This weekend, before you start thinking about the “S” word (school, that is) treat your kids to some fun activities. Take them to see a magic show, check out a toy pig race (really!) or let them bounce to their heart’s content in a huge inflatable park. Adults can get some “me time” sipping wine at sunset or talking an outdoor walking tour.
ALL WEEKEND
Fire Department & Rescue Squad Summer Carnival
St. Theresa’s, Kenilworth
Friday – Saturday
You’ll love the rides, games, food, refreshments and fun, but more importantly you’ll be supporting your local first responders.
Magic & Illusions Show
Pier Stage, Seaside Heights
Fridays and Sundays (through Aug. 26)
Experience the magic of Paige Thompson from “America’s Got Talent!” Shows are scheduled for Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, Aug. 1 – 26, at 7 pm, 8pm and 9 pm on the Pier Stage by the Ferris Wheel.
Hi-Tide Summer Holiday
Asbury Park
Friday – Sunday
Enjoy this mix of surf music, tropical cocktails, summer holiday market and pool parties at both Asbury Lanes and The Asbury Hotel. Must be 18 to attend.
Church Carnival
St. Philip the Apostle, Saddle Brook
Friday – Sunday
With amusement rides, games of chance, raffles and a great variety of food, the festival gives neighbors a place to meet while also fundraising for the church.
Puerto Rican Day Festival
Saturday – Sunday
Christopher Columbus Drive, Jersey City
Spend two days filled with culture and heritage, enjoying live music, games and food trucks. On Sunday a parade party starts at Lincoln Park.
Cape May Promenade Arts and Craft Show
Cape May Boardwalk
Saturday – Sunday
Enjoy the Cape May City Promenade Arts and Craft Show along the Cape May Boardwalk.
Crafts and Fine Arts Festival
Haddon Avenue, Collingswood
Saturday – Sunday
Meet more than 125 artists as they display their talents. Enjoy live music, food, family activities, a charity auction and meet-and-greets.
Monster Truckz Chaos Tour
New Egypt Speedway, New Egypt
Saturday – Sunday
The 90-minute show is action-packed with extreme car crushing, the free Pit Party to learn all the inner workings of the giant Monster Truckz, photos with the drivers, a Kids Fun Zone, a bounce house, face painting and food.
FRIDAY
Sunflowers, Sunsets & Ciders
Alstede Farms, Chester
Enjoy live music, hard cider and wine tastings by Tomasello Winery outdoors under the beautiful evening sky. Traverse through the “Blooming Giants” sunflower fields while enjoying delicious food and tasty snacks available from The Hen House. Treat yourself to homemade ice cream, featuring seasonal flavors, while soaking up the rural farm atmosphere at night.
Dancing Under the Stars
Hinds Plaza, Princeton
Members of Central Jersey Dance will demonstrate basic steps and lead others in an evening of dancing to recorded music of all kinds.
Tea Party with Elvis
The Mathis House, Toms River
Elvis is in the building! Mathis House General Manager Evan Mills will perform his tribute to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll during an Italian dinner complete with tea and dessert.
101 Dalmatians KIDS
The Vogel, Red Bank
This specially designed performance of the Disney classic is geared toward children.
Peter & the Master Keys
Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, Madison
Peter & the Master Keys specializes in American jazz and blues from the ’40s through ’60’s (with a dash of rock n’ roll thrown into the mix). With three horns (trumpet, tenor sax, baritone sax) and a rhythm section (keys, guitar, upright bass, drums), you might even call them a “little” big band!
SATURDAY
Monarch Family Fun
Duke Farms, Hillsborough
Join with your family or group to learn about and observe this newly endangered species. Take part in a monarch butterfly migration community science project, butterfly matching, monarch storytime and more. This program is especially geared toward children ages 5-9. Discover the monarch’s food source, habitat, life cycle and other unique characteristics through games and activities.
Teddy Bear Picnic
Von Thun Farms, South Brunswick and Washington
Pack your lunch and a blanket and head to the farm – and don’t forget your teddy bear! After lunch, read a book, head to the barnyard to meet your barnyard animals, and pick some berries.
Stephanie Parze Vendor Fair
Freehold Raceway Mall parking lot, Freehold
To honor the memory of the late Stephanie Nicole Parze of Freehold, the foundation created in her honor will hold a fun vendor fair event for families to enjoy together. Come out for an afternoon of cornhole; live music by Local Honey, RockIt Fish and Carnival Dogs; a 50/50 drawing, arts and crafts; and food.
