Rock On—Raise Money

By Brianne Harrison

Summer may be officially over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still go out and enjoy a great party while the nice weather lasts. This weekend, your best bet might be the Union County MusicFest, a two-day outdoor concert that is luring in big-name bands and an array of fans that runs the gamut from toddlers to grandparents.

On Sept. 12 and 13, Oak Ridge Park in Clark will play host to They Might be Giants (who will play two concerts—one for kids and one for adults), Pete Yorn, Uncle Kraker, Tonic, Gin Blossoms, Third Eye Blind, Tommy James and the Shondells, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and several local bands, as well as their loyal followers.

The festival, which started in 1998, has outgrown its previous home at the 10-acre Nomahegan Park in Cranford. The 65-acre Oak Ridge Park will probably more easily accommodate the bands and crowds, along with a four-day county fair that features carnival rides, a Kids Kingdom with laser tag and bungee jumping, and food vendors.

MusicFest’s purpose, first and foremost, is to raise funds for charities. The festival raised $80,000 for cancer charities last year, and this year will boast a two-mile walk-athon and 5K run on Saturday morning. Proceeds will go towards supporting children with cancer and blood disorders in New Jersey, as well as global cancer centers.

For more information, visit ucmusicfest.com.

Curiosity: Satisfied

By Millicent K. Brody

I recently spent an entire Friday satisfying my curiosity, and loved every minute of it. There were places I wanted to go and things I wanted to experience, but they were NOT in Central Jersey.

Before heading to the Turnpike, I visited the new Whole Foods Market in Union. Although it did not have my favorite cranberry nut rolls, it did have a case full of delicious flagels (a Flagel is a flat bagel). Wandering over to the fruits and vegetables, I marveled at the lovely lemons, delicious apples, and various types of berries. Whole Foods may not be in your exact area, but it is definitely worth a trip.

Popping a couple of bags into the trunk, we headed to Jerry’s Market on South Dean Street in Englewood (pictured above). If you go, park your car and follow the trail of folks rushing to shop. From artisan cheeses to delicious candy to shelves of balsamic vinegar to wine from every region, bags of pasta that would easily serve twenty-five, and fruits from every corner of the world, Jerry’s has just about everything a foodie could want. If you’re not in the mood to cook, the shop also has a full counter of prepared meals for take out. I booked dinner reservations at my friend Carol’s house. We decided we’d each select our favorite dish and enjoy it at the dining room table at her Fort Lee apartment.

But you cannot leave Englewood, without a visit to Balthazar’s Bakery. It’s an absolute MUST! Known as an outlet, guests have the pleasure of watching a stream of bakers prepare all of your favorite desserts from behind a glass window. And although counter space is almost miniscule, you'll have serious problems making final choices. To start with, I selected a seven-grain loaf, sticky buns filled with colossal raisins, giant chocolate chunk cookies, and an apple galette (a free-form tart.) The good news is, I don't live in Englewood, for if I did, I'd surely be the size of an elephant.

From there, we headed to the Promenade at City Place Mall in Edgewater. We wanted to visit The Greek Taverna. We’d been to their Montclair location and were ready to enjoy another round of Garides Sta Karvouna, charcoal grilled jumbo shrimp with fresh herbs in a lemon olive oil sauce, and a gorgeous Greek Taverna salad filled with tomatoes and fresh feta cheese. After dinner, we strolled the mall, then treated ourselves to a dish of homemade coffee ice cream from Baumgart’s. We never left New Jersey, and we had the greatest day!