Princeton, NJ local news

Garden State Watercolor Society: Bob Sakson Exhibition
2026-01-05 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | D&R Greenway Land Trust, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton, NJ, United States
Exhibition honoring late New Jersey watercolor artist Bob Sakson, featuring 36 original en plein air works of New Jersey and Pennsylvania landscapes and historic sites. Sales benefit the Garden State Watercolor Society and D&R Greenway Land Trust.
A reception will be held on Sunday, January 11, from 2–4 p.m. The reception is open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.

Research Labs for Princeton Area High Schoolers - Free Info Session
2026-01-05 19:00 - 20:00 | Arts Council of Princeton
Free info session for families interested in real research opportunities for high school students in Princeton. Learn about Research Labs – in-person (Princeton) and online options with PhD-level mentorship from Society of Teen Scientists.
Labs include: Science of Video Games, Physics Tournament, AI Meets Science, Planet Impact.
Open to students and parents. No experience required. RSVP required.

Stitch n’ Knit at Hopewell Public Library
2026-01-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Hopewell Public Library, 13 E Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ, United States
The Hopewell Public Library will host a knitting club — both virtual and in person — for interested adults. Participants can come to the library to socialize and work on current knitting projects with Nina Lane, or join by Zoom to connect remotely.
The club meets the first Tuesday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Hopewell Public Library.
For more information, contact Sara Schoonover at sschoonover@redlibrary.org. Details are also available at redlibrary.org/events.html.

Hopewell Public Library Book Club
2026-01-06 18:30 - 20:00 | Hopewell Public Library, 13 E Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ, United States
Join the Hopewell Public Library on the first Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for the HPL Book Club. The event is offered both in person and by Zoom. Check the library’s website to see which literary selection will be discussed next: redlibrary.org/events.html.

Opening reception for exhibition by Boris Torres: 'People I Know'
2026-01-08 15:00 - 17:00 | Princeton Day School, Princeton, United States
The Anne Reid ’72 Gallery at Princeton Day School will open an exhibition of 30 portraits painted from life by artist Boris Torres on Jan. 8, with a public reception from 3 to 5 p.m. The show, People I Know, features works created over six years in the artist’s Brooklyn studio and drawn from a series of more than 100 portraits. Exhibition dates are Jan. 8 through March 6. Private viewings are available by contacting annereid72gallery@pds.org.
The portraits, each painted on 18-by-24-inch paper in a single session, began with a commission for a friend and continued as Torres invited people he knows or admires to sit for him, drawing inspiration from portraitist Alice Neel. Sitters choose their clothing — “something extravagant, something special or something casual and comfortable,” Torres says — and collaborate on a pose before the painting begins. The artist works while conversing with the sitter, allowing for natural shifts in posture as he moves among facial features, hands and other details. After the sitter leaves, he completes the painting.
Torres said he hopes viewers, especially students, recognize the collaborative nature of portraiture from life. “It has been around always, and it’s a collaboration between you and the sitter,” he said. “Painting from life is much different than painting from a photo… It is a time to be still and get to know someone through looking and silence.” Seeing the works together “feels like a reunion,” he added.
About the artist: Boris Torres (b. 1976, Ecuador) earned an MFA in fine arts from Brooklyn College and a BA from Parsons School of Design. A Leslie-Lohman Museum Fellow and artist-in-residence at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Torres has exhibited at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, Tacoma Art Museum, Leslie-Lohman Museum and Cheim & Read. His work is included in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Ecuador and has been featured in The New York Times, Hyperallergic, Out Magazine and in film and television projects including Keep the Lights On, Love Is Strange, American Horror Story and Only Murders in the Building. He is represented by Kates-Ferri Projects in New York.

Small Explorers Learning Together: Shapes & Patterns
2026-01-10 09:30 - 10:15 | New Jersey State Museum, 205 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ, 08706, United States
Small Explorers Learning Together is the NJ State Museum’s program for children ages 1 – 5 years and their caregivers. The program is offered at 9:30 am on Jan. 10 or 15.
Shapes and patterns can be found throughout the Museum – from Lenape beadwork to the stripes on a snake! For this session, families will be looking for shapes and patterns on quilts. We will read The All-Together Quilt. Children will get the opportunity to create a story from the quilts that they see and make their own paper quilts to take home. Advance registration required; for complete details and to register use this link: https://events.humanitix.com/small-explorers-january-program

