Issues To Do This Weekend in NJ April 1-3

DIDONATO FAMILY FUN CENTER

It’s the first weekend of April and spring is officially in full swing! Besides getting some one-on-one time with the Easter Bunny, there’s plenty to do in the Garden State. Check out the Cherry Blossom Festival in Branch Brook Park, rejoice at the return of street fairs and don’t miss dreamloop at Grounds for Sculpture before it closes!

All Weekend

Allentown Daffodil Days Festival
Downtown Allentown
Friday – Sunday
Celebrate spring with thousands of flowers, food and fun for the whole family in Historic Allentown. Events include the Daffodil Dinner on Friday, a bike parade on Saturday and painting projects for all levels and an art exhibition on Sunday.

Garden State 63rd Annual Model Railroad Show
575 High Mountain Rd., Haledon
Saturday – Sunday
This model train show featuring working model trains and interactive layouts is fun for the whole family. There will be a kiddie section with Thomas the Tank plus yummy refreshments.

Easter EGGspress
DiDonato’s Family Fun Center, Hammonton
Saturday – Sunday
Hop aboard the Easter EGGspress through Spring Village, meet the Easter Bunny, go on an egg hunt, and giggle through the Spring Hedge Maze! There will be a free snack, prizes, fun on the giant slide and so much more for kids to do.

NIGHT FORMS: DREAMLOOP BY KLIP COLLECTIVE

Night Forms: dreamloop by Klip Collective
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Twp.
Thursday – Sunday
Grounds For Sculpture announced a two-year partnership with Klip Collective to present a distinctive after-hours multi-sensory experience. The Night Forms series will directly interact with a selection of contemporary artworks and signature horticultural features across the park’s 42 acres, furthering the nonprofit’s commitment to creating unique experiences bringing art and nature together. Final weekend!

Stony Hill Player Present: Unnecessary Farce!
The Oakes Center, Summit
Friday – Sunday
Two cops. Three crooks. Eight doors. Go! It’s the perfect setup for a laugh-filled evening at the theatre. An embezzling mayor, his female accountant who can’t stay dressed, two undercover cops, nefarious hitmen, and of course, a video camera. In this side-splitting escapade, playwright Paul Slade Smith has reinvented the in-one-door innuendo and out-the-door comic shtick. Stony Hill Players’ exceptional cast will leave you howling with laughter.

Hammerstein: The Song is You
Kimmel Cultural Campus, Philadelphia
Friday – Sunday
Music Director and Principal Conductor David Charles Abell brings the fun and elegance of Oscar Hammerstein 2nd’s masterworks to the POPS in this original show that will feature the full Philly POPS orchestra with Broadway and West End stars Liz Callaway, Damian Humbley and Rosena Hill Jackson. 

Bunny Brunch & Springtime Festival
Alstede Farms, Chester
Saturday – Sunday
Kick off spring and the Easter season by joining Alstede Farms at the famous Easter Bunny Brunch. Enjoy a festive atmosphere at Harvest Hall with featured guest the Easter Bunny while indulging in a casual family-style all-you-can-eat buffet meal.

2022 Season Opening Weekend East Jersey Old Town Village
Piscataway
Saturday – Sunday
Visitors can explore the site and meet the historical interpreters that bring the Village to life through their trades and crafts. A gateway site for the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, situated along the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail, the Village offers award-winning exhibits, living history and seasonal programs.

Tenafly Street Fair
Tenafly Historic Railroad Station
Come out for a fun-filled day for the whole family including artists, crafters, food vendors, rides and more.

Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival
Branch Brook Park, Newark
Come to this festival at the nation’s first county park to see gorgeous pink cherry blossoms right here in NJ. The fun includes a bike race on Saturday and a 10k run on Sunday.

So Fresh Fest
Prudential Concert Grove, Newark
This outdoor health and wellness festival coincides with cherry blossom season in Essex County Branch Brook Park.  Fresh Fest is a free, public event with yoga, portrait stations, sound healing, meditation, movement, healthy food and high music.

Friday

POCONO WHITEWATER

Pocono Whitewater Opening Day
Jim Thorpe, PA
Spring is here and the natural water levels on the Lehigh are generally at their highest. Visitors will be surrounded by state park-protected mountains while enjoying 12 miles and 4-5 hours of Class II, III whitewater rafting and breathtaking scenery. It’s an adventure that everyone ages 8 and up can enjoy – no experience necessary.

Haiku in the Garden
New Jersey Botanical Gardens, Ringwood
In celebration of National Poetry Month, the Haiku Poets of the Garden State present: Haiku in the New Jersey State Botanical Garden. Look for the poems placed around the gardens throughout April in this installation of haiku signs, all original works by members of the Haiku Poets of the Garden State (HPGS).

Did you know photos with the Easter bunny have begun? Book yours now!

Saturday

TERHUNE ORCHARDS

Read and Explore: Composting
Terhune Orchards, Princeton
This program is about composting and guests will talk about turning our “garbage” back into soil, read stories and look at compost materials. Each child will make their own compost container to take home.

