This weekend your furry-friend-loving littles can check out cute kitty obstacle courses at the Garden State Cat Expo & Show in Edison, celebrate creativity and shop local at the Asbury Park Summer Bazaar in Asbury Park, or enjoy farm fun and beautiful summer blooms at Alstede Farms Sunflower Festival in Chester. Whether you’re down the shore or taking a beach break in the ‘burbs, there’s tons to do this summer weekend around NJ!
featured image via @luca.luca.q
Psst! Don’t forget to hashtag #NJMOM and tag @njmom and your little cuties could be featured in our next photo round-up.
Here are 10 kid-friendly things to do this weekend around New Jersey:
Alstede Farms Sunflower Festival
July 20 & 21
Enjoy a day on the farm filled with live music, fruit picking, and of course, summer’s stunning blossoms. Make your way through the giant blooms in the sunflower maze (a perfect opportunity for some stellar Insta pics) and let the kids enjoy pony rides, a moon bounce, the corn kingdom and giant hay pyramid. Mom and dad can sample local wines from Tomasello Winery and the whole family can enjoy visiting some of the friendly farm animals.
Alstede Farms
Chester, NJ
Cost: Pick-Your-Own Admission $8.99, Children’s Activities Admission $19.99
Crabulous Crab Day at the Wetlands Institute
July 19, 9:30AM-3PM
Let your little sea lovers get a little crabby as they celebrate Crabulous Crab Day at the Wetlands Institute. The event is full of crab-themed activities and a few special appearances by Crabby Scute. All day activities include fiddler crab races, I Spy crab edition, blue claw crab bag toss, crabby crafts, and plenty of time at the Meet the Crabs Teaching and Touch Tank. Earn Krabby dollars and redeem for prizes!
The Wetlands Institue
Stone Harbor, NJ
Cost: Non-Member: Adults $10, Kids $8, $30 family pack, Member: Adults $8, Kids $6, $25 family pack
Garden State Cat Expo & Show
July 20 – 21, 9AM-4PM
The Garden State Cat Expo & Show is bringing all the cat-tastic fun to you with this event. The Garden State Cat Club is a nonprofit organization that supports the cat community in many ways including support of welfare groups, humane societies, cat studies, cat visitations, and research efforts. Meet the breeds, watch demos, and ask the vet any cat questions at this event. Kids will enjoy face painting, the shelter showcase, feline agility courses, a caricaturist, famous fashionista cats, arts and crafts, and a teddy bear workshop. This year’s theme is “Cats in Wonderland.”
NJ Convention & Expo Center
Edison, NJ
Cost: Adults $12, Kids under 12 $7, Family $30
Asbury Park Summer Bazaar
July 20 – 21, 12PM-5PM
The Asbury Park Bazaar is a celebration of makers, music, and art in Asbury Park. Located in Convention Hall, just steps from the beach, the event features the best in local and regional handcrafted and vintage vendors, designers, artists and collectors. To amp up the fun, there are DJs, a photo booth, art workshops and demos, kids art classes, and yummy foods to sample. Each bazaar brings something new to the Jersey Shore!
Convention Hall
Asbury Park, NJ
Cost: free
The Wooden Boat Festival
Sat Jul 20, 9AM to 3PM
This free fest featuring a parade of beautiful wooden boats is a perfect summer day by the water with the fam. Your littles will love checking out all of the handcrafted, super cool boats as you wander through Huddy Park and enjoy shopping handmade goods and kid-friendly activities. Grab a bite and enjoy live entertainment while you relax on the waterfront together in Toms River.
Huddy Park
Toms River, NJ
Cost: free
Summer in the Streets Festival/Family Fun Day
July 20, 12PM-6PM
While you’re in Toms River, stop by this annual street festival, perfect for a day of family fun. Enjoy some food trucks, shop for some unique handmade items, and listen to live entertainment. Sing along to your favorites while the littles rock the Kids Zone, where they’ll find free games and prizes, a balloonist, rides, and inflatable houses and courses.
Toms River, NJ
Cost: free
Sussex County Food Truck and Music Festival
July 20, 10AM-8PM
Food, music and family make for a perfect summer outing at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. Sample some favorite area food trucks and take in the sounds of talented local bands and musicians. Special activities for the kids include the Sugar Sweet Farms Petting Zoo, Mr. Magico the Magician, a face painter, and games. Dogs are welcome and you can bring blankets and chairs to relax as you listen to the live music.
Sussex County Fairgrounds
Augusta, NJ
Cost: $5
Bridgewater Grand Slam Food Truck Fest
July 20, 11AM-7PM
Another big food truck fest is happening this weekend at the home of the Somerset Patriots, TD Bank Ball Park. With over 20 of your food truck favorites, live music, a beer and wine garden, and tons of games for the kids, the event is a family-friendly day at the ballpark. The little ones will love the baseball-themed foods, games, and prizes!
TD Bank Ball Park
Bridgewater Township, NJ
Cost: Adults $6.25, Kids under 12 $4.15
Morris County 4-H Fair
July 18 – 21
The Morris County 4-H Fair is all about wholesome family fun. Listen to live music, watch agriculture demonstrations, or take a whirl on some of your kids’ favorite fair rides. Chow down on some bbq and sip on root beer floats and make a perfect summer night of it. Your littles will love the animal shows, pony rides, hay rides, petting zoo, and contests like watermelon eating, cake decorating, and dress-a-pet.
Chubb Park
Chester, NJ
Cost: free, parking $5 donation
Family Fun Night at Pier Village
July 21 & 28, August 4, 11, 18, 25, 4PM-9PM
Every Sunday night from now through August, check out Pier Village in Long Branch for tons of fun by the beach! This weekly event features bounce houses, slides, inflatable obstacle courses and fun! Visit the Pier Village Family Game Room or Boardwalk Fun N’ Games for amazing crane games and skee ball.
Festival Plaza, Pier Village
Long Branch, NJ
Cost: free
