It might be summer, but as a #NJMOM we know you want to still squeeze every bit of fun out of the weekends. Make the most of yours by celebrating your little ones’ favorite four-legged friends at Woofstock in Atlantic City, or watch dozens of butterflies soar above you at the Watershed Butterfly Festival in Pennington. You can even encourage your kiddos to taste (and learn about) one of the best fruits of summer at Terhune Orchards’ Just Peachy Festival in Princeton.
Psst! We love to feature your adventures around New Jersey! 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:
New Jersey State Fair at Sussex County Fairgrounds
August 2 – 11
The New Jersey State Fair is bursting with fun for you and your kids. Your littles will go nuts over cars racing in the Demolition Derby, the monster truck show, the barnyard animal tents, arts and crafts displays, carnival rides, games, horse shows and lumberjack competitions. Catch one of the live music acts or give your kids an agricultural lesson with demos and animal encounters that will feel like a day on the farm. #NJMOM tip: the New Jersey State Fair spans pretty wide, so be sure to bring a stroller — it requires a lot of walking to see it all.
Sussex County Fairgrounds
Augusta, NJ
Cost: adults, $14; kids 6 – 12, $6; advanced tickets: adults, $9; kids 6 – 12, $5
25th Annual Clam Fest in Huddy Park
August 1 – 4
Fresh steamers are a Jersey summer staple, and this is the perfect family event to indulge all your seafood cravings. Make your way down to historic Huddy Park for a weekend full of friends, family, fresh NJ-caught seafood and fun. The event features live entertainment, dozens of contests for kids and mamas, specialty vendors and crafters, tons of games to play and thrill rides.
Huddy Park
Highlands, NJ
Cost: free
Woofstock Atlantic City
August 2 – 3
For some, being a #NJMOM means one of your “kids” has four legs and a tail. If this sounds like your family, Woofstock is worth checking out this weekend — it’s the perfect festival to celebrate NJ pups and their owners. Woofstock features dozens of vendors, exciting demonstrations, live music, local grub and of course, adorable dogs. Kids will love the bounce house, face painting and balloon twisting. Net proceeds will benefit several participating dog and music-related nonprofit groups.
Showboat Hotel
Atlantic City, NJ
Cost: Friday $7, Saturday $10, Both days $15, VIP $40, kids 12 and under free
Just Peachy Festival at Terhune Orchards
August 3 – 4, 10 AM – 5 PM
Celebrate one of NJ’s fave fruits with your own little peaches at Terhune Orchards this weekend. The Just Peachy Festival features plenty of these refreshing fruits, as well as tractor-drawn wagon rides, face painting, barnyard fun and live music. Eyes of the Wild, a traveling zoo, will present two shows each day that are perfect for every age. Mom, you’ll also love the peachy recipe inspiration you and your littles can recreate at home from the cooking demonstrations and food tent. Any #NJMOM who’s 21-and-over can enjoy a glass of Terhune’s Just Peachy wine, too.
Terhune Orchards
Princeton, NJ
Cost: $10, kids under 3 are free
Watershed Butterfly Festival
August 3, 10 AM – 4 PM
At the Watershed Butterfly Festival, celebrate the joy and wonders of New Jersey nature with your crew. Tour the Kate Gorrie Butterfly House, where you’ll see locally captured butterflies float and fly high above you. Your littles will love the train ride, animal show, insect zoo, solar music, arts and crafts and oak tree stilt walker. Dance to Irish music, enjoying yummy food trucks and learn how to become a river-friendly resident. Trust us, you won’t want to miss out on this fest!
The Watershed Institute
Pennington, NJ
Cost: members free, single entry tickets available
Italian Festival at Monmouth Park Racetrack
August 3, 11 AM – 5 PM
Kids can sample some great pizza while mamas prepare their palates for some incredible wine at the Italian Festival at Monmouth Park Racetrack. This festival is all about savoring Italian food and enjoying a day of racing with your family. Play a family-friendly game of bocce ball and visit vendors like Carnivale Donut Bar, Tony’s Italian Sausage, and The Zeppole Guys. For $10, enjoy 5 two-ounce samples of Italian wines and receive a commemorative wine glass.
Monmouth Park Racetrack
Oceanport, NJ
Cost: $5, parking $5, kids 12 and under free
8th Annual Craft Beer & Crab Festival
August 3, 10 AM – 6 PM
A craft beer and crab festival that’s great for the entire family is returning to Cape May this weekend. Enjoy steamed crabs, pulled pork, crab cakes, shrimp and hot dogs, plus tons of local craft beers to wash down all the goodness. Kick back and enjoy live music, an old-fashioned Victorian circus featuring jugglers and acrobats, a crafts and collectibles show and plenty of other activities kids will love.
Emlen Physick Estate
Cape May, NJ
Cost: free
Lavalette Breast Cancer Walk
August 4, 8:30 AM
Enjoy a summer day in this this cozy beach town helping a great cause as you honor breast cancer survivors, raise awareness about the disease, and help save lives at the 15th Annual 2-Mile Breast Cancer Walk. It’s themed “Together, We Can Lick This” and aptly begins at The Music Man Singing Ice Cream Shoppe. Registration includes a PINK event t-shirt, water bottle and free ice cream!
The Music Man Singing Ice Cream Shoppe
2305 Grand Central Ave, Lavallette, NJ
Cost: $25
Kids Day at The Red Mill Museum Village
August 4, 12 PM – 4 PM
The Red Mill Museum Village is designed to teach your kids about life in the 1800s and helps them create memories they’ll never forget. On Kids Day, enjoy good old-fashioned fun with the family featuring face painting, a petting zoo and tons of time to stroll around the village — and trust us, you won’t want to miss out showing the kiddos on the one-room schoolhouse.
The Red Mill Museum Village
Clinton, NJ
Cost: $10 per family, free admission for museum members
