Gala spring tea
“Jane Austen’s Time: The Regency Period” will be the theme of a gala historical tea to be hosted by the Montgomery Woman’s Club on Saturday, April 18, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Harlingen Church in Montgomery Township.
Alisa Dupuy, professional storyteller, will present tea traditions, life and customs of England’s Regency Period. Ms. Dupuy, an area resident and teacher, has become well known for her entertaining and historically accurate presentations.
The public is invited to attend the tea. The entrance fee is $15. For more information and reservations, call Ellen Parravano at 609-466-4903.
Organized in 1967, Montgomery Woman’s Club focuses on the educational, social, recreational and philanthropic interests of its members through a combination of community services and special interest groups.
The Club is affiliated with the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs – the largest volunteer service organization for women in the state.
‘Raise a Glass for Hope’
The Association for Advancement of Mental Health invites the public to enjoy rare and specialty wines, artisan cheeses, gourmet food from popular restaurants, luscious chocolates and live music at the “Raise A Glass For Hope” Wine & Food Tasting/Auction, taking place Thursday, April 23, at 6 p.m., at the Princeton Marriott, located on Route 1 North at College Road East.
Chef Rory Philips of Blue Bottle Cafe will conduct a cooking demonstration; Bill Lettier, owner of Bon Appétit Fine Foods of Princeton, will present his favorite gourmet cheeses, and Peter Langenstein, founder of Brix26, will pour his favorite wines and give expert advice.
Also serving will be Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, La Mezzaluna, Rat’s Restaurant, Bistro Soleil, Enzo’s La Piccola Cucina, Griggstown Farm Market, JD Gourmet, Ota Ya Japanese Restaurant, The Bent Spoon and Antimo’s Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria.
Featured auction items include dinner and wine for 10 at JL Ivy; VIP tasting tour for four at Cakebread Cellars in California; tasting tour for six at Peju Province Winery in California; lunch with former White House social secretary Catherine Fenton; tour of The Food Network in NYC; a 3-liter bottle of 2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Silver Oak Winery, and a Magnum of Zinfandel Wine from Turley Wine Cellers.
Event sponsors include Bloomberg, LP, The Mercadien Group, Waters & Bugbee, Mike & Beth Kacsmar, and Colliers, Houston & Co.
Tickets are $75 per person, $125 per couple, with proceeds benefiting the Association for Advancement of Mental Health, a private, nonprofit, community- based behavioral health care agency serving Greater Mercer County.
To reserve, call Jamie Simpson at 609-759-7447 or write to [email protected] community.
‘Pinot to Picasso’ Vintage 2009
with Arts Council of Princeton
On Friday, April 24, from 6:30 to 9:30pm, the Arts Council of Princeton will hold its fourth annual art and wine tasting fundraising event. This year, the festivities will take place at University Square at the intersection of Alexander Road and Route 1. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.artscouncilofprinceton.org. Tickets are limited.
Some 500 guests are expected to enjoy “Best Tastes of Princeton,” a selection of foods and wines donated by local food and beverage purveyors including Cool Vines, diSh catering, JL Ivy, Mediterra, Tre Piani, the bent spoon, Ome Caterers, and small world coffee.
The highlight of the evening will be the Art Tombola, an Italian style prize draw, where each participant takes home one of 87 original works of art donated by select local artists. This year’s Tombola will be technologically enhanced by a custom designed wall-sized video display compliments of SureTech.com.
An edgy, urban décor and interactive dance will add interest to this year’s spring gala, which kicks off the Princeton Arts Weekend and Communiversity Festival of the Arts.
Described as “the liveliest and hippest art-related event in Princeton,” this year’s “Pinot to Picasso” event will provide its artists with great exposure to new audiences and provide guests with a chance to celebrate the arts in Princeton. In addition, participating Princeton shops and restaurants will be displaying “Pinot to Picasso” artwork for two weeks prior to the event.
