As the weather is finally warming up and we’re nearing the end of April, Earth Day is on the horizon in New Jersey once again. Whether you decide to shop eco-friendly brands, participate in a beach clean-up, plant a tree, or do something else to help save the Earth this year, we’re here to let you know about all of the local events happening for 2024. Read on for a list of Earth Day events taking place in Montclair, Essex County, and throughout New Jersey areas for 2024.
- There are no upcoming events.
- There are no upcoming events.
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22 News Stories You Missed This Week in Montclair + Beyond
The new year has also brought some strong winds into New Jersey after a busy holiday season. It’s been another busy week in Essex County and we’ve got all the news to keep you up to date. Among the highlights: Target is coming to West Orange; Montclair Public Schools hires a new athletic director; and we've compiled a list on how to help the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires. Read on for all the news in Essex County for the week ending January 12th, 2024.
Have a news story or press release? Email it to [email protected].
Among the Headlines (read on for full stories):
- West Orange Classic Film Festival Returns With Vintage Movie Mysteries
- Ironbound Farm Market Opening in Lackawanna Plaza
- Target is Coming to West Orange
- Meal Delivery Service, Feast & Fettle, Launches in Essex County
- Owner of No. 165 in Maplewood Village Announces Plan to Permanently Close
- West Essex YMCA Facility in Livingston to Open in 2026
- Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence Awards $60K in Grants to Montclair Public Schools
- Freespace Dance Sets Date for Montclair Dance Festival Inaugural GALA
- Tous les Jours Opens in Former Lululemon Space in Montclair
- Moss + More Boutique in Montclair Announces Closing
West Orange Classic Film Festival Returns With Vintage Movie Mysteries
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The West Orange Classic Film Festival will celebrate its 19th season with the theme of "mysteries" from Sunday, January 12th through Sunday, March 2nd. Screenings will take place every Sunday at 2PM (besides Super Bowl Sunday on February 9th) at the AMC DINE-IN Theater, located at 495 Prospect Avenue in the Essex Green Town Center. According to a press release from the West Orange Arts Council, each screening will feature an introduction and a Q&A session by distinguished guest speakers. Tickets for $15 per movie is required in advance and can be purchased via Eventbrite.
Inner City Cafe in Orange Gaining Attention on Social Media
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Inner City Cafe, located at 15 South Essex Avenue in the City of Orange, has gone viral on Instagram for its colorful interior. Visitors can stop into this cozy spot and find paint-splattered walls, interesting art, and florals galore. Inner City Cafe also serves a menu of coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and more, as well as books, mugs, hoodies, and other merchandise. Keep an eye on MG for more on this spot in the coming weeks.
Target is Coming to West Orange
This coming fall, Essex County locals will have a new go-to shopping center. According to Patch West Orange, Target is coming to West Orange at 235 Prospect Avenue. An official opening date has yet to be announced, but it is known that the developers have already started the renovations on the 23-acre property.
New Coffee Shop, Qahwah House, Coming to Montclair
A Yemeni-style coffee spot, Qahwah House, has plans to open on the first floor of 493 Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair sometime this year. This spot will be the business’s second New Jersey location as it already has one in Clifton. While an official opening date is still unknown, locals can expect a menu of Middle Eastern coffee, tea, and pastries, including Qahwah House’s signature Sana’ani Coffee (a medium roast coffee made with cardamom) and Khaliat Alnahl (a roll filled with butter and cheese and topped with drizzled honey).
Montclair Public Schools Announce Expansion of Pre-K Program
Montclair Public Schools is partnering with five community providers — Montclair Child Development Center, Montclair Community Pre-K, Montclair State University, Neighborhood Child and Infant Care Center (NCIC) and YMCA — for the 2025-2026 school year. It is also going to work with four district locations, including the Development Learning Center, Nishuane, Charles H. Bullock School and Hillside Elementary School. According to Montclair Local, this expansion makes 29 classrooms total for the program. The Mini-Mounties Pre-K program is guided by a state-approved curriculum that focuses on learning through play, aiming to cultivate social, emotional, and cognitive growth.
Meal Delivery Service, Feast & Fettle, Launches in Essex County
Feast & Fettle, a meal prep delivery service, has officially landed in Montclair and the Essex County area — delivering fresh, chef-prepared meals throughout the community. Using locally sourced ingredients for its rotating menu, the Feast & Fettle team does all the heavy lifting to create good and good-for-you dinners. All you have to do is decide which meals you want and how much you need. Click here for more.
Montclair Searching for 5th Town Manager in 2 Years
Montclair’s town council started interviews for a Township Manager on Thursday, January 2nd. The final candidate would be the fifth person to serve in the role in just over two years, per Montclair Local. Council members and the firm they hired to conduct the search interviewed three candidates so far and interviewed another four during the closed session of a special meeting held on Friday, January 10th. Interim employee Michael Lapolla plans to stay on until the new manager is hired.
Montclair Author Debuts First Novel at Watchung Booksellers
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Watchung Booksellers, located in Montclair, hosted debut author Lily Braun-Arnold for the release of The Last Bookstore on Earth. On Wednesday, January 8th, she was in conversation with author Laura Marx-Fitzgerald in The Kids' Room at 44 Fairfield Street. Lily is currently a student at Smith College, an alumna of Montclair High School, and was previously a junior bookseller at Watchung Booksellers.
