Who’s ready for another weekend? We sure are! We’ve put together a few things for the whole family to enjoy. See it!
The New Jersey State Fair will continue at the Sussex County Fairgrounds (37 Plains Road, Augusta) from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm through Saturday, August 13. Activities include a lumberjack competition, a demolition derby, a monster truck show, truck and tractor pulls, a carnival. , 4-H exhibits, an agricultural area, the Sussex County Horse Show and more. Visit the website for a full schedule and ticket information.
The Passaic County Fair will be held this weekend at Garret Mountain Reservation (8 Mountain Avenue, Woodland Park). The fair will be open on Fridays from 18.00 to 23.00 h, Saturday from 15.00 to 23.00 h and Sunday from 12.00 to 21.00 h. Activities include games, rides, art activities, bounce houses, pony rides, petting zoo, face painting, the 4H experience and more. There will be fireworks on Friday and Saturday at 9:30 p.m. For a calendar of performances and more information, visit the website.
For the last weekend, Stony Hill Farms (15 North Road, Chester) will host its annual Sunflower Festival. Each festival ticket includes a carriage ride through the sunflower fields, time to take photos and enjoy the flowers, live music and access to vendors. There are also options to cut your own flowers. Kids can also enjoy tricycle rides, a barnyard board game, a Noah’s Ark playground, and more. Festival hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday. Tickets cost between $20.99 and $45.99.
The Arboretum of Frelinghuysen (353 East Hanover Avenue, Morris Twp) continues to host the Family Photo Scavenger Hunt. Held daily from 8am to 5pm, bring your camera or phone for this month’s hunt. August’s theme is “I’m So Bored.” Looking for something to do on those lazy days of summer? Grab a camera or phone and get the family outdoors! Take a photo of each item to win a prize! Cost is $10 per family or group of 6 or less. Prior registration is required.
The Mount Olive Recreation Department will host a Hit a truck Saturday 9am-12pm at Turkey Brook Park (30 Flanders Road, Budd Lake). Turn imagination into real life with the opportunity to climb, climb and take photos with many different types of trucks. Kids can enjoy live action demonstrations and see various trucks including fire trucks, ambulances, police cars and construction trucks. There will also be a new remote control car course (bring your own car!) and vendors. This event is free.
Montclair History Center (110 Orange Road, Montclair) will host Family Fun: Architecture Walking Tour Saturday from 10:00 to 11:00. Column or pilaster? Herringbone or Flemish bond brick? On this family-friendly tour, you’ll look for architectural details in the beautiful homes located on the streets near the Crane House & Historic YWCA. Teach your children the language of architecture. Maybe you’re raising the next Mead, McKim or White! All ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $20 per family. Register online.
Essex County Environmental Center (621 Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland) will host Buzzfest on Saturday. Have you ever wondered how honey gets from the hive to the jar? Join local beekeepers and see a real beehive! You’ll even have a sample taste. Learn about bees, their current challenges and how we can help. Make-and-take bee-themed crafts and activity stations included. Pre-registration is required, and participants can choose the time slot of 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 or 13:00. This event is suitable for all ages. Cost is $15 per participant.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum (165 Hobart Avenue, Summit) will offer free Saturday tours this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tours begin at the Visitor Center. Reservations are not required and visits are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fosterfields Living Historic Farm (73 Kahdena Road, Morristown) will host Motors and Equipment on the Farm on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Check out all the tools and equipment used on the farm! This is included with the ticket price. No registration required. This activity is suitable for all ages. The cost of this activity is included with the entrance fee.
Montclair Jazz Festival will host Block Party + Brother Mister Series at Lackawanna Plaza (1 Lackawanna Plaza, Montclair) on Saturday from 12:00pm to 10:00pm. Enjoy performances by various musicians throughout the day. From noon to 5 p.m., bring your little ones to the Family Jazz Discovery Zone, a special place where kids and their families can come together to play, improvise, create, make new friends, and of course, share the passion for jazz!
Turtle Back Zoo (560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange) will host Wonders of nature Saturday from 13:00 to 15:00. This session, titled “It’s a Bug’s Life,” is priced at $30 per person and is available to students ages 6-12. Turtle Back Zoo is an amazing classroom! Our Wonders of the Wild program offers students the opportunity to participate in complementary science and nature programs and projects that facilitate lifelong science literacy and environmental stewardship. This is a drop-in program. Registration is available online.
On Saturday at 3:00 p.m., State Theater New Jersey, New Brunswick Cultural Center, NBPAC and Above Art Studios will present New Brunswick Heart Festival at Monument Square (2 Livingstone Avenue, New Brunswick). This free, family-friendly outdoor festival will feature live music and dance performances, dance classes for children and adults, an arts market, craft vendors, free balloon animals, art activities and fun crafts, games and giveaways. For more information on sessions and performers, visit the website.
The New Weis Center for Education, Arts & Recreation (150 Snake Den Road, Ringwood) will host a Guided excursion at sunset Saturday from 19:00 to 21:00 h. Enjoy a moderate but peaceful hike to a beautiful viewpoint over the highlands at sunset. The climb during the golden hour will be at a slow pace, followed by a break to enjoy the sunset over the mountains for a while. Then, on the way back down, experience some of the nocturnal creatures that start the night! This activity is suitable for over 8 years old. Cost is $8 per person.
Michaels (Riverfront Center, 348 Rt 3 W, Clifton) will host Sunday Makebreak from 2-4 p.m. This week’s craft is Rainbow Pull Art. Stop by a free and fun craft to learn a technique for making yarn art. No registration required.
On Sunday, stop by the Sunday Farmers Market at Westfield Garden State Plaza (One Garden State Plaza, Paramus) between 9:00am and 2:00pm. In addition to farm-fresh produce, there are more than 20 food vendors, food trucks, a car rally, children’s activities and more. Take a performance Mad Science: Fire and Ice. This spectacular show thrills audiences with mind-blowing science experiments, including foggy dry ice storms and special bubble showers. This event is free.
Morris Museum (6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown) hosts Spark!Lab on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Spark!Lab offers any child (ages 5-12 and accompanied by an adult) a new, informal approach to hands-on learning. Instead of following step-by-step instructions, young inventors will be empowered to solve problems and overcome real-world obstacles. Spark!Lab offers many unique and project-specific stations where inventors can engage directly with engineering and design challenges. There is also a newly created space with a train and an exploration table full of unique tools to help spark creativity, thinking and learning for children aged 1-4). The cost is included in admission, which is $12 for adults, $8 for children 3-17, and free for children 3 and under. All summer long until August 28, young inventors will receive a free Spark!Lab Passport during their summer visits to the lab. With each visit they will acquire a stamp and with six stamps they will complete the challenge and win an exclusive prize. The first ten inventors to complete this challenge will receive the You Topia Mobile Diorama Maker Kit (pictured above)! Other prizes include a Spark!Lab journal and more!
Freedom Science Center (222 Jersey City Blvd, Jersey City) has several special exhibits. The Pigeon Comes to Jersey City celebrates the art and characters of beloved children’s book author and illustrator, Mo Willems. This young learners exhibition features best friend duo Elephant and Piggie, loyal companion Knuffle Bunny and The Pigeon, the sly city bird best known for his antics in Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! It will also continue to feature Minecraft: The Exhibition. That’s about 6,000 square feet. multimedia experience that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, whether they play Minecraft or not. The exhibit offers an immersive experience featuring block scenes and characters from the game. Both exhibits will be open until September 5, 2022. The Liberty Science Center is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. The price is the price of general admission, plus an additional fee. Visit the website for more information.
