What do a wobbly desk lamp, a 1916 stained-glass window and the old Red Lobster building on Route 10 have in common? In Roxbury this October, each one has a date on the calendar for getting fixed, funded or filled. Most of the events that fill this town's late October are about keeping something already here in working order. Saturday, October 17 shows this most clearly, because two of those events fall on the same day about a short drive apart.
Saturday, October 17, Hour by Hour
The day sets itself up neatly:
- 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free Roxbury Repair Café at Roxbury Fire Company No. 2, 110 Shippenport Road in Landing.
- 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Moonlight Cemetery Tour at First Presbyterian Church of Succasunna, 90 Main St., with tours leaving every 10 minutes.
That leaves two hours for dinner between a fire company bay in Landing and a lantern-lit churchyard in Succasunna. The two events are run by different groups for different reasons. Both still come down to the same thing: something worn out gets another few decades of use.
The Afternoon Shift in Landing
The Repair Café is a joint project of the Roxbury Public Library, the Lake Hopatcong Foundation and Roxbury Township Recycling. Volunteer fixers will work on bicycles, electronics, household appliances, lamps, clothing and sewing, woodworking and miscellaneous items. Knife sharpening and analog watch battery replacement are on the list too.
The repairs are free. If a fix needs a specialized part, though, the owner of the item may pay for that part. A few rules are worth knowing before you load the car:
- Two items per household, and no more than three knives per person for sharpening.
- Bring only what you can carry yourself, because volunteers can't help move items.
- Computers and laptops five years old or older can't be accepted.
- Appointments get priority. Walk-ins are taken as space allows.
One detail changes the plan for some people. The current event listing on TAPinto Roxbury's calendar says knife sharpening and watch battery replacement are already fully booked, so walk-ins in those two categories may not get a slot. If your item is a dull chef's knife, you may be out of luck this round. A lamp that flickers or a jacket with a broken zipper still has a chance.
Sam Fellman, the Repair Café team lead at the Roxbury Public Library, explained the idea to TAPinto in September:
"Repair Cafés bring together two things that can make a real difference in a community: people who have something they need help fixing and people who have the skills to help."
For questions, or to sign up as a fixer, the library lists Fellman at [email protected] or (973) 584-2400.
The Evening Shift on Main Street
Five hours later the repair project gets older and much more expensive. First Presbyterian Church of Succasunna was founded in 1756. Its Tiffany stained-glass windows went in during 1916, and they light both the church and the adjacent Stoddard Memorial Chapel, built in 1887.
The windows show their age. In TAPinto's October 2025 report, church elder Dana Dyrness-Haughey said some windows can't open, some have buckling glass, and some have deteriorating metal between the glass pieces. She estimated restoration at up to $10,000 or more per large window, depending on the damage. In the worst cases, each window would have to be fully taken apart, every piece cleaned and repaired, and the metal between the pieces replaced.
Compare that with the Repair Café's model, where the labor is free and the owner covers only a specialized part. At the church, the specialized work is the whole job. The congregation hoped to apply to the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund, but Dyrness-Haughey noted there is no guarantee of a grant. She pointed to a large window the Morris County Historical Society had restored, now on display at Acorn Hall in Morristown, as the kind of result the church hopes to reach.
That's why the cemetery tour matters beyond the costumes. Its 2025 proceeds went to the Stained Glass Window Restoration Fund, and the 2026 proceeds go to the same fund. Two years in a row of ticket sales aimed at one goal makes this a long-term project.
What the Tour Actually Is
Visitors walk the church's historic cemetery by lantern light, and costumed "spirits" tell the stories of prominent New Jersey figures and local history. The church calls it family-friendly, dark and atmospheric but not meant to be scary. Because of the nation's 250th anniversary, this year's tour adds more characters from the Colonial and Revolutionary periods. The tour has been a Succasunna October tradition since the late 2010s.
The setting gives the actors plenty to work with. The church's cemetery page lists March 6, 1767, as its oldest recorded grave date. Past tours, TAPinto reports, have featured the Rev. Dr. Elijah Stoddard, who served the church for more than 50 years, and former New Jersey Gov. Mahlon Dickerson, whose grave is near the church. According to a 2025 feature in The Citizen, the church served as a hospital for George Washington's sick soldiers during the Morristown winter encampments of 1778 and 1779. At last year's tour, the Stoddard Memorial Chapel displayed a Revolutionary War stretcher from that period afterward.
