Weekend Family Fun: Juneteenth, Father’s Day and More – Baristanet

Father’s Day Weekend is here! We’re wishing all the best to all the dads and dad-figures out there. Are you ready for some family-friendly fun? Check out these activities!

The Tri-County Fair will be held this weekend at Christ Church (140 Green Pond Road, Rockaway). Enjoy rides for kids and adults, monster truck rides, pony rides, fun fair food, family entertainment, fireworks, and more. Admission is free, but activities have costs. 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 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

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. There is a new theme each month, and June’s theme is “Midsummer Dream.” The magic of summer is here and it’s time to look for winged friends in the garden. Grab your camera and explore the gardens for plants, herbs and flowers that attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Who knows? You might even spy a Midsummer Fairy! The cost is $10 per family or group of 6 or fewer. Preregistration is required.

Fosterfields Living Historical Farm (73 Kahdena Road, Morristown) will host Father’s Day Gifts: Air Fresheners on Saturday at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Happy Father’s Day! In this program, children will create a simple air freshener craft for the father figures in their lives. Drop in anytime during the session. Cost is $10 per child/adult pair. Preregistration is required.

New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame (400 Fred Wehran Drive, Teterboro) will host Open Cockpit Day from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Visitors will have the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of a very rare Lockheed Bushmaster plane, a U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter, and a M*A*S*H Bell 47 helicopter made famous during the Korean War. There will be other vehicles and aircraft available to view. Cost is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and children under 12, and free for children 2 years old and under.

The West Caldwell Police Department will present Touch a Truck on Saturday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Essex Valley School (1 Henderson Drive, West Caldwell). This is an interactive outdoor family adventure that lets kids climb, explore, and discover their favorite trucks and emergency vehicles. Ice cream, pizza, cotton candy, and more will be available.

Take part in a Juneteenth Celebration at Rand School (176 N Fullerton Avenue, Montclair) from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. This will be a day to educate and celebrate Juneteenth with spoken word, music, vendors, activities, and more.

On Saturday, from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Newark Museum of Art (49 Washington Street, Newark) will host Community Day: Juneteenth, at Washington Park, soon to be renamed Harriet Tubman Park, across from the Museum. Juneteenth at the NMOA will be an outdoor festival inspired by Harriet Tubman featuring performers, artists, and dancers from the Black community across New Jersey. Be part of the creation of Newark’s Harriet Tubman Monument in Washington Park by decorating ceramic tiles with your stories of freedom and liberation. The tiles will later be fired and integrated into the final design of the Monument (limited availability). Jacari Harris, Executive Director of the George Floyd Foundation, will address the general progress of the black community and touch on topics of activism and equity. Take part in step workshops, arts and crafts, great food, local vendors, and a lot more! This event is free for all ages, and visitors can also enjoy free general admission to the Museum all day during Community Day!

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!

On Sunday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, Watchung Booksellers (54 Fairfield Street, Watchung Plaza, Montclair) will present Sharon Dennis Wyeth and Kim Holt, Juneteenth: Our Day of Freedom. Enjoy the conversation with author, Sharon Dennis Wyeth, and illustrator, Kim Holt, as they talk about the research, collaboration, and message of their new book, Juneteeth: Our Day of Freedom, a Level 3 Step into Reading book that is perfect for the whole family to learn from and enjoy.

On Sunday, Newark Museum of Art (49 Washington Street, Newark) will host June Family Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Enjoy a day of fun activities for the whole family at The Newark Museum of Art, including MakerSPACE and Family Drop-In: Summertime Fun. You can find the entire schedule online. This program is included with Museum admission. Reserve your tickets online.

On Sunday, Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center (247 Southern Blvd, Chatham Township) will host Father’s Day Geocaching from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. Geocaching is a great outdoor activity for families! Learn how to use a GPS unit or geocaching app along with a map to locate hidden treasures, called “caches” along the trails. All materials are provided. The cost is $12 per person, and the event is appropriate for ages 7 and up with an adult. Preregistration is required.

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.