This February, head to the Wassailing the Apple Trees Farm Festival at Terhune Orchards in Princeton, learn the tradition of maple sugaring at the Environmental Education Center in Basking Ridge, or learn about seashells and collect at Seashell Sunday in Port Monmouth.
Pssst! Don’t forget to hashtag #NJMOM and tag @njmom and your little cuties could be featured in our next photo round-up.
Here are 30 free events around New Jersey this February:
Winter Beach Walk
February 1, 11AM – 12:30PM
Who says the beach is only for the summertime? The winter months are some of the best times to go shell collecting along with a free guided walk. A Park System Naturalist joins the fun as your family enjoys collecting and identifying some of the ocean’s natural treasures. Meetup is on the beach, make sure everyone dresses warmly, and bring along something to carry shells in.
Fisherman’s Cove Conservation Area, 391 3rd Ave, Manasquan, NJ
Wassailing the Apple Trees Farm Festival
February 2, 1PM – 4PM
Raise a glass of hot cider as Terhune Orchards honors the trees that provide wonderful apples. The ancient British tradition of wassailing the apple trees to protect them from harm is a popular winter celebration at Terhune Orchards that you won’t want to miss. Activities include live music, singing, dancing and playing of primitive instruments, toasts of hot cider and placing gifts of cider-soaked bread in the tree branches while chanting the lively words of praise and New Year. Warm yourself next to the bonfire (marshmallow roasting included) or in the store. Farm wagon rides are available, weather permitting.
Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ
Free Chinese New Year Family Day
February 2, 10AM – 1PM
Celebrate a New Year. This event features a lion dance, followed by a kung fu demonstration, student performances, dumpling making, Chinese crafts & games, and other hands-on activities. Snacks and beverages will also be provided!
HudsonWay Immersion School, 249 Bebout Avenue, Long Hill, NJ
West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market’s Indoor Farmer’s Market
February 2 & 16, 10AM – 1PM
The Indoor Farmers Market attracts folks from far and wide around amazing local food and producers. Meander throughout the rooms of the Windsor Athletic Club to find winter produce, pastured meats and poultry, fresh seafood, mushrooms, artisan cheeses, sauces, jams, chocolates, wine and much more. Plan on a morning filled with good food, live music and positive vibes.
Windsor Athletic Club-USAWAC; 99 Clarksville Rd, West Windsor, NJ
15th Annual Super ‘Plunge’ Sunday
February 4, 1PM
Can you handle the icy Atlantic Ocean in February? Save the date and meet us on the 48th Street Beach in Brant Beach and be home in time for the big game. Pre-registration is required to plunge, but it’s always free to spectate.
4700 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach Township, NJ
Art Together
February 3, 1PM – 3PM
Art Together is a great program for families to explore the amazing world of art together. In each session, an instructor will lead participants through one of the galleries, followed by an arts and crafts project.
Rutgers – Zimmerli Art Museum, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ
Morris County Farmers’ Market
February 3, 10, 17, 24, 10AM – 1PM
The Morris County Winter Farmers’ Market is produced in partnership with the Foodshed Alliance Farmers’ Access Network and Grow it Green Morristown. The market features local vendors featuring produce, bread, desserts and more. Beat the winter blues at an indoor market, show your littles the importance of eating well.
Alexander Hamilton School, 24 Mills Street, Morristown, NJ
Hunterdon Land Trust’s Winter Farmers’ Market
February 3 & 17, 11AM – 1PM
Join the Hunderdon Land Trust’s Winter Farmers’ Market which runs the first and third Sundays of every month from December to early May. New participants this year include seafood vendor, Local 130 Seafood; Aquasprouts Farm, an aquaponics farm with lettuce and kale; Oak Grove Angus Farms with beef; Picklelicious, who offers an incredible assortment of pickles and olives; and Will’s Amazing Vegan Burgers. They’ll also host a number of returning farmers and vendors including Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse, Comeback Farm, Sandbrook MeadowFarm, WoodsEdge Farm, Fired Up Flatbread Co., Purely Farm, Fieldstone Coffee Roasters and River Lea House.
111 Mine St, Flemington, NJ
Chinese New Year Celebration
February 6, 4PM – 5PM
Celebrate 2019, the Year of the Pig, with stories, games, and a craft at this Chinese New Year Celebration. A chance to learn about a new culture and how they celebrate a new year!
SCLSNJ’s Somerville Library Branch, 35 West End Avenue, Somerville, NJ
Bell Works Fresh Farmers & Makers Market
February 6, 13, 20, 27, 1PM – 6PM
Bell Works Fresh returns for it’s 2019 season. Shop weekly from over 30 local farmers, food purveyors, local artisans and more. The event features lots of family activities, food and craft demos, live musis and libations.
