The weekend weather forecast looks pretty good for some outdoor autumn fun! There are fall festivals in Blairstown, Great Meadows and Belvidere; a haunting crime thriller comes to Centenary Stage; area wineries are offering music, mead, a Grape Gallop and other festivities; plus there's a Guided Tree Hike and access to the Morris Canal and its museums. And locals should check out the Community Corner we introduced last week .  Have fun and Happy Wanderings!


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V Volume 8, No. 16
In This Issue:


Go for a hayride at Marshall's Farm Market! Every weekend in October (weather permitting) from 1-5pm. It comes with a warm apple cider donut a cup of fresh pressed apple cider. 
October 10:

Third Annual "Day at the Race's" at Race Farm. Live music! Brook Hollow Winery! Pulled pork sandwiches, alpacas, and free hayrides for apple and pumpkin picking. 10am-4pm.
Races
Coming Oct. 17:

Local Produce!


NJ Seasonality Chart

Ongoing:


Tuesday nights at Joe's Steak Shop274 South Main Street,
Phillipsburg
908-454-9545
5-9pm, thru October 13

Wednesday nights at Zeek's Place118 County Rt. 519
Belvidere
908-475-4088
5pm - dark

Historical Walking Tours  and  Walking Ghost Tours of  Belvidere

Walking Ghost Tours: Be transported back in time with true tales of bloodcurdling terror! Learn of Belvidere's checkered past and get acquainted with some of the town's more "spirited" residents, featuring sites where ghostly activity has been reported.  Bring your own flashlight. Tours will be conducted at 7pm each Friday and Saturday evening in October (Oct. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31).

Historical Walking Tours: Delight in the history of the charming town of Belvidere, with its many Victorian era homes. This event is held for one weekend only: October 10 at 11am, 1pm and 3pm; and October 11 at 1pm and 3pm.

Both events are presented by the Warren County Historical & Genealogical Society and are hosted by Gary Greenwald and his wife, Kim. These tours are by reservation only (don't delay - they have sold out in the past); are open only to adults age 18 and older; are held rain or shine; and the $15 donation per person per walk is non-refundable. Wear comfortable walking shoes!

Make your reservation by calling Bev at 908-475-4188 or Dottie at 908-475-8446. Checks should be made payable to the Warren County Historical Society, P.O. Box 313, Belvidere, NJ 07823-0313.
 Centenary Stage Company Presents: 


"Mindbending, ingenious and ethically challenging"
-The London Times

Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Center
715 Grand Avenue
Hackettstown, NJ
CSC
Performances: October 9-25
Thurs. 7:30pm; Fri. & Sat. 8pm; Wed. & Sun. Matinee 2pm
 
Box Office: 908-979-0900

*Thursday Family Night: $25 all seats - 2 for 1 rush ticket special when purchased at the door two hours prior


Warren County's Wineries
...always have something to sample, and so much more!
  Please check websites (listed alphabetically) for event details and hours of operation.

269 Rt. 627, Milford, NJ (Finesville) ~  908-995-7800

Continuing: MUSIC UNDER THE ARBOR at Alba Vineyard
The arbor at Alba Vineyard
Come out to Alba Vineyard each Saturday and Sunday to enjoy live music by the area's most talented musicians under our arbor. Every week a different band will appear for your entertainment.  This is an intimate setting for loyal Alba customers to enjoy their wines and the music. Music  times: Saturday 1:30-5pm & Sunday 1-4:30pm. 
Complimentary for Alba customers who do a wine tasting or purchase wine to enjoy with the music.   No reservations needed; No large groups, parties, outside alcohol, food, or pets allowed.  No smoking. 
Artists: 
October 10: BC Combo ~ October 11: VooDUDES Unplugged

RUN. WALK. TASTE. GRAPE GALLOP at Alba Vineyard, October 10

The event that pairs exercise and wine tasting! Choose to run or walk the 2-mile or 4-mile (2 loops) course through picturesque Alba Vineyard.  After the race, grab a glass and stimulate your taste buds by sampling Alba's award-winning wines. This year's beneficiary is Oasis, a haven for women and children. Check-in and registration begins at 8:30am; the race starts at 10am. 

wineries
 

October 16, 7-9pm: "The Night Before the Tour" Patron Party and Silent Auction at Alba:

An evening of fine wine, hors d'oeuvres, and music! $75/person includes a ticket for the historic house tour on Saturday. All proceeds benefit the Pohatcong's 21st Annual Historic House Tour.  
On Saturday, October 18 the self-guided tour starts at Alba Vineyard from 10am to 4pm. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of tour.  
For more information and to purchase tickets to the Night Before Party and House Tour visit pohatconghistory.com

