Get ready to spring forward into sunny weather (fingers crossed) and lots of fun family events. See trains go round the track when Greensbergs Train and Toy Show makes a stop in Edison, dance along to an Irish jig and wear green at one of the St. Patrick’s Day Parades in Morristown, Ocean County, Union, or Clinton, eat pie and do your best Einstein imitation at Pi Day in Princeton or celebrate opening day at Diggerland USA in New Egypt. And if you’re looking for even more to do, check out our New Jersey activities bucket list. Feature Photo Credit: (istock:/Ultima_Gaina)
(Note: It’s always best to check ahead for in-person events)
Gourmet Goods and Makers Market
March 11 at 10 AM
Bring your love for food to this curated market featuring gourmet bread, cheeses, honey, teas, baked goods, wine, and artisan coffee. You will find seasonal gourmet products as well as handmade artisan creations.
Cost: Free
Calgo Gardens, 462 Adelphia Road Freehold, NJ 07728
Workhorse Rides at Howell Living History Farm
March 11 at 10 AM
Spend the day learning about the differences between draft, saddle, and carriage horses, and then take a ride on a fully harnessed workhorse. Afterward, help farmers with barn chores, including bedding stalls, filling water troughs, and making feed.
70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township, NJ 08530
Kid’s St. Patrick’s Celebration
March 11 at 10 AM
Give your kids a St. Patrick’s Day celebration they will remember at Shannon Rose Ramsey Irish Pub. Enjoy bagpipers, step dancers, and Irish music. Check out the parade and leprechaun costume contest for kids, where the winner receives a free meal. The proceeds from the raffle baskets will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Cost: Free
1200 NJ-17, Ramsey, NJ 07446
Read & Explore: Birds, Nesting & Birdhouses
March 11 at 10 AM
Explore birds, nesting, and birdhouses with this fun and interactive program at Terhune Orchards. Your kids will read stories about birds, make their own birdhouse, and receive nesting material to take home for their yards.
Cost: Free
330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
Greenberg’s Great Train and Toy Show
March 11 – 12 at 10 AM
Enjoy the nation’s only coast-to-coast train show company as it heads to Edison. The show features hundreds of tables of trains and accessories for sale, huge operating exhibits, activities for kids, and much more.
Cost: Kids 11 and under are free. The adult ticket on March 11 is $11.00. The adult ticket on March 12 is $10.00.
97 Sunfield Ave, Edison, NJ 08837
Growing in the Garden – Waiting for Spring
March 11 at 10:30 AM
Check for signs of Spring in the beautiful garden at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum. Enjoy a story, visit Macculloch’s 19th-century sundial, and make a spring countdown calendar to take home. This program is for children ages 4 and older and their caregivers.
Cost: $8 for child members. $12 for child nonmembers. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The fee covers entry to the museum and all materials.
45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960
Diggerland USA Season Opening
March 11 at 11 AM
Gear up for the season-opening of Diggerland USA, the only construction theme and water park in America. Plan a family fun day your kids won’t forget after they get the chance to drive, ride and operate specially engineered real machinery. New for this year is the Lumber Jack Claw, where families can experience maneuvering this log loader and massive claw with a joystick at our all-new and unique attraction you won’t find anywhere else and the Hook and Ladder Station, to see, touch and climb aboard several awesome EMS vehicles on display.
Cost: Tickets are on sale for $49.95 at the gate; $45.95 in advance.
100 Pinedge Drive, West Berlin, NJ 08091
March Kids Zone Event
March 11 at 11 AM
Head to Deptford Mall for a Kid’s Zone event at JCPenney’s. Your kids will get the chance to make a butterfly or ladybug wind chime. Kids also receive a collector’s pin and a lanyard to hold their Kids Zone pins. You will receive a special coupon offer that can be combined with other coupons on that day.
Cost: Free
1750 Deptford Center Rd, Deptford, NJ 08096
Community Day: Her Story/Our Story
March 11 at 11:30 AM
Celebrate the newly unveiled Harriet Tubman monument and the reopening of our Seeing America, 18th and 19th-century galleries at The Newark Museum of Art. This event features live performances, art-making activities, a fashion show, tours of the artworks, and more. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
Cost: Free. Registration required.
49 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102
Irish Celebration!
March 11 at 11:30 AM
Enjoy Irish vendors, a performance from The Devrin Academy of Irish Dance, and live music at the Laurita Irish Celebration.
