The Weekender: What's Happening in Belleville, Nutley and Beyond

Here are some of the events happening this weekend in Nutley, Belleville and neighboring towns.   To see all the events click on EVENTS on the home page.

BELLEVILLE

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Senior Citizens Building, Belleville
WHEN:    Friday  12:30 p.m.
WHY GO: Belleville Seniors meet every Friday, with coffee, buns and bingo following.  New members are always welcome.

WHAT:   Cinco de Mayo Craft
WHERE:   Belleville Public Library, 221 Washington Ave, Belleville
WHEN:   Saturday   11am
WHY GO:  Come and make a Mexican Craft to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

WHAT:   
WHERE: Wesley United Methodist Church, 225 Washington Ave., Belleville
WHEN:   Saturday, 3-4:30 p.m.
WHY GO: Our Kids Club is a little bit of Vacation Bible School each week. We play games, do crafts, learn about the Bible.   All elementary-aged kids are invited to join.

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Belleville Township High School, 100 Passaic Ave, Belleville
WHEN:     Sunday   9am
WHY GO:    Held mostly outdoors in the nice weather but for those vendors that like to stay indoors we always keep the gym open.  If it rains we all go indoors so we never have to be canceled due to rain.  Lots of vendors here, loads of bargains, some great vintage & collectible finds too!  Food is also available for purchase.

NUTLEY

WHAT:  
WHERE:  Good Shepherd Academy, 24 Brookline Ave, Nutley
WHEN:  Friday   6pm
WHY GO:  Enjoy a fun evening and maybe win a great gift!
COST:  Admission is $20 (includes one sheet regular tickets, beverages and dessert). Pre-event prize ticket packages are available for $20 (will be $25 night of the event). Super 50/50 tickets are available for $25 (only 200 tickets being sold). Admission tickets will not be sold the night of the event.  No one under the age of 16 permitted. If interested, contact Roberta Boland at 201-207-6522.

WHAT:  
WHERE:   Nutley Public Library
WHEN:  Friday  2pm
WHY GO:  Great Songs -  Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds star in this famous musical about a silent film company making the transition to talkies.

WHAT:  
WHERE:  St. Mary’s Gym,16 Monsignor Owens Pl, Nutley
WHEN:  Friday   7pm
WHY GO: The Phoenix Center invites all to attend their upcoming Casino Night Fundraiser (with Cinco De Mayo theme) to be held on Fri., May 4 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. in the school gymnasium. All guests will be provided with dinner, beer, wine, dessert and gaming chips. Guests will use their winning chips to bid on great prizes. 
COST:  Tickets are $100 for a VIP ticket (which includes a private reception with a guest impersonator from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) and $60 for a Regular ticket.   For tickets or information, contact the Phoenix Center at 973-542-0743 x300

WHAT:  
WHERE:  44 Park Ave, Nutley
WHEN:  Friday  7pm
WHY GO:  Nutley Volunteer Emergency & Rescue Squad’s Board of Trustee’s Fundraiser.  NO Tickets will be sold at the Door. Call for Tickets – 973-800-0949.  
COST:  Ticket price: $35 - Beef Steak, French Fries, Salad, Beer & Soda, Coffee & Tea

WHAT:   WHERE:   Nutley Public Library, 93 Booth Drive, Nutley
WHEN:    Saturday  11am
WHY GO:  The American Humane Association celebrates the human / animal bond, and promotes humane education and treatment of pets and wildlife during the annual celebration, “Be Kind to Animals Week.”   Bring your leashed and/or caged pets to this fun event.   All pets will be winners.    Rain date 5/19

BLOOMFIELD

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Bloomfield Public Library, 90 Broad Street, Bloomfield
WHEN:  Friday   11am
WHY GO:   Do you knit, crochet, needlepoint, quilt?  Then come to the Bloomfield Public Library Friday mornings and share your patterns/techniques with other crafters!   Beginners welcome! 

WHAT: 
WHERE:   Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center, 240 Belleville Ave, Bloomfield
WHEN:      Friday  7pm
WHY GO:  The audience will assist the Private Eye as he tries to figure out who killed Mexican food entrepreneur, Hector Tamale.  Along the way you will unravel a twisting mystery plot that involves a disgruntled chef, a jealous food reviewer, an unsavory loan shark, a very unhappy wife and more.  Each table becomes an investigative team and will have the opportunity to win clues by answering fun food trivia questions.   Selected audience members will become Guest Snitches and Suspects in a side-splitting Comedy Mystery which will keep everyone guessing until the very end!
COST:   $64.95 per person and includes dinner, show, tax and gratuity; cash bar is available. 

