Good morning, Morristown.

North Jersey offers a busy fall weekend of events starting today with a jack-o-lantern display in Montclair and a Harlem Renaissance-inspired show by Acute Inflections in Totowa at 7 p.m.; on Oct 17, Morristown will host an indie folk rock set by The Mammals and Dustin Lowman while other towns present cook-offs, corgi racing and guided arboretum tours—giving residents many ways to celebrate autumn. All events are scheduled from today through Oct 19 and provide fun, community-focused activities across the region.

Thomas J. Loughman, head of the Morris Museum, and Ashley Asdal, owner of Riamede Farm, have been chosen for two-year terms on the Morris County Chamber of Commerce board, effective immediately.

Loughman brings art and museum skills (he led another major museum) and Asdal offers agribusiness know-how to strengthen local business ties.

Twenty-one new restaurants have opened across North Jersey this fall, serving wood-fired pizza, stir-fried noodles, and sweet holiday treats like cookie butter cookies.

The list features Morristown's second Tatte Bakery & Café along with spots in Bergen, Essex, and nearby counties — each offering its own unique flavors.

North Jersey residents will begin celebrating Diwali—the Hindu Festival of Lights—today in Hackensack with a Bergen County event at 5:30 p.m., while gatherings in Saddle River, Rutherford and Montclair are scheduled through Oct.

25 to mark the festival's five-day celebration of light over darkness.

A new WalletHub report shows that New Jersey is one of the least affected states by the government shutdown, ranking 45th among 50 states and DC based on factors such as federal jobs and money from federal contracts—key points measured in the study.

The report also compared access to national parks and the percentage of families receiving SNAP benefits.