Food & Fun Things to Do in New Jersey (June 2012)

Happy Father's Day to all of the Dad's out there today and especially to my hubby, who is the best Dad I know! <3 


Are you looking for something to do in NJ this month? Look no further! Jersey Bites has compiled a list of all things food and fun in the Garden State.  

Peru to the World Gastronomic Festival, Friday – Sunday, June 15th-17th Friday: 2-8pm Saturday: 11am-9pm Sunday: 11am-8pm. Robert Treat Hotel (50 Park Place, Newark). A general tasting open to the public, VIP gala dinners and culinary competitions by leading Peruvian chefs, Emmanuel Piqueras and Marita Lynn for the Best Ceviche and Best Quinoa Dish and Melanie Asher for Best Pisco drink. The fair will also promote/sample fresh Peruvian fruits and vegetables including aguaymanto, trucha, organic coffee and quinoa to name a few.

Cape May Harbor Fest, Saturday, June 16th from 10am-5pm. Harbor Fest is a celebration of seafood and song; the sea, its culture, its economy and its ecology. Cape May’s beautiful harbor will provide the overall setting. Enjoy plenty of food and seafood, a scallop challenge, beer garden, vendors, kids’ activities, kayaking, live music and more! Click here for more info.

Wine Festival, Saturday, June 16th from 6pm-9pm. Ice House Restaurant, Wildwood. Enjoy over 100 Wines and Spirits to taste, a keepsake wine glass with your ticket, live entertainment under the tent and delicious hor d’oeuvres. Click for tickets and more info.

Wildwood Restaurant Week, June 17th-22nd. Wine and dine in some of Wildwoods finest restaurants. All participating restaurants will offer a complete four course meal, including appetizer, salad, entree and dessert for one low price, plus tax and gratuity. Click for more info.

Chef’s At The Shore, Thursday, June 21st from 5:30pm-9pm. Historic Gardner’s Basin. In conjunction with Professional Chefs Week, the fundraiser attracts local chefs from casino and regional restaurants. Enjoy some of the area’s finest foods. Proceeds from Chefs at the Shore benefit the Atlantic City Aquarium and the Professional Chefs Association (PCA), the latter of which uses the funds to support its education and scholarship programs. For more information, click here.

State Fair, Meadowlands, June 22nd – July 8th. 17 fun-filled days of amazing food, rides, games, shows and much more. This is New Jersey’s biggest family event. For more details and fair resources, click here.

New Jersey Beer and Food Festival, Friday & Saturday, June 22nd & 23rd. Crystal Springs Resort. Spend a day or the whole weekend as you sample your favorite brews, discover a variety of new flavorful beers, enjoy great food ranging from an all-out BBQ feast to a beer & food pairing reception with top chefs from NJ, party to all your favorite music, participate in the Brews & Birdies Golf Tournament and so much more! Click here for tickets and more details.

North Wildwood Italian American Festival, Friday-Sunday, June 22nd-24th. Friday: 4pm-10pm. Saturday: 10am-10pm. Sunday: 12pm-6pm. Takes place along Olde New Jersey Ave., North Wildwood. Annual celebration of Italian-American heritage, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Features vendors, food and live entertainment. FREE to attend!

Taste of Highlands, Saturday, June 23rd from 12pm-6pm. Admission is $40 and will include a keepsake tote bag, a map to all of the restaurant destinations and access to the Taste of Highlands Trolley. Take a culinary trip through Highlands with approximately 20 trolley stops! 732-291-4713

BrewFest at the Ballpark, Saturday, June 23rd. Two sessions: 12pm-4pm & 6pm-10pm. Held at the Lakewood BlueClaws Stadium. There will be over 100 styles of beers to taste. There will be local, regional, national, and international brews. There will also be giveaways and a live broad casting from the WRAT. For more information and tickets, click here.

16th Annual Beer Festival, Garden State Craft Brewers Guild, Saturday, June 23rd from 12:30pm-4:30pm. Sample brews from 19 breweries, enjoy great food and live music all on the nation’s most decorated battleship, Battleship New Jersey. Click here for tickets and more info.

