There’s lots to do this weekend in NJ as we prepare to spring forward into Daylight Saving Time! If you’re in North Jersey, go see the Electric Dandelions exhibit along the Hoboken waterfront. If you’re in Central Jersey, enter an Albert Einstein look-alike contest in honor of his birthday. If you’re in South Jersey, trek 199 steps up the Cape May Lighthouse. Here’s what else is happening this weekend:
WEEKEND
Princeton Restaurant Week
Throughout Princeton
Thursday – Friday
Many restaurants in town will have special menus and also prix fixe menus and reduced pricing. There are more than 30 restaurants taking part, including 30 Burgers, Blue Point Grill, Eno Terr, Jammin Crepes, Maman, Nomad Pizza, PJ’s Pancake House, Princeton Soup & Sandwich Company, The Mint Indian Restaurant and Witherspoon Grill.
Philadelphia Flower Show
PA Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA
Thursday – Sunday
Aside from seeing flowers, trees, shrubs and landscaping at every turn, there will be a Kids Cocoon area with activities, gardening workshops and seminars, a makers market and an artisan area. On Friday, you can bring your dog at night.
Classic Beauty
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, New Brunswick
Friday – Sunday
American Repertory Ballet dancers will perform this all-Tchaikovsky program, featuring excerpts from Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.
The Chocolate Expo
NJ Convention & Expo Center, Edison
Saturday – Sunday
The Chocolate Expo features tastings and sales of chocolates, baked goods, specialty foods, cheeses, dairy products, craft beverages and ready-to-eat foods. Entertainment typically includes celebrity appearances, chef demos, magic and music, plus fun for children in the Kidz Zone.
Scout Weekend
Shawnee Mountain, East Stroudsburg, PA
Saturday – Sunday
Active scouts (and their parents and siblings) will receive discounts on lift tickets, rental equipment and lunch.
MADE Hoops Basketball Tournament
Wildwoods Convention Center, Wildwood
Saturday – Sunday
The best teams from across the country are coming to the Jersey Shore for a championship weekend. The East Winter Circuit is designed specifically for top teams in 5th-8th grades in the East Region.
Time For Three
Richardson Auditorium, Princeton
Saturday – Sunday
Time For Three is a Grammy Award-winning trio that will perform classical music from The Fire Dancer and Romeo and Juliet.
Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) presents GRAMMY-Award winning trio Time For Three performing Kevin Puts’s Contact.
Kids St. Patrick’s Day Brunch
Shannon Rose Irish Pub, Clifton and Ramsey
Saturday – Sunday
Kids will feel the luck o’ the Irish with their own traditional party brunch.
FRIDAY
Patti LuPone: A Life in Notes
Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Listen to music that spans her entire career.
Cat in the Hat Meet-and-Greet and Dinner
The Pop Shop, Collingswood
Celebrate Seuss Week with a wonderific meet-and-greet when you purchase a dinner ticket.
Hit Men of Country
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center, Carteret
The band is made up of five musicians who have performed, toured or recorded with some of country’s greatest artists, like Wynonna, Keith Urban, Trace Adkins, Lee Greenwood, Travis Tritt and Jason Aldean. They play favorites like “God Bless The USA,” “No One Else,” “Somebody Like You,” “Big Green Tractor,” and “I Swear.” They also share insider backstage stories about their days on the road with the country legends they have worked with.
SATURDAY
Leprechaun Lunch
Cranford Community Center, Cranford
There will be a Leprechaun-themed lunch with snacks and dessert. Make a DIY leprechaun trap kit and take a photo with a leprechaun.
Visit From the Horse Doctor & Shoer
Howell Living History Farm, Hopewell
The veterinarian and dentist will visit the farm to check the seven workhorses for dental exams, hoof trimming, vaccinations and worm medicine. They will check the sheep, chickens and farm cats as well. You’ll be able to listen to a horse’s heart through a stethoscope, watch an equine dentist at work, and learn about old and new veterinary instruments and techniques. The farrier will be shoeing, and the blacksmith working in the forge. Kids can make a horseshoe dreamcatcher.
Girls in Science & Engineering Day
Intrepid Museum, New York, NY
Teens, kids, school groups and families can visit the air, sea and space museum for hands-on experiences, demonstrations and discussions led by experts from Intrepid Museum, NASA Goddard, Cooper Union, the National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees, Hudson River Park and more. You can check out all the exhibits at the museum throughout the day.
