Seafood, sunflowers, jazz and wine: The NJ festivals everyone will be talking about

🎡 From county fairs to seafood feasts, August is packed with can't-miss festivals across New Jersey.
🍑 Enjoy peach pies, tacos, wine, jazz, sunflowers, seafood, tattoos and more at 10 unique Garden State events.
🎶 Whether you're headed to the Jersey Shore or northwest NJ, there's a festival worth planning a road trip for.

Isabella Rocha contributed to this report.

There is still plenty of summer left in New Jersey and August is chock-full of fun festivals to check out.

First, several New Jersey counties are holding their festivals next month including Middlesex, Salem, Somerset, Atlantic, Passaic, and Hunterdon.

But here are 10 other not-to-miss-events happening in the Garden State in August.

New Jersey food festivals serve up peaches, seafood, tacos and wine

Peach Festival

Saturday, August 1

Community Presbyterian Church, 220 Main Street, Chester

Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: Free

Peach Festival will feature peach pies, homemade peach ice cream, peach jams, a farmer’s market with local produce, a huge White Elephant Sale, toys and games, books, 50-50 drawing, baked goods, sports equipment and more.

Clam Fest

Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2

Huddy Park, located at Bay and Waterwitch Avenues, Highlands

Time: Saturday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Whether you're a seafood lover, music fan, or just looking for a fun weekend come out to Clam Fest. The 31st annual extravaganza features an array of food trucks, festival favorites like the Lions Club’s legendary funnel cakes, a beer, wine and sangria garden, and live music.

NJ State Fair at Sussex County (Sussex County Fairgrounds)

New Jersey State Fair at Sussex County

Saturday, Aug. 1 – Saturday, Aug. 8

Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road, Augusta

Times: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Mon-Fri) and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Sat. and Sun.)

Cost: $16 for adults, $ 5 for kids ages 6 to 12, $10 for seniors 60+ and free for kids 5 and under

Stop by New Jersey’s favorite nostalgic summer tradition for some carnival fun! The event features carnival rides, the Sussex County Horse Show, petting zoos and livestock exhibits, marketplace vendors, and many niche variety shows and competitions. It’s nine days of nonstop, rain-or-shine fun with live music and fair food that a classic New Jersey fair has to offer.

Tacos and Tequila

Sunday, August 2

Monmouth Park Race Track, Oceanport

Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: $7 general admission. Kids 12 and under are free. Free parking.

The Latin Festival: Tacos and Tequila is sponsored by Surfside and The Asbury Park Press. Enjoy over a dozen Latin food trucks including mazzarepas, taquitos, and empanadas, paired with homemade tequila specials.

Enjoy live music and a variety of free fun day activities such as clowns, face painters, pony rides, a bounce house and more.

Wildwood Tattoo Beach Bash

Friday, August 7 – Sunday, Augutst 9

4501 Boardwalk, Wildwood

Time: Friday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Cost: $20 to $40

Looking for fresh ink? Then the Tattoo Beach Bash is right up your alley. For three days, the Wildwoods Convention Center will be transformed into a vibrant showcase of ink, artistry and self-expression.

World-class tattoo artists, enthusiasts and more will be on hand for a weekend filled with live tattooing, contests, and body art displays. You’ll witness intricate black and gray tattoo portraits as well as bold, colorful masterpieces. Vendors will be selling apparel, body jewelry, tattoo-related merchandise and more.

Flemington Corn, Tomato and Beer Festival

Saturday, August 8 (Rain Date: August 22)

Historic Main Street, Flemington

Time: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Cost: Free
Thousands of people are expected to fill historic Main Street for this corn, tomato and beer festival. More than 140 vendors will be on hand, plus live music, food trucks, and a beer tent.

While admission is free, $45 VIP passes are available that include a tomato tasting, a beer flight from the Hunterdon County Beer Trail brewers, a NJ spirits and wine tasting, exclusive seating, and VIP tote.

Surf and Turf Seafood Festival

Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 17

Monmouth Park Racetrack, 175 Oceanport Avenue, Oceanport

Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: $7

The Shore’s biggest seafood festival returns this year for two days of freshest seafood! Enjoy lobster rolls, crab cakes, shrimp and so much more. Over a dozen of the shore’s beset seafood restaurants will be on hand with mouth-watering menus.

Plus, there will be a seltzer sampling. Enjoy free family activities like a bounce house, pony rides, face painting and clowns, live music, and food trucks.

Use promo code Seafood26 at seatgeek.com/monmouth to save 15% on general admission. To use promo code, click the access code tab and add the code before adding any tickets to your cart.

Lambertville Sunflower Festival

Weekends beginning Saturday, August 15

Bellmont Farm, 22 Valley Road, Lambertville

Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cost: $10 adults and $7 kids (family packs are also available)

This festival is bursting with sunflowers (including cut-your-own), live music, food vendors, family activities, local artisans and a beer garden.

Special “Golden Hour” sessions from 7am to 9am for photographers and yoga session, and Sunflowers at Sunset evening programs will be announced soon.

Long Branch Jazz and Blues Festival

Saturday, August 29

The Great Lawn on the Long Branch Promenade, Long Branch

Time: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Cost: Free

Dust off that saxophone, pour yourself a bourbon and get your blues and jazz on. The Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation has been presenting this annual Jazz and Blues Festival for years. Enjoy a mix of national and local musicians with a grand finale fireworks display at dusk.

Wine Down Summer

Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30

Veterans Island at Cooper River Park, Pennsauken

Time: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: $20 in advance or $25 at the door

Enjoy many of New Jersey’s best wines as the summer season winds down. There will also be food trucks, crafters, and live music. Savor the flavor of the season with a vast majority of locally crafted wines.

Wine samplers must be at least 21 years old.

Wineries in attendance include: Angelico Winery, Chestnut Run Farm, DiMatteo Vineyards, Kennedy Cellars, Plagido’s Winery, Terra Nonno Winery, The Vintner’s Wife, Valenzano Winery, Villari Vineyard, Wagonhouse Winery, and White House Winery.

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