46 fun things to do in Hunterdon this weekend

Happy Thursday, Hunterdon. Steve from Clinton here.

A huge thank you to the 115 of you who signed up this past week. The previous week I only had 1 subscriber (my gracious neighbor Jenny, who signed up when I texted her), so this is a nice surprise!

Excited to have you all here. If you find this helpful, please reply and let me know! I read everything. 

I found 46 fun events around Hunterdon this coming Thursday (7/23) through Sunday (7/26). Listed them all for you here, with dates & times, prices, addresses, and a bit about each event. 

We’ve got events for kids, teens, free events, date nights, live music, outdoor events, events outside the county but worth the drive, and some good-to-know county news at the bottom (including a sheriff’s office scam going around the area).

Weekend weather outlook: Thursday 7/23 through Saturday 7/25 are sunny and dry, in the low 80s. Sunday 7/26 stays mostly sunny and hits 83, with showers a slight chance late in the afternoon and a better bet after dark.

Thursday 7/23

1. Mermaid Tales with Mermaid Coralina · Free

10 to 10:30am, Flemington, county library headquarters. A costumed mermaid does storytime, then photos and a small gift. Register first.

2. Paint a ceramic dinosaur · Free

2 to 2:45pm, Lebanon Township, Bunnvale branch library. Grades K-5, and one of the few things happening at that end of the county this week.

3. Babysitters Club Party · Free

3:30 to 4:30pm, Clinton, North County branch library. The series turns forty. Snacks and crafts, grades 3 to 6.

Friday 7/24

4. The Little Mermaid · $12

11am and 1pm, Lambertville, Music Mountain Theatre. About 45 minutes, pitched at ages 5 and up. Runs again Saturday 7/25 at the same times, and Saturday is closing day. Seats through musicmountaintheatre.org.

5. The Wizard of Oz · $18, seniors and kids $15

7pm, Annandale, the theatre at North Hunterdon High School, 1445 Route 31. Clinton Area Stage Troupe's summer show. Friday 7/24 is the only performance in these four days, because the run skips Saturday and Sunday entirely. Cash or check at the door, no cards.

6. Family maker time: engrave a pendant · Free

2 to 4pm, Flemington, county library makerspace. Ages 9 and up with an adult, on the fiber laser.

7. Family Friday board games · Free

3:45 to 4:45pm, Lambertville, Free Public Library. Drop in, no sign-up, they put the whole collection out.

Saturday 7/25

8. Sleeping Beauty Storytime with Roxey Ballet · Free

10 to 11am, Clinton, North County branch library. A professional ballet company performing in a library program room, which is not a thing that happens in small towns very often. Ages 4 and up, and it was filling as of Wednesday 7/22.

9. Family summer music with the Birdhouse Center · Free

10:30 to 11:15am, Lambertville, Free Public Library. Sing, play, dance, aimed at the under-sevens.

10. Dinosaur Fingerprint Families · Free

11 to 11:45am, Ringoes, South County branch library. Grown-up and child make a fingerprint dinosaur family and take it home. Ages 5 to 8, nearly full as of Wednesday 7/22.

11. Kids chess · $5

11am to noon, Tewksbury, township library. Taught by a nationally ranked college player. The only library program this week that isn't free (but worth the five dollars).

Thursday 7/23

12. Make a rainbow arch · Free

10am to noon, Flemington, county library makerspace. Code an LED-lit acrylic arch on a Circuit Playground Express. Ages 12 to 18.

13. Teen Level Up · Free

11am to 1pm, Clinton, North County branch library. Drop-in tabletop, card and video games.

14. Teen Dungeons and Dragons · Free

4 to 6pm, Clinton, North County branch library teen space. A GM-run campaign with level-3 characters ready to go.

15. Teen sewing: dino nugget pillow · Free

5:30 to 8pm, Flemington, county library headquarters. Ages 12 to 18, materials provided, minor release form needed.

Friday 7/24

16. Science Heroes: Digging It · Free

3 to 3:45pm, Ringoes, South County branch library. A fun event involving a toilet tornado, disappearing polymer, hydro-cannon. Sounds like a lot of fun. Age group is 5-12, so only younger teens would like this one.

17. Teen DIY · Free

1 to 2pm, Lambertville, Free Public Library. Weekly craft club, bring your own project or use theirs.