Visit the Bunny in HomeSense Court
Moorestown Mall, Moorestown
The Bunny will be here all month, but on March 9 you can meet other book characters like Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, Curious George, and Man in the Yellow Hat. Get a temporary Dr. Seuss tattoo; build a little sailboat to take home, inspired by Max from “Where The Wild Things Are”; spend some quiet time in the Little Book Nook; and dance to the DJ.
Montclair Improv Comedy’s Kids Show
Cinema505, Montclair
Professional improvisers will put on a show for kids ages 3-10, guaranteed to make them laugh.
Family Winter Trail Walk
Plainsboro Preserve, Cranbury
Everyone in the family can hike and explore what winter has to offer as you get close to nature out on the trails.
Croaks, Trills and Splashes!
Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, Bernardsville
Explore the vernal pond with nets and buckets to look for the wood frogs that come to the ponds to lay their eggs once a year. Keep your eyes and ears open for anything else that hops, swims or crawls.
Visit the Bunny in Grand Court
Cherry Hill Mall, Cherry Hill
Storytime features Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” reading her favorite stories; live music and sing-alongs; dancing, stilt walkers and jugglers; the IKEA book nook, and a book drive.
Guinness Run
Off the Hook, Highlands
Grab your cup, fill it up and race from Off the Hook to Grand Tour and back to Off the Hook. The contestant with the most liquid in their cup at the finish line wins the first-place trophy and $100 in Bid Bucks. This event helps fund the Highlands St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 23.
Women’s History Month Brunch
Chevys Fresh Mex, Clifton and Linden
The restaurant partnered with women-owned 21 Seeds tequila brand to hold a fundraiser for Women’s History Month. Brunch at the Clifton location will benefit Oasis: A Haven for Women & Children; while the Linden restaurant will support the Puerto Rican Alliance of Elizabeth Dancers.
Maple Sugaring Living History Open House
Echo Hill Park, Flemington
You will see an early American Frontiersman tapping his trees, visit a sugar “farmer” at his evaporator, and enjoy a Native American story about the discovery of maple sap.
Temple Sholom’s Casino Night
Temple Sholom, Scotch Plains
There will be casino games, a 50/50 raffle, a basket raffle, a silent auction and door prizes.
Bunny’s Book Bash
Moorestown Mall, Moorestown
Storytime and entertainment with your favorite book characters are part of the celebration for National Reading Month. Meet Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, Curious George and Man in the Yellow Hat. Create your own sailboat like Max in “Where the Wild Things Are.” Visit the Dr. Seuss temporary tattoo station. Hop in line to visit the Easter Bunny. Take some quiet time to read in the Book Nook.
Maker’s Mayhem: A Celebration of STEM Month
Bridgewater Commons, Bridgewater
Teens from the Bound Brook High School Robotics Team will lead kids so they can make a catapult, watch water disappear, build a parachute, make a dancing ladybug, learn about the power of pulleys, build a marshmallow tower, and create a tornado in a bottle.
Using Metaphysical Tools Workshop
Eclectic Chic Boutique, Montclair
This immersive, hands-on workshop will teach you all about essential oils, herbs, crystals and other metaphysical tools.
Game On! Metuchen
Downtown Metuchen
To celebrate Metuchen as Jersey’s Best Destination 24 Award winner, businesses throughout the downtown area will offer activities. There will be live ice sculpting in Peterson Park, a scavenger hunt, and games at the Metuchen Downtown Alliance table in the plaza.
Community Day: Ladies First
Newark Museum of Art, Newark
Celebrate the contributions of women to Newark’s jazz history through vocals from The Antoinette Montague Experience, a taste of Brazilian pop-jazz by Zabelê, the singing of Janetza Miranda, and more who develop the city’s cultural identity.
SUNDAY
Pinkalicious: The Musical
State Theatre NJ, New Brunswick
Pinkalicious can’t stop eating pink cupcakes, and she has to go to the doctor because she has Pinkititis, which turns her pink from head to toe. But when her pinkness goes too far, she has to figure out a way to go back to normal. After the one-hour musical, which is based on a popular children’s book of the same name, you can meet Pink and Peter in the lobby.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade Party
Columbus Club, Fair Haven
After Rumson’s St. Patty’s Day Parade, families are invited to a party hosted by the AOH, featuring music from the Birmingham Six, traditional Irish food and drink, bagpipes and drums, and Irish step dancing.
