Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Will you pop your trunk to help Cranford families today?

Be sure to catch Christmas Drive-Thru Food Collection - this Saturday! on the Cranford Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Saturday December 13th Patch AM
Saturday December 13th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Greetings Cranford! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Will you pop your trunk to help Cranford families today?
  • What changes will Cranford High see under its new principal?
  • How will drinks at Cranford Theater change your next movie night?

Also on today's calendar: Christmas Drive-Thru Food Collection - this Saturday! and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Cranfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the boat dock say when it was arrested? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Cranfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Saturday: Some brightening, with a high of 40 and low of 27 degrees.
  • Sunday: Snow early in the morning, temps: high: 31, low: 20.
  • Monday: Cold; breezy in the morning, with a high of 31 and low of 22 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Christmas Drive-Thru Food Collection (tapinto.net) — Cranford residents can support neighbors today at the Christmas Drive-Thru Food Collection from 10 a.m. to noon at Cranford United Methodist Church’s parking lot next to the library. Volunteers will unload donated groceries for St. Joseph’s Social Services in Elizabeth, and ongoing monthly Saturday collections plus 24/7 donation bins make it easy to keep helping local families in need.
   

2. Cranford Board of Education announces new principal of Cranford High School (unionnewsdaily.com) — Cranford High School will welcome a new principal, Gina Donlevie, starting January 1, 2026, following a thorough search by the Cranford Board of Education. With extensive leadership experience in New Jersey schools and a doctorate in educational leadership, she says she’s eager to partner with Cranford’s community to support students and staff.
   

3. Alcoholic Beverage License Approval Marks Possibility of New Era for Cranford Theater (tapinto.net) — Cranford’s historic Cranford Theater just gained township approval for an alcoholic beverage license, opening the door to expanded offerings and a refreshed movie-going experience downtown. The move follows a proclamation of Cranford Theater Appreciation Day and comes as the family-run cinema prepares for its 100th anniversary and works through state licensing steps.
   

4. Boys Swimming Top 20: Teams jockeying for position after opening week of action (nj.com subscription) — Cranford boys swimming gets a nod in statewide rankings coverage, as Westfield extends its dual-meet win streak with a decisive victory over the Cougars. The piece mainly tracks New Jersey’s Top 20 boys teams after opening-week meets, highlighting power points, standout swimmers, and upcoming marquee matchups that could shake up the rankings further.
   

📸 Around Cranford

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Cranford

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events
    Sunday December 14
  • FROSTED 2:00PM
    Cranford Dramatic Club Theatre , 78 Winans Ave , Cranford
    • Monday December 15
  • Cabaret Rehearsal 7:00
    Cranford Dramatic Club Theatre , 78 Winans Ave , Cranford
  • Track and Field: Girls Varsity vs. TBA (Away)
    Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
    4:00 pm
  • Track and Field: Boys Varsity vs. TBD (Away)
    Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
    4:30 pm
  • Ice Hockey: Girls Varsity vs. TBA (Home)
    Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
    5:00 pm
  • Ice Hockey: Girls Varsity vs. Hoboken (Away)
    Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
    5:00 pm
  • Cranford Menorah Lighting
    Downtown Cranford , N Union Ave , Cranford
    6:00 pm
    • Wednesday December 24
  • Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
    First Presbyterian Church of Cranford, NJ , 11 Springfield Ave , Cranford
    8:00 pm

📣 Cranford Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Cranford PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

🪧 Patch Classifieds

  • School Bus Monitors
    We Are Looking for Team Members!!!... (More info)

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • This is Bean.
    Her owner, shared the following heartfelt words with me.. . “Bean brought happiness, comfort, and stability to all of us. This grief feels… (Nextdoor Cranford - South Side)
  • Merck posted a job opening for Associate Director, Logistics and Distribution Technology in Rahway. Apply here.
  • Staff Management Group posted a job opening for Cherry Picker Operator in Elizabeth. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Cranford here.

Ok Cranford! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I demand a jury of my piers.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Cranford