Planet Princeton Weekend Picks, June 27-29

Morven yoga

Friday, June 27

cupcakeFood Truck Friday in Hopewell Boro – Kick off the summer with live music and food from area food truck favorites at the Hopewell Train Station, Railroad Place, Hopewell Boro, 5 to 9:30 p.m.  Sponsored by the Hopewell Boro Recreation Committee and organized by community volunteers.  Food trucks include Nomad Pizza, the Surf and Turf Truck, the Taco Truck, Cupcake Carnival,  and Jack and Charlie’s.

Date Night: Dinner and a Movie at the Princeton Shopping Center – 
Enjoy dinner at one of nine restaurant options at the Princeton Shopping Center and then step outside for a free screening of “The Blind Side.”  301 N Harrison Street, movie starts at 8 p.m.

Dancing Under the Stars  – Members of Central Jersey Dance give demonstrations and lead others in an evening of dancing. Continues twice monthly through September. Hinds Plaza, weather permitting, or Princeton Public Library Community Room. 7 p.m. Free.

Saturday, June 28

Mercer County Household Chemical and Electronics Waste Disposal Day – Dispose of your computers, copiers, fax machines, televisions, stereos, microwaves, aerosol cans, batteries, photographic chemicals, used motor oil and oil filters, lighter fluid, propane gas tanks, pesticides, pool chemicals, paint thinner, stains and varnishes, anti-freeze, driveway sealer, gasoline, and insect repellents in an environmentally friendly way. Bring them to the John T. Dempster Fire School, 350 Lawrence Station Road,  in Lawrence between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Event is rain or shine. Must show proof of Mercer County residency such as a driver’s license. For more information visit the Mercer County Improvement Authority website.

Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood Meeting – Updates on Princeton affordable housing, neighborhood rezoning, and more. Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church, Witherspoon & Quarry Streets. Enter at Quarry Street 9:30 a.m. Free. Continental breakfast will be available.

Vintage-BaseballVintage Baseball in Princeton – Calling all baseball-lovers and history-buffs! The Historical Society of Princeton presents an afternoon of 19th century baseball on Saturday, June 28, starting at 11 a.m. at Greenway Meadows Park, 275 Rosedale Road. Part game, part show, part history lesson, the Flemington Neshanock and the Diamond State Club of Delaware will play competitive matches of bare-handed baseball, wearing period uniforms and using rules from 1864 or 1873. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free.

Free Yoga in the Garden – Morven Museum & Garden is proud to host a series of yoga classes in Morven’s garden with Gemma Farrell of Gratitude Yoga in Princeton. Gemma, a long-time yoga practitioner and one of Princeton’s most popular yoga instructors, invites the community to join her and explore the benefits of taking their yoga practice out of the studio. Morven’s garden provides a peaceful atmosphere where all yoga-lovers are welcome. The free event is open to the public of all ages and skill levels. Don’t forget your yoga mat, towel, and bottle of water. 55 Stockton Street, Princeton. Begins at noon.

Summer Sensation Live Music and Dancing –  The Princeton Country Dancers’ community of experienced dancers will help guide newcomers through contra dancing figures and make sure everyone can have a great time on the dance floor. Admission and parking are free. Dancers of all ages are welcome. Meet new people and learn a fun, beginner-friendly dance. There will be a potluck dinner immediately following the dance. New dancers will receive a coupon for free admission to any regular dance, including one scheduled for after the potluck dinner. This free event is a great chance for newcomers to experience contra dancing, a high energy American folk dance taught by a caller and danced to live music. The dances are walked through in advance, and the figures are easy to learn for dancers of all ages. Live music by Raise the Roof. Please bring clean, soft soled shoes to the dance. 4 to 6 p.m., Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive, Princeton (behind the former borough hall).

flesherNew Jersey Premiere of “Field Biologist” – Filmmaker Jared Flesher attends the New Jersey premiere of his film about 22-year-old Tyler Christensen, a high-school graduate who loves the outdoors and wildlife and one day decides to begin his own research on birds in Costa Rica. Christensen’s adventure took him to the cloud forests of Monteverde to the mangrove swamps of the Nicoya Peninsula and culminated in a plan to try to help save the highly endangered mangrove hummingbird. Christensen and Flesher will participate in a post-screening question-and-answer session. This is a special event Princeton Environmental Film Festival event. Princeton Public Library Community Room, 7 p.m. Free.

Cafe Improv – Music, poetry, and comedy. For a list of performers, to register, or for more information visit Café Improv’s website. 7 to 10 p.m. Admission $2, $1 for seniors and students.

Mercer County Freedom Festival – Visit Mercer County Park in West Windsor for a day of food, games, beer and wine gardens, craft vendors, tethered hot-air balloon rides, water rides, mechanical bull rides, games, and inflatable rides. Fireworks at 9:45 p.m. Mercer County Symphonic Band at 3 p.m.; Under Pressure at 5 p.m.; Kristen and the Noise at 6:30 p.m.; and Burnt Sienna at 8:30 and 10:15 p.m. Free admission. Festival begins at 3 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m.

Sunday, June 29

Blessing of the Bicycles at All Saints’ Church – The blessing will be held after the regular 10:15 a.m. service, at approximately 11:30 a.m. Ride your bike to church. All are welcome to the Sunday service, or stop by during your ride to join in the blessing. All Saints’ Church is located at 16 All Saints Road, just off Terhune Road. Free.

“Father of the Radio” Talk and Book Signing at Dorthea’s House – Princess Elettra Marconi Giovannelli, daughter of Marchese Guglielmo Marconi, who received the 1909 Nobel Prize in physics for his pioneering work in wireless communication, will speak about her life, and her eyewitness accounts of her father’s work-including his development of Vatican Radio and his scientific experiments on board his floating laboratory, the yacht Elettra. The lecture is in English and is free to the public. A reception and book signing will follow. 5 p.m., Dorthea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton. For information on Dorothea’s House and its programs in Italian language and culture, visit the Dorthea’s House website.

2014-06-02_PorgyPrinceton Festival: Porgy and Bess  – Opera based on DuBose Heyward’s novel “Porgy” is set in South Carolina circa 1930. Conducted by Richard Tang Yuk. McCarter Theatre (Matthews). Tickets $30 and up. 3 p.m.

The NJ Symphony Orchestra Performs at Mercer County Park – Spend a relaxing summer evening outdoors and soak in the sounds of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Enjoy selections including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” Symphony and Mozart’s Così fan tutte Overture, then toast the Garden State’s 350th anniversary with a salute to Frank Sinatra, a medley of Jersey Boys classics, Count Basie’s “One O’Clock Jump” and patriotic favorites. Fireworks will light up the night sky immediately following the concert. This summer concert is perfect for the whole family. 7:30 p.m. Free.