Danú Irish Ensemble
Stockton University Performing Arts Center, Galloway
Danú is a traditional Irish ensemble from historic County Waterford. Musicians play on flute, tin whistle, fiddle, button accordion and bouzouki, and they sing in Irish and English.
Brigantine’s Shake the Shamrock Celebration: Leprechaun Leap
Brigantine
The Sunday Shenanigans will make stops at The Pub at St. George, Marine Mammal Stranding Center, Andre’s, The Cove, The Cellar 32 and the VFW.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood
There are two shows planned that showcase four stories by author/illustrator Eric Carle: ”Brown Bear, Brown Bear,” “10 Little Rubber Ducks,” “The Very Lonely Firefly” and of course, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” using puppets.
Jazz Gospel Brunch
Lodge on Farrington Lake, East Brunswick
B-Side Entertainment will perform live jazz as part of the 20th anniversary celebration of the Hub City Jazz Festival, which takes place on October 5 in New Brunswick.
Spring Into Fitness
Kimpton Monaco Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
There’s a full lineup of boutique fitness classes and wellness activities to help you celebrate the start of spring and kickstart summer fitness and wellness goals. Tickets include free access to Dharma Yoga’s Reiki practitioner and lymphatic drainage boots, an oxygen bar, and infrared chakra mats from Modern Wellness.
Countdown to Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Rumson
Before taking the streets for the parade, celebrate your Irish heritage by attending a green tree lighting, competing in the Irish soda bread contest, and entering the poster and essay contests.
Wayne Valley High School Spring Craft Show
Wayne Valley High School, Wayne
Over 100 exhibitors will be set up in one huge gym with art and crafts. A breakfast and lunch menu will be available in the café and a bake table will be set up in the entranceway. Homemade pickles and kettle korn will be set up outside.
Sunday Morning Fitness Hike
Schiff Nature Preserve, Mendham
Adults can start their Sunday with a brisk 5-mile hike through the preserve.
ONGOING
Frank V. Marina Flea Market
Frank A. Vincent Marina, Kearny
Second Sunday of every month, March – 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, March – December
There will be more than 100 vendors selling everything at bargain prices.
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.
Wayne PAL Antique Collectibles Show and Vintage Flea Market
Wayne PAL Athletic League Complex, Wayne
First Sunday of every month, through April
The show features over 150 vendor tables in two large rooms and the front lobby where you can find vintage and sterling jewelry, glassware and Lenox, toys and trains, antique and collectible dolls and action figures, vintage postcards and photos and artwork, military, political and sports memorabilia including cards, magazines and newspapers, vintage coins and watches, classic rock CDs and more.
Art Classes
Big Bear Gear, Lambertville
Saturdays in March
Projects include designing a flower pot, painting a landscape on wood, drawing botanicals on rocks, vegetable printmaking and making paper landscape earrings.
Outdoor Skills for Beginners
Big Bear Gear, Lambertville
Saturdays in March
Expert instructors will help you and the fam (kids age 6 and older are welcome) with outdoor skills like backpacking, camping, navigating with a map and compass, whittling wood into a camp chair, and building a fire.
Unlucky Charms Murder Mystery Dinner Show
Mathis House, Toms River
March 8 and 15
It’s a classic whodunnit with an Irish twist for St. Patrick’s Day. You’ll be served dinner while you try to figure out who the murder suspect is.
Tiny Riders Storytime
Mercer County Stables, Pennington
March 8 and 22; April 12
Kids ages 2-4 will listen to the reading of a horse-themed book and then take a pony ride around the ring.
Maple Syrup Festival
Happy Day Farm, Manalapan
March 9-10, 16-17
Take a tour of the barn and the farm to learn about the maple sugaring process. Sample the syrup and buy snacks from the market, including maple pancakes.
Shamrock and St. Patrick’s Weekends
Laurita Winery, New Egypt
March 9-10, 16-17
While you eat homemade Irish food and try Laurita’s selection of wines, listen to live music and shop from the vendors. There will be kids’ activities, too.
Rolling Railway Easter EGGspress
DiDonato’s Family Fun Center, Hammonton
March 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 29-30
Hop aboard the train that takes you through the Spring Village. Meet the Easter Bunny, go on an egg hunt, and find your way through the Spring Hedge maze. Kids will get a free snack, plus an Easter prize. There will also be a giant slide and an inflatable 40-foot obstacle course. You can add on a game of bowling or eat at the Alley Bar & Grille or the Pin Deck. Toy Market will be on-site at their pop-up snack and toy cottage.