Cost: Free
Laurita Winery, 85 Archertown Rd, New Egypt, NJ 08533
Morris County St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 11 at 12 PM
Everyone is a little bit Irish at this parade, one of the largest and most celebrated in Morris County. Watch bagpipers, bands, officers, Irish dancing, and marching starting on South Street to Morristown Green. The parade will continue along Washington Street and end at Morristown High School.
Morristown Town Hall – 200 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
Ocean County St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 11 at 12 PM
Start the lineup early for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, featuring Celtic floats, Irish dancers, and music in downtown Seaside Heights. At the end of the parade, see the Massed Band and a 40′ long American flag, and celebrate post-parade at a party at the Hershey Motel.
Cost: Free
The Boulevard, Seaside Heights, NJ
(732) 793-5000
The Original St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Hamilton
March 11 at 12:30 PM
Bring your Irish pride to this festive day of celebration in Hamilton. The opening ceremony will take place at 12:30 PM at the Nottingham Fire House on Mercer Street, and the parade will kick off at precisely 1:00 PM.
200 Mercer Street, Hamilton Square, N. J. 08690
Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 11 at 1 PM
Come watch this parade, starting on Morris Avenue and Stuyvesant Avenue, with a Kid’s Zone of fun activities and games on Stuyvesant Avenue. Then at 1 PM sharp, the parade begins from Commerce and Jeanette Avenues and ends at Roosevelt Avenue.
Scheduled to step off from Commerce and Morris Avenues
St. Patrick’s Day Dance Exhibition
March 11 at 2 PM
Bring the whole family to enjoy Irish Step dancing, singing, and live music at the METC Education annex. This exhibition will give your kids a chance to learn a little dance.
23 Main Street, Madison, NJ 07940
Career Carnival for Kids
March 11 at 2 PM
Give your kids the opportunity to learn about different careers at this fun, family-friendly carnival. You will meet career guides from other businesses, organizations, and schools while enjoying hands-on activities, games, and giveaways.
Cost: Free
Showboat Resort Atlantic City, 801 Boardwalk Atlantic City, NJ 08401
North Wildwood St Patrick’s Parade
March 11
Come celebrate the Irish and maybe see a leprechaun at this festive parade featuring the VFW Color Guard, Vietnam Veterans of America, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Irish Pipe Brigade, Miss North Wildwood, and more.
9th and Atlantic Avenue, North Wildwood, NJ 08260
Sea Isle City’s 2023 Saint Patrick’s Day Parade
March 11 at 3:30 PM
Bring your best green outfit and Irish pride to Sea Isle City’s 2023 Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. This event will include a costume contest beginning at 2 PM and the parade beginning at 3:30 PM.
120 63rd Street, Sea Isle City, NJ 08243
Pi Day Princeton
March 11 and 14 at 9 AM
Celebrate Pi Day in the town where Einstein lived. This event includes a preteen Einstein look-a-like and pi recitation contest, an expert memorization speaker, and a pie sampling experience.
Most events are free and located in downtown Princeton or Princeton Shopping Center. Arrive early to guarantee participation.
Maple Sugaring Tours
March 11 -12
Join a centuries-old tradition and make pure maple syrup at Happy Day Farm the “old-fashioned” way. You will use buckets to collect sap and boil it down to syrup in their sugarhouse in a wood-fired evaporator. The tour includes a tractor ride into their “sugar bush” and access to friendly farm animals. There will be pancakes and maple syrup available for purchase.
Cost: $18 per person (tractor ride included). Children under 1 are free. Tickets are sold at the door only. Cash only.
106 Iron Ore Road, Manalapan, New Jersey 07726
New Jersey Collector Fest
March 12 at 10 AM
Get ready for a collectibles super show. Meet comic artists and fellow pop culture fans at New Jersey Collector Fest. This event will feature a wide selection of comics, toys, and collectibles, from vintage to modern, as well as special guests.
Cost: Varied Prices
1 Pal Dr, Wayne, NJ 07470
Seed Super Powers
March 12 at 10 AM
Learn the different ways seeds travel with fun activities. Your kids will make exploding and floating seeds, pick up hitchhiking seeds, have a food tasting, and make plantable paper to take home. Perfect for children ages 5-10
Cost: $15
Burlington County Agricultural Center, 500 Centerton Rd, Moorestown, NJ 08057
St. Patrick’s Day Tours
March 12 at 11 AM
A period-dressed interpreter will host a 90-minute tour of the village, including Ireland’s history and culture. Kids will love watching traditional Irish cooking, folklore, and music demonstrations.
