We are grateful that live, in-person events are becoming possible once again. Whether your organization is hosting in-person or virtual events, please add all of them to our calendar, regardless of the event date.

Stay safe, everyone!

May in Montclair Calendar of Events

4 7 8 13 15 16 17 30

Plan Ahead - These events require advance registration

EventEvent DateRegister by
Special Screening- Ada: My Mother The Architect05/07/202505/07/2025
Lacordaire Academy’s Annual Used Book Sale OPENING DAY05/15/202505/12/2025
Visions of The Near East05/17/202505/17/2025
Roses to Rock Gardens 2505/30/202505/30/2025
May
4
Sunday

Van Vleck Spring Plant Sale

Van Vleck Spring Plant SaleSponsored by The Montclair Foundation. 21 Van Vleck Street. 9:00 am. Our annual Plant Sale in Van Vleck Gardens is always a great time! Find amazing, high quality plants to dazzle in your garden.
Members’ Preview evening: Thursday, May 1st, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Public sale: Friday, May 2nd & Saturday, May 3rd, 9:00 AM – 4:00PM
Sunday, May 4th 10:00 AM – 4:00PM For more info: https://montclairfoundation.org/event/annual-spring-plant-sale-at-van-vleck-gardens/2025-05-02/, Info@vanvleck.org, 9737444752. Free.

May
7
Wednesday

Special Screening- Ada: My Mother The Architect

Special Screening- Ada: My Mother The ArchitectSponsored by Montclair Film. 486 Bloomfield Avenue Montclair, NJ 07042. 7:30pm. May 7 Only!


Ada Karmi Melamede is one of the most accomplished female architects in the world, but very little is known about her outside her home country of Israel. ADA: MY MOTHER THE ARCHITECT is a deeply moving portrait of an extraordinary woman directed by her daughter, filmmaker, and former architect, Yael Melamede. Ada is a true pioneer who, like many successful working mothers of her time, was forced to make impossible choices. Despite personal sacrifices, Ada’s work gave physical form to some of Israel’s highest democratic ideals, most notably in the acclaimed Supreme Court building in Jerusalem, the Open University, Ben Gurion airport, and numerous civic institutions around the country. ADA: MY MOTHER THE ARCHITECT profiles a woman and artist deeply tested by the realities of career and motherhood, and a unique mother-daughter bond.


Q&A with Director Yael Melamede Follows The Screening Reservations / registration required by 05/07/2025. For more info: https://theclairidge.org/events/ada-my-mother-the-architect/, info@theclairidge.org. $15 Regular
/ $11 Member.

May
8
Thursday

Meshell Ndegeocello: No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin

Meshell Ndegeocello: No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin1 Normal Ave, Montclair, NJ 07043. 7:00 PM. Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello pays musical tribute to her literary hero, author James Baldwin, with her latest show, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin. The New York Times said it is “an expansive, adventurous piece that turns Baldwin into an organizing principle but also features the thinking of Audre Lorde and calls-to arms from the poet Staceyann Chin that leave a third-degree burn… it’s some of the most hauntingly, melodically beautifully work she’s made —intelligent, sincere, funny, enraged, queer, sexy, intensely pleasing music.”

August 2, 2024 marked the centennial of the birth of James Baldwin, a momentous occasion that is celebrated by the release of one of Ndegeocello’s most intrepid efforts to date. With this new album and concert, Ndegeocello embarks on a prophetic musical odyssey that transcends boundaries and genres, delving headfirst into race, sexuality, religion, and other recurring themes explored in the celebrated writer’s canon. The Wall Street Journal raved “Ms. Ndegeocello’s recorded catalog is too rich and stylistically varied to call any one work her masterpiece. Still, this one qualifies.”

Following 2023’s The Omnichord Real Book, her acclaimed debut for Blue Note Records, which won the inaugural GRAMMY Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album, Ndegeocello renders an immersive and palpable document that is as sagacious, unabashed, and introspective as Baldwin was in life. His prescience is alive nearly forty years after his passing, a testament to his enduring impact. A prolific writer, his essays, novels, plays, and poetry have assessed and often reproached the human condition. As an activist, his oratory prowess in the 1960s was bar none, lending his outspoken views on Black oppression with profundity and eloquence. Reservations / registration required. For more info: https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/Kasser/1631/event/1401591, phillipsam@montclair.edu, 973-655-5112. $20-$55.

The Lit Gala

The Lit GalaThe Grove, 691 Pompton Ave, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009. 6:30pm. The Lit Gala is back! Join us for an exciting evening as we celebrate the library and all it brings to our community. Cocktails, dinner, auctions, and dancing will round out an evening that will honor two outstanding library partners: Mountainside Medical Center and Margot Sage-EL of Watchung Booksellers. Maximize your impact (and the fun!) with a table of family and friends. Patrick Wilson and George Oliphant will be our emcees! Reservations / registration required by 04/27/2025. For more info: https://montclairplf.org/gala/, info@montclairplf.org, 9737440500x2269. $300.

