Historic Happenings Blog

New Year Fireworks! Pier Village 50 Chelsea Avenue - Leasing Center Long Branch  New Jersey  07740 12/31/2019 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED AGE RANGE:  All Ages FREE CALL:  (732) 923-0100 WEBSITE MORE DETAILS:   Ring in the New Year at Pier Village with a magnificent fireworks display and Ice Skating under the Stars. Firework Show starts at 9PM. Rink admission & skate rentals are availab le for purchase online anytime or in person at the McLoone'€™s Ticket Booth & Skate Shack during all normal operating hours Thanksgiving through Presidents'€™ Day. Ring in the New Year at Pier Village with a magnificent fireworks display and Ice Skating under the Stars. Firework Show starts at 9PM. Rink admission & skate rentals are available for purchase online anytime or in person at the McLoone'€™s Ticket Booth & Skate Shack during all normal operating hours Thanksgiving through Presidents'€™ Day.

Capital Philharmonic Orchestra of New Jersey New Year’s Eve Concert December 31, 2019  @  8:00 pm  –  9:00 pm The Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey’s New Year’s Eve Concert is hosted by WWFM’s David Osenberg. Gather some friends, and join the Capital Philharmonic Orchestra for some fun and uplifting music. Be part of one of Trenton’s most popular and beloved traditions – make it a night to remember! There will be a pre-concert performance 7:10pm – 7:40pm featuring Brett Miller on the Great War Memorial Möller Theater Organ.  Tickets $45-$75.  Visit www.capitalphilharmonic.org for full music program and tickets.

Annual Peace Vigil December 31, 2019  @  5:00 pm  –  6:00 pm Join the Trenton Friends Meeting for the Annual Vigil for Peace in the new year. Light refreshments will be served.   Free

John Honeyman, Washington’s Spy: Unsung Hero or Urban Legend? December 31, 2019  @  1:00 pm  –  2:00 pm The story of John Honeyman, the Griggstown, New Jersey butcher and cattle dealer who, according to legend, became a spy for General George Washington in the months leading up to the game-changing victory in the First Battle of Trenton, has intrigued and befuddled historians for more than one hundred years. This presentation by Tim Strollery will layout the genesis of the story, explore the findings on each side of the Honeyman mystery, and ultimately invite attendees to join in the search for more primary evidence that can support or debunk the legend of Washington’s spy at Trenton.  Free.

The Kindness Project Monmouth Museum 1 Museum Drive Lincroft 07738 8/27/2019 - 12/31/2019 Weekly on Tuesday , Wednesday , Thursday , Friday , Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED FREE CALL:  (732) 747-2266 WEBSITE MORE DETAILS:  The Kindness Rocks Project is a collaborative effort by all visiting guests of the Museum, both children and adults as we appreciate each other' € ™s contributions and unique artistic skills. When working together we can become effective artists and contribute to our Museum community These rocks will be placed in the Meyer Art & Nature Area and left for all to see and read. Each participant will take a rock in the Green Arts Studio and write words and/or draw pictures of kindness in their rock. The goal is to leave hopeful or encouraging thoughts for others who need a word to brighten their day. These creations will spread a little joy and inspiration to anyone who visits our garden.

“Out with the Old, In with the New: New Sweden and The American Revolution” Lecture by Erick Burro December 30, 2019  @  5:30 pm  –  6:30 pm This talk will discuss South Jersey’s earliest colonial settlements in the Delaware Valley, which began as the New Sweden Colony by Peter Minuit, a former Dutch governor of New Amsterdam, on behalf of the Kingdom of Sweden, and their part during the American Revolution. An accompanying exhibit of photographs documenting places of this early period of colonial New Jersey history will be on display in the library’s Mezzanine Gallery during the month. The lecture is held in the Community Room. Onsite and street parking is available. www.trentonlib.org.  Free.

“Trenton’s Historic Legacy: The Old Barracks and the Trenton Battle Monument” December 30, 2019  @  11:00 am  –  12:00 pm A presentation highlighting the early efforts to save the Old Barracks by the city’s Daughters of the American Revolution chapter and the work of the Trenton Battle Monument Association in creating the Trenton Battle Monument followed by a walking tour of the gravesites of some of the civic-minded men and women associated with these endeavors. Each participant will receive a booklet. Reservations are required as seating for each presentation is limited to 20 participants: historian.riverviewcemetery@gmail.com or 267-201-3655., $10 per person children under 12 free.