Pi Day Princeton & Einstein’s Birthday Celebration
Downtown Princeton
March 9 and 14
To celebrate Albert Einstein’s birthday on March 14 (3.14, the numerical equivalent of Pi), Princeton holds an Einstein Look-a-Like Contest, Pi recitation contest, pie sampling experience, pie flight contest, Einstein-themed picnic, Dinky rides with Albert, a movie matinee, a Pi-Rade, storytime, and other activities and events.
Free Wash Week
Spark Car Wash, Ledgewood
Through March 10
To celebrate the new location’s grand opening, drive in for a free wash but consider donating to nourish.NJ.
Live Cook-Off Series!: Beat Chef David Burke
THE GOAT by David Burke, Union Beach
Sundays, March 10 and 24, April 7
Three up-and-coming TV-star chefs are challenging Chef Burke to create a three-course dinner using a mystery ingredient. Two lucky people from the audience will help judge the dishes. Competing chefs are Lauren Van Liew, Casey Webb and Alexandra Donnadio.
Newport Skates
Jersey City
Through March 15
JC’s only outdoor ice skating rink is not only available for open skating but for lessons and parties, too.
Jersey City Restaurant Week
Jersey City
Through March 16
From Greenville to Grove streets, support your local food makers and your favorite restaurants throughout the city.
Student Art Show
Museum of American History at Deptford, Deptford
Thursdays – Sundays, through March 16
Students from colleges in the area will display their artwork. While you visit, you can go through the rest of the museum to learn about the American farmstead, Colonial life and fossils.
Mardi Gras Celebration
Sesame Place Philadelphia, Langhorne, PA
Select dates, through March 17
The theme park reopens for the season with Mardi Gras fun, including, Cookie Monster & Chef Gonger’s Pizza Party, “Elmo the Musical, Live!”, The Sesame Street Mardi Gras Parade, Mummers Band shows, a Mardi Gras mask scavenger hunt and strolling entertainment like stilt walkers and bead bike brigades.
ESSPY
New Jersey Repertory Company, Long Branch
Thursdays – Sundays, through March 17
A young medical student is at the top of his class, but he discovers there is more than science to caring for a patient. He meets a young woman working in the Patient Simulation program and they have to figure out: can empathy and compassion ever be taught?
Mermaids Underwater Experience
Adventure Aquarium, Camden
Thursdays – Sundays, through March 17
Magical real-life mermaids will swim in the aquarium’s 550,000-gallon Shark Realm exhibit. You may be able to catch one sitting on her throne when she emerges from the water. You can enjoy all the aquarium’s exhibits when you visit. Note: the aquarium is open all week but the mermaids come out to play on weekends.
Dreamgirls
McCarter Theatre Center, Princeton
Through March 24
A 1960s Motown girl group catches their big break in an amateur competition and rises from obscurity to superstardom.
Winter Wonder
Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA
Through March 24
There are beautiful exhibits inside the conservatory and outside on the grounds, bringing a touch of spring to the winter. As you walk through the landscaping, sign up for a science series workshop or gardening lesson. There will be musical performances on select days.
Winery Weekend Music Series
Terhune Orchards, Princeton
Saturdays – Sundays, through March 31
Let your kids make their own s’mores and hot chocolate while you sip on wine by the fire pit. There will be live music all weekend.
Windows of Understanding
Highland Park, Metuchen, New Brunswick, Rahway, South Plainfield
Through March 31
This public art project highlights the positive strides made by local organizations, addressing critical social justice issues such as climate change, food insecurity, human rights and violence protection.
Roosevelt Park Family Skating Rink
Roosevelt Park, Edison
Through March 31
There is open skating as well as skating lessons.
Contemporary African Spirituality in Art
South Orange Performing Arts Center, South Orange
Through April 7
The exhibition features the works of many local artists in mixed media, painting and photos. There’s a mix of tradition and modernity and how it relates to African spirituality.
Night Forms
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Twp.
Through April 7
You will have nighttime access to the art and horticulture throughout the sculpture park, which will be illuminated in an immersive experience.
PEEPS in the Village
Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, PA
Through April 14 (closed on March 31 for Easter)
The colorful display includes over 90 pieces of wall art, dioramas and sculptures made out of the famous Easter marshmallow candy.
TROLLS: Save the Humans
Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, PA
Through April 15
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.
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.
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.
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.
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