594 Route 94, Columbia ~ 908-496-8200

Relax and enjoy live music at Brook Hollow Winery most weekend afternoons

Upcoming featured Artists:
October 9 (Friday, 6-9pm): Gordon Thomas Ward
October 10 (1:30-4pm): Andy Rimer
October 11 (1:30-4pm):Stan and Elise
October 16 (6:30-10pm): Open Mic Night!
October 17 (2-5pm): John Cain
October 18 (1:30-4pm): George Baier



783 County Rt. 519, Belvidere, NJ ~  908-475-3671
 
HARVEST WEEKENDS at Four Sisters Winery, 
Saturdays and Sundays in October, 12-5pm
Pick Your Own Pumpkins and Apples! Hayrides to the fields and Corn Maze. BBQ foods all weekend!  Event runs every weekend through October with free wine tastings, tours of the vineyard and cellar and live music on some weekends. 

Plan ahead: BAREFOOT GRAPE STOMPING at Four Sisters Winery, October 18, 4-7pm
Take off those shoes and socks and get ready to do some barefoot grape stomping! Bring out the Lucy in you while you stomp to the music and feel the sensation between your toes. Price includes formal wine tasting, a delicious spaghetti and meatballs dinner with tossed salad and homemade breads, wine cellar tour and ends with a tasting of our dessert wines.  $32.95 per person plus tax.Reservations required. Book now as this event will sell out every time.

33 Warren Glen Rd., Finesville, NJ ~ 908-995-2072


MEAD RELEASE at Villa Milagro, October 10-11:
This first batch is limited supply s o come on out to taste & buy!  $5 includes tasting, cookies & gift glass to keep. Tastings conducted 1-6pm.

MUSIC at MILAGRO: Off Minor Trio in Concert, October 10
Villa Milagro's Concert Series showcases local musicians in a concert setting - not merely background music. Come to hear, appreciate and enjoy Jazz and Classical musicians and vocalists from traditional to contemporary.
 
Doors open at 6:30pm for an included wine tasting; music is from 7 to about 9 with an intermission.  Once the music starts concert etiquette applies.  During intermission you can mingle with guests, refill your glass or plate, buy a bottle of wine, chat with the musicians and buy some CDs.
 
Adult admission of $20 includes music, wine tasting and a gift monogrammed wine glass. Cheese/fruit/charcuterie plates available for purchase.  Wine by the bottle or glass to sip as you enjoy the music. Seating is limited; Pre-purchase of tickets recommended.


FALL VINEYARD & WINERY TOURS at Villa Milagro, 
Saturdays & Sundays,  11:30am-1pm
As they prepare for their 2015 harvest, the folks at Villa Milagro invite you to join them for a tour.  You will learn how grapes are grown, cultivated and nurtured to turn "sunlight into wine."  You will learn why winemakers say that "wine is made in the vineyard, not in the barrel."
 
Next you will walk through the winery to learn how grapes are transformed from skin, seed and juice into the miraculous liquid we call wine.  You will see the tools and crafts of winemaking and wines aging in tanks and barrels.
 
Finally, you will enjoy samples of our wine paired with delicious tidbits selected to delight your taste buds.  Bring a lunch to enjoy on the porch after the tour.   
$10 per person; reservations are required! 908-995-2072

FreeunionBack to top
Please note the Morris Canal Bus Tour was rescheduled for October 10 and seats are still available!

Canal
Morris Canal Plane 9 West
(site of Jim and Mary Lee Museum)
Sunday, October 11, 1-4 pm
Morris Canal Museums Open

Morris Canal  Bread Lock Park is open daily until dusk, but the museum is open the second Sunday of the month.  Lock 7 West near New Village was known as "Bread Lock" because the store at the end of the lock sold goods to the boatmen, including homemade bread and pies.  In the museum you will find models and displays of Warren County history with emphasis on the Morris Canal, Shippen Manor, Oxford Furnace and Lenape Indians.

The Jim and Mary Lee Museum is located in a 
Jim and Mary Lee Museum
former Morris Canal plane tender's house. 
Visitors can walk the inclined plane, tour the 
remains of the powerhouse, turbine chamber 
and  tailrace; and view artifacts in the museum. 
Also open 1-4pm, second Sunday of month.

Museum at Bread Lock Park is located behind 
OK 4-Wheel Drive (Mile Marker 4)
Bread Lock
A bridge at Bread Lock Park
2621 Route 57                                                        
New Village, NJ

Jim and Mary Lee Museum 
477 County Route 519                                   
(1/2 mile south of Rt. 57 intersection)           
Stewartsville, NJ

Perennial Garden and Sundial at  Well Sweep Herb Farm
Well-Sweep Herb Farm
205 Mount Bethel Road ~  Port Murray, NJ 07865-4147 ~  908-852-5390

Saturday, October 10, 6pm: Fall Harvest Celebration & Thomas Edsion
Join Well-Sweep for its 15th annual fall harvest with honored guest, Thomas Edison, and inventor and savvy businessman who greatly influenced life around the world! Acclaimed actor Robert Gleason of American Historical Theatre will portray Edison in a captivating reenactment, combining his passion for performance and American history. Come enjoy a delicious feast and entertaining evening. Reservations required. $65.

