Mostly Free & Fun Things To Do With NJ Kids This Weekend August 24-25: Seafarer's Weekend, Jazz Festival, County Caper and More!

8/21/13 - By Sasha Muzzarelli

New Jersey is definitely closing out summer with a bang! Our state is brimming with family-friendly activities, like the Seafarer’s Weekend in Cape May and the Long Branch Jazz & Blues Festival. And for one last fix of the great outdoors, check out Bats for Beginnings at Tenafly Nature Center or pick some juicy late-season fruit and spread out a picnic at Fresh and Fancy Farms. And remember, you can find a full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

And to ease you back into the school year, we have a national Back to School Giveaway coming up, a Swagapalooza that will include prizes like Schwinn bikes, $150 worth of personalized school supplies from My Chronicle Books (think Ivy & Bean and other great titles), a years supply of school uniforms from French Toast and $100 gift card at Famous Footwear. More details coming soon, now on to summer events.

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All Weekend

Seafarer’s Weekend (Cape May, NJ)
Land ho! Head to the Historic Cold Spring Village for their annual Seafarer’s Weekend. Celebrate the maritime culture and history of the Jersey Cape with pirates, maritime music and a variety of displays and demonstrations of all things nautical. Valhalla's Pirates will perform thrilling sword fight scenes on both days. Captain Black and his crew will also meet with guests throughout the day to take pictures and tell tales of the sea. Other highlights include a display from the Cape May Maritime Museum, antique boats, decoy carving and face painting. All ages welcome. Saturday & Sunday 10am-4:30pm. $10/Adult, $8/Child ages 3 to 12, Free for members and children under 3. 609-898-2300

Chocolate & Vanilla Family Festival (Camden, NJ)
The Camden Children’s Garden is always thinking up fun, theme-filled weekends and the Chocolate & Vanilla Festival is no exception! This delicious daytime event is dedicated to two of nature’s most flavorful plants. Kids can get involved and vote for their favorite ice cream flavor or even take a tropical smell taste test (harder than it sounds!). Throw in crafts, educational activities for all ages and tons of vanilla and chocolate treats and you’ve got an awesome late summer outing. All ages welcome. Saturday & Sunday 1-4pm. $6/Person, Children 2 & under are free. 856-365-9741

Saturday, August 24th

Canal Day Music & Craft Festival (Wharton, NJ)
Celebrate New Jersey’s very own Morris Canal at a laid back country festival this Saturday afternoon. Kick back and listen to some live music, take part in regional crafts and taste local eats. The whole family can even take a trip down the canal on a mule-drawn boat ride or check out the exotic animals at Wallaby Tales Traveling Zoo! The festival will wind down with a fireworks display in Robert St. Park at 7pm. All ages welcome. 10am-5pm. FREE.

Long Branch Jazz & Blues Festival (Long Branch, NJ)
Make the most of your last few weekends down the shore at the Long Brand Jazz & Blues Festival. Seven great bands will take the stage including Bob Del Rosso and the Jimmy Vivino Band. With the nearby beach, special kids activities and tons of local NJ food vendors, you really can’t go wrong! End the day with fireworks set to live jazz music before heading home. All ages welcome. 12-10pm. FREE.

Back to the Garden Festival (New Milford, NJ)
Savor the last bounty of the summer season at Fresh and Fancy Farms. Enjoy fresh pickins’ such as late season stone fruit, cherries and blueberries and a farm specialty, hand-squeezed lemonade. Families are welcome to bring blankets to kick back in the garden while listening to Woodstock inspired tunes. Children will have tons to keep them busy with T-shirt tie dyeing, flower crown crafts, painting pots to take home & more. All ages welcome. 1-6pm. FREE. 201-483-9494

Sunday, August 25th

The County Caper (Basking Ridge, NJ)
Round up the family for an interactive adventure game that takes players to various destinations in Somerset County parks and facilities to perform tasks, find clues and gather information. The day is designed to encourage nature exploration and problem solving skills while showing off all that Somerset County parks have to offer. Kids will also learn about protecting forests and lakes and the wildlife that call New Jersey home. All ages welcome (younger kids might need some assistance from siblings or mom & dad!). 8am-5pm. FREE. 908-766-2489

Bats for Beginners (Tenafly, NJ)
If your kids are like most, they probably find bats to be both interesting and a little mysterious! Tenafly Nature Center is taking the mystery out of these night creatures with their Bats for Beginners program. Learn how bats use echolocation and play a vital ecological role as the only flying mammal in New Jersey through a presentation by a TNC Environmental Educator. Then walk along one of the trails using a sonar detector to search for signs of bat life. Recommended for kids ages 5 & up. Pre-registration required. 7-8pm. $5/Members, $10/Non-Members.

Check out our GO NJ List, with our top picks of awesome things to do for kids in the upcoming month! GO AUGUST is full of family fun!

And don't forget: We have additional activity listings in our Event Calendar. And if you are heading into NYC for the weekend make sure you visit the New York City Mommy Poppins events calendar to get the latest on all the fun to be had NYC-style.