After last weekend’s washout, New Jersey has lots of events to close out May. From the Soar & Shore Airshow in Atlantic City and the Jersey City Jazz Festival to food festivals, Pride celebrations and more, there’s plenty happening across the state.
Some of the best things to do this weekend in New Jersey include:
- Soar & Shore Airshow in Atlantic City
- Jersey City Jazz Festival
- Jersey Shore Greek Festival in Ocean Twp.
- Montclair Vintage Crawl & Record Fair
- New Jersey Jerk Fest in East Brunswick
- Paws & Feet 5K Run/Walk and Doggie Fun Day in Pennsauken
- STEAM Around the Square in Newark
- New Jersey Renaissance Faire in Columbus
- Ocean City Pride Fest
WEEKEND
Planetarium Community Night
P-Tech Planetarium
Thursday
The immersive pop-up planetarium show comes to Paterson.
Corpus Christi Parish Carnival
Corpus Christi Parish, Chatham
Thursday – Saturday
There will be rides, carnival games with prizes, a children’s play area, food, a tricky tray basket raffle and the annual 50/50 raffle.
Soar & Shore Airshow
Atlantic City
Friday – Sunday
Line up along the beach to watch professional and military pilots demo their planes’ aerial maneuvers.
Jersey City Jazz Festival
Exchange Place Plaza, Jersey City
Friday – Sunday
For the first time, the Jersey City Jazz Festival will run with the Jersey City Latin Jazz Festival; that means dozens of international performers singing from multiple stages over the course of the weekend. There will be a curated artisan marketplace, a wide selection of food trucks, interactive dance classes, and a Community Zone with free activities for kids. At the Jersey City Free Public Library, “Unearth a Story” activities include mad science, dino storytime, instrument making, a bucket drum class, and face painting.
Jersey Shore Greek Festival
St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Ocean Twp.
Friday – Sunday
Traditional Greek food, music and dancing will be the highlight – plus games, big-prize raffles and a huge marketplace.
Anglesea Open Pickleball Charity Tournament
Allen Park, North Wildwood
Saturday – Sunday
Sponsored by the Anglesea Irish society, the tournament offers mixed, men’s and women’s doubles competitions in a round-robin format with playoffs.
Rose Squared Spring Craft Show
Municipal Field, Chester
Saturday – Sunday
The event showcases 175 crafters and makers who created handcrafted works in apothecary, artisanal foods, ceramics, jewelry, wood, digital art, decorative and wearable fiber, furniture, glass, painting, 2D/3D mixed media and photography.
Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) 2026 League Season Opener
100 Ocean Ave. N., Belmar
Saturday – Sunday
Pro volleyball players from around the world hit the sand for a weekend of competition.
Opening Weekend of Hurricane Harbor
Six Flags Great Adventure Resort, Jackson Twp.
Saturday – Sunday
The weather will finally be warm enough for the water rides and slides – like Jurahnimo Falls and its 75-foot-tall drop, the Blue Lagoon wave pool, Taak It Eez Ee Creek, and the multi-level Discovery Bay water play structure.
Montclair Vintage Crawl & Record Fair
Lackawanna Station, Montclair
Saturday – Sunday
Vintage dealers and independent record sellers will set up inside Lackawanna Station, but you can also pick up a map and head into Montclair and browse through its vintage shops. You’ll find hand-selected clothing, accessories and vinyl records. There will be open turntables sessions set up so you can DJ live.
Strawberry Festival
Snyders Farm, Somerset
Saturday – Sunday
Pick fresh strawberries from the farm while listening to live music, shopping in the marketplace, playing on the wagon ride or tractors, making a craft, and tasting honey and ice cream.
FRIDAY
World Cup-Inspired Soccer Tournament
West Orange High School, West Orange
The students of TEEEM (The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission) planned a soccer tournament at West Orange High School – home to a state championship-winning soccer program ranked 8th in the country – inspired by the World Cup. The student-led event will feature 11 teams of 10 players, each representing a different country: Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Haiti, Mexico, Peru, South Africa and Spain. The fundraiser will support emergency housing efforts in Ecuador.
