MercerMe

Art Talk: Yayoi Kusama - The Moment is Imminent
2026-01-20 19:00 - 20:15 (America/New_York) | Zoom Online
At age 92, contemporary Japanese painter and sculptor Yayoi Kusama is having a moment—today she is one of the world’s most popular and recognizable artists. Her Infinity Mirror Rooms immersive experience installations took the world by storm in the 21st Century, but she has been making vibrant and innovative art all along. Her artistic practice is rooted in her lifelong fascination with the natural world, inspired by her intimate engagement with the colors, patterns, and life cycles of plants and flowers.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Pennington Public Library and the Hopewell Valley Arts Council

Paper Bag Books
2026-01-21 13:30 - 15:30 | Hopewell Presbyterian Church, 80 W Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ, 08525, United States
Come join Mickey Waring in making your own one of a kind Paper Bag Book. Utilizing brown bags and various techniques such as collage, watercolors/gouache, frottage and pen and ink you will be able to create a one of a kind book. Come start your book with us in this class!
Registration required

Paper Bag Books
2026-01-21 13:30 - 15:30 | Hopewell Presbyterian Church, 80 W Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ, 08525, United States
Come join artist Mickey Waring in making your own one of a kind Paper Bag Book. Utilizing brown bags and various techniques such as collage, watercolors/gouache, frottage and pen and ink you will be able to create a one of a kind book. Come start your book with us in this class! Registration required

"Roots So Deep" Screening & Discussion
2026-01-21 19:00 - 21:30 | The Newtown Theatre, 120 North State Street, Newtown, PA, 18940, United States
Following the film, a panel of experts from Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, Princeton Hydro and Native Plants Healthy Planet Podcast will discuss the film and take questions.
“Roots So Deep” is a four-part documentary series about inventive farmers and maverick scientists building a path to solving climate change with hooves, heart and soil. Parts one and four will be screened at this event.
In the documentary, the question is asked, “Can an underutilized way to graze cattle, that mimics the way bison once roamed the land, help get farmers out of debt, restore our depleted soils, rebuild wildlife habitat and draw down huge amounts of carbon?”
“Roots So Deep” is guided by director and wrangler of scientists Peter Byck as he meets farmers on both sides of the fence – the folks practicing an adaptive way to graze, and their neighbors set in their family’s generations-old method of doing things. Byck’s team of outcast scientists are measuring what’s happening on both sides of the fences – exploring if this adaptive grazing could help slow down climate change.
Details

The doors open at 6:30 PM and the film begins at 7 PM.

Members may not reserve tickets for non-members.

All tickets are general admission.

Beer, wine and canned cocktails will be available for purchase at the theatre before and during the show.

All ticket sales are final. Refunds or ticket exchanges will not be offered. If you can’t attend, you’re welcome to give your tickets to someone else.

"Roots So Deep" Screening & Discussion
2026-01-21 19:00 - 21:30 | The Newtown Theatre 120 North State StreetNewtown, PA 18940, 120 North State Street, Newtown, PA, 18940, United States

Community Journalism "J Lab" Class
2026-01-22 17:30 - 20:00 | Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
The Community Journalism “J Lab” certificate course sponsored by Mercer County Community College with support from the Princeton Public Library is offered twice a year. This free eight-evening class teaches participants the basic newswriting and reporting skills needed to cover issues of concern to their community. All materials are provided. No experience is required but students must commit to attending at least 6 sessions and be prepared to write a full article for their final project. Sessions are led by a journalism professor and include guest presentations from writers and editors from several community publications and national media outlets. Final projects are published online. Spring Session Dates: January 22, 29; February 5, 12 (on zoom), 19, 26; March 5 (on zoom), and 12.

Opening Reception: “In Stillness”
2026-01-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Silva Gallery of Art / The Pennington School, 112 W Delaware Ave, Pennington, NJ, United States
The Silva Gallery of Art at The Pennington School will host an opening reception for In Stillness, an exhibition by analogue photographer Heather Palecek. The reception is free and open to the public.
Location: Silva Gallery of Art, The Pennington School, 112 West Delaware Ave., Pennington, NJInfo: 609-737-4133 |email SilvaGallery@pennington.org

MLK, Jr. Day(s) of Service
2026-01-24 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-01-31 10:00 - 16:00 | Hopewell Branch Library – MCL, 245 Pennington-Titusville Road, Pennington, 08534, United States
In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day of Service, we are giving back to the community! Drop in today and use materials provided to create handmade cards or write letters to be sent to homebound participants of the Mercer County Meals on Wheels program. Registration is not required.

