational seminars.
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Take the Plunge
Feb 25: Feel like taking a dip in the icy waters of the Atlantic? Join the party, and raise some money for a good cause. The Seaside Heights Polar Bear Plunge has become the single largest daylong fundraising event for New Jersey Special Olympics.
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The Big Dog Turns 50
Jan 15: Join Clifford and his friends Emily Elizabeth, Cleo and T-Bone as they embark on fun and exciting adventures in this new musical celebrating the Big Red Dog’s 50th anniversary at the Mayo Performing Arts Center.
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Folksy Female
Jan 28: Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega weaves her poetry into contemporary folk songs with a unique and identifiable sound at the South Orange Performing Arts Center.
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Stick Around
Jan 6-8: Now in its 39th year, the Garden State Stamp and Postcard Show at the Bethwood Manor has earned the reputation of being the best dealer-sponsored show in New Jersey.
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Country Rascals
Jan 28: Rascal Flatts is the most-awarded country group of the past decade. Since the band’s debut in 2000, it has sold over 20 million albums and over 6 million concert tickets.
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Blue Collar Capers
Jan 19: Comedian and actor Bill Engvall, best known for his work as a stand-up comic and member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour with Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White, brings the funny to the Bergen Performing Arts Center.
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Mouse Capades
Jan 12-16: Follow Mickey and Minnie into the magical worlds of The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Peter Pan and Lilo & Stitch in Disney on Ice: Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey at the Prudential Center.
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Have A Blast
Jan 27: Winner of the 2001 Tony for Best Special Theatrical Event and the 2001 Emmy for Best Choreography, Blast features 35 brass, percussion and dance performers in a unique explosion of music and theater evolved from the showmanship and pageantry of the drum corps, bands and color guards that perform on athletic fields across the nation.
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Liza's Confessions
Dec 16: Liza Minnelli has won all the entertainment world’s major awards, including the Oscar (for her iconic performance in Cabaret), the Emmy, the Tony and the Grammy.
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Tap the Halls
Dec 11: The company that clicked with Sing, Sing, Sing brings its new seasonal musical Deck the Halls! In Dickensian costumes, more than 40 singers, tap dancers and musicians perform favorite holiday songs at the Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University.
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Visions of Sugar Plums
Dec 16: Celebrate the holidays with New Jersey Ballet as it presents The Nutcracker at the Mayo Performing Arts Center.
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Sweet Somethings
Dec 4: The Chocolate World Expo returns to the Meadowlands Expo Center just in time for holiday shopping.
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Ice Queens
Dec 3: An international cast of women’s figure skating champions pays homage to skating icon Peggy Fleming at Boardwalk Hall.
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Celtic Christmas
Dec 16: Now in its 13th year, the Pipes of Christmas concert will feature holiday music accompanied by a selection of readings from Celtic literature at Central Presbyterian Church.
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The Holidays Rock!
Dec 22: Part theatrical show, part rock spectacle, Trans-Siberian Orchestra will light up the Prudential Center with two over-the-top performances of Christmas Eve and Other Stories, followed by excerpts from the group’s upcoming project, Gutter Ballet and the New York Blues Express.
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Giggles Galore
Nov 5: South Orange native and comedienne Jessica Kirson returns to the South Orange Performing Arts Center with a few of her funniest friends, including Dan Naturman (NBC’s Last Comic Standing) and Godfrey (Soul Plane, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend).
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Setting the Stage
Nov 17-18: Since 1985, Parsons Dance has performed in more than 250 cities, 35 countries and six continents.
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Jersey's Jewels
Nov 19: Start Christmas shopping early at the Jewelers Studio Guild’s Fall Holiday Show, featuring a wide variety of handcrafted jewelry.
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Make Some Moves
Nov 12: The Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College presents its third celebration of New Jersey choreographers and companies with this month’s show titled “Dances from the Garden: Three NJ Choreographers.”
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Acrobats Abroad
Nov 6 & 27: The National Acrobats of China stop in Jersey on the troupe’s first tour of the United States.
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Catch That Cabbie
Nov 5: New York City’s most popular taxi driver, Ben Bailey from Discovery Channel’s game show Cash Cab, returns to his home state with a performance at the Count Basie Theatre.
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The Endangered Observed
Nov 12-Feb 19: Maplewood resident Tricia Zimic’s solo show, “Wild Urbania,” debuts this month at the New Jersey State Museum.
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Krakowski At Kean
Oct 1: Kean University’s Enlow Hall opens its second concert season this month with a performance by Parsippany native Jane Krakowski.
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Yo Gabba What?
Oct 11–12: What do a cyclops, a flower bubble, a green monster, a cat-dragon and a robot have in common? They’re the cast of the popular Nick Jr. television show Yo Gabba Gabba, whose live performance takes to the stage this fall at the State Theatre.
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She Sells Sea Glass
Oct 8–9: Though Shore season is behind us, beachcombers can relive summer glory at the North American Sea Glass Association’s sixth annual national festival.