Blueberry Festival, Saturday, June 23rd from 10am-4pm. Celebrate all things BLUEBERRY at the 29th Annual Whitesbog Blueberry Festival. Great family fun. Enjoy blueberry picking, live country music, exhibits & demonstrations, lectures & tours, great food and an array of children’s activities. Enjoy the famous pie eating contest. Whites Bogs Road, Browns Mills, NJ. 609-893-4646

“Rhythm at the Shore” Music Festival, Saturday & Sunday, June 23rd & 24th. Formerly the Jazz and Blues Festival, this Point Pleasant Beach festival features great music, food and wine. This is an admission FREE event. Wine tasting at a nominal fee. For more information, click here.

Baymen’s Seafood Festival, Saturday & Sunday, June 23rd & 24th from 11am-5pm. Tuckerton Seaport. Enjoy delicious Jersey fresh clams, crabs, scallops and shrimp from the finest local seafood purveyors. Crafters, vendors, music, food, refreshments, family activities, demonstrations,boat rides, boat builders and decoy carvers. Speak with commercial fishermen to learn about occupations on the bay or take a clam shucking class.

Vigneto Rally, Sunday, June 24th. A Southern New Jersey Winery Exotic Car Road Rally to promote Southern New Jersey tourism and bring attention to our region’s growing wine industry. The rally ends at Renault Winery where there will be a reception followed by a banquet dinner. The reception will consist of a selection of butler served hors d’oeuvres, fruits, cheeses, and wine aperitifs. The dinner will be a 6 course Italian style meal. For more information about the rally, car show, and banquet, click here.

Taste of Rutherford, Thursday, June 28th from 6pm-8:30pm on Park Avenue. Taste the delights of Rutherford restaurants, meet other downtown business owners, wine tasting tent with live music.

South Jersey Food Swap, Friday, June 29th from 7pm-9pm. Held at Bellview Winery. All items must be homemade, homegrown or foraged. Swap, one-for-one. For more details, click here.

A Taste of Greece: Greek Festival, Friday–Sunday, June 29th–July 1st. Hunterdon County, NJ. Featuring delicious Greek food and delectable desserts, Greek wines and beer, Cultural Entertainment featuring Greek music, folk dancing performances and a variety of community performers. Children’s activities, vendors, hand-crafted items and Imported Greek specialties, wine tasting, cooking demonstrations, art exhibit, door prizes, dance contests, and more! Click for more info.

Colts Neck Country Fair, Friday & Saturday, June 29th & 30th from 4pm-11pm. Enjoy great music, rides, games, crafts, vendors, and of course great food! There will also be a pie contest. Click for more details.

Summerbrew 2012, Saturday, June 30th at 5pm. An Island Heights Fire Company tradition. Enjoy beers from around the world, live entertainment and lots of food. Wine and soda are also provided. Click for more info.

Red Wine & Blues Festival, Saturday, June 30th from 3pm-8pm. Team up with the Tuckerton Seaport for a perfect afternoon of wine tasting from New Jersey’s finest wineries plus live blues music. Crafters, vendors, food, boat rides and lots of fun. Complimentary souvenir Seaport wine glass! “Traditional Pie Bake Off” contest.

Mays Landing Hometown Celebration, Saturday, June 30th at 10am. There will be water slides and bouncy rides, endless amounts of food, and unique merchandise being offered by over 100 crafters. Did I mention the Tastykake pie-eating contest? Oh yes! More details here.

Red, White & Blueberry Festival, Sunday, July 1st from 10am-5pm. Hammonton, NJ. The combination of live music, kiddy rides, arts & crafts, a fantastic Classic Car Show run by Cruisin’ Classics, incredible food and blueberries in every shape and form has made this day a family favorite for people from all over the Delaware Valley. Click for more details.

Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival, Thursday- Sunday, July 26th-29th. Festival will enjoy four days of events, tastings and celebrity chef appearances that showcase the city’s abundant culinary offerings. www.acfoodandwine.com

Hot Air Balloon Festival, Friday- Sunday, July 27th-29th. The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning is the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America. From twice daily mass ascensions of over 100 special shape and sport hot air balloons, to headlining concerts, non-stop family entertainment, hundreds of crafters and vendors, great food, fireworks, a balloon glow, a 5k run and more, the festival is jam-packed with stuff to do. This year there will be a special Breakfast with the Balloons VIP ticket available for Sunday. Click for more info.