Woohoo, it’s March—which means longer days, lots of celebrations (hello St. P day) and sunny times to welcome spring. It also means plenty of free family-centric events to go to, whether it’s watching bagpipes at the St. Patrick’s Day Parades in Asbury Park, Atlantic City and Hackettstown (to name a few), celebrating a new season at Kidfest in New Brunswick or making crafts as a family during Makers Day in Flemington.
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 20 FREE events around New Jersey this March:
Belmar St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Sunday, March 1, 12:30PM – 3:30PM
Kick-off the new month by donning green and showing up to this almost half-century-old St. Paddy’s parade, one of the largest in NJ. The whole fam will enjoy the bands, floats and of course, bagpipers, as they wind their way through the streets of Belmar.
Ocean Ave, Belmar
Climate Change Late Night at the Museum
Wednesday, March 4, 4PM – 8PM
Whether your kids are budding scientists or just curious, they can learn how to help the Earth with climate change. There will be lots of hands-on demonstrations, arts and crafts projects and educational activities for all ages, to explain what you can do to protect the earth and adapt to the changes.
Rutgers Geology Museum
85 Somerset St., New Brunswick
Artworks Trenton’s Art-Making Days
Saturdays, March 7 & 14, 12PM – 4PM
Come celebrate imagination and creativity at this event, which spans two Saturdays in the month where all you have to do is show up ready to create. You can bring littles and bigs to the skylit space for mural painting, studio activities and interactive projects—no artistic skills required.
Artworks Trenton
19 Everett Alley, Trenton
Laurita Winery Shamrock Festival
Saturday, March 7, 12PM – 9PM & Sunday, March 8, 12PM – 8 PM
Whether you’re Irish or just look good in green, grab the kiddos to celebrate the Emerald Isle. Listen to authentic Irish music from live bands, load up on corned beef and soda bread (sold during the festival) and dance the afternoon away—sláinte!
Laurita Winery
85 Archertown Rd, New Egypt, NJ
Asbury Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Sunday, March 8, 1PM – 4PM
Line up along the boardwalk to cheer on this lively parade, that will feature local groups of veterans, scouts, dancers, marching bands, bicyclists, animal rescue groups, classic cars, regional pipe and drum groups and first responders. Adding to the local fun will be award-winning mummers, clowns, roller girls, live bands on floats, Asbury Park’s beloved zombies and much more. Once the parade ends, stick around for the award ceremony to see if your favorites win.
1300 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park
Hot Chocolate Run!
Saturday, March 14, 8:30AM – 10AM
Get a jump start on spring and bring the whole fam to this fun run, sponsored by The Pop Shop. Run, walk or stroll through Medford, and take a victory lap back to the Pop Shop for free cups of hot chocolate to celebrate crossing the finish line.
Main St, Medford
Cranford Public Library’s 3rd Annual Picture Book Palooza
Saturday, March 14, 10AM – 2PM
If your kiddos love picture books, then this event is for them: Watch the stories come alive as authors and illustrators share books and crafts and tell truly amazing stories. And don’t miss the book raffle and getting autographed copies from the authors (books available for purchase).
Cranford Community Center
220 Walnut Avenue, Cranford
Morristown St Patrick’s Day Parade
Saturday, March 14, 11AM – 1PM
Erin go Bragh around the Morristown Green: Come out and celebrate with your whole crew (wearing green of course) and support seeing-eye dogs at the Morristown St Patrick’s Day Parade. This lively parade—a Morristown tradition—follows South Street to the Morristown Green and continues along Washington Street to Morristown High School. Revelers line the streets along the route, so plan on getting there early to stake out a good spot.
Morristown Green
Morristown
Wildwood St. Patrick’s Day Celebration and Parade
Saturday, March 14, 11AM – 3:30PM
Even if you’re only a little bit Irish, your kid will enjoy this traditional parade that brings out locals and everything Irish. Line up to cheer on the local groups as well as the ones representing the Irish, including the Irish Pipe Brigade, Emerald Society, Anglesea Irish Society, Second Street Irish Society and much more.
North Wildwood City Hall
Wildwood
The Atlantic City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade
Saturday, March 14, 1PM – 3PM
This historic Saint Patrick’s Day Parade takes place on the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk and on this day, everyone is Irish. Break out your green and celebrate on the boardwalk for a fun-filled day that features plenty of shamrocks, bagpipes and lots of Irish jigs.