Easter Bunny Arrival Party
Bridgewater Commons, Bridgewater
Don’t miss the arrival of the Easter Bunny at Bridgewater Commons from 11 am-2 pm in Center Court. Guests will enjoy a live DJ along with free face painting and balloon art.

Broadway at Westfield Garden State Plaza
Paramus
Westfield Garden State Plaza is hosting a free 15-week series every Saturday through June 25 that features performances from hit Broadway shows for children in partnership with Bergen Performing Arts Center. Come out and see memorable scenes and songs from your favorite Broadway shows and modern movies — this weekend it’s “The Lion King.”

Easter Wreath Making Virtual Workshop
Learn how to create a fun handmade fluffy ribbon wreath for Easter. This is a great family-friendly activity for adults and kids. This class is taught by Cheryl of Cheryl’s Sparkly Creations. Participants can opt for taking the class with a DIY kit or choose to receive a shopping list.

Spring Beekeeping and Gardening
Howell Living History Farm, Hopewell Twp.
Spring is a busy time for bees and beekeepers alike, and at this event, visitors can learn about what makes a healthy hive. Meet the honeybees, peek inside their hive and find out what they do around the farm and in the gardens.

Opening Day at Allaire
The Historic Village at Allaire, Wall Twp. 
With winter behind and signs of spring, the village comes to life this day to kick off the 2022 season. As New Jersey’s premier outdoor living history museum, come and celebrate Allaire’s history with special house tours, craft demonstrations including carpentry, tinsmith, blacksmith, hearth-cooking, fiber arts, children’s games, storytelling, quilting and more.

Magic Show with Silly Billy
Newark Museum of Art, Newark
Join Silly Billy for family-friendly interactive comedy magic. This magic show includes comedy sketches, magic and storytelling. It’s guaranteed to have your family amazed and laughing the entire time.

The Great Red Bank Egg Hunt
11 Henry St., Red Bank
Red Bank’s Annual Spring Egg-Hunt is free for children for all ages. The Easter Bunny will be there, so bring your camera.

Mad Hatter Tea Party at Cherry Hill Mall
Cherry Hill Mall, Cherry Hill
Join for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party with his friends Alice, Cheshire Cat and the Queen of Hearts. Sing and dance along with favorite characters and enjoy special entertainment from a face painter and balloon artist. There will be games, crafts, farm animals, prizes and more.

Sensory Celebration
Van Vleck House and Gardens, Montclair
In recognition of Autism Awareness Month, this event invites visitors to explore the Van Vleck gardens using your senses as your guide. Activity stations will be arranged throughout the property focusing on different textures, smells, shapes and colors found in the natural world.  Meet and greet animals from Eyes of the Wild, an exotic animal rescue, and learn how these amazing creatures use their senses.

Sunday

Easter Bunny Express
Flemington
This year’s Easter Bunny event features an egg hunt and ride on steam locomotive #60! The Express departs out of Flemington Station, and all ages are welcome. Children under three ride for free with an adult ticket holder.

First Annual Atlantic City Mardi Gras
Showboat Hotel, Atlantic City
This all-ages event will feature food, music, vendors, costumes and much more. There will be costume contests for kids and adults so come in your best Mardi Gras attire to celebrate.

Family Day with WBGO Kids Jazz
Montclair Art Museum, Montclair
Join for a fun-filled day of art and music inspired by the exhibition Tenacity & Resilience: The Art of Jerry Pinkney, with a special performance of WBGO Kids Jazz. Grammy award-winning vocalist Catherine Russell and internationally acclaimed trumpeter Bria Skonberg will perform a vibrant and historical musical celebration highlighting the groundbreaking International Sweethearts of Rhythm, the first integrated all-female big band of the 1940s.

HANOVER WIND SYMPHONY/JACK GRASS

Hanover Wind Symphony: Music as Motion
Bickford Theatre at Morris Museum, Morristown
The Hanover Wind Symphony returns to the Bickford Theatre with Music as Motion featuring Kenneth DeCarlo as the trumpet soloist. Hear Hanover perform Carnival of Venice, Fantasie Brillante and more.

Art Throwdown
Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster
Cheer on eight of The Center’s teaching artists as they compete to create an original work of art in a fast-paced and friendly competition using three mystery items.

Getting egg-cited for Easter? Check out these awesome Easter egg hunts in NJ!

Ongoing

Winery Weekend Music Series
Terhune Orchards., Princeton
Saturday – Sunday
Grab a glass of one of Terhune’s award-winning wines, sit back, relax and enjoy live music from local artists each week. Styles range from Jazz and Blues to Folk and Rock. Music is from 1 pm-4 pm.

Palmer Square’s Spring Bunny Visits
Palmer Square, Princeton
When you’re out on the Square making your way into boutique shops and enjoying lunch with the family, keep an eye out for Palmer Square’s Spring Bunny. Snap some photos with the Bunny on Saturdays and Sundays 12 pm-2 pm, April 2 -16.

Don’t forget to reserve your ride on the bunny train for Easter. Hop to it!