20091003 family fun day

Fall Family Fun Day

October 3, 2009

The Hoboken Historical Museum invites you to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage of exploration and celebrate our great river with a day of fun family-oriented events, on Saturday, October 3. One of the highlights will be a Kids Parade of flag designs from our spring Design-A-Hoboken-Flag contest.

20091011 on waterfront

On the Waterfront: Hoboken 1989 – 2009, Referendum Victories Pave Way for Hoboken’s Public Waterfront Park

October 11, 2009

In July 1990, the voters of Hoboken rejected a massive development proposal for Hoboken’s south waterfront proposed by the City and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. This referendum victory led the Fund for a Better Waterfront (FBW) to propose a new vision for Hoboken’s waterfront that would bring back full circle the idea of a public waterfront. The FBW plan called for a continuous public waterfront park from the Hoboken Train Terminal to the Weehawken Cove, clearly delineated from the upland private development on new, Hoboken-sized blocks.

On Sunday, October 11, at 4 p.m., come hear Ron Hine, Executive Director of FBW, relate this history. The mission of FBW is to secure the land along the water’s edge by the Hudson River as public parkland that will be enjoyed by people of all walks of life for generations to come. The opportunity to finish the missing links in Hoboken’s waterfront park is now tantalizingly close and would result in a prototype for waterfront planning.

20091004 pet parade

6th Annual Pet Parade

October 4, 2009

Hoboken pet owners unite! The city’s four-footed friends will get a chance to strut their stuff in October, so start working on your pet’s costume. The 6th Annual Hoboken Historical Museum Pet Parade will take place Sunday, October 4, starting at 1 p.m. Family pets of all kinds and Hoboken citizens of all ages are welcome to participate, with or without costumes.

The Parade was founded in 2003 in conjunction with the Museum’s exhibition, City Animals, which explored the evolution of people’s relationships with animals in an urban setting.

20091003 hudson river

Family Hudson River Celebration Launched Open River Program

October 3, 2009

The Hoboken Historical Museum gathered dozens of kids and families at Sybil’s Cave on Saturday, October 3, to celebrate 400 years of life along the Hudson River. The Family Hudson River Celebration event was free, thanks in part to support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and all ages were represented. Look for more Open River events next year that use the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway as an extension of the Museum’s educational mission.

20091018 garlic festival

3rd Annual Heirloom Garlic Festival Recalls “Old Country” Flavors

October 18, 2009

They’re back! Dozens of garlic varieties—cultivated for their distinctive taste by generations of gardeners—will again be available for tasting in the walkway outside of the Museum’s front door on Sunday, October 18, from 1 – 5 p.m.

20091101 irish waterfront

On the Irish Waterfront: The Crusader, the Movie, and the Soul of the Port of New York Book Talk

November 1, 2009

As one of the world’s busiest harbors in the first half of the 20th century, the Port of New York, including Hoboken’s waterfront, attracted gangsters, politicians and union leaders, each fighting for a piece of the huge economic pie. The movie “On the Waterfront” depicted a longshoreman struggling with the decision to betray his neighborhood code by testifying before the organized crime commission, urged on by a priest who risked his own career to help improve the lives of his parishioners. The priest was based in large part on a real historic figure, John M. “Pete” Corridan, a crusading priest committed to winning union democracy and social justice for the port’s dockworkers and their families.

Historian James Terence Fisher visits the Museum on Sunday, November 1, at 4 p.m., to talk about his latest book, On the Irish Waterfront: The Crusader, the Movie, and the Soul of the Port of New York, which tells the story of Corridan’s ferocious advocacy and his role working with screenwriter Budd Schulberg in shaping the film.

20091025 house tour

Annual Hoboken House Tour

October 25, 2009

The variety of homes in our city means that every year there’s a new crop of homes sure to surprise and delight even the die-hard tour goers on the Annual Hoboken House Tour. On Sunday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., around eight to 10 generous homeowners will open their doors to visitors as a benefit for the Hoboken Historical Museum. Tour goers will be treated to an array of domestic retreats, from restored Victorian brownstones to contemporary condos. Advance-purchase ticket vouchers will be available for sale at the Museum and at several businesses around town for $25.

20091206 concert

Winter Holiday Family Concert with Dave Lambert & Howard Olah-Reiken

December 6, 2009

In what has become a beloved Hoboken tradition, Dave Lambert and Howard Olah-Reiken will return to the Museum on Sunday afternoon, December 6, at 3 p.m., for a festive, family-friendly concert of holiday and winter-themed music. The singers encourage the audience to sing along and employ various rhythm and noise-making instruments (think jingle bells) to crank up the holiday spirit. All ages welcome. Admission: $5 per family.

20091115 totaro chapbook

We Were Downtown, Recollections of Marie Totaro Chapbook Release Event

November 15, 2009

Marie Totaro, legendary Hoboken baker and past (and perhaps future) chairwoman of the Feast of St. Ann, spoke with Hoboken Oral History Project volunteer interviewer Pat Samperi at length last year. As could be expected, Marie offered detailed histories of her former dessert café, Le Jardin, and the development of the Feast. But the interviews also yielded lovingly evoked memories of downtown Hoboken that begged to be put into print. With humor and an eye toward detail, Marie offered a rich portrait of a way of life that has almost entirely disappeared from her old neighborhood.

Hoboken Oral History Project editor Holly Metz and designer Ann Marie Manca have shaped Marie’s stories to produce a new chapbook, We Were Downtown, Recollections of Marie Totaro. On Sunday, November 15, at 4 p.m., the Museum and the Friends of the Hoboken Public Library will celebrate the release of this booklet at the Hoboken Historical Museum.

20091111 elizabeth street

Elizabeth Street Book Signing

November 11, 2009

All are invited to a reading and book signing by the Hoboken-based author Laurie Fabiano on November 11 at 7:30 p.m., at the Hoboken Historical Museum. The event is free, and copies of the book will be available for purchase.