Democracy on the Corner
2026-01-24 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-31 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-07 13:00 - 14:00
Join community members every Saturday from 1 to 2pm at the corner of Greenwood and Broad for a peaceful, visible demonstration of resistance. Participants bring signs and stand together in opposition to what they describe as illegal, unhealthy, and unconscionable actions by the current federal government. The weekly gathering offers comfort, connection, and solidarity among like-minded neighbors, and serves as a reminder to commuters that the community continues to stand up and speak out. The gathering typically lasts about an hour.

Read, Dance & Grow: Carnival of the Animals
2026-01-24 13:00 - 14:00 | St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 300 S. Main St, Pennington, NJ, 08534, United States
Step into a whimsical world where stories leap from the page and come to life through music and dance!
This imaginative program begins with a short ballet performance, followed by a read aloud of the classical story Carnival of the Animals. Then, a professional dancer from the Roxey Ballet Company will guide an interactive dance class inspired by the story’s jumping kangaroos, waltzing elephants, and fluttering swans.
Recommended for ages 2+. No dance experience necessary.
Registration required.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Pennington Public Library.

Jennifer Hayden and Patrick McDonnell in conversation with Gregg Yupanki Bautista
2026-01-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Wull & Oak, 10 E Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ, 08525, United States
Original event date of 1/17 postponed due to inclement weather. New date: Saturday, January 24th!
Join Echo Thread Projects for an evening of conversation with Jennifer Hayden in celebration of her book Where There’s Smoke, There’s Dinner – a peppery mix of anecdotal comics and recipes which pay tribute to Hayden’s lifelong love of cookbook illustration as well as her utter hatred of making dinner every night. Hand-painted in mouth-watering color and bursting with flavor and messy emotions, this memoir digs deep to explore the intersections of food, feminism, frustration, and family.
Joining us in conversation will be special guest Patrick McDonnell, creator of the beloved comic strip MUTTS. The evening will be moderated by poet and artist Gregg Yupanki Bautista, followed by an audience Q&A and a book signing by both comics authors.
Copies of Jennifer’s book Where There’s Smoke, There’s Dinner and Patrick’s new book The Gift of Everything will be available for purchase at the event.
Jennifer Hayden is a graphic novelist whose breast cancer memoir The Story of My Tits was nominated for an Eisner Award and has been translated into three languages. The French edition, Nénés Chéris, was shortlisted for Elle France Magazine’s 2022 Comics Grand Prix. Jennifer’s first collection Underwire was excerpted in The Best American Comics 2013. Her new graphic cooking memoir is called Where There’s Smoke, There’s Dinner: Confessions of a Cartoonist Cook, and she hopes fervently to use the proceeds from this book to hire a personal chef.
Patrick McDonnell is the creator of the award-winning comic strip, MUTTS, which has appeared in hundreds of newspapers internationally and has recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Not only recognized for its gentle humor and powerful themes of kindness, compassion, and friendship, MUTTS is renowned for its artistic excellence and advocacy for animal welfare. Charles Schulz called it “one of the best comics strips of all time.” Patrick is also the author of several New York Times bestselling picture books including The Gift of Nothing and Me… Jane (a biography of Jane Goodall), among many other titles and children’s books. Patrick was a member of the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States for 18 years and currently serves on the boards of The Charles M. Schulz Museum and D&R Greenway Land Trust.
Gregg Yupanki Bautista is a poet, artist, and musician born to Peruvian immigrants. He is the author of the illustrated chapbook Un Lugar Lejos: Valleys and releases music under the name Yupanki. He facilitates a monthly poetry open mic series in Hopewell, NJ called Poets & Storytellers Open, and is the founder of Echo Thread Projects.

Islamic Contribution to Civilization
2026-01-27 19:00 - 20:00
Muslims have been influenced by and contributed to other cultures in numerous ways. Particularly, during the medieval Golden Age of Islam, Muslims made major contributions in diverse fields, including art, architecture, music, mathematics, medicine, astronomy, philosophy, and literature, as well as in hygiene, cuisine, clothing, and furniture. Presented by Samina Sattar of the New Jersey Islamic Networks Group.

Meet the Curators Tour: Northern Family, Southern Ties
2026-01-28 18:30 - 19:30 | Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
Experience a behind-the-scenes, after-hours look at Morven’s newest exhibition, Northern Family, Southern Ties, with Morven’s curators and research team. The result of three years of research, this exhibit complicates the more traditional understanding of the “North” and “South” by following two families before, during, and after the Civil War and the interstate movement of the people they enslaved.

