September 2025

September 2025 ..................Rutgers University–New Brunswick

Cheer on the Scarlet Knights!

Back to school means Rutgers Football is back, and the Scarlet Knights are off to a great start with a win for the season opener.

Get in on the Big 10 action at SHI Stadium for upcoming home games. Choose from a variety of ticket packages and game themes. Be sure to visit the Rutgers Boardwalk four hours before home games for rides and games, food trucks, live entertainment, parade and pep rally, and greet the team on the Scarlet Walk. (Game tickets not required for the Boardwalk.)

And, help paint the town scarlet with watch parties for away games in New Brunswick City Center. Big-screen TV trucks will be set up along George Street for the following games:

Sept. 27 vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Oct. 10 vs. Washington Huskies
Oct. 18 vs. Oregon Ducks

EVENTS, PERFORMANCES, AND FILMS

The fall season for Mason Gross School of the Arts visual arts exhibitions kicks off with the The Holding Pattern, the annual group show featuring faculty, staff, and returning MFA students. Join September 3 for the opening reception. Free.

The 44th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival takes place from September 5-October 10. The festival is presented online as well as select in-person screenings at Rutgers University. The filmmaking workshops are free, but seating is limited and advance registration is required.

Attend the Largest Networking Party (LNP) Networkfest, September 8, at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick, sponsored by the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce. Join organizations, businesses, and civic groups celebrating all that Middlesex County has to offer. Meet hundreds of Central Jersey professionals and enjoy cuisine from some of the best area restaurants.

Rutgers University will host the fall Mega Career Fair September 15-18 at Jersey Mike's Arena. More than 400 employers will be on hand to connect with over 8,000 candidates and discuss full-time, part-time, and internship opportunities in various fields. This event is open to Rutgers University students and alumni. Exhibitors are encouraged to register now.

The final New Brunswick Car Show of the season will take place on September 18 in Monument Square Park in New Brunswick City Center. Enjoy live entertainment, and enter for a chance to win gift certificates to local restaurants. Free.

Lost Souls Public Memorial Project presents To Our Ancestors on September 27 at NBPAC. Participate in interactive activities for all ages and learn about design updates. The Lost Souls Public Memorial Project (LSP) of New Jersey is a non-profit organization that endeavors to pay tribute to the lives of Black women, children, and men who were unlawfully sold during the domestic slave trade. Free.

Enjoy a night of stand-up comedy at State Theatre New Jersey on September 27. Comedy Night Live features a powerhouse lineup including Mike Sicoli (Prom King on YouTube, Levity Live, FunnyBone), Jon Bramnick (“Funniest Lawyer in New Jersey,” NJ State Senator), Jackie Fabulous (NBC, CBS, FOX, Find Your Fabulous series), Joey Kola (The Tonight Show, Comedy Central Presents, Kevin Can Wait), and your host Vinnie Brand (Stress Factory). Co-presented with The Stress Factory Comedy Club.

Tickets are on sale now for the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra: The Opening Concert at Nicholas Music Center on the Douglass Campus, with a program featuring works by Chen Yi, Ravel, and Amy Beach.

The 3rd Annual Middlesex County Jazz Festival on September 28 on George Street unites people of all ages and backgrounds through the universal language of music. This year's festival will continue in this tradition, offering something for everyone–from seasoned jazz aficionados to curious newcomers. Free.

LECTURES, PRESENTATIONS, AND WEBINARS

The Zimmerli Art Museum presents upcoming talks with artists featured in the "Indigenous Identities" exhibition. Kay WalkingStick (September 8 on Zoom) and Norman Akers (September 10 at the museum) discuss their careers and artwork in the exhibition, which continues this fall. Free.

On September 22, join acclaimed writer and poet Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha via Zoom for a reading from their forthcoming book, The Way Disabled People Love Each Other, as well as works from The Future Is Disabled, Care Work, and Tonguebreaker. Following the readings, Dr. Roxane Gay will join them for a conversation on the difficult necessity of telling the truth, fighting to remember grief, and pleasure in our current political moment. Free.

