After the earthquake, the solar eclipse and never ending rain, we’re ready to turn our attention to spring and all the pretty blooms that come with it! Here are some of our favorite spring happenings in NJ and beyond this weekend:
WEEKEND
PEEPS in the Village
Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, PA
Thursday – Sunday
The colorful display includes over 90 pieces of wall art, dioramas and sculptures made out of the famous Easter marshmallow candy. This is the last weekend the exhibit will be on display.
TROLLS: Save the Humans
Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, PA
Thursday – Monday
Thomas Dambo, a renowned recycle artist and activist from Copenhagen, created six ginormous trolls that will be on display at the zoo. They are made from repurposed wood and stand up to 15 feet tall. They ask people to reduce trash, reuse everything and recycle when they can. This is the last weekend of the exhibit.
AC Beer and Music Festival
Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City
Friday – Saturday
Try a selection of 400 beers from more than 100 craft breweries. Music is by Hot Mulligan on Friday, Saves The Day on Saturday and Goldfinger on Sunday.
Bluey’s Big Play
Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Friday – Sunday
The Australian TV show characters come to life in this stage show, as Bluey and Bingo try to get Dad to play with them.
Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival
Essex County Branch Brook Park, Newark
Saturday – Sunday
There are different events to celebrate spring and the blooming of the cherry blossom trees in Newark. Sign up for a one-mile run or come to Family Day Saturday, and then Bloomfest! on Sunday. The trees will be in full bloom through at least Sunday.
Wine and Goat Yoga
Laurita Winery, New Egypt
Saturday – Sunday
The event includes a 45-minute yoga class, 15 minutes of playtime and a photo with the goats, and a glass of wine from Laurita.
Eggstravaganza
Heaven Hill Farm, Vernon
Saturday – Sunday
This fun-filled day includes a visit by the Easter Bunny, an egg scavenger hunt, carnival rides, farm animals, hayrides, photo ops, wine tasting, games and paintball.
Abby’s Magic Weekend
Sesame Place Philadelphia, Langhorne, PA
Saturday – Sunday
Elmo’s Springtacular kicks off this weekend with magic shows by magician Sam Sandler, strolling magic throughout the park from KooKoo the Cartoon Magician, an all-new Fairy Friends Magical Dance Party, and photos with Sesame Street friends in magically-themed outfits.
FRIDAY
Paint & Swim
Five Star Swim School, Eatontown
Kids will swim for one hour in the pool with inflatable toys, then dry off so they can paint a 6×6 mini canvas to take home.
Spring Concert
Roosevelt Intermediate School, Westfield
The Westfield Community Concert Band features the music of Leonard Bernstein, Gilbert and Sullivan, Philip Sparke and others.
Tiny Riders Storytime
Mercer County Stables, Pennington
Kids ages 2-4 will listen to the reading of a horse-themed book and then take a pony ride around the ring.
We All Scream For Ice Cream
Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May
Learn about the history of ice cream dating back to the Victorian era. It started as an elite and expensive dish but by the end of the 1800s came in simpler flavors and was used in cones, sundaes and banana splits. You’ll see an authentic ice cream maker and other equipment, plus a Victorian ice cream wagon. If you go to opening night on April 12, you’ll get to taste ice cream samples.
SATURDAY
The Princess Ball
The Legacy Castle, Pompton Plains
Dress up your kids in the most formal dresses and suits, and they’ll watch a live singing performance by fairytale princesses. There will be valet car service and a royal coat check along with white-gloved service to make the night very formal and fun.
April Showers Sip & Shop Spectacular
Garden State Distillery, Toms River
There will be local craft vendors selling jewelry, crystals, candles, apparel, soaps, beauty products, sea glass art, candy, handcrafted gifts, and décor. You can browse all the items while sipping on drinks offered by the distillery.
Sea-Con! Collectibles Festival
Sea Bright Community Center, Sea Bright
This collectibles festival along the Jersey Shore includes artists, writers, costumed groups and crafts. Meet artist Criss Madd and the Star Wars 501st Legion.
