New Jersey Leisure Guide Monthly Newsletter
May 1, 2014

The arrival of May is that long awaited month and great time of the year as the weather warms up and people flock to enjoy the many exciting outdoor NJ activities. May is also the month for the unofficial beginning of summer when visitors will head out by the thousands to the Jersey shore to hit the beaches and the boardwalk amusement parks.

This Edition's Contents...

• Popular May Events and Things To Do
• Seasonal Frequently Asked Question
• This Month's Featured Restaurant
  

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Popular May 2014 Events and Things To Do

Note: This information is provided by event sponsors as a free service to our viewers. Sometimes conditions require cancellations or changes of dates, times and location which are not reflected in the original schedule. Before planning a trip to visit one of the listed events, it is suggested that you call the event sponsor to confirm the event schedule or for additional information on the event.

Hammonton Wine Festival
Saturday & Sunday, May 3rd and 4th; 2014 Noon to 5 PM
Hammonton, New Jersey
Website
The Hammonton Wine Festival features wine tastings from South Jersey wineries, Live entertainment and food. With more than eight south Jersey wineries providing samplings. The Mt. Carmel Society, famous for their Italian Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, will be there put on another fantastic feast of Italian food. Come hungry and enjoy their famous Italian Pulled Pork with Broccoli Rabe and Provolone Cheese or The delectable Italian Sausage and Peppers. The Fool Injectors music band will provide the entertainment. The band consists of Sparky on Guitar, Earl on Drums and Ty-Rod on Bass and everyone on vocals. Yeah, that means you can sing along too.

Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line & Tyler Farr
Saturday, May 3, 2014 @7:30 PM
Boardwalk Hall Arena
Atlantic City, NJ

Hoboken Spring Arts & Music Festival
Sunday, May 4, 2014, 10am to 6pm
Washington Street
Website
This popular music festival features over 300 artists, sculptors, photographers and crafts people with 3 stages of live performance including a return performance by: Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes; The Karyn Kuhl Band; The Coffin Daggers; Overlake; Of the Sea; and Preschool of Rock, and more.
It's more than a music festival, there will be;
Fine artists displaying oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, sculpture, mixed media, photography, etc
Children’s activities with rides, games, creative activities, face painting, sand art, balloons, live performances and much, much more.
And of course what's a Hoboken festival without food. There will be great food throughout the fair. Hoboken restaurants will set up street cafes offering an eclectic variety of international foods such as: Thai, Indian, Greek, French, Mexican, Cajun and Italian
Admission is free

WWE: Extreme Rules
Sunday, May 4, 2014 @ 7:30 PM
Izod Center
East Rutherford, NJ

Disney Junior Live: Pirate & Princess Adventure
Friday, May 9, 2014 @ 7:00 PM
Boardwalk Hall Arena
Atlantic City, NJ

New Jersey State History Fair
May 10, 2014, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Washington Crossing State Park
Titusville. NJ
Website
Come celebrate the Fair’s 10th anniversary and the State’s 350th!  Discover NJ’s award-winning State History Fair where visitors can experience five centuries of our State’s history.  Enjoy period games and music, living history demonstrations, military re-enactors and exhibits.  Meet a historic figure from the past.  Watch a 19th century ball game.  Experience the slight-of-hand of an 18th century magician.  Listen to the sounds of the 63rd NJ Army Band who will perform a special FREE concert at the close of the Fair.  It’s fun for the whole family

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Wednesday, May 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 2014
Sun National Bank Center
Trenton, NJ
Tickets & Information

Spring Camp Jam In The Pines
May 15th - 18th, 2014
Old Cedar Campground 
Monroeville, NJ 08343
Website
An all weekend festival hosting national, regional and local acts, with a wide array of talent in many styles of music. They offer camping facilities in the South Jersey farmlands. Campground features full hook-ups, bath house, laundry, camp store, playgrounds, tennis, basketball, shuffleboard and fishing. Stage built on beach right next to lake. Fun filled with happy, dancing, and friendly folks.

