The Best Central Jersey Family Festivals and Events

These popular Central Jersey family festivals and events occur at venues in all corners of Central NJ and have wide appeal with families with kids.

They 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: This information is provided by event sponsors as a free service to our viewers. 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

Brick's Summerfest Concert Series
Summerfest will be held on four Thursdays in July, 2019, each event featuring fireworks, food trucks, a beer and wine garden and – of course – the backdrop of Windward Beach and the Metedeconk River.
Concert schedule:
July 4: Jesse's Girl (80s cover band.)
July 11th: Brian Kirk and the Jirks (mixed covers.)
July 18th: Boathouse Row (Yacht Rock.)
July 25th: Garden State Radio (mixed cover, video and light show.)

Asbury Park Bonfires
Various Locations
Asbury Park, NJ
Updates on bonfire schedule changes: Weather permitting.
Bring a blanket or chair and geat seated up close.
Schedule
May, 2019 Fridays at 7pm
May 3 – Beach Bar, 5th Avenue, May 10 – Langosta Lounge, 3rd Avenue, May 17 – Beach Bar, 5th Avenue, May 24 – The Anchor’s Bend, Sunset, May 31 – The Anchor’s Bend, Sunset
June, Fridays at 7pm
June 7 – Beach Bar, 5th Avenue, June 14 – The Anchor’s Bend, Sunset, June 21 – Beach Bar, 5th Avenue, June 28 – The Anchor’s Bend, Sunset
July, Wednesdays at 8pm
July 3 – The Anchor’s Bend, Sunset, July 10 – MOGO, 1st Avenue, July 17 – Langosta Lounge, 3rd Avenue, July 24 – Beach Bar, 5th Avenue, July 31 – The Anchor’s Bend, Sunset.
August, Wednesdays at 8pm
August 7 – Beach Bar, 5th Avenue, August 14 – Langosta Lounge, 3rd Avenue, August 21 – MOGO, 1st Avenue, August 28 – Beach Bar, 5th Avenue.
September, Fridays at 7pm
September 6 – Beach Bar, 5th Avenue, September 13 – The Anchor’s Bend, Sunset

Seaside Heights Bonfires on the Beach
Website
Sunday nights from dusk to 10pm, July 7, 14, 21, 28, August 4, 11, 18, 25, 2019
Bring your beach chairs and blankets to North Beach on Monday nights for our family-friendly Bonfire on the Beach. While the fire burns, sit back and enjoy the acoustic sounds of local singers and songwriters

April 2019 Central New Jersey Family Festivals And Events

The Tulip Festival
Starting mid-April, 2019; 9 am - 6 pm daily
Holland Ridge Farms
86 Rues Road
Cream Ridge, NJ
609 448 7483
Website - Blooming Schedule - Tickets
Admission costs $5 - $10 online and $7 - $12 at the door
This annual event features over 50 acres of vibrant flowers. Visitors can stroll the grounds and enjoy the beautiful purple, pink, orange, and yellow fields of tulips.
The tulips will be in blossom for about four weeks, or as long as the weather cooperates.
The farm will also have a Hollandwood Theatre, restored barns, a museum with tulip-harvesting equipment imported from Holland, a gift shop, hayrides, horse and buggy rides, and a local bakery. On weekends, there will be food trucks and face paintings.

"Bring the Heat" Chili Cook-Off
April 13, 2019; at 4:00 pm
Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad
48 Old Highway 22
Clinton, NJ:
Website
Cost: $15 at the door, $12 in advance, free for children 12 & under
Attendees will get to enjoy great chili, live music by Doctor D Entertainment, beer and wine for sale, 50/50 raffle, tricky tray and vote for the People's Choice favorite chili.

Annual New Jersey Folk Festival
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Douglass Campus
Rutgers University
New Brunswick
Website
A family friendly one day folk festival featuring three stages of music, dancing, craft vendors, children's activities, and food.

Shad Fest
April 27, 28, 2019; 11am - 5:30pm (Rain or shine)
Union and Bridge Streets
Lambertville, NJ
Website
The 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.