The practical details for 2026 are $12 for adults and $10 for children under 16. Advance registration is recommended, and you'll be asked to choose a preferred tour time. Wear comfortable shoes, dress for the weather and consider bringing a flashlight. Pricing has changed slightly from 2025, when tickets were $12 in advance and $15 at the door.
The Following Saturday, Horseshoe Lake Does the Same Thing With a Crowd
The Fall Market at Horseshoe Lake returns Saturday, October 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Horseshoe Lake Recreation Complex, 72 Eyland Avenue. Admission is free, trick-or-treaters are welcome, and the organizer, Brilliant Conventions, is running an Interfaith Food Pantry drive. The Patch listing promises more than 100 vendors and makers, plus food trucks and music, with food donations collected at the entrance.
This is a returning date, not a new one. The market ran at Horseshoe Lake on October 26, 2024, and again on October 25, 2025. That makes three years running on the second-to-last Saturday of October. Last year's listing named Rock Solid Band as the live act. This year's listing doesn't name performers, vendors or food trucks yet, and it gives no rain date or parking details, so check the Eventbrite page before you head over.
The food pantry drive brings the repair idea to the lake. A market of local makers is also the setting for a collection that helps neighbors directly, and the cost to attend is a few cans at the gate.
Everything Else Between Now and Early November
72 Eyland Avenue comes up twice on this list. The Roxbury Arts Alliance hosts its Open Mic Night at the same address as the Fall Market, in a theater space with professional lighting and sound. Singer-songwriter and performance coach Lorraine Ferro hosts with the team from Life Center Stage.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., Oct. 12, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Roxbury Arts Alliance Open Mic Night, pay what you can | 72 Eyland Avenue |
| Wed., Oct. 14, 6 to 7:30 p.m. | Diwali Celebration with a 5:30 p.m. craft, Roxbury Public Library | 103 Main St. |
| Sat., Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Roxbury Repair Café | 110 Shippenport Road, Landing |
| Sat., Oct. 17, 5 to 8 p.m. | Moonlight Cemetery Tour | 90 Main St., Succasunna |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Fall Market at Horseshoe Lake | 72 Eyland Avenue |
| Sat., Oct. 31, 1 to 3 p.m. | Hillside Church Trunk or Treat | 113 S. Hillside Avenue, Succasunna |
| Mon., Nov. 9, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Roxbury Arts Alliance Open Mic Night | 72 Eyland Avenue |
The library's Diwali program features storytelling, Bollywood-inspired dance instruction and an origami craft. It's led by Ananta Bhatia of Namaste India, Hindi Dance and Culture LLC, and supported by Morris Arts and the Friends of Roxbury Library. The library's calendar also lists two virtual programs, Haunted Halloween Trivia on October 26 and Haunted History of New Jersey on October 27.
On Route 10, the Repair Is a Building
The last item on Roxbury's fix-it list is commercial. Tommy's Tavern + Tap is moving into the freestanding pad site at Ledgewood Commons that most recently housed a Red Lobster, an 8,486-square-foot restaurant. According to Shop Morris County's October 5 update, the restaurant isn't open yet and is now expected by mid-November 2026, a little later than the original fall target. No exact opening day has been announced.
When it opens, it will be the second Tommy's in Morris County, after the Morris Plains location that opened in 2021. The menu includes specialty wings, burgers, coal-fired pizza, sushi, salads and sandwiches, along with a full bar and a long craft beer list. Ledgewood Commons already has Walmart, Marshalls, Burlington, Ulta, DSW, Barnes & Noble, Old Navy, Starbucks, Five Guys and Chipotle. A sit-down dining room adds something to a stretch of Route 10 that leans heavily on quick-service and retail. Opening day and hours will go up on the Tommy's Tavern + Tap website once the restaurant is ready.
Between a free fixer table in Landing, a window fund on Main Street and a lit-up building on Route 10, Roxbury has a full fall without anything brand new.
Old buildings take the same kind of care as old windows: work done early tends to cost far less than work put off. If you own an older Roxbury home and want to know where it stands in today's market, from original details to the repairs buyers notice first, Kimberly Brechka can talk it through with you. Get your free home valuation.
