Summer is just flying by! But that’s what time does when you’re busy having fun. Speaking of fun, if you’re looking for some this weekend, you’re in the right place! We’ve rounded up plenty of things to do throughout the area. Check out these events.
The Morris County, NJ 4-H Association will present 4-H Fair on the Farm this weekend at High View Farms (416 Sand Shore Road, Mt. Olive). The 4-H Fair is the showcase event for members and plain family fun! The schedule includes demonstrations, STEM activities, animals, face painting, bingo, balloon rides, cupcake decorating, and much more. Visit the website for a full schedule of activities. The fair will be open on Friday from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Saturday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Newark Museum of Art (49 Washington Street, Newark) will host Summer Family Fun! on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Enjoy a day of fun activities for the whole family. There will be a MakerSPACE for kids of all ages, planetarium shows, and a Science Drop-In. The Science Drop-In will be Mars Rovers. Role-play as mission control or a robotic rover to complete an exploratory mission on the “surface of Mars.” Visit the website for a full schedule.
Macculloch Hall (45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown) will host Dig it! Plant it! Eat it! Family Saturdays. This week’s theme is All Things Orange. Can oranges grow in New Jersey? Yes, they can, and George Macculloch did in the early 1800s. Through hands-on gardening, a tour of the Museum’s historic rooms, and an art-making experience with a New Jersey artist, participants enjoy nature while learning about life in the past. This activity is suitable for all ages accompanied by a parent or guardian. It will run on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM.
Essex County Environmental Center (621 Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland) will continue to host their Butterfly Tent Safari 2023 from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. This activity is for all ages and features live butterflies and butterfly-themed programming. Timeslots must be bucked in advance. Walk-ins will not be accommodated. The cost is $8 per person and includes a take-away item per paid participant.
Essex County Environmental Center (621 Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland) will also host Butterfly Gardening Workshop on Saturday from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. This activity is suitable for adults and children ages 8 and older. Learn about butterfly gardening in this hands-on workshop. We’ll learn about native host and nectar plants and how they support our New Jersey butterflies. The cost is $30 per family (up to two adults and two children) or $10 per child and $12 per adult.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum (165 Hobart Avenue, Summit) will host a Free Saturday Tour at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. Free guided tours of the Arboretum take place Saturdays at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm from May 6 through October 7. Tours begin at the Visitors Center. No reservations are required, and tours are on a first-come, first-served basis for individuals who would like to learn more about the current season’s highlights. Limit of 10 people per tour. Anyone under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. No groups. Tours last approximately 30 minutes.
The County of Passaic will host a Vintage Base Ball Game on Saturday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Want to see the infancy of baseball? Join us at Weasel Brook Park (Park Drive, Clifton) for a Base Ball game (yes that’s how they once spelled it!). The game will be officiated by the rules of 1864! This activity is free.
Montclair Public Library (50 S. Fullerton Avenue, Montclair) will host Ants on a Log: Outdoor Family Concert on Saturday from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM. Don’t miss the inimitable Ants on a Log’s first performance in the Montclair area! Ants on a Log plays music for children and other childlike people, songfully advocating for positivity, social justice, and silliness. Their humorous shows are filled with delightful songs of joy and justice. Off-stage, Julie Be (they/them) and Miles Crabtree (he/him) are music therapists, and Anya Rose (she/her) is an elementary science teacher. Their powers combined make for socially conscious family tunes – such as the Parents Choice Award winner “Curious: Think Outside the Pipeline!,” the “Trans & Nonbinary Kids Mix” (a nationally acclaimed landmark compilation with artists from all over the gender map”, and their new album “Make it Myself.” Register online.
The 3rd Annual Passaic County Food Fest will be held on Saturday from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Weasel Brook Park (Park Drive, Clifton). Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and pop-up tents to enjoy food from local food vendors, listen to live music, and play games at this family-friendly event. All kid’s activities, including bungee trampoline, bounce house, and mini-golf, are free. Tickets are $5 per person. Children three and under are free. Tickets can be purchased online.
Passaic County Parks and Recreation will host an Outdoor Movie Night on Saturday at Weasel Brook Park (Park Drive, Clifton). This week’s movie is Encanto Sing-Along. The movie will begin shortly after the sun sets at 8:45 PM. Feel free to bring your own blankets, chairs, snacks, and drinks. This activity is free for the whole family.
Field Station: Dinosaurs is back for another season at Overpeck Park (3 Overpeck Driveway, Leonia). The attraction is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM through September 3. Field Station: Dinosaurs is a world-class family attraction that combines cutting-edge science with the creative minds of great artists to create a one-of-a-kind experience that’s thrilling, educational, and fun. Explore scenic trails, featuring over 30 moving and roaring life-size animatronic dinosaurs! Discover the story and science of Dinosaurs with live shows, games, and activities every day. Laugh with our fearless dinosaur wranglers and come face to face with The Mighty T-Rex. This Saturday, children will be dazzled and entertained as they interact with our Mad Scientists! Foggy dry ice storms, meteor drops, and even a special Mad Science Volcanic eruption! Join us in this awesome show with a prehistoric twist! This event is free with Day Pass Admission.
Morris Museum (6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown) will host Spark!Lab on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Spark!Lab offers any child ages 5-12 (and accompanied by an adult), a new informal approach to hands-on learning. Created by the Smithsonian, Spark!Lab ignites kids’ ingenuity with fun, hands-on challenges. Instead of following instructions, kids tap into their natural creativity to tackle engineering and design challenges in Spark!Lab’s projects stations. Specially designed for our youngest inventors (Ages 1-4), Spark!Lab’s new Young Inventor Space features a train and an exploration table filled with unique tools to spark creativity and learning.
Continuing throughout July, Watchung Booksellers is hosting Where’s Waldo? 2023. Participants can grab a passport at Watchung Booksellers. Participants have the entire month of July to find where Waldo is hiding at participating businesses around Watchung Plaza. During the whole month of July, participants will look for Waldo in any of the 20+ locations in the neighborhood. Once a participant finds 10 they will automatically get a Waldo temporary tattoo and a $1 off a Waldo book coupon. When they get 20, they are not only entered for a BIG grand prize, they are guaranteed some prize. Lastly, we will host a WALDO party on the afternoon of July 27, 4:00 PM with more raffles, prizes, games, and maybe a cameo by Waldo himself! This is a great activity for the kids each summer, and each summer the amount of participants grows. We’ve had hundreds running around the neighborhood finding Waldos. It is a true joy for us and for the participating businesses/organizations. It costs NOTHING to join.
The Frelinghuysen Arboretum (353 East Hanover Avenue, Morris Twp) continues to host the Family Photo Scavenger Hunt. Held daily from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, bring your camera or phone for this month’s hunt. The theme for July is “Garden Magic.” Fairy houses are on display! This hunt will challenge hunters looking for fairies, fairy houses, and even more important, plants and flowers throughout the garden that bring the fairies here. The cost is $10 per family or group of 6 or fewer. Preregistration is required.