Small Explorers: Animals of New Jersey
New Jersey State Museum, Trenton
On the second Saturday of each month, Trenton area kids ages 6 months to 5 years old can come for a special storytime and playtime. This session will include a visit from the Mercer County Wildlife Center and some of their educational animals, plus the reading of “Over in the Forest, A woodland baby animal counting book” by Marianne Berkes.
Doo Dah Parade
Ocean City, NJ
The procession features marching bands, floats and a brigade of Basset hounds. Philadelphia Flyers great Brian Propp will be the grand marshal; he’ll stay around for about an hour after the parade for autographs and pictures.
Grand Opening of The Baked Bear
Asbury Park
Get in line way before the 12 pm grand opening because the first 100 people in line will get a free ice cream sandwich.
Flor Bromley: Milk & Cookies Series
State Theatre New Jersey, New Brunswick
Grammy-nominated Flor Bromley is a bilingual singer/songwriter from Peru. She’ll perform during Milk & Cookies, which is a lively, interactive storytelling and music series for families. This program introduces children ages 3-8 to live theater. It includes a cookie and a carton of milk for every child after the show. Attend the 10 am show, or the 12 pm show is sensory-friendly.
Daffodil Day
Main Street, Moorestown
Spring arrives with horse-drawn carriages, live entertainment by local musicians, arts & crafts demonstrations, sidewalk sales, merchant specials – and lots of daffodils!
Community Science Saturday
Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Teaneck
Explore TCC on a walk with George Tsapellas and participate in community science by learning how to document what you see on your phone using iNaturalist or Seek.
Spring Beekeeping & Gardening
Howell Living History Farm, Hopewell Twp.
Learn about what makes a healthy bee hive. Meet the honeybees, peek inside their hive, and find out what they do around the farm and in the gardens. Howell Farm beekeeper Johanna Swartzentruber will open the hives and check the health of the colony. Join a 45-minute presentation about “Life in a Honeybee Colony” for even more info. Kids can make a bee home craft to take home.
Burlington County Book Festival
Burlington County Library, Westampton
Spend the day meeting talented authors, mingling with fellow book lovers, and shopping for unique treasures. Activities include live drawing sessions; children’s author Alliah Agostini addressing the history of Juneteenth; storyteller and vocalist TAHIRA sharing tales of freedom fighters and The Underground Railroad; and the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers highlighting the origins and meanings of songs, dances and traditions of many North American tribes.
Garden Retreat Mind + Body
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton
The day begins with breakfast, followed by your choice of an interactive workshop, including art making, Tai Chi, yoga and forest bathing. After, there will be a community reflection and an hour-long sound bath. You can spend the rest of your day exploring the 42-acre campus.
I’m That Girl Vision Board Party: Beyonce
The Studio at First and Last PR, Jersey City
The music of Beyonce will inspire you as you create your own vision board. You’ll also get some self-improvement sheets to take home, like for healthy habits, financial budget and a yearly goals sheet. Girl power!
Visions of the Near East
Citizens Theater, Roxbury Arts Alliance, Succasunna
Six performers will represent North Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon through their dance styles and costumes.
Cherry Blossom Watercolor Painting Workshop
Eclectic Chic Boutique, Montclair
Teens and adults, whether or not you have an artistic background, will get step-by-step instructions on how to paint cherry blossoms on a canvas.
Meet-and-Greet With New York Knicks Center Isaiah Hartenstein
Mustang Harry’s, New York, NY
The NBA Playoffs start April 20, so take this chance to meet your favorite Knick before the championship run begins.
Walk & Roll For Wishes
American Dream, East Rutherford
To support Make-A-Wish Foundation, walk, roll or stroll through the complex, then come back for food, entertainment and a program filled with stories of wishes come true.