Virtual Author Talk: Secrets and Second Chances with Liz Moore
2026-01-28 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Online
We are thrilled to welcome Liz Moore to discuss her latest work, The God of the Woods, an instant New York Times bestseller and one of NPR’s 2024 “Books We Love” highlights. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances.
About the Author: Liz Moore is the author of five novels: The Words of Every Song, Heft, The Unseen World, the New York Times bestselling Long Bright River, and The God of the Woods. A winner of the 2014 Rome Prize in Literature, she lives in Philadelphia and teaches in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Temple University.
Information and Registration: https://libraryc.org/penningtonlibrary/105978

HV/M HS Salute to Service Ice Hockey Game
2026-01-31 20:00 - 21:30 | 650 Great Road Princeton NJ, 650 Great Rd., Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
Come out and support our co-op Hopewell Valley Central High School and Montgomery High School teams at their 11th Annual Salute to Service Ice Hockey Game this Saturday, January 31st at 8:00 PM at the Lisa McGraw Skating Rink, located at Princeton Day School.
Salute to Service T-shirts will be available for purchase and will serve as your admission to the game. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Hopewell Valley Veterans Association and the Montgomery Veterans Association.
Please join us in supporting our veterans and our players. We hope to see you there! 🇺🇸🏒

Soup Sunday
2026-02-01 12:00 - 17:00 | Unionville Vineyards, 9 Rocktown Road, Ringoes, NJ, 08551, United States
Chase away the chills of winter with warm soup by Chef Nash Reba on Sunday, February 1st from 12-5PM. Grab a cup to enjoy on property or take a pint to go. Live music in the Tasting Room from 1-4PM. All ages welcome and no cover charge.
Soup Menu:
Honeynut Squash and Apple Soup
-Apple Butter, Spiced Hazelnut Crumble (vegan)
Play on Caldo Gallego
-Local Sage Sausage, Lale, Potato, White bean, Roasted Garlic, Lemon, Oregano & Rye berries
Roasted Garlic Parsnip Soup
-Sage Sunflower Seed Pesto

Voices Chorale is Auditioning!
2026-02-02 19:15 - 19:30 | Music Together Worldwide, 225 Pennington-Hopewell Rd, Hopewell, NJ, 08525, United States
Join Voices Chorale now by scheduling a brief, stress-free audition on January 19, 26 or February 2. All voice parts are welcome, especially tenors and basses! We rehearse Mondays 7:30pm-9:30pm at Music Together, 225 Pennington-Hopewell Road in Hopewell, NJ. Our spring concert will be 4pm Saturday, May 2nd accompanied by an orchestra and featuring music by American composers in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Visit VoicesChoraleNJ.org for more information.

Abolition and the Underground Railroad in South Jersey
2026-02-03 18:00 - 19:00
Virtual program hosted by the Mercer County Library SystemTuesday, February 3, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.
This virtual presentation, hosted by the Mercer County Library System, explores Southern New Jersey during the Civil War era, when the region became a hotbed of fugitives from slavery, freedmen, and abolitionists. Activists such as Harriet Tubman, Abigail Goodwin, and Benjamin Sheppard assisted runaway slaves along the Underground Railroad through daring nighttime journeys in the Pine Barrens and coordinated signals from boats in the marshlands of Delaware Bay.
Author Ellen D. Alford will recount compelling narratives of abolition and the Underground Railroad in South Jersey.
Registration is required. Visit events.mcl.org to receive the virtual program link.

Pennington Borough Republican Committee - Meet & Greet
2026-02-04 18:30 - 20:00
An opportunity to meet with members of our community and
learn about the purpose of the Republican Committee: our work,
our concerns and priorities for good governance, and our commitment
to pursue civil discourse. Find out how you can become involved
and share your ideas with us for our future activities.
Light Refreshments will be served

Native Seed Sowing Extravaganza @Princeton
2026-02-05 16:00 - 18:00 | Littlebrook School, 39 Magnolia Lane, Princeton, NJ, 08540, United States
$5 per ready-to-go greenhouse jugs loaded with seeds (grows ~10 native seedlings)
Experienced volunteers will help you select seeds and prepare for success.
Littlebrook School
RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/PrincetonSeedSowing

Rainwater Solutions to Control Stormwater Runoff and Protect our Local Waterways
2026-02-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual, N/A
The Pennington Environmental Commission will host a virtual Community Conversation on Thursday, February 5 at 7:00 pm via Zoom. This conversation will focus on rainwater solutions to control stormwater runoff and protect our local waterways, including practical steps residents and businesses can take to reduce flooding and help keep our community’s streams clean.
Speakers will include experts from The Watershed Institute, G.P. Caminiti (Pennington Borough Administrator), and Brian Friedlich (Pennington resident and water resource engineer).
Dial-in information and the Zoom link will be available on the Borough website at penningtonboro.org

Keep the Beat Senior Wellness Fair
2026-02-06 11:00 - 13:00 | Hopewell Township Municipal Building, 201 Washington Crossing Pennington Rd, Hopewell, NJ, United States
Hosted by Hopewell Valley Senior Services, the Keep the Beat Senior Wellness Fair will take place Friday, February 6, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hopewell Township Municipal Building, 201 Washington Crossing–Pennington Road, Titusville. The community-focused Senior Heart Health Fair is dedicated to promoting heart wellness, preventive care, and healthy living for older adults and will feature informational tables, free health screenings, and local resources. Lunch will be provided by Brandywine Living at Pennington. No registration required. Everyone is welcome.

