Downtown Somerville Restaurant Experience Welcome to Dine Downtown Somerville, where culinary delights await at every turn! Nestled in the heart of Central New Jersey, our vibrant downtown district pulses with the energy of a community passionate about food, culture, and connection. As the proud stewards of this gastronomic haven, the Downtown Somerville Alliance (DSA) invites you to embark on a culinary journey like no other. From cozy bistros serving up traditional Italian fare to trendy fusion restaurants blending flavors from around the globe, our dining scene is as diverse as it is delicious. But downtown Somerville is more than just a collection of restaurants – it's an experience. It's the joy of discovering your new favorite dish at a hidden gem tucked away on a side street. It's the laughter of friends sharing small plates and stories late into the evening. It's the satisfaction of supporting local businesses and savoring the flavors of our community. And what better way to experience it all than during one of our much-anticipated restaurant week events? Throughout the year, the Downtown Somerville Alliance orchestrates these culinary celebrations, where participating restaurants roll out special menus, prix-fixe offerings, and exclusive culinary experiences. It's the perfect opportunity

Civil War heroine Arabella Barlow, born in Somerville in 1824, a great-granddaughter of the Wallace family of Wallace House who hosted George Washington’s winter headquarters and Hardenbergh family of Old Dutch Parsonage who served in New Jersey’s Provincial Congress and Militia in the Revolutionary War, offers one of the “mystic chords of memory” uniting New Jersey’s contributions to the United States from the American Revolution to the Civil War. For Arabella Barlow’s 200th Birthday, hear the recruiting songs that urged young men to sign up to fight, the anthems that inspired them and the musical complaints about the food and conditions they endured such as "Army Beans", "Hard Crackers, Come Again No More" and "Goober Peas". Historical musician and balladeer Linda Russell also includes the ballads about the yearning for home and the loved ones left behind. Admission is free. Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets for this outdoors performance. This program is part of a series made possible the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association with the sponsorship of New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this series do not

Art Throwdown - Teams Edition The Center’s popular, afternoon, art-making fundraiser, the “Art Throwdown” returns. Fun for the whole family! This year it’s even bigger and better with “Art Throwdown – Teams Edition.” Eight, three-person, teams will be made up of The Center’s teaching artists, students/artists, individual artists, Board members, and community partners. What’s a throwdown? Each team will create a work of art on the spot. The catch? They must also incorporate three items from inside a “mystery box” and have only one hour to complete their artwork. Guests will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites and participate in a drawing for the chance to go home with one of the original artworks. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets to the fundraiser are $35 each for ages 16+, and free for children 15 and under. Advance tickets can be purchased at the door the day of the event for $40. All proceeds will support The Center and its programs! Purchase tickets online www.ccabedminster.org

One Night of Queen at State Theatre New Jersey Gary Mullen & The Works will have you dancing in the aisles during their rocking 2-hour show that pays tribute to the stage theatrics, showmanship, and music of Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees: Queen. In 2000, Gary Mullen won the Granada TV program Stars in Their Eyes with his performance as Queen’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury. Mullen’s embodiment of Freddie Mercury resulted in him gaining 864,838 votes in the show’s live grand final. The number of fans who voted for Mullen was more than double that of the runner-up, thus setting an all-time record for votes in the history of the program. For over two decades, Gary Mullen & The Works have performed to sold-out audiences around the world, playing more than 2,500 live shows to audiences in over 20 countries around the globe. Gary Mullen & The Works’ One Night Of Queen show has played at London’s Hyde Park (twice) as a featured attraction during the prestigious BBC Proms concert series in front of enthusiastic crowds of over 40,000 people! One Night of Queen features Gary Mullen on vocals, David Brockett on guitar, Billy Moffat on bass, Malcolm