| Explore Warren

 

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” – Robin Williams

Are you ready to party? We are! Even with April Fool’s Day coming up, don’t be fooled by what may appear to be a light Wanderings edition at first glance. With so many egg hunts and other Easter-themed activities on the horizon (for kids AND adults), we created a special Egg-citing issue within this issue!

We’re in love with our cover photo! This little guy is taking in the essence of fresh tulips, getting ready for Tulip Festival Weekends at Von Thun Farms in Washington starting April 18! 

Roy’s Hall is adding show after show including the return of husband and wife team Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams live tonight, and James McMurty, another returning favorite, April 4.

Centenary Stage Company welcomes another season of The Women Playwright Series beginning April 1. Audience participation is encouraged after each reading.

The Plan Ahead section is rather lengthy this issue, as we’re getting you ready for more fun to come! One such event is a Roaring ‘20s Benefit at Rutherfurd Hall where the proceeds go to repair the WCHGS museum. A suggested donation of $45 gets you food, dancing and drinks! Period dress is welcome but not required.

Happy scrolling, Happy Passover, Happy Easter, Happy April Fool's, Happy Spring and Happy Wanderings!

Egg-cited for the Sun! March 26-April 5

Coming Up: 

Easter Basket Workshop at Flowerland Growers

Do you need a beautiful spring arrangement for your table this Easter? Flowerland Growers has two opportunities to create your own unique table art from its plentiful greenhouses! Cost based on whether you bring your own basket, and which products you choose to fill it!

Easter Bunny Pizza Party and Puppy Adoption

Hop on over for an afternoon of springtime fun, community spirit, and hoppy memories! A free event, with the exception of the Easter Bunny Pizza party, to attend and open to the community. Activities include face painting, bounce house, music, over 23 vendors set up, ice cream from Village Sundaes, wine, sweet treats, Cold Nose Warm Heart adoptions and more! 

PaddlersCove Open House

Stop by for the one-year anniversary of new ownership of PaddlersCove featuring food trucks, giveaways, tips and rigging tricks! Check out the latest options in kayaks and accessories, and learn how much fun it is fishing in a kayak!

Scotty's Stretch the Mozz at Four Sisters Winery

Join Scott for a fun-filled afternoon of mozzarella-making and wine tasting! You'll learn the art of crafting fresh mozzarella balls to take home, all while enjoying a wine tasting featuring Four Sisters' finest selections. Space is limited.

Paint & Sip at Tiptons Tavern

Wednesday, April 1, 2026 -
6:00pm to 9:00pm

Bring your friends and welcome spring with a night out at Tiptons Tavern! Your ticket includes all paint supplies plus a glass of wine or a martini.

CSC's Women Playwright Series presents "Big Money" by Lauren Ferebee

Wednesday, April 1, 2026 - 7:00pm

Be a part of the creative process! The Women Playwright Series (WPS) is a developmental program dedicated to providing a working forum for the unique voice of women writing for the theatre today. Each season, three new plays are selected for a brief collaborative workshop process with a professional director and actors, allowing for the playwright to hear and adapt their work with other professionals. The process culminates in a presentation of the work for the general public as part of the series, giving audiences larger exposure to new work. Since 1992, CSC’s WPS has featured and helped to develop the new work of more than 80 female playwrights from around the country and produced 20 World Premieres in as many years.

First in the 2026 series is Lauren Ferebee's Big Money. "If you get the woman, you get the whole family." In 2018, an NRA executive uttered these words on tape, giving voice to a rising movement in the gun industry: marketing to moms. ​None of those moms or their kids are in the remote social radius of Felicity, Ximena, Jo, and Yasmin, the four competitive NYC advertising professionals who are brought in to fix their agency's Guns for Moms pitch. Tickets are free, but reserve your seat with a $5 donation!

Evening Birding Walk at Wattles Stewardship Center

Saturday, April 4, 2026 - 5:00pm

Celebrate the return of spring with an immersive evening in the field! Join the Musconetcong Watershed Association, New Jersey Highlands Coalition and New Jersey Audubon for a guided birding walk at the beautiful Wattles Stewardship Center, perfectly timed for the height of migration season. 

