We’re officially kicking off festival season with a bunch of family-friendly festivals this month celebrating blooms, bunnies, and balmy spring weather. Get ready to dig into everyone’s favorite dish at the 6th Annual Hoboken Mac and Cheese Festival, take in 50,000 daffodils along with spring-themed games, crafts, a story trail, and music at the Daffodil Day Festival in Summit, or celebrate Easter with bunny visits, egg hunts, and holiday fun at one of the festivals happening across the state. And for more ideas on family fun this season, check out our guide to spring festivals in NJ. (Featured photo credit: istock/Jonathan W. Cohen)
(Note: It’s always best to check ahead for in-person events.)
Dalton Farms Tulip Festival
Anticipated opening April 5
Tiptoe through the tulips to live music, food trucks, and activities for kids, including a tractor ride, pedal boats, giant slides, a playground, and even yoga. The Easter Bunny will be roaming the fields for photo ops. And with stems at $2 each, you can bring home a beautiful bouquet to admire.
Tickets: Available mid-March. $14 per person ages 3+ (infants two and under are free) online. $20 walk-up gate admission if tickets are still available.
660 Oak Grove Road, Swedesboro, NJ 08085
Holland Ridge Farms Spring Spectacular
Opens beginning of April – date depends on tulips blooming
Holland Ridge Farm bursts into bloom each year with over 8 million tulips in 15 varieties. During their Spring Spectacular festival, you can see farm animals, learn about Dutch traditions, snap gram-worthy photos, take a pony ride, and sample delicious foods. Tickets will go on sale about a week before the event begins, so check on their website or sign up for alerts.
Cost: $17 per person on weekends and $15 per person during the week
108 Rues Road, Cream Ridge, NJ 08514
Springtime and Easter Festival at Alstede Farms
April 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21
Bring the kids to see the featured guest, the Easter Bunny, while seeing baby farm animals, taking wagon rides, and climbing the giant hay pyramid. You can also sign up for the Easter Bunny Breakfast on select weekends.
Cost: Starting at $19.99
Alstede Farms,1 Alstede Farms Lane, Chester, NJ 07930
Wheaton Springs 2025
April 5 at 10 AM
Celebrate the start of WheatonArts’ creative season with this family-friendly kick-off event highlighting their daily offerings and hands-on programming. Explore exhibits and join in on projects for the whole family, including pine-needle basket making, coffee filter butterflies, and glass-fused magnets. There will also be food vendors and live jazz music.
Cost: Free
1510 Glasstown Road, Millville, NJ 08332
6th Annual Hoboken Mac & Cheese Festival
April 5 at 1 PM
Get ready to dig into everyone’s favorite dish at the 6th Annual Hoboken Mac and Cheese Festival. Take a tour around Hoboken and sample all kinds of Mac & Cheese creations from some of the city’s best spots. This event will be held rain or shine.
Cost: $15-$40
Locations throughout Hoboken, NJ 07030
Burlington County Book Festival
April 5 at 10 AM
If you have a book lover in the family, stop by this fun event that includes authors, local vendors, fellow book lovers, presenters, and musical performances.
Cost: Free
Burlington County Library, 5 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton, NJ 08060
Ocean City Con 2025
April 5-6 at 10 AM
Join comic book and memorabilia enthusiasts in Ocean City. Special guests, artists, vendors, comics, games, and more will be present. There will even be a Super Hero Run and Dash and Super Hero Obstacle Dash.
Cost: Free
Ocean City Music Pier, 825 Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226
Essex County Park Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park
April 5-13
With over 5,300 cherry blossom trees that burst into full bloom in April, this park is famous—first, for being the nation’s first county park and second, for having the largest collection of Japanese cherry blossom trees in the United States, rivaling the famous Washington, DC blooms. During the peak blooms, you can visit the annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park from April 5-13, which features a Bike Race, Cherry Blossom 10K, Essex County Family Day, and Essex County 1 Mile Fun Run. The festival culminates on April 13 with Bloomfest! featuring live music, children’s activities, a crafter’s marketplace, food, and more.
Cost: Free
Park Avenue and Lake Street, Newark, NJ 07104
Millville’s Easter Celebration
April 12
You will find crafts, vendors, games, and more at this year’s Easter Egg Hunt. Perfect for ages 12 and under, bring a basket or bag and be ready to hunt for eggs. The event is located behind Lakeside Middle School.
Cost: Free
2 Sharp Street, Millville, NJ 08332
Easter Celebration at Allaire Village
April 12 and 19
Enjoy the day in the park while you visit with live animals, a Bubble Magician, bonnet decorating, collecting eggs, glitter tattoos, crafts, egg games on the green, storytelling, a village scavenger hunt, historical Easter egg dying demos, and more. The Easter Bunny will be roaming the Village throughout the day, and there will be Easter selfie stations and live music, plus two food trucks on site for the event.
Cost: $10 per person
The Historic Village at Allaire, 4263 Atlantic Avenue, Wall, NJ 07727
Latin Food Fiesta
April 13 at 12 PM
It’s a fun family festival that takes you on a culinary journey featuring the flavors of Latin cuisine. The event will include delicious food, live Latin music, food contests, culinary demonstrations, and fun activities for the entire family to enjoy.
