Spend time with your little ones this weekend trying to catch sight of Essex Ed the Groundhog at Turtle Back Zoo’s Groundhog Day, learn how to tap trees and collect sap at Great Swamp’s Maple Sugaring Demonstrations, enjoy beef goulash and potato pancakes at the Slavonic Festival in Rahway, plus so many more kid-friendly things to do around New Jersey this weekend.
While you’re out and about, don’t forget to tag #NJMOM and @njmom, and your little cuties could be featured in our next photo round-up.
Here are 15 Things To Do This Weekend in NJ:
1. Groundhog Day
Friday, February 2, 2018 | 11:00AM to 12:00PM
Resident Groundhog at Turtle Back Zoo, Essex Ed, may not be as famous as Punxsutawney Phil, but he’s just as good at doing his job – which is to uncover whether there will be six more weeks of winter or if there will be an early spring! (We know what we’re hoping for!) Bring your whole family to be a part of this time-honored tradition and find out whether the adorable Essex Ed will see his own shadow.
Turtle Back Zoo
560 Northfield Ave, West Orange, New Jersey 07052
Cost: $10 Child, $12 Adult
2. FunZone Friday
Friday, February 2, 2018 | 10:00AM to 12:00PM
Calling all adventurous, rambunctious, and free-spirited children! FunZone Fridays at ISC Cherry Hill is the event for your family looking for an off-the-wall experience. Children ages 6 and under can go wild in the 36 ft. indoor climbing gym. Snacks, juice, games, and prizes are also a part of this event.
ISC Cherry Hill
650 Kresson Rd, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08034
Cost: $5 Child
3. Eagle Festival
Saturday, February 3, 2018 | 8:00AM to 4:00PM
Get your family ready to soar into the Eagle Festival. Experience a day of birding and ecological wonder when you take part in trail walks, lectures, 6 staffed viewing sites, exhibitors and merchants, live raptors, art activities, and more. This will be a fun-filled day that your family won’t forget.
Mauricetown Fire Hall
9544 Noble St, Mauricetown, NJ 08329
Cost: $5 Child, $10 Adult
4. Penguin Pace 2018
Saturday, February 3, 2018 | 7:45AM to 11:00AM
What do you call a cold penguin? A brrrr-d! The Annual Penguin Pace is back for its second year in a row, and families from all over New Jersey are looking forward to running the icicles off their feet. This pre-season run, which takes place the day before the Super Bowl, will surely get your family’s team spirit going – and don’t forget about the after-party, which includes hot cocoa and an award ceremony.
Packanack Community Church
120 Lake Dr E, Wayne, New Jersey 07470
Cost: $30 Child/Adult, $35 Child/Adult On Race Day (A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Wayne Interfaith Network Food Pantry)
Please click here to register
5. Friday Night with Hamilton
Friday, February 2, 2018 | 6:30PM to 8:30PM
Jump on the Hamilton bandwagon and let your teens learn about the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton in a fun, energizing way! This popular event is back by popular demand and is sure to entertain older children and teens with colonial crafts, tavern games, and what else – an epic showdown that includes songs from the hit Broadway musical Hamilton. Can you sing-rap or will you get upstaged?
Liberty Hall Museum
1003 Morris Ave, Union, New Jersey 07083
Cost: $25 Teens
To make reservations, please click here, call 908-527-0400, or email libertyhall@kean.edu
6. Last Race of NJ Trail Series Winter Races
Saturday, February 3, 2018 | 9:00AM to 1:00PM (8:00AM Registration/Check-In)
Run, don’t walk – the last winter race in the NJ Trail Series is upon us and you won’t want to get left behind in the cold. Online registration ends the Wednesday before the race, and day-of registration is available unless sold out. So get that blood pumping, then hit up the post-race festivities after.
Lewis Morris County Park
270 Mendham Rd, Morristown, NJ 07960
Cost: $40 5K Run, $45 10K Run, $50 13.1M Run. Please click here to register
7. Terhune Orchards’ Read & Explore Program: Animal Tracks
Saturday, February 3, 2018 | 10:00AM to 11:00AM
Help a feathery friend out this winter and make a bird feeder filled with wild bird seed at Terhune Orchards’ Read & Explore Program. You can even bring it home – your neighborhood birds will thank you! Little ones will also have the opportunity to hear stories about animals in winter and talk about wintertime in nature. Weather permitting, there will also be a chance to visit the farm animals.
Terhune Orchards
330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
Cost: $7 Child. To register, please click here or call 609-924-2310
8. PetPals 6th Annual Souper Craft Fair
Saturday, February 3, 2018 | 10:00AM to 3:00PM
Who’s ready for a ‘soup-er’ day? Look no further than the PetPals 6th Annual Souper Craft Fair that takes place at the Oaklyn Fire Department, where you can warm up with homemade soups and sticky buns. Come shop handmade crafts, hand-painted glass, jams, aprons, cookies, and plenty more. There are also a variety of donated items up for grabs to take home as prizes.