Roxey Ballet Hosts Children's Classic Story Auditions 2026
2026-01-10 13:30 - 17:00 | Mill Ballet School, 243 N Union St, Lambertville, NJ, 08530, United States
Roxey Ballet invites young dancers ages 4 and up to audition for our Children’s Classic Story Ballet, Mowgli’s Jungle Adventure—a vibrant, family-friendly production filled with movement, imagination, and heart. Perfect for dancers of all levels, this enchanting ballet brings Rudyard Kipling’s beloved tale to life while teaching meaningful lessons about courage, growth, and self-discovery.
Mowgli is a story for audiences of all ages, encouraging children to face their fears, trust themselves, and embrace the next chapter of their journey. Artistic Director Mark Roxey especially loves the powerful ending, when Mowgli conquers his fear and makes the brave decision to leave the jungle and his animal friends behind to step into the village of man—an inspiring moment about growing up and moving forward.
This is a wonderful opportunity for young dancers to gain stage experience, build confidence, and be part of a professional ballet production while sharing an important story with the community.
When: January 10th, 2026
Where: Mill Ballet School, 46 N Sugan Rd, New Hope PA
For more information please visit: https://www.roxeyballet.org/auditions

“No-Sew” Great American Birthday Quilt Event
2026-01-11 12:30 - 15:30 | Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
Create a quilt block to contribute to the 250-foot-long “Great American Birthday Quilt.” No sewing skills necessary—fabric and fabric glue will be provided. You’re welcome to drop-in (plan for 90 minutes to complete your piece). This free event is hosted by the Princeton Daughters of the American Revolution.

Opening Reception for Bob Sakson Exhibition
2026-01-11 14:00 - 16:00 | D&R Greenway Land Trust, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton, NJ, United States
Opening reception for the exhibition honoring late New Jersey watercolor artist Bob Sakson, featuring 36 original en plein air works of New Jersey and Pennsylvania landscapes and historic sites. Sales benefit the Garden State Watercolor Society and D&R Greenway Land Trust.
Light refreshments will be served. Open to the public.

Cricket Is Topic of English-Speaking Union Meeting
2026-01-11 15:00 - 16:30 | The Nancy S. Klath Center for Lifelong Learning, 101 Poor Farm Road, Building B, Princeton, 08540
Cricket Is Topic of English-Speaking Union Meeting
Have you ever wondered where the phrase “a sticky wicket” originated? Find out that and more about the history and practice of cricket at a meeting of the Princeton branch of the English-Speaking Union on January 11 at 3 pm at the Nancy S. Klath Center for Lifelong Learning, 101 Poor Farm Road, Princeton. Our speaker will be Clarence Modeste, who was inducted into the Cricket Hall of Fame in 2011. He has been a member of the Staten Island Cricket Club since 1961 and president since the 1990s. Many cricket clubs are organized by nationality, but SICC is open to all comers, and has hosted matches with local, national, and international teams. Among the accomplishments of which Modeste is most proud is the successful introduction of a program for organized youth cricket to Staten Island CC in 2010 at which boys and girls, aged 5-18 years, are taught the game.
Cricket has been played in England since at least the sixteenth century, and was spread via colonization to where it is probably more popular now, on the Indian subcontinent and in the Caribbean. Modeste himself is originally from Trinidad and Tobago and started playing around age 5. The game was played in the United States in George Washington’s time, but was eventually edged out by baseball after the Civil War. Immigration from former British possessions has brought it back strongly since the 1970s, and there are at least four leagues in New Jersey and dedicated grounds in West Windsor, Somerset, Cranbury, Edison, and elsewhere. Cricket will become an official Olympic sport in the 2028 Summer Games.

Modeste will talk about cricket: its genesis, its development as a top sport, how it reached many corners of the world and its place among the world’s sports. He will also address the matter of cricket in the United States: its place in the social order before the Civil War and after; its current status.

Questions and comments from the audience will be welcome and refreshments typical of a traditional cricket match will be served. Attendance is free for members of the branch and $10 for nonmembers.

Founded in 1920, The English-Speaking Union is a nonprofit, nonpolitical educational organization that employs English as a catalyst to foster global understanding and good will through educational and cultural exchange programs. The ESU carries out its work through a network of 58 branches nationwide along with affiliates in the United Kingdom and 60 other countries. New members are welcome. In order to join, visit www.esuus.org/princeton. For additional information about the English-Speaking Union, please visit: www.esuus.org.

Let’s Just Sing! Choral Reading of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Ruddigore
2026-01-11 15:00 - 19:00 | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, 50 Cherry Hill Rd., Princeton, 08540
Conductor: Lee Milhous (Bucks County Gilbert & Sullivan Society)

The Princeton Society of Musical Amateurs celebrates 90 years of love for choral music, and you’re invited to sing. Vocal scores provided.