Cost: $6 for everyone over 5. Tickets are $5 in advance(plus a service charge
Westfield Garden State Plaza, 501 Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ 07652
Bloomfest
April 13 at 11 AM
It’s a family day in New Jersey’s pinkest park, with Cherry Blossoms in full bloom. Experience Japanese cultural demonstrations, children’s activities, live music, a crafter’s marketplace, and food.
Cost: Free
Essex County Branch Brook Park, Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Mill Street Entrance, Belleville + Prudential Concert Grove, Clifton Avenue Entrance, Newark 07104
Daffodil Day Festival
April 13 at 11 AM
Head to this festival that features one of the largest daffodil collections in New Jersey, with over 50,000 bulbs in bloom in the glacially carved Daffodil Bowl. There will be spring-themed games, crafts, a story trail, music, food, and the Green Goats.
Cost: $15 per person, children under 3 are free
Reeves-Reed Arboretum, 165 Hobart Ave, Summit, NJ 07901
Spring Fling Family Fun Day in Sea Isle City
April 19 at 1 PM
It’s time for some Easter fun and dresses to impress at the Easter Stroll, enjoy music, take photos with the Easter Bunny, participate in a Jelly Bean Guessing Contest, try Easter crafts, and more.
Cost: Free
Excursion Park – JFK Blvd. & Pleasure Ave., Sea Isle City, NJ 08243
Whole Lotta Empanada, Food Truck & Music Festival
April 19 at 11 AM
Get ready to judge the empanada vendors vying for the EMPY! (People’s Choice Best Empanada). In addition to empanadas, enjoy gourmet food trucks offering lobster rolls, seafood, Puerto Rican, Greek, Latin, Peruvian, and more. This event will also feature live music, a rock wall, pony rides, a petting zoo, inflatables, miniature golf, a bungee trampoline, face painting, sand art, and vendors for a great family fun day.
Cost: $5. Kids under 5 are free; please bring an item for the food pantry, too
20th Century Park, Elizabeth Street Garfield, NJ 07026
Fur Baby Festival
April 19 at 12 PM
Together with the friends of the Burlington County Animal Shelter, you will help find forever homes for some amazing dogs, cats, and other small animals. This event will feature 15+ food vendors, live music, games, a pet costume contest, and much more.
Cost: Admission will be $6 for everyone Over 5 years old. Tickets are $5 in advance (plus a service charge), or you can purchase them at the door.
Burlington County Fairgrounds, 1990 Jacksonville Jobstown Rd. Jobstown, NJ 08022
Go Green with Hope
April 26 at 10 AM
The 11th Annual festival with an environment theme has something for every age, including free seedlings, crafts, vendors, free raffles, a meet and greet with the Antler Ridge Mascot, over 40 tables of old favorites, a painted rock treasure hunt, and giveaways.
Cost: Free
Hope Township School, 20 Johnsonburg Road, Hope, NJ 07844
Rutgers Day
April 26 at 10 AM
Bring the whole family to New Jersey’s State University, where everyone will enjoy exhibits, interactive activities, demonstrations, and performances by faculty, staff, and students, along with kids’ activities.
Cost: Free
Busch Campus in Piscataway and the Cook/Douglass Campuses in New Brunswick
The Original NJ Empanada Fest
April 26 at 12 PM
The Manville PBA Food & Music Festival is a great way to celebrate the weekend. Enjoy empanada trucks, live music, and craft vendors. This event features Bounce House Village, a bungee trampoline, an air shot shooting range, henna tattoos, and much more.
Cost: Food and music fest admission will be $6 for everyone over 6 years old.
Rustic Mall, Manville, NJ 08835
Rock & Roll Steampunk Fair 2025
April 26 at 10 AM
Bring your crew to this festival filled with activities that everyone can enjoy. Don’t miss out on the multiple live musical acts, kid’s activities, and plenty of vendors throughout the day.
Cost: Free
44 E. Washington Avenue, Washington, NJ 07882
Shadfest
April 26-27 at 11 AM
Celebrate 41 years of family, fun, and fish in Lambertville. This year’s Shad Fest will feature the region’s finest artists and crafters, a kid’s zone with games, face painting, entertainment, and a farmer’s market. Local’s Lane will showcase artists from the Lambertville and New Hope areas.
Cost: Free
Lambertville, NJ 08530
Hawthorne Art in the Park
April 26-27
Visit nearly 50 vendors selling their artwork and handcrafted goods. There will also be food, dessert, drinks, local musicians, live demonstrations, kids’ activities, and much more.
Cost: Free
Passaic County Arts Center-Goffle Brook Park, 675 Goffle Road, Hawthorne, NJ 07506
Spring Festival and Earth Day Celebration
April 27 at 11 AM
Step into a day of history and family fun at the annual Red Bank Battlefield Spring Festival, with games and crafts for children, a petting zoo, sheepshearing demonstrations, and a magic show.
Cost: Free
Hawthorne Art in the Park
April 26-27
Visit nearly 50 vendors selling their artwork and handcrafted goods. There will also be food, dessert, drinks, local musicians, live demonstrations, kids’ activities, and much more.
Cost: Free
Passaic County Arts Center-Goffle Brook Park, 675 Goffle Road, Hawthorne, NJ 07506
Spring Festival and Earth Day Celebration
April 27 at 11 AM
Step into a day of history and family fun at the annual Red Bank Battlefield Spring Festival, with games and crafts for children, a petting zoo, sheepshearing demonstrations, and a magic show.
Cost: Free
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