These New Jersey May festivals are worth the trip, so don’t miss them

As the weather warms up, you can be sure that festivals, especially outdoor ones, will be a-plenty in New Jersey.

This May, the Garden State is chock full of food trucks and street festivals, some of which are either one-day or weekend events.

If you’re looking for something a little different, check out these 12 unique and super cool festivals happening during the month of May in New Jersey.

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14th Annual New Jersey Wine and Food Festival

Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3

Crystal Springs Resort, 1 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg

Time: Varies each day

Cost: Prices range from $69 for receptions to $399 for VIP Grand Tasting

For a full weekend, guests get to meet and mingle with the world’s finest chefs and winemakers, plus sample extraordinary food and wine.

Some of the key highlights include a champagne reception, cabaret and cocktails, and Top chefs and Top wines dinner on Friday, featuring Bravo TV’s Top Chef Season 22 winner Tristen Epps, along with Bailey Sullivan and Lana Lagomarsini.

On Saturday, enjoy a book signing with guest of honor, renowned chef Marco Pierre White, a culinary stars’ lunch, and a grand tasting, featuring more than 30 restaurants and 200 wines and spirits. On Sunday, there is a champagne brunch.

In between, there will be foraging lessons, goat yoga, craft cocktail classes, and more.

5th Annual Down and Derby Wine Festival

Saturday, May 2

Veterans Island, Cooper River Park, Pennsauken

Time: 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Cost: $35 (includes 20 tastings), $15 for designated drivers

This South Jersey event features local winery tastings from over a dozen local wineries, such as Tomasello, Valenzano, and Sharrott, food trucks, live music, and a Kentucky Derby-inspired fashion contest. Wear your best hat!

Stella Farms Strawberry Festival

Saturday, May 9

Stella Farms, 15 School House Lane, Berlin

Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: Free to attend, and $5 cash only parking

It’s the kickoff to strawberry picking season at Stella Farms, with a variety of family-friendly activities, and yes, strawberry picking.

There will also be a petting zoo, pony rides, tractor rides, food vendors, live music, and local crafters on hand.

Azalea Festival

Saturday, May 9 (Rain Date: Sunday, May 10)

Sayen Gardens, 155 Hughes Drive, Hamilton

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: Free (parking is available at Nottingham Fire House)

This annual Mother’s Day weekend event is the perfect place for everyone to enjoy a beautiful display of over 250 thousand flowering bulbs, dogwoods, azaleas, and rhododendrons, beautifully landscaped walking paths, fountains, bridges, lakes, gazebos, and breathtaking scenery.

After enjoying the renowned botanical gardens with blooming azalea shrubs, visit local crafters, vendors, and food trucks. Moms can receive free family portraits inside Sayen House, with photographs provided by Group Ventures Unlimited LLC.

Jersey Cape Sea Glass and Coastal Arts Festival

Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10

Historic Cold Spring Village, 735 Seashore Road, Cape May

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets: $12 for one day and $20 for two days

The event brings together more than 75 local and regional artists and fine crafters. Both days will feature lectures from authors and collectors, sea glass, music, food trucks, kids’ events, contests, and so much more.

NJ Seafood Festival

Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 17

Silver Lake Park, 7th Avenue, Belmar

Time: All Day

This beloved annual event at the Jersey Shore is dedicated to all things seafood. There will be over 30 food trucks serving up everything from scallop kabobs to lobster rolls, and every other kind of seafood in between. Enjoy tasty sides like grilled sweet corn, crab fries, lobster mac and cheese, Caribbean rum cakes, and so much more. The three-day festival features live music and a vendor market full of shopping.

Mullica Hill Asparagus Festival

Saturday, May 16

2 Woodstown Road, Harrison Township

Time: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tickets: $28.62

Come celebrate the asparagus at the Mullica Hill Asparagus Festival. This year is the 104th anniversary of the first asparagus flight from Mullica Hill to Boston. Your ticket includes everything the festival has to offer, including its “Battle of the Chefs.” Enjoy culinary vendors, live music, and yes, all things asparagus.

Asbury Park Vegan Food Festival

Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17

Bradley Park, near Convention Hall, 101-199 5th Avenue, Asbury Park

Time: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Cost: $19.03

This two-day celebration brings together the state’s finest vegan and plant-based food from local chefs, restaurants, food trucks, and product developers, as well as vegan lifestyle gear, cruelty-free fashion, live music, and an outdoor bar stocked with vegan cocktails and mocktails.

Enjoy food vendors serving up foods like the veganized classic pork roll, vegan pizza, and even vegan cannolis. People can listen to music while picking up some cool trinkets and clothing at the pop-ups all around.

Picklepalooza at Laurita Winery

Saturday, May 16

Laurita Winery, 85 Archertown Road, Plumsted

Time: 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Cost: $16

All hail the pickle at Laurita Winery’s Picklepalooza.

Indulge in a lineup of pickle-inspired creations from a wide variety of food trucks, and explore unique offerings from specialty pickle vendors serving up everything from classic dills to bold, creative flavors.

Enjoy live bands while sipping on Laurita wines. Hop aboard a complimentary vineyard wagon ride for a tour of the grounds.

From wine to brine, you’re sure to find unforgettable flavors at this dill-icious festival.

40th Annual Wildwoods International Kite Festival

Friday, May 22 to Monday, May 25

On the Rio Grande Beach and inside the Wildwoods Convention Center

Time: Begins at noon on May 22

Cost: Free

Spend Memorial Day Weekend in Wildwood for the largest kite festival in North America, featuring four days of giant inflatable kites, sport kite demos, and more.

Other festivities include a Friday night social, the illuminated night kite fly, the silent and loud auctions, team flying, family games, and more.

Melick’s Hard Cider Festival

Saturday, May 23

Oldwick Cider Mill, 170 Oldwick Road, Oldwick

Time: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Cost: $13

The party is happening at New Jersey’s largest apple orchard. Come and enjoy live music, see the hard cider production facility, stroll through the orchards, take the kids on a free hay ride, take part in a scavenger hunt, enjoy smoked pork and beef sausage sandwiches, crudite platters, and other snacks, and of course, sample the hard cider. Your ticket pays for two glasses of hard cider or wine.

New Jersey Jerk Fest

Sunday, May 24

Middlesex County Fairgrounds, 655 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick

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

Tickets: Start at $15

This is an immersive celebration of Caribbean flavor, culture, and artistry. Experience a full day of authentic jerk cuisine, dynamic live performances, and the vibrant cultural spirit that has made this festival a signature annual event for communities.

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