Atlantic City Boardwalk
2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City
Lines on the Pines
Sunday, March 15, 11AM – 4PM
This festival celebrates everything and everyone from the Pine Barrens, including over 80 authors, artists and artisans who will share their love of the Pine Barrens. Books, artwork and crafts will be on display, and well as listening to live music and watching demonstrations. Kids can head to the special area where they’ll work on their own arts and crafts and get up close to animals from the area.
Stockton University
101 Vera King Farris Dr., Galloway
Lunar Fest NJ 2020
Sunday, March 15, 12PM – 5PM
If you missed earlier Lunar New Year celebrations, then here’s your chance to finally get in on the celebrating: SOMA Cross Cultural Works and the Township of Maplewood present this day that features multicultural performances representing Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese cultures. Kids will love watching the performers, sampling Asian specialties and making crafts to bring home.
The Woodland
60 Woodland Rd, Maplewood
Hackettstown’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Sunday, March 15, 3PM – 5PM
You won’t want to miss Hackettstown’s biggest celebration of the year: Line up with other families to check out this epic event that starts with the Grand Marshal leading Irish dance groups, Irish bands, bagpipes, drums and fire squads, as well as hometown favorites like the Hackettstown Community Band. Bonus: You won’t need to leave your furry sibling at home since it’s pet-friendly, with a special Irish pet costume contest sponsored by Doggie Styleashes (just make sure he’s on a leash and wearing green).
Main St, Hackettstown
Makers Carnival & Mini Golf
Friday, March 20, 5:30PM – 8:30PM
Bring the littles to this fun-filled night combining the excitement of a carnival with STEM. There will be arcade games, mini-golf and special games and exhibits that spotlight STEM skills, include building gadgets that encourage exploration in electronics, engineering and robotics.
Roxbury Township Public Library
103 Main St, Succasunna
Sawmilling & Tree Planting
Friday, March 20, 10AM – 4PM
Looking for something different to do during a weekday? Get a grip on history to plant trees, cut firewood and ready logs for the sawmill. Try the old-fashioned sawing technique of a two-man saw to cut rounds that will be split into firewood, wheel chocks and barn peg planks. Littles can help by carrying wood shavings and kindling into the farmhouse for the cookstove and with plantings.
Howell Living History Farm
Longstreet Rd, Howell
Makers Day at Flemington DIY
Saturday, March 21, 11AM – 3PM
If making crafts as a family is your thing, then head to this day-long, all-ages event where everyone can tinker, manufacture and craft together. At this DIY, there’ll be hands-on demonstrations of knitting, creating vision boards, collaging and screenprinting and plenty of chances to create a masterpiece.
90 Main Street, Flemington
Kidfest
Saturday, March 21, 11AM – 3PM
If your kids are literally climbing the walls at home, bring them here where they can actually climb the infamous Magyar Bank rock climbing wall as well as be a part of free entertainment. Check out the game zones, a photo booth, dancing to a DJ and much more at this kid-centric festival sponsored by Magic 98.3 FM.
Rutgers College Avenue Gym
130 College Avenue, New Brunswick
Makers Day at Whitesbog
Saturday, March 21, 11AM – 3PM
Bring your whole crew to this farm event, which features a ton of fun activities that revolve around native cranberry and blueberry fruits and farming. Kids will love playing with the cranberry bog sandbox, trying out the cranberry harvesting devices (they’ll be able to drop them in a device and watch them bounce away), plus vintage tools, log cabin kits and much more old-fashioned fun. Don’t forget to stop by the general store for toys, jams and local finds.
Whitesbog Preservation Trust
120 West Whitesbog Road, Browns Mills
WheatonArts Hosts the New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s Stages Festival
Saturday, March 21, 2PM
A day at the theater is always a good day, and especially when it’s free. Check out the Pushcart Players production of “The Velveteen Rabbit”, which brings the beloved tale of a young boy’s love for his favorite plaything to the stage. After magically becoming a real rabbit, Velveteen and the boy embark on exciting imaginary adventures, from deep dark caves to the wide-open sea, and together they learn the true meaning of friendship in this musical re-telling of one of America’s favorite storybooks. Click here to reserve a spot.
WheatonArts
1501 Glasstown Road, Millville
Shearing Fest 2020
Saturday, March 28, 10AM – 4PM
Kids who love animals will have a ball seeing alpacas and llamas that live on this farm. Every year the fiber harvest (where they shear the animal’s coats) is a time when the farm opens, and visitors can come to watch. After, you can visit with the animals, and then check out their newly renovated shop, where they sell knits, socks and scarves all made from the wool.
WoodsEdge Farm
78 Bowne Station Road, Stockton