Corporate sponsorship has been provided by Novo Nordisk, SureTech.com, James Kaplan, KB Financial Partners, National Construction Rentals, PDQ Press, Rosetta, RXR Realty Corporation, Blue Star Jets, Colors for You LLC, Julius Gross Painting and Decorating, Pinneo Construction, Smith +Manning Branding and Design, Spruce Princeton, TRW Travel Consulting LLC, Jennifer Figge Art Consulting LLC, and The Framesmith Gallery.
Funds raised through this event support the Arts Council’s Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence Program in the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts.
Muldoon to be feted
by the Princeton Festival
The Princeton Festival will honor poet Paul Muldoon, recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in poetry and professor at Princeton University, as well as chair of the Peter B. Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton, on Saturday, April 25, during the festival’s annual gala.
The festival will honor Mr. Muldoon for his many contributions to the arts as a poet, opera librettist, novelist, and leader of the rock band Rackett. Born in Armagh, Northern Ireland, he has lived in the United States since 1987. He resides in Griggstown with his wife, the writer Jean Hanff Korelitz, and two daughters.
The venue for The Princeton Festival Gala, whose theme is “An Elizabethan Revel,” is the Bedens Brook Country Club in Montgomery. Festivities will start at 6 p.m. The evening includes cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dancing, Elizabethan entertainment and magic, auctions, and a host of other exciting events. The Courtney Colletti ensemble will provide music.
Tickets are available at various levels: $1000, $500, $250, and $75, the last for after-dinner dancing and refreshments. For information and reservations, call Jean Brown at 215-493-6846 or write to [email protected].
The Princeton Festival’s 2009 season will run from June 13 to 28. It will feature opera, musical theater, chamber music, jazz, and choral music. For more information, visit www.princetonfestival.com.
Footprints 2009
The Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton will host its fifth annual Footprints Walk-a-Thon Saturday morning, April 25, along a scenic stretch of the Delaware & Raritan Canal towpath. Princeton University’s Melissa Lacewell Harris will deliver the keynote at 9 a.m.
New to the event this year are the Footprints Run and a canned foods collection.
Hundreds of participants support Footprints every spring, raising awareness of poverty in the area and raising funds to support programs that serve low-income people throughout Mercer County with emergency food and financial assistance.
The event is located in Kingston at the Route 27 entrance to the Delaware & Raritan towpath. Sign-in for both runners and walkers will begin at 7 a.m. The Footprints Run is at 8 a.m. The keynote is at 9 am, followed immediately by the Footprints Walk-a-thon.
Register for only $10 per person age 7 and older at www.thecrisisministry.org, call 609-396-9355, ext. 27, for more information, or make a donation at www.thecrisisministry.org.
‘Morven in May’
Morven Museum & Garden, located at 55 Stockton St., Princeton, will hold “Morven in May: A Garden Party for the Friends of Morven,” on Friday, May 1, from 5 to 7 p.m., with proceeds to benefit Morven.
The garden party will feature festive drinks, fresh herbal hors d’oeuvres, music by harpist Mary Bryson, and a silent auction of horticultural rarities. More than 100 types of hard-to-find heirloom and connoisseur plants will be at the adjoining plant sale.
Tickets are $30 per person and reservations are required. For tickets or for more information, call 609-924-8144, ext. 100.
“Morven in May” is sponsored by Garden Traditions of New York City.
Morven Museum & Garden is administered by Historic Morven, Inc. in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of State. The museum’s mission is to showcase the cultural heritage of New Jersey.
Celebrate spring
with D&R Greenway
In honor of its 20th Anniversary, D&R Greenway Land Trust invites the public to the “Down- to-Earth” Ball on Saturday, May 2, from 7:30 to 11 p.m. This “down-home evening of after-dinner delights, drinks and dancing” will be held in the circa 1900s barn, The Johnson Education Center.
Bluegrass music will be in the lively hands of Bill Flemer and his Riverside Band, in the upstairs gallery/RWJ Room.