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Head For The Hills
Oct 22: New Jersey’s most prestigious steeplechase, the Far Hills Race Meeting, celebrates its 91st running this month at Moorland Farms.
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Unsteadily Ever After
Oct 4–Nov 6: The George Street Playhouse kicks off its 38th season with the world premiere of the comedy It Shoulda Been You.
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Kicks & Kebobs
Oct 2: Experience Russian and Slavic spirit at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral’s seventh annual Russian and Slavic Cultural Festival.
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Monster Mash
Oct 21-23: Prepare yourself for the zombie apocalypse as Asbury Park is overrun by the undead during the fourth annual New Jersey Zombie Walk.
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Heroic Hannah
Sept 1–18: Kean University’s resident theater, Premiere Stages, presents Hannah, a stirring portrait of WWII freedom fighter Hannah Senesh.
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Crazy About Plums
Sept 11: Get up close and personal with Prunus maritima—better known as the beach plum—at the Friends of Island Beach State Park’s 14th annual Beach Plum Festival.
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Piecing It Together
Sept 14–Dec 31: Featuring more than two dozen examples from the Newark Museum’s collection, “Patchwork: From Folk Art to Fine Art” traces the evolution of quilts—from functional masterpieces of women’s folk art to self-conscious artworks intended for display rather than use.
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Stop The Presses
Sept 15–Oct 16: Read all about it! Paper Mill Playhouse presents the premiere of the brand-new musical Newsies, adapted from the popular Disney film.
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Cheers To NJ!
Sept 9–11: The culinary and wine worlds’ attention turns to Jersey this month as celebrity chefs, sommeliers and winemakers converge at the Grand Summit Hotel for the third annual Summit Wine and Food Festival.
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Nature Made
Sept 3–Oct 2: Celebrate the approach of fall with the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center’s exhibit “Nature Inspired.”
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Saluting The Sun
Sept 24–25: The only thing more relaxing than a day at the beach? Yoga at the beach. This month, Yoga Basin combines the two most serene pastimes during its annual Yoga Festival by the Sea.
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Lord Love A Corndog
Aug 13 and 17: Blue Collar Comedy Tour veteran and TBS sitcom star Bill Engvall’s goofy tales about everyday situations have made him one of the most popular comedians in the country.
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Forty Years Strong
Aug 30–31: Since 1971, ZZ Top’s original lineup of Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard have been performing their blues-based boogie rock.
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Happy As A Clam Eater
Aug 4–7: Huddy Park’s four-day, action-packed 17th annual Clamfest features fresh seafood, a beer-and-wine garden, thrill rides, the comical clam-shucking contest and the clam-eating contest.
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Rock 'N' Ribs
Aug 28: This summer, Live Nation’s first Rib Rock cooks up a smokin’ combination of blues, rock and barbecue.
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Roar & Soar
Aug 17: The ninth Atlantic City Airshow, Thunder Over the Boardwalk, takes to the skies with heart-stopping feats and aerobatic maneuvers.
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The Boys of Brass
Aug 12: Since its beginnings in 1989, Spanish Brass has enthralled audiences with its versatility and virtuosity.
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Fresh Air
Aug 5–14: Sure, Jersey’s nickname is the Garden State, but we sometimes need a reminder of our rural roots. Since 1923, the New Jersey State Fair®/Sussex County Farm and Horse Show has been celebrating the state’s rich agricultural tradition, which is very much alive and well in Sussex County.
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Offshore Ice Cream
Cowabunga hand-delivers cones to boats bobbing in Barnegat Bay.
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Leary and Friends
Jul 2, 13, 15: Comedian Denis Leary, star of TV’s Rescue Me, offers an evening of caustic commentary and comedy.
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Motorcity Madman
Jul 24 and 26: Guitar hero Ted Nugent blitzes the Garden State for two shows. From his solo work to his supergroup, Damn Yankees, he’s remained a rock icon, producing hits such as “Cat Scratch Fever” and “High Enough.”
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Break The Silence
Thru Jul 27: They don’t make a sound, but the glass sculptures at Rutgers University’s Paul Robeson Galleries have a lot to say.
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Country Strong
Jul 22 and 29: Country ain’t just a Southern thang. This month, Nashville superstar Tim McGraw performs two concerts in the Garden State.
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Up, Up And Away
Jul 29-31: It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…a Pepsi can? At the 29th annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, a barn, a penguin and an ice cream cone take flight alongside more than 125 other hot air balloons from around the world
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Wiggle Room
Jul 17: Come and shimmy in the aisles of the Izod Center as the Australian children’s musical group the Wiggles presents its highly interactive and educational show celebrating the group’s 20th anniversary.
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Make Some Noise
Jul 1-3: Red Bank doesn’t just celebrate Independence Day on the Fourth. The town’s 52nd annual fireworks display has evolved into a three-day festival along the banks of the Navesink.