101 Crawfords Corner Rd, Holmdel, NJ
Princeton Farmer’s Market
February 7 & 21, 10AM – 3PM
Join the Princeton Farmers’ Market in the Community Room, located on the first floor of the Princeton Public Library. Offering a variety of goods including local, organic fruits and vegetables, free-range beef, poultry, pork, eggs, cheese, pickles, honey, baked goods, linens, nut butters, and more.
Princeton Family YMCA, 59 Paul Robeson Place Princeton, NJ
Sugar Maple Celebration
February 9, 10AM – 3PM
Celebrate the Sugar Maple and learn about the entire maple sugaring process with Duke Farms Executive Director Michael Catania. Participate in activities and nature hikes focused on wildlife, tree identification, best forestry practices, and climate change as it relates to the Sugar Maple and our native forests. Experience the flavor of New Jersey maple syrup and visit live demonstrations.
Duke Farms, 1112 Dukes Pkwy W, Hillsborough, NJ
Valentine’s Craft Making Event
February 9, 10AM – 2PM
Stop by the Museum between 10AM and 2PM to create some awesome Valentine’s including a dinosaur-inspired Valentine, a Pop-(h)art – a pop-up hanging Valentine inspired by pop art of the 20th century, or create a “you’re-out-of-this-world” planet bracelet made from beads and pipe cleaners while discovering more about the solar system.
New Jersey State Museum, 205 West State Street, Trenton, NJ
Art for Families: Wearable Sculptures
February 9, 10:30AM – 1PM
Learn how to create and enjoy a wearable sculpture with your family and participate in a gallery activity. Design a whimsical, mixed-media costume inspired by one of Nick Cave’s “soundsuits.”
Princeton University Art Museum, 701 New South, Princeton, NJ
Asbury Park Valentine’s Bazaar
February 9, 12PM – 6PM
At the Grand Arcade Convention Hall in Asbury Park, bring your sweetie and friends to shop fun Valentines-inspired vendors. Vendors will be selling gifts ranging from handcrafted jewelry, art, home goods, and chocolates for your Valentine’s Day sweetheart. Pick up gorgeous flower bouquets from Faye & Renée Floral & Event Design or make your own at their Flower Bar.
Convention Hall, 1300 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ
Goldfish Swim School Denville’s Family Swim Event
February 9, 3PM – 5PM
Join Goldfish Swim School for an exclusive family swim event. The event includes free family swim, facility tours and family fun. Get your blood pumping and your face smiling. RSVP to swimdenville@goldfishss.com.
Goldfish Swim School – Denville, 3130 New Jersey 10 #15 Denville, NJ
Sweetest Night in Pitman
February 9, 4PM – 8PM
Sample a variety of chocolates and other sweet treats from local chocolate and dessert makers. Look for specialty items from Pitman businesses Uptown. This is a perfect opportunity for a romantic evening out in Pitman and a chance to buy some sweet treats for your Valentine.
Theatre Ave, Uptown Pitman, NJ
Hearts On Fire, Palmer Square On Ice
February 9 & 10, 12PM – 3PM
See Palmer Square’s beautiful forestry transformed into an icy wonderland. Gaze at whimsical sculptures, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, or warm yourself up by visiting all the shops in the square. Princeton, NJ is one of NJMOM’s top kid-friendly areas to visit – shopping, music, ice cream, fun!
Palmer Square, 40 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ
Children’s Dental Health Fair
February 10, 1PM – 3PM
Did you know February is Children’s Dental Health Month? If you didn’t, Monmouth Mall and Monmouth Ocean County Dental Society have your covered. Visit the mall on Sunday, February 10th from 1PM – 3PM for information, prizes, gifts, and more.
Monmouth Mall – Town Square, Route 35 & 36, Eatontown, NJ
Til Death Do Us Part: An Oddities Market
February 10, 12PM – 6PM
The Jersey City Oddities Market is bringing you 50+ vendors of the strange and unusual at a brand new waterfront Jersey City venue, featuring restaurants and easy access via Hudson Bergen Lightrail and NYC Ferry.
210 Hudson Street Jersey City NJ
HAM it Up!
February 10, 1PM – 4PM
Spend some quality family time creating cool art projects at the Hunterdon Art Museum’s sixth annual free community day, HAM It Up! Projects this year encourage families to explore art from around the world: make a Daruma doll, try some Ghana-inspired Kente cloth paper weaving, try some Mexican-inspired metal tooling, create a yarn monster or try your hand at some still life painting. Kids can take home a balloon animal and faculty member Tricia Hurley will make origami of endangered species in honor of HAM’s current exhibition Ruth Marshall: Knitting the Endangered. Flavorganics, lead sponsor of HAM It Up!, will offer samples of its organic syrups to please your palate.
