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Nothing else changes here in the meantime. Now, on to this week's lineup.

Summer's not done with us yet, and this week's newsletter is all about soaking up what's left of it. A Grammy-winning R&B act headlines Rahway's biggest concert of the season, a 51-year-old folk festival rolls into North Brunswick, and downtown Woodbridge, Metuchen, and Red Bank all have something worth strolling out for. On the news side, we're tracking a tense fight over air pollution in Kenilworth, a tree removal dispute in Rahway, and a construction delay that'll outlast summer itself on the Grove Avenue bridge. Grab some sunscreen, because there's a lot to catch up on before fall rolls in.

🎵 Light of Day Benefit Concert | Wed, Aug. 26 | 7:30–9:30 PM | Parker Press Park, Woodbridge | Free, donations welcome
Acoustic rock and local singer-songwriters take the stage in support of Parkinson's research, part of the New Jersey-born Light of Day Foundation. A meaningful stop on Woodbridge's summer concert calendar.

🎷 Metuchen Summer Plaza Music Series | Wed, Aug. 26 | 6:30–8 PM | Metuchen Town Plaza, 1 Pearl St., Metuchen | Free
Stroll downtown and take in live acoustic music while grabbing dinner at an outdoor patio. A low-key, easy pick for a weeknight out.

🎤 All-4-One | Thurs, Aug. 27 | 7–9 PM | In front of UCPAC, 1601 Irving St., Rahway | Free
The Grammy-winning R&B group behind "I Swear" and "I Can Love You Like That" headlines Rahway's Mayor's Summer Concert Series. This is the biggest name to hit the series all summer, so expect a crowd.

🍅 Downtown Farmers Market | Sat, Aug. 29 | 9 AM–1 PM | Main Street, Woodbridge | Free admission
Browse fresh produce, baked goods, honey, and handmade goods along Main Street. A simple, easy way to start a Saturday.

🎨 Red Bank Street Fair & Craft Show | Sun, Aug. 30 | 11 AM–5 PM | Monmouth St. & Broad St., Red Bank | Free admission
Downtown Red Bank shuts down for one of the Jersey Shore's biggest street fairs, with roughly 250 juried artists and crafters, live music, food, and rides. It draws crowds well into the thousands, so this one's a bit of a drive from the usual footprint, more like 30 to 40 minutes, but worth it if you're looking for a proper day out.

As always, you can check out our full events page for more on what’s happening around Central Jersey, and reach out if you have a community event you’d like listed.

It was a busy week across Central Jersey. Here's what The Central Jerseyan covered.

A Kean University expert says Kenilworth's data center fight just got more serious. And residents are furious.
Thursday's Kenilworth council meeting ended in chaos after officials warned that powering CoreWeave's data center will worsen pollution already linked to cancer and heart disease. A Kean University researcher told the council the borough's existing power plant will likely need to run near full capacity to help supply the data center, on top of at least 31 diesel generators planned for its first phase. A resident accused the council of "public endangerment" and called for their arrest before officials got up and left the room as shouting broke out.
Read the full story →

Rahway's tree advocates are fighting on two fronts.
The same residents pushing back on a plan to remove mature cherry trees on E. Cherry Street are also renewing a years-old call for a dedicated city tree committee. Officials say the trees are damaging sidewalks and creating accessibility issues, while a local Facebook group argues the real motivation is parking. Meanwhile, one resident says her block has lost 17 of its 24 trees over the years, with nothing replaced.
Read the full story →

The Grove Avenue bridge won't be fixed before school starts.
A wet summer pushed the Metuchen-Edison bridge project past its original timeline, with officials now targeting an Oct. 1 completion date. The detour rerouting traffic through Edison has been in place since late June and will remain once school resumes, though the work zone will shrink to a single lane.
Read the full story →