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Secret Delights
Jun 5: Behind Hoboken’s brownstones and former factory façades is a world of lush gardens and unusual courtyard spaces as diverse as the city’s residents.
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Comedy of Manners
Jun 1–26: The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre begins its 49th Anniversary Season this month with the production of the 17th century comedy The Misanthrope, starring John Patrick Hayden.
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Bridging Cultures
Jun 5–26: The Belskie Museum of Art & Science presents “An Artist’s Bridge Between Two Worlds,” a retrospective of long-time Englewood resident Bogdan Grom.
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Rocks, Ribs, and Ridges, Oh My!
Jun 11–12: Southern rock and cooking come to North Jersey for Rock, Ribs & Ridges, a two-day festival.
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Straight Up
Jun 27–Sept 4: The acclaimed a cappella group Straight No Chaser returns to Harrah’s Resort for an exclusive 10-week concert residency.
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Appel Appeal
June 4: At the 22nd Appel Farm Arts & Music Festival, musicians including Gogol Bordello, Ani DiFranco and Red Horse perform on two stages.
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Friday Frolics
Jun 3–24: Every Friday evening this month, the streets of Metuchen are transformed as the fourth annual Junebug ArtFest draws several hundred visual and performing artists.
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What's Happening
Your calendar for a summer of fun.
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Let's Make A Deal
May 19: Comic Howie Mandel performs for one night only at the Union County Performing Arts Center.
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You Say You Want A Revolution
May 6–8: Alvin Ailey, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s principal resident dance company, returns to Newark for its annual performance.
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Bag Lady
May 26–June 30: Celebrate spring this month by viewing Randoph-resident Leah K. Tomaino’s exhibit, “Recycled,” at the Johnson & Johnson World Headquarters Gallery.
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The Hills Are Alive
May 7-28: Every weekend this month, hilly Hunterdon County comes alive with music during the 22nd Raritan River Music Festival.
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A Love Story
May 11-June 18: Cape May Stage’s 2011 theater season bursts onto the scene this month with the opener, Say Goodnight Gracie, back by popular demand after selling out every night in the summer of 2009.
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Turn Up The Heat
May 21: Prepare for some springtime sizzle at the 22nd annual New Jersey State Chili and Salsa Cook-Off in Toms River, as contestants from all over the East Coast compete for prize money and a spot at the International Chili Society’s world championship.
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Art Form For The Ages
May 6-8: A visually dazzling tour representing 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture comes to the State Theatre.
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A Singular Mann
Apr 8: Aimee Mann has never been a fan of conformity. It started in the ’80s when she bucked an overbearing beau with the release of her band ‘Til Tuesday’s hit album “Voices Carry.”
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Cool As Ice
Apr 2: Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Smucker’s Stars on Ice Tour glides into the Izod Center this month, flaunting an all-star line-up of figure skating legends.
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Nature Rampant
Apr 4-29: Just in time for spring, Montclair State-grad Csilla Sadloch exhibits her plant-inspired oil paintings this month at the Gallery at Chapin.
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In Full Bloom
Apr 4-17: This month, the largest collection of cherry blossom trees in the nation blooms in Newark’s Branch Brook Park as the city debuts its newly completed collection of more than 4,300 trees during the 35th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
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Opera Rock
Apr 7: Parsons Dance Company and the East Village Opera Company combine their athleticism and exhilarating live vocal performances in this month’s production of Remember Me, a high-energy mix of contemporary American dance, opera and rock music.
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Saddle Up
Apr 1-3: Surprise was the reaction when—at one of Mayor Lorenzo Langford’s Strategic Planning Committee meetings—gaming executive Dennis Gomes suggested a rodeo in Atlantic City.
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The Buzz About Bamboozle
Apr 29-May 1: Growing up in North Caldwell, a town with few music venues, John D’Esposito had little opportunity to crack into the concert promotion business. Yet today, at age 37, D’Esposito is known nationally as the founder of the Bamboozle festival—a three-day concert event in his home state that has become a staple of the festival circuit.
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Two Men, No Script
Mar 3 & 5: Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, the popular stars of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, team up this month to create two evenings of hilarious improvisational comedy on the spot.
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Having A Ball
Mar 12, 16-17, 22: The legendary Harlem Globetrotters celebrate their 85th consecutive season by bringing a handful of games to the Garden State.
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Mardi Gras Music
Mar 8: Celebrate Fat Tuesday with trumpeter Al Harrison and his Dixieland Band as they perform a benefit concert at the Collingswood Community Center.
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Kiss Them, They're Irish
Mar 15-16: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Grammy-winning Chieftains. Masters of the pipes, fiddle and bodhrán drum, the Chieftains perform innovative takes on traditional Celtic music while featuring a variety of guest musicians, vocalists and traditional Irish step dancers.
