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For anyone who wants to find some things to do in Jersey this weekend without having to cross state lines, I've been writing a newsletter that compiled a list of events happening this weekend in the (roughly) central Jersey area:

May 8th

• Mother's Day French Market Flower Sale, Princeton, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM The Garden Club of Princeton will hold its Mother's Day French Market Flower Sale on Friday, May 8, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the corner of Nassau and University Place, across from Sotheby’s, offering living flower arrangements, cut flowers, and bud vases to support its community trust projects. More info here
• Sips & Bouquet Evening, Princeton, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Terhune Orchards will host Sips & Bouquet Evening on Friday, May 8, offering guests a wine flight and the chance to make spring flower arrangements for Mother’s Day weekend for $50 per person. Register here
• Pop-Up Talk: Curators Kit Brooks and Zoe Kwok, Princeton, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Princeton University Art Museum will present a free Pop-Up Talk on Friday, May 8, as curators Kit Brooks and Zoe S. Kwok discuss the new pavilion for Asian art before an informal gallery conversation. More info here
• RED123 “Pat Metheny Group Tribute”, Hopewell, 8:00 PM RED123 will bring its Pat Metheny tribute to Hopewell Valley Stage on Friday, May 8, promising a soulful jazz set featuring Steve Bryant, Digba Ogunbiyi, Cody McCorry, Tom Cottone and Jim Stagnitto. Buy tickets here
• Live At Twin Lights: Highland Cinema with Apsalar and Eefah, Tinton Falls, 5:30 PM Twin Lights Brewing will host a free, all-ages live set on Friday, May 8, featuring Highland Cinema, Apsalar and Eefah in its tasting room. More info here

May 9th

• New Jersey Audubon's World Series of Birding, Bernardsville, All Day New Jersey Audubon’s World Series of Birding takes place across New Jersey on Saturday, May 9, 2026, bringing teams and birdwatchers into a 24-hour statewide competition to spot as many species as possible while raising support for bird and habitat conservation. More info here
• 2nd Annual Downtown Hopewell Mocktail Crawl: Sip, Snack & Shop, Hopewell, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Downtown Hopewell will host its second annual Mocktail Crawl on Saturday, May 9, from noon to 4 p.m., inviting visitors to sample alcohol-free drinks, shop local merchants and support the Sourland Conservancy. Tickets are $20, purchased here
• Branchburg Food Truck & Music Festival, Branchburg, 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM The Branchburg Food Truck & Music Festival will bring 20 gourmet food trucks, live music, family activities and a beer garden to White Oak Park on Saturday, May 9, with proceeds supporting local volunteer fire companies and admission set at $5. More info here
• Ross Farm Jazz Fest, Basking Ridge, 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM The Ross Farm Jazz Fest returns on Saturday, May 9, with college and youth ensembles leading into a headlining set by the Dave Stryker / Bob Mintzer Quartet at the historic Ross Farm in Bernards, with tickets priced at $25 for adults. More info here
• Opening Day!, Oceanport, 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Monmouth Park opens its 2026 live racing season on Saturday, May 9, with gates at 11 a.m., the first race at 12:50 p.m., and a full day of opening-weekend festivities, food, and family activities. More info here
• Spring Festival, Middletown, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Middletown United Methodist Church will host a Spring Festival on Saturday, May 9, with vendors, games, food, pony rides, a petting zoo and other family activities. More info here.
• FC Monmouth vs Kensington SC, Red Bank, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM FC Monmouth opens its 2026 home schedule on Saturday, May 9, when the men host Kensington SC at Count Basie Park in Red Bank for Monmouth County Night. Get your tickets here

May 10th

• Asbury Farmers & Makers Market, Asbury Park, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM The Asbury FRESH Farmers & Makers Market returned for its 13th year on Sunday, May 3 at Press Plaza in downtown Asbury Park, bringing local produce, artisan goods and food vendors to a weekly community market. More info here
• Mother’s Day brunch and dinner, Cranbury, 10:30 AM - 10:00 PM The Cranbury Inn will mark Mother’s Day with brunch and dinner on Sunday, May 10, serving two curated menus and chef specials, with reservations strongly recommended. Make your reservation here
• Snow White, New Brunswick, 12:00 PM Princeton Ballet School will stage Snow White on Saturday and Sunday at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, an enchanting one-hour ballet choreographed by Samantha Dunster with more than 200 young dancers. Get your tickets here

If you know of anything else happening this weekend, comment it below for others to see. And if you're interested in getting these events, you can subscribe here to my newsletter that finds these events every weekend: Plainsboro Pulse.

