Weekend Family Fun: Block Party, Architecture, Trucks and More – Baristanet
Who is ready for another weekend? We sure are! We’ve rounded up some things to do that the whole family can enjoy. Have a look!
The New Jersey State Fair will continue at the Sussex County Fairgrounds (37 Plains Road, Augusta) from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM through Saturday, August 13. Activities include a lumberjack competition, demolition derby, monster truck show, truck and tractor pulls, a carnival, 4-H exhibits, an agricultural area, the Sussex County Horse Show, and more. Visit the website for a full schedule and ticketing information.
The Passaic County Fair will be held this weekend at Garret Mountain Reservation (8 Mountain Avenue, Woodland Park). The fair will be open on Friday from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, Saturday from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Activities include games, rides, art activities, bounce houses, pony rides, petting zoo, face painting, the 4H Experience, and much more. There will be fireworks on Friday and Saturday at 9:30 PM. For a schedule of performances and more information, visit the website.
For the final weekend, Stony Hill Farms (15 North Road, Chester) will host their annual Sunflower Festival. Each festival ticket includes a wagon ride to the sunflower fields, time to take photos and enjoy the blooms, live music, and access to vendors. There are also options to cut your own flowers. Children can also enjoy trike rides, a barnyard board game, a Noah’s ark playground, and more. The hours for the festival are 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Friday through Sunday. Tickets are $20.99 – $45.99.
The Frelinghuysen Arboretum (353 East Hanover Avenue, Morris Twp) continues to host the Family Photo Scavenger Hunt. Held daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, bring your camera or phone for this month’s hunt. The theme for August is “I’m So Bored.” Looking for something to do on these lazy summer days? Grab a camera or phone and get the family outdoors! Take a photo of every item to win a prize! The cost is $10 per family or group of 6 or fewer. Preregistration is required.
Mount Olive Recreation Department will host a Touch A Truck on Saturday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Turkey Brook Park (30 Flanders Road, Budd Lake). Turn imagination into real life with a chance to climb into, onto, and take pictures with lots of different kinds of trucks. Kids can enjoy live action demos and see various trucks, including fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, and construction trucks. There will also be a new remote control car course (bring your own car!) and vendors. This event is free.
Montclair History Center (110 Orange Road, Montclair) will host Family Fun: Architecture Walking Tour on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Column or pilaster? Herringbone or Flemish bond brick? On this Family Walking Tour, you’ll look for architectural details in the beautiful homes located on the streets near the Crane House & Historic YWCA. Teach your kids the language of architecture. Maybe you’re raising the next Mead, McKim, or White! All ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $20 per family. Register online.
Essex County Environmental Center (621 Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland) will host Buzzfest on Saturday. Have you ever wondered how honey goes from hive to jar? Join local beekeepers and see a real hive! You’ll even get a sample taste. Learn about bees, their current challenges, and how we can help. Make-and-take bee-themed crafts and activity stations included. Advance registration is required, and participants may choose the 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, or 1:00 PM time slot. This event is suitable for all ages. Cost is $15 per participant.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum (165 Hobart Avenue, Summit) will offer Free Saturday Tours this Saturday at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. Tours begin at the Visitors Center. No reservations are required, and tours are on a first come, first served basis.
Fosterfields Living Historical Farm (73 Kahdena Road, Morristown) will host Engines and Equipment on the Farm on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Check out all of the tools and equipment used around the farm! This is included with price of admission. No registration is required. This activity is suitable for all ages. The cost of this activity is included with admission.
Montclair Jazz Festival will host Block Party + Brother Mister Series at Lackawanna Plaza (1 Lackawanna Plaza, Montclair) on Saturday from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Enjoy performances by a number of musicians throughout the day. From to noon to 5:00 PM, bring your wee-boppers to the Family Jazz Discovery Zone, a special place where kids and their families can gather to play, improvise, create, make new friends, and of course, share in the passion for jazz!
Turtle Back Zoo (560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange) will host Wonders of the Wild on Saturday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. This session, entitled “It’s a Bug’s Life,” is $30 per person and is available to students ages 6-12. Turtle Back Zoo is an amazing classroom! Our Wonders of the Wild program offers students an opportunity to participate in supplementary science and nature-themed programs and projects that facilitate scientific literacy and life-long environmental stewardship. This is a drop-off program. Registration is available online.
On Saturday at 3:00 PM, State Theatre New Jersey, New Brunswick Cultural Center, NBPAC, and Above Art Studios will present New Brunswick Heart Festival at Monument Square (2 Livingstone Avenue, New Brunswick). This free, outdoor family-friendly festival will feature live music and dance performances, dance classes for kids and adults, an Arts Market, craft vendors, free balloon animals, arts & crafts activities, games, and fun giveaways. For more information on sessions and performers, visit the website.
The New Weis Center for Education, Arts & Recreation (150 Snake Den Road, Ringwood) will host a Guided Sunset Hike on Saturday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Enjoy a moderate but leisurely hike up to a beautiful viewpoint over the highlands at sunset. The hike up during golden hour will be at a slow pace, followed by a break to enjoy the sunset over the mountains for a while. Then, on the hike back down, experience some of the nocturnal creatures beginning their night! This activity is suitable for ages 8 and up. Cost is $8 per person.
Michaels (Riverfront Center, 348 Rt 3 W, Clifton) will host Sunday Makebreak from 2:00 Pm to 4:00 PM. This week’s craft is Rainbow Pull Art. Stop in for a free and fun craft to learn a technique to make art using yarn. No registration is required.
On Sunday, stop by the Sunday Farmers Market at Westfield Garden State Plaza (One Garden State Plaza, Paramus) between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. In addition to fresh farm produce, there are over 20 food vendors, food trucks, a car meetup, kids activities, and more. Catch a performance by Mad Science: Fire & Ice. This spectacular show thrills audiences with impressive science experiments including foggy dry ice storms and special bubbly showers. This event is free.
Morris Museum (6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown) hosts Spark!Lab on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Spark!Lab offers any child (ages 5-12 years old and accompanied by an adult), a new informal approach to hands-on learning. Instead of following step-by-step instructions, young inventors will be empowered to problem-solve and overcome real-world obstacles. Spark!Lab offers many unique, project-specific stations, where inventors can engage directly with engineering and design challenges. There is also a newly created space with a train and exploration table filled with unique tools to help spark creativity, thinking, and learning for children ages 1-4). The cost is included in admission, which is $12 for adults, $8 for children 3-17, and free for children under 3. All summer through August 28, young inventors will be issued a free Spark!Lab passport during their summer visits to the lab. With each visit they will acquire a stamp and with six stamps they will complete the challenge and earn an exclusive prize. The first ten inventors who complete this challenge will receive the You Topia moving diorama makers kit (pictured above)! Other prizes include a Spark!Lab journal and more!
Liberty Science Center (222 Jersey City Blvd, Jersey City) has several special exhibits. The Pigeon Comes to Jersey City celebrates the art and characters of beloved children’s book author and illustrator, Mo Willems. This young learner exhibition features best-friend duo Elephant and Piggie, faithful companion Knuffle Bunny, and The Pigeon, the wily city bird best known for his antics in Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! It will also continue to present Minecraft: The Exhibition. This is a 6,000-sq.-ft. multimedia experience that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, whether they play Minecraft or not. The exhibition features an immersive experience that includes blocky scenes and characters from the game. Both exhibits will be open will be open through September 5, 2022. Liberty Science Center is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Cost is the price of general admission, plus an additional fee. Visit the website for details.