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Arts & Entertainment

The Weekender: Happy New Year!

Music, Roller Skating, Yoga - something for everyone

 

Here are just some of the things to do in and around Bloomfield this holiday weekend.   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, Bloomfield
WHEN:   Friday  8:30pm
WHY GO:    Come join the fun with a Great variety of Songs and Talent. 

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WHAT:  
WHERE:  Branch Brook Park Roller Skating Center, 7th Ave & Clifton Ave, Newark
WHEN:   Saturday   7pm – 10pm
WHY GO:  Welcome in 2012 with Family skating fun
COST:  $6 children; $7 adults PLUS $3.50 skate rental for anyone (ages 3 – 17) without skates

WHAT
WHERE:   Newark Museum Parking Lot
WHEN:  
Saturday    Noon to 6:15
WHY GO:    This tour will tour some of the most beautiful and most historic churches decorated in their Christmas splendor. Our first stop will be the First Baptist Peddie Memorial, designed by William Halsey Wood, built in 1890, Byzantine-Romanesque in style with mysterious half hidden faces embedded in the Celtic like cornices adding to the building's intrigue. The building's interior is a masterpiece of carved wood and stone. 
Down Broad St. to Grace Episcopal Church, built in 1848, designed by Richard Upjohn who designed Trinity Cathedral in New York City. After our tour of this beautiful building we will be treated to a organ recital. 
Up to the northern part of the city and the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.  Started in 1900 and consecrated in 1954, it is the fifth largest church in North America. Italian marble art work and stained glass windows imported from Germany, the beauty of this building is enhanced by it's holiday decorations. 
We will end our day at St. Lucy's Roman Catholic Church, built in 1928 for and by the Italian population of the old first ward, it is a tribute to the faith of it's congregation. In the 1950's urban renewal destroyed the neighborhood, but the people stayed faithful to the parish and, despite the deterioration of the neighborhood, the church was never forced to close it's doors. The highlight of our visit will be the nativity scene depicting an Italian village preparing for the birth of Christ. Our visit will end in the "Museum of the Old First Ward" enjoying a champagne reception to toast the new year.  RSVP: 973 622 4910
COST:   $35.00

WHAT: 
NYE Gala in the Main Lounge!
WHERE:   Piano’s Bar & Grill, 36 Broad Street, Bloomfield
WHEN:      Saturday  9pm – 2am
WHY GO:   No Cover, No Minimum, DJ and Special Prices on Super Premium Drinks all night; 11PM-Midnight Champagne Cocktail Special; Noisemakers; Free Midnight Buffet; Midnight Karaoke Contest.

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WHAT: 
WHERE:   Garden State Yoga, 71 Washington St, Bloomfield
WHEN
:    Saturday  8:30 pm to 12:30pm
WHY GO:   Release, Restore, & Renew.  Kirtan w/ Erin at 9:00pm, Power Yoga & Meditation w/ Seth & Ali from 9:30pm-11:00pm, Mingle and Eat until 12:30pm.    Enjoy a champagne toast, non alcoholic beverages and light appetizers. Please bring additional beverages and snacks if you desire. 
COST:   $40

WHAT:   
WHERE:   Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange
WHEN:     Friday & Saturday  -  Ends 12/31  
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    12:00pm–5:00pm  (Closed New Year 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     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:  , 49 Washington St, Newark
WHEN:     Friday, Dec 30th     12:30 to 4pm
WHY GO:  Make the Newark Museum part of your holiday tradition!  Celebrate the season with four days of family festivities,  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, using authentic molds from our Asian art collection.
COST:  Museum Admission: Adult $10; Children, Seniors & Students with Valid I.D.: $6; Members free

WHAT:
WHERE:  Wellmont Theatre
WHEN:  Friday & Saturday  8pm
WHY GO:  Continuing a long and strange trip since humble beginnings over a decade ago, Dark Star Orchestra’s determined commitment to ‘raising the Dead’ has drawn nationwide attention. Offering a continually evolving artistic outlet within the Grateful Dead’s musical canon, members of Dark Star Orchestra seek out the unique style of each performance era and offer their own interpretations and improvisations at each show. Using entire set lists from the Grateful Dead’s decades of touring as a launching pad, Dark Star Orchestra recreates song for song performances straight from the set list of these historic shows. Dark Star Orchestra isn’t a cover band. Its shows are not even meant as tributes. What Dark Star Orchestra tirelessly strives for and achieves is a continuation of the spirit of what has now become over forty years of the Grateful Dead’s timeless music
COST:  $45.00 / $75.00-VIP Ticket

WHAT
WHERE:  USA Roller Skating, Branch Brook Park
WHEN:   Sunday, Jan 1st     2pm to 5pm or 5:30pm to 8:30pm
WHY GO:  Everyone loves skating!  Come welcome the New Year in with skating.
COST:  $6 children; $7 adults PLUS $3.50 skate rental for anyone (ages 3 – 17)  without skates

WHAT: 
WHERE:  
Pleasantdale Presbyterian Church of West Orange
WHEN:  
Sunday  7:30pm
WHY GO:  
Jazz Vespers is an evening worship service focusing on music and the Spirit.  This alternative format service blends the age-old tradition of evening prayer with the unique musical language of jazz.  It will feature jazz music performed by local musicians as well as special readings, poetry, prayers and communion.  The service honors the diversity of the West Orange community and the contribution of the creative arts to the life of the community.  It celebrates inclusivity and creativity and is open to all.

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