ComedySportz: The Interactive Improv Comedy Match
Morristown Masonic Center, Morristown
Two teams will battle for laughs, points and bragging rights based on audience suggestions. Players create scenes, games, songs and completely unpredictable moments.
SATURDAY
South Jersey Arts Fest
Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, Elmer
Parents and kids will work together on arts projects. Listen to musicians perform on the Grove Stage, such as the Bushwackers Drum Corps who will be holding open rehearsals. When you’re hungry, head to the food, beer and wine area.
New Jersey Jerk Fest
Middlesex County Fairgrounds, East Brunswick
Caribbean Food Heaven features some of the best Caribbean chefs serving jerk chicken, pork, fish, goat, oxtail, veggies and lobster. Enjoy live Reggae, Dancehall, Soca and Afrobeats music. There will be a Game Zone for kids, a marketplace, community organizations and special guest performances.
ArtWalk
West Windsor Arts, Princeton Junction
The annual fundraising event includes a one-mile walk, interactive arts activities, live music, dance, and wellness experiences. Pick up a map and goodie bag before heading out on the walk, which includes a scavenger hunt and opportunities to collect tokens redeemable for art projects, games, face painting and prizes. Highlights include a collaborative graffiti wall, dance experiences, henna art and a yoga session.
Paws & Feet 5K Run/Walk and Doggie Fun Day
Cooper River Park, Pennsauken
The Animal Welfare Association put together a day for families and their furbabies complete with live performances, local small businesses, food and drinks, kids’ activities, and AWA’s signature Pretend Play Vet Clinic. Compete in the 5K, or take the leisurely 1-mile Wag N’ Walk with your pups.
Lantern Festival for Justice and Unity
Edgemont Memorial Park, Montclair
Help illuminate the park with more than a thousand lanterns in honor of people who have helped light the way forward in the AAPI realm. There will be live music, inspiring speakers, the sharing of AAPI history, artwork creation and social justice work. The program will feature performances by Vanguard Theater Company, the UCC Pride Choir, singer Kerala Kim, Matrix Jazz, and The Mon Bros. Picnic on the lawn after getting some dinner from the food trucks on site.
Hog Slopping & Weighing
Howell Living History Farm, Hopewell Twp.
Guess the weights of the Howell Farm hogs as they step onto the scales for their summer weigh-in. Learn the finer points of keeping pigs, including their history, diet and some fun facts. Help grind corn, mix feed, fill the wallow, and slop the hogs.
Birds and Brews Family Fun Day
Fort Nonsense Brewing, Randolph
Activities include camp games, animal encounters, craft stations, live music by Kickstart, the Smash and Dash Food Truck, and tasty brews for the adults in this fundraising event for New Jersey Audubon’s Lorrimer and Scherman Hoffman sanctuaries.
Going Away Party
McCarter Theatre Center, Princeton
The Mark Morris Dance Group performs three different dance pieces.
STEAM Around the Square
Washington Street, Newark
This free community day is a day of games, performances and hands-on activities based all around science, technology, engineering, art and math.
Ocean City Pride Fest
Ocean City Sports & Civic Center, Ocean City
We Belong CMC Annual Pride Fest is a community-centered celebration of identity, inclusion and connection. The day begins with a Pride Walk, followed by a festival.
WheatonArts Day
WheatonArts, Millville
You’ll have access to the entire 45-acre campus. Artists will share their talents through hands-on activities and demos. The Tabernacle Reggae Band will perform.
Xtreme Queen
Metuchen Town Plaza, Metuchen
The multi-media live “X”perience is a tribute to the legacy of Freddie Mercury, celebrating Downtown Pride with Metuchen Downtown Alliance, Atlantic Health and Outfront Metuchen.
Superhero Night with Hamburglar
McDonald’s, 970 Rte. 9 S., South Amboy
Families can show off their favorite superhero shirts, whether they’re wearing costumes or pajamas. You’ll get free photos with the Hamburglar.
Camden County String Band Parade
Haddon Avenue, Haddon Twp.
