It’s peak winter, but there are plenty of festivals this month to feel the love (and stay warm). Learn about maple syrup production with an educational tour, animal zoo, wooden train, and bubble cart at Happy Day Farm’s Maple Syrup Festival in Manalapin, watch acrobats and dancers, and make crafts celebrating the Year of the Horse at the Lunar New Year Community Day in Newark, or celebrate the season of love with vendors, face painting and a flower bar at Asbury Park Valentine’s Bazaar. And if you like your fun without breaking the bank, make sure you check out our guide to free things to do this month, too. (featured photo credit: iStock/PaulMcKinnon)
(Note: It’s always best to check ahead for in-person events.)
Sap to Syrup Festival at Tenafly Nature Center
February 1, 8, 15
Interested in learning more about how maple syrup is made from tapping trees? Head to this fun event for the whole family, where you will head outdoors to identify tree species, learn how sap flows, and practice using tapping tools.
Cost: Children 2 and under are free
Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Avenue, Tenafly, NJ 07670
New Jersey Symphony Lunar Celebration
February 7 at 7:30 PM
Enjoy an evening of community and cultural exchange, ideal for families and children, to usher in the Year of the Horse. Seattle Symphony Associate Conductor Sunny Xia and Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Winner Haochen Zhang make their New Jersey Symphony debuts in this festive concert that celebrates music from East and West.
Cost: Ticket prices vary
New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center St, Newark, NJ 07102
East Brunswick Lunar Year Celebration 2026
February 7
It’s the year of the horse, and this is a great way to ring in the Lunar New Year with the family. There will be children’s activities, live performances, mini photo sessions with Musen Photography, vendors, and local businesses. And don’t miss the Lion Dance to welcome good fortune in the New Year.
Cost: Free
1 Jean Walling Civic Center Drive, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
Lunar New Year Celebration
February 7 at 1 PM
It’s the Year of the Horse, symbolizing freedom, energy, independence, and forward momentum. Celebrate these unique events at both locations next door to each other. There will be Asian cuisine, cultural performances, King Fu demonstrations, Peking opera, and more.
Cost: Free
Summit YMCA, 67 Maple Street, Summit, NJ 07092
Summit Library, 75 Maple Street, Summit, NJ 07092
Historical Valentines
February 14 at 1 PM
It’s the season of love, and what better way to celebrate than by making historical Valentines? Your little ones will discover how penmanship has evolved as they view letters from the 18th and 19th centuries, then create their own using historically inspired materials.
Cost: Free
Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper Freehold, NJ 08501
Lunar New Year Community Day
February 14 at 12 PM
Celebrate the Lunar New Year at this event with the whole family. There will be art, tradition, dance performances, crafts, food, and more.
Cost: Free
Newark Museum of Art, 49 Washington St, Newark, NJ 07102
Old-Fashioned Valentine’s Day
February 14 at 10 AM
Bundle up for a memorable and heartwarming Valentine’s Day ride. Families can ride in a bobsled or hay wagon pulled by a team of draft horses as they go past a wintery landscape. Back at the farmhouse, stop in for soup on the stove and a children’s craft starting at 11 AM.
Cost: Free
Howell Living History Farm, 700 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township, NJ 08530
Asbury Park Valentine’s Bazaar
February 14 & 15
Don’t have a gift for that special someone yet? Attend this fun event in two locations, where you can buy items from local vendors, enjoy delicious food, visit photo stations, visit a flower bar, participate in kids’ activities, and more.
Cost: Free
Grand Arcade of Convention Hall, 1300 Ocean Avenue N, Unit C-4, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
2026 Lunar New Year Spectacular
February 15 at 12 PM
Begin the Year of the Horse with the family at this iconic celebration that will include lion dances, Kung Fu demonstrations, and unforgettable culture.
Cost: Free
American Dream, Court A, Level 1, 1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford, NJ 07073
Happy Day Farm’s Maple Syrup Festival
February 21, 22, and 28
Take a trip to the sugar shack on the farm, with an educational tour, a tractor ride to the sugar bush, an animal zoo, a wooden train, and a bubble cart. Pancakes and syrup are available for purchase.
Cost: $18 per person
Happy Day Farm, 106 Iron Ore Road, Manalapan, NJ 07726
Mac & Cheese Mayhem
February 28 at 11 AM
Love all things macaroni and cheese? This event is a fun-filled day of delicious macaroni and cheese, vendors, and kids’ activities, hatchet throwing, face painting, a petting zoo, and more.
Cost: $7 per person when purchased in advance, or $10 at the door on the day of the event. Kids 3 and under are free.
Morristown Armory, 430 Western Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960
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