Matawan-Aberdeen schools want your input before a possible 2027 referendum.
The district serving Matawan Borough and Aberdeen Township is surveying residents on the condition of its seven school buildings through Sept. 25, part of an early planning process that could lead to a bond referendum next year. No project list or cost estimate has been set yet. Voters in the district rejected a $2.8 million security referendum in 2023 by a wide margin.
Read the full story →

Woodbridge's new Hopelawn elementary school just cleared a major hurdle.
The school board voted to formally swap land with the township, trading part of a protected open space park for the school site and handing over 10.4 acres of its own Colonia property in return. The move clears a state-required step for a school Hopelawn hasn't had in more than 40 years, with a September 2028 opening still on the table.
Read the full story →

🎻 New Jersey Folk Festival: 51st Anniversary | Sat, Aug. 29 | 11 AM–5 PM | Davidson's Mill Pond Park, North Brunswick | Free

Head to North Brunswick for a full day of New Jersey culture. The New Jersey Folk Festival turns 51 this year, making it one of the longest continuously running folk festivals in the country. Four stages of live music and dance, folklife demonstrations, local artisans, and food vendors fill Davidson's Mill Pond Park for the day. It's run by a small nonprofit team and volunteers dedicated to preserving New Jersey's folk traditions, so buying from the artisan vendors or dropping a donation at the gate goes straight back into keeping the tradition alive for another year. It's also the final stop in Middlesex County's 2026 FolkLIVE series, so consider it the season's last big communal send-off.

Some exciting news. You may have noticed a new name in the bylines this week. Thanks to this site's financial backers, including my Citizen Supporters here on Patreon, I've been able to hire a freelancer to help with local coverage. David M. Levitt is a veteran journalist who's worked for big-name publications, and I'm thrilled to have him on the team.

Having David help with reporting has freed me up to focus on other things. I've finally had time to go back through old OPRA requests, and I even found a new story out of it. I've also been able to spend more energy on the site's financial growth, which honestly feels like flexing a new muscle. Turns out I like it.

Here's a taste of what came out of that busy week. Woodbridge finalized a land swap with its school board, clearing a state hurdle for a new K-5 school planned in Hopelawn, a neighborhood that's gone more than 40 years without its own elementary school. Metuchen adopted its 2026 budget, raising the total tax bill on a $300,000 home by about $690 once school, county, and library taxes are factored in. Matawan-Aberdeen launched a survey on its school buildings ahead of a possible 2027 bond referendum. The Grove Avenue bridge connecting Metuchen and Edison won't reopen until October after a wet summer pushed back the timeline. And in Rahway, residents fighting planned tree removals on Cherry Street are also renewing a push for the city to form a dedicated tree committee.

That's a lot for one week, and it's only going to keep growing from here. If you'd like to help fund that growth, including bringing on more help like David, consider becoming a Citizen Supporter for $5 a month.

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This week's trivia: Kenilworth, the Union County borough at the center of this week's data center controversy, wasn't always called Kenilworth. What was the town's original name before 1907, and where did its current name actually come from?

Last week’s trivia:  "Brunswick" refers to the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the ancestral homeland of the House of Hanover. New Brunswick was named around 1730 in honor of King George I, who held the title Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg before taking the British throne.

Here’s the weather for the upcoming week:

☀️ Monday, August 24: Clear and sunny throughout the day — temperatures range from 66°F to 85°F.

⛅ Tuesday, August 25: Mostly sunny with a few passing afternoon clouds — temperatures range from 65°F to 83°F.

⛈️ Wednesday, August 26: Partly sunny with scattered late afternoon thunderstorms — temperatures range from 67°F to 84°F.

🌦️ Thursday, August 27: Mostly cloudy with a chance of morning showers — temperatures range from 64°F to 81°F.

☀️ Friday, August 28: Sunny with clear skies and low humidity — temperatures range from 62°F to 82°F.

☀️ Saturday, August 29: Mostly sunny with pleasant conditions throughout — temperatures range from 63°F to 84°F.

⛅ Sunday, August 30: Partly cloudy with a gentle evening breeze — temperatures range from 65°F to 85°F.

Have a great week!