Weekending ‘Round The Towns: September 18-20, 2026

EDITOR’S NOTE: A coastal storm is forecast to bring rain and wind to the region Saturday and Sunday. Franklin Township has canceled Franklin Day, the township’s marquee fall festival, which had been set for Saturday. Outdoor listings below should be reconfirmed the morning of the event.

Friday, Sept. 25

Stage and screen

• “Beetlejuice”, national Broadway tour, State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $52, including fees.
• Mark Viera, Stress Factory Comedy Club, 90 Church St., New Brunswick. 7 and 9:30 p.m. Ticket prices not listed online.
• New Jersey Film Festival, fall 2026, Voorhees Hall, Room 105, 71 Hamilton St., New Brunswick. Programs begin at 5 or 7 p.m. $15; students $10 in person. All-access festival pass $100.
• “KHAN!!! The Musical”, Brook Arts Center, 10 Hamilton St., Bound Brook. Run continues through Sept. 27. Curtain time not listed.
• “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood”, Somerset Valley Players, 689 Amwell Road, Hillsborough. 8 p.m. $24.
• “Wonderland”, Kelsey Theatre, Mercer County Community College, West Windsor. 8 p.m. $30; recommended for ages 8 and older.
• “The Cher Show”, Music Mountain Theatre, Lambertville. 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices not listed.
• Faherty Open Mic Night, Princeton: Faherty, 7 Palmer Square West, Friday, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Local performers take the microphone for an evening of live music and other performances in Palmer Square.

Music and nightlife

• The Beths, Starland Ballroom, 570 Jernee Mill Road, Sayreville. Showtime not listed.
• The Underground: Love Beats & Bed Squeaks, Village Brewing Co., 34 W. Main St., Somerville. 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. $5 in advance, $10 at the door.

Sports

• Rutgers football vs. Howard, SHI Stadium, Piscataway. 7 p.m. Televised on Big Ten Network. Billed as Sir Henry’s Birthday Bash and R Community Day.

Outdoors, farms and history

• “Welcome World to George Washington’s Rockingham”, Rockingham State Historic Site, 84 Laurel Ave., Franklin Township. 10 to 11 a.m. Free.
• Scare Farm, Norz Hill Farm & Market, 120 South Branch Road, Hillsborough. 7 to 10 p.m. Admission not listed.
• Hayride, corn maze, pumpkin patch and petting zoo package, listed at 282 Amwell Road, Hillsborough. 3 to 4:30 p.m. $19.

Art and food

• “Fired en Masse”, The Center for Contemporary Art, 2020 Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster. 6 to 8 p.m. Free.
• Hillsborough Restaurant Week, participating restaurants townwide, through Sunday. Lunch $12 to $20; dinner $25 to $45.
• Swirl: An Evening of Art & Wine, Grounds For Sculpture, Hamilton. 5 p.m. Annual fundraiser; ticket prices not listed. Edge of radius.

Edge of radius

• Ailey II, Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown. 8 p.m. $45 to $91. Roughly 25 miles out.

Saturday, Sept. 26

CANCELED: Franklin Day Festival, which had been scheduled for noon to 5 p.m. at the Franklin Township Municipal Complex, 475 DeMott Lane.

Stage and screen

• “Beetlejuice”, State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $52, including fees.
• Mark Viera, Stress Factory Comedy Club, 90 Church St., New Brunswick. 7 and 9:30 p.m. Closing night of the run. Ticket prices not listed online.
• “The Flesh People,” New Jersey Film Festival, Voorhees Hall, Room 105, 71 Hamilton St., New Brunswick. 7 p.m. in person; also streaming for 24 hours on the show date. $15; students $10 in person.
• “KHAN!!! The Musical”, Brook Arts Center, 10 Hamilton St., Bound Brook. Curtain time not listed.
• “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood”, Somerset Valley Players, 689 Amwell Road, Hillsborough. 8 p.m. $24.
• “Wonderland”, Kelsey Theatre, Mercer County Community College, West Windsor. 2 p.m. $30.
• “The Cher Show”, Music Mountain Theatre, Lambertville. 3 and 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices not listed.
• “How to Train Your Dragon”, Princeton Garden Theatre, Princeton. 10 a.m. Admission not listed.