Saturday, October 24, 1-3pm: Soap Making
Learn how to make all natural, homemade soap. Various methods and ingredients will be covered. Choose from a varied selection of fragrant essential oils and herbs to create your own specialty soap. Wear old clothes. Reservations are required. $35.


Details on special events at Well-Sweep                                                 Back to top

The park is at the corner of Second and Mansfield Streets, Belvidere, NJ 07823

PLAN AHEAD!

Friday, October 16, 7-9pm:
Showcase Series at Millrace Pond Features Hackettstown's Don Kincaid 

This Showcase Series is intended to highlight up and coming singer-songwriter talent, particularly those from Northwest New Jersey. Kincaid, who grew up in Sparta, has been playing guitar, writing and singing his own material, for many years. he is currently working on a CD that he says is part Americana, part country. "Something for everyone," he says.
The historic Inn, located in the heart of Hope, is a B&B/Restaurant that offers entertainment throughout the year. The Showcase is a semi-regular event there.  Admission to the showcase is $5/person , with proceeds going to a local cause. 

The Inn offers an array of fine and casual dining options, cocktails and craft and domestic beers. The Inn at Millrace Pond is located just minutes from Route 80, Exit 12. To make a reservation, call 908-459-4884. For more about the Inn, visit  www.innatmillracepond.com   .
Presents:
  Country Gate Players Present:
 
The creepy and kooky Addams family comes to life in this new musical comedy. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with Lucas, a young man from a "normal" family - or as Wednesday puts it: "We're who we are, and they're from Ohio." When the families meet, what follows is strange and - gasp! - sweet!  Tickets

Country Gate Players
114 Greenwich St.
Belvidere, NJ

908-475-1104

October 17, 23 and 24 at 8pm
October 18 and 25 at 2pm

Rutherfurd




Rutherfurd Hall - designated as a National and New Jersey State Historic Landmark - is a cultural center and a museum owned and managed by the Allamuchy Township Board of Education. It offers many public programs and workshops, and can be reserved as a private event venue. 

A series of jazz concerts continues on  Sunday,  Oct. 18   with   Claudio Roditi Quintet
Click here for


Rutherfurd Hall
1686 Route 517
Allamuchy, NJ

908-852-1894


Thursday, October 29, 6-9pm:
"Night of the Living BID"
 
The Washington Business Improvement District  (WBID) is hosting this fundraiser for
  the Downtown Pocket Park and community activities associated with the park, which actually doubles as a tasting event and costume party for adults. 
 
There will be no tricks, just treats at this inaugural fun-filled event. Tickets are $50 each in advance ($65 at the door), which includes food and five drink tasting tickets per person. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older. Costumes are optional. Space is limited so advanced reservations are highly recommended.
 
Come for ghoulish cocktails, macabre martinis, wicked wines, a spooktactular chili bar, an array of devilish hors d'oeuvres, and a people's choice costume contest. Expect some Halloween music, too, with DJ Mitch Hess.
 
Sponsorship opportunities, including cocktail sponsors, are still available. Call the WBID at 908-689-4800 for further details or emai[email protected] .
 
Party location :
Mediterranean Bistro
301 W. Washington Ave. (Route 57)
Washington, NJ


Community Corner
community
Friday, October 9:  Christopher Columbus Charity Golf Outing at Apple Mountain
Golfers pick their own charities!

  For those non-profit organizations that have thought about doing a golf fundraiser but for one reason or another decided not to, Apple Mountain Golf Club in White Township is offering them an opportunity to "host" an event without the hassle.

Apple Mountain does the work, golfers enjoy a day out on the course, and non-profits in need of funds reap the benefits when the club hosts the Christopher Columbus Charity Golf Outing on Friday, Oct. 9. 
The two-person scramble costs $75 per golfer, which includes lunch, all golfing fees, and an Italian feast post-event awards dinner. There is no limit on the number of golfers you can register. The more you register, the more your organization makes. 

For further information or for a brochure, please call Apple Mountain, 908 - 453 - 3023 ext. 1.

Friday, October 16:
LONGABERGER, VERA BRADLEY & THIRTY-ONE TRICKY TRAY TO BENEFIT PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
 
SAVE THE DATE!  Abilities of Northwest Jersey, Inc. will be hosting its 18th annual Tricky Tray featuring Longaberger® products, Vera Bradley Bags & Accessories, and Thirty-One Gifts, on Friday, October 16 at 264 Rt. 31 North, Washington. Over 90 prizes to win.  Doors open at 6:00 pm with the drawings beginning promptly at 7:30 pm.  $10.00 Admission, includes one sheet of regular raffle tickets per attendee. Help our pantry! Bring a bag of dry/canned goods and receive one additional sheet of regular raffle tickets. No one under 18 admitted.
 
