Happy Friday! It’s the perfect time for weekend family fun, and we’ve gathered up some of the best events happening in the area. Check ’em out!
Celebrating Reading & Culture
Nishaune School, 32 Ceder Avenue, Montclair
Friday from 5:30–8 p.m.
Cost: Free
The Montclair Public School District and the Montclair NAACP present Celebrating Reading & Culture tonight. Meet the Author, Alliah Agostini. There will be literacy activities, art, games, poetry, music by DJ Sistren Ife and a Double Dutch Clinic!
Outdoor Adventures at Van Vleck House & Gardens
21 Van Vleck Street, Montclair
Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon
Cost: Free for members. $15 per family for non-members
Visit the gardens as you and your family explore and learn about the outdoor world through crafts, scavenger hunts, activity sheets, and displays. Each program will focus on a specific theme, and our Van Vleck Education team will guide your family through this interactive learning experience. Registration is required and includes everything you need to participate in the program. Designed for children ages 4 -11, but all are welcome, this week’s theme is Animal Habitats.
Montclair Pride
Downtown Montclair
Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Montclair Pride is a family-friendly Pride festival that honors diversity, inclusion, and, above all, love. The event will feature three stages showcasing an incredibly diverse lineup of performances, including musicians, dancers, and spoken word artists. Guests can also explore a lively sponsor village filled with artisans, LGBTQ+-owned businesses, community organizations, a family zone, and food trucks.
Story Time + Cats with Author Nora Bruno “Meow Brothers…Find a Home” at Catfé
356 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair,
Saturday throughout the day
Cost: $12 per person
Hang out in the Cat Lounge while Author Nora Bruno reads from her book “Meow Brothers… Find a Home.”After the reading, Nora plans an activity for children.
Storytime and Craft at Bloomfield Library
90 Broad Street, Bloomfield
Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon
Cost: Free
Join Ms. Cheryl, Ms. Lisa, and local author Nicole Castrovinci for a special reading of Ms. Nicole’s new picture book, “The Butterfly Effect,” followed by a related craft!
Butterfly Tent at Turtle Back Zoo
560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange
Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Cost: $3 cash only
The Butterfly Tent is now open for the season. Visitors can see over 700 live butterflies as six species of North American butterflies fly around a 100-foot-long tent filled with flowering plants. They can also see caterpillars and chrysalis types go from egg to butterfly.
Fun with a Community Helper – Fire Fighter at Glen Ridge Public Library
240 Ridgewood Avenue, Glen Ridge
Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Montclair Fire Company will visit and read books about their job and showcase their truck.
Verona Pride Celebration at Verona Civic Center
600 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona
Saturday at 11 a.m.
Join Verona’s Annual Pride Celebration and Flag Raising with The Township Council and Verona’s Multicultural Inclusion & Accessibility Advisory Committee. Spread the love and celebrate LGBTQ+ unity with music, activities, face painting, and tasty treats. Let’s show our support and embrace the diversity of our community.
June Family Saturday at Newark Museum of Art
49 Washington Street, Newark
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free with general admission. Registration is required.
Enjoy a day of fun activities for the whole family at The Newark Museum of Art. Stop in to enjoy Creative Play, planetarium shows, Science Drop-In, and Family Drop-In. Visit the website for the full schedule and descriptions of events.
Sunday Studio at Montclair Art Museum
3 South Mountain Avenue, Montclair
Sunday at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Cost: Free with museum admission and for members
Stop by the museum each Sunday for some weekend family fun making art inspired by the current exhibitions. Inspired by the exhibition, Family, Community, Belonging: Works from the Collection, families learn layering collage techniques using assorted colorful paper to create special portraits! This program is aimed at families with children ages 5-12, but all are welcome.
Montclair Race Amity Day at Montclair High School
141 Park Street, Montclair
Sunday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Through music, spoken word, improv storytelling, and arts & crafts, participants will showcase the power and potential of uniting in friendship across race and culture. It’s more than just an event. It’s an expression of an idea that, against the odds of the differences and circumstances that divide us, together, we are more than the sum of our parts.
Storytime at Watchung Booksellers
44 Fairfield Street, Montclair
Sunday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit Watchung Booksellers for a storytime with Rebecca Syracuse, illustrator of Harold the Iceberg is Not a Superfood. Harold the Iceberg’s second adventure is about finding ways to lift up your community by first lifting up yourself and those closest to you. Registration is required.
Pride Nail Art at Montclair Public Library
50 S. Fullerton Avenue, Montclair
Sunday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Children ages 8-12 are invited to this nail art activity, which involves decorating nails with water-based children’s nail polish and stickers. Kids of all genders are welcome. Registration is required.
Walk for a Lifetime 2024 at Verona Park
475 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona
Sunday at 9 a.m.
Spectrum360’s Walk for a Lifetime brings together families, friends, staff, alumni, and community sponsors to show their support of the students and adults who attend Spectrum360. The walk is a 1-mine walk around the park. Participants of all ages can look forward to a day filled with excitement and entertainment. The event will feature face painting, balloon animals, a bouncy house, a live DJ, a silent auction, and an array of games and activities in the kids’ corner. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to explore a variety of vendor tables offering a wide range of products and services.
June Family Sundays at Newark Museum of Art
49 Washington Street, Newark
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free with general admission. Registration is required.
The museum is full of fun activities for the whole family. Check out Family Drop-In: Beautiful Beads, where you can channel your inner jeweler and create a wearable work of art.
North Jersey Pride at Memorial Park
580 Valley Street, Maplewood
Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
This free, family-friendly event is open to all and will feature a live stage, 120+ vendors, a fab food court, a huge kids zone with live shows every hour, and much more.
