Whether you want to sample some chili, head into NYC to the Intrepid or try out Ice Bumper Cars, there are many events taking place this weekend that will keep the whole family entertained.
WEEKEND
Intrepid Kids Week 2023
Intrepid Museum, New York
Thursday – Saturday
Children will learn about STEAM through fun-filled activities, live animal shows, hands-on workshops, performances, special guests and interactive demonstrations. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will highlight their latest moon habitat concepts, technology and planetary mission plans, and NASA’s Artemis Team will speak about sending astronauts to the Moon and Mars. Kids can also meet Astronaut Jessica Watkins and hear about her experiences in space! They can also create their own constellation, meet exotic animals, design a lunar habitat for life on the moon, make their own slime, and observe Isaac Newton’s laws of motion through a physics performance.
Skating on the Square
Hulfish Street, Princeton
Thursday – Sunday
Bring your own skates or rent them so you can spend time skating on the synthetic ice skating rink in the middle of Palmer Square. Last weekend!
Vintner Wonderland
Renault Winery, Egg Harbor City
Thursday – Sunday
Go ice skating or shopping, wine & dine, and enjoy live entertainment. During Christmastime, meet Santa Claus and see the Festival of Trees. The Reindeer Fun Run is Dec. 17. Book a fire pit experience or a private cabana.
Restaurant Week
Metuchen
Thursday – Sunday
Tons of local restaurants and cafes will be offering special menus and discounts this weekend, so head to your favorite spot or go to a restaurant you’ve been waiting to try!
Hip Hop Cinderella
New Victory Theater, New York
Thursday – Sunday
These performances are a new take on the classic tale, reimagined to incorporate hip-hop dance, rap and pop music, arriving in time for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
Kids Baking Projects
Kid Chef Nette, Plainsboro
Friday – Saturday
Kids can bake empanadas, make Valentine’s cookie balls, taste Oreo ice cream chocolate cake or try their hand at tiramisu during these baking classes designed specially for them.
New Jersey Home & Garden Show
New Jersey Convention & Expo Center, Edison
Friday – Sunday
Kids can try their hand at embellishing an unfinished wood cutout they can take home. There will be balloon animals as well as old fashioned games like bean bag and ring tosses, tic-tac-toe, and a mini fishing pond. Meanwhile parents will see products from more than 100 remodelers, contractors, interior designers, landscapers and kitchen and bath designers – most of them locally owned businesses.
“The Stinky Cheese Man” And Other Fairly Stupid Tales
Brookdale Community College Performing Arts Center, Lincroft
Friday – Sunday
Your kids will get a kick out of seeing these classic children’s stories come to life.
Princess Phooey
TADA! Youth Theater, New York
Friday – Sunday
Princess Phooey is not your typical princess. Her older sister Elessia, along with the Good Fairies, try to make Phooey into what they consider a proper princess, while Morbidia has other plans for them all.
FRIDAY
Montclair Improv Comedy Series
Cinema505, Montclair
It’s time to laugh again! Montclair Improv Comedy is made up of improv veterans from the comedy stages of Chicago (iO, Annoyance Theatre, Second City), LA (The Groundlings, iO West) and NYC (Upright Citizens Brigade, The Magnet & the PIT).
Bergen County’s Winter Wonderland
Van Saun County Park, Paramus
Lace up your skates for open skating time on the rink, or pop into a huge tube for the Ice Bumper Cars.
SATURDAY
Polar Bear Plunge
Seaside Heights Boardwalk
Join others who don’t mind the cold weather and run into the Atlantic Ocean in this annual fundraiser that raises money for Special Olympics New Jersey. Head to Spicy Cantina on the boardwalk afterward for a party!
Fur, Feathers and Fluff
Terhune Orchards, Princeton
During this Read and Explore series, kids will read a book about how animals keep warm in the winter, and then they’ll make their own take-home craft with lots of “fluff.”
Dollhouse & Miniature Show
First Presbyterian Church, Hightstown
There will be more than 20 dealers coming from New Jersey, York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut with the best of dollhouse and mini furniture displays.