Scrap Metal Connection
2026-02-07 12:00 - 15:00 | Hopewell Twp. Public Works, 203 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Hopewell, NJ, 08525, United States
The Hopewell Valley Green Team will host a scrap metal collection on Saturday, February 7, 2026. Please bring your assorted scrap metal (nothing extremely heavy) to the Hopewell Township Public Works Building between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. and we will make sure it is recycled for you. Volunteers are needed to staff the event—please contact us if you’re interested: hvgreenteam@gmail.com.
Acceptable materials are listed here: https://hopewellvalleygreenteam.org/recycling/recycling-

Micheal Madigan, "Some Years Away," Recent Paintings
2026-02-07 15:00 - 17:00 | Morpeth contemporary, 43 West Broad St, Hopewell, NJ, 08525, United States
Morpeth Contemporary presents “Some Years Away,” a new body of work by Michael Madigan. Reflecting on his travel and study, these paintings, as Madigan describes them, “don’t address a subject but rather explore the nature of events that I found memorable.”
Thousands of years away, the show includes works inspired by the distant past, with canvases evoking prehistoric stone monuments in Ireland and archaeological sites in Spain. Decades away, it is also about the recent past, when Madigan traveled to these sites, discovering their palpable history. Most powerfully, however, “Some Years Away” describes the past few years when Madigan (re)visited memories that made an enduring mark: ocean-ready “curraghs,” church bells, Mediterranean water, paths amidst mountains, entry points of bridges, even quiet moments during moonlit hours.
This body of work marks a major transition in Madigan’s painting after 28 years of exploring place and presence. Using a subtractive painting process, these tonal works — rather than relying on color — allow the subtle exploration of light and dark to bring places to the surface.
Vivid, faded, intense, layered, fragmented, altered, even lost and refound — “Some Years Away” is about memory itself, how we construct and reconstruct it, and how the events that we assign meaning live within us.
Madigan’s work has been widely exhibited in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., and is represented in numerous collections, including The Carnegie Institute, the Musée de Beaux Arts, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sandler O’Neil, and Johnson & Johnson. He also taught painting at the College of New Jersey.

Birds of Prey Exhibit- Opening Reception
2026-02-08 14:30 - 16:00 | Tulpehaking Nature Center, 157 Westcott Avenue, Hamilton, NJ, United States
Come out to the Tulpehaking Nature Center in Hamilton Township for the “Birds of Prey” opening reception. This fabulous exhibit of artwork features birds of prey such as Eagles, Falcons, Harriers, Hawks, Kites, Ospreys, Owls and more.
Artist Reception: Sunday, Feb. 8, 2:30-4 .

Please register to attend the Artist’s Reception at https://abbottmarshlands.org/event/birds-of-prey/

Frederick Douglass’ Birthday: Transcribe-a-thon
2026-02-13 12:00 - 15:00 | Hopewell Branch Library – MCL, 245 Pennington-Titusville Road, Pennington, 08534, United States
In-person program hosted by the Mercer County Library SystemFriday, February 13, 2026, from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
This in-person event, hosted by the Mercer County Library System at the Hopewell Branch, invites community members to celebrate the birthday of Frederick Douglass by helping make history more accessible. Participants are encouraged to drop in with a laptop to help transcribe historical documents related to Black history and culture, contributing to projects such as The Colored Conventions Project.
Attendees may also stop by to watch the DouglassDay.org livestream, featuring inspirational speeches and songs. Light refreshments will be served.
Location:Hopewell Branch Library245 Pennington–Titusville RoadPennington, NJ 08534609-737-2610
Registration is requested.

Community Connection Night - Valentine Theme
2026-02-13 18:00 - 20:00
COMMUNITY CONNECTION NIGHT ~ February 13th
… come together for fellowship, friendship, and fun! Enjoy meaningful connection, seasonal activities, and games for all ages! 2nd Friday of every month (6-8pm). This month will be a Valentine Celebration. Join us for board games, Valentine Bingo, group games and card making. For the foodies, there will be a grilled cheese station, soups, and cupcake decorating.
ALL are welcome. Bring a friend and join the FUN!
