Destinations | Princeton Magazine

Surati’s Holi Hai Color Walk & Festival

On September 25, India’s most colorful celebration comes to Hoboken in Hudson County. Color playing, performances, live music, dance, and food vendors will occupy the Hudson Waterfront in a magical celebration that honors the Hindu gods and signifies good triumphing over evil. The “Festival of Color” will begin at 10 a.m. with live performances and yoga at City Hall in Jersey City, followed by a 2-mile walk. Participants will then congregate at Pier A in Hoboken, where the festival will run from noon to 8 p.m. more

Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest is Back with More Spooky Thrills

After being canceled last year due to COVID-19, Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson is back with even more attractions for children and adults of all ages. The 2021 Halloween spooktacular includes six elaborately decorated areas, a trick-or-treat trail for kids, 10 live shows, rides that will have you screaming in the dark, plus nine haunted mazes. Shopping, games, and dining will also be open during Fright Fest.

On Wednesdays and Thursdays in October (and Thursdays in September), Six Flags will offer exclusive ride times on the park’s coasters and select rides in the dark, plus the added terror of indoor and outdoor haunted mazes. Tickets and advance reservations are required. more

Celebrate Oktoberfest with FOPOS

It’s been quite a year and Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) is ready to celebrate their dedicated crew of volunteers and the amazing accomplishments of 2020-21 with the festive Oktoberfest on Sunday, October 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mountain Lakes House, located at 57 Mountain Road in Princeton.

This rain or shine event will ring in the autumn spirit with local craft beers, hard cider, festive fare, and live music by the country sounds of Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves — all in the beautiful setting of Mountain Lakes House overlooking the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. more

Landmark Hospitality Relaunches Iconic Logan Inn

The company revives the centuries-old property through history, delectable cuisine, and style.

Landmark Hospitality announces the reopening of the Logan Inn in New Hope, Pa. Established in 1727 and steeped in tradition, the Logan Inn stands as the oldest operating inn in America. After two years of construction, Landmark Hospitality completed an expansion and renovation of the property, transforming it into a boutique hotel experience and curated entertainment for travelers and locals. The revitalized inn joins Landmark Hospitality’s diverse portfolio of adaptive reuse projects across the tri-state area. more

Guided Outdoor Family Meditation at Grounds For Sculpture

On Sunday, September 19 from 10 to 11 a.m., join Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton for a wellness workshop led by Katie O’Brien. This outdoor, guided family-centric mediation promises to provide stress relief, relaxation, self-empowerment, and focus heading into the back-to-school season. Learn the art of mediation, a life-changing tool for many, which children of all ages can learn to practice with the support of a family member.

Elements of sound, drumming, and vocal toning exercises will be incorporated with the intention to facilitate body awareness and mindfulness, followed by a fun and freeing movement meditation. This workshop is designed for children ages 5 and up and their adult caretakers. Admission is $25 for adults ($10 for members) and $15 for children ($5 for members). more

WheatonArts Festival of Fine Craft

The 22nd annual Festival of Fine Craft at WheatonArts offers two days of an art and shopping experience for the entire family with more than 125 juried artists and craftspeople displaying and selling their works. Visitors will also partake in special artist demonstrations, hands-on family art activities, a Beer and Wine Garden, Glass Pumpkin Fundraiser, live music, and more.

This year’s event will be held on October 2 and 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. WheatonArts is located on 45 wooded acres at 1000 Village Drive in Millville, New Jersey (GPS address). This historic organization is home to the Museum of American Glass, the Creative Glass Fellowship Program, New Jersey’s largest Folklife Program, Artist Studios (hot glass, pottery, and flameworking), Museum Stores, and nature trails. Admission is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors (62+), and $7 for students. Members and children under age 5 are free. more

Asbury Park Fall Bazaar 2021

The Asbury Park Fall Bazaar returns on Saturday and Sunday, September 25 and 26 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Asbury Park Convention Hall. Come celebrate local makers, musicians, and artists living and working in Asbury Park. This year’s event will include shopping from the best local and regional artisans along with DIY craft workshops, vintage photo booth trailers, live DJs, handmade selfie walls, and delicious food and libations from The Anchor’s Bend and Asbury Oyster Bar. more

Dino Safari at Westfield Garden State Plaza

Now through September 6, grab a prehistoric passport and join over 40 giant moving dinosaurs on a globetrotting expedition at Dino Safari, a completely drive-thru dino adventure for the whole family at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus.

