Central Jersey Family Festivals: Discover The Best Themed Events

Your Guide to The Best Central Jersey Family Festivals: Features Family Oriented Music, Food, Entertainment and Fun Activities

The Central Jersey family festivals feature festivals and events with special themes and are known for having good music, food, entertainment, skilled artisans and performers, fun activities, crafts, and more!

Note: Sometimes conditions require cancellations or changes of dates, times and location which are not reflected in the original schedule. Before planning a trip to visit one of the listed events, it is suggested that you call the event sponsor to confirm the event schedule or for additional information on the event.

Multi-Date, Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

Basie Center's Concerts On the Green
Outdoor concerts throughout the summer, beginning May 14, and lasting until Saturday, September 11, 2021
Historic Suneagles Golf Club
Tinton Avenue
Fort Monmouth
Eatontown, NJ
Schedule & Tickets
Price: $39–$89

Clinton's Come Together Friday Night Music Festivals
Every Friday night, 7 PM to 9 PM ~ from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend!
Downtown Clinton, NJ
Facebook
(908) 328-2475
4 awesome bands fill the streets of Clinton with music

Seaside Heights Summer Concert Series
Free Outdoor concerts on Monday & Thursday evenings, beginning Monday, July 5 and ending on Monday, August 30, 2021.
Two locations: On the beach & the Franklin stage,
Seaside Heights, NJ
Check Schedule & location

Seaside Heights Fireworks
On the Boardwalk
Seaside Heights, NJ
Website
833-4SEASIDE
Beginning July 5, through August 25, 2021: at 9:30 PM
Fired from the beach near the Franklin Ave.
2021 Fireworks Schedule:
Monday July 5th, Wednesday July 7th, Wednesday July 14th, Wednesday July 21st, Wednesday July 28th, Wednesday August 11th, Wednesday August 18th, & Wednesday August 25th, 2021

July 2021 Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

Discovering Raritan
July 31, 2021; 4pm - 9pm
Somerset Street
Raritan Borough, NJ
Website
Event Cost: Free
Join in on discovering all that Raritan has to offer!
This outdoor family event features Live entertainment, Kids fun activities, Food, Beer, and more. Demonstrations from businesses will be running through the day. The Raritan PBA will be operating a Beer Tent.

August Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

Middlesex County Fair
August 2 thru 8, 2021; ( Monday-Friday: 5:00pm - 11:00pm; Saturday: 11:00am - 11:00pm ; Sunday: 11:00am - 10:00pm)
County Fairgrounds
655 Cranbury Road
East Brunswick, NJ
Website/Tickets --- Tickets will be available on line and at the gate.
Cost: $10 for adults, $4 for seniors over the age of 65, $4 for children between the ages of 3 and 10, and Free for children under 2. Free Parking
This annual event promises to be a week full of fun with live entertainment, carnival rides, local fair vendors, a variety of homemade, beginning with Fireworks on pening night August 2 (rain date August 3), There will be a live band every night, with the featured performance, the Amish Outlaws, on August 4th. There is no "typical" Amish Outlaws show. The Amish Outlaws constantly surprise the audience and keep them guessing as to what they could possibly play next, from Johnny Cash to Jay Z, Lady Gaga to Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, Pitbull to Elivs Presley, and more.

Highlands 26th annual Clam Festival
August 6, 7, 8, 2021
Huddy Park
Shore Drive
Highlands, NJ
Website
732-291-4713 
This three-day festival will feature seafood and other dishes from local restaurants, live entertainment, children's activities and specialty vendors.

Butterfly Festival
Saturday, August 7, 2021; 10AM - 4PM
Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association
31 Titus Mill Road
Pennington NJ 08534
Website
Price: $10 per person or $25 per carload (up to six people)
The event will feature tours of the Kate Gorrie Butterfly House, and the Insect Zoo. Enjoy music and live entertainment by the Trenton Circus Squad and Eyes of the Wild (a live exotic rescue animal show). Young children will delight in being a part of the famous “Butterfly and Bug Parade” led by Lady Monarch, Ms. Allison.
Adults and older children can learn about watersheds and the need to protect our rivers, lakes and streams through educational hands-on exhibits. Food and drink will be available for sale and you can purchase butterfly wings, and other fun items at the Watershed Nature Shop.
Proceeds from this event help sustain our work in environmental conservation, advocacy, science, and education. The Watershed Institute is a member-supported non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring clean water and healthy environments in central New Jersey.