Legends of the Night Sky: Orion
Alice and Leonard Dreyfuss Planetarium, Newark Museum of Art, Newark
Explore the myths and legends of one of the most visible constellations in the winter night sky: Orion, the Hunter. This fun-filled, animated production based on Greek mythology is great for kids 6+.
Experience the Aurora
Alice and Leonard Dreyfuss Planetarium, Newark Museum of Art, Newark
See nature’s most stunning light show as the winter sky comes to life before your eyes. This immersive show, filmed over the course of seven months in the Arctic Circle, features spectacular views of the northern lights and examines the science behind it. Great for kids 12 and older.
Black History Celebration
Lawrence High School, Lawrence Twp.
The 10th annual celebration of Black excellence includes an evening filled with music, art, dance, food, presentations, vendors and honorees. Shop from a variety of Black business owners while feasting on cultural dishes. Then you’ll get to see local talent and student presentations honoring four trailblazers and one rising star recipient.
Goat Yoga
The New Weis Center for Education, Arts & Recreation, Ringwood
Teens 13+, and adults, can take part in one of two vinyasa yoga classes, where the cute and cuddly goats will be the stars of the show. You’ll get plenty of time after class to pet them and take photos.
Paint Your Own Gourd Birdhouse
Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, Bernardsville
After listening to a short presentation about how to grow gourds, you and the kids will paint your own to make a birdhouse for the wildlife in your backyard.
Make-a-Book Workshop
Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, Madison
As long as you’re old enough to use scissors, glue and a dull needle with thread, you can join this book making project hosted by Book Arts Roundtable artists Bojana and Chris. You’ll make a simple mixed-media pamphlet book out of fabric or paper.
Brunch & Pop-Up Shop
St. Demetrius Banquet Hall, Carteret
You can come by for free and shop from more than 15 vendors while enjoying mimosas, or if you’d like to sit down for brunch you can pay for your meal.
SUNDAY
Diggery’s Dino Adventure
Levoy Theatre, Millville
Help Paleontologist Diggery return a dinosaur who came to life back to its mother to save the world! During the show, you and your kids will interact with the animated dinos, use a scanner and solve puzzles to help Diggery on his mission.
Family Sundays at the Nature Center
Tulpehaking Nature Center, Hamilton Twp.
Each weekend will have a different theme, including sharing stories by the fireside, taking care of some animals and making nature crafts.
Frost Fest
Downtown Princeton, Princeton
This festival includes ice skating, shopping, entertainment, ice carvings, a deejay, caricature drawings, an igloo-themed photo booth and more winter activities.
Washington’s Birthday
Historic New Bridge Landing, River Edge
Celebrate the birthday of our first president with a performance by the Tricorne Dance Ensemble, who will celebrate George Washington through song and dance; Ridley and Anne Enslow will play the fiddle and hammered dulcimer. You can also view the “Seeing the Past Through a Different Light and New Bridge in the American Revolution: Artifacts and Maps” exhibit which includes enlargements on nine period maps and Revolutionary War artifacts.
Superhero Kids Show
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center, Carteret
Join the CD debut celebration with Sherri & Brian. The celebration includes classics and their newest trend setting, innovative songs. Special guests are members of the Carteret Choirs. Kids of all ages will have a great time.
Jeff Dunham
Prudential Center, Newark
The comedian and ventriloquist is known for his dummies Peanut, Bubba J, Walter and Jose Jalapeno. Watch him perform live on tour as a follow up to his 2022 Comedy Central special.
Silver Starlight Orchestra
Citizens Bank Theater, Succasunna
The performance features swing, Latin, Samba, Mambo, waltz, ballads and more from the Great Big Band era, with a spotlight by jazz singers performing songs by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and other greats of the genre.
Chili Cook-off
Quarterdeck at Seastreak, Highlands
Amateurs and professionals will face off in two separate contests to see who will be the chili champs! There will be performances by bagpipe bands and Daly’s Irish Dancers as this is a fundraiser for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Highlands on March 18.