Music and nightlife

• Jake Thistle, The Ross Farm, 135 N. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge. 7 to 9:30 p.m. $35.
• Lady Supreme: A Diana Ross Experience, Sieminski Theater, 8000 Fellowship Road, Basking Ridge. 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices not listed.
• Lenny Pearce, Starland Ballroom, 570 Jernee Mill Road, Sayreville. Two shows; times not listed.
• Princeton Porchfest, Princeton: Throughout downtown Princeton, Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Multiple neighborhood porches become stages, with new performers generally starting each hour. The lineup spans rock, bluegrass, jazz, blues, hip-hop, classical music and singer-songwriters. Princeton University also hosts two performance stages. Free. Fall Music Series, Palmer Square Green, Princeton. 1 to 3 p.m. Free.
• The Underground: Tone Setta, Village Brewing Co., 34 W. Main St., Somerville. 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Free.
• Fall Music Series, Princeton: Palmer Square Green, 40 Nassau St., Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m. The Matt Chertcoff Trio performs this week in Palmer Square’s outdoor fall concert series. Visitors can bring chairs or blankets. Free.
• Bridgewater Eagle Riders Music Festival, Bridgewater: 350 Woodside Lane, Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. The second annual festival features six bands, food and vendors, with proceeds benefiting pancreatic cancer research. Tickets listed at $20.
• “Wonderland,” West Windsor: Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College, Saturday at 2 p.m., with the production continuing its weekend run. Frank Wildhorn’s pop-rock musical is a contemporary spin on Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.”

Festivals and community events

• Raritan Borough Food Truck and Music Fest, Washington School Park, First Avenue at Prospect Street, Raritan. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. $5; children under 5 free. Benefits the borough’s volunteer firefighters. Three bands are scheduled.
• Branchburg Harvest & Hops Festival, White Oak Park, 235 Baird Road, Branchburg. 1 to 8 p.m. Admission not listed.
• RoboCon New Jersey 2026, Bridgewater Commons, Commons Way, Bridgewater. Noon to 6 p.m. Free.
• Harvest Festival & Artisan Market, Wagner Farm Arboretum, 197 Mountain Ave., Warren. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.
• Tewksbury Harvest Festival, Christie Hoffman Farm Park, 108 Fairmount Road W., Califon. Noon to 5 p.m. $25 per car; $5 for walkers and cyclists.
• Fall Family Fun Weekend, Princeton: Terhune Orchards, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 30 fall activities include pumpkin picking, corn mazes, pony rides, pedal tractors, pumpkin painting, barnyard animals and wagon rides. Live music runs from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $19.95; children younger than 3 are free. Advance tickets are required.

Outdoors, farms and history

• Fall Harvest Days, Norz Hill Farm & Market, 120 South Branch Road, Hillsborough. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. $17.99.
• Scare Farm, Norz Hill Farm & Market, 120 South Branch Road, Hillsborough. 7 to 10 p.m. Admission not listed.
• “A Taste of Cacao: The Mount Vernon Way”, Rockingham State Historic Site, 84 Laurel Ave., Franklin Township. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.
• “Welcome World to George Washington’s Rockingham”, Rockingham State Historic Site, 84 Laurel Ave., Franklin Township. 10 to 11 a.m. Free.
• Bernardsville Farmers Market, Bernardsville train station, 50 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free.

Art

• “Fired en Masse”, The Center for Contemporary Art, 2020 Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster. 6 to 8 p.m. Free.

