Well, last weekend was a washout - and cold. This weekend is looking a bit better - but it is still early so keep those fingers crossed because this week has so much going on!
Let’s get to it - there is a lot going on this weekend.
Interested in Events To Meet New People?
Thank you to those that have responded - I am going to leave this poll up for one more week. In an upcoming issue I will share actual event ideas and see what peaks the interest of the majority!
Reminder: these events will launch in Monmouth County and are for the 40+ crowd. If it goes well, we will expand to other counties!
If Wander Jersey organized local meetups in Monmouth County, how likely would you be to attend?
Remember, this is just a summary of events! View the full event calendar here! Be sure to add your events for free and partner with me for more visibility.
Special Historical Event
This weekend in Monmouth County you can enjoy free access to 50+ historic sites. The event is to celebrate 250 years of Monmouth County history and the role it played in the Revolutionary era. An interactive map is available that offers stories and directions. There are 4 color coded regions so you can find the one closest to you - or why not hit them all!
Atlantic County
View all Atlantic County events ➜
Margate Cherry Blossom Festival - 5/2 | Margate Community Church, Margate City
A community event featuring activities, music, food and drinks and vendors with a special focus on the environment. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Annual Buena Historical Society Spring Festival - 5/2 | Landisville
4th Annual Buena Fine Crafts & Artisans Spring Festival & "Tunnel To Towers" fund-raiser benefit car show. Cost: $1, kids free Visit Event Website >
Bergen County
View all Bergen County events ➜
Elmwood Park Street Fair - 5/2 | Elmwood Park
Community event featuring 50 exhibitors, kids zone, music and beer garden. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Springfest - 5/3 | Veteran's Park, Westwood
Craft fair with an antique and gift corner. Over 125 exhibitors and food vendors. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
North Jersey Auto Show - 5/3 | Cresskill
Annual car show with food, music, trivia contests and more. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Burlington County
View all Burlington County events ➜
Bordentown Porchfest - 5/2 | Bordentown
Free event featuring musicians of different genres, playing free mini-concerts on porches. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
White Hill Mansion Paranormal Expo - 5/2 | White Hill Mansion, Fieldsboro
A full day of ghostbusting and paranormal investigations. Speakers, vendors, tours and so much more. Cost: $15 Visit Event Website >
Camden County
View all Camden County events ➜
Down & Derby Wine Festival - 5/2 | Veterans Island at Cooper River Park, Pennsauken
Derby-themed South Jersey wine event featuring local wineries, live music, & more! Cost: Various Visit Event Website >
Cape May County
View all Cape May County events ➜
Spring Block Party - 5/2 | Downtown Asbury Avenue, Ocean City
Over 350 crafters, food vendors, music and more. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Alice’s Tea Party at Willow Creek Winery - 5/3 | Willow Creek Winery, Cape May
Think spring in the vines with themed food and drink specials (table waffles, spritzes, and more), live music and vendors. Cost: Visit Event Website >
Cumberland County
View all Cumberland County events ➜
Eco Fair - 5/2 | WheatonArts, Millville
Local artists, environmentally minded organizations, family art activities, live music, food, and more. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Spring Festival at Shoppes at Dragon Village - 5/2-5/3 | Shoppes at Dragon Village, Bridgeton
Vendors, merchants, food trucks, kids craft table, games for kids, and train rides. Cost: Visit Event Website >
Cumberland County Tec Car Show - 5/2 | CCTEC Campus, Vineland
4th annual car show to benefit the CCTEC senior automotive scholarship. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Essex County
View all Essex County events ➜
Walnut Street Fair - 5/3 | Montclair
Over 250 vendors, food trucks, live music and kids activities presented by the Junior League of Montclair-Newark. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Gloucester County
View all Gloucester County events ➜
Spring Craft Fair at The ARC Gloucester - 5/2 | The Arc Gloucester, Williamstown
