SATURDAY ONLY

Born to be Shorn at Cooper Gristmill (Chester Township)

Missed all of this year’s sheep-shearing fests?  BAAAAAAA-D! Redeem yourself Saturday at Cooper Gristmill’s “Born to be Shorn” event: meet the little lambs, watch them being hand-sheared, learn how fleece is processed and made into garments, enjoy hands-on activities including weaving and spinning, and make wooly crafts to take home.  Saturday, May 14, 11am–4pm. Suggested donation: Adults/$3.; Seniors/$2.; Children 4-16/$1.; Children under 4/FREE.  Call 908-879-5463 for more information.

17th Annual Family Science Morning at the Buehler Challenger & Science Center (Paramus)

Blast off on a simulated space mission Saturday at the Buehler Challenger & Science Center, then grab your NASA neophyte and go for a fun morning of science experiments. Follow up with a visit to the traveling museums and much more. Re-entry sterilization not required.  Saturday, May 14, 9am-noon.  Admission $7./person. Reservations required and must be made before 4:30pm Friday by calling the Mission Services Department at 201-251-8589.

Tea for Two at The Reeves-Reed Arboretum (Summit)

Got a girly-girl? Try this on for size: dolls, flowers gardens, dancing and a tea party–all in one spot (cover your ears, the delighted squeals start now.) Bring a favorite doll (American Girl or other) to the Reeves-Reed Arboretum this Saturday for a tour of the magnificent gardens, followed by Maypole dancing,  decorating of a mini Maypole for the dolls to dance around, tea and a snack. Better yet, call your mother—grandparents live for this type of thing. For ages 7-and-up.  Saturday, May 14, 2-3:30pm. Cost: Adults/FREE; Children/$25.  Registration required.  Call 908-273-8787 extension 1414 to register and for additional information.

Fishing Derby 2011 at Branch Brook Park (Newark)

Get your Huckleberry Finn on this weekend at Essex County Park System’s 2011 Fishing Derby. Grab your fishing poles, bait, chairs, and buckets, and head to the park. Hook a big one and head home with an award–no fish tale... Saturday, May 14. Derby begins at 10am, awards given at 12:15pm. Derby participants must be 15-and-under.  FREE.  Call 973-268-3500 for more information.

Downtown Toms River Arts & Music Festival/Toms River Food Fest (Toms River)

It’s a full-on day of outdoor family partying in Toms River this Saturday!  Festivities kick-off with an 11am parade, followed by opening ceremonies, then the simultaneous Downtown Tom River Arts & Music Festival and Toms River Food Fest.  Huddy Park fills with live music and dance, visual arts and fine crafts.  One block away, food vendors and more live entertainment line the river’s edge. The only tough part will be deciding who gets to nap and who has to drive the family home!  Saturday, May 14, Noon-9 pm.  FREE.  Call 732-341-8738 for more information.

SUNDAY ONLY

Miss New Jersey on the Big J (Battleship New Jersey) (Camden)

Dad likes historical sites, son prefers weaponry and daughter digs beauty queens–what’s a mom to do? Head to Battleship New Jersey this Sunday where reigning Miss New Jersey, Ashleigh Udalovas, along with a bevy of 2011 Miss New Jersey Pageant contestants board the Big J to pose for photos and sign autographs.  Take a tour through America’s most decorated Battleship: stretch out in sailors bunks, mount the ladders and climb into the gun turret—in this museum, you truly become a living part of the exhibit. Sunday, May 15, 1pm.  General quarters admission: Adults/$18.50; Seniors, veterans and children 6-11/$14.00; Children under 6, active military, BB62 Vets, WWII Vets/FREE. Tickets may be purchased online through the above website, or in advance by calling toll free 1-866-877-6262 x108 during regular business hours. Call 866-877-6262 or 856-966-1652 for more information.  (NOTE: Highly recommended that visitors wear flat shoes as ladder-climbing is involved. Strollers not allowed aboard.)

Disney’s “The Jungle Book” (West Milford)

Typically, place the word “Disney” in front of any live event and admission prices skyrocket.  Not here;  The West Milford Players bring to life the story of Mowgli, lost in the jungle, saved from a ferocious tiger and reared by the Wolf Pack, at less than the cost of matinee movie!  This thrilling original adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale involves colorful costumes, dancing and singing galore. A fairy tale ending, if ever there was one. Sunday, May 15, 2pm. Tickets: Adults/$12.; Seniors and students/$10. For more information, or to reserve tickets, call 973-697– 4400 or e-mail tickets@thewestmilfordplayers.org.

“Be Our Guest” At Morris Area Museums (Morristown, Dover, Madison, Morris Plains)

Ever dream about a day during which you could visit as many as nine amazing museums and historical sites FREE, without the struggle of toddler seats and the search for parking spots?  Sigh...Well dream no longer—that day has arrived!   In celebration of National Tourism Week, Morris County’s top institutions are flinging open their doors and inviting everyone to come on in for FREE! Even better, there’s a FREE shuttle running visitors from location-to-location. So park once and be done. 

Participants include:

Acorn Hall (Morristown) Headquarters of the Morris County Historical Society and a Victorian Italianate mansion decorated largely with furnishings from the two families who lived there between 1853 and 1971.

Community Children's Museum (Dover) A hands-on children's museum for children 10 and younger focusing on art, science, and world cultures.

Fosterfields Living Historical Farm (Morristown) A restored working dairy cattle farm portraying life in the early 20th century through costumed living history, farming, and domestic skills demonstrations, and tours of the Foster family’s circa 1852 Gothic Revival house.

Historic Speedwell (Morristown) The “Birthplace of the Telegraph,” telling the story of the Vail family and their role in the early days of the Industrial Revolution and in the development of the telegraph, through hands-on exhibits, guided tours, and special event weekends.

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum and Gardens (Morristown) An elegant historic house and decorative arts museum comprising ten period rooms and four exhibit galleries, two of which are devoted to the largest collection of cartoonist Thomas Nast’s works in the country.

Morristown National Historical Park/Washington’s Headquarters (Morristown) A national park preserving sites of the Continental Army's encampment and the headquarters of General George Washington during the winters of 1777 and 1779–80.

Morris Museum (Morristown) A museum dedicated to art, science, theater, and history, and home to the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of mechanical musical instruments and automata.

Museum of Early Trades & Crafts (Madison) A museum exploring 18th- and 19th-century American history, with a focus on New Jersey, drawing on its collection of over 8,000 hand tools and their products to interpret the lives and technologies of men and women who lived and worked before the rise of large-scale industrialization in this country.

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms (Morris Plains) A National Historic Landmark, this 1911 log house is the former home of noted turn-of-the-century designer Gustav Stickley, a major proponent of the American Arts and Crafts movement in home building and furnishing. Sunday, May 15, noon-5pm.  A schedule of shuttle times and locations will be available on the day of the event. FREE (Guests are encouraged to contribute a non-perishable food item for the Interfaith Food Pantry or a cash donation to the Front Line Fund benefitting Morris County military families.)  Call 973.631.5151 for more information.