May 2019 Central New Jersey Family Festivals And Events

Toms River Food Fest
May 4, 2019; 11AM – 8PM, Rain Date May 5
Downtown Toms River
Washington Street
Toms River, NJ
Facebook page
Cost: Free
Toms River Food Fest features the best food trucks, arts, crafts and vendor booths, free children's rides and live music from great local bands. The 21 and over crowd is invited to the beer and wine garden

Azela Festival
Sunday, May 12, 2019 (Mother's Day) 10 am - 4 pm
Sayen Botanical Gardens
155 Hughes Drive
Hamilton, NJ
Website
This annual event features a magnificent display of over 250,000 flowering bulbs, dogwoods, azaleas and rhododendron, beautifully landscaped walking paths, fountains, bridges, lakes, gazebos and breathtaking scenery. Craft and food vendors, along with musical entertainment and children activities will provide fun for the entire family.

Mother's Day Brunch at Laurita!
Sunday, May 12, 2019; Three seatings: 10-10:15am, 12:30-12:45pm, & 2:45-3pm
Laurita Winery
35 Archertown Road
New Egypt, NJ 08533
Website
Call Branches Catering at 732-542-5050 for reservations!
Includes a full brunch with a carving and omelette station, and a complimentary Mimosa cocktail

33rd Annual New Jersey Seafood Festival
Friday, May 17 - Sunday, May 19, 2019; Rain or shine event.
Downtown Belmar
Belmar Plaza Parking Lot Between 8th and 10th Avenues
Belmar, New Jersey.
Website
Free admission and shuttle from downtown, marina and train station.
Feast on your fill of crab cakes, steamed clams, combo platters and more during this years Seafood Festival. Hometown favorites Ragin' Cajun, Klein's, Jake's Downtown, Simply Southern, Marina Grille, and Mr. Shrimp Seafood Restaurant were among the participating Belmar restaurants.
Food will be for sale at each individual vendors booth.

Taylor Dayne to Kickoff the Summer Celebration in Seaside Heights!
Friday, May 24, 2019; 2PM - 8PM (Taylor Dayne beginning at 6pm)
Boardwalk
In front of Spicy Cantina
Seaside Heights, NJ
Website
Free Event
This event will feature a performance by American Pop Icon, Taylor Dayne!
Beginning at 2pm on the Boardwalk in, WJRZ fm 100.1, Jersey’s Greatest Hits radio station will kick off the Memorial Day Weekend with a LIVE Broadcast.
Taylor Dayne turned into an overnight sensation with her groundbreaking debut single, “Tell it to my Heart” in 1987. She became in international star and followed with number one smash hits such as “Love will Lead you Back”, “Prove your Love”, and “I’ll Always Love You”.

Waterfront Arts Festival
Friday, May 24th: 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. & Saturday, May 25th, 2019: 12:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Perth Amboy Waterfront
Sadowski Parkway
Perth Amboy, NJ
732-826-1690 ext. 4305 or 4306.
Werbsite
Cost: Free
Attendees wiil get to enjoy a variety of local and regional talented artists, who showcase their original oils and acrylics, vibrant watercolors, prints, unique sculptures, dazzling jewelry, decorative ceramics, hand-made items, and vivid photography. To complement the festivities, live bands will perfrom on stage throughout the day. A food court will feature over a dozen local eateries and food trucks. The family-friendly festival will also feature free arts and crafts activities for children and community mural that everyone can participate in creating!

Bradley Beach Memorial Day Weekend Festival
May 25, 26, & 27, 2019; 11 am - 8 pm
Ocean Ave.
Website
Contact: 732-776-2999 Ext. 1050
This annual family event features one mile one mile of food vendors, Crafters, and Kids jumping house and rides, including 6 bands and emcee/DJ playing requests, and over 180 craft and specialty vendors 25 food vendors with something for everyone Great oceanfront location Children's activities including water slide, rides, face painters and sand art.
The Annual Memorial Day Parade will start on Saturday, at 10am on Ocean Avenue and Bradley Blvd. The annual parade features several local school marching bands, pipe bands from around the state.

