New Jersey Leisure Guide Monthly Newsletter
April, 2021

The arrival of April brings Spring into full bloom with the greening of trees, the emergence of flowers and the resurgence of many outdoor activities.

The more adventurous can get out to enjoy the outdoors with hiking, biking, canoeing, and some early spring campingch is the time of the year when the worst of winter is behind us and we look forward to warmer weather and the onset of Spring.

This Edition's Contents...

• Popular April Things To Do
• Seasonal Frequently Asked Question
• This Month's Featured Restaurant
  
  
  COVID-19 executive orders in effect may restrict or require cancellation of events.
  With near term cancellations occurring at a rapid rate, and despite trying to remove them as soon as we learn of the cancellations or restrictions, we recommend viewers contact the event sponsors before heading out to a listed event to confirm their status

April 2021 Things To Do .

EggstravaganZoo!
Friday, April 2 thru Sunday, April 11, 2021; 10 am - 3pm daily.
Cape May County Park and Zoo
707 Route 9 North
Cape May Court House, NJ
Website
609-465-5271
This daily free event will feature:
Spy Easter Eggs Adventure through the walking paths behind our zoo to spot the over-sized Easter Eggs hanging from the trees. This "Egg Hunt" is self-guided and starts at our carousel. After you think you have 'spied' all of the eggs, submit your total count at the Zoo entrance to be entered for a chance to win a gift certificate for a giraffe encounter for 4 people. The drawing for this contest will take place on Sunday, April 11th.

Phillipsburg Easter Bunny Train and Egg Hunt Ride
April 3, 4, 2021
99 Elizabeth Street
Phillipsburg, NJ
Website
Cost: $12 per child, $18 per adult
This is fun family event. Ride the Easter Bunny Train Ride and visit with Mr. E. Bunny on the train. Your ride will wind along the scenic Delaware River leaving from the Historic District of Phillipsburg, New Jersey. The train will travel along the river to Carpentersville and our destination will be the site of the historic Lime Kilns. In front of the 150 year old Lime kilns is a beautiful little glade filled with Easter eggs! Once we arrive you can get off the train, take a picture with Mr. Bunny and gather 4 Easter eggs! On the train enjoy our banjo playing Hobo and a Juggler!.

Exit 0 International Jazz Festival
April 23-25, 2021
Multiple venues
Cape May, NJ
Website-lineup-schedule-tickets
Cape may comes alive this weekend with more than 40 jazz performances taking place in a three day multi-venue festival featuring top national headliners. All venues staged using otdoor spaces with multiple stages respecting all CDC and State of NJ Covid-19 guidelines.

Renaissance Faire
April 24, 25, 2021; 11am - 5pm
Located on the Village Greene side of Historic Smithville Village
615 E. Moss Mill Rd.
Smithville, NJ
Website
Fun for the whole family including comedy, tragedy, sword fighting, dance, song, knights, jesters and so much more. Join in on the players of the New Jersey Renaissance Faire and travel back to the days of yore and merry olde England as the historic village of Smithville is transformed into the Shire of Smithville in the heart of the English Renaissance.  The good Duke of Northumberland has decreed merriment for all. Stroll amongst the wares of the local vendors and traveling merchants sporting historical gifts and finely crafted items. 

Waretown Wine Festival
Saturday, April 24, 25, 2021: 12 noon to 5 p.m. (rain or shine)
Waretown Recreation and Lake Area
182 Wells Mill Road
Waretown, NJ
Website/Tickets
Cost: $20 until the day of the event when it is $25. Designated drivers and festival attendees are $5.00 and Children Under 12 are FREE.
This annual event features a tasting of wines from many of the state's most prized wineries. In addition to wine tastings, there will also be live entertainment, as well as crafters, retail vendors, and food vendors all overlooking a beautiful lake situated under magnificent shade trees

Cherry Blossom Festival
2nd & 3rd week in April
Branch Brook Park
Newark, NJ
Website
The second largest Cherry Blossom display in the United States with the National Cherry Blossom display in Washington, DC being the largest and usually occurs about two weeks earlier. This blossoms peak in the second and third weeks of April. There are over 3,000 cherry trees. The blossoms can be best enjoyed by a casual walk or picnic in the park

Tulip Festival
Weather permitting, beginning early April and remain in bloom for two to three weeks.
Holland Ridge Farms
86 Rues Road
Cream Ridge, NJ
Website/Check dates/Ticket purchase
In response to the recent COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, the Holland Ridge Farms has provided a drive-through tulip trail that would l be open to visitors to experience the flower fields from the comfort and safety of their own vehicles. While remaining in your car from start to finish, you'll be guided through the rows and rows of tulips, and as you make your way through the tulip beds, you'll be given a beautiful bunch of tulips as you exit

The Grounds for Sculpture
80 Sculptors Way
Hamilton, NJ
Website
609-586-0616
Grounds for Sculpture has reopened to the public with reserved timed ticketing.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays.

Lakota Wolf Preserve
89 Mt. Pleasant Road
Columbia, NJ 07832
Website
(908) 496-9244
Currently open for limited capacity tours
Hear the howling of wolves echo through the mountains of the Delaware Water Gap in Knowlton Township, Warren County, NJ. Photo opportunities of a lifetime and the experience of watching and listening to packs of Tundra, Timber, and Arctic wolves will be yours. View wolves here in the East in a natural surrounding for the first time in over a century. Bobcats and foxes also reside at the reserve

Liberty Science Center
Liberty State Park
Jersey City
Website
(201) 200-1000
Kids have plenty of room to burn off steam while enjoying 100s of exhibits, rock climbing, a suspended maze , live demonstrations (volcano pictured), a mini zoo, films, and shows. They even offer special exhibits and programs for kids ages 2-5. There's so much to do that most visits last 4 hours. Try the famous Touch Tunnel maze, see tiny live monkeys, and dodge a sneeze from the Big Blue Nose. Learning has never been so much fun. The new Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium and LSC Giant Dome Theater is the largest and most technologically advanced planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. Only three others in the world—two in Japan and one in China—are bigger

Seasonal Frequently Asked Question:

Question: A Place to hold an Inexpensive Group Picnic. What is a great, but inexpensive spot for a group picnic (about 40 people)?

Answer: I would suggest contacting your local county parks department as a good source of having sites for inexpensive picnics. Most county parks charge a small fee but they usually offer a pavilion, grills and some recreational facilities. Or visit Top New Jersey County Parks

This Months Featured Restaurant

Top Ten Things To Do in April - The popular NJ seasonal outdoor and indoor activities, events, attractions, and points of interest for people of all ages.

Monthly Events - This page has links to events that appear in future months, usually 3-4 months in advance. The Monthly newsletter that you are receiving includes many of the events found on the pages

New Jersey Easter Events - Latest status on this year's scheduled Easter Events