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Wine and Dine
Mar 11-13: The third annual New Jersey Food and Wine Festival is an epicurean adventure celebrating the world’s best wines and top local chefs.
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High-Voltage Fun
Mar 2-13: Experience currents of excitement as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey brings its all-new show, Fully Charged, to the Izod Center this month.
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Asbury Harmonies
Mar 12-Apr 17: From bandleaders John Philip Sousa and Arthur Prior in the early days to modern icons like Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Southside Johnny, Asbury Park has often been at the forefront of the music scene.
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Learn Your Lesson
Feb 12–13: New Jersey native Robert Wuhl may be the funniest social studies teacher you’ll ever meet. The comedic history buff takes audiences on a lighthearted journey through our nation’s past as he examines the stories that made up America and the stories that America made up.
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Wintertime Blues
Feb 7, 10, 17: This month, three Jersey venues present an all-star evening of electric and acoustic blues.
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A League of Their Own
Feb 2–April 30: Starting this month, the city of Newark pays tribute to a grassroots art movement with a multi-site exhibition titled “The Newark School.”
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Stupid Cupid
Feb 12: This Valentine’s Day weekend, take a musical joyride through the jungle of the modern-day mating game with off-Broadway’s longest-running hit, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.
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Happy New Year! (Again)
Feb 5–6: In celebration of the first day of the Chinese New Year on February 3, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company performs traditional and contemporary music and dance at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
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Skinny Girl Gossip
Jan 20: Grab the girls and throw on your best pumps for a hilarious and unpredictable evening at the Count Basie Theatre with Bethenny Frankel of Bravo TV’s The Real Housewives of New York City.
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High Notes
Jan 9: Sara Jakubiak and Ross Benoliel make opera accessible in their concert “Love Ain’t Easy: Songs From Opera and Broadway” at the Bunker Hill Presbyterian Church.
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Prized Prints
Jan 29-May 29: Starting this month, the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum celebrates Highland Park native Joan Snyder in “Dancing with the Dark: Joan Snyder Prints 1963-2010.”
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Body Language
Jan 28: Continuing China’s 2,500-year-old tradition, the Golden Dragon Acrobats combine traditional dance and acrobatics with ancient and contemporary music for a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty.
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Swan Song
Jan 21-23: Tchaikovsky Ballet, the elegant company of 60, returns to New Jersey with its stunning production of Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky’s masterfully romantic fairy tale, performed with full corps de ballet at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
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Be All Ears
Jan 7, 11, 12: Since 1969, Gregg Allman’s keyboards and compelling vocals have powered the Allman Brothers Band.
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Come Hell or High Water
Beginning with Winter Festival 2011, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra launches a multiyear odyssey through the elements, starting with water.
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On A Rant
Dec 1–4: If last month’s elections left you angry and disillusioned, Lewis Black’s comedy may be just the catharsis you need.
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Dream the Dream
Thru Dec 26: The Paper Mill Playhouse hosts the North American premiere of the 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables, featuring innovative staging and reimagined scenery inspired by the drawings of Victor Hugo.
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Jersey Boys
Dec 17: One-third of the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale’s membership, as well as its music director, Jeffrey R. Smith, hails from South Jersey.
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One For All
Dec 31: Ring in the New Year at the state’s largest New Year’s Eve celebration, First Night Morris County.
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Silly Sing Along
Dec 11: Everyone will be tapping their toes when children’s music superstars the Laurie Berkner Band performs a Birthday Party concert at the Bergen Performing Arts Center.
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Holiday Dreams
Dec 3–5: Ornaments come to life when Cirque Dreams Holidaze arrives at the State Theatre.
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Kingdom of Sweets
Dec 17–26: The most alluring gift under the tree this season? A ticket to see the New Jersey Ballet celebrate 40 years of The Nutcracker at the Mayo Center for the Performing Arts.
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The Bad Boys of Magic
Nov 4–7: Eccentric and wry, Penn and Teller make three Jersey appearances featuring clever pranks, gory tricks, amazing escapes, and humorous commentary at the State Theatre.
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Elementary, My Dear Watson
Nov 5–7: Sherlock Holmes returns to the Inn of Cape May to unravel the evidence to a baffling crime during Sherlock Holmes Weekend, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities.
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Cuckoo For Cocoa
Thru Nov 4: Inform your sweet tooth at “Bittersweet: The Chocolate Show.”
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D'oh
Nov 14: In this co-presentation with the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, the Mayo Center for Performing Arts hosts actor Rick Miller as he introduces Bart Simpson to the Bard, transporting Shakespeare to Springfield, home of America’s favorite dysfunctional family.
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Sizzle At The Shore
Nov 5–14: If you haven’t been down the Shore since summer, Jersey Shore Restaurant Week gives you an excuse to explore your favorite oceanfront towns in the fall.
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The Kids Are All Right
Nov 3: Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Michael Bolton performs at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Prudential Hall for the eighth annual Concert for Kids to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs in New Jersey.