The 6th Annual Pork Roll Festival
Saturday, May 25, 2019; 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Mill Hill Park
Trenton, NJ
609-815-1343
Website
Event cost: $5
This year's festival will celebrate Trenton's unique pork roll product while promoting the city's history, art, music, small businesses and cultural diversity. One of New Jersey's famous foods, the pork roll, although North Jeryans will call it Taylor ham will be the featured food.
It will feature Music Stage (all day) Entertainment, Children's Events, Pork Roll Recipe Contest and Awards, and the 2019 Pork Roll Queen Pageant and Crowning.

June 2019 Central New Jersey Family Festivals And Events

Hopewell Valley Concert & Fireworks
Sunday, June 30, 2019: 7:30 pm
Woolsey Park
221 Washington Crossing Pennington Rd,
Titusville, NJ
Website
Beginning at 7:30 pm, the 63 rd US Army Band will perform a variety of music prior to the Fireworks Display at dusk. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets. The Classic car show opens at 5:30 pm with food vendor(s) on site

July 2019 Central New Jersey Family Festivals And Events

OceanFest at Long Branch
July 4, 10am - 10pm
The Oceanfront Promenade
228 Broadway
Long Branch, New Jersey 07740
Web Site
Contact: Donna Vella, 201-653-2699, dvella@thisisitproductions.com
On it 29th year OceanFest will turn New Jersey's Promenade into an explosive July 4th celebration. The event will feature live entertainment, music, delicious festival foods, craft vendors and a master sand-sculpting exhibition not to be missed. The night culminates with New Jersey's longest and largest fireworks display.
At Oceanfest, visitors can stroll the famous beachfront, take in the wonderful views, enjoy performances by dancers, musicians, clowns and musical acts, sample from a smorgasbord of food vendors, and check out the wares of crafters from all over the northeast. You can even see a fabulous sand sculpture, meet a familiar costumed character, and catch some cool ocean breezes.

Soulsational Music Festival
July 22, 2019; 11 am - dusk (rain or shine)
Veterans Park
Bayville, NJ
Website
This family event features live music on two stages, crafters, vendors, free yoga, vegetarian and organic food, food trucks, a beer garden, and a kids' village

The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning
Friday - Sunday, July 26 - 28, 2019
Solberg Airport
39 Thor Solberg Road
Whitehouse Station, NJ
Website (Events Schedule & Tickets)
One of the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America. Features twice daily mass ascensions of up to 125 special shape and sport hot air balloons, headlining music concerts, continuous family entertainment, crafters and vendors, food, and a balloon glow. The concerts feature top performersfor each of the three nights.
This years headline concerts include. Dan Zanes & Claudia Eliaza Kids' Concert, ABBA The Concert, The Band Perry, The Beach Boys,
Fireworks are at dusk on Friday evening,

August 2019 Central New Jersey Family Festivals And Events

Bradley Beach Lobster fest
August 31 & September 1, 2019: ( Saturday 11 am - 8 pm, Sunday 11 am - 6 pm)
500 Ocean Avenue
Bradley Beach, NJ
Website
Free event!
Bradley Beach comes alive this weekend with it's popular oceanfront family event featuring live music, great lobster, beer & wine, crafts, and plenty of kids activities.
Highlighted by 6 bands and a DJ emcee, over 180 craft and specialty vendors, a beer & wine garden and children's activities including water slide, rides, face painters and sand art.

September 2019 Central New Jersey Family Festivals And Events

15th Annual Latino Festival of Monmouth County
September 21, 2019; 12:30pm - 6pm (Rain date is 09/28/2019)
Freehold Hall of Records Parking Lot 1
E Main St
Freehold, NJ
Website
This family event celebrates the diversity and contributions of Latin American. The Latino Festival is that opportunity for people of Central Jersey and surrounding counties to come and learn about those varieties and celebrate them as one. The event features food, live music, contests, prizes, games for the children, and much more.