The Philadelphia Mummers string bands will march along Haddon Avenue from Crystal Lake to Haddon Square. Everyone is invited to the after-party at Haddon Square with live music from The Exceptions, along with food, drinks, and activities for everyone in the family.
Spring Wellness Day
Miry Run Park, Robbinsville
The free, family day of health and wellness includes screenings, health info, demos, music, games, giveaways, face painting and kids’ craft. Kids from pre-K to grade 8 can sign up for the Kids Marathon: they can run 25 miles on their own, or finish 1.2 miles together during the Spring Wellness Day.
SUNDAY
Bridgewater Spring Carnival and Touch-a-Truck
Bridgewater Commons, Bridgewater
Kids will climb on everything here, from giant vehicles to carnival rides. Held by the Shimon and Sara Birnbaum JCC, the event also includes face painting, crafts, food trucks, a marketplace, and interactive activities.
Touch-a-Truck
Cranford Office Park Complex, Cranford
Kids can explore over 20 trucks, from fire engines to construction wonders. There will be arts and crafts project, plus food trucks on site.
Let’s Go Fishing
Echo Hill Park, Flemington
Kids ages 5 to 12 will be given gear and instructions so they can learn how to cast, reel, and maybe even catch their very first fish.
Hopatcong Monthly Market
Hopatcong DPW Lot, Hopatcong
Discover unique handmade goods, new gift items, treats, and one-of-a-kind finds while supporting 50+ small businesses and talented makers in the community. A different food truck is featured each month; this month’s truck is 69th Street Pit Stop, serving up Porky Mac n cheese and Mango Tango Tacos.
Ohana Best Friends Brunch
The Bistro at iPlay America, Freehold Twp.
Meet the Hawaiian Duo during this kid-friendly brunch, where they’ll get their own menu, their own coloring book, and their own photos with the Lilo & Stitch-themed characters.
ONGOING
Strawberry Festival
Terhune Orchards, Princeton
May 30-31, June 6-7
There will be lots of fresh berries, live music, wagon rides, visits with the animals, time to play on the tractors and playhouses, pony rides, games like the duck race and bean bag toss, and a farm-wide scavenger hunt. NJ Bubble Parties and Snakes ‘n Scales will put on shows. Order strawberry treats like ice cream, slushies and strawberry rhubarb pie. The Wine Orchard will serve Terhune’s award-winning wines.
New Jersey Renaissance Faire
Burlington County Fairgrounds, Columbus
May 29 (School Day), 30-31
June 6-7, 13-14
Come to the Shire of New Crossford (aka the fairgrounds) for jousting events, stage shows, live music, fire breathing stunts, knights, bubble magicians and acrobatics.
TreEscape Aerial Adventure Park Night Climbs
The Great Gorge, Vernon Twp.
May 16, 30; June 13, 26, 27; July 10
July 11, 24 and 25; August 7, 8, 21 and 22
September 4, 5, 19; October 3, 17, 31; and November 14
Climbers can test their skills on both the Black Creek Flyer Course and the eight sections of the Aerial Adventure Courses after dark.
U.S. Military History Exhibit
Museum of American History at Deptford, NJ
Through May 31
This exhibit, covering World War I through the Iraq War, is a tribute to the American veteran and all of our fallen heroes. Included will be military as well as civilian artifacts. The museum’s permanent exhibits include artifacts from the Pre-Columbian (Native American) period, American farmstead, antique hand tools and equipment, a glass and ceramics room, a fossil exhibit, artifacts from the Pine Barrens, and, just in time for the America’s 250th, several new exhibits from the Colonial Era.
The Stinky Cheese Man And Other Fairly Stupid Tales
Arden Children’s Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
Select dates, through May 31
Based on the book, this musical flips classic fairy tales completely upside down. The Ugly Duckling stays ugly, a princess gets more slime than romance after kissing a frog, and familiar characters keep wandering into the wrong stories as narrators lose control and chaos takes over.