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Art on Tour
Nov 26–28: Explore the arts of southern Hunterdon County during the Covered Bridge Artisans’ sixteenth Annual Holiday Studio Tour.
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Inside Al
Oct 1: William Paterson University’s 31st Distinguished Lecturer Series lets the public get up close and personal with cinema legend Al Pacino.
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Damn Right, He's Got The Blues
Oct 22, 23, & 28: A pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, five-time Grammy Award-winner Buddy Guy performs at Count Basie Theatre.
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Burnin' Rubber
Oct 1–Dec 3: Newark-born sculptor Chakaia Booker’s career is celebrated in the Visual Arts Center for New Jersey’s comprehensive exhibit “Cut, Weld and Build: Process in Works by Chakaia Booker.”
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Head Over Heels
Oct 28: Come watch as the dance ensemble Pilobolus gets bent out of shape—literally! The State Theatre hosts this cutting-edge troupe, now in its 40th year of combining brilliant colors, mind-boggling choreography, and feats of strength and agility.
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The Chase Is On
Oct 23: Every fall, more than 50,000 spectators converge on Moorland Farms for a day of racing, high fashion, networking, and food at the Far Hills Race Meeting.
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For The Love of Pumpkins
Oct 9–10: The Atlantic County 4-H Fairgrounds hosts the seventh annual South Jersey Pumpkin Show, featuring a pumpkin weigh-off, a Little Miss Pumpkin Pageant, and a pumpkin dessert contest.
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Let's Get Lost
Oct 1-31: For the tenth year, Stony Hill Farm Market invites visitors to get lost in a life-sized maze of maize. This year’s 10-acre cornfield maze is a “NJ Farm Adventure.”
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Spirits in the Night
Who ya gonna call? The South Jersey Ghost Research team answers when Garden State homeowners get spooked.
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Ghoulish Getaways
Haunted happenings throughout the state.
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A Harvest of Fall Fun in Cape May
Dinners, antiques shops, and teas make summer but a memory.
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Food Fests and Wine Tastings
It’s no surprise there’s a wealth of invigorating things to do in New Jersey at harvest-time. Here are some highlights.
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Engulfed in Sedaris
Sept 28: David Sedaris returns to the McCarter Theatre for the eighth time (his previous shows there have sold out).
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With A Little Help From His Friends
Sept 18: Former member of Styx and Irvington native Glen Burtnik and friends return to the State Theatre for Jersey Beatles Bash IV.
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Surf's Up
Sept 18: The Algonquin Arts Theatre wants to suggest an endless summer with its first-ever Surf Bash Festival.
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Wine and Dine
Sept 24–26: For an epicurean adventure, the Summit Wine and Food Festival at the Grand Summit Hotel is your destination.
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Topsy Turvy Time
Sept 10–Oct 17: McCarter Theatre opens this season with a show to make your head spin. Illusionist and granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, Aurélia Thierrée, presents the circus-inspired Aurelia’s Oratorio and her magical world of illusion.
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The Pretender And His Pal
Sept 2, 4, & 5: Folk-rock musician and songwriter Jackson Browne continues his road trek this fall with longtime friend and collaborator David Lindley, with whom he recently released the live album, Love Is Strange.
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Water, Water, Everywhere
Sept 1–Jan 2: Rutgers University in New Brunswick welcomes students back this fall with a new, campus-wide, interdisciplinary initiative to explore the theme of water, not only as essential to life, but as a powerful metaphor in subjects including poetry, music, dance, and the visual arts.
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Setting the Stage
Aug 11–29: Celebrating her twentieth season, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s aristic director Bonnie J. Monte directs the dark and provocative No Man’s Land at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre.
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They Got That Boom Boom Pow
Aug 7: One of the most energetic acts in music today is coming to Boardwalk Hall to get the party started.
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Gone Fishin'
Thru Aug 23: It’s your last chance to catch (pun intended) the “Fish Show II” exhibition at Swan Creek Gallery
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Tee Time
Aug 24-29: The top 125 players in golf will have their eyes on the prize when the Barclays, the first of four playoff events on the PGA Tour, returns to the historic Ridgewood Country Club.
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Wild For The Wiggles
Aug 17: Kids won’t sit still long when the Wiggles’ Wiggly Circus comes to the Izod Center.
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The Springsteen Substitute
Aug 15: The Boss may be taking a break from tours this summer, but the ultimate Bruce Springsteen tribute band will hit the road hard.
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Tasty Cakes
Aug 21–22: If you thought Maryland was the only place where they can whip up a great crab cake, guess again.
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Hail To The (Former) Chief
July 23: For engaging political conversation, travel no farther than the Atlantic City Hilton’s new Summer Speaker Series, where you can hear high-profile perspectives from the left and right in the casino resort’s Grand Theater.
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The Girls Club
July 28 and 31: Thirteen years since Lilith Fair’s female artists first took the stage, the touring festival returns this summer with more than 30 shows.