Dierks Bentley, Chris Young, Chase Rice & Jon Pardi
Sunday, May 18, 2014 @ 7:00PM
PNC Bank Arts Center
Holmdel, NJ

Electric Daisy Carnival
May 24, 25, 2014; 12:00PM - 11:00PM
MetLife Stadium
East Rutherford, NJ
Information, 2014 lineup and Tickets
The super electronic dance music festival features a creative atmosphere with live performances on four stages, including the East Coast debut of the iconic 100-foot animatronic Owl stage with new and improved Electric Daisy art installation, standing at 125 feet tall, as massive fireworks displays light up the night sky above the festival grounds. The event is highlighted by 450 theatrical and dance performers, more than 150 artists, and 13 fully interactive art installations. This creative production is an audiovisual play ground with full-scale carnival rides and more. The production is put on by Insomniac and aims to encourage audience participation through interactive art, roaming theatrical performers, and fully immersive state-of-the-art production design. Behind every corner and inside every area of Insomniac's festivals is a new adventure waiting to be explored.

The Blues & Wine Festival
May 24 & 25, 2014 noon to 5 p.m. (rain date May 26)
Natirar Park
2 Main Street
Peapack-Gladstone, NJ
Tickets
The Blues & Wine Festival is an annual Memorial Day weekend outdoor event featuring award-winning wine samplings, great food and classic blues on the grounds of one of the most beautiful park settings in the state. Attendees will have an opportunity to sample more than 250 award winning New Jersey wines from over 20 wineries.
One Day General Admission - $20; $25 at the Gate
Two Day Pass - $40 (21 or older) 
Price includes souvenir wine glass and sampling

Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest
May 30, 31, & June 1, 2014
The Sussex County Fairgrounds
Frankford, NJ
Website
On-site Camping and camping hook-ups.
3 day New Orleans Style Music, Food, and Camping Festival. Featuring the best Music and Food that Louisiana and New Orleans has to offer. Cajun, Zydeco, Delta Blues, New Orleans R&B, Brass, Gospel and Jazz on 4 Stages. To really enjoy the "nor-leans" experience, you can try a taste of fresh Boiled Louisiana Crawfish trucked in alive, Crawfish Bread, Shrimp Creole, Crawfish Bread, Crawfish Pie, Alligator Sausage, Crawfish Po-boys, Jambalaya, Southern Fried Chicken and the other great dishes with a menu price of $10.00 or less per dish

The Band Perry
Saturday, May 31, 2014 @ 9:00PM
Caesars
Atlantic City, NJ

Seasonal Frequently Asked Question -- Questions from residents and visitors looking for information on New Jersey Leisure activities

Question: Are There Any Beaches in New Jersey to have a Bonfire With a permit?
Answer; New Jersey beaches and towns have very restrictive ordinances against having Bonfires on beaches.
However, Belmar allows bonfires and picnics on the beach in a designated area. An application for a permit and approval by the Borough Fire official is required. The permit imposes many limitations, conditions, and restrictions for use of the beach for bonfires and picnics. The designated beach area lies between the foot of First Avenue and the high water mark of Shark River and the Atlantic Ocean. For a permit application and information, contact the Belmar Municipal office at 732-681-3700.

New Jersey Restaurant Reviews - New Jersey has over 23,000 restaurants and finding about them is often times a time consuming task. Check out our comprehensive ratings and reviews gathered from diners, critics, and personal visits by New Jersey Leisure Guide.

This Month's Featured Restaurant

Bongo Cafe and Grill
Ocean City, NJ 08226
Spending Memorial Day Weekend in Ocean City with the family? Have breakfast or lunch at this small restaurant where you can get some creative food without breaking the bank.
[ Read review ]

For other top New Jersey Attractions, Events & Things to do:

Celebrating Mothers Day in New Jersey - Learn more about what you can do to make it a special day for mom.

Celebrating Memorial Day Weekend - Learn about where the parades and fun events are taking place.

Top Events in May- A schedule of the most popular events at the larger venues for concerts, theatre, entertainment, and festivals.

Top Things To Do in May - Our recommendations for the most popular seasonal outdoor and indoor activities, events, attractions, and points of interest for people of all ages.