Crafters, artisans, vendors and foo trucks that benefits Spectracare Foundation. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Hudson County
View all Hudson County events ➜
Jersey Art Book Fair 2026 - 5/2-5/3 | Mana Contemporary, Jersey City
200+ exhibitors featuring book artists, zine makers, design collectives, independent publishers and more. Cost: Visit Event Website >
Hunterdon County
View all Hunterdon County events ➜
Flemington Borough Town Wide Yard Sale - 5/2-5/3 | Flemington
Explore treasures, antiques, household items from homes across the borough. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Mercer County
View all Mercer County events ➜
Toms River Cinco De Mayo Festival - 5/2 | Toms River
Washington Street will be filled with vendors, crafts, entertainment and more to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Spring for the Arts Craft & Music Festival - 5/2 | Weeden Park, Lawrenceville
Community event with 170+ vendors, 3 stages of live music, art, food and a student market! Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Cultural Festival in Hopewell - 5/2 | Woolsey Park, Titusville
Third Annual Cultural Festival with food, vendors, performances, fun and more! Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Plant Sale - 5/2-5/3 | East Gallery, Hamilton
Feature a unique selection of annuals, perennials, and shrubs, and GFS propagated trees, houseplants, and succulent gardens. Cost: Free with Admissions Visit Event Website >
Middlesex County
View all Middlesex County events ➜
Union Muster - 5/2-5/3 | East Jersey Old Town Village, Piscataway
Historical weapons demonstrations, music, crafts and more. Free Visit Event Website >
Highland Park Street Fair - 5/3 | Highland Park
Crafters, food vendors, entertainment and more. Free Visit Event Website >
Dunellen Downtown Car Show - 5/3 | Dunellen
Third annual Dunellen car show. Free Visit Event Website >
Monmouth County
View all Monmouth County events ➜
The Jersey Devil Film Festival - 5/1-5/2 | The ShowRoom, Asbury Park
Film showings that explore folklore, mystery and unforgettable. Cost: $20 Visit Event Website >
Highlands Fiesta De Mayo Cantina Crawl - 5/2 | Highlands
5th annual cantina crawl to find the best margarita in the Highlands. Discounts on food and drinks, samplings and more. Cost: $45 Visit Event Website >
Made in Monmouth - 5/2 | Robert J. Collins Arena, Lincroft
Shop from over 200 Monmouth County, NJ artisans and crafters. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
New Jersey Reptile Show - 5/2-5/3 | VFW Post 2179, Port Monmouth
A day of learning, browsing and shopping for all things reptile. Cost: $20, under 5 free Visit Event Website >
Spring Fling Arts & Crafts Show - 5/2 | Ocean Grove
Artists and makers of handmade good where items are at least 95% handmade. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Tinton Falls Neighborhood Garage Sale - 5/2-5/3 | Tinton Falls
Town wide yard sale along the Swimming River Neighborhood. Cost: Visit Event Website >
Belmar Spring Yard Sale - 5/2-5/3 | Belmar
Town wide yard sale with 50+ houses to shop at! Cost: Visit Event Website >
Asbury Punk Rock Flea Market - 5/3 | Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, Asbury Park
Array of records, memorabilia, vintage, photos, artwork, makers and oddities. Music and bar are also on hand! Cost: $5 per person Visit Event Website >
Morris County
View all Morris County events ➜
Dark Force Fest - 5/1-5/3 | Sheraton Parsippany, Parsippany
America's largest 3-Day Gothic-Industrial music festival Cost: Various Visit Event Website >
Ocean County
View all Ocean County events
Bacon Fest + Fireworks - 5/2-5/3 | Laurita Winery and Marketplace, Plumstead
Food trucks, music and fireworks all with a bacon inspired theme. Cost: $16 Visit Event Website >
Spring Forestry Festival - 5/2 | Forest Resource Education Center, Jackson
Celebration of forestry, conservation and our natural resources. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Toms River’s Cinco De Mayo! - 5/2 | Washington Street, Toms River
Enjoy the festivities and celebrate Cinco de Mayo in downtown Toms River. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Barnegat NJ Pirates Day - 5/2 | Russell O. Brackman Middle School, Barnegat
Community event celebrating the history of the town as it relates to pirates. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Tuckerton Porchfest - 5/2 | Tuckerton
