Spring Fling: Planting, Celebrations and Plenty to Do

Spring is only hours away, and do we ever deserve to celebrate the changing of the seasons. Let’s put all that snow, all that shoveling, all those expletive deleted’s that are still hanging in the air behind us and get outside to rejoin civilization and enjoy the warmth of the sun. There’s so much going on this weekend in and around Fort Lee, so there’s no excuse not to get out there.

About Town stopped by today to get a head start on spring and check out what they had going on. They’re in full-planting mode getting their Garden Center ready for what they expect will be a busy weekend. One employee told About Town that the first weekend of spring brings all of the gardeners, novice and master, into the store to buy gardening supplies. In anticipation of this event, Metro is having a 50 percent off all pottery sale, so stock up on all of those gorgeous outdoor containers and turn your bland balcony, deck or patio into a conversation piece.

Metro is also offering pansy flats for $9.99 (regularly $14/flat) this weekend. So if you’re eager to get some dirt under your fingernails and kiss winter good-bye, get to Metro, pick up some great containers, fill them with soil, and put some colorful pansies in them.

After all that planting, why not relax with a nice bottle of wine? If you haven’t gone to on the corner of Washington and Lemoine Avenues in Coytesville what are you waiting for? They’ve just completed a renovation of the building, and they have stocked their shelves with some of the best wines in town. If you’re not sure what bottle to purchase, they will help you make a great choice. They have wine to fit all budgets and tastes and…they deliver!

Today Borders is dropping their prices even further, so it’s a great weekend to see what’s going. About Town overheard a store manager tell one of the employees that inventory is coming in from other stores, so it’s definitely worth checking out what new items might be arriving. Also, they are selling some of their fixtures if you’re looking to pick up some cases.

If you’ve already got your tickets to School No. 4’s Centennial Celebration tonight at the DoubleTree Hotel then you’re in for a great time with some great people. Mayor Mark Sokolich, a School No. 4 alumni, is the guest of honor. Don’t forget to read all about it in About Town on Monday—we’ll have a full run-down of everything that happened.

If you weren’t able to score tickets to School No. 4’s Centennial Celebration you can still mingle with your fellow Fort Lee residents at the V.F.W.’s St. Patrick’s Day Party on Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the V.F.W. Post on Center Avenue. There will be corn beef and cabbage, lots of great people and lots of laughs. Tickets are $7. Call the Post for tickets (201) 592-9658.

Wish you could see some classic movies on the big screen? Well, Chairman of the Fort Lee Film Commission, Nelson Page, thinks that you should, too. That’s why this weekend he’s kicking off spring with the series “Big Screen Classics” at his Lafayette Theater in Suffern, New York. Chairman Page has painstakingly restored the Lafayette to its 1926 movie palace glory so our generation can enjoy seeing classic movies (and new releases) in the same elegant setting that our parents and grandparents enjoyed. This weekend he’s showing the big screen classic “The African Queen,” starring Bogie and Hepburn. All movies are $7 per ticket and begin with a theater organ show at 11 a.m.

The Lafayette Theater is located right over the border – 97 Lafayette Street, Suffern, New York. It’s a quaint little town with fantastic restaurants and antique stores.

More than a few women and their families in Fort Lee have been aided by Gilda’s Club in Hackensack, and now Gilda’s Club needs our support. They’re having their big Spring Boutique on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shop for jewelry, purses, cosmetics, baby and children's clothing, flower arrangements, woodwork, books, stationary and many unique gifts. Vendors will sell an array of items to benefit Gilda's Club and donate 20 percent of their proceeds.

Gilda’s Club is located at 525 Main Street in Hackensack.

If you feel like some live theater close to home this weekend, all you have to do is go down the hill into Leonia where the Players Guild of Leonia is performing Cole Porter’s “High Society” on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets $20/adults; $18/Seniors and students.

“High Society” is playing at Leonia’s Civil War Drill Hall, 130 Grand Ave.

Celebrate the first day of spring with a guided nature hike sponsored by the Palisade Interstate Park Commission. The hike will be led by Christina Fehre. It’s about 4 miles, 2 hours and easy.

Meet at PIP Park Headquarters, Exit 2, Alpine.

How about some FREE theater this weekend? Well playing this Sunday at 5 p.m. at the famed Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood is “Sherlock Holmes' Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: The Radio Play.” Part of Family Theater Week, this FREE play is being presented as a vintage radio broadcast, complete with sound effects and commercials, just like the 1930s radio shows. To save an innocent man from prison, Holmes must find the thief who stole a valuable gem. Co-sponsored by New Jersey Council for the Arts, go see it before funding gets cut.

Lillian Booth Actors Home, 155-175 W. Hudson Avenue, Englewood.

Have a great weekend! See you back here Monday where we’ll have lots to dish…