EARTH Center Garden, Arts and Music Festival
EARTH Center, North Brunswick
Spend the afternoon taking part in garden tours, the “Greatest of the Garden” Contest, children’s activities and more in one of the county’s most beautiful parks.
Touch-a-Truck
Bucks Mill Recreation Area, Colts Neck
Children will love the Touch-a-Truck fundraiser, where they can play in firetrucks, construction vehicles, service trucks, emergency vehicles and more. There will also be food trucks, entertainment, a gift auction, face painting, vendors and lots of children’s activities.
Aquarium Sensory Night
Adventure Aquarium, Camden
Children in your family who have autism or other sensory sensitivities can enjoy a special night at Adventure Aquarium. The aquarium will lower the music, brighten the lights, and reduce the crowds, all in an effort to create the most enjoyable experience for guests and families with sensory needs.
Canal Day Music and Craft Festival
Wharton
Step back in time and visit the newly restored Lock 2 East. Enjoy 10 of New Jersey’s best musical artists performing on two stages. Take a free kayak and narrated boat ride on the Morris Canal. Enjoy Wallaby Tales Traveling Zoo, a Fine Crafts & Arts Show, great food, a Civil War encampment, blacksmith demonstrations, pony rides, hayrides and fireworks.
Celebration of Nat Turner Park
Nat Turner Park, Newark
Celebrate the history of the park by taking part in family-friendly activities such as face painting and stencil art. Record your own history with the Newark Story Bus. Watch a drum procession.
Evan Sherman Big Band
Morris Museum, Morristown
NJ native Evan Sherman founded the Evan Sherman Big Band in 2014, a 16-piece ensemble of jazz veterans and New York’s most dynamic young musicians. Bring your own chairs and refreshments and enjoy live entertainment atop the Morris Museum’s elevated parking deck.
SUNDAY
Under the Tuscan Sun
Brook Hollow Winery, Columbia
Drink wine and save wildlife at the same time! Indulge in a family-style Italian dinner and dessert buffet in an enchanting vineyard sunset. Festivities include live music by Bill Ruddy on the acoustic guitar, and the beloved Porcine Preakness, where mechanical toy pigs race each other! Your ticket purchase supports the non-profit mission of wildlife rehabilitation and conservation in NJ.
Puerto Rican Day Parade
Jersey City
The parade kicks off at 12 pm at Lincoln Park, but after stay around for more great festivities! There will be a Puerto Rican Day Festival along Christopher Columbus Drive with live music, games and food trucks.
“Encanto” Sing-Along
PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel
Meet the Familia Madrigal and sing along with Mirabel and her family during a special version of Disney’s “Encanto” that will be subtitled with the song lyrics!
Fire Muster
WheatonArts, Millville
Explore over 80 antique fire trucks, plus watch water pumping displays of fire hoses into the lake, attend the Firematic Flea Market, stay for the apparatus judging and awards presentation, and see the dramatic exit of the fire trucks driving off the grounds at the end of the event.
Summertime Social
Historic New Bridge Landing, River Edge
Revolutionary War artifacts will be on display. See a broom making demonstration and be sure to visit the blacksmith on site to see what he is making. Check out The Blackhorse Inn inside the Campbell-Christie House for refreshments. Kite decorating and flying for children will be on, weather permitting.
South Jersey Nerd Fest
Holiday Inn, Swedesboro
This collectibles festival features artists, writers, costume groups and crafts. Meet actor Jim Krut (“Dawn of the Dead”), movie stuntman Les Price, Eric Cooper (Knight Seeker), Tony DiGerolamo (The Jersey Devil) and Philip McNulty from Marvel Comics. Plus, see the New Jersey Ghostbusters and the Star Wars 501st Legion. There will be a costume contest with prizes for kids.
Antique Rolling Iron Auto Show
Historic Village of Allaire, Wall Twp.
Spectators can stroll through this classic car show for free.
Polymer Clay Ring Making Workshop
The Eclectic Chic Boutique, Morristown
Crafters age 13 and older, regardless of skill level, can create their own handmade rings using polymer clay. The instructor will walk you through how to condition, cut, design and bake your rings. After you make your clay you will learn how to assemble the components so you can wear your creations.