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Salud to St. Ann
July 21–26: The Church of St. Ann in Hoboken hosts its 100th annual Italian festival in St. Ann’s Square, where thousands of visitors can feast on homemade Italian specialties from parishioners, including the famous (and secret) zeppole recipe.
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If You're Feeling Congested
Thru July 31: There’s more to North Jersey than construction and congestion, as documented by the “Open Spaces of Northern New Jersey” exhibit at the Ridge and Valley Conservancy.
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The Big Bang
July 4: Whether you’re strolling the boardwalk or cruising by boat, you’re sure to stop in your tracks (or your wake) at the first boom of the Seaside Heights Fourth of July Fireworks Extravaganza, sponsored by Coca Cola.
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Jazz Goes Green
July 1–29 On July 1: the Louis Hayes Quintet, led by the boppin’ drummer himself, kicks off the 45th annual Jazz in the Gardens series at the Newark Museum.
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Please Your Palate
July 29–Aug 1: Unleash your inner foodie at the star-studded Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival.
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Soup Man
July 16-17: Since 2004, comedian Joel McHale has roasted celebrities and pop culture as host of E!’s no-holds-barred weekly recap show The Soup.
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Bieber Fever
June 24: Latest tween pop sensation Justin Bieber is not only cute as a button, he’s got pipes to match (well, at least until puberty hits).
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Art Is In The Air
June 9–13: Get a taste of Paris close to home at the first-ever Cranford Plein Air event. Peer over the shoulders of more than 30 juried artists from across the country, who will paint throughout the downtown area in parks, along the river, and in various private homes, to capture the town’s historic architecture and natural landscapes on their canvases.
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'Round The Clock Party
June 19-20: From the 4-year-old fingerpainters to more seasoned professionals, you can see the unique works of nearly 700 artists in Art All Night Trenton at the historic Roebling Wire Works factory building.
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Slumdog Composer
June 12: Best known for winning two Oscars, a Golden Globe, and two Grammys for composing the score of Slumdog Millionaire in 2009, international musician A.R. Rahman stops at Boardwalk Hall on his “Jai Ho: The Journey Home” world tour.
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Paved Pleasure
June 6: Point Pleasant’s Summerfest takes it to the street (Bridge Avenue to be exact) for the twentieth year. Celebrate the milestone and enjoy arts and crafts, a farmers’ market, music by local bands, a pet parade, inflatable rides, and more.
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All Is Fair
June 17–July 5: Steal time from the Shore to check out the State Fair at the Meadowlands Fairgrounds, our state’s largest annual family-friendly event.
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Fun For All
New events and old favorites abound on the summer’s Shore calendar.
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Comic Cabbie
May 15: Taking a break from cruising the streets of Manhattan as host of the Discovery Channel’s trivia game show Cash Cab, Chatham native Ben Bailey returns to Jersey for a few laughs.
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Ladies of the Links
May 20–23: Watch 64 of the world’s best female golfers compete at Hamilton Farm Golf Club in the Sybase Match Play Championship, an official tournament of the LPGA Tour.
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Grand Ole Gershwin
May 21 & 23: Celebrating its 45th anniversary season, the New Jersey State Opera presents the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess at Newark Symphony Hall.
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Some Like It Hot
May 15: Whether you prefer mild or inferno, the 21st annual New Jersey State Chili and Salsa Cook Off in Toms River can satisfy any appetite.
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Happily Bamboozled
May 1–2: The 5-year-old Bamboozle Festival is still the rage for Jersey’s younger generation. Held at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, it showcases hundreds of the most talked-about acts in music today.
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Around The World And Back Again
May 26, 27, 29: In the midst of visiting 30 countries for 135 shows on their “Circle the World Tour,” New Jersey natives Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan, and Tico Torres are coming home for three inaugural shows at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
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Smokin' Hot
Apr 7–May 2: The longest running musical revue in history, Smokey Joe’s Café, comes to the Paper Mill Playhouse.
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Keepin' It Cool
Apr 10: Fresh from the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Olympians including gold medalist Evan Lysacek and ice-dancing pair Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto return to the rink for the Smucker’s Stars on Ice Tour at the Izod Center.
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In Full Bloom
Apr 23–May 2: Celebrate the arrival of spring Victorian-style at the fifteenth annual Cape May Spring Festival.
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Life Talks
Apr 26: Lee Woodruff, author of In an Instant and contributing editor for Good Morning America, is the featured speaker for the Smart Talk Connected Conversations series at the State Theatre.
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By George!
Apr 1–11: Monmouth Museum’s exhibition “George Segal Everyman: Sculpture, Paintings, and Drawings,” (on display through April 11) features work by the late internationally acclaimed pop artist and South Brunswick resident.
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Good as Gold
Apr 9–10: The teen idols who made the girls swoon in the ’50s and ’60s are back, though no longer teens.