May
13
Tuesday

ONLINE
NJBIA BGR Presents: Mastering the Art of Prospecting

NJBIA BGR Presents: Mastering the Art of Prospecting12pm EST. Prospecting can sometimes feel like a black hole of outreach that never seems to land; calls go unanswered, emails get ignored, and LinkedIn messages disappear into the void.

Sound familiar?

If so, you’re not alone. In fact, 42% of sales professionals say prospecting is the most challenging part of the sales process.* When your outreach efforts hit more dead ends than open doors, it’s easy to wonder if it’s all just wasted time. If you’re relying on the wrong approach, it probably is. But with the right strategy, every touchpoint can actively move you closer to a real conversation.

Join us on May 13th for Mastering the Art of Prospecting, where we’ll break down the process into clear, actionable strategies that help you turn cold outreach into tangible opportunities.

During the 60-minute virtual session, you’ll learn:
-The three key questions that drive productive prospecting conversations and help you connect with potential clients more effectively.

-How to identify real pain points with needs analysis techniques that make your outreach more relevant and impactful.

-How to boost engagement and response rates using a multi-channel strategy that strategically leverages phone calls, emails, voicemails, and LinkedIn.

Who Should Attend?
-Sales professionals who want to improve their prospecting success

-Business development professionals focused on building stronger connections and creating new opportunities

-Anyone who wants to stop spinning their wheels and start having better conversations

About the Speaker:

Amanda Puppo is the Founder and CEO of MarketReach Inc., a boutique agency specializing in high-level prospecting and appointment setting services, based in Central New Jersey. With a penchant for cold calling, Amanda started her business from her apartment 24 years ago to help others overcome their hesitation and turn cold outreach into real sales opportunities. For more info: https://c3workplace.com/event/njbia-bgr-presents-mastering-the-art-of-prospecting/, kelly@c3workplace.com, 973-783-7900. Free.
Join the Meeting

May
15
Thursday

MFEE Present Family Feud!

MFEE Present Family Feud!200 Cooper Ave Montclair, NJ 07043. 6PM. Get ready for high-energy showdowns and hilarious moments, all powering MFEE's programs, Montclair Public School students, and families!

Assemble your dream team "family," and play MFEE’s version of a game show favorite! Duke it out in our fast-paced face-offs, buzz through our lightning round, and unleash your inner game show star in our grand finale!

Not ready for the stage? Come for the party and studio audience experience! You can watch contestants sweat under the spotlight while you enjoy food and drinks from the comfort of the crowd!

This event will be the winning answer for most fun you’ll have this May! For more info: https://www.mfee.org/familyfeud, events@mfee.org, 8774426333. $100.

May
16
Friday
May
17
Saturday

Visions of The Near East

Visions of The Near EastSponsored by Mosaic Dance Theater Company. 40 S. Fullerton St., Montclair, NJ 07042. 5:00 pm. Celebrate the rich traditions of dance and folklore from North Africa and the Middle East as Mosaic Dance Theater Company dazzles you with "Visions of the Near East." Lavish costuming, dynamic choreography, sparkling storytelling, and unforgettable performances await you.

Venue: First Congregational Church
Made possible by funds from the Essex County Division of Cultural Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Reservations / registration required by 05/17/2025. For more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/visions-of-the-near-east-tickets-1141611373349, mosaicdtc@gmail.com, 973-783-2395. Free.

May
30
Friday

Roses to Rock Gardens 25

Sponsored by The Montclair Foundation. 21 Van Vleck Street. 11:00 AM. Our annual tour of private area gardens is back! This will be the 25th tour so we are celebrating many years of interesting, aspirational and labor-of love gardens in the greater Montclair area. The locations are not revealed until the tour begins and your printed journal is your guide to the addresses and details on each garden.
Children under age 12 and pets are not permitted on the tour.

Tickets can be purchased on our website until Thursday, May 29th. Tickets purchased during the tour are $10 more.
Proceeds of the Tour go towards the upkeep of Van Vleck Gardens which are open from dawn to dusk daily and free to visit. Check our website for updates on events.
Reservations / registration required by 05/30/2025. For more info: https://montclairfoundation.org/event/roses-to-rock-gardens-25/2025-05-30/, Info@vanvleck.org, 9737444752.

© 2025 May in Montclair
Privacy Policy
Accessibility Statement

Web site provided by Frank Louvis, Coastal Technologies,
a Montclair-based web developer and digital marketing provider.