Cranford Calendar
Dr. Daisy Century: Wisdom of Sojourner Truth
Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Avenue, Cranford, NJ 07016
Dr. Daisy Century, a historical interpreter, educator, actor, author and singer, brings to life one of the world’s most influential and accomplished women. Escaping the brutality of slavery in 1826, Isabella Baumfree took on the name Sojourner Truth and began her travels as a preacher. Believing the causes of women’s rights and abolition to be intertwined and equally important, Truth spoke publicly on suffrage, and gave her most significant speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in 1851. Don’t miss Dr. Century’s commanding performance as an American icon.
Dr. Century performs historical interpretations of the lives of brilliant and influential women, including Harriet Tubman, Bessie Coleman and Madam C.J. Walker. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Claflin University, a Masters in Science Education from South Carolina State University and an Ed.D from Temple University. A natural teacher and talented actor, Dr. Century has inspired students in the Philadelphia School System for over twenty years with her historically accurate performances. She also writes under the name Emily Nelson, and has published two books: Belle and Ms. Emmaline’s Little Book of Wit and Wisdom.
No registration is required for this free event.
Our jewelry expo is Thursday, April 18th from 5-8 PM. There will be light refreshments. All are welcome. Great Mother’s Day gift ideas, bags, clothing, and jewelry.
Show your support for our Downtown businesses on April 26th! Spend at least $26 on 4/26 at local businesses – shop for gifts, go out for lunch, treat yourself to a manicure or massage. Hold on to your receipts and then you can take part in an after party at A La Mode Creamery Inc from 5-7PM. The after party will have complimentary treats, and people can be entered to win a gift card to local downtown businesses. So mark your calendar for April 26th and let’s celebrate everything our businesses have to offer!
Please join us on Sunday, April 28, 2019, at 2:00 pm at the Hanson House, 38 Springfield Avenue, for an afternoon of medieval music.
A marvelous player of the harp, Michele has been entertaining people for over 30 years on both the East and West Coasts at events ranging from weddings to historical reenactments. For our program, she will be dressed in a medieval costume and will play music from the period. To help us to understand the music, she will stop occasionally to talk about the composers and the times. Michele has made two full-length, independent CDs.
This program is free and all are welcome.
The Cranford Historical Society Presents Our Third “Victorian Hat Box Tea” Fundraiser
Featuring Guest Speaker: Gail Alterman/Costume Curator
Hats and Victorian dress are optional. Enjoy an afternoon of fun, laughter, and good company while enjoying a Spot of Tea, Tea Sandwiches and Dessert.
Two Hat Boxes filled with items and a Victorian Floral Chandelier will be raffled off as well as a 50/50 raffle and a Door Prize.
RSVP by April 13, 2019, as seating is limited to only 24. Along with your RSVP, please submit a donation of $25 (per person). Checks to be payable to the Cranford Historical Society.
Proceeds to benefit the Hanson House, Crane-Phillips House Museum grounds as well as the Society’s High School History Award fund.
Our featured talk – “To Tell The Truth – Historic Costume on the Screen,” by Costume Curator Gail Alterman, will focus on those costume dramas we all know and love. Gail will discuss historical dress and how it is used in select television shows. She will compare and contrast their accuracy and how well they play to character. Shows may include Poldark, Outlander, Victoria, Mrs. Maisel, and The Crown.
If you have a favorite show that you would like included, please comment on our Facebook page and it may be added to the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/
Have you ever wanted to see what is inside the Hanson House? If so, join us on Sunday, June 2nd at 2 pm when the Society will open its doors to the public to enjoy a tour of the building. After hearing a brief history of Hanson House you will learn about the lives of the Cranford artists Leslie and Alice Crump and will view the Society’s collection of their art. You will then be taken on a tour of the Society’s collections of costumes by its curator. Afterward, you will have the opportunity to visit the Fridlington Room where research into the history of Cranford and its homes takes place. Don’t miss this interesting event. Admission is free and open to the public.
Please RSVP by Thursday, May 30, 2019. Tour will begin at 2:15 pm. For more information, email at cranfordhistoricalsociety@
The 8th Annual Ladies Night Out will be held on Thursday, June 6, from 6 – 9 p.m. in downtown Fanwood! The event will offer participants an opportunity to enjoy music, mingling, and shopping to support our local merchants! Last year, hundreds of women lined up to register and pick up a goody bag filled with coupons for local businesses and tickets to win prizes at a tricky tray raffle.
The annual event is sponsored by the Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce which represents Fanwood businesses and will feature many of the Borough’s downtown businesses. The event’s goal of increasing walk-in traffic in the Borough’s downtown has helped contribute to significant growth over the past several years.
We hope you will join us this year. For more information please visit gwaccnj.com
Free performance of the renowned play, The Colored Museum, on Friday, October 18th beginning at 8:00 p.m. at The Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway.
The Colored Museum was written in 1986 by George C. Wolfe. It provides a window into the struggles and resilience of African Americans through 11 vignettes, each focusing on a different “exhibit” bringing forth themes of racism, stereotypes, and African American cultural identity, enabling the audience to reexamine the history of African Americans.
Admission to this event is free, however all seats are ticketed and reserved. Tickets are available on a first come first serve basis. To receive tickets and for more information contact the Union County Performing Arts Center box office at 732-499-8226 or visit www.ucpac.org.
To view the full press release click here
The Cranford Historical Society is proud to present a Veteran’s Day Display on Sunday, November 10th from 10am to 3pm.
Stop by the Hanson House to see displays of artifacts, uniforms and more from various wars throughout our history. Please join us in honoring all the brave men and women who fought to protect our country.
For more information call 908-276-0082 or visit our website at www.cranfordhistoricalsociety.org.
The First Presbyterian Church of Cranford, 11 Springfield Ave, will be holding it’s Fifth Annual Artisan Craft Fair on Saturday, November 16, 2019 in Bates Hall (near Miln St.) from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Come shop a wide variety of beautiful handcrafted goods such as jewelry, needlework, pottery, artisan foods, pet items, seasonal goods and gifts for the holidays. The fair consists of only handcrafted goods, no direct sale merchandise and ADMISSION IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC. There will also be a bake sale. All proceeds from the bake sale go to support the mission work of the church which benefit the homeless and hungry.
The Society will hold its annual Holiday Boutique/Garage Sale Fundraiser at the Hanson House, 38 Springfield Avenue. Hours are Saturday and Sunday, November 16th & 17th, 2019 from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
This fundraising event will help the Cranford Historical Society, the Crane-Phillips House Museum and the Society’s History Scholarship Fund.
For more information, call 908-276-0082 or visit [email protected].
The Society will hold its annual Holiday Boutique/Garage Sale Fundraiser at the Hanson House, 38 Springfield Avenue. Hours are Saturday and Sunday, November 16th & 17th, 2019 from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
This fundraising event will help the Cranford Historical Society, the Crane-Phillips House Museum and the Society’s History Scholarship Fund.
For more information, call 908-276-0082 or visit [email protected].