South Jersey Nerd Fest
Holiday Inn, Swedesboro
Get dressed in your favorite costume for the cosplay contest and walk around the conference room to see people selling comic books, graphic novels, Funkos, toys, non-sport trading cards, Anime, Manga, retro, sci-fi, comic-themed crafts, LEGOs, collectibles and more. Guests include professional wrestler Brimstone, artists Neil Vokes (Superman), Bob Petrecca (Marvel and DC Comics), Christian Espiritusanto (Warriors Amongst Realms), plus author Tony DiGerolamo (The Jersey Devil) and cosplay star Kristine Knowlton.
Maplewood Chili Cookoff
The Woodland, Maplewood
At this cookoff, you’re the judge. Even if you aren’t making a chili, you can get a tasting pass to vote for your favorite chilis and help crown a champion. If you do cook, this is your chance to find out how your best meat or vegetarian pot stacks up against the competition. There is also a kids’ competition for chili chefs ages 7-15.
Owls of New Jersey
New Jersey Botanical Garden, Ringwood
Don Torino of the Bergen County Audubon Society will offer an indoor presentation on these fascinating and important raptors, touching on the many different species that inhabit the region. However, there will be no live birds shown during the presentation. But it’s still a great way to learn what to spot in the woods!
Galileo Galilei: The Starry Messenger
Staten Island Children’s Museum, Staten Island, NY
Astronomy comes to life through a fascinating living history performance by Mike Francis as Galileo Galilei the Starry Messenger. He’ll take you back to 1612Â and into space to make new discoveries about the universe.
Day of Games
Wicoff House Museum, Plainsboro
You and the kids can compete in a Spelling Bee, Monopoly, Hangman, Connect Four, bingo and other fun family games.
Spring Wreath Workshop
Stokelan Winery, Medford
Adults can sip on a glass of wine while creating a springtime art project.
Peking Acrobats
Williams Center for the Arts, Easton, PA
You’ll be in awe watching China’s expert tumblers, jugglers, gymnasts and cyclists take the stage. Feats include the dazzling pagoda of chairs and the cycling pyramid.
ONGOING
Wine & Chocolate Wine Trail
Multiple Locations
Through Feb. 28
Various wineries and vineyards in South Jersey will offer special wine and chocolate pairings.
Restaurant Week
Pier Village, Long Branch
Through Feb. 28
Many restaurants and cafes will offer special 3-course prix fixe meals, such as The Baked Bear, The Wine Loft, McLoone’s Pier House and Hummus Republic.
BATMAN x SPYSCAPE
928 8th Ave., New York
Through March 1
Your teens will love this experience, mostly because it involves a phone app and lots of texting! You’ll be transported into the heart of Gotham City where you’ll have to become your own superhero to solve the mystery! You’ll infiltrate an underworld organization and figure out who is responsible for the kidnappings.
International Juried Exhibition
The Contemporary Center for Art, Bedminster
Through March 3
Juror Esteban del Valle has selected 53 contemporary works representing a broad range of mediums. This is free to attend, so your whole family can indulge in the beauty of art.
Danielle Scott: Kinfolk
Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery, Jersey City
Weekdays, through March 3
This exhibition presents the artist’s dedication to social commentary and ancestral storytelling. This collection integrates photographs, delicate papers, reprinted documents, fabrics and objects to create layered portraits of the lineage of Black families across generations. It’s appropriate for the whole family to view.
“Passing Strange”
Vanguard Theater Company, Montclair
Select dates, through March 5
This 2008 Tony Award-winning comedy-drama is an autobiographical rock musical about a young African American’s artistic journey of self-discovery, with elements of philosophical existentialism, metafiction and the artistic journey. It’s a good lesson for kids 13+.
Soul of African American Art
Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Through March 5
The all-new exhibit featuring 58 selected works of art by 31 artists celebrating African American culture will be for sale.
Maple Sugaring Demos
Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center, Chatham Twp.