Mary Klein in Recital
St. Anthony of Padua Church, Red Bank
St. Anthony of Padua Music Ministry presents Recital Series Part 1: Mary Klein in Recital, featuring the piano works of Schubert, Brahms and Rachmaninoff.
ONGOING
Open Play at Play Big Zone
Morganville
Summer hours extend through August
Your kids will love 10,000 square feet of space for nonstop fun. Activities include Amazing Race, Spin Zone, Foosball Arena, Laser Maze, Robots, Bumper Cars and Little Play Zone.
Red Bank Broadwalk: Kids Takeover
Fridays (Aug. 19 and 26)
Bring your little ones with their trikes, scooters, helmets and chalk for some summer fun along Broad Street. Appropriate for children ages 2-8.
WheatonArts
Millville
Thursdays – Sundays (through Aug. 31)
The Wheaton Wide Open initiative offers all visitors free admission for the entire month. WheatonArts is a charming 45-acre wooded campus that includes the Museum of American Glass; the Down Jersey Folklife Center; glass, pottery and flamework studios; museum stores; scenic picnic areas; and the mile-looping Nature Trail with a scavenger hunt for native species and structures.
Half Mile of Horses Artwork
Downtown Freehold Borough
Every day (through Sept. 30)
There are 12 painted horse sculptures decorating Main Street. The display honors the equine heritage of Freehold Borough, home of the oldest half-mile horse racing track in the country. Vote for your favorite one!
Dig It! Plant It! Eat It!
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Morristown
Saturdays
From pollinators to plant dyes, each Saturday discover something new in nature! Rain or shine. Recommended for ages 4 – 10.
Flemington Car Shows
Main Street, Flemington
Select Saturdays (through Aug. 20)
Historic Flemington’s Main Street will be bustling with hot cars, live music, kids’ activities, delicious food and summer fun on select Saturday nights when Flemington Car Shows come to town all summer long.
Artisan Market
Veterans Park, Beach Haven
Fridays (through Aug. 26)
Browse the crafts and artisan items made by local vendors.
Outdoor Walking Tours
Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton
Saturdays and Sundays (throughout August)
Princeton University is home to one of the country’s most significant collections of 20th- and 21st-century public sculpture. Join a free, hour-long walking tour led by a museum tour guide and discover the campus’s outdoor artworks, including Henry Moore’s bronze Oval with Points, monumental geometric screens by Louise Nevelson, and more.
Summer Stage @GSPlaza
Garden State Plaza, Paramus
Fridays (through Aug. 20)
Join Z100 radio hosts Maxwell and Crystal as they hang out at Westfield Garden State Plaza’s Summer Stage with popular TikTok stars! Stop by to experience a live podcast as they interview the popular stars. You’ll get to know more about their lives, and you may even get a chance to meet them!
History Kids Summer
The Historic Village at Allaire, Wall Twp.
Fridays (through Aug. 26)
Kids ages 5-12 can learn what it was like to live in the 19th century and experience history firsthand by different trades, tasks and lifestyles of an 1830s Howell Iron Works village. This will be paired with an activity. The schedule is butter making on Aug. 12, printing on Aug. 19 and a field survey on Aug. 26.
Bounce the Mall
The Mills at Jersey Gardens, Elizabeth
Weekends (Through Aug. 28)
Bounce, slide and dance with the kids through a surreal, candy-colored wonderland. This special event features the largest ball pit on the planet, a 600-foot obstacle course, inflatable sports area, silent disco dome, giant slides and more!
Beyond Van Gogh
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City
Through Aug. 28
This is an immersive experience in which both still and moving art provide a show your family will never forget. More than 300 of Van Gogh’s masterpieces come alive, appearing and disappearing and flowing across multiple surfaces. This one-hour walk through will have your whole family captivated by the sights, sounds and colors.
Pop In The City
Greeley Square, New York
Through Aug. 28
Walk, “swim” and slide through a new immersive experience in Midtown Manhattan. When you enter this inflatable wonderland, you take a giant slide down to oversize ball pits, live deejays, cutting-edge effects and 200 glittering disco balls.
Beach Baby Goat Yoga
Beach Haven
Fridays (through Sept. 2)
Join fellow yogis and animal lovers on the beach for a beginner-friendly goat centric yoga experience and snuggles with baby and miniature breed goats. Reap the benefits of animal and laughter therapies as the baby goats jump on your back, snuggle in your lap or take a nap on your mat as you move through the instructor’s guidance.