Oaklyn Fire Department
20 West Clinton Avenue, Oaklyn, New Jersey 08107
Cost: Free
9. The Princess Bride
Saturday, February 3, 2108 | 10:30AM to 12:15PM
Movie days made better when you can spend it together with your whole family. Head over to Princeton Garden Theatre for a family-friendly matinee showing of The Princess Bride that is perfect for the littles. Their imaginations are sure to be sparked by seeing the storybook world of a farmhand named Westley, who must rescue his true love, Princess Buttercup, from the awful Prince Humperdinck.
Princeton Garden Theatre
160 Nassau St, Princeton, New Jersey 08542
Cost: $3 Child, $5 Adult. Click here to purchase tickets
10. Maple Sugaring Demonstrations
Saturday, February 3 – Sunday, February 4, 2018 | 1:00PM & 2:30PM (Rain or Shine)
We’ll be savoring the sweetness of the weekend at Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center’s Maple Sugaring Demonstrations. Your kids will have hands-on opportunities to learn how to identify and tap maple trees, collect sap, and make syrup over a wood-fired evaporator. If that doesn’t whet your sweet tooth, attendees will also get to taste-test different syrups, including a special one that is made on location.
Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center
247 Southern Blvd., Chatham Township
Cost: $3 Child, $3 Adult. No registration is required, but seating is first come, first served
11. Sing-Along Beauty and the Beast
Saturday, February 3, 2018 | 11:00AM to 1:00PM
Be our guest, be our guest at Count Basie Theatre when the sing-along edition of Disney’s hit movie Beauty and the Beast (2017) hits the silver screen. Children of all ages are sure to be spellbound by the classic story of a monstrous-looking prince and a young woman who fall in love. This interactive experience at the theatre is both musical and energizing.
Count Basie Theatre
99 Monmouth St, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701
Cost: $10 Child, $10 Adult. Click here to purchase tickets
12. MUTTS and the Art of the Comic Strip
Saturday, February 3, 2018 | 1:00PM to 2:00PM
Join the Arts Council of Princeton and hear from renowned artist/author Patrick McDonnell, creator of the comic strip “MUTTS,” give a special presentation on the Art of the Comic Strip. This free event is open to all at the Arts Council’s Taplin Gallery in the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts.
Paul Robeson Center for the Arts – Taplin Gallery
102 Witherspoon St, Princeton, New Jersey 08542
Cost: Free
13. A Winter’s Day on the Farm
Sunday, February 4, 2018 | 12:00PM to 4:00PM
A day spent on the farm is the perfect, wholesome family activity. Experience traditional farm life at Fosterfields Historical Farms just as it was in the early 20th century, including riding on an open-air, tractor-pulled wagon, petting farm animals, learning about ice harvesting and the traditional tools, and helping with daily farm chores. After a full day of farm work, cozy on up in the main farmhouse where seasonal foods will be cooking on a wood-burning stove.
Fosterfields Living Historical Farm
Morristown, New Jersey 07960
Cost: $6 Child, $8 Adult
14. 31st Annual Slavonic Festival
Saturday, February 3, 2018 | 6:00PM to 10:00PM
Hungry for meat and potatoes (and maybe a beer to wash it all down)? The ever-popular Slavonic Festival returns to St. Thomas The Apostle Church for the 31st year and running. It will be slinging up specialty foods such as beef goulash, potato pancakes, Haluski, and more crowd favorites to keep your bellies full and your heart content. Live performances by The Adlers Band blend the best of Austrian, German and American music to get you in an Oktoberfest state of mind. There will also be prize raffles and church tours.
St Thomas The Apostle Byzantine Catholic Church
1405 Saint Georges Ave, Rahway, New Jersey 07065
Cost: Free
15. Last Weekend of Turtle Back Tots: Winter 2017/2018
Sunday, February 4 – Monday, February 5, 2018 | 10:00AM to 11:00AM, 11:30AM to 12:30PM
A is for Aardvark, B is for Beaver… discover the natural world together with your toddler through play, art, and stories in the Turtle Back Zoo Tots Program. Each session you will explore a new animal type, and through alphabet pairings, your child will learn about different animals in the zoo. It’s a zoo out there, and we know your kids will go wild for this program!
Turtle Back Zoo
560 Northfield Ave, West Orange, New Jersey 07052
Cost: $20 Child
MORE FUN THINGS TO DO IN NJ THIS WEEKEND:
- Top 12 Ice Skating Rinks in New Jersey
- Best Ski Resorts in NJ
- 25 {Must Know} Kid-Friendly Landmarks in NJ
- Museums in North, Central, & South NJ
- Aquariums in NJ
- 20 Family Friendly Hiking Trails in NJ
- 52 #NJMOM Must-Do Adventures
- Plan ahead by checking NJ Mom’s 60+ Things to Do in New Jersey
- Free Museum Days in NJ (the first weekend of each month)
- 275 Parks & Playgrounds in NJ
- 50 Best Spas in NJ
- 10 Mommy & Me Classes in NJ
- Date Night Ideas for Mom + Dad
- Kids Eat Free Restaurants
- Kids Bowl Free in NJ
