8 fun things to do this weekend in NJ for the whole family
5 min read
This weekend is not one you’d want to miss in New Jersey. From food truck festivals to traveling on an eco-cruise on the Hackensack River, you can fill up your leisure time with plenty of activities.
Watch a movie featuring drag queens traveling across the country in Montclair. Learn about the life of an average soldier in the Revolutionary War at Morristown Historical National Park. Eat your favorite barbecue meals at the 11th Annual Rock, Ribs and Ridges Festival.
Get off the couch and enjoy the sun with your family and friends with these 8 things to do this weekend in New Jersey.
Listen to music and eat ribs
Who loves Southern rock bands and barbecue food? If that’s you, head for the 11th Annual Rock, Ribs and Ridges Festival at Sussex County Fairgrounds, Friday through Sunday from 12-8 p.m.
Bands such as Screamin Eagle Band, The Allman Band, Blackberry Smoke and Outlaws will all perform as you enjoy pulled pork, brisket, ribs, cornbread and more from five world-class barbecue pitmasters, including Magic Mike’s Smoked Meats, Handsome Devil, Pigtails BBQ, Ribbons BBQ and Cowboys BBQ.
General admission tickets include lawn seating and are $50 per day; $15 for ages 4-12. VIP tickets for Friday that include seating under a tent or in front of the stage are still available at $69.50 ($25 for ages 4-12). Food and beverages are at an additional cost.
Go: 37 Plains Road, Augusta; 973-882-8340 (for ticket questions), rockribsandridges.com
Shop at a flea market
Whether you’re looking for a new top or some fresh food, head over to The New Meadowlands Market on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. With more than 400 vendors, you can shop ’til you drop while enjoying the summer air.
Parking and admission are free. No animals except service animals are allowed.
Go: Metlife Stadium Lot J, East Rutherford; 201-355-5919, New Meadowlands Market
Catch a movie
Binge on popcorn, candy and drinks with family and friends at Montclair Film’s free outdoor screening of “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” Saturday at the Lackawanna Plaza. Pre-show drag queen bingo will start at 7 p.m., and the film will start at sundown.
You’re urged to bring your own blanket or lawn chairs. All registered attendees will be entered in a raffle to win a Montclair Film goodie bag at the event.
Rain postponements will be announced by 5 p.m. Saturday.
Go: 294 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair; 973-783-6433, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar | Montclair Film. Parking is available in the Bay Street and Seymour Street parking decks. Registration is available on the website, and only one registration per family is required.
Connect with agriculture
Passaic County and Hazelman Farms are hosting Family Ag Days, where families can connect with agriculture through music, programs, activities, fresh produce and museum tours.
The free event will take place on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Van Riper-Hopper House.
Go: 533 Berdan Ave., Wayne; 973-706-6640, passaiccountynj.org.
Take a boat ride
Ride through the marshes of the New Jersey Meadowlands, lower tidal reaches of the Hackensack River and the New York Harbor on a Hackensack Riverkeeper’s eco-cruise.
The cruises go out Fridays at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Only seven people are allowed on a boat at a time due to COVID-19 safety protocols.
Families can choose the “Meadowlands Discovery” ride on the Hackensack River, which visits the Mill Creek Marsh, Kingsland Creek and the Berry’s Creek Canal. Or opt for the “Boating through Bergen” itinerary through the southern Meadowlands to the heart of Hackensack, where the boat will pass the ruins of former docks and you’ll learn about the region’s maritime history. On the way back, visitors will see a World War II submarine that was wrecked during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
The third option is “Excursion around the Bay,” which takes visitors through the Hackensack River to explore the New York Harbor, where the boat will pass hundreds of warships, Kearny Point and more.
There is a suggested donation of $25 per person, but you can pay what you wish.
Go: 231 Main St., Hackensack; 201-403-1992, Eco-Cruises – Hackensack Riverkeeper.
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Engage with history
Enjoy a fine art photography exhibition by Xiomaro that capture Morristown’s role during the Revolutionary War at Morristown National Historical Park’s” Jockey Hollow. A Closer Look” Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The collection showcases the experiences of the average soldier during his stay at the historical sites of the park. Videos accompany the exhibition, where viewers can learn Xiomaro’s inspiration and the ways he tried to capture history with a new perspective and understanding.
The exhibition will take place outside the Morristown National Historical Park’s Jockey Hollow Visitor Center where directions to the online videos will be posted on the windows. Access to the exhibition and videos are free.
Go: Tempe Wick Road, Morristown; 862-400-5972, Morristown National Historical Park
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Chow down on food truck fare
Enjoy some great food while listening to live music this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the First Annual Passaic County Food Truck Festival at Weasel Brook Park. The event will feature 20 trucks with items including ice cream, kettle corn, funnel cake, empanada and pierogis. All that food can be washed down with some beer from Ghost Hawk, Passaic County’s first microbrewery, or wine, hard seltzers or soft drinks.
The event will also feature entertainment including a hatchet toss, boardwalk games and face painting for kids. Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for children ages 4-10 for those who purchase tickets in advance on the website. Tickets will cost $8 for adults and $5 for children at the entrance.
Go: 974 Park Drive, Clifton; 973-706-6640, passaiccountynj.org
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Join a virtual walkathon
Want to raise money for those in need from your own house or neighborhood? Register for the virtual Annual Ira Geller Memorial 5K Walkathon this Saturday at 10 a.m.
Signups for the 5K are $30 on the charity’s website; registration begins at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Sponsor a walker or runner for $25 or a team for $50. You will get a commemorative 2021 walkathon T-shirt if you donate or raise $100.
Donations will support Elizabeth-based Community Access Unlimited and its programs, including housing, academics, employment training, day programs and support services for people with disabilities and youth at risk.
There will be markers set up in Warinanco Park in Roselle for locals who are running or walking the 5K.