Hunterdon Art Museum, 7 Lower Center St, Clinton, NJ
South Orange Symphony Free Family Concert
February 10, 3PM – 5PM
Bring the whole family to South Orange Symphony’s Free Fun Family Concert. Susan Haig of Summit conducts the orchestra in music of Beethoven, Leroy Anderson, Holst, Rimsky-Korakov, Prokofiev, and more. Special guests include: The SOMS Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Bill Cook, The SOMS Chorus, Jake Ezzo, director, and Karen Calloway Williams, Tap Dancer. The event features a musical instrument petting zoo during intermission.
South Orange Middle School, 70 N Ridgewood Rd, South Orange, NJ
Wondrous Winter Walk
February 14, 10AM – 11:30AM
Your family can take in the serenity of the season while on a guided tour of the Highlands. A Monmouth County Park System Naturalist will lead this winter walk through the Hartshorne Woods Park; meet at the Rocky Point section of the Highlands. Get outside, get your body moving, and spend quality time in nature.
Hartshorne Woods Park, 1402 Portland Rd., Highlands, NJ
Maple Sugaring Weekends at the EEC
February 16, 17, 23, 24, 10AM – 2PM
Maple sugaring is a tradition in the Northeast that began centuries ago with the Native Americans and colonists. People of all ages are invited to see this tradition brought to life at the Environmental Education Center (EEC). You will see how trees are tapped, view sap-collecting methods past and present, and see the boiling process that produces delicious New Jersey maple syrup. This 90-minute program is conducted at the Sugar Shack, a ½-mile hike from the EEC. Please arrive at the EEC 20-30 minutes before the program start time and dress appropriately for the weather conditions. Boots are recommended as the trails can be wet, muddy, and/or covered by snow.
Environmental Education Center, 190 Lord Stirling Road, Basking Ridge, NJ
Hackettstown Winterfest
February 17, 12PM
The merchants of Hackettstown invite you to a fun-filled day starting at noon. Discover $2 specials, soups and chili, as well as live ice carving from Decorative Flairs Ice Sculpting. Who doesn’t love a good ice sculpture?
219 Main Street, Hackettstown, New Jersey
Seashell Sunday
February 17, 1PM – 2PM
Starting a shell collection this year? It’s the best way to get to know the Jersey Shore. Want to know where shells come from? Can’t figure out what you found on the beach? Bring it in and we will tell you all about seashells, how to collect them without harming the environment, and feature an assortment of live mollusks, crustaceans, and cool beach finds and artifacts.
Bayshore Waterfront Park, 719 Port Monmouth Rd, Port Monmouth, NJ
Family Day at State Theater New Jersey
February 18, 10AM – 3PM
School is closed today, but there’s plenty for the kids to do at this day-long festival. Spread across several New Brunswick venues, Family Day includes dozens of performances, workshops, and hands-on activities, many of them free. There’s also face painting, balloon animals, games, food, and more.
State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick, NJ
Poetry Out Loud
February 21, 10AM – 12PM
Appel Farm is proud to host the New Jersey Region 2 Competition of Poetry Out Loud. Contestants will present their poetry in the intimate Clare Rostan Appel Theatre.Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students around the country to learn about the great poets of our time.
Appel Farm, 457 Shirley Road, Elmer, NJ
Polar Bear Plunge
February 23, 8AM – 2PM
Freezin’ for a Reason! The Polar Bear Plunge in Seaside Heights is a unique opportunity for individuals, organizations and businesses to support Special Olympics New Jersey athletes by jumping into the frigid Atlantic waters during the month of February. Make a team, plunge alone, or spectate! It’s free to stay inside and stay warm!
Seaside Heights, NJ
Free Kids Expo
February 23, 1PM – 4PM
The Kids Expo features Inflatables, sports class stations, dance academy, camp open house, carnival games, and arts & crafts. We don’t think it can get any more fun than this on a cold winter day!
Westfield YMCA, Westfield, NJ
Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble
February 23, 2:15PM – 3:30PM
Celebrate African culture with a spirited performance featuring dance, drumming, traditional songs, stilt walking and dancing, and much more.
Somerset County Vo-Tech Auditorium, 14 Vogt Drive, Bridgewater, NJ
Psst! Don’t forget to hashtag #NJMOM and tag @njmom and your little cuties could be featured in our next photo round-up.
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10 NJ Diners With Really Awesome Interiors
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