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!

COVID-19 executive orders in effect may restrict or require cancellation of events.

With near term cancellations occurring at a rapid rate, and despite trying to remove them as soon as we learn of the cancellations or restrictions, we recommend viewers contact the event sponsors before heading out to a listed event to confirm their status.

Multi-Date, Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

Basie Center's Concerts On the Green
Historic Suneagles Golf Club
Tinton Avenue
Fort Monmouth
Eatontown, NJ
Tickets
Price: $39–$89
An outdoor, socially-distanced concert series
All Concert tickets include a pre-show dinner reservation. Observing full Covid-19 safety protocols.
Schedule:
Friday, May 14 / Saturday May 15: Bobby Bandiera – Runnin' Down A Dream: A Tribute to Tom Petty
Friday, May 21 / Saturday May 22: Citizen Cope
Saturday May 29 / Sunday May 30: Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes (Memorial Day Weekend!)
Thursday, June 3 / Friday, June 4: Brian Fallon Saturday, June 5 : Almost Queen (2 shows)
Thursday, June 10: Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers Saturday
June 12: Get The Led Out
Wednesday, June 16: Judy Collins
Thursday, June 17: CSNSongs: Celebrating the Music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Friday, July 2: Brian Kirk & The Jirks: That 70's Show
Friday, July 16 / Saturday July 17: Max Weinberg's Jukebox
Friday, July 23 / Saturday July 24: Jorma Kaukonen (Hot Tuna)
Sunday, July 25: Marc Cohn Friday,
July 30: Dar Williams
Saturday, July 31: Comedian Steve Treviño (2 shows)
Sunday, August 1: Destination Motown, starring the Soul Cruisers
Saturday, August 14: Comedian Chris Distefano (2 shows)
Thursday, August 26: The Weight Band

The Bard at Bell Works
April 11 - 25, 2021
Bell Works
101 Crawfords Corner Rd
Holmdel, NJ
Website
732-226-8818
This a three-weekend event features an outdoor performing arts festival celebrating the greatest writer and dramatist in any language, taking place on the outdoor rooftop deck at Bell Works in Holmdel. Playgoers (and balletgoers!) can enjoy three unique performances that includes three iterations of Shakespeare's most celebrated comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream": an abridged version of the original play performed by the Shakespeare LIVE! touring company of STNJ; a reimagining of the ballet, choreographed by Chajnik and danced by the professional members of AXCBT; and finally a free screening of the 1935 Max Reinhart film starring Mickey Rooney.

Seaside Heights Summer Conceert Series
On the beach
Seaside Heights, NJ
Website
Thursday, July 15 - 7:30 p.m. - Billy Joel Tribute Concert by Captain Jack
Monday, July 22 - 7:30 p.m. - Soul Shine an Allman Brithers Experience
Thursday, August 12 - 7:30 p.m. - Styx Tribute Concert by Return to Paradise

April 2021 Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

19th Century Easter Celebration
Saturday, April 3, 2021; 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The Historic Village at Allaire Chapel
4263 Atlantic Avenue
Wall Township, NJ
732-938-5524
Website / Tickets
Tickets MUST be purchased in advance! Tickets are limited! $8 per person, 2 & under is free
Help celebrate the opening of the village for 2021 and experience the villagers welcoming the Spring Season! Visit each of our historic buildings and witness a variety of 19th century demonstrations such as blacksmithing, woodworking, hearth cooking, Easter egg dying, and more! Also, participate in a plethora of Spring and Easter activities such as an egg roll competition, bonnet decorating, a scavenger hunt, and more!. COVID-19 VISITOR RULES • ALL VISITORS MUST WEAR A MASK inside the historic buildings and throughout the village grounds.

LOHUD COMEDY
April 9, 2021: 8:00 PM
Brook Arts Center
10 Hamilton Street
Bound Brook, NJ
Tickets
Cost:
Three of NYC's most hilarious comedians will take you on a journey of laughter about finding love, being in love, relationships, marriage… and so much more! The lineup of stand-up comedians are regulars on the NYC comedy club circuit that will have audiences laughing well after they leave the theater. Hosted by LoHud Comedy's Actor/ Comedian Adam Oliensis, who recently appeared on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
(Social Distancing enforced)

The Sensational Soul Cruisers
Saturday, April 10, 2021: 5PM & 8PM
Count Basie Center for the Arts
99 Monmouth Street
Red Bank, NJ
Tickets
New Jersey's top show band, performing the best of RnB, Motown, Disco and Philly Soul. Fans describe them as a cross between Kool and the Gang, Chicago and the Temptations, delivering a WOW" show, time after time. Their four choreographed lead vocalist deliver the greatest hits of The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Jackson Five, The Spinners, Smokey Robinson and so many more.

Red Bank Street Fair & Craft Show
April 11, 2021: 11am – 5pm
Monmouth St & Broad St
Red Bank, NJ
(908) 654-1400
Website
Free Admission
This event features Artists, Crafters, Vendors, Food, Rides, Live Music, DJ, Dancing, Delicious foods, Performances and more! Children's rides, Games, and More!

Classic Film Series on 35mm: THE WIZARD OF OZ
April 30, 2021: @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
UCPAC Main Stage
1601 Irving St
Rahway, NJ
Tickets
Cost: $5
A Classic comes to the UCPAC! When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and en route they meet a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) that needs a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) missing a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who wants courage. The wizard asks the group to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) to earn his help. Enjoy popcorn, a pre-movie organ show played on our historic Wurlitzer Organ, a classic Betty Boop short, and a 35MM screening of The Wizard of Oz all for $5!
Socially distanced seating for all shows. Main Stage theater has a clean air air conditioner, meaning the air in our theater is not recycled air which greatly reduces the chance of Covid-19 particles spreading through the air.

May 2021 Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

Spring Fling Arts & Craft Show
May 1, 2021; 10am -4pm
Main Avenue, Pilgrim Pathway and Auditorium Square.
Ocean Grove, NJ
Website
This event features historic Ocean Grove's annual Spring show with crafters, artisans and live music.

“BobFest – Musical Celebration of Bob Dylan’s 80th Birthday”
May 23, 2021 @7pm
Count Basie Center for the Arts
99 Monmouth Street
Red Bank, NJ
Tickets
BobFest is a Musical Celebration of Bob Dylan's 80th Birthday with Pat Guadagno & Tired Horses

July 2021 Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

Seaside Heights Summer Conceert Series
On the beach
Seaside Heights, NJ
Website
Thursday, July 15 - 7:30 p.m. - Billy Joel Tribute Concert by Captain Jack

New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning
July 23 - 25, 2021
Solberg Airport
39 Thor Solberg Rd
Whitehouse Station, NJ
Website/tickets
This very popular family festival features 3 days of hot air ballooning with approximately 100 giant hot air balloons, live concerts with performances by Grammy award winners, children's amusement rides; a 5K race; exhibits, hundreds of vendors, and an awesome fireworks display on Friday evening

September 2021 Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

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.