Bluey FAO Schwarz Pop-Up Shop
FAO Schwarz, Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY
Celebrate the official arrival of the Bluey Pop-Up shop at FAO Schwarz by having your kids take a picture with Bluey and Bingo and playing with the new Bluey toys.
Battle Cry Freedom: Stories of Those Who Served in the Civil War
Elmwood Cemetery, North Brunswick
Discover the stories of the Civil War soldiers who are buried at the cemetery through this informational tour.
Borders of the Mind
Sieminski Theater, Basking Ridge
Award-winning mentalist Joshua Kane will present tricks of lie detection, telepathy and other psychic phenomena that will keep you on the edge of your seat. He may even call you up on stage to take part in one of his games and experiments.
SUNDAY
Daffodil Day
Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit
The day’s activities will include spring-themed games and crafts, story and history trails, art, music, food and market vendors, and the Green Goats. Because the arboretum is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the event will have a 1970s theme, so feel free to wear tie-dyed T-shirts, bell bottoms and vintage threads.
Art In Bloom: A Fine Arts & Crafts Festival
Downtown Clinton
This brand-new festival is where artists and artisans will showcase their works. Walk through the historic downtown to shop and eat. A schedule of performances is TBA.
Red Bank Street Fair & Craft Show
Downtown Red Bank
There will be a day of family fun, with arts and crafts, shopping, live music, kids’ rides and food vendors.
Family Woodland Hike
New Jersey Botanical Garden, Ringwood
During an easy, child-friendly hike in the garden’s woodlands, you will learn a bit about the plants and animals around you.
CHALL Food Truck Festival
Cherry Hill Atlantic Complex, Cherry Hill
Visit the food trucks first so you have something to eat while you watch the Little League baseball and softball games.
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater
NJPAC, Newark
Dogs, cats — and even ducks! — are the stars of the show.
Rainbow Fish
The Wilkins Theatre, Union
There are three tales where you’ll see the most beautiful fish in the sea who learns about courage, discovering new worlds, giving and taking.
Chicken Fat Ball’s 60th Anniversary
The Woodland, Maplewood
Celebrate 60 years of traditional jazz music as the original band members reunite.
Latin Food Festival
Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus
Try tacos, fajitas, arepas, empanadas and desserts. Listen to live Latin music and watch cultural dance performances. There will be cooking demos, food contests and family activities.
Margate’s Cherry Blossom Festival
Margate Community Church, Margate
Wear your funkiest tie-dyed T-shirt to welcome spring, and bop along to the sounds of The Grateful Dead tribute band Dead Reckoning. There will be kids’ games and activities (egg, spoon, potato sack and three-legged races), cornhole boards, a petting zoo, Tai Chi demos, food, wine and beer, arts and crafts, a vendor market, a “grooviest dog” contest, and lots of environmental exhibitors.
JCC Bridgewater Triathlon
Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center, Bridgewater
Sign up as an individual for all three legs, join a team or bring three people and swim for 10 minutes, ride the spin bike for 30 minutes and then run along the USATF certified 5K course.
Reality Check
Barnes & Noble, Brick Twp.
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino of Jersey Shore fame will meet fans and sign copies of his bestselling book, “Reality Check: Making the Best of The Situation – How I Overcame Addiction, Loss and Prison.”
PuchiCon Karaoke April Pop-Up
Karaoke, Teaneck
This month’s theme is Japanese Anime, games and pop culture. Come in cosplay or whatever is comfortable to wear for Karaoke and board games.
ONGOING
Tours of Crane House & Historic YWCA
Crane House & Historic YWCA, Montclair
Every Sunday
Take a self-guided tour to learn about the women of the Historic YWCA and the Crane family at your own pace. Take some time to walk through the gardens and meadow on site.
Sensory Sundays
Adventure Aquarium, Camden
Sundays in April
For Autism Awareness Month, there are certain hours when the aquarium will lower the music, soften the lights, and reduce the crowds, all in an effort to create the most enjoyable experience for those with sensory needs.