A town wide celebration of art, music and poetry. Visit a variety of homes to immerse yourself into a world of arts! Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Spring Forestry Festival - 5/2 | Forest Resource Education Center, Jackson
Celebrate nature and the outdoors with exhibits, music, games, hikes and so much more. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Fishing Contest - 5/2 | Lake Shenandoah County Park, Lakewood
Fishing contest with door prizes and two age groups. Cost: $4 over 16, $2 under 16 Visit Event Website >
Craft Beer & Food Truck Festival - 5/2 | Veterans Memorial Park, Beach Haven
Craft beer, food trucks, live music and craft vendors. Cost: $25 to drink, donation for others Visit Event Website >
First Responders Day - 5/2 | Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach, Seaside Heights
A special day to celebrate our local heroes. Rides, touch a truck, characters and so much more. Cost: Visit Event Website >
Salem County
View all Salem County events ➜
Fenwick's Colony Open House - 5/2 | Salem
Step back in time during the Open House in Fenwick’s Colony Tour. Cost: $30 non-member, $25 member Visit Event Website >
Spring House Tour - 5/2 | Salem
A day to visit Salem County's colonial homes and historic sites. Cost: $35 non-member, $30 member Visit Event Website >
Somerset County
View all Somerset County events ➜
Atlantic Visiting Nurse Rummage Sale - 5/1-5/3 | Far Hills Fairgrounds, Far Hills
NJ's largest and oldest rummage sale that supports Atlantic Visiting Nurse's home care and hospice services Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Empanada Fest and Car Show - 5/2 | Rustic Mall, Manville
Empanada trucks featuring a battle for best empanadas, car show, music and more. Cost: $5, under 5 free Visit Event Website >
Union County
View all Union County events ➜
Union County Celtic Festival - 5/2 | Deutscher Club of Clark, Clark
Celebrate Celtic culture with competitions, music food and more. More details coming soon. Cost: Visit Event Website >
TBEMC Sisterhood Spring Market Fair - 5/3 | Parking lot of TBEMC, Cranford
Over 40 vendors from all over New Jersey selling their wonderful merchandise Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
Warren County
View all Warren County events ➜
7th Annual A Day of Wine, Romance, and MORE! - 5/2-5/3 | Brook Hollow Winery, Columbia
Over 50 local authors representing a wide range of genres will be on hand for this unique event. Cost: Free Visit Event Website >
FEATURED PLACE
White Hill Mansion 👻
Experience the eerie charm of White Hill Mansion, a historic riverside estate known for its rich past and chilling ghost stories. With reports of shadowy figures and unexplained sounds, it’s a must-visit for New Jersey locals who love history with a supernatural twist.
Learn more about White Hill here.
This image was part of a photo project called “Abandoned Beauty” I did a few years ago and features Miss Piggy in front of White Hill Mansion.
credit: Jill Caren
Support Wander Jersey
Wander Jersey is a labor of love — independent, ad-free, and run by one person (hi, I'm Jill). If you've found value in the guides, stories, or recommendations here, a small contribution helps keep the site and newsletter alive and growing.
No pressure, but it genuinely makes a difference.
Thank you for being here. ❤️
FEATURED HOME
19th Century Mansion Anyone?
This home has been restored and modernized, blending original architectural details with a fully updated kitchen, smart home technology, and an elevator serving six levels of living. Standout features include a tower with a lounge/bar, rooftop deck, and sweeping views, plus a pool with limestone deck and pool house, a carriage house with 3 bedrooms and 5-car garage, and a full gymnasium with basketball court. It can be yours for just $9,999,000.
credit: Realtor/Turpin Realtors
Plan Ahead
Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival at Cold Spring Village in Cape May on 5/9-5/10
Ocean City Flower Show in Ocean City from 6/5-6/7
NJ Bookstore Crawl across New Jersey from 6/6-6/7
54th NJ Irish Festival at Monmouth Park Racetrack on 6/7
Hot Air Balloon Festival at Warren County Community College from 6/6-6/7
In The News
Guy who built E! investing $250m on Paterson
NJ Nonna goes viral for a salami sandwich
Gateway tunnel under the Hudson is finally a go with $1.2B contract
What did you think of this edition?
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