Proceeds from this fundraising event will be dedicated to enhance the program services provided at Abilities of Northwest Jersey, offering a full array of community employment and day program services to people with disabilities throughout Warren, Hunterdon and Morris counties for over 40 years.
   
For more information about the tricky tray, prize sponsorships or program services provided by Abilities of Northwest Jersey, please call 689-1118 or visit Abilities website at  www.abilitiesnw.com.  Follow Abilities on Facebook.
Warren County Hall of Fame Dinner Open to the Public

This year's inductees: Standing left to right, Joel Kobert, Frank Van Horn, John Kingfield, Douglas Steinhardt and Thomas McHugh; seated is Col. Clinton Pagano. Stuart Hartung is being honored posthumously.  In addition, the Hall of Fame committee will be honoring Scott Churchill, as well as the Warren County Farmers Fair Association, with special awards. 

The 2015  Hall of Fame Dinner is scheduled for Saturday Oct. 24 at Hawk Pointe Country Club. The event is open to the public and tables may be reserved. The establishment of the Warren County Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Warren County Community College Foundation, creates a forum for honoring Warren County's finest in an array of fields. The Hall of Fame itself is set up at Warren County Community College, where the public is invited to see it. For tickets to the recognition dinner and other information, please call 908-835-2334 or email   [email protected] . B
Ongoing:

Celebrate Apple Season!

Click on logos or call to learn more:

Columbia
908-496-4577
Hackettstown
908-852-3777
 
Belvidere
908-475-1507
Apgar Cider Press, Harmony
 908-859-2988

Denville Farms, Knowlton
908-459-9869

Landis End Farm, Allamuchy
908-850-1891

908-475-1989

Penny Toss Farm, Washington
908-689-4934


Hope
908-459-5351

Port Murray
908-689-2906 Sat-Sun
908-852-7191 Tues-Fri
Belvidere
908-475-5209
apples
Train
Weekends, through November 1:  
Delaware River Railroad Excursions


E
njoy a beautiful journey along the scenic Delaware River behind New Jersey's only operating steam locomotive departing from Phillipsburg, NJ... or choose to go on a themed excursion such as the Corn Maze TrainMine TrainWarren County Winery TrainGreat Pumpkin Train (October only); and  The Polar Express is already sold out! (But keep checking in case they add more dates.) 

The Warren County Winery Train departs at 11 am and will take you to the end of its line where you will board a bus for a short trip through rolling farmlands to visit to one of New Jersey's most beautiful Wineries: Villa Milagro Vineyards in Finesville, NJ. There you will tour the vineyard to learn how grapes are grown and made into wine, among many other interesting things.  Then you will sample their delicious wines and have an opportunity to purchase them at the source.  

If you would like to enjoy your wine with a picnic, bring a lunch and relax at tables in tree groves at the Ol' Susquehanna Mine and Corn Maze or at the station in Phillipsburg. You are welcome to de-train at the Mine and spend as much time as you like relaxing in the picnic grove, then catch a later train. 

Ticketing Q & A  (It's advisable to read this before ordering tickets.)

SCHEDULE (regular season):
Saturdays & Sundays
Trains leave 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm and 3:30pm
For more info call 908-454-4433 during operating hours or 877-train-ride during the week.

FARES:
Train Ride Only:  $10/child,  $17/adult  
* Mine and Corn Maze upgrade is $5 per person and can be added to your purchase at checkout.

Winery Train: $35/adult
camping
Take a Hike!
 
 Click on images below for details on activities offered at each of these locations:
Allamuchy Mountain / Stephens State Parks
Hackettstown, NJ ~ 908-852-3790
 

Jenny Jump Sate Forest            Worthington State Forest
Hope, NJ ~ 908-459-4366          Columbia, NJ ~ 908-841-9575
 


 

Jersey Fresh Seasonality Chart        Warren County Pick-Your-Own Farms

 

Belvidere Farmers Market

Sundays 10am-1pm, June-October

Second Street in front of the Warren County Court House

 

Blairstown Farmers Market

Saturdays 10am-2pm, June-Oct.

Rt. 521 across from Elementary School

 

Hackettstown Community Farmers Market

Saturdays 8:30 am-1:30 pm, thru November

Saint Mary's, corner of Cook and High Streets


 

Warren County Public Information | [email protected] | http://www.co.warren.nj.us
Wayne Dumont, Jr Administration Building
165 County Route 519 South - Belvidere, NJ 07823
908-475-6580 / 800-554-8540