Trenton Battlefield Walking Tour December 30, 2019  @  10:00 am  –  12:00 pm Starbucks, 102 South Warren St. (Corner of Front St) This 10-block interpretive walk brings to life the events of the two battles of Trenton. Guests are welcome to gather at Starbucks at 9:00am for a question-and-answer session over coffee. The tour begins at 10:00am and includes the historic Trenton Battle Monument, ending up along the Assunpink Creek in Mill Hill Park. Ralph Siegel of Trenton Battlefield Tours will lead the walk with block-by-block, minute-by-minute narrative. Event ends at 12:00pm.  Free

What We Sang Together Community Songs from Revolutionary-Era America December 29, 2019  @  2:00 pm  –  3:00 pm Join acappella chorus Hopewell Hall to hear songs people might have sung together in the American colonies. Like today, people sang together in many settings and for diverse reasons: at religious gatherings, while working, in taverns, and by firesides with the family. The chorus will showcase the shape-note, West Gallery, and folk songs they specialize in.  Free

Alexander Hamilton and the 24 Cannons at the Battle of Trenton December 29, 2019  @  2:00 pm  –  3:00 pm This tabletop talk will follow the movements of all 24 of the cannons on the streets of Trenton during the Battle of Trenton and demonstrate why the 18 American cannons – including the two six-pounders commanded by Alexander Hamilton – were decisive in the victory over the Hessians, who had six brass three-pounder cannons. A four-pounder cannonball will be on display during the talk. Presenter: Urban planner and Museum Trustee David Bosted.   Pay as you wish.

Open Ice Skating Middletown Sports Complex 214 Harmony Road Middletown 07748 9/14/2019 - 9/29/2019 Weekly on Saturday, Sunday 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm   CALL TO CONFIRM TIMES REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED AGE RANGE:  All Ages COST:  Adults $10 kids under 12 $8, skate rental $5 CALL:  +1 (732) 856-9700 WEBSITE MORE DETAILS:   Glide on over to the Middletown Sports Complex's Ice World for some skating- times available on a daily basis! Bring your own skates or rent a pair for $4. Skate Rates: Adults (13+ ) $10 Kids (under 12) $8. Skate Rentals $5 Glide on over to the Middletown Sports Complex's Ice World for some skating- times available on a daily basis! Bring your own skates or rent a pair for $4. Skate Rates: Adults (13+) $10 Kids (under 12) $8. Skate Rentals $5

Upper Gallery Lackawanna: From Drawing to Print, New Works by Kelli Glancey Artist Kelli Glancey moved to Hoboken in 1985 to study at Parsons School of Design in NYC, where today she is a part-time assistant professor. She says that residing in Hoboken is distinctive in many ways and is so rich historically. “I am a visual person. I walk the streets daily and stare at the details of the many beautiful structures and homes, always happier when I see a place renovated rather than destroyed for new construction or high rises. This, I feel, is vital to the integrity and character of this quaint, mile-square city. I have watched it change a lot since the mid-1980s but it still feels like home.” One distinctive fixture of the Hoboken cityscape is the historic 1907 Lackawanna Terminal, the gateway to Hoboken and NYC for so many visitors and new arrivals. The terminal and its surroundings are the focus of the exhibit, “Lackawanna ~ from drawing to print, New Works by Kelli Glancey," going...

Saturdays, December 7, 14 & 28 Don't miss our 46th Annual  Christmas Candlelight House Tours! Saturdays, Dec. 7, 14 & 28, 2019  5:30pm to 8:30pm Experience the high point of Cape May’s holiday season during these self-guided walking tours, which feature: ​Homes, inns, hotels & churches specially decorated for the holidays ·       Christmas caroling and strolling musicians ·      Hospitality centers with warm beverages & home-baked goodies ·      Admission to the Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May’s only Victorian house museum, and to “An Old-fashioned Christmas: Holiday Traditions through the Years” exhibit in the Carroll Gallery ·      Limited trolley shuttle service provided Tickets: Adults $40, Children (3-12) $20 Tickets are selling quickly, so ho-ho hurrrrrry up and reserve yours today! Click here to buy tickets!  https://www.capemaymac.org/christmas-candleligh...