James McMurtry at Roy's Hall

Saturday, April 4, 2026 - 8:00pm

James McMurtry is no stranger to Roy’s Hall and known for his powerhouse performances, he tours year-round making a stop in Blairstown, NJ. The son of one of America’s most celebrated novelists, James McMurtry followed the family’s tradition of being a master storyteller who relates his tales in verse and music.

 

The Heritage Museum at Meadow Breeze Park

Sunday, April 5, 2026 - 1:00pm

The Heritage Museum at Meadow Breeze Park is now open. Learn about Warren County's fascinating history, from its transportation history, including the Morris Canal, to the Oxford Furnace, the Edison Factory, and the piano and organ industry that was prevalent in Washington Borough.

 
Entertainment: 

Live Music at The Draught House

Friday, April 10, 2026 - 8:00pm
Friday, April 17, 2026 - 8:00pm
Friday, June 5, 2026 - 7:00pm
Saturday, August 8, 2026 - 8:00pm

The Draught House is open and crankin' the tunes! Diamond Eye Jack 3/26; Dean Shot and His Solid Senders 4/10; Rumble City Records 4/17; Pink Floid NYC 6/5; Whiskey and Roses 8/8.

Brook Hollow Live Music - March 2026

Enjoy Brook Hollow's weekend live music with Scott Messina 3/6; Stan and Elise 3/7; Katy Gerhold 3/8; OPEN MIC NIGHT 3/13; Water Street 3/14; Ally Brown 3/15; 2 Way Street 3/20; TBD 3/21; Michael Long 3/22; OPEN MIC NIGHT 3/27; Stan and Elise 3/28; Lee Larson 3/29.

Live Music at Living Spirits Distillery

Hackettstown's own distillery is open and bringing the live music featuring P.D. Brody 3/7; Jon Zayle Acoustic 3/14;Connor Strapp 3/20; Lelica and Mike 3/21; DJ SHT 3/27; Erika Sherger 3/28.

2026 Jazz Series Fundraiser at Rutherfurd Hall

Sunday, April 26, 2026 - 2:00pm
Sunday, May 31, 2026 - 2:00pm
Sunday, June 28, 2026 - 2:00pm
Sunday, September 27, 2026 - 2:00pm
Sunday, October 25, 2026 - 2:00pm
Sunday, November 22, 2026 - 2:00pm

Experience the complete 2026 Jazz Series at Rutherfurd Hall featuring seven world-class jazz performances. All jazz lovers have the option to purchase the series package, a 10% savings rather than purchasing individual tickets. 

 
Continuing: 

Friday Night Meal Deal at Brook Hollow Winery

Friday, April 3, 2026 - 6:00pm
Friday, April 10, 2026 - 6:00pm
Friday, April 17, 2026 - 6:00pm
Friday, April 24, 2026 - 6:00pm

Back by popular demand! Brook Hollow invites you to a Friday night Meal Deal, perfectly paired with live music and extended happy hour specials. Talk about the ultimate pairing for your night out! Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance.

 
Community Corner: 

Phillipsburg Indoor Winter Market

The Phillipsburg Farmers Market has moved indoors for the winter, open the 2nd and 4th Saturday from January through April, each with a theme. Customers can continue to buy their favorite fresh and local foods while supporting community vendors. This Saturday is the Chili Chowdown! Bring your best chili!

Open Volunteer Day with RVC

Thursday, April 2, 2026 -
10:00am to 12:00pm
Saturday, April 25, 2026 -
9:00am to 12:00pm

Be an agent of change by volunteering some time at one of RVC's many trails. Tools will be provided appropriate to the project.

Working with Abstraction presented by WC ARTS

Saturday, April 11, 2026 -
1:00pm to 3:00pm

Join Trish Goginsky as she discusses foundational ideas in Abstract art such as simplification, stylization, symbolism, mark-making and expressive color. Guided by the discussions and creative prompts, participants will create a series of small original compositions that explore these ideas.