At the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, Rt 206 at Cherry Hill Road, Princeton NJ
Members of the community gather together for the common and joyful enterprise of making music for their own pleasure, singing through the great works in choral literature with chorus, orchestra, and soloists as the works require. There are no separate rehearsals and no auditions. Walk-in singers and listen-only guests are welcome at all sessions. Conductors may do some light preparation with the chorus before the sing-through. Orchestra members participate by invitation, based on the instrumental needs of the work. Light refreshments are available during the break and participants are encouraged to mingle and socialize. For further information email musical.amateurs@gmail.com

Read and Explore: Gingerbread Man
2026-01-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
Terhune Orchards Read and Explore Program is a winter education series, following the popular seasonal Read and Pick Program. Educators will read “The Gingerbread Man” and then each child will decorate a big gingerbread man cookie to take home. Kids will be amazed at how many gingerbread man ingredients come from farms.
Please register online https://terhuneorchards.ticketspice.com/2026readexplore
$12.00 per child includes activity.

Morven’s Curator Corner: USS Princeton Memorial Artwork
2026-01-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
At this free virtual lunchtime talk, go behind-the-scenes with Morven’s curators as they discuss a recently acquired watercolor and ink mourning picture, made in remembrance of those lost in the 1884 explosion aboard the USS Princeton.

Native Seed Sowing Extravaganza: Hopewell
2026-01-17 10:00 - 13:00 | Hopewell Valley Central High School, 259 Pennington Titusville Rd, Pennington, 08534
$5 per ready-to-go greenhouse jugs loaded with seeds (grows ~10 native seedlings)
Experienced volunteers will help you select seeds and prepare for success.

Science Under the Stars: Galactic Monsters - Active Supermassive Black Holes & their Effect on Galaxies
2026-01-17 16:15 - 17:00 | New Jersey State Museum, 205 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ, 08706, United States
Join us in the Planetarium for this free talk with Dr. Lauranne Lanz, The College of New Jersey. Astronomers have found that nearly every galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole at its center. In some galaxies, these slumbering behemoths roar to life as active galactic nuclei (AGN). Join us in the planetarium as Dr. Lauranne Lanz discusses how AGN can shape the fate of their host galaxies and shares the frontiers of black hole research. Save a seat with this link: https://forms.office.com/g/0vJ0yXMrBC

Kelsey Review New Year Reading at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System
2026-01-22 18:30 - 20:00 | Lawrence Branch, Mercer County Library, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence, NJ, 08648, United States
Start the new year with creativity and inspiration at the Kelsey Review 2025 Issue Reading, held on Thursday, January 22 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System. The event celebrates Mercer County writers and poets and features readings from both established authors and emerging voices. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear new work, meet local writers, and connect with the region’s literary community.
Editors Barbara Krasner and Gwen Weerheim Jones will also preview the upcoming submission period for the Kelsey Review, Mercer County Community College’s long-standing literary journal, and offer insights for prospective contributors.
Registration is appreciated and can be completed through the library’s LibCal system at https://mcl.org/. For more information about library programs, call 609-883-8292, email lawprogs@mcl.org, or visit www.mcl.org.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lawrence Library. The Friends support a wide range of library offerings, including book sales, book clubs, contests, craft programs, special events, guest speakers, and workshops for adults and children. Information about joining the Friends is available at the Lawrence Reference Desk.

Triva in the Winery
2026-01-23 17:00 - 20:00 | Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
Test your knowledge, have fun, and win prizes with DJ Iron Mike in the Terhune Orchards Winery. Rounds will include categories such as General Knowledge, Entertainment, History & Geography, Sports, and Name That Tune.
Grab your team and come out for a fun evening! No cover charge. Trivia kicks off at 6pm. Save the date for Feb 27 & March 20

Read and Explore: Animal Tracks
2026-01-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
Terhune Orchards Read and Explore Program is our winter education series, following the popular seasonal Read and Pick Program. The second Read and Explore program is Animal Tracks. Educators will read books about animals in winter and talk about wintertime in nature. After story time, we will make bird feeders with wild bird seed for everyone to take home and help the birds through winter. Weather permitting, we’ll visit our farm animals and see if we can match tracks to each
Please register online https://terhuneorchards.ticketspice.com/2026readexplore
$12.00 per child includes activity.

