featured events
Drawing Night at the Parlor
Wednesday, September 30, 6-9pm
The Parlor at Hailey’s
15 Station Place
Metuchen
Bring a sketchbook, drawing materials and join us for an evening of drawing, music, and spirits!
$20 cash at the door
October 3rd, 2026
Metuchen PorchFest 2026 – A Celebration of Community & Live Music!
Metuchen PorchFest is back for another incredible year of music, community, and fun! This much-anticipated annual event transforms front porches and yards across Metuchen into lively stages where local musicians showcase their talents.
Metuchen PorchFest is a free, family-friendly music festival where porches throughout the town become performance spaces. Stroll from house to house, enjoy music, and experience the unique charm of Metuchen’s artistic community.
Why You’ll Love Metuchen PorchFest:
✅ Live music all afternoon – Enjoy a mix of genres, from rock and folk to jazz and blues.
✅ Support local artists – Celebrate and uplift the town’s talented musicians.
✅ Community spirit at its best – Meet neighbors, make new friends, and enjoy a day filled with music and fun.
Saturday, October 3, 7:30pm
The Lonesome Pines: PorchFest After Party
Local favorite band "The Lonesome Pines" bring their original music to the Old Franklin Schoolhouse in Metuchen on October 3 at 7:30pm.
At The Old Franklin Schoolhouse
491 Middlesex Ave., Metuchen, NJ
Doors open 7:00 p.m. / Show starts 7:30 p.m.
Tickets $15 in advance / $20 at the door
(includes refreshments – BYO drinks)
Rain or Shine
The Lonesome Pines blend rock, country, roots, and traditional Americana into a sound that is familiar, surprising, and unmistakably their own. Their songs move from gritty alt-country and driving rock to heartfelt ballads, pairing personal stories with vivid themes of love, loss, the power of nature, and resilience.
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, and most major streaming platforms, TLP’s music is punchy, well-crafted, and rooted in tradition while always delivering a twist.
To hear the music, follow upcoming releases, and stay connected with the band, visit www.thelonesomepines.com and join the mailing list.
This performance follows Metuchen Porchfest - A Celebration of Community and Live Music in Metuchen, NJ
Metuchen PorchFest is a free, family-friendly music festival where porches throughout the town become performance spaces. Stroll from house to house, enjoy music, and experience the unique charm of Metuchen’s artistic community. For more information on Metuchen Porchfest, please visit: https://metuchennj.org/porchfest
Celebrating the Colors of India
A juried art exhibition
October 11-December 13
Guest Curator: Preeti Singh
315A Main Street, Metuchen
As we welcome the vibrant festival of Diwali, we invite you to visit our juried art exhibition celebrating the rich artistic heritage and cultural diversity of India. Featured are original works inspired by the many folk art traditions from various regions of India, as well as paintings, portraits, and slice-of-life photographs that beautifully capture the people, landscapes, traditions, and everyday life of India. Join us in honoring the colors, stories, and spirit of India through art.
Gallery hours: Wednesdays 6-8pm and Sundays 1-3pm. Free.
Sunday, October 4, from 11 am-3pm
Metuchen POPS
Stroll Downtown Metuchen and enjoy a vibrant arts festival!
October 10 from 1-4pm
Empty Bowls: A fundraiser for First Presbyterian Church Food Pantry
A new fundraiser for the First Presbyterian Church Food Pantry will be held on Saturday, October 10, anytime between 1- 4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church Social Center, 270 Woodbridge Avenue in Metuchen. This beautiful collaboration between Lore Ceramics, Earthsongs Studio, Basecamp Studio, Rising Heart Studio, and the Friends of the Metuchen Arts will raise money for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. The fabulous cooks at the First Presbyterian Church, John Manzo, and Hailey's Harp and Pub are providing soup - so say thanks when you see them around!
Your $50 ticket includes First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen’s famous soup, salad, and bread, a handcrafted ceramic bowl to keep, and live entertainment. Plus, explore a wide selection of artwork available for purchase!
Use the button or type: https://bit.ly/4xhYtJh
October 24, 7- 10 p.m
Halloween Party and FOMA Fundraiser
Music-Dancing-Snacks-Raffle
Studio Ligaya
16 Jersey Avenue
Come dance and mingle at our Halloween party fundraiser to support local art and artists! We’ll have a DJ spinning your favorite tunes, a 50/50 raffle, and more. Costumes are highly encouraged.
We are grateful to Studio Ligaya for their generous sponsorship.
Sunday, Nov. 1 from 3–5pm
Book Launch Party at the Parlor at Hailey’s
Come celebrate the debut short story collection of Metuchen author Alyson Mosquera Dutemple with a Brainy Boro Bash featuring books, music, snacks, swag, and prizes!
The Parlor at Hailey’s
15 Station Place, Metuchen, NJ
3-5 pm
Sunday, Nov. 1st
Tickets are very limited. Please order early.
All Around the World
Classical Concert with the NJ Symphony Players
Sunday, November 15
First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen Auditorium
720 Woodbridge Avenue
FREE
Generously sponosred by Westerhoff School of Music and Art
Brass instruments have played an important role in the music of many different cultures. Celebrations, remembrances, tributes and dances of all types rely on the versatility of the trumpet, horn and trombone. At some point in our lives, we have all had a personal experience with the feelings evoked by an Olympic fanfare, a military revelry call or a processional. Why can brass instruments make us feel so triumphant, melancholy, sly or reverent? Find out in this interactive experience with members of the New Jersey Symphony Chamber Players!
Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. For information on events, go to MiddlesexCountyCulture.com.
Middlesex County Jazz Festival 2026
November 21, 2026
Now in its 4th year! FREE!
Mingus Big Band is our Metuchen Festival Headliner! The lineup:
Mingus Big Band (yes, for real!)
Dave Schumacher & Cubeye (7 piece Latin Jazz Band)
Metuchen High School (MHS) Jazz Ensemble (big band)
MHS Orchestra
Metuchen Dance Center—jazz and tap
MMEDO opens the snack bar at 4:30 pm and closes at the beginning of the last event.
No need to register! Just show up!
Metuchen High School Senior Awarded First FOMA Scholarship
Congratulations to Emily Grosso, recipient of this year’s Friends of Metuchen Arts Graduating High School Scholarship! This fall, Emily will attend Elon University, where she will pursue a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography.
Emily is a 2026 graduate of Metuchen High School and a proud alumna of Metuchen Dance Centre, where she spent fifteen years honing her craft. During her time at Metuchen Dance Centre, Emily was a member of Dance Reflections, the Pre-Professional Dance Company of Theatre Arts Conservatory. She served as Senior Captain during the 2025–2026 season, Senior Co-Captain during the 2024–2025 season, and Junior Captain during the 2021–2022 season.
Emily’s accomplishments at Metuchen Dance Centre include receiving the 2021 Exemplary Dancer Award, the 2023 Outstanding Dedication Award, and the 2025–2026 Rose Pedone Maloney Dance Reflections Scholarship.
A line that stood out to us from her application:
“Through training and encouragement from people who believed in me, my confidence has grown in ways I never dreamed possible. I now understand that artistic growth is not a destination but a continuous practice, and I embrace that.”
We’re wishing her all the best as she begins study at Elon!
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