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Born to Run
Apr 17: Lace up your sneakers for the second annual RunApalooza, a day of races hosted by the Jersey Shore Running Club.
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Abracadabra Duo
Mar 5, 6, and 7: Husband and wife team Kevin and Cindy Spencer present the dramatic magic show Theatre of Illusion.
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Jersey Sheik
Mar 18: Musician Duncan Sheik returns to New Jersey to promote his latest album Whisper House at the South Orange Performing Arts Center.
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Fight Club
Mar 27: Two combat-sport world titles are on the line when the Ultimate Fighting Championship stops at the Prudential Center.
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Fifes and Pipes
Mar 14 & 16: Sounds of the Emerald Isle arrive just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.
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Top Dog
Mar 30–Apr 25: Former Saturday Night Live cast member Rachel Dratch (below) best known for her character Debbie Downer, brings laughs to Sylvia, a comedy by A.R. Gurney, at the George Street Playhouse.
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In Jon We Trust
Mar 5–6: For a comically penetrating spin on the nightly news, many Americans turn to Jon Stewart. At the helm of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, the Lawrence Township native informs while he outrageously entertains.
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All In The Family
Mar 5: When Paterson native and jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli, left, returns home for a show at the Mayo Center for the Performing Arts, he gets the whole family involved.
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Head Over Heels
Feb 27 & 28: Since 1986, the Peking Acrobats have left audiences throughout the Western world speechless. With strength, agility, balance, and grace, the troupe of gymnasts, cyclists, jugglers, acrobats, and tumblers perform fearless feats that push the envelope of flexibility.
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New Works in Newark
Feb 17–May 23: Two exhibitions put the finishing touch on the Newark Museum’s ongoing centennial celebration.
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Calling All Chocoholics
Feb 7–15: What better way to remedy mid-winter blues (and treat your special Valentine) than with chocolate?
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Having A Ball
Feb 13–14, 20: You’re in for a different kind of basketball when the Harlem Globetrotters come to town. The team has entertained fans since the 1920s with hilarious antics, trick plays, jaw-dropping slam dunks, and out-of-this-world ball skills.
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Global Guitar
Jan 29: Jazz guitarist and New Jersey native Al Di Meola has produced 21 solo albums and played with the likes of Paul Simon, Santana, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa, Les Paul, and more.
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Body Language
Jan 27: Chinese choreographer and painter Shen Wei blends modern dance, art, music, and lighting for a captivating performance at McCarter Theatre.
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Magic On Ice
Jan 21–24 and Jan 27–31: Sixty-five of Disney’s most memorable characters lace up their skates for Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic at the Izod Center and the Sun National Bank Center this month.
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Avant Guild
Jan 1–Feb 3: The Guild of Creative Art, the oldest and largest art community in the state, kicks off its 50th year with an all-media juried art show.
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Sacred Soul
Jan 23: One of the world’s best-known vocal groups, the Harlem Gospel Choir, is bringing its inspirational art to the South Orange Performing Arts Center.
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Jim Dandy
Jan 15–16: If you like your comedy scalding, don’t miss Bayonne-born funny man Jim Norton performing his brutally honest and uncensored stand-up act at the Music Box at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa.
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Make a Move
Jan 28–31: As part of its 30th anniversary celebration this year, the Lula Washington Dance Theatre is making its debut at Montclair State University’s Alexander Kasser Theatre.
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Turn of the Scrooge
Dec. 12: Charles Dickens’s classic Christmas tale of the crotchety skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge comes to life at the State Theatre in a musical production with 30 singers, dancers, and musicians. Journey with Scrooge as he encounters ghosts of his past, present, and future, discovering the true meaning of the holiday season.
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This Old House
Dec. 5: Stroll through the tangible past at the annual Historic Bridgeton Holiday House Tour.
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Visions of Home
Dec 21–Jan 29: Eight artists, including Pam Cooper of Upper Saddle River, Alyssa Fanning of Dumont, and Heejung Cho of Brooklyn offer their unique interpretations of home in a multidisciplinary art exhibition at the Art School at Old Church’s Mikhail Zakin Gallery.
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All You Need Is Love
Dec. 16–27: Since earning eleven Tony Award nominations on Broadway, Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple: A Musical About Love hits the road for a national tour and stops at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center for sixteen performances.
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One-Night Stand
Dec. 31: Party like it’s 2009 (one final time!) at the eighteenth annual First Night Morris County, a New Year’s Eve celebration on the Morristown Green.
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A Merry Medley
Dec. 4 & 12: It’s the most wonderful time of the year to catch a seasonal concert by the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea.
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Deck The Halls
Dec. 2–6: During the American Revolution, Bedminster’s historic Jacobus Vanderveer House and Museum served as General Henry Knox’s headquarters.
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Lords A-Leaping
Nov. 12, 14, & 19: The Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company is jumping (in unison, of course) all over North Jersey.