Meet Buzz Lightyear
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
Sundays in April
As part of the Science Behind Pixar exhibit, you can meet Buzz Lightyear in person.
Free Chicken Shack Sandwiches
Shake Shack, multiple locations
Sundays in April
Spend $10 and you’ll get a free chicken sandwich.
Tulip Festival
Dalton Farms, Swedesboro
During April
There will be over one million tulips in full display, from classic varieties like the single early tulip to the exotic ones. Wander through the fields, pick your favorite tulips, and take them home as souvenirs. Kids can meet the Easter Bunny, who will be visiting the farm on March 30 and 31. There are also paddle boats and live music from local artists on the weekends. There will be wineries and food vendors on site.
Footloose: The Musical
The Burgdoff Center For the Performing Arts, Maplewood
Fridays – Sundays, April 12-27
When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the adjustment period at his new high school but he’s not prepared for the ban on dancing or the stereotypes from neighbors.
Do Portugal Circus
Woodbridge Center, Woodbridge
April 12-28
The action-packed show includes death-defying stunts, aerial acrobatics, Spanish Web, aerial hoop, hand balancing acts, jugglers, dancers, and the funniest clowns around.
We All Scream For Ice Cream
Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May
April 12 – November 3
Learn about the history of ice cream dating back to the Victorian era. It started as an elite and expensive dish but by the end of the 1800s came in simpler flavors and was used in cones, sundaes and banana splits. You’ll see an authentic ice cream maker and other equipment, plus a Victorian ice cream wagon. If you go to opening night on April 12, you’ll get to taste ice cream samples.
Springtime Family Fun
Alstede Farms, Chester
Saturdays – Sundays, April 13 – April 28
Take a scenic hay ride around the farm, wander through the evergreen maze, climb on the giant hay pyramid, ride a pony or on the wagon train, and jump in the bounce house.
Black River Limited Train Ride
Black River & Western Railroad, Ringoes or Flemington
April 13 and 26
Begin your trip from the Ringoes or Flemington stations and experience Hunterdon County from aboard a train.
Best of the Nest Birdhouse Competition & Display
Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, PA
April 13 – May 19
Members of the public will build birdhouses for this contest, which will display the boxes all around the village. You can vote on your favorites.
Yoga Flow on the River
Historic Portland Place, Locust (Middletown)
Saturdays, April 13 – June 15
Practice yoga sun salutations and deep stretches along the Navesink River.
Hunterdon Wine Express
Black River & Western Railroad, Flemington
Select dates, April 13 to September 14
The round-trip excursion goes from the Flemington station to Old York Cellars Winery, where you’ll be treated to a wine tasting, chocolate and cheese pairing, and lunch. You’ll have time to walk through the vineyards before heading back.
Daffodil Days Festival
Historic Village of Allentown, Allentown
April 17-24
More than 5,000 daffodils will be planted by volunteers all across town. Meet King Alfred Daffodil and his court amongst the blooms of Sensi Park with free activities for children. Join in the Welcome Spring Gala on April 21 for an elegant evening in the McCormick home.
Holland Ridge Farms U-Pick Tulips
Holland Ridge Farms, Cream Ridge
Through April 21
Every spring and fall, the flower fields burst into bloom with millions of rainbow tulips, sunflowers, gladiolus, dahlias and lilies. You can pick flowers, take photos and eat at the bakery and food trucks.
Lamb Camp
Misty Meadow Sheep Dairy, Petersburg
Fridays-Sundays, select Tuesdays, through April 21
At this Cape May County farm you can raise your own lamb, caring for it, bottle-feeding it and cleaning it in one-hour sessions. There are separate sessions for kids, families, teens, adults and Spring Breakers.
Festival of Tulips
Dalton Farms, Swedesboro
Daily through April 22
Pick your own tulips and daffodils in these magnificent fields. If you come on the weekend, there will be live music and food trucks.
