Get Out: Wildlife, Music, Ballet and the Revolutionary War

It’s Thursday, and you’ve got no idea what you’ll do for the weekend.

Patch is coming to the rescue. We’ve got the best bets for your done-work-outta-here time. Check our picks for the activities to hit.

Friday

• Russian National Ballet Theatre in Romeo and Juliet, State Theatre, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. This Russian company of 50 dances will portray William Shakespeare’s star-crossed duo of Romeo and Juliet, set to a score by Tchaikovsky, at 8 p.m. For tickets (from $32) and more information, visit statetheatrenj.org.
• Musical Performance by Singer/Songwriter William Hart Strecker accompanied by Bill Gibson on bass along with special guests at the Cranbury Inn Restaurant, 21 N Main St, Cranbury, from 6 p.m to 10 p.m. Concert is free and is open to families. For more about William Hart Strecker, go to his website  www.williamhartstrecker.com.
• Tim Eriksen, called "the best ballad singer of his generation" by the BBC, will perform American music at the Peddie School, at 201 S Main St, Hightstown, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit www.peddie.org

 Saturday

• Kingston Greenways Association Wildlife Demonstration at 2 p.m. 145 Mapleton Rd, Princeton.  The Mercer County Wildlife Center is a state and federally licensed facility that cares for injured, ill, and displaced native wildlife. The Center provides these animals with medical treatment and a temporary refuge before releasing them back into an appropriate wild habitat. A group of animals with permanent disabilities is sheltered and cared for at the Center. These animals travel to schools and community events throughout the year, acting as ambassadors for their wild counterparts. The KGA program will feature animals, which, for various reasons, are not releasable back into the wild.
• Environmental Fair at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Hightstown at 9 a.m. Browse exhibits about organic gardening, crafts, bird feeders, worm composting, and many more displays to help the average family protect and enjoy the environment. This free event, to be held in the church’s gymnasium, will also feature puppet shows for children.
• Cranbury Jazzfest at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury, 22 S. Main St, Cranbury, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Refreshments will be served free of charge by the Friends of the Library at this musical event.
• Come watch the First New Jersey Regiment reenactment group train and prepare for battle from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Visitor Center Museum in Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville. There is no cost for admission. For information, call 609-737-9303 or visit www.1nj.org.
• ArtsPower National Touring Theatre presents its delightful musical "Jigsaw Jones: The Case of the Class Clown" at Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre at 2 and 4 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on the college's West Windsor campus at 1200 Old Trenton Road. To view clips of the show, click here. Tickets are $8 for students and children, and $10 for adults. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-570-3333.
• 5K Run Run and 1 Mile Walk: A special 1-mile walk will be held at 9:30 a.m., with commemorative ribbons for all finishers. Start and finish in Washington Crossing State Park between Route 29 and the river at Route 546. Register race day for $20.  Registration for the 1-mile walk is $15 on race day.  Register online at www.active.com or download mail-in race forms from www.canalwatch.org or call 609-989-1931. 

Sunday

• Verde Art Gallery in Kingston Meet the Artist Reception, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Photographer James Pryor will be on hand to present his haunting and evocative portrait series, Shattered Lives – Portraits in America. 4492 Route 27 Kingston, NJ  08528

All Weekend

• World in South Brunswick: Fourth Annual Celebration of Art and Diversity.  Enjoy music and dance of other cultures at the World in South Brunswick: Fourth Annual Celebration of Art and Diversity at the South Brunswick Public Library on Saturday and Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Great for all ages.  Free admission.  Talents from around the world will be showcased in the Library by both amateurs and professionals.  Experience a variety of performance styles.  New this year...between some performances YouTube videos will be shown of music that is the latest rage in other countries. You may be very surprised at what you see and hear.

• Eavesdrop on small town gossip, playful bickering, and the triumphs and tragedies of six Southern women when the Pennington Players’ “Steel Magnolias” comes to Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre. Showtime is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $14 for adults; $12 for seniors, and $10 for students and children. Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.org or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-570-3333.