Charlie’s Curiosities, Before Salem: The Botched Execution of Half-Hanged Mary with author Codie Crowley. Saturday, October 5, 2 p.m. 16 Prospect Wine Bar and Bistro. Register at www.addamsfest.com.
Cartooning Workshop with New Yorker Cartoonist Dan Misdea, Sunday, October 6, 2 to 4 p.m. Westfield Memorial Library. Register at www.addamsfest.com.
Lantern Cemetery Tours at the Presbyterian Church of Westfield, 140 Mountain Avenue, Sunday, October 6, 4:30 to 6 p.m., running every ten minutes. Rain date: October 13. Register at www.addamsfest.com.
When There Were Witches: An Exploration of the Salem Witch Trials. Tuesday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, Thomson Hall, 11 Springfield Avenue, Cranford. In January of 1692, a strange illness seized control of five young girls living in Salem Village, a contentious and divided town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. When medical professionals couldn’t identify the illness, the town believed the girls had come ‘under an evil hand.’ Events soon spiraled out of control with local divisions and a splintered colonial government feeding the frenzy. Archivist Mickey DiCamillo unravels the events with archival documents from the period, and program participants will interact with transcripts from the 1692 interrogations of suspected witches. Participants will also learn where the documents live online, so they can investigate more on their own. A Q&A session follows the presentation.
Columbus Day Ceremony, Sunday, October 13 at 11 a.m. in Mindowaskin Park. Columbus Day Ceremony celebrating Columbus’ accomplishments and the Italian American Heritage and Culture. Gene Jannotti will be the Grand Marshall, and the event is sponsored by the Italian American Club of Westfield, the Westfield UNICO, the Westfield Knights of Columbus and the Union County Board of Commissioners. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at Mindowaskin Park with Italian music and refreshments. All are invited to attend.
Charles Addams Heritage Trail Tour, Sunday, October 13, 10 to 11 a.m. Meet in front of the Center for Creativity at the Rialto, 250 East Broad Street. www.addamsfest.com You Can’t Take It with You, Westfield Community Players presents its first show of the season. It’s a classic comedy about a wacky family who marches to the beat of their own drum. Things like stress, jobs, and paying taxes are for other people, not for them! But when young Alice becomes engaged to her company’s vice president Tony, the clan must straighten up to meet the new inlaws. Disaster ensues when Tony’s parents arrive at the wrong time and see Alice’s family in all of its crazy glory. October 12, 19, 25 and 26 at 8 p.m.; October 13 and 20 at 2 p.m. Westfield Community Players, 1000 North Avenue West, Westfield.
Full Moon Community Gathering, Thursday, October 17, 5 p.m., Outdoor location TBA, Rain location: Westfield Memorial Library, 550 East Broad Street.
Hexed: A Bewitching Musical Revue, Saturday, October 19, 8 p.m., Sunday, October 20, 3 p.m., Acting Out Theatre, 439 South Avenue, Westfield. Preregistration required: www.addamsfest.com
Addams Family Fun Day, Sunday, October 20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Downtown Westfield. No tickets or registration required. From Pugsley to Grandmama, there’s something fun for everyone at Addams Family Fun Day. Head on over to Quimby Street in Downtown Westfield, which will be closed to cars for a day of family fun — including Addams Family character visits, live performances, incredible displays by the Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, bubble demonstrations, pumpkin decorating, activities with local merchants, and more.
People and Stories Try It Session, Sunday, October 27. October is a time for short stories and right before Halloween – could be spooky! Experience stories in a new way through the ‘magic’ of the People & Stories/ Gente y Cuentos method making connections, transforming lives through literature – one short story at a time! Hear a stunning, contemporary short story read aloud by Coordinator Cindy Gordon during this free ‘Try It’ session. Talk about it. Change your mind. That’s the mantra as we engage in deep conversation among people from all walks of life through reading together in community. All are welcome from ages 14 to 94! Refreshments provided! Space is limited – register today. For more information, email debra@peopleandstories.org, call (609) 882-4926 or visit www.peopleandstories.org. 475 Wall Street Princeton.
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