Great Winter Festivals in New Jersey

The winter is a rough time for many, thanks to the colder weather. If you are getting tired of staying indoors all day, you should look into the wide variety of winter festivals that are featured in New Jersey. The following winter festivals offer plenty of fun things to do, and can help get your mind off the cold weather.

Hackettstown Annual Hometown Holiday

Source: Centenary University

Where: 400 Jefferson Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840
When: December 1, 2017

Hackettstown’s annual Hometown Holiday is a great winter festival that helps get people into the holiday mood. This late-night event is usually held on the first Friday of December, and kicks off with a tree lighting at the Centenary University. Horse-drawn carriage rides are offered, and they can take you through Hackettstown’s historic streets.

A Holiday Bazaar Tent will serve delicious food, and hot chocolate will be offered to attendees as well. If you are looking for some deals, the local businesses stay open late during this festival and offer specials for late-night shoppers. To top it off, the festival features a wide variety of musical performances throughout the Main Street area.

Asbury Park Bazaar

Where: 1300 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey 07712
When: November 25, 26 / December 2, 3, 9, 10, 17, 23

The Asbury Park Holiday Bazaar is perfect if you are looking to do some shopping for the upcoming holiday season. This event takes place at the Grand Arcade and the Asbury Park Convention Hall, and will host a variety of vendors. These vendors will be selling a wide variety of products, including handcrafted items, so you should have no issue getting the perfect gift for that special someone.

In addition, you can expect a bar for hot chocolate and hot toddy to be set up as well. If you want to bring your kids, they can take part in holiday workshops and other craft activities. If you miss out during the holidays, you can also catch their Valentine’s Day bazaar.

First Night Montclair

Where: 7 N. Willow St., Montclair, NJ 07042
When: December 31st, 2017 – January 1st, 2018

If you are looking for something do on New Year’s Eve, you might want to look into First Night Montclair. The festival began in 1989, and was one of the most popular New Year’s festivals in New Jersey. It went on a six-year hiatus starting in 2012 due to financial limitations, but Montclair is bringing the festival back, and it once again plans to offer attendees a night of fun. This family friendly event is held in the Montclair Center, and will feature plenty of musical performances and food for attendees. There are plenty of other fun events for people of all ages, so if you are looking for something to do on New Year’s Eve with your family, this might be the festival for you.

Light of Day WinterFest

Where: Montclair, NJ (exact address TBD) / 1200 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
When: January 5 (Montclair) / January 7, 11 -15 (Asbury Park)

The Light of Day WinterFest is a great event to check out if you are looking for something to do after the holidays. At this daylong music festival you get to listen to great performances from a wide variety of musical artists. All the proceeds from this festival are used to help people with Parkinson’s and other diseases.

In terms of New Jersey events, the Light of Day WinterFest currently takes place in Montclair and Asbury Park at the beginning of January. If you are a musical person you should definitely consider coming out to one of these events. You get to listen to great music, and you can support a great cause in the process.