Who’s ready for the weekend? School is out, but Saturday and Sunday are still made for family fun! If you’re looking for some things to do in and around town, check out these events and activities!
State Fair Meadowlands at MetLife Stadium (1 MetLife Stadium Drive, East Rutherford) is now open through July 9th. Visitors can enjoy rides, games, food, and performances. Tickets must be purchased online and in advance. Visit the website for schedules and prices.
Fosterfields Living Historical Farm (73 Kahdena Road, Morristown) will host Hook, Line and Sinker on Saturday from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Fish on! Anglers wanted at Fosterfields. Fish our farm pond using bamboo poles… then throw your catch of the day back in! The cost is $7 per person, and all supplies are included. The price includes admission to the farm. This activity is suitable for all ages. Register online.
The Clairidge will host a sensory-friendly screening of Elemental on Saturday at 10:00 AM. This screening will feature relaxed, soft lights that will be kept on throughout the film, moderated volume to be lowered and more consistent, and a limited number of trailers before the film. Guests are encouraged to spread out and move around as necessary. Elemental is an all-new original feature film Pixar Studios, transporting moviegoers to an extraordinary place called Element City, where a host of elements live and work. Ember is a quick-witted and fiery woman who’s always stayed close to home in Firetown, until she strikes up a friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade, who challenges her beliefs about the world they live in.
Newark Museum of Art (49 Washington Street, Newark) will host June Family Saturdays on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Enjoy a day of fun science activities for the whole family. Activities include a MakerSPACE, Planetarium shows, Creative Play, a Science Drop-In, and a Family Drop-In. Visit the website for a full schedule and descriptions of each session. Reserve tickets online. This event is free with general admission.
The Glen Ridge Public Library (240 Ridgewood Avenue, Glen Ridge) will host Play with Picasso Tiles, K’NEX and Lincoln Logs on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The library will supply the Picasso Tiles, K’NEX, and Lincoln Logs, and children are encouraged to try building with all three materials.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum (165 Hobart Avenue, Summit) will host Free Saturday Tours 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.
Montclair Public Library (50 S. Fullerton Avenue, Montclair) will host Summer Reading Club Kickoff @Main on Saturday from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Celebrate this year’s Summer Reading Club theme “All Together Now” with a day of music, face painting, magic, bubble play, story time, and more!
Schedule of Activities and Events:
- Magic and Balloon Animals by Caribbean magician IslandMagic, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
- Face Painting and Henna designs by Art My Face, 11 am – 2 pm
- Summer Reading Storytimes, 11:30 am – 12 pm and 1:30 – 2 pm
- Kids’ Pop-Punk Concert by Tim Hoh, 12 – 1 pm
Additional activities include hand tattoos, bubble play on the grass, popcorn and water (while supplies last), and of course signing up for our Summer Reading Club! All kickoff registrations get the chance to win extra summer reading raffle tickets. Can’t make it? Register for the Summer Reading Club online at www.montclairlibrary.org/src. This program is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Montclair Public Library Foundation.
Friends of the Howe House along with other community partners will present a town-wide Juneteenth Jubilee on Saturday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The event will take place at Hillside School (54 Orange Road, Montclair) and will celebrate freedom during a fun-filled day planned with guest speakers, a vendors village, food trucks, face painters, pony rides, and story corner for what is sure to be a day of community fellowship. The Montclair History Center will be in attendance with an information booth.
Turtle Back Zoo (560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange) will host Wonders of the Wild on Saturday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. This program offers students ages 6-12 an opportunity to participate in supplementary science and nature-themed programs and projects that facilitate scientific literacy and lifelong environmental stewardship. The theme for this session is To the Farm. The cost is $30.
Fosterfields Living Historical Farm (73 Kahdena Road, Morristown) will host Childrens Tour of the Willows on Saturday from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Step back in time at the Willows Mansion! Learn about the people who lived there, and use your senses of sight, sound, smell, and touch to learn about life in the past. This tour is designed for kids ages 4-12 with an adult. The cost is $10 per person. 
Newark Museum of Art (49 Washington Street, Newark) will host June Family Sundays on Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Enjoy a day of fun activities for the whole family at Newark Museum of Art. Activities include MakerSpace and Family Drop-In: Bleep, Bloop Beep, where kids can design a cardboard robot. Visit the website for timing and descriptions. This activity is included with general admission.
Frelinghuysen Arboretum (353 East Hanover Avenue, Morris Township) will host Fairy Day on Sunday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The Arboretum welcomes fairies to visit the gardens. Where can these tiny sprites find shelter during their stay? Families, groups, and fairy lovers of all ages design and build their own houses to welcome the wee folk, including fairies, gnomes, and other garden sprites arriving to celebrate the Summer Solstice. Piles of bark, branches, lichens, mosses, feathers, stones, and leaves are provided for building. Enjoy a fairy snack and make a fairy craft, too.  This activity is suitable for all ages. The cost is $35 per fairy house. Preregistration is required.
Turtle Back Zoo (560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange) will host Family Nature Club: Nature Guardians – Butterfly Bonanza on Sunday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Nature Guardians is the new citizen science program centered around discovering and protecting local wildlife. Join in to discover new species, the challenges they face, and the actions we can take to be a part of wildlife conservation. The monthly salamander study project monitors populations near the Orange Reservoir just outside of the zoo. This activity is for ages 6 and up. The cost is $15.
New Jersey Botanical Garden will host Wildflower Walk on Sunday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Join Darlene Nowak in checking out the many delightful flowers and ferns in the shady, wooded Wildflower Garden!  Wear sturdy shoes and meet at the Carriage House. The cost for this activity is $5, but children under 12 are free.
Field Station: Dinosaurs is back for another season at Overpeck Park (3 Overpeck Driveway, Leonia). The attraction is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM every weekend through June 25. It will also be open on Memorial Day. 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.
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.