Sights in Sand: An American Road Trip
Peddler’s Village
June 1 – August 31
Celebrating America’s 250th birthday, Peddler’s Village will display five magnificent sculptures created by two world-renowned master sand sculpting teams. Each sculpture will be dedicated to a region of the U.S., and collages on each will show sites like the Statue of Liberty, Kennedy Space Center, Mount Rushmore, Route 66, and the Golden Gate Bridge, among others, as well as animals, architecture and American history scenes.
Face(t)s of America Exhibition
Gallery Space, Rahway
Through June 13
Six artists whose work explores what it means to live, belong and define oneself in America will present their artistic thoughts through portraiture, photography and painting.
Elmo’s Springtacular
Sesame Place Philadelphia, Langhorne, PA
Select dates, through June 14
Kids can meet Blippi, sing along (and sign along to ASL) during a concert with Emma Memma, watch “Dino Ranch On Stage!’, check out the new Elmo’s Imagination Explorers stage show, and dress up for Elmo’s Pirate Weekend, as just some of the different themed events taking place each weekend.
Camp Boardwalk: Atlantic City During World War II
NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum, Cape May
Through September 7
The traveling exhibit finds a new home inside historic Hangar #1, showing the role AC played in World War II: hotels were converted into military barracks, ballrooms into drill halls, and Boardwalk Hall into a training facility. You’ll experience oral histories, archival materials, and personal stories that highlight the wartime experiences of servicemen, nurses, volunteers and civilians.
Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition
The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Through September 7
There are animatronics, robots, ride designs, costumes and props that mimic The World Famous Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood, giving you an insider’s look at the storytelling and building behind the rides and worlds at the Florida and California theme parks.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
The Bronx Zoo, The Bronx, NY
Through September 7
Young fans of the PBS KIDS series will feel like they’re part of the show. Kids will be involved in character meet-and-greets, original live shows, a climbable life-sized trolley, a seek-and-find nature walk, a tactile station where you can learn about animals, the Tunnel of Make Believe, and a sensory-rich replica of the iconic Neighborhood Music Wall.
How to Train Your Dragon: Flight Academy
Comcast Technology Center, Philadelphia, PA
Through November 20 (closed Sundays)
When you visit the Isle of Berk Visitor Center, you’ll see dragon eggs, practice your best Viking roar, and then watch a 7-minute immersive video inside the Universal Sphere where you’ll gain your dragon rider’s license.
Editor’s Note: Always check times, dates and weather updates before heading out.
Got questions about this weekend’s events?
We pulled together a quick FAQ to help.
Q: Do I need tickets or reservations?
A: Some of the bigger attractions (musicals, theme parks) do require tickets, and popular times can sell out. It’s important to check the event link in our guide for details, times, date, pricing, availability and weather before you head out.
Q: Does the list include both indoor and outdoor events?
A: You’ll find a mix of indoor shows, markets, and museums, along with outdoor flower shows, events and festivals.
Q: What are some of the best things to do in New Jersey this weekend (May 29-31 2026)?
A: This weekend (May 22-25, 2026) features family-friendly things to do across New Jersey and in NY and PA. Highlights this weekend include Soar & Shore Airshow in Atlantic City, Jersey City Jazz Festival, Jersey Shore Greek Festival in Ocean Twp., Montclair Vintage Crawl & Record Fair, New Jersey Jerk Fest in East Brunswick, Paws & Feet 5K Run/Walk and Doggie Fun Day in Pennsauken, STEAM Around the Square in Newark, New Jersey Renaissance Faire in Columbus and Ocean City Pride Fest.
Q: What parts of New Jersey do these events cover?
A: We include family events happening throughout North, Central, and South Jersey, plus more events in New York and Pennsylvania.
Q: Where can I find more events near me?
A: This weekend’s roundup is a comprehensive list, but you can also browse more upcoming events on our calendar.
Q: How can I stay updated on more things to do in New Jersey?
A: Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
Read More:
It’s PYO Strawberry Time in NJ
The Ultimate Guide to Spring Fun in New Jersey
2026 FIFA World Cup in New Jersey: Fan Fests, Watch Parties and Family Events
