Welcome Back!

As summer winds down, we are starting to see the return of many of our favorite fall events in downtown Trenton, such as Artworks’ Art All Day open studio tour.

In this issue of our newsletter, we also welcome back two Trenton businesses: Royal Cakes and Cafe has opened at a new location, and NJ Weedman’s Joint has reopened after renovations. It’s a great time to come downtown!

Spotlight on Local Businesses

Royal Cakes & Cafe
NEW NAME. NEW MENU. NEW LOCATION
240 East State Street, Trenton
Open Daily, 12 to 9 pm

It’s been an exciting few months for Tia Tiajuana Reyes and Robert Williamson. The couple not only reopened their popular bakery as a restaurant and cafe on East State Street, but also tied the knot after many years together.

Fans of the bakery, formerly at 9 Willow Street in Trenton and the Quakerbridge Mall in Lawrenceville, can still enjoy the same delicious milk shakes, cupcakes, cheesecake, and other treats that made Royal Cakes so legendary. But now, they can also sink their teeth into delicious lamb chops, rib eye steaks, salmon, salads, cheesesteaks and more. Look for special menus for Taco Tuesday, Wings on Wednesdays and Sunday Brunch.

NJ Weedman’s Joint
NOW REOPENED
322 East State Street, Trenton
Open daily, 12 to 8 pm

Following renovations, NJ Weedman’s Joint has reopened at 350 East State Street. What’s on the menu? Salmon burgers, sweet potato waffles, avocado toast, tofu beignets, plus a lot of special events and fun activities.

Highlights include: Paint nights, Taco Tuesdays, Sunday brunch, and BBQ Fridays offering special pricing for platters.

Classics Books
KUDOS FOR CLASSICS!
4 Lafayette St., Trenton

Congratulations to Classics Books for being recognized by the readers of the Trentonian as the best bookstore in Mercer County in 2022 and 2023 and being named as a Neighborhood “Fave” by Nextdoor.com.

There are so many things that distinguish the community-driven bookstore, but its Free Books for Trenton Kids Program tops the list.

The Trenton Books at Home Program
offers free books to Trenton kids. With the support of the Safkhet Literacy Project, they hand out thousands of books a year.Donations can be made to the Safkhet Literacy Project, 4 West Lafayette Street, Trenton.

Classics Happenings:
Trenton Scrabble Club: every Friday, 8 to 10 pm.

Trenton Knit and Stitch: Second and fourth Saturday of the month, 12 to 2 pm. Hosted by Najah Masudi.

Cap City Open Mic: First Saturday of the month, 2 to 4 pm. Hosted by Todd Evans. It is the longest-running Open Mic in the county!

You’ll find these and many more businesses in the TDA Business Directory.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Seward Johnson Atelier Walking Tour

A Glorious Day to 'Celebrate the Ordinary'

If you have been downtown the past few months, you have undoubtedly seen life-size sculptures of “everyday people doing everyday things.” These works, created by world-renowned sculptor Seward Johnson, are part of an exhibition called “Celebrating the Ordinary,” now on view in downtown Trenton.

Last week, TDA hosted a guided walking tour of the public art installation in partnership with Seward Johnson Atelier. It was a perfect day for a stroll around the Capital City. Visitors learned not only about the life and work of the famed sculptor but also about some of the sites and history of downtown Trenton.

Of the sculptures, tour guide Joanne noted that, “Seward Johnson made art that people could relate to ... when you put up something that looks like you and me, and you can walk up to it and you can touch it, and you know that it's art, it’s a whole different feeling. You feel like you have engaged with it. That is the legacy that Seward left.”

Missed the tour? TDA has created a map for a self-guided tour. Click on the link below to download the map.

DOWNLOAD TOUR MAP
Read more about the tour on the Trenton Daily website.

Downtown Happenings
Be on the lookout for the next EventSource newsletter on Thursday, September 7. Until then, here are a couple of events you may not want to miss:

SKIL-LIT Cafe Presents
OPEN HEART POETRY BLOCK PARTY
Friday, August 25, 9 to 11 pm
113 S. Warren St., Trenton

Open heart poetry is back with its open mic night edition! One of the best poetry events in the city of Trenton, NJ!
Come to Skil-lit Cafe and enjoy poetry, live music, live pictures/videos and AMAZING FOOD + Free Back-to-School Giveaways

Orchid House Cafe
OPENING SEPTEMBER 1
134 E. Hanover St., Trenton

The Orchid House Cafe looks forward to opening its doors on September 1, offering “specialty drinks, small bites, social activations, and educational workshops.
Look for more details in our next issue

Never Miss a Beat

The first week of every month, TDA distributes the EventSource newsletter to its email subscribers. This compilation of events is designed to be a quick read and a guide to a variety of activities happening in Trenton. We hope you find it useful and share with your friends! Not on our email list? Sign up here.
Can’t wait for the next issue? Check out the TDA Events Calendar on our website. We update it weekly.

TDA EVENT CALENDAR

TDA NEWS & UPDATES

Join the TDA Board Meetings

The TDA Board of Directors meets once a month on Zoom.

The meetings are open to the public.

The next meeting will be held:TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19,9AM

Please RSVP to receive a link to the meeting.