In May we celebrate and honor several communities, Older Americans and Asian & American Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
South Orange and Maplewood are offering activities, projects and events that highlight the AAPI heritage in our community. Events are identified by AAPI.
SOMA Two Towns has worked with both towns to offer a series of events celebrating Older Americans. These events, identified by OAM, focus on fitness through walking, good ways to engage in spring cleaning, day trip outings, a Seton Hall University tour, a Mother’s Day Tea, and a luncheon celebrating SOMA Older Americans.
We Need Your Help to Celebrate
Older Americans Month!
We need recent head shot photos of town seniors
who have actively leant their time and talents to make our towns wonderful places to live. In addition, we need to know how they have contributed to the community. Please include a short blurb (no more than 50 words) listing the their local accomplishments. Send both to SOMA Two Towns at soma2towns@gmail.com by Monday, May 16th with Honoring Local Seniors as the email subject.
We will have a slide show at our Older Americans celebration luncheon on Tuesday, May 24th honoring our local older adults. Reach out to Tracy at SOMA Two Towns with questions, soma2towns@gmail.com or 973-558-0863.
Register Now
ArtBender 2022 in South Orange
Are you an artist, poet, musician, dancer? Do you want to participate in the ArtBender 2022?
ArtBender is a celebration of creativity and self-expression, happening in and around South Orange, NJ on June 4, 2022 (rain date June 5). Community members are encouraged to gather at “creativity hubs” by starting communal projects in neighborhoods throughout the town. Local businesses are also encouraged to host an arts event. Past ArtBender events have included painting, chalk street art, poetry writing, and music and dance performances. ArtBender is seeking participation from individuals, businesses, and entire neighborhoods who collaborate to create public art. No project is too small! To be added to a townwide map showcasing ArtBender projects, please email nppcoordinator@southorange.org by May 21, 2022. Also, if you have a creative idea and need some help realizing it, we are here to assist you!
Museum Passes at both Libraries! Free
The Maplewood Library Museum Pass program and the South Orange Public Library allow you to visit area attractions for free! The passes are made possible through each libraries Friends of the Library organizations and are available to respective resident library card holders. For details, Maplewood residents go to
https://www.maplewoodlibrary.org/services-museum-passes. South Orange residents go to Museum Passes - South Orange Public Library (sopl.org).
Walk with a Doc Every Saturday!
Maplewood Community Services and Atlantic Health
Walk for Health, Walk for Fun
8:30 AM - 9:30AM
Open to all ages and skill levels! Converse with medical professionals and then take a walk with friends and neighbors through Maplewood parks on
Saturday mornings beginning May 14th. Memorial Park, 580 Valley Street. Maplewood. To register please visit: https://maplewood.recdesk.com/Community/Program
Tuesday, May 10th
Voting Rights, 7 pm (virtual) Free
Presented by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation.
We'll talk about the voting provisions of the U.S. Constitution and New Jersey law, about changes that have been proposed or adopted nationwide that affect voting, and about voting in New Jersey in 2022. This event also features historical photographs of the struggle for various groups of U.S. citizens to obtain and preserve the right to vote.
Wednesday, May 11th
WALK MY WAY 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Free
Help Montclair kick off Older Americans Month with a fun 1 or 3 mile walk around Edgemont Park in Montclair (Valley Road across from Holland Terrace) We are meeting in Edgemont Park, Valley Road in Montclair and will be located at the back of the driveway to entrance to park (visible from the street) on Valley Road in Montclair. The building is right next to the pond. The cross street is Holland Terrace. The entire route is flat and there are plenty of benches along the way.
• Canned goods will be collected and donated to Toni’s Kitchen
• Walk with staff from Montclair’s heroic Health Department
Parking is available in the circular driveway (a few handicapped spots in front of building) or on Valley Road or nearby side street called Parkway.
Mother’s Day Tea (OAM), 12:00 pm, $10 (Registration required)
DeHart Community Center, 120 Burnett Avenue, Maplewood
Join your friends and neighbors for a celebration of mothers at this year’s tea. Enjoy tea sandwiches, salads, small sweets, and a wide variety of teas. Call 973-763-0705 to register.
Thursday, May 12th
Henna Designs for Teens (AAPI), 3:30 pm Free
South Orange Public Library
Teens can learn about the art of henna and leave with a simple design. Space is limited to 10 teens, registration is required. Teens can register here: https://forms.gle/QZTMqDc3PhnvpDmX6
Friday, May 13th
Seton Hall Anti-Asian Racism Training Workshop (AAPI), 10:30 a.m. – noon virtual Free
Join members from the Seton Hall Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee for an interactive workshop on Anti-Asian racism and exploring race, bias, and identity. Develop strategies and learn more about campus resources that can help you become an upstander and ally.