Saturdays and Sundays, through March 5
Learn how to identify and tap maple trees, collect sap and make real maple syrup over a wood-fired evaporator. Finish with a syrup taste test!
Winter Walking Club
Plainsboro Preserve, Cranbury
Fridays, through March 10
Grab your winter attire and join the preserve’s manager for a free winter walk.
Junior Historians Club: Winter Session
Historic Wicoff House Museum, Plainsboro
Saturdays, through March 18
Kids ages 6-10 learn about historic preservation through fun and immersive activities. Each member receives a JHC notebook and T-shirt.
Roller Skating
Cape May Convention Hall, Cape May
Fridays – Sundays, through March 26 (except Feb. 18 and 19)
The rink is open for family skating, but you can also plan a birthday party or special event on the weekends.
Après-Ski
Auburn Road Vineyards, Pilesgrove
Every day, through March 31
Après-Ski means after skiing, and although there is no ski resort here, you can still take in winter in all its glory by sipping a glass of wine and eating tableside s’mores by the fire pits. There are movie nights every Thursday – Sunday.
The Golden Girls Kitchen Pop-Up
Fulton Street, New York
Select dates, through March 31
Immerse yourself in the world of the iconic comedy show, dining in the girls’ kitchen and visiting other memorable sets from the show including the Rusty Anchor Bar where you can order cocktails and mocktails, a full kitchen and lots of photo ops. There’s also a drag brunch on certain Sundays.
Winter Market
Convent Train Station, Morris Twp.
Sundays, through April
Grow it Green Morristown holds a winter farmers market every Sunday through April. There are selections of fresh locally grown produce and microgreens, farm raised meat and eggs, seafood, fresh baked goods, artisan bread and cheese, mushrooms, honey, syrups, sauces, seasonal items, specialty ethic items, prepared food and probiotic drinks. There will be food trucks on site, plus wares by local artisans.
Winter Stargazing
Edelman Planetarium at Rowan University, Glassboro
Saturdays, through April 1
Listen as educators share the ancient stories of the constellations, take you on a journey to distant planets and stars, and share the latest space news and discoveries. You’ll see something new each time you visit, plus you will learn how to discover the night skies from your own backyard.
Night Forms: Infinite Wave
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Twp.
Select dates, through April 2
This after-hours, multi-sensory light and sound experience uses projection mapping that enhances the art and sculpture park, creating a dynamic show to stimulate the senses.
The Orchid Show
New York Botanical Gardens, Bronx, NY
Select dates, through April 23
During the day, families can view the thousands of orchids on the grounds of the botanical gardens. On select nights, adults 21+ can attend for a special view-and-sip option.
Trail Riding Program
Mercer Meadows Equestrian Center, Pennington
Saturdays, through mid-May
Kids (and adults) 12 and up can go on a leisurely 45-minute horseback trail ride around the Mercer Stables property. No riding experience is necessary. You must book in advance.
The FRIENDS Experience: The One Near Philadelphia
King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia
Through May 29
Sit on the big orange couch at Central Perk, hang out in Joey and Chandler’s apartment, sit at Rachel and Monica’s kitchen table and read the 18-page letter – front and back – at this awesome experience that brings the Friends set to you!
Growing in the Garden
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Morristown
Second Saturday of the month, through June
This hands-on art program for children age 4 and older and their caregivers includes a story, a visit to MHHM’s gardens, and an art project.
Disney 100: The Exhibition
The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Through August 27
Disney fans will love this behind-the-scenes look at their favorite characters, movies and theme parks. Walk through 10 different galleries that will immerse you in sight, sound and touch.
Thomas and Friends Explore the Rails
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
Through September 4
Kids can learn, play and solve problems while finding themselves in locations from the beloved TV series. Younger kids can practice counting objects, comparing sizes and learning colors. Older kids can practice their math skills, learn basic engineering concepts, discover science ideas through play, and see how technology works to keep engines running.
Applebee’s is offering free kids’ meals in response to an NJ eatery banning kids under 10 now through Sunday!