Cruise Nights
Downtown Somerville
Fridays (through Sept. 4)
Friday Night Cruise Nights return to Downtown Somerville. Through Labor Day weekend, the coolest classic cars around line up along Main Street every Friday.
Summer Carillon Concerts
Graduate School, Princeton University, Princeton
Sundays (now through Sept. 4)
The carillon is a musical instrument of 23 or more bells that produce music when sounded. All concerts start at 1 pm every Sunday, July 3 through Sept. 4 (Labor Day), and are held rain or shine. Bring a blanket or lawn chair to sit on.
Shark Tooth Summer
Adventure Aquarium, Camden
Every day through Sept. 5
This month-long celebration highlights the aquarium’s jaw-some collection of sharks. The highlight, the new Scuba Tooth Fairy, will use their special skills to find and scoop up fallen shark teeth hidden in the sand of the Ocean Realm exhibit. Walk through the Shark Tunnel or Shark Bridge or visit the Touch-a-Shark Tank.
Super American Circus
The Boardwalk by The Showboat, Atlantic City
Thursday – Sunday (through Sept. 5)
Catch this fantastic show with acts, thrills and laughs that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Some of the highlights include America’s Got Talent superstars, Cirque Du Soleil performers and talent from Ringling Bros.
Field Station: Dinosaurs
Leonia
Summer Hours: 10 am – 6 pm, Tuesdays – Sundays, through Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 5)
At Field Station: Dinosaurs, more than 30 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs are sure to impress all the paleontologists in your group. Enjoy dozens of shows, Jurassic Jump, and then Dinosaurs: After Dark come October.
Sunset Sips & Sounds
Terhune Orchards, Princeton
Fridays (through Sept. 9)
Meet in this historic apple orchard for Terhune wine, music, light bites and friend-filled evenings every Friday night at Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery. It’s a great way to unwind after the week, meet friends, bring your family and enjoy the sunset on the farm.
Virtual Reality Experiences
Harry Potter New York, New York City
Select dates (through Sept. 12)
“Chaos at Hogwarts” and “Wizards Take Flight” give fans of the Wizarding World and thrill seekers the chance to explore the magical world as never before through virtual reality.
Post-Game Fireworks
TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater
Select dates (through Sept. 17)
After watching an exciting Minor League baseball game with the Somerset Patriots, stick around for a great fireworks display! Scheduled dates are Aug. 13, 24 and 27, and Sept. 17.
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
New York, New York
Fridays (through September)
Enjoy the history and magic of the Intrepid for free on select Fridays through September.
Stargazing Boat Cruises
Belmar
Fridays and Saturdays (through September)
Take a sail out to the ocean while gazing up at the moon, stars and constellations.
Sunrise Wellness Sails
Wilbert’s Marina, Lacey Twp.
Saturdays (through September)
Anyone who is interested in yoga, meditation and mindfulness is welcome to take part in a 3-hour Sunrise Sail along the Barnegat Bay. Sail into rejuvenation with Jaime Zazzara and Captain Dave from Jersey Coastal Adventures for the wellness retreat. There are options to enjoy a swim or float in a tube when the boat anchors out at sea.
Tours of Wyckoff-Garretson House & Museum
215 South Middlebush Road, Somerset
Second Sunday of every month (through October)
Docents will lead tours of the house, which dates back to 1730.
Seward Johnson Sculptures
George Street, New Brunswick
Every day, through Oct. 15
A series of sculptures by renowned artist Seward Johnson are placed along George Street in New Brunswick for public viewing.
Sunday Farmers Market
Garden State Plaza, Westfield; in the parking lot between Macy’s and Route 17
Sundays (through Nov. 20)
Garden State Plaza is the site of weekly Sunday farmers markets. Expect food vendors, food trucks, music, activities for kids and a car show from 9 am-2pm.
Weekend Wine Tasting
Weekends (through Dec. 31)
Tomasello Winery, multiple locations
Plan a relaxing evening sipping wine at any of their five locations in the South Jersey region. Choose from a wide variety of award-winning wines and bubblies, accompanied by assorted cheese boards and truffles. Wine Tastings are available every day, but reservations are strongly recommended for a weekend wine tasting.
Check out where to go whitewater rafting or tubing or beat the heat at a sprayground!