Follow local news and events in Irvington with The Jersey Bee. Here is The Daily Buzz for Jan. 29, 2026 from The Jersey Bee.
LOCAL NEWS
Children up to age 12 can read to a dog at Maplewood library on Feb. 5 in the Hilton Branch. it is from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Registration is not required.
Add to 📅
Maplewood Public Library
Music performance with Leyla McCalla planned at Maplewood library on Feb. 5 in the Main Branch. It begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a conversation with Anthony Mazzocchi, president and CEO of the Kaufman Music Center in New York City. Free admission. Registration is not required.
Add to 📅
Maplewood Public Library
Opening art reception of “I Am You” planned at SOPAC on Feb. 5 in South Orange. It is from 6-8 p.m. The gallery is on display through Mar. 15 and shows artwork by multimedia artist Tatum Sabin. Registration is required. Free admission.
Add to 📅
South Orange Performing Arts Center
“South Orange International Blues Festival” planned at SOPAC on Feb. 6. It begins at 7:30 p.m. and will include four performers. Tickets are available online for purchase.
Add to 📅
South Orange Performing Arts Center
Valentine’s Day cookie party planned at East Orange library on Feb. 5. It is from 5-8 p.m. Free admission. Registration is not required.
Add to 📅
East Orange Public Library
Hot pot potatoes cooking class for youth in grades 6-12 planned at East Orange library on Feb. 6. Participants will make the stew from 4-5:30 p.m. Registration is not required. Limited to the first 15 attendees.
Add to 📅
East Orange Public Library
“My Black Is Beautiful” pop-up shop planned at Lincoln Avenue Elementary School on Feb. 7 in Orange. It is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be Black-owned business selling jewelry, art, and more.
Add to 📅
Orange Public Schools
Author talk with Peter D. Blackmer planned at Newark library on Feb. 5 in the Main Branch. Newark City Historian Junius Williams will interview Blackmer about his book, “Unleashing Black Power: Grassroots Organizing in Harlem and the Advent of the Long, Hot Summers.” It begins at 6 p.m. Registration is not required. Free admission.
Add to 📅
Newark Public Library
Poetry jam planned with Qaalii’s Cafe on Feb. 7 in Newark. It begins at 7 p.m. at 41 Halsey St.
Add to 📅
Qaalii’s Cafe
Newark’s Weequahic High School is hiring a football head coach. Applications are available online and close Feb. 6.
Weequahic High School
Virtual author talk with Vanessa Riley planned with Glen Ridge library on Feb. 5. Riley will discuss “Fire Sword and Sea” at 7 p.m. Registration required. Free admission. Library card not required.
Add to 📅
Glen Ridge Public Library
People can attend a Black History Month themed art workshop on Feb. 6 at Lackawanna Station in Montclair. It begins at 6:30 p.m. Attendees will paint in the style of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Add to 📅
Lackawanna Station
Mountainside Medical Center will offer free dental care for eligible children ages 12 and younger on Feb. 6 and Feb. 20 in Montclair. It aims to serve children who may have limited access to dental care. Book an appointment by calling the Mountainside Dental Clinic at 973-429-6887.
Add to 📅
Montclair Local
Eligible N.J. residents can sign up for free tax preparation services with professional IRS volunteers at Bloomfield library on Feb. 5, with services ending Apr. 12. VITA, the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, provides free tax assistance to individuals who earn $80,000 or less and need help preparing their tax returns. Appointments can be scheduled online to meet between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Add to 📅
Bloomfield Public Library
Free cardiac screenings for athletes ages 14-18 planned at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital on Feb. 7 in Somerset. It is from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register by calling the hospital at 908-685-2414.
Add to 📅
RWJ Barnabas Health
REGIONAL NEWS
American Civil Liberties Union of N.J. is urging lawmakers and Gov. Mikie Sherrill to pass two bills, the Privacy Protection Act and Strengthening Trust Act, that would expand protections for the state’s 2.25 million immigrant population. Phil Murphy decided to not sign, or pocket-vetoed, the two bills before leaving office on Jan. 20. The Privacy Protection Act will protect personal data shared with schools, hospitals and libraries, and the Strengthening Trust Act codifies a 2018 directive that limits state law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The bills will have to be reintroduced and pass by simple majority in both the General Assembly and the Senate before the governor can sign them. Advocates renewed their push for immigrant protections after President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Jan. 20, 2025 to ramp up deportations. The Jersey Bee has immigration resources at jerseybee.org/community/immigrants. Resources are available in English and Spanish.
NJ Spotlight News