Assunpink Firewalk - 4:30 - 5:30 pm Mill Hill Park (Corner of Broad & Front Streets), 165 E. Front Street Join Mayor Gusciora on the Iron Bridge in Mill Hill Park and a colorful cast to usher in a new holiday tradition in the city of Trenton. As darkness fall, watch Continental Soldiers light 13 torches along the south bank and hear a dramatic reading of Thomas Paine’s “The American Crisis”.  The City of Trenton in collaboration with The Old Barracks Museum and Trenton Downtown Association will be hosting the 2nd Assunpink Firewalk.  The Firewalk begins at 4:00 pm in Mill Hill Park at the Iron Bridge.

2nd Battle of Trenton - 3:00 pm East State Street to North Warren Street to Mill Hill Park FREE Having abandoned Trenton shortly after the battle on December 26, Washington re-crossed with a much larger army later in the week upon learning the British had not re-occupied Trenton. On the morning of January 2, 1777, he dispatched a small brigade up what is now Route 206 toward Princeton. They were met by a very strong column of British, Hessians, and Highlanders under General Cornwallis and driven back along a bitterly contested, afternoon-long retreat into Trenton.

Musket Demonstrations - 1:00 - 2:00 pm Old Barracks Museum, 101 Barrack Street Soldiers of the 17th Regiment of Infantry will drill and fire their muskets on the Parade ground of the Old Barracks Museum. Included in $5 admission with unlimited re-entry.

Trenton in 1775: Historic Tour Led by Dr. Sharon Ann Holt December 28, 2019  @  1:00 pm  –  2:00 pm Washington’s army and the Hessian occupation each brought 1500 men into Trenton, then a town of only 500 souls and two major streets. Thanks to Hunter Research, we now know a lot about those Trentonians. Trenton Friends Meeting invites you to walk the early streets with Penn State historian, Dr. Sharon Ann Holt, meeting Trenton’s artisans, entrepreneurs, families, Loyalists, political movers and shakers, and two signers of the Declaration of Independence. Dress warmly, and be prepared to walk about 10 blocks in total.

Hogmanay 2019 Saturday, December 28, 2019 1:00 PM Enjoy the FREE Annual  Celebration of Hogmanay  at The  Trent House on  Saturday, December 28, at 1 pm  Hogmanay at the Trent House is held during Trenton’s Patriot’s Week. This year, it is scheduled between the two battle re-enactments, so you can make it an all day affair! It is a free event for the whole family.  Make a wish for the New year with us as we celebrate William Trent’s Scottish heritage at the House he built 300 years ago! Enjoy the Open House decorated for the season by the Trenton Garden Club  Hear bagpipers and 18th century Scottish songs with, “Liberty Tree” (Stacy Roth and Bob Dupre), and our esteemed Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson reminisces about Hogmanay in her childhood home of Scotland.  Enjoy hot mulled cider, eggnog and Scottish snacks and holiday sweets

The Trouble with Trenton Puppet Show - 12:00 - 1:00 pm The Trouble with Trenton Puppet Show - 2:00 - 3:00 pm Warren Street Plaza, Trenton, North Warren and West Hanover Streets FREE A "mini" historical look at an amazing piece of our history presented with marionettes & rod puppets - and lots of help from the audience! Watch the battle unfold before your eyes, and see the action as it has never been seen before. Show includes live music, large puppets and props, and plenty of "revolting" action.

1st Battle of Trenton - 11:00 am N. Warren St. Battle Monument Park to Mill Hill Park FREE After the crossing of the Delaware River and marching to Trenton, the American rebel forces-exhausted, dressed in rags, ill from the cold and lack of sleep and decent food had accomplished the impossible by inflicting a crippling blow to the world's greatest British army. Follow the action from the symbolic first cannon shot fired at the Battle Monument to Mill Hill Park. Troops rally at the  Old Barracks Museum prior to marching off to meet at the Battle Monument at 11:00 am.

Civil War Flag Unveiling December 28, 2019  @  10:00 am  –  11:00 am Enjoy a gallery talk and ceremony unveiling the latest rotation of historic flags from the NJ Civil War Flag Collection, one of the largest collections of its kind in the nation. With flag historian David Martin and State Museum Curator Nicholas Ciotola.