West Essex YMCA Facility in Livingston to Open in 2026
The West Essex YMCA, a branch of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, has unveiled plans for its new, state-of-the-art facility to be built at 304 S. Livingston Avenue in Livingston. According to TAPinto Livingston, the anticipated opening of the facility would be in late 2026. The West Essex YMCA is planning a groundbreaking ceremony early this year but no official date has been announced yet.
Owner of No. 165 in Maplewood Village Announces Plan to Permanently Close
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No. 165 — the lifestyle and candy store in Maplewood Village that opened in 2007 — is now closing for good. Owner Mary Vayas previously announced the closing of No. 165 in December 2021, but reconsidered after an outpouring of pleas from customers. She plans to close the store “possibly end of the month."
Montclair Public Schools Hires New Athletic Director
The Montclair Public Schools (MPS) has recently announced the hiring of Matthew Belford as the new Athletic Director for Montclair Public Schools/Montclair High School, effective February 2025. Matthew assumes the role with 23 years of experience in athletics, six of those years being in administration. As Athletic Director, he will oversee all sports programs, coordinate events, and work to ensure that the district’s athletic programs remain in compliance, per a statement from MPS.
Montclair Named One of 'Hottest Towns' in NJ for Homebuying
Montclair was named one of the "hottest towns" in New Jersey for homebuying, per The Bergen Record. These rankings were based on the number of unique views of property listings and the number of days listings remained active from January to November 2024. In 2024, the township of Montclair had a reported median listing price of $899,000.
Dates Announced for Essex County Deer Cull 2025
Essex County announced the return of its annual deer cull for 2025. This year's cull will take place at South Mountain Reservation (in Maplewood, Millburn and West Orange) every Tuesday from January 14th through February 4th, per Patch West Orange. The program will be held at Hilltop Reservation (in Cedar Grove, North Caldwell and Verona) every Thursday through February 27th.
Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence Awards $60K in Grants to Montclair Public Schools
The Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence (MFEE) recently announced that it has awarded more than 70 grants — totaling $60,000 — to educators across the Montclair Public School District for the 2024-2025 school year. The grants cover classroom innovation, social-emotional learning, and professional development. The MFEE received 113 applications, and awards were chosen by the nonprofit’s staff, board members, and volunteer grant liaisons at each school.
Ironbound Farm Market Opening in Lackawanna Plaza
Montclair will welcome a new farmer’s market to Lackawanna Plaza this spring: Ironbound Farm Market. According to a video released by NorthJersey.com, the market will operate 365 days a year and bring “regionally grown food directly to the residents of Montclair.” This includes produce, meats, and pre-made meals. Click here for more.
Montclair Film Selected to Join Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator Program
On Monday, January 6th, Montclair Film announced that it has been selected to join the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator Program. Montclair Film is one of 200 nonprofit cultural organizations accepted into this cohort, spanning artistic disciplines and organization size in 52 American cities and 28 cities in the United Kingdom. This initiative helps cultural organizations strengthen technology and management practices to improve operations, drive revenue, increase fundraising, engage broader audiences, and deliver dynamic programming.
Montclair’s 'Skip the Stuff' Ordinance to Take Effect in March
Montclair is going green with the approval of “Skip the Stuff." This ordinance prohibits the administration of single-use products like plastic utensils, napkins, straws, and mini sauce packets from restaurant take-out and delivery orders unless specifically requested. "Skip the Stuff," which has been adopted by towns and cities across the country, was unanimously voted in favor by the Montclair Township Council on December 17th, 2024, and will be in full effect on Saturday, March 1st. Click here for more.
Freespace Dance Sets Date for Montclair Dance Festival Inaugural GALA
New Jersey-based non-profit Freespace Dance will host its inaugural GALA fundraising event for the Montclair Dance Festival on Friday, January 31st, at the Conference Center at Montclair State University. The evening will feature a variety of dance performances by participating companies and studios, including Freespace Dance, Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, New Jersey Ballet, DanceWorks Studios, and Rock Dance Collective. Tickets are available online and include parking and a shuttle to the Conference Center.
How to Help the Victims of the Los Angeles Wildfires
On Tuesday, January 7th, a wildfire broke out in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Since then, six more fires have spread across the area, leading to mass destruction in residential areas and five deaths as of this writing. There are multiple organizations in need of donations to aid in this situation, and while New Jersey is not affected by this natural disaster, it’s important to help where we can. Click here for how to help.
Bloomfield ShopRite Gets New Ownership
It was announced on Wednesday, January 8th, that the Brookdale ShopRite in Bloomfield was sold to the Glass family for an undisclosed amount. The Glass family — who owns and operates the buyer, Glass Gardens — also owns a ShopRite in Newark along with 13 other stores in New Jersey and New York. The Bloomfield ShopRite was valued at nearly $13.1 million as of December 2020, according to public records, per NorthJersey.com.
Tous les Jours Opens in Former Lululemon Space in Montclair
Tous les Jours, a French-Asian bakery originating in South Korea, has officially made its debut in Montclair as of December 27th, 2024. The bakery specializes in sandwiches, coffee, tea, and blended frozen drinks, like smoothies, in mango or strawberry, and frappes in the flavors matcha, mocha, and caramel. Click here for more.
Moss + More Boutique in Montclair Announces Closing
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Botanical gift boutique, Moss + More (located at 42 Upper Montclair Plaza in Montclair), announced that it is closing its doors in 2025. While an official closing date hasn't been set yet, the shop encourages customers to visit as significant discounts will be placed on goods in the coming months. Moss + More has been involved in the Montclair community for over six years.