Phillipsburg Indoor Winter Market

Saturday, April 11, 2026 -
10:00am to 1:00pm
Saturday, April 25, 2026 - 10:00am

The Phillipsburg Farmers Market has moved indoors for the winter, open the 2nd and 4th Saturday from January through April, each with a theme. Customers can continue to buy their favorite fresh and local foods while supporting community vendors. This Saturday is the Chili Chowdown! Bring your best chili!

 
Plan Ahead: 

The Niceties at CSC

Thursday, April 9, 2026 to Sunday, April 19, 2026

An accomplished Ivy League professor holds routine office hours with an ambitious young student to discuss her thesis: if history is written by the victors, who tells the story of the oppressed?

Third Annual CycloneCon @ Centenary University

Saturday, April 11, 2026 -
10:00am to 6:00pm

Dive into a full day of comics, anime, cosplay, video games, board games, and sci-fi/fantasy fun. With 90+ vendors, artists, and authors—plus panels, workshops, trivia, and interactive activities—there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Hard Seltzer Fest at Man Skirt Brewing

Saturday, April 11, 2026 -
12:00pm to 10:00pm

Delicious eats from Tacos Chicas and treats by Coot’s Kitchen, limited-edition merch, live music by Rick Barth at 7pm and pop-up vendors
Stop in for a quick drink or stay and work your way through the whole lineup. Either way, it’s going to be a celebration you won’t want to miss.

The Miracle Worker @ Country Gate Players

Saturday, April 18, 2026
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Sunday, April 26, 2026

A child trapped in silence. A family desperate for hope. The Miracle Worker tells the powerful true story of Helen Keller and the determined teacher who broke through the darkness to reach her. Witness a moving journey of frustration, resilience, and love as one family fights to unlock the world inside their child—and discovers the miracle of connection.

Tulip Festival Weekends at Von Thun Farms

Saturday, April 18, 2026 to Sunday, April 19, 2026
Saturday, April 25, 2026 to Sunday, April 26, 2026
Saturday, May 2, 2026 to Sunday, May 3, 2026
Thursday, May 7, 2026

Tulips symbolize rebirth, especially appropriate that they bloom at the start of spring, a new beginning following winter. Von Thun Farms is excited to open the Tulip Festival every weekend starting April 18 - May 7! Advanced tickets are available now!

Celebrate America's 250th Anniversary at the Roseberry House

Saturday, April 18, 2026 -
10:00am to 4:00pm

Step back into the 18th century at the Roseberry House with the Bachmann Players! The day will feature lively, hands-on history demonstrations, traditional skills and pastimes such as knitting, crafts, and a classic hunters’ presentation will be happening alongside colonial-appropriate light refreshments. The Warren County Community Singers will present a quartet featuring patriotic and Old America folk songs.

A Night at Rutherfurd Hall - Roaring '20s Benefit

Saturday, April 18, 2026 -
7:00pm to 10:00pm

The Warren County Historical & Genealogical Society invites you to return to the Roaring '20s for a swank soiree in Rutherfurd Hall, the turn-of-the-20th Century, Tudor-style mansion in Allamuchy visited by notables including President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Gatsby was great, but this will be even greater, with the requested donation of $45 per person including food from Mama's Catering of Mama's Cafe Baci, Hackettstown; drinks; dancing; and music by Moetta, a five-piece jazz combo. Proceeds support repairs to the WCHGS Museum in Belvidere, ensuring that it can be open during this year's America250 celebration. Period dress welcomed but not required.

“Go Green With Hope” Green Fair

Saturday, April 25, 2026 -
10:00am to 2:00pm

 Enjoy free admission to glean environmental and sustainability information and wares from more than 50 exhibitors! Talk to vendors, pick up some free seedlings and books, enter raffles and more! You may drop off unused medications and electronic waste. A food truck will be on site, and there is also a town-wide yard sale, clothing drive, crafts and Art Show in town that day. "Hope" to see you there!