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Point and Shoot
Nov. 3–27: See life captured through a Jersey lens at the New Jersey Photography Forum’s fifteenth annual exhibition at the Watchung Arts Center.
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Remembering A Music Man
Nov. 9: Celebrate the hits of J. Billy VerPlanck at the “Through His Life” memorial concert at William Paterson University. The jazz arranger and trombone player from Clifton passed away in June.
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A Forum Rare For Colbert
Nov 1: Comedian and Montclair resident Stephen Colbert has made truthiness his career, bringing us the nightly “news” as the satirically right-wing host of Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.
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Down On The Farm
Thru Oct 10: The musical Little House on the Prairie transforms Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic series into a full-scale song-and-dance production. Melissa Gilbert, who originally played Laura in the beloved 1970s television series, stars as Ma in this performance at the Paper Mill Playhouse.
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Magic In The Night
Oct 10: Find something ghoulish to wear for the ninth annual Witches Costume Ball at Mill Race Village in downtown Mount Holly.
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The Fleet And The Fashionable
At the venerable Far Hills Race Meeting, the equestrian set parties in style.
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Brew-Haha
Oct. 23: Raise a glass to Oktoberfest at the Pier Shops at Caesars, where the German holiday is observed with an extravagant beer tasting.
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Housewife Bout
Oct 17: A showdown between the Real Housewives of New Jersey and the Real Housewives of New York at the Bergen Performing Arts Center.
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Bollywood, NJ
Oct. 9–11: The third annual New Jersey Independent South Asian Cinefest, held at Rutgers University, screens more than 30 independent films.
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Smashing Pumpkins
Oct 3 & 17: Forget carving pumpkins into spooky jack-o’-lanterns. Glenn Battschinger and other competitors in the second annual New Jersey Hurl (Oct 3 at Butterhof’s Shady Brook Farm) would rather see how far pumpkins can fly.
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A Giant Tour
Sept 5, 12, 19: Capture the memories of Giants Stadium (before it’s gone in January) in an exclusive all-access tour presented by the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
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The Reel Deal
Sept 4–Nov 8: The New Jersey Film Festival at Rutgers University returns this fall to showcase even more original films by talented filmmakers.
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Warhol's World
Sept 8–Dec 12: The George Segal Gallery at Montclair State University presents the art exhibit “Andy Warhol: Through a Glass Starkly,” which features 103 Polaroid and 50 silver gelatin prints by pop art icon Andy Warhol.
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Creative Commute
Sept 14–Jan 4: The art exhibit “Industrial NJ” at the Park Avenue Club features the mixed media work of sculptress Maria Lupo of Roseland. The industrial scenes evoke her time traveling along Route 21 to and from Rutgers University’s Newark campus.
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Cape Mmmmay
Sept 19-27: Cape May shows off its culinary chops for the 13th annual Cape May Food and Wine Festival, presented by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts.
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Talkin' 'Bout My Generation
Sept 4-5: In 2005, Robert and Kim Grom held a concert with local musicians at their farm in Frenchtown that about 100 people attended. Five years later, this small gathering has grown into a Christian music festival and one of the state’s largest summer events (more than 25,000 fans attended last year).
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Jurassic Lark
Sept 2–6: If you want to feel really small, venture back to a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth. You’ll cringe, but learn a lot when Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular stomps into Atlantic City for eight performances at Boardwalk Hall.
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Food & Wine by the Sea
The Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival hits the beach next weekend. Come hungry.
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July 3: Like a true Jersey girl, Chelsea Handler is never at a loss for words. When the Livingston native hits the stage at the Wellmont Theatre, what she’ll utter is anybody’s guess.
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Take It Slow
July 19: Slow Food Northern New Jersey, a nonprofit that encourages the consumption of locally grown comestibles, and Sustenance, a green-event planning business, host the first in a series of Sustenance on the Farm dinners this summer.
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We All Scream For Ice Cream
July 18: Celebrate National Ice Cream Month with the 7th annual New Jersey State Ice Cream Festival. Taste flavors from ice cream parlors throughout the state, and enjoy family games, rides, and live entertainment.
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Peters, Principally
July 24–Aug 21: The Laurel Tracey Gallery promises “Something for Everyone” at the exhibition of paintings by Monmouth County artist Jon Peters in celebration of the gallery’s tenth anniversary.
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If You Build It...
July 15: See what takes shape at the 23rd annual New Jersey Sand-Castle Contest in Belmar.
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Happy 233rd, America
July 4: We love, no lie, the Fourth of July! The Oceanfest Independence Day celebration packs family-friendly fun onto Long Branch’s oceanfront promenade.
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Sky High
July 24–26: Up to 125 hot air balloons will take flight at the 27th annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, the largest festival of its kind in North America and one of the most popular events in the state.
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Dog Whisperings: Life with Emily
“Cute dog!” a runner said as he passed my dog and me on our evening walk.
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