Things to Do in NJ This Weekend

Looking for something fun to do this weekend in New Jersey? New Jersey Monthly has you covered! Below we highlight recommendations each week for events across the state, from festivals to concerts to family-friendly happenings and more.

If you’re looking for fun autumn-centric activities, check out the state’s best fall festivals and fairs. And don’t forget to check out our list of the 52 things you must do in New Jersey all year.

Our picks for September 12-15:

FESTIVALS & FAMILY FUN:

Mexican Independence Day Celebration

📅: Friday, September 13 (noon flag raising; 4-6 pm celebration) 
📍: Monument Square Park • New Brunswick
ℹ️: Celebrate with traditional music, dance and food.
💸: Free

Harvest Brew Fest
📅: Saturday, September 14 (10 am-5 pm)
📍: The Emlen Physick Estate • Cape May
ℹ️: Sip craft beers from South Jersey breweries in the nation’s oldest beach town. There will also be plenty of food vendors, craft vendors and live music.
💸: Free admission

Great Pumpkin Festival

📅: Saturday, September 14-Sunday, September 29
📍: Heaven Hill Farm • Vernon
ℹ️: Get into the spirit of fall with pumpkin picking, hay rides and more.
💸: $21.99-$26.99

Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival

📅: Saturday, September 14 (noon-10 pm)
📍: Morristown Green • Morristown
ℹ️: Enjoy a stellar lineup of jazz musicians.
💸: Free

Arts & Cars Festival

📅: Sunday, September 15 (10 am-4 pm)
📍: Bank Street and Summit Avenue • Summit
ℹ️: This event features a juried arts and crafts festival, a car show and more.
💸: Free

Festival Cultural Latino
📅: Sunday, September 15 (1-5 pm)
📍: Hinds Plaza and Palmer Square • Princeton
ℹ️: The town of Princeton will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an afternoon of traditional cuisine, live music, dance performances, artisan vendors, family-friendly activities and more.
💸: Free admission

FILM

New Jersey Film Festival

📅: Through Friday, October 18 
📍: Rutgers University • New Brunswick
ℹ️: Film fans can savor a smorgasbord of independent pictures at this celebration of movies.
💸: $10-$120

LIVE MUSIC

Tom Jones

📅: Sunday, September 15 (7 pm)
📍: Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena • Atlantic City
ℹ️: A global superstar for more than 50 years, Jones is best known for classics like “It’s Not Unusual.”
💸: $69+

THEATER

Empire Records: The Musical

📅: Friday, September 6-Sunday, October 6
📍: McCarter Theatre Center • Princeton
ℹ️: Based on the 1995 cult-classic movie, this brand-new punk-rock musical tells the story of a record store fighting against an attempted corporate takeover.
💸: $58+

COMEDY

Kevin James

📅: Saturday, September 14 (8 pm)
📍: Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena • Atlantic City
ℹ️: The King of Queens star takes his iconic comedic chops to Atlantic City for an evening of laughs.
💸: $69+

MUSEUM EXHIBITS

Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed

📅: Opens Saturday, September 7
📍: Monmouth Museum • Middletown
ℹ️: Take the kids to this interactive exhibit featuring life-sized dinosaur skeletons and a paleontological dig. Various special events will take place throughout the exhibit’s duration.
💸: Free-$14

GALAS

The da Vinci Gala

📅: Saturday, September 14 (5-8 pm)
📍: Cape May Point Science Center • Cape May Point
ℹ️: This celebration of arts and sciences benefits the nonprofit East Lynn Theater Co. and Cape May Point Science Center.
💸: $175

Find More Events

Want to find even more events? Browse additional events by date and category using our calendar below. And to submit your own event to the calendar, click here.