Managed IT Services by

Other stops include Sullivan Drive and Continental Lane, the Stone Barn, and the landing overlook by the Johnson Ferry House. Tickets must be reserved in advance via the WCPA’s page on EventBrite.

The Johnson Ferry House is a circa 1740 farmhouse that overlooks the Delaware River. Historians believe that Washington’s men might have stayed here prior to utilizing the transport services and making the journey across the freezing cold waters. The building is furnished with Colonial-era period pieces and reproductions, including an 18th-century kitchen garden.

Washington Crossing State Park is free to enter until July 1, at which point a $5 cash fee will be implemented every weekend until Labor Day on September 4.

Washington Crossing State Park, 355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville, Hopewell Township. Free. Hours (Visitor Center Museum): Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 609-737-0623.

Hours (Johnson Ferry House): Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon, then 1 to 3:45 p.m. 609-737-2515. WashingtonCrossing@dep.nj.gov

More Sites to Salute

The Old Barracks, which were origi- nally constructed during the French and Indian War in 1758 to house British soldiers, notably sheltered the Hessian forces during the Battle of Trenton. The site now actively hosts historical tours and events.

The Old Barracks Museum, 101 Barrack Street, Trenton. Open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission prices: adults, $10; students and seniors, $8; active military and children under five years of age, free. 609-396-1776 or barracks.org

Hamilton’s “Pepper House,” described online as “the first Civil War Museum in New Jersey,” has yet to reopen to the public since it closed “temporarily” because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the circa 1730 John Abbott II House down the road at 2200 Kuser Road remains in use by the Historical Society of Hamilton Township, with weekend hours from noon to 4:30 p.m.

The Civil War and Native American Museum, 2202 Kuser Road, Hamilton

Those looking for a one-of-a-kind trip into art, history, and New Jersey culture only need to drive less than an hour outside of the area code to join members of the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society for free tours of the Navy Lakehurst Heritage Center, which is located at the active US military base that is part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

Whether you come to see exhibits in the aircraft hangar, the stained glass pieces at the Cathedral of the Air on the site’s border, or to visit where the infamous Hindenburg disaster took place, the naval history here makes the visit worthwhile.

Navy Lakehurst Heritage Center, Hangar One, Lansdowne Road, Lakehurst. Free. (732) 323-6547 or nlhs.com

As a final note, the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton also has a formidable collection of Civil War flags recovered from military units raised in New Jersey, encompassing nearly 200 cavalry, volunteer regiment, and captured Confederate battle flags that rotate through the exhibit.

***

The articles quoted and referenced, in order of online publication date: “Explore military history at National Guard Militia Museum” from November 10, 2021; “Free and Easy — Day Tripping With Kids” from March 16, 2022; and “Naval Lakehurst Keeps History Flying High” from February 8, 2023, were all written by Dan Aubrey and are available at www.communitynews.org.

Princeton Festival

Five Grammy Winners Plus Pulitzer Prize Recipients Featured

This year’s 16-day Princeton Festival showcases five recent GRAMMY® winners, including works by two recipients of the Pulitzer Prize for Music. The nineteenth season of the Festival, presented by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, runs Friday, June 9 - Sunday, June 25. Tickets may be ordered online or by calling 609-497-0020.

The following events feature or honor GRAMMY winners.

• Friday, June 9. The trio Time For Three, winners of the 2023 GRAMMY for “Best Classical Instrumental Solo,” open the Festival with their unique brand of genre-defying music.

• Saturday, June 10. In “Aretha – A Tribute,” the Princeton Symphony Orchestra and dynamic vocalists Capathia Jenkins and Ryan Shaw sing hit songs by Aretha Franklin, who won 18 GRAMMYS during her illustrious career.

• Saturday, June 17. The Attacca Quartet, which won two out of the last four GRAMMYS for chamber music (2020 and 2023), team with dancers from American Repertory Ballet in a music and contemporary ballet program that includes works by 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner John Adams and Caroline Shaw, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for

Music (2013) and three GRAMMYS (2014, 2020, 2022) of her own.

• Monday, June 19. Singer, Met Opera star, and composer Will Liverman headlines a Juneteenth concert of spirituals and songs celebrating Black composers. Liverman’s 2023 GRAMMY recognized the recording of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, in which he sang lead.

The Festival takes place June 9-25 at Morven Museum & Garden, with performances almost every day, among them Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, hilarious improvisation with Broadway’s Next Hit

Musical, Andrew Lippa’s musical tribute to Harvey Milk, a collaboration of Attacca Quartet & American Repertory Ballet, a Juneteenth Celebration featuring Met Opera star Will Liverman, a “feel good” Mazel Tov Cocktail Party!, Peter and the Wolf Family Concert, and more.

2023 Princeton Festival tickets range in price from $10 - $125. While most performances take place in an outdoor performance pavilion at Morven Museum & Garden, some are located inside at Trinity Church. For dates, times, program information, and tickets, visit princetonsymphony. org/festival or call 609-497-0020.

About The Princeton Festival. The Princeton Festival is the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s flagship summer program showcasing the performing arts. Founded in 2004, the Princeton Festival quickly established a reputation for artistic excellence and innovative programming. Every year in June, thousands of people from the mid-Atlantic region and beyond come to the Festival to enjoy the quality and variety of its programs. Offerings include opera, musical theater, dance, orchestra and chamber music, and a constantly evolving selection of other genres, including jazz, world music, choral concerts, and country music. The Festival has longstanding partnerships with public libraries and local churches, and promotes life-long learning in the arts through free educational lectures presented to a wide and diverse community.

See ad, page 11

Classes are designed for all ages to build confidence, artistry, discipline, and foster students’ love of dance. Our world class faculty is dedicated to helping each student reach their full potential, with spacious studios, new state-of-the-art dance floors, and live music. The perfect environment to learn and grow!

BLEND - Hamilton

Save the Date: Central Jersey Beer Fest Is October 14

Blend Bar and Bistro opened its doors in Hamilton in October of 2012 and created an anniversary event that has grown into a tasting extravaganza, the Central Jersey Beer Fest. 2023 marks Blend’s 11-year anniversary and this year’s event on Saturday, October 14th will be no exception. Blend also hosts smaller events at their restaurant location year-round.

Festival coordinator Antonio Carannante, and co-owner of Blend Bar and Bistro in Hamilton, is justifiably pumped. In the past #CJBeerFest featured a tasting of more than 150 craft beers, some wines, even a few spirits, up to 10 food trucks, live bands, and a variety of other vendors, including axe throwing. The festival has attracted an average of 3000+ festival lovers, Folks come from all over the Mercer County area, but even groups of family and friends from Philadelphia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, the Carolinas, California, New York, and more.