For anyone who wants to find some things to do in Jersey this weekend without having to cross state lines, I've been writing a newsletter that compiled a list of events happening this weekend in the (roughly) central Jersey area:

April 24th

• Blue Moon Acres Farm Market, Pennington, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Blue Moon Acres’ Pennington market opens Friday for the season with certified organic produce, microgreens, local goods, and rotating cheeses, meats, and ice cream, and it will continue on Fridays and Saturdays through December. More info here
• Arts Council of Princeton’s Art People Party, Princeton, 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM The Arts Council of Princeton will stage its annual Art People Party as a 1990s grunge-themed fundraiser with dinner, an open beer and wine bar, a DJ dance party, and the signature Tombola art experience, where every ticket holder leaves with an original work. More info here
• Boots, Brews & Two-Steppin’ Tunes, Farmingdale, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Stomp and Stride Entertainment will host a beginner-friendly country line dancing night at Tall Oaks Farm + Brewery on April 24, with pre-registration pricing that includes a drink, live music, and an on-site food truck. Tickets are $15, purchased here
• Nature Board Game Night, Cranbury, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Plainsboro Preserve will host a free, family-friendly nature-themed board game night on April 24, inviting guests to bring snacks and enjoy puzzles and games inside the Environmental Education Center. More info here

April 25th

• Wine & Comedy Show, Ringoes, 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Old York Cellars will host its Wine & Comedy night with stand-up, wine, and chef-driven food on Saturday evening, with doors at 7 p.m. and the show starting at 8 p.m., and tickets are recommended in advance because the event often sells out, purchased here.
• Princeton Porchfest, Princeton, 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM The fifth annual Princeton Porchfest will bring free live music to porches across town on April 25, with neighbors opening their homes to performers and visitors encouraged to stroll, bike, and enjoy the day. More info here
• HCHS Book Sale, Raritan Township, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM The Hunterdon County Historical Society will hold its annual book sale on April 25 at its Archive Building, offering local history titles, rare books, first editions, maps, posters, and the society’s mission-driven support for preserving Hunterdon County history. More info here
• Asbury Park Vintage Market, Asbury Park, 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM The Stone Pony Summer Stage will host the Asbury Park Vintage Market on April 25, bringing free admission and a lineup of vintage clothing, vinyl, home decor, jewelry, and other finds to the waterfront. More info here
• Red Bank Pizza Crawl 2026, Red Bank, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Red Bank will host a citywide pizza crawl on April 25, with participating restaurants, ticketed tastings, and proceeds benefiting JBJ Soul Kitchen.  Tickets are $22.22, purchased here
• Rutgers Day at Busch Campus, Piscataway, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Rutgers Day will bring hundreds of free programs, exhibits, hands-on activities, and live entertainment to Busch Campus on April 25, including food vendors and family-friendly attractions across the university’s flagship open house. More info here

April 26th

• Downtown Somerville Puppy Pawlooza, Somerville, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Downtown Somerville’s first Puppy Pawlooza will turn Main Street into a dog-friendly street festival on April 26, with pet vendors, rescues, contests, demonstrations, giveaways, and a free rabies clinic for visitors and their pups.  More info here
• Art Show & Open Air Market, Hillsborough, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM JPA Plaza will host an open-air art market on April 26 featuring local artists, handmade goods, and family-friendly shopping, with a rain date set for May 3. More info here
• Somerset County 4-H Spring Carnival, Bridgewater, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Somerset County 4-H will host a free spring carnival at the Ted Blum 4-H Center on April 26, with clubs running games, crafts, and activities for families. More info here
• Red Bank Street Fair & Craft Show, Red Bank, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Downtown Red Bank will host a free street fair and craft show on April 26 with artists, crafters, live music, food, and family activities along Monmouth Street and Broad Street. More info here
• Asbury Park Restaurant Tour, Asbury Park, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Asbury Park’s Chamber of Commerce will stage its 13th annual Restaurant Tour on April 26, inviting guests to sample bites and demos at dozens of eateries across town. Buy a ticket here

If you know of anything else happening this weekend, comment it below for others to see. And if you're interested in getting these events, you can subscribe here to my newsletter that finds these events every weekend: Plainsboro Pulse.