Princeton Violins Exhibition and Sale of Fine Violins, Violas and Bows
2026-01-27 10:00 - 2026-01-31 18:00 | Princeton Violins, 240 Nassau Street, Princeton, 08542
Princeton Violins is proud to present an extraordinary collection of over fifty fine violins, violas, and bows. We also offer a large and unique selection of fine and antique violins in 1/2 and 3/4 sizes, ideal for younger players seeking exceptional instruments.
This event is open to professional and amateur musicians, teachers, and students. Dedicated space will be available to try the instruments, and each participant will have ample time to explore the collection.
Registration is required.https://www.princetonviolins.com
The first three customers who purchase an instrument from this collection during the exhibition will receive a complimentary Bam case. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Founded in 2012, Princeton Violins is a family-owned business established by violinist and luthier Jarek Powichrowski. His passion for music, love of the craft of violin making, and fascination with restoring fine instruments led him to create Princeton Violins to serve the Princeton-area community and beyond.

Rachel Breen - Unraveling Threads: Climate, Labor, and the Clothes We Wear
2026-01-28 16:00 - 2026-03-08 15:00 | TCNJ Art Gallery, TCNJ Art Gallery Art & Interactive Multimedia Building The College of New Jersey 2000 Pennington Rd. Ewing, NJ, Ewing, 08628
Organized with TCNJ Professor Kathleen Webber, this solo exhibition features work by Minnesota-based artist Rachel Breen. Through her textile installations and assemblages, Breen has worked to cultivate deeper understandings of labor rights, solidarity, and collective power, often through the lens of the international garment industry.
The gallery will be open from Jan. 28 through March 8 with an Opening Day Artist’s Talk on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 4 pm. Learn more at https://tcnjartgallery.tcnj.edu/category/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/
Regular Gallery Hours:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 12:00-7:00
Friday: 12:00-5:00
Sunday: 1:00-3:00

To schedule a special tour or class visit, please email: margarep@tcnj.edu

Meet the Curators Tour: Northern Family, Southern Ties
2026-01-28 18:30 - 19:30 | Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
Experience a behind-the-scenes, after-hours look at Morven’s newest exhibition, Northern Family, Southern Ties, with Morven’s curators and research team. The result of three years of research, this exhibit complicates the more traditional understanding of the “North” and “South” by following two families before, during, and after the Civil War and the interstate movement of the people they enslaved.

After Noon Concert Series at the Princeton University Chapel
2026-01-29 12:30 - 13:00 | Princeton University Chapel
The After Noon Concert Series is a weekly opportunity for the Princeton Community to enjoy performances at the Princeton University Chapel by various local, national, and international organists. These half-hour concerts showcase the flexibility of the magnificent Skinner/Mander Chapel organ. Each visiting organist rehearses and performs, bringing forth a different voice and character from the organ.

Friends of the Lawrence Library January Book Sale
2026-01-29 13:00 - 16:00 | Lawrence Branch, Mercer County Library, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence, NJ, 08648, United States
Dates:• Early Admission: Thursday, January 29, 1–4 p.m.• General Sale: Friday, January 30–Monday, February 2
Location:Lawrence Headquarters Branch, Mercer County Library System2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ
The Friends of the Lawrence Library will hold their January Book Sale featuring thousands of used, gently read books for all ages. The sale opens to the public on Friday, January 30 at 10 a.m. and continues through Monday, February 2 at 2 p.m. Payment is accepted by cash, check, or Zelle.
Early Admission
An early admission event will be held Thursday, January 29 from 1 to 4 p.m.• Free for Friends members• $5 for the general public• $20 for patrons with scannersThis is the only time scanning devices are permitted.
General Admission
Beginning Friday, January 30 at 10 a.m., entry is free and open to all. No scanning devices allowed.Hours:• Friday–Saturday: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.• Sunday: 12:30–4:30 p.m.• Monday: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Sunday and Monday feature a $5-per-bag sale. Attendees should bring their own bags.
Book donations are currently being accepted at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch. Proceeds from the sale support programs and services offered by the Lawrence Library.
For more information, call 609-883-8294 or visit www.mcl.org.

Winery Weekend Music Series
2026-02-01 12:00 - 17:00 | Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
Join for cheer in the winery to enjoy live music and meet up with family and friends. With indoor seating in the wine barn among the wine tanks and outdoor seating with firepits. Enjoy hot mulled wine, tasting flights of Terhune favorite wines, and wine by the glass. All ages can have fun with s’mores and hot cocoa kits. Light bites of cheese plates and chips & salsa baskets are available at the winery. Perfect to enjoy with a glass of wine in the sun.
Live music on Saturday and Sunday from 1pm-4pm.

