Memorial Day means warm weather and honoring the red, white and blue. Whether you’re looking to spend the long weekend at the beach, surrounded by food or saluting our armed forces, there are plenty of celebrations across the Garden State.
Courtesy of The Wildwoods
Wildwoods International Kite Festival
May 26-29: Set up chairs on the beach and enjoy the largest kite festival in North America.
Memorial Day Weekend With The Miners
May 26-29: Watch the Miners play ball all weekend (Fri-Mon) at Skylands Stadium in Augusta. Other activities include the Burger and Beer Fest on Saturday, Bark in the Park on Sunday and Memorial Day fireworks on Monday.
Bradley Beach Memorial Day Weekend Festival 2017
May 27-29: Food, drink and craft vendors set up on the Ocean Avenue Promenade for the three-day festival. Honor our servicemen and women at Saturday’s parade at 10 am. Jam out with live entertainment from Marel Hidalgo & The Stone Feather Band (Sat), Gas House Gorillas (Sun) and The VooDUDES (Mon).
Times: Sat & Sun 11 am-8 pm; Mon, 11 am-6 pm
Courtesy of Equi-Photo
Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival
May 27-29: Bring your appetite to this festival featuring 40 mouthwatering trucks serving treats including empanadas, egg rolls, clams casino, lobster rolls, pierogies and cobbler. Watch live racing at the Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport and listen to country music deejayed by Rockin’ Thunder 106.3 FM.
Times and prices: Sat & Sun, 11 am-5:30 pm; Mon, 11:30 am-5:30 pm; $5.
Memorial Beach Challenge
Collingswood’s 37th annual May Fair
Times: 10 am-5 pm
Courtesy of Millville Army Air Field Museum
Millville Wheels & Wings Airshow 2017
May 27 & 28: Feel the thunder of jets, military aircraft and warbirds at the Millville Airport—America’s first defense airport. Enjoy aviation aerobatics by the United States Navy Blue Angels Jet Demonstration Team, as well as a classic car show, food and ground displays—all benefitting the Millville Army Air Field Museum.
Times and prices: 9 am-5 pm; $5-$20.
Pork Roll Festival
May 27: A breakfast lover’s paradise, the fourth Annual Pork Roll Festival in Trenton celebrates New Jersey’ s favorite salty meat. Put your culinary chops to the test during the pork roll recipe contest, enjoy live music and see the crowning of the 2017 Pork Roll Queen.
Times and prices: 9 am- 7 pm; $5.
Cape May Music Festival
May 28-June 15: The 28th annual music celebration features Avi Wisnia, the Bay-Atlantic Symphony and a tribute to George Mesterhazy.
Courtesy of Michael Ulrich
New Jersey Renaissance Faire
May 27-28; June 3-4, 10-11: Don period clothing at Bordentown’s Renaissance Faire, complete with jousts, flame stunts, singing pirates and William Shakespeare, as well as dozens of vendors. This year’s theme is the Italian Renaissance. See Italian artists Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael.
Times and prices: 10 am-6 pm; $15-$60
New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day Ceremony
Metuchen 90th Annual Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony
May 29: Kick off the day with the parade, beginning at New and Pearl Streets at 10 am. A post-parade ceremony at 11:30 am includes performances by Spook Handy and The Seed Planters.
How do you have a NJ Memorial Day Weekend list and not include the Tour of Somerville, the country’s longest running bike race?
May 25 – Legal Runaround
May 26 – Classic Cruisers
May 27 – Bound Brook Criterium bike race
May 28 – Raritan Criterium bike race
May 29 – Memorial Day Parade followed by the 74th annual Tour of Somerville
tourofsomerville.org