Experience the Best of New Jersey:
January 2025 Events and Festivals

Guide to New Jersey January Events

Discover The best New Jersey January Events and Festivals. Features The Month's Top seasonal attractions, popular events, and hidden gems

The January Events calendar for 2025 is packed with exciting things to do in NJ. It includes concerts, theatre, festivals, sports,  and entertainment, that have appeal to people of all ages and interests

January is the coldest month of the year and a time for many indoor events, and for the more adventurous, there are some great outdoor winter fun activities like skiing, snow boarding, and skating.

Northern NJ January 2025
Festivals and Themed Events

Let It Glow: A Holiday Lantern Spectacular
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sundays, Now thru January 12th, 2025
Bergen County Zoo at Van Saun County Park
216 Forest Avenue
Paramus, NJ
Larger-than-life glowing lanterns have been installed creating 30+ glowing scenes. See animals real and imagined laid out throughout the zoo.
Let it Glow is a symphony of vivid glowing colors to tease your eyes and dazzle the mind. Come and enjoy an enchanting stroll throughout the zoo These larger than life lanterns are amazing in picture but stunning in person! With over 30 scenes, these hand-made artistic wonders are more breath-taking than the last! Its one of those things you need to see in person to truly appreciate.

Central  NJ January 2024
Festivals and Themed Events

Lumino City's "Wonder Journey" Festival
November 15, 2024 through January. 5, 2025
Freehold Raceway Mall
3710 US-9
Freehold, NJ
Lumino City uses light and imagination to turn creative ideas inspired by the world into stunning displays of light and color. The "Wonder Journey" festival will completely transform the Freehold Mall parking lot into a fantasy filled journey inspired by Alice in Wonderland. There will be larger-than-life scenes straight from the story — including the Wonderland Tea Party, the iconic butterfly seat and more.

Festival of Trees: Deck the Halls with Matzo Balls!
Wednesday, November 20th, 2024 through Sunday, January 5th, 2025
Morven Museum & Garden
55 Stockton Street
Princeton, NJ
This annual tradition welcomes visitors to stroll the exquisite displays of creativity in their galleries, presented by community nonprofits, schools, garden clubs, and local groups.
This year's theme, Traditions & Celebrations, is inspired by Morven's history and the stories of its residents, from their current exhibition Morven Revealed: Untold Stories from New Jersey's Most Historic Home that include Governor Richard Hughes and his wife Betty Hughes. Learn the inspiring story of how "Deck the Halls with Matzo Balls!" became an annual tradition.

Magic of Lights at PNC Bank Arts Center
November 22nd until January 4th, 2025
PNC Bank Arts Center
Exit 116
Garden State Parkway
Holmdel, NJ
The Magic of Lights is a dazzling, drive-through holiday lights experience featuring favorite holiday scenes and characters of the season using the latest LED technology and digital animations. Experience Magic of Lights from the comfort and safety of your own car as you wind through the sparkling path of New Jersey's favorite holiday tradition. One carload, one price.

The Winter Wonderlights Spectacular Drive-Thru
Friday, November 29th 2024 - Sunday, January 5th, 2025
Middlesex County Fairgrounds
655 Cranbury Road
East Brunswick, NJ
Cost: :$30 - $40 per car (tickets sold on-line)
This drive-thru Christmas event features over 1.5 million lights animated to some of your favorite holiday tunes. They have 30' Christmas trees, 4 magical tunnels, a tribute to our first responders & US Armed Forces and tons of other stunning, larger-than-life holiday themed displays for the entire family – all synchronized to the music playing in your car!
This family holiday tradition takes you on a journey celebrating the season's wonderful holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali and Kwanzaa).

Cutting, Splitting and Hewing at Historic Longstreet Farm
Sundays, January 5, & February 2, 2025: from 12-2:30 p.m.
Historic Longstreet Farm
44 Longstreet Road
Holmdel 07733
Free event
Come out to Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel, and get warmed up using a two-man saw and splitting wedge; learn how farmers used a froe to rive shingles or a broad ax to hew beams.