Cost: Tickets are $15 per person and must be purchased in advance
The Historic Village at Allaire – 4263 Atlantic Avenue, Wall, NJ 07727
(732) 919-3500
Lines on the Pines 2023
March 12 at 11 AM
Share your love of the Pine Barrens at Lines on the Pines 2023. Meet Pine Barrens authors, artists, and artisans. Your kids will enjoy “Lines on the Pines for Kids” areas, which features unique hands-on displays, crafts, and activities.
Cost: Free
Stockton University Campus Center, 101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ 08205
West Orange St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 12 at 12:15 PM
The parade will step off at Main Street and Mt. Pleasant Avenue in West Orange. Complimentary shuttle buses are provided for marchers and spectators to the starting location of the parade at Town Hall.
Corner of Main Street and Mt. Pleasant Avenue, West Orange, NJ 07052
10th Annual Freehold Borough Art Council St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 12 at 12:30 PM
Downtown Freehold Irish Week kicks off with the 10th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade with a marching group check-in at 11 AM, and the parade begins at 1 PM. The parade will end at Elk’s Lodge.
McLean Street, Freehold, NJ 07728
Asbury Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 12 at 1 PM
Feel the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day in Asbury Park. Enjoy local participation from veterans, local Boy and Girl Scout troops, dance schools, high school marching bands, regional pipe and drum groups, national and international award-winning mummers, clowns, roller girls, live bands on floats, and much more. The parade route will take off at 5th Avenue and Ocean Avenue.
Asbury Park Boardwalk, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
asburystpatsparade@gmail.com
Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 12 at 1 PM
This parade route starts on Allen Street and River Road and ends at Carton Street and Forrest Avenue. Anticipate the parade lasting one and a half hours.
It kicks off on Allen Street and River Road
Woodbridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 12 at 1:30 PM
The parade will start at Woodbridge High School and end at Woodbridge Town Hall, featuring marching bands and Irish music—don’t forget to wear your green.
Cost: Free
1 Samuel Lupo Place, Woodbridge, NJ 07095
Somerville St. Patrick’s Parade
March 12 at 1:30 PM
Remember to wear green and line up along Main Street for the 30th Annual Somerville St. Patrick’s Parade. You will enjoy bagpipe bands, step dancers, marching bands, civic groups, youth groups, emergency services apparatus, and much more.
Line up along Main Street
Bergen County St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 12 at 2 PM
Bergen County’s 40th annual parade will take place down Washington Avenue in Bergenfield. This event will bring out Irish traditions that the county celebrates.
Cost: Free
Washington Avenue, Bergenfield, NJ 07621
2023 Hunterdon County St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Clinton
March 12 at 3 PM
Your family will enjoy pipe and drum bands, Irish Step dancers, and more at Hunterdon County St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Clinton. This parade’s pre-parade activities start at 2 PM with Irish step dancers on Main St.
Main St, Clinton, NJ 08809
Hackettstown 13th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 12 at 3:30 PM
Over 14,000 people line the streets of Hackettstown for this event each year. The kickoff for the Hackettstown parade is at 3:30 PM. Dress up your dog for the best-dressed pooch and watch numerous floats that make their way through the town.
Corner of Washington and Grand Avenues on Main Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840
Ongoing Events
Maple Sugaring
February 19 – March 26
Bring your crew out to identify a maple tree, hear about the history of maple sugaring and see how the technology has changed.
Cost: Children under 2 are free, members $8, member family (up to 6) $60, nonmembers $12. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required.
Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Avenue, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Night Forms: Infinite Wave at Grounds For Sculpture
Now-April 2
The whole family will love to see the Grounds of Sculpture reimagined after hours, with a multi-sensory light and sound experience designed to engage with the art and horticulture collection. Spend the evening outdoors exploring the lighting, sound, and video projection mapping, and join the interactive exhibits, which will delight kids and adults.
Cost: $22 and up
80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ 08619
Hidden Gems Exhibit
Now – May 8
Journey into a fascinating world of rock structures that underscore the wonder of nature. Enjoy freestanding sculptures inspired by rock structures created with multiple parts of cast, assembled, and carved resin.
Cost: Free
Kean University, 1003 Morris Ave Building 2, Union, NJ 07083
Thomas and Friends Explore the Rails at Liberty Science Center
Now – September 4
Learn, play, and solve problems with Thomas the Tank Engine and his engine friends. Immerse yourself in locations from the TV series where kids can practice essential skills like counting objects, comparing sizes, and learning colors. Older kids can hone their math skills, understand basic engineering concepts, and see how technology works to keep engines running.
Cost: Tickets included with general admissions
Liberty State Park, 222 Jersey City Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07305
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