The Italian American Association of Ocean Township Annual Italian Festival
August 11th – 15th, 2021
Joe Palaia Park
corner of Deal and Whalepond Road
Ocean Township, NJ
732-517-1040
Website
This four day Italian Festival annually attracts over 80,000 people with a taste for our traditional foods and wholesome family fun. Celebrating Italian heritage and culture! * * FREE ADMISSION * *
There's something for everyone! From sampling the great taste of Italy's delicious food, rides, games, music, and fireworks display on Friday at 9 pm. This year's festival promises 5 fun filled days of entertainment for the entire family

September 2021 Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

Trenton Pork Roll Festival
Saturday, September 4, 2021: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM 
Trenton Social
449 South Broad Street
Trenton, NJ 08611
Website/Tickets
Whether you call it Pork Roll or Taylor Ham ... this cult favorite meat, still made in Trenton, is one of Jersey's most beloved edible treasures. This event features Food trucks & guest chefs, a Beer garden and full bar, Live music stage, their superhero mascot, P-Roll. VIP option for the ultimate experience Games and fun for kids and adults alike.

New Jersey Sports Card Convention
September 17, 18, 19, 2021
iPlay America
110 Schanck Road
Freehold, NJ
Website 
Cost: Advanced Price – $9.99. Day of Show Price – $14.99, General Admission during convention hours for one (1) person. 3 Day Weekend Admission: $24.99 3 day full weekend General Admission access. Child Under 6 Years Old – 1 Day Admission: Free.
This event will feature experienced card collectors and dealers bringing sports fans a wide variety of collectibles, novelties, sports card memorabilia, and more!

Sea.Hear.Now Festival
September 18-19, 2021
North Beach & Bradley Park
Asbury Park, NJ
Website & Tickets
Sea.Hear.Now is committed to raising awareness about the issues facing our ocean environment, including the global plastic waste crisis and climate change.
Two days featuring over 25 performances on three stages, all on the gorgeous Asbury Park Waterfront. The event features music, surf culture and arts festival features over 25 performances, food from regional and local restaurants including vegan, vegetarian & gluten-free options, specialty items from dozens of art vendors with giveaways with Bars & concessions throughout the park and beach Water stations with free refills. The lineup for the festival is decidedly rock-heavy with alt-rockers Incubus and folksy surfer dude Jack Johnson headlining the two days, which will feature three stages -- two on the beach just north of Convention Hall and one in nearby Bradley Park -- and more than two-dozen of bands. This years big draws include; Dave Matthews Band, The Lumineers, Dropkick Murphys, Dispatch, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Work In Progress, Brick + Mortar, and many more.

Fanny Wood Day
September 19, 2021: 10am - 5pm
Along 200 South Ave. and LaGrande Avenue
Fanwood, NJ
Facebook Page
This annual family celebration honors the mythical Fanny Wood, who, according to legend, may have written poems about the borough, may have been the daughter of a local railroad president, or may have never existed at all. This year's event features live music, children's activities, craft and retail vendors, games and rides, its staple pizza and ice cream eating contests, as well as food exhibitors and trucks offering items such as empanadas, tornado potatoes, zeppoles, and sausage and peppers. The Live Music will be provided by local bands. There will be chairs and tables set up so you can relax, eat and enjoy the show all day long.

Edison Fall Family Spectacular
September 25, 2021
Amboy Avenue in the Clara Barton section, from Waltuma to Jackson avenues
Esdison, NJ
Facebook Page
This huge family event will take up eight blocks. There will be two food courts, with food trucks and street vendors, as well as a wine and beer garden, arts and crafts vendors, music on two stages, a professional wrestling ring, a remote control car track and a children's entertainment area.

Kites at the Pier Festival
Saturday, September 25 – Sunday, September 26, 2021: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Pier Village
50 Chelsea Avenue
Long Branch, NJ
Website
This two day family event features kite flyers from all areas of the eastern seaboard flying their most incredible creations, craft and artisan vendors, inflatable rides, shopping and dining.
Participants and visitors will get to experience a dazzling display of giant inflatable kites visible for miles; an array of vertical wind feathers and ground displays, with the kids and adults Running of the Bols competition; super-sized giant bubbles.

October 2021 Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

4th Annual Rock for Awareness Festival
October 2, 2021; 11:30 am - 6pm
Community Park
2255 Bridge Ave
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Website
This event features music all day, food trucks, crafts, kids activities, and more. The music headliner will be the Nerds. Bill Spadea of radio 101.5 will also be appearing.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Nicholas Hudanish Foundation whose mission is to raise awareness and improve the understanding of the epidemic of addiction; to strive to develop substance abuse prevention and behavioral health co-educational programs and outreaches and to seek to empower teens to lead drug-free lives.

Lambertville Shad Festival
October 9th & 10th, 2021 ( rain or shine)
Downtown Lamberville, NJ and nearby Delaware River towns.
Website
director@lambertvillechamber.com
The annual Lambertville Shad Festival has evolved from a local art show into a nationally recognized award-winning event. Shad Fest features the area's finest artists and crafters, great food, and family entertainment, face painting, sand Art, and other children's activities. and yes, shad! Don't miss the fun and educational shad seining demonstrations down at Lewis Island where the Delaware River Basin Commission will be teaching us about how to test water quality. The two-day extravaganza also serves as a venue for local non-profit organizations to raise necessary operating funds.

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