Learn more here: https://www.shu.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion/resources-and-training.cfm
Registration/Attendance information: https://events.shu.edu/view/event/date/20220513/event_id/16948
Saturday, May 14th
History Walk in Maplewood Memorial Park, 10 am Free
Led by Ginny Kershan and Susan Newberry, the Maplewood Memorial Park Conservancy invites the public to explore the history of Memorial Park while on a leisurely stroll. Memorial Park is a landmarked historic park, and Susan and Ginny know everything about it! Bring your curiosity, questions, and wear good walking shoes! The meeting spot is on the corner of Valley and Oakview. RSVP to laratomlin.art@gmail.com
Clean Green Jersey Clean Up Event @ Shady Nook Picnic Area, 10 am – 1 pm Free
Bramhall Terrace Crest Dr, Maplewood, NJ
Join Clean Green Jersey, South Mountain Conservancy, and the Coalition to Save South Mountain Reservation for a community cleanup event! Register at https://www.meetup.com/somocon/events/284824461
Under Cover Music Fest (UCMF) returns to South Orange, 4-10 pm Free
The fest will draw more than a thousand residents and visitors to the Sloan St. parking lot for an evening of great food, a bustling beer garden and FREE live music! World-class musicians from the area will be performing covers of the most popular hits from a collection of famous artists: The Grateful Dead, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Phil Collins and Led Zeppelin. Bring your own food, blankets and low-profile folding chairs (no higher than 9” off the ground) to “camp out” and listen to your favorite songs. There will be downtown sidewalk sales happening all day. While enjoying the music, visit all of the great local businesses in South Orange to enjoy special sales.
Sunday, May 15th
Forest Regeneration Volunteer Workday, 9 am-12 pm Free
Meet at the dog statue at 11 Bear Lane, Maplewood NJ, South Mountain Conservancy
Forest Regeneration activities focus on the areas in and around the fenced 14 acre Forest and
Wildflower Preserve located near the Dog Park in the Reservation. Within the Preserve, activities may include planting, removal of invasive plants, removal of invasive control materials such as large tarps, and maintenance of trails. Ages 12 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult and a waiver form may need to be completed. Pre-registration is not required. Please dress appropriately! Wear long pants, closed toe shoes or rain boots, bug spray, and layer as needed. We supply gloves and water. For information, contact Program Coordinator Christy Zolty at forestregen@somocon.org (https://somocon.org/)
Birding Walk, 8:30 am - 10 am
South Orange Public Library
Join Village Trustee Bill Haskins as he leads a guided birdwatching walk. Meet at the Duck Pond at Meadowland Park (5 Mead St.) We have some binoculars to share, but bring your own if you have them.
Maplewood MayFest 2022, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, Free
The fair will run along Springfield Avenue and include a variety of activities for all ages. Come mingle with your neighbors, check out good food, listen to live music, and have fun engaging in all sorts of activities. For more information, go to https://www.springfieldavenue.com/mayfest.
SOMA Holocaust Remembrance March (3 pm) and Service (4 pm) Free
Temple Oheb Shalom in South Orange
The SOMA Interfaith Holocaust Memorial service will be held in person this year with an option to watch it via live stream, www.rememberandtell.org/2022. A March of Remembrance will precede the service and start in Spiotta Park on South Orange Avenue at 3 pm. The speaker will be Anne Millman, a child survivor, who will share the compelling story of her family’s deportation, endurance, and survival during the war. We will hear from our local officials and clergy during the service and March.
Tuesday, May 17th
Spring Cleaning Lunch and Learn (OAM), 11:00 am $5
Maplewood Senior Center, 106 Burnett Avenue
With all we have accumulated over the past few years, it may be an ideal time to do some spring cleaning. Whether you want declutter, downsize, or just thin out your possessions, it can be hard to know where to start. This session will give you great ideas to get going and will be followed by lunch. Call 973-763-0750 to register for one of the 20 seats.
Wednesday, May 18th
Creative Writing, 1 -2 pm
Join us every other Wednesday for this hybrid in-person/virtual creative writing session on Zoom. Each week we’ll introduce a prompt, write for a few minutes, and then share what we’ve come up with! This event will be held outside (weather permitting) and on Zoom. Click here to join virtually.
Memorial Park Nature Walk (OAM), 10:30 am -11:30 am Free
Join Jennifer Ryan, landscape designer for the MMPC, and Deborah Lyons, MMPC board member and master gardener, for a nature walk through Maplewood’s picturesque Memorial Park. We’ll be discussing the native flora and learning about what the MMPC has done and is doing to help keep the park looking its best.
Thursday, May 19th
Long Branch Day Trip (OAM), 9:00 am – 4 pm (registration required)
Enjoy the beach and the boardwalk. Take a long stroll, listen to the crash of the waves, feel the sun on your face and perhaps the sand underfoot. Call 973-763-0750 to register.
"Evensong: A Reading of Poetry and Prose" (AAPI), 6 pm, virtual Free
South Orange Public Library, 65 Scotland Road
We're bringing Poetry and AAPI Months together with Theresa Burns, June Hae Chae, and Robin Rosen Chang. Please join us outside the library building (weather permitting) for this reading. Go to Evensong: A Reading of Poetry and Prose - South Orange Public Library (sopl.org) for more information.
Friday, May 20th
Special Conversation (AAPI), 1 pm virtual Free
South Orange Public Library
Join Amy Wan, Associate Professor of English and Co-Director of First Year Writing at CUNY Queens College. Topic: Institutional Change: From Mass Higher Education in the 1950s to Today's Global University. Click here to join.