Get up-close-and-personal with the most fascinating prehistoric creatures from the mighty T. Rex of North America to the giant amphibious Spinosaurus from Africa while you learn how dinosaurs evolved over time, where on earth they lived, and the discoveries paleontologists have made about how they ate, moved, and behaved. more

Pick-Your-Own Sunflowers at Alan’s Flower Farm

Sunflower season is here and what better way to enjoy these beautiful blooms than to take a trip to Alan’s Flower Farm in Allentown.

From sunflowers to hydrangeas, lavender, dahlias, peonies, mixed bouquets, and summer annuals, Alan’s bucolic fields contain a wide variety of blooms. In season now, sunflowers are harvested from July to October. These regal blooms are an instant pick-me-up and look wonderful as a table setting or dried and added to a hanging wreath. more

14th Annual Hopewell Tour Des Arts

The annual Hopewell Tour des Arts returns this fall on Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

For 14 years, this event has showcased the heart and soul of Hopewell’s artist community. With the opportunity to showcase their live work, the event allows patrons to step inside artists’ studios and study them and their craft. From painting to drawing, sculpture and photography, the tour delivers a wide range of artistic skill and techniques. A self-guided tour map can be accessed at https://www.hopewelltourdesarts.com/map-2021. The tour begins at Hopewell Train Station, 2 Railroad Place in Hopewell. more

“It’s Personal: The Art of Robert Beck” Exhibition at the Michener Art Museum

Robert Beck (b. 1950), Sunday Morning, 1996. Oil on panel. 24 x 18 inches. James A. Michener Art Museum.

The Michener Art Museum presents “It’s Personal: The Art of Robert Beck,” opening July 30. The exhibition focuses on Robert Beck’s place in the storied world of the New Hope-Lambertville arts community. Beck has played an important role in advancing and expanding the region’s traditions of Impressionism and Urban Realism, with distinctive oil paintings of the people, places, and occupations of our time. He is well known for documentary paintings, as he refers to his paintings done on site in one go. Whether single works or multi-image “visual essays,” these distinct paintings record his world much like the Pennsylvania Impressionists recorded theirs in their time. Unlike those images, Beck describes a world that contemporary audiences recognize as their own. Viewers respond to his keen perspective on the storefronts, street corners, bars, restaurants, carnivals, basketball games, funeral homes, and parades, of their here and now. While New York, Bucks County, and the villages along the upper coast of Maine, present subjects and contrast for his examinations, the exhibit includes work from series he created in the American West, Europe, and Africa. It is a remarkable story of a contemporary artist establishing a voice, becoming part of a community, and creating a body of work that will resonate in Bucks County and well beyond for many years. more

The Splashiest of Summer Getaways at Longwood Gardens

Image Source: https://www.facebook.com/LongwoodGardens

Now through September 26, 2021, escape the everyday routine at Longwood Gardens in Brandywine Valley. Fountain performances in the Main Fountain Garden and Open Air Theatre take place daily. Illuminated Fountain Performances are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Live Music in the Beer Garden takes place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Admission tickets are required. more

Bordentown Historical Self-Guided Walking Tour

Crosswicks Creek in Bordentown, NJ

Take a self-guided walking tour through the nooks and crannies of New Jersey’s local history! Authored by acclaimed local favorite Bordentown Walking Tours, Tour Takers hear from Mark Neurohr-Pierpaoli, owner and Tour Guide, via engaging videos at each Tour Stop. The app delivers the content and guides Tour Takers with walking directions along the route. more

