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Harvest Festival & more this October at Morven

originally published: 09/21/2023 

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Morven Museum & Garden presents their 2023 Harvest Festival in partnership with the Guild for Early Music on Saturday, October 28, from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. Fall back in time and celebrate the harvest with music and activities for the whole family at Morven. This free, festive program will feature ensembles and musicians performing music of Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Early American eras. Experience historic music celebrating the autumn harvest with performances scheduled throughout the day.

Attendees can visit Morven’s gardens to help harvest vegetables and take part in hands-on activities including “spooky season” crafts, and an instrument “Petting Zoo” with the Guild for Early Music. Dress in your Halloween costume to enter to win special prizes!

The museum will be open for paid admission to explore their newest exhibition, Striking Beauty: New Jersey Tall Case Clocks, 1730 - 1830, featuring over 50 tall case clocks that represent almost as many different clockmakers. Food and hot beverages will be available for purchase. This program is shine-only; they will cancel in the event of inclement weather.

You can join them on Wednesdays, September 27 and October 4 & 11 at 6:00pm for Evening Yoga in the Garden with Gratitude Yoga, whose mission is to foster compassionate community by infusing the practice of yoga and meditation with a spirit of loving kindness.  These donation-based, all-levels Vinyasa classes are open to everyone essential support for Morven’s illuminating exhibitions, educational programming, and special events and helps Morven to preserve and share its history and authentic stories.

Please note in the event of rain, they will move into the museum’s Stockton Education Center - a lovely, peaceful space for an uplifting yoga practice. Please bring a yoga mat if you have one. You can learn more by visiting: www.gratitudeyoga.org 

 

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

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On Thursday, October 12 at 6:30pm, join Morven for a screening & discussion of The Price of Silence, part one of an Emmy-nominated documentary from Truehart Productions sharing the history of New Jersey’s enslaved people. Hear from descendants and historians telling their own stories and exploring why New Jersey was the last northern state to end the institution of slavery; a past Morven and its inhabitants were inextricably tied to. The screening of the 25-minute documentary will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker and historians featured in the film. 

This event is hybrid - held both in-person at Morven's Stockton Education Center and online. In-person tickets are $5 General Admission, Free for Students and Morven Members. Virtual tickets are Free for all registrants. A Zoom webinar link will be shared with virtual ticket holders upon registration, and a recording will be provided after the program.

There are two opportunities this month to get a closer look at Striking Beauty. The first, is a Meet the Curators Tour on Wednesday, October 18 at 5:30pm. Take a behind-the-scenes look at the clocks on display with Morven curators, Beth Allan and Jesse Gordon Simons, who will share stories about the exhibition’s development and open up a few clocks to explore the movement and craftsmanship. Tickets are $15 General Admission, $10 for Morven Members. This tour is limited to 10 people. Pre-registration is required.

Next, on Thursday, October 19 at 2:00pm, take a Docent-led Tour of Striking Beauty. Offered on a monthly basis, tours will take visitors through the history, creation, and legacy of these beautiful timepieces, exploring the stories of New Jersey clockmakers along the way. Additional tours will be offered on Thursday, November 16 at 2:00pm, Thursday, December 21 at 2:00pm, Thursday, January 18 at 2:00pm, and Thursday, February 15 at 2:00pm.

These docent tours are limited to 10 people and pre-registration is required. Tickets include access to visit Morven’s first floor permanent exhibition about the history of the site. Ticket prices are the same as Museum rates: $10 Adult General Admission, $8 for Seniors, Students with ID, Veterans or Active Military with ID, Youth ages 7-18, and free for children under 7 and Morven Members.

Lastly, on Tuesday, October 24 at 6:00pm, join them for a Build a Bouquet Workshop with Autumn Blooms. Help bring the fall season into your home with an autumn-themed flower arrangement! Inspired by Morven’s signature gardens and led by the skilled florists at Vaseful Flowers & Gifts, this evening workshop will teach you how to choose flowers and craft your own unique arrangement. Flowers, vases, and light refreshments provided. This workshop is limited to 20 people. Pre-registration is required.

Morven Museum & Garden is located at 55 Stockton Street in Princeton, New Jersey and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Most historic sites celebrate one notable resident. Morven is unique in that it was home to many remarkable people. Built in the 1750s and home to one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton, Morven was home to five generations of Stocktons, then Robert Wood Johnson, Jr. before becoming New Jersey’s first Governor’s Mansion and home to five New Jersey governors, their families and staffs, witnessing nearly 300 years of history.