Saturday's NJ Art & Music Express brought out the best of Central Jersey's spring spirit, with art, music, and community gathering at three NJ Transit stops along the same line. The Woodbridge Street and Craft Fair was the marquee attraction, drawing thousands to a stretch of tents stretching several blocks from the station. A second line marching up and down the strip added a festive energy to the afternoon. Smaller but equally spirited celebrations took shape at the Avenel and Rahway stops as well.

If you missed the action, don't worry — the week ahead has plenty going on.

Monday kicks off with a packed slate at the Edison Public Library: the Main Library hosts a lapsit storytime for babies, a toddler storytime, and the ongoing Language Lounge ESL program at various times through the day. But the evening headliner is "From the (Organ) Bench" at 7 PM — a presentation by Ed Alstrom, the longtime organist at Yankee Stadium, exploring America's pastime from behind the keyboard. Free, no registration required.

Tuesday at Edison brings an author talk with Nir Eyal, bestselling writer of Hooked and Indistractable, who will speak on reshaping your beliefs and unlocking your potential — virtual, at 2 PM, registration required. Also, on Tuesday at 7 PM, the Edison Township Public Library Board of Trustees holds an alternate meeting at the Clara Barton Branch, open to the public. Over in Rahway, Toddler Time runs at the public library at 10:30 AM.

Wednesday is the busiest day at the library. Rahway Library hosts a bilingual storytime in English and Spanish at 10:30 AM. Edison's Main Library offers a College Prep Writing Seminar for teens at 7 PM and a virtual cooking class — Zippy Dill Potato Salad with Library Chef — at 7:30 PM. The North Edison Temporary Branch holds a Community Crochet Club at 7 PM. Don't miss the Tiny Treats program for kids ages 5–11 at Edison Main at 6 PM: mini chocolate pudding pies.

Thursday, Rahway Library hosts Family Yoga at 6 PM — bring your own mat, registration required. Also, Thursday at 6 PM, Edison Main Library's North Edison Branch holds LEGO Club for kids, and the Clara Barton Branch offers a Kumihimo Japanese braiding class for adults (two sessions: 3:30 PM and 6 PM). For film fans, Edison's virtual "Films of Steven Spielberg" talk with historian Dan Hudak runs at 6 PM — free with registration. Woodbridge's Knit4Joy Club continues its weekly Thursday session at the Fords Branch Library, 6:30–8:30 PM, open to ages 10 and up.

Friday, swing by the Edison Main Library for ESL Fun Friday from 1–3 PM — English learning through games, short films, and art, open to all levels.

Saturday, the Barron Arts Center in Woodbridge has the juried exhibit "Visualize the Score: When Art & Music Converge," currently on view through June 5 — gallery hours are Monday–Friday 11 AM–4 PM and Saturday–Sunday 2–4 PM, free with a suggested donation. Edison Library also hosts Zumba for Kids at 11 AM, Chess Club for ages 6–11 at 2 PM, and a performance on the oud — an ancient Middle Eastern stringed instrument — by Michael Burdi at the North Edison Temporary Branch at 2 PM.

As always, you can check out our full events calendar for everything happening around Central Jersey, and if you have a community event you’d like listed, don’t hesitate to reach out.

It was a busy week for local government across Central Jersey. Here's a look at what The Central Jerseyan covered.

Rahway quietly spent $200K studying a water utility sale — much of it from your water bill. Financial records obtained through a public records request show the city paid at least $200,000 to study the potential sale of its water utility, drawing mostly from ratepayer accounts. The resolutions authorizing the spending made no mention of a sale or privatization. A public relations firm received at least $28,750 through what appears to be a passthrough payment — meaning its name never appeared on any public document. Three invoices totaling nearly $65,000 remain unpaid. Mayor Giacobbe has said the conversation isn't over. Read the full story →

Woodbridge school taxes going up $197 a year. The school board voted unanimously Thursday to adopt a $409.5 million budget for 2026-2027. The biggest cost drivers — cleaning contracts up nearly 19%, security up 17%, special education placements up nearly 14% — are largely outside the district's control. On a brighter note, the board cleared a state performance flag it had been working to resolve. School lunch prices go up 15 cents across all grade levels. Read the full story →

You can find more stories here.

Two Rahway moms are racing to revive a graduation tradition, and they need your help. Project Graduation is coming back to Rahway for the first time since 2017. On the night of June 18, seniors will celebrate drug and alcohol-free at the Rahway Recreation Center from 10 PM to 6 AM — for free. The class missed their sixth-grade send-off when COVID shut schools in 2020. The PTO still needs donations and volunteers: [email protected]. Read the full story →

Edison Rec Night — Thursday, May 21 | 7 PM | Field 2 North Edison Baseball & Softball is hosting a community night Thursday to celebrate the J.P. Stevens High School baseball seniors. Come out to Field 2 at 7 PM, grab pizza from Tony's Pizza at the snack stand, and cool off with a Kona Ice — which will give a kickback to the league on every sale. It's a free community evening and a chance to support your local youth sports league while sending off this year's seniors in style.

This week was a big one! It shows what this project can be at full strength. We broke down a chaotic school board meeting that led to a 6% tax hike, reported on how a local law kept 15 families housed after a devastating fire, and highlighted Rahway’s recognition as a statewide model for inclusive preschool. We’re also tracking the ongoing budget drama in Edison and what it means for your wallet.

That kind of consistent, on-the-ground reporting happens because readers step up. If you’ve been getting value from this coverage, now’s the moment to back it. A few more supporters would let us reinvest directly into better reporting, more stories, and a cleaner, ad-light experience.

Join us on Patreon and help keep serious local journalism alive right here in Central Jersey →

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This week's trivia: The Rahway NAACP hosts a local candidates forum Monday evening at the Rahway Public Library ahead of the primary elections. Who was the first Black candidate elected to public office in New Jersey?

Last week’s trivia:  President Woodrow Wilson also served as governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913, when he resigned to run for president.

Here’s the weather for the upcoming week:

☀️ Monday, May 18: Bright and sunny to kick off the week — temperatures range from 73°F to 87°F.

☀️ Tuesday, May 19: Hot and mostly sunny with clear skies — temperatures range from 73°F to 97°F.

⛈️ Wednesday, May 20: Summer-like heat with afternoon thunderstorms likely — temperatures range from 64°F to 94°F.

🌤️ Thursday, May 21: Turning much cooler with mostly sunny skies — temperatures range from 58°F to 70°F.

🌤️ Friday, May 22: Partly sunny with a minor chance of afternoon showers — temperatures range from 54°F to 65°F.

☁️ Saturday, May 23: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers possible — temperatures range from 58°F to 64°F.

🌧️ Sunday, May 24: Cloudy skies with a lingering chance of light rain — temperatures range from 61°F to 69°F.

As always, you can see even more events on The Central Jerseyan website. See the full events calendar ➝ 

Have an event you’d like included in this newsletter or a tip for a local news story? You can reply to this newsletter or contact me here ➝ 

Have a great week!