Wild About Animals
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
Through April 27
There will be meet-and-greets with lots of animals, science demonstrations, an animal scavenger hunt, special theater and planetarium shows, and more surprises throughout the month. Every Sunday, you can meet Buzz Lightyear in person.
The Science Behind Pixar
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
Through May 5
Learn all about the science behind Pixar’s animated films. Kids can try hands-on experiences like making a short film, creating a robot friend for “WALL·E” and designing a new movie set using props from “Monsters University.” Learn what animation rendering is, then practice it by rendering a scene from “Inside Out.” Create a digital sculpture from an artist’s sketch. Use lights to solve challenges similar to the ones Pixar faced in creating underwater scenes with virtual light in “Finding Nemo.”
Morning Walks
Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, Bernardsville
Saturdays, through May 18
During a quiet morning at the sanctuary, you will walk the trails with an NJ Audubon staff member or Associate Naturalist. The group will look for birds, trees, tracks, wildflowers, reptiles and amphibians out in nature.
Nature-Infused Yoga
Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, Bernardsville
Saturdays, through May 18
Join this nature-based yoga class in person or virtually to spend 75 minutes unwinding from the workweek.
Electric Dandelions
Pier A and Monroe Center Plaza, Hoboken
Through May 24
A series of 10 28-foot LED sculptures crafted from sturdy steel will line Hoboken’s waterfront. When the sun sets, the area along Sinatra Drive and around the Ninth Street and Congress Light Rail Station will be illuminated with light and motion from these gigantic pieces of art.
World War II Exhibit
Museum of American History at Deptford, Deptford
Thursdays – Sundays, through June 2
Celebrate the lives and memories of our veterans and fallen heroes through a World War II exhibit featuring military as well as civilian paraphernalia. Some of these items include weapons, equipment, uniforms, flags, and coinage of both the Allied and Axis powers in the Pacific as well as the European theatres.
Micah Williams: Portrait Artist Exhibit
Cornelius Low House, Piscataway
Through June 30
Learn about Middlesex and Monmouth County residents from the 19th Century through the portraits of artist Micah Williams. Adults can work with pastels to create their own portraits, and kids can contribute to the Student Gallery.
150 Years of Washington Association of New Jersey
The Morristown & Morris Twp. Library, Morristown
Through August 31
The self-guided walking exhibit has original photography, artifacts, pins and medals, and commemorative plates dating back to Revolutionary War time. WANJ was founded in March 1874 to preserve the Jacob Ford Mansion, where General George Washington and his troops stayed during the winter.
Apollo: When We Went to The Moon
Intrepid Museum, New York, NY
Through September 2
Climb aboard a lunar rover model, leave your footprints on the Moon and learn about the Space Race through this exhibit at the sea, air and space museum. Starting April 4, you can check out the Concorde super jet that recently underwent renovations and returned to the museum.
Delsea Drive-In 2024 Season
Delsea Drive-In Movie Theatre, Vineland
Fridays – Sundays, through September 3
Watch two movies back-to-back while sitting in your car, just like they did in the ’50s.
Yoga on the Beach
Burk Avenue, behind the Wildwoods Convention Center
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, through September 29
A traditional Hatha yoga-style class will be infused with Qi Gong, a variety of healing therapies and lots of modifications.
Friday Night Bites
The Hungry Puppy Dog Park, Farmingdale
Fridays, through October 25
Bring your pup and your friends to the double-gated, specially-designed dog park, where you can relax and listen to some music while mingling with other pet parents. There will be free snacks and treats from a sponsoring pet food manufacturer each week.
Frank V. Marina Flea Market
Frank A. Vincent Marina, Kearny
Second Sunday of every month, through December
There will be more than 100 vendors selling everything at bargain prices.
Main Memorial Park Flea Market
Memorial Park, Clifton
Second Saturday of every month, through December
There will be more than 100 vendors selling everything at bargain prices.
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