In the more intimate Upmeyer Room, singer/songwriter Roia Rafieyan will share the magic of her guitar.
Casual attire is the order of the night.
Tickets are $75 per person and can be obtained by calling D&R Greenway Land Trust at 609-924-4646.
The Johnson Education Center is at 1 Preservation Place, off Rosedale Road, in Princeton.
Sweet and savory treats, courtesy of local restaurants, caterers and markets will join strawberries from the A. T. Buzby Farm in Mannington, Salem County, where D&R Greenway led the preservation of 1900+ acres of farm land. Guests may enjoy beers, wines and a signature “Out- of-This-World” Cocktail, as well as participate in a Silent Auction of nature encounters upon D&R- Greenway-preserved lands.
Corporate sponsors to date include Bloomberg, LP; Drinker, Biddle & Reath, LLP; E. Allen Reeves, Inc.; Ford 3 Architects, LLC; The Glenmede Trust Company; Julius H. Gross Painting and Decorating Company; Martin Appraisal Associates, Inc.; Miele, Inc.; Pepper Hamilton, LLP; PSE&G; Woodwinds Associates, Inc.
A bravo for BRAVO!
with the Princeton Symphony
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra will host its annual benefit on Saturday, May 2, to celebrate and support BRAVO!, the orchestra’s highly acclaimed education program.
The Bedens Brook Club in Montgomery will set the stage for an enchanted evening of cocktails, dinner and PSO’s famous auction of exclusive vacation homes from around the world.
Guests at this year’s event will also be treated to a cabaret featuring Broadway and concert star William Michals. Currently appearing in the landmark revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific” at Lincoln Center , Mr. Michals made his Broadway debut as The Beast in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” and has played such roles as Javert in “Les Miserables,” Billy Flynn in “Chicago” and Captain von Trapp in “The Sound of Music.”
PSO Board President Caren Sturges of Princeton is serving as chair of the benefit committee, and she is assisted by a group of dedicated community volunteers.
The PSO would like to encourage as many people as possible to celebrate and support BRAVO!, so they have reduced the price of attending this benefit from last year’s price of $200 to $150 per person.
Invitations to and information about the benefit may be obtained from Karen Klaverkamp at 609-497-0020 or [email protected].
John Pizzarelli to headline
McCarter Theatre’s annual gala
McCarter Theatre Center is pleased to announce its Annual Gala Benefit on Saturday, May 16. The festivities, which will be held for the first time on McCarter’s back lawn, will begin at 5 p.m. with cocktails and dinner, followed by an 8 p.m. concert starring jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli in the Matthews Theatre.
Heading this year’s Gala Benefit Committee are co-chairs Richard and Cheryl Goldman of Titusville and Timothy and Kathleen Kund Nolan of Newtown, Pa. Committee members from Princeton are Jack and Happy Wallace, Maurice and Iona Harding, Elwood and Jacqueline Phares, Samuel and Emily Starkey, Elizabeth Fillo and Chris Coucill, Jesse and Marissa Treu, Edward and Marie Matthews, Debra Lemeshow, Brian and Leah McDonald, Everett Kline and David Wald, Shawn and Robbie Ellsworth, Alan Zetterberg and Pamela Goodwin, Robert Dodge and Alexi Assmus, Joseph and Tamera Matteo, Gerardo and Elaine Melendez, H. McIntyre and Kathryn Gardner, David and Carmen Plucinsky. Stephen Melchior and Lisa Tindall, Ted and Jessica Deutsch, Joseph and Livia McCarthy, Victoria Irmen and Francis Vaughn, Steven and H. Patricia Tieman, Michael and Pamela Morandi, John Ikenberry and Lidia Usami, William and Vivian Allen, and Steven and Diane Zipperstein.