Sunday, Sept. 27

Stage and screen

• “Beetlejuice”, State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. 1 and 6:30 p.m. Closing performances. Tickets start at $52, including fees. The 1 p.m. show is audio described for patrons who are blind or have low vision.
• Silent Movie Day at the Brook, Brook Arts Center, 10 Hamilton St., Bound Brook. 6:30 p.m. Silent film with live organ accompaniment. Ticket prices not listed.
• “KHAN!!! The Musical”, Brook Arts Center, 10 Hamilton St., Bound Brook. Closing performance. Curtain time not listed.
• “The Hanged Man,” New Jersey Film Festival, Voorhees Hall, Room 105, 71 Hamilton St., New Brunswick. Streaming for 24 hours on the show date; in-person time to be confirmed. $15; students $10 in person.
• “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood”, Somerset Valley Players, 689 Amwell Road, Hillsborough. 2 p.m. $24.
• “Wonderland”, Kelsey Theatre, Mercer County Community College, West Windsor. 2 p.m. $30.
• “The Cher Show”, Music Mountain Theatre, Lambertville. 3 p.m. Ticket prices not listed.
• “Illuminations,” Princeton: Art@Bainbridge, 158 Nassau St., Sunday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Artist Jordan Eagles presents a site-specific light installation projected onto the exterior of historic Bainbridge House, while the gallery remains open late for visitors to see his “Centrifuge” exhibition. Free

Music

• New Jersey Festival Orchestra, “America: Honoring 250 Years!”, Sieminski Theater, 8000 Fellowship Road, Basking Ridge. 2:30 p.m. $56 to $101.
• Community Piano Jam, Princeton: Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University, Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pianists of all ages and experience levels take turns playing the auditorium’s Steinway grand piano, with appearances by professional guest pianists including Gregg Kallor and Clayton Stephenson. Free for spectators; no ticket or registration required for the audience. Pianists must register in advance. The Underground: Tone Setta, Village Brewing Co., 34 W. Main St., Somerville. 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Free.
• Free Carillon Concert, Princeton: Princeton University Graduate College, Cleveland Tower, 88 College Road West, Sunday, 1 to 2 p.m. The university’s 67-bell carillon is played in a free outdoor concert that can be heard around the Graduate College grounds. The performance is held rain or shine. Free

Festivals and community events

• Frontline Arts Community Day, Frontline Arts, 440 River Road, Branchburg. Noon to 4 p.m. Free.
• The Big Show Card Show, Bridgewater: Bridgewater Marriott, Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show celebrates its third anniversary with more than 150 vendor tables devoted to Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, Lorcana, Yu-Gi-Oh and other trading cards and collectibles. General admission is $5.
• BimToberFest 2026, Bridgewater: BMW of Bridgewater, 14 Vogt Drive, Sunday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; gates open at 9 a.m. The 10th anniversary car show welcomes BMWs and other makes and includes food trucks, a DJ and vendors. Free admission and parking; free vehicle entry with registration.

Outdoors, farms and history

• Fall Harvest Days, Norz Hill Farm & Market, 120 South Branch Road, Hillsborough. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. $17.99.
• Scare Farm, Norz Hill Farm & Market, 120 South Branch Road, Hillsborough. 7 to 10 p.m. Admission not listed.
• “A Taste of Cacao: The Mount Vernon Way”, Rockingham State Historic Site, 84 Laurel Ave., Franklin Township. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.
• “Welcome World to George Washington’s Rockingham”, Rockingham State Historic Site, 84 Laurel Ave., Franklin Township. 10 to 11 a.m. Free.
• Princeton History Walking Tour, Princeton: Begins at Princeton Battle Monument, 1 Monument Drive, Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m. The Historical Society of Princeton leads a walk through downtown and the university campus, including Nassau Hall, University Chapel and Palmer Square. Tickets are $20 and advance purchase is required. Art
• “Fired en Masse”, The Center for Contemporary Art, 2020 Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster. 6 to 8 p.m. Free.

• An Intimate Evening With David Foster & Katharine McPhee, Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown. 7 p.m. $91 to $169.
• Oktoberfest Weekend and Car Show, Chubb Park, 290 W. Main St., Chester. Admission from $10. Times not listed.

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