WHAT:  
WHERE:   Bloomfield Municipal Parking Lot next to Post Office
WHEN:    Saturday   9am – 1pm
WHY GO:  Resident in the township are being provided the opportunity to bring all their personal documents to be shredded and recycled at no cost. Green Sky Industries, a company committed to recycling in Bloomfield, will provide a shredding truck, driver, and laborers for this event which will last for four hours or until the truck is full to capacity.

WHAT:  WHERE:   Bloomfield Public Library,  90 Broad Street, Bloomfield
WHEN:  Saturday  10am
WHY GO:  Learn breathing techniques, low  impact yoga and meditation. Introduction to powerful techniques that increase your well-being through reduced stress, increased health & well-being, more ease & joy in personal relationships, improved self-esteem, greater creativity & clarity of mind and a deeper sense of community.  

WHAT:   WHERE:  Comic Book Market, 28 Washington St, Bloomfield
WHEN:    Saturday  9am – 7pm
WHY GO:   Free Comic Book Day is an annual event held on the first Saturday in May by most specialty comic book stores across the nation. As one of the few remaining comic book shops in the area, The Comic Book Market in Bloomfield is pleased to host Free Comic Book Day on May 5th, 2012. Scores of free books are available for -- of course -- FREE!

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Watsessing ark, Bloomfield, NJ
WHEN:    Saturday  10am – 2pm
WHY GO:   the Watsessing Park Conservancy will be hosting a Watsessing Park clean-up, meeting at the Maolis Avenue and Glenwood Avenue entrance. Clean-up supplies will be provided. 

WHAT:
WHERE:  Bloomfield Public Library, 90 Broad St., Bloomfield
WHEN:    Saturday, 10 a.m.
WHY GO: Challenge your chess skills and have fun!

NEWARK

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Newark Library– Clinton Branch, 739 Bergen St, Newark
WHEN:    Friday  3pm
WHY GO:  Celebrate National Cartoonists Day with an afternoon of classic TV / movie cartoons. Also, drawing materials available for you to show off your drawing and cartooning skills.

WHAT:  
WHERE:   Newark Library – Branch Brook Branch, 235 Clifton Ave, Newark
WHEN:     Friday   4pm
WHY GO:   Join us in making a maraca out of paper plates and rice

WHAT: 
WHERE:   550 Broad Street, Newark
WHEN:    Saturday   9am – 12pm
WHY GO:  Prom gowns and dressy dresses will be offered by “Catherine’s Closet” on May 5th.   No ID is required, and all women are welcome to shop for beautiful dresses, accessories, purses and shoes at incredibly low prices!    The cost is a minimal fee of $20 per gown or $5 per accessory, and the proceeds are then distributed in the form of scholarships. 

WHAT:   
WHERE:  Willing Heart Community Center, 555 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark
WHEN:   Saturday   2pm
WHY GO:  The Eagle Academy for Young Men of Newark is recruiting current 5th grade male Newark students. For more information, come out to the Open House on Saturday, May 5, 2012 from 2p.m. - 4p.m. at the Willing Heart Community Care Center.

WHAT:  
WHERE:  Bethany Baptist Church, 275 West Market Street, Newark
WHEN:    Saturday   6pm
WHY GO:  "Worship the Lord to the Sounds of Jazz" on the first Saturday of every month, from October through June. Our Jazz Vespers are at 6 - 7:30pm, with light refreshments afterwards, giving you time to meet and greet our musicians - NJSO & Jazz Group

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Branch Brook Park, Newark
WHEN:   Sunday   11am – Registration    1pm – Step Off
WHY GO:  Join us in making AIDS History in the Garden State! Organizations from every region of the state of New Jersey have joined together to unify efforts and produce a single state-wide event, the New Jersey AIDS Walk! On this day, in seven locations across NJ, at exactly the same time of day, thousands upon thousands of people will walk in solidarity to support of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.   http://­www.­njcri.­org/­  

CEDAR GROVE

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Essex County Fleet Maintenance Facility, 99 W. Bradford Ave, Cedar Grove
WHEN:    Saturday   8:30am – 4pm
WHY GO:  Materials being collected at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day include pesticides and herbicides, paint thinners and solvents, oil-based paint, chemistry sets, barbecue propane tanks, pool chemicals, photo developing chemicals, 9-volt and NiCad batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and ballasts, products that contain mercury, car batteries, home fire extinguishers, aerosol spray paint and automotive fluids.   Items not being collected include latex paint, unlabeled or unidentifiable materials, asbestos, AA, AAA, C and D household batteries, regulated medical waste or infectious waste, commercial or industrial waste, empty containers, explosives, munitions, ordinance or reactive materials.