The B ildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life at Rutgers hosts an online discussion on September 29 with Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and Nancy Sinkoff, the Bildner Center’s academic director. Halevi will offer insight into Israeli life almost two years after the October 7 attack and amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Free.

Interested in Apiculture? During the month of October, learn how to be a beekeeper with Bee-ginner's Beekeeping: The Basics of Apiculture, offered by Rutgers NJAES Office of Continuing Professional Education. This self-paced online course teaches students how to start, maintain, and care for a honey bee colony, and includes a Zoom session with the instructors.

FOR KIDS

On September 6, set the stage for your creative journey in the world of theater at the George Street Playhouse Acting Studio open house for ages 10-17. All you need to bring is your enthusiasm and imagination. Free but pre-registration required.

Rutgers Athetics' Sir Henry's Kids Club is back with the Knights in Training Program for youth 12 and younger. Each membership comes with an exclusive pack filled with goodies + free tickets and is good through July 1, 2026.

Middlesex County has launched a Junior Rangers program for children 4-10. The program provides a series of outdoor activities that you can do with children on your own at county parks. Request your Junior Ranger activity book today. Free.

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Rutgers Women's Volleyball single game tickets are on sale now. Show your support as they host more than a dozen opponents at Jersey Mike's Arena from now until November.

Start your Sunday mornings with Yoga at The Yard by Garden of Healing Yoga & Wellness. And on September 17, enjoy Yoga in the Galleries at the Zimmerli Art Museum. Free.

Join New Brunswick Free Public Library for an introductory meditation session on September 23. Learn how meditation has proven benefits for spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional health. Sangeeta Sinha, a long-time meditator for this program, will teach the meditation technique. Free.

Registration for the 23rd annual Big Chill 5K, sponsored by Rutgers Recreation, opens September 15. Join the tradition of giving back by donating toys for the local community and supporting the No Hungry Knights Scholarship Fund. Register by November 7 to receive 2 free tickets to the Rutgers vs. Maryland football game on November 8.

SCIENCE AND NATURE

The Rutgers Community Farmers Markets, including the New Brunswick Community Farmers Market and Cook’s Market at Rutgers Gardens, are back for the season, bringing fresh, healthy food from local farms. The market offers multiple locations and days for convenient access:

Jones Avenue – Tuesdays and Saturdays
Kilmer Square Park – Thursdays
Rutgers Gardens – Fridays
College Avenue Student Center – Thursdays

Observe the night sky through a 20-inch optical telescope at the Robert A. Schommer Astronomical Observatory on Rutgers' Busch Campus. Public open viewing nights are scheduled for September 11, 18, and 25, weather permitting. Free.

Immerse yourself in nature at the Rutgers Ecological Preserve and Natural Teaching Area, a 360-acre wooded preserve between the Busch and Livingston campuses in Piscataway. Free.

AROUND TOWN

Administrators and staff of the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University-New Brunswick have made it their mission to transform the facility into a bilingual space and extend a welcoming hand to New Brunswick’s Hispanic and Latino community. Learn how a grant has helped the museum fulfill its mission.

The New Brunswick Department of Human and Community Services will host a Social Services Open House on September 22 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, offering information on food security, housing, financial assistance, counseling and more. Free.

Join Rutgers University Inn and Conference Center's fall open house on October 1. Explore the charming and versatile meeting spaces and enjoy samples of catering options. Free, but pre-registration required by September 24.

The Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers marks its first 50 years at an anniversary gala on October 4 at the Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center. Join GSAPP for an evening of connection, reflection, and celebration.

View lifelike statues by artist Seward Johnson, a New Brunswick native, that will be on display along George Street through November 1. Take a self-guided walking tour of the sculpture pieces and share photos on social media for a chance to win a gift card to New Brunswick's favorite shops and restaurants. Free.

DATES TO KNOW

Rutgers Home Football Games

September 6, September 13, September 20, October 18 (Homecoming),

November 8, November 29

Hub City Jazz Festival

October 5

New Brunswick Oktoberfest

October 12

Big Chill 5K

December 13

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Programs for the Community Events Calendar

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