The Garden State RV and Camping Show
January 17 – 19, 2025
New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center
(Raritan Center Expo Hall)
97 Sunfield Avenue
Edison, NJ
This show will feature over 150,000 square feet of the latest in recreation vehicles, camping supplies & services, accessories, and information on campgrounds. The Garden State RV & Camping Show is the ideal place for camping families who are looking to purchase their first RV, upgrade their present RV or for the veteran camper to explore new camping adventures. Dozens of on-site exhibits will provide attendees with literature and information about premier family campgrounds throughout New Jersey and beyond.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 36th Annual Commemorative Breakfast
Friday, January 17, 2025; 7:30am - 9:30am
Ocean Place Resort & Spa
1 Ocean Blvd,
Long Branch, NJ
Cost: $40 Adults | $15 Youth | $400 Table of 10
The YMCA of Greater Monmouth County proudly celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The events features:
* Keynote: Raymond S. Santiago, Monmouth County Prosecutor
* Human Dignity Award: Pastor Terrence K. Porter, Pilgrim Baptist Church
* Togetherhood Champion Award: Itzel Perez-Hernandez, American Friends Service
* Social Responsibility Award: Congressman Andy Kim

Noodle Mountain
Activation dates are January 25, 2025, February 22, 2025, April 26, 2025, June 28, 2025, July 26, 2025, and August 30, 2025
Grounds for Sculpture
80 Sculptors Way
Hamilton, NJ
Noodle Mountain contemplates deeply personal memories, as well as the intergenerational histories of place, labor, and diaspora that food can conjure. Don't miss a special opportunity to see this complex sculpture be activated!

Southern NJ January 2024
Festivals and Themed Events

Diggerland Drive thru Holiday Light Show
November 15th - January 12th, 2025
100 Pinedge Drive
West Berlin, NJ
Cost: $36.99/car
This holiday event features a Drive a mile-length course through America's only construction theme & water park to witness hundreds of thousands of lights, tour their holiday displays, enjoy tasty treats, and listen to our very own radio station to fill your car with holiday spirit!

Cape May Christmas Holiday Season
November 22nd until January 5th, 2025
Emlen Physick Estate
1048 Washington Street
Cape May, NJ
The Cape May Christmas holiday season kicks off with the tree lighting ceremony on Saturday, November 24, 2024, and continues every weekend as the town is transformed into a Dickens village for the holidays with garlands of fragrant greens and twinkling gaslights. Wrap yourself in the warmth of holiday spirit and sample a variety of fun tours and events.

Smithville Holiday Light Show On The Lake
Thanksgiving until January 6th, 2025
Historical Smithville
615 E. Moss Mill Rd.
Smithville, NJ 08205
Over 120 Christmas Trees made from over 50,000 Christmas lights, magically float on Lake Meone in the center of Historic Smithville. The moment darkness falls, an orchestrated show of lights and music is played out across the lake. The lights seem to dance and chase each other to the music all the while reflecting of the water's surface. This show can be seen from either side of the village as well as the bridge.

Wildwood Comic Con
 Saturday, January 18, 2025; 10 a.m. - 5 p.m
Wildwood Convention Hall
Wildwood, NJ
The event will feature numerous cosplay/costume groups, artists, writers, creators, vendors, crafts, and video games. Artists, writers, creators, and vendors will have art, books, comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, non-sport trading cards, Pokemon, gaming items, toys, Funko's, Lego, sci-fi, pop culture, comic themed crafts, collectibles, and much more!!! Our Cosplay/Costume groups will provide entertainment, interactive activities, and photo ops for youngsters and attendees. There will be a Cosplay Contest as well, so be sure to come out and wear your favorite Superhero, Anime, or Comic Book Character costume!

Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast @ Rowan University
Monday, January 20, 2025: @9am - 1pm.
Eynon Ballroom, Chamberlain Student Center
201 Mullica Hill Road
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey 08028
Cost: $75
Join this event for an uplifting gathering in recognition of a true American visionary, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Our 2025 celebration offers new and unique opportunities to make a remarkable impact serving in the spirit of Dr. King. Guests will enjoy remarks from Master of Ceremonies, Rick Williams, and a featured special guest..
All proceeds will support their students through the William H. Myers Memorial Scholarships. This event is co-sponsored by the Division of Diverisity, Equity & Inclusion and the Rowan University Foundation.

Fire & Ice Festival
Saturday, January 25th, 2025: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
downtown Mount Holly
This free family friendly fun tradition features about a dozen professional ice carvers from up and down the east coast, an equal number of professional chili chefs plus a wide variety of interesting entertainment for young, old and everyone in between. The ice carvers transform 300 pound blocks of ice into beautiful crystalline works of art, right before your eyes, throughout town.

 Upcoming Ticketed Events