Saturday, May 21st
Spring 2022 Tech Teens Helping Seniors,
1st session 10:00 - 10:45 am, 2nd session 10:45 - 11:30 am
South Orange Public Library, 65 Scotland Road
Have Tech Questions? Seniors can work one-on-one with a knowledgeable teen volunteer to provide technology assistance. You can learn to Set Up a Device, Configure Your Email, Print Files, Organize Photos, Download eBooks, Set Up Social Media(FaceTime, Zoom, etc.) and more! Sessions will be held indoors, or outside of the library as the weather permits. Call the reference librarian at 973-762-0230 to register.
HAPI Fest NJ (Heritage of Asian Pacific Islander), 10 am to 1 pm Free
The Woodland Maplewood
Pua Ali?i ?Ilima o Nuioka with live music from PA?I Trio will be performing to celebrate the AAPI Heritage Month in May to spread some aloha! Learn more about the mele and this hula tradition.
Saturday, May 21st and Sunday, May 22nd
THE 2ND ANNUAL WARREN COURT ART WALK, 11 am to 5 pm Free
The Warren Court Art Walk, between South Orange Avenue and University Court, will feature painting, photography, woodworking, jewelry, ceramics, textiles and more. Whether you’re a first-time art buyer, a seasoned collector, an interior designer or an art-lover who wants to see and support local artists, there will be something for everyone’s taste and wallet.
Sunday, May 22nd
HOLI - Festival of Colors (AAPI), 1-3 pm, $5 in advance
Memorial Park, Maplewood
Join SOMA CCW in partnership with Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture to boisterously celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month with Holi - the festival of colors as attendees throw colored powder at each other and participate freely in all the resulting fun and frolic. Celebrate Spring and New Life, as well as victory of good over evil and above all LOVE in all its forms and expressions. Wear old light colored clothes you are comfortable being colored. Details and tickets here
Rise: A Pop History Of Asian America from the Nineties to Now (AAPI), 4:30 pm Free
Authors Jeff Yang and Phil Yu discuss their best seller at the
SOPAC LOFT, 1 SOPAC Way, South Orange, NJ
Monday, May 23rd
Computer classes are back! 10 am – 11:30 am Free
South Orange Public Library
Learn the basics of how to set up an email address and send emails in this 90-minute session. Laptops will be provided, or bring your own. Meet in the meeting room; masks are required.
Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, and Cholesterol Health Screening, 2 – 3:30 pm Free
Maplewood Senior Center, 106 Burnett Avenue, Maplewood
The Maplewood Health Department and Braven Health have collaborated to offer free wellness blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol screenings once a month. Open to all Maplewood and South Orange residents, 18 and up. No registration required.
Tuesday, May 24th
Older Americans Month Luncheon (OAM), 11:00 am
Celebrate and honor older Americans in our community through a memorial slide show. Remarks will be provided by our town officials followed by a luncheon.
Brain Games: Keep the Mind Sharp, 1:30 pm Free
Hilton Branch of the Maplewood Library
Keep your brain healthy and in good working order! This program will include games and exercises to stimulate different areas of your brain to help increase memory. Diet, exercise and proper rest will also be discussed. Presented by a Health Educator with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Book Discussion Group (In Person), 7 – 8 pm Free
This month’s selection is “Atomic Love,” by Jennie Fields. The group will meet in person. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk. Any questions? Contact book group moderator Nancy Janow at njanow@sopl.org.
Wednesday, May 25th
Meditation Walk (OAM), 9 am – 11 am Free
SOMA Two Towns for All Ages and the Maplewood Health Department
Join us to learn about the health benefits of walking and explore two quiet meditative spaces. Walk from a local labyrinth to a serene garden. Meet at Prospect Presbyterian Church, 646 Prospect Street. The walk will be led by Candice Davenport, Maplewood Health Officer.
Special Conversation, 5 – 6 pm
South Orange Public Library
Join us outside the library (weather permitting) for this discussion from two distinguished guests!
Guest Speaker: Pamela Erens, Novelist and Author of Middlemarch and The Imperfect Life, and Robin Black, Novelist and Author of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. Topic: Reflecting on Great Books: Two Novelists Discuss Masterpieces by George Eliot and Virginia Woolf
Click here to join.
Thursday, May 26th
Seton Hall Walking Tour (OAM), 9 am – 11 am Free
SOMA Two Towns for All Ages and Seton Hall University
Spring is the perfect time to get acquainted with our local university on this guided walking tour. The meeting location will be provided closer to the tour date. Wear comfortable shoe and make sure your smartphone is charged so you can take photos. We are hoping for a warm sunny day!
Saturday, May 28th
Downtown After Sundown returns to South Orange, 6:30-8:30 pm Free
Enjoy live music every Saturday starting May 28 in Spiotta Park. It's a fun, casual environment to sit back, relax and take in the sweet sounds of South Orange Downtown in the warm weather with fellow friends and neighbors. Bring a chair or a blanket.
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