See full listing of musicians https://www.terhuneorchards.com/winery-events/

ART OF Loving thy Neighbor
2026-02-01 16:00 - 19:00 | Arts Council of Princeton
Join us for a powerful interfaith gathering held in partnership with the Muslim Center of Greater Princeton
Join religious leaders from diverse faith traditions as they share what “loving thy neighbor” means in their faith and how each of us can bring this sacred practice into daily life.

Restoring Works of Art
2026-02-01 17:00 - 19:00 | Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
Restoration is defined as the act of returning something to a former condition, which raises many complex questions when applied to the restoration of historical artifacts and works of art. And why do we restore works of art at all? Bart Devolder, chief conservator of the Princeton University Art Museum, will discuss these issues, using several case studies including works created in Italy. Devolder will illustrate that restoring a work of art to its former glory is not always straightforward.
Participants are encouraged to bring refreshments to share at a post-program reception. Doors open at 4:45 p.m.

Jersey Art Meetup
2026-02-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Arts Council of Princeton
Princeton Comic Makers presents: JERSEY ART MEETUPS (JAM), a weekly social event connecting creatives within the greater Central Jersey area through a shared passion for sequential art and new media. Attendees may use this open workshop space to draw, write, and develop their own artwork, with an opportunity to receive peer review and feedback from other members if desired. Illustrators, animators, writers, and generalists are all welcome to join and discuss their art and career goals, share learning resources, promote current projects, or find friends and collaborators. Together, we aspire to cultivate a local community that keeps artists motivated towards achieving their dreams!

Free Virtual Art Making with Princeton University: Colored Pencils
2026-02-05 20:00 - 21:00 | Virtual – Zoom
The Arts Council of Princeton partners with the Princeton University Art Museum to provide free virtual art-making classes. Weekly classes are taught by ACP artist-instructor Barbara DiLorenzo over Zoom. Techniques emphasize drawing with pen, pastel paint or pencil on paper. Each week’s lesson features works from the Museum’s collections.

Pianist Emmanuel Ax Performs at McCarter Theatre
2026-02-06 19:30 - 21:00 | Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall, Princeton University, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Eight-time GRAMMY Award-winning pianist Emanuel Ax is renowned for his poetic temperament, deeply felt interpretations, and unparalleled virtuosity. Whether performing a timeless sonata or premiering a new work, his artistry reflects a profound love for music and its power to inspire. As The New York Times declares, Ax’s performances are “never less than spellbinding.”
A beloved favorite of Princeton audiences, Ax first performed at McCarter in 1981 and continues to captivate with his masterful musicianship.
Program (subject to change)
Beethoven: Sonata Op. 27 No. 1
Corigliano: Fantasia on an Ostinato
Beethoven: Sonata Op. 27 No. 2 “Moonlight”
Intermission
Schumann: Arabesque Op. 18
Schumann: Fantasy Op. 17
Scholar’s Insights – A preshow talk at 6:30 p.m.
Learn more about the performance from experts. Curated in partnership with The Department of Music at Princeton University.

TCNJ Faculty Artist Series Featuring: Joshua Kovach & Kathleen Mitchell
2026-02-06 19:30 - 21:00 | TCNJ, Mildred & Ernest E. Mayo Concert Hall [Music Building], 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ, 08628
Join TCNJ Department of Music for the first Faculty Artist Recital of this semester, featuring Joshua Kovach, clarinet, and Kathleen Mitchell, saxophone.
The program opens with a transcription of Ginastera’s vibrant Tres Danzas Argentinas, the composer’s first published and most beloved work. From there, the concert highlights international voices, including Hungarian clarinetist Béla Kovács’evocative Hommage à Manuel de Falla and Jamaican-born British composer Eleanor Alberga’s Duo, drawn from her ballet Dancing with the Shadow. Contemporary influences surface in Andrián Pertout’s Riesenschritte, inspired by Coltrane’s groundbreaking Giant Steps, and in Ronald L. Caravan’s arrangement of Paquito D’Rivera’s La Fleur de Cayenne, infused with the rhythms of the Venezuelan joropo. The program also features Victor Morosco’s Blue Caprice, a blues-inflected passacaglia that bridges classical form with jazz tradition.
Together, these works create a rich and eclectic evening, weaving folk influences, jazz language, and contemporary voices into a vibrant tapestry of sound.
Get tickets here: https://tcnjcenterforthearts.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1689