Wonder Bar Yappy Hour in Asbury Park

Image Credit: https://wonderbarasburypark.com

Open seven days a week from noon to 8 p.m., Asbury Park’s famous Wonder Bar at 1213 Ocean Avenue hosts “Yappy Hour” where owners can mix and mingle while their dogs run free. Yappy Hour was founded 12 years ago by Debbie DeLisa, a former Eastern Airlines flight attendant and current manager of the Wonder Bar.

DeLisa wanted to recreate a “Cheers” feeling, where “everybody knows your name and everybody knows your dog’s name,” says DeLisa. Asbury Park has already earned the moniker of one of the most pet-friendly towns on the Jersey Shore, and this summer event seems to confirm it. more

Delaware River Tubing Resumes July 21

Image Sources: https://www.facebook.com/njtubing/

Delaware River Tubing, the region’s No. 1 River Outfitter, resumes tubing, rafting, canoeing, and kayaking services on July 21. The 2021 season will run through September 19 at 778 Frenchtown Road in Milford. For daily hours of operation, visit www.delawarerivertubing.com.

Tubing at Delaware River Tubing enables visitors to cool off, relax, and enjoy the scenic and historic landscape of the Delaware River and accompanying River Towns.

Float down the river in a tube over a 5-6 mile stretch (approximately 3 to 4 hours to complete) and get a free BBQ meal at Adventure Island with the Famous Hot Dog River Man. Enjoy your lunch at a picnic table before returning to your tubing adventure. more

Sesame Place Hosts 41st Birthday Bash

Image Sources: http://sesameplace.com

Join Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pa., on Friday, July 30 for the 41st celebration of the popular children’s theme park and water park.

The day’s events include a birthday character meet and greet and photo opportunities with some of Sesame Street’s most popular personalities. All the Sesame Street friends will be dressed in festive birthday party attire. There will also be a Birthday Bash Dance Party on Oscar’s Wacky Taxi Stage. Dance, sing, and groove along with the furry friends of Sesame Place. The dance parties will take place at 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and 6 p.m. more

Butterfly Count at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve

Are you looking for a fun and peaceful morning? Join guests and volunteers at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve on Saturday, July 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for the 2021 North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Butterfly Count. Admission is $3 per participant. more

Carson Road Woods 20th Anniversary Walk

Join the Lawrence Hopewell Trail (LHT) Saturday Morning Walking Club for a trek through the 183-acre pastoral preserved site on Saturday, July 10. This exciting event commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Carson Road Woods.

Located in Lawrence Township, Carson Road Woods features beautiful fields, great trails (including the LHT), some wild critters, a beech forest, and wild grapes, blackberries, and mocker nuts, among other features. more

Hunterdon County’s 579 Trail in Rural NJ — A ‘Must Visit’ for Garden State Travelers

Image Source: https://www.facebook.com/Hunterdon579Trail

Did you know you can experience goat yoga, learn about cheese making, and sample award-winning local wine all in the same region of Central New Jersey? The 579 Trail, a historic agricultural corridor running through Hunterdon County begins its peak season for visitors this month as Jersey harvests begin to yield fruits and vegetables and the summer weather leads to a bounty of outdoor recreational activities. more

Support Small Businesses and Save at Westfield’s Annual Sidewalk Sale

Image Source: https://www.facebook.com/downtownwestfieldnj/

Downtown Westfield in Union County invites visitors to shop ‘till they drop at the Annual Sidewalk Sales event taking place July 15 through July 18. Downtown streets will be lined with some of the retailer’s best products at a fraction of the price. These represent some of the best deals of the summer on food, fashion, jewelry, shoes, home decor, children’s toy shops, and more. The event is rain or shine. more