The committee also consists of Denny and Joy Baird of New Vernon, Robert and Jacqueline Keck of Pennington, Vassilis and Elaine Keramidas of Warren, Christine Lokhammer of Hopewell, James and Patricia Marino of Cranbury, Sky and Liza Morehouse of Hopewell, Jack and Alice Pakenham of Montgomery, James and Amy Regan of Pennington, Norman and Lisa Callaway of Ringoes, Zachary Chester and Alysia Welch- Chester of Trenton, and Robert and Victoria Trainer of Lawrence.
Mr. Pizzarelli will headline “Dear Mr. Sinatra,” a program of classic Frank Sinatra hits performed with the New York All- Star Big Band with special guest, cabaret star and Broadway veteran Jessica Molaskey.
Post-concert, there will be a decadent champagne dessert buffet; dancing in the tent, and a silent auction featuring one-of-a- kind items.
The evening features three ticket levels: $1,000, $350 and $175. Angels level ($1,000) will have the opportunity to meet John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey; valet parking; cocktails; dinner; VIP seating for the performance; after-party with dessert, dancing, and auction, and an Angel listing in the Gala Benefit Program.
Benefactors ($350) will receive cocktails; dinner; prime seating for the performance; after- party with dessert, dancing, and auction, and Benefactor listing in the Gala Benefit Program.
Supporters ($175) receive the performance, dessert, and Supporter listing in the Gala Benefit Program.
For Gala tickets, please call 609-258-6500, ext. 8.
Concert-only tickets start at $65 and are available by calling the McCarter Ticket Office at 609-258-2787 or visit McCarter online at www.mccarter.org.
McCarter Theatre Center is located at 91 University Place in Princeton.
CASA of Mercer County
Kids 5K and Family Fun Run
CASA of Mercer County will be holding the organization’s second annual CASA Kids 5K and Family Fun Run on Saturday, May 16. The race will be held at the Princeton Pike Corporate Center in Lawrence, announced Lori Morris, executive director of CASA of Mercer County.
“We’re so glad to again be holding our CASA Kids 5K at The Princeton Pike Corporate Center; it’s just a perfect place for our race, which was so successful in all ways this past Spring,” said Ms. Morris. “Not only are we fortunate to have Jerry Fennelly back as our race director but it’s great news that we can announce David Crane and his wife, Isabella de la Houssaye, both avid runners, as our honorary co-chairpersons.”
David Crane is president and CEO of Princeton-based NRG Energy, a wholesale power generation company that owns and operates a diverse portfolio of power plants throughout the U.S. Isabella de la Houssaye is a tri- athlete who has traveled internationally to compete.
“CASA’s mission to help abused and neglected children is one that we’re passionate about and one that NRG is especially committed to,” said Mr. Crane, adding that their shared commitment to running and family fitness makes the co-chair honor doubly appealing.
CASA of Mercer County recruits, screens and trains volunteer advocates to speak up in Family Court for the best interests of abused and neglected children. Currently there are 560 children in the foster care system and the organization’s 100 advocates serve 25 percent of them. According to Ms. Morris, CASA Mercer County has just finished training its largest-ever class of prospective advocates.
The CASA Kids 5K will again be a USATF-sanctioned race, said race director Jerry Fennelly, president of commercial real estate services firm NAI Fennelly.
“This was a tremendous event last year and I have no doubt we’ll see a big jump in runners, with the positive buzz attracting more school and corporate teams, as well as individuals of all ages,” he said.
The event will be co-chaired by Gary Rossi, assistant vice president of First Choice Bank; Grace Polhemus, job market consultant with Lee Hecht Harrison, and Kathleen Kinka, president of Aurora Management. All three are based in Lawrence.
“People love events like these in general and they love CASA in particular,” said Mr. Rossi. “This is an ideal event for people and businesses to support and come out to have a great, family-friendly time in the process,” he said.
The CASA Kids 5K will kick off with the Family Fun Run at 8:30 a.m., followed by the 5K run at 9 a.m. Runners may register at www.casamercer.org.