Saturday 7/25

18. Teen Super Smash Bros tournament · Free

2 to 4pm, Flemington, county library headquarters. This is the annual one, with an actual trophy. Close to full as of Wednesday 7/22.

Thursday 7/23

19. Two free concerts, same night, different towns

Captain Jack, a Billy Joel tribute, plays Deer Path Park in Readington at 7. Never Say Goodbye, a Bon Jovi tribute, plays Rabkin Park in Union Township at 7:30. Twenty minutes apart, both bring-your-own-chair. Union's moves indoors to the high school if it rains.

20. A visiting poet at the Frenchtown Bookshop · Free

6:30pm, Frenchtown, 28 Bridge St, with a reception in the Reading Garden afterward. Phillip B. Williams reads and talks with the novelist John Vercher. Free and open to anyone.

21. Drawing Night: Phantom Limbs · Free

5 to 7pm, Frenchtown, ArtYard. Drawing alongside the Tamara Kostianovsky exhibition. Reserve a spot first. Runs weekly into September.

Saturday 7/25

22. High Bridge's Got Talent · Free

6:30 to 8:30pm, High Bridge, the Commons on Main Street. Women for High Bridge run a free concert series all summer and this week they've swapped the band for a talent show. Bring a chair.

23. Lambertville Comic and Zine Con · Free

10am to 4pm, Lambertville, the Pittore Justice Center on South Union Street. Independent comics and zine makers selling their own work in the municipal building, which is a pleasingly odd venue for it. After-party at 7 at Soupçon Salon Gallery with three bands.

24. Cornhole Splashdown · Check at the door

1 to 5pm, Milford. A cornhole tournament and barbecue raising money for the Garden State Underwater Recovery Unit, the volunteer divers who get called when somebody goes into the river.

25. Stangl Factory farmers market · Free to walk in

From 9am, Flemington, 50 Stangl Rd. Thirty-plus vendors in and around the old pottery kilns, year-round, which makes it the reliable one. Go in the morning; the good stuff and the parking both thin out.

Sunday 7/26

26. Jersey Peaches and Corn Day · Free to walk in

9am to 1pm, Flemington, Dvoor Farm on Mine Street. The Sunday market's themed week. Jersey peaches took a beating in April's frost, so the good ones go early.

Thursday 7/23

27. You, Me and the Algorithmic Sea · About $18

7pm, Frenchtown, ArtYard. A surreal AI-themed comedy and music piece by the New York duo Xn0rmL, scored to trip-hop, about forty minutes long.

Saturday 7/25

28. Sourland Mountain Festival · $50, ages 13 to 17 $25, under 12 free

3 to 8:30pm, East Amwell, Unionville Vineyards on Rocktown Road. Five bands on a vineyard hillside until dusk, benefiting the Sourland Conservancy. The Harrisons headline, with Jake Thistle, Hickory, The Swiss Guard and Gravity Hill. Rain or shine. Tickets capped at 1,000 and the cheap tier ended July 1, so buy at sourlandmountainfest.com before you drive.

29. Wine and Comedy at Old York Cellars · $29.50

Doors 7pm, show 8pm, Ringoes. Taylor Mason headlining with Chip Chantry and Tim Conniff. Wine by the glass or bottle, seated show, tickets at oldyorkcellars.com.

30. National Wine and Cheese Day · Priced separately

Noon to 8pm, Stockton, Federal Twist Vineyards. Pouring against Bobolink Dairy's cheeses and breads, made about twenty minutes north in Milford. Eight hours long, so no reservation panic.

31. A film double bill at the ACME · Check at the door

5:30pm and 7:45pm, Lambertville, ACME Screening Room. "Peter Asher: Everywhere Man" first, then Jack Johnson's surf documentary "SURFILMUSIC". Two music docs back to back in a small independent cinema.

Friday 7/24

32. Jeff Penque at Invertase Brewing · Free

6 to 8pm, Lambertville, the taproom on Lambert Lane. Early Friday set at the newer of Invertase's two locations.

Saturday 7/25

33. Lone Eagle turns ten · No cover posted

Noon to 10pm, Flemington, Lone Eagle Brewing. The Dowden Brothers Band plus three food trucks for the brewery's tenth anniversary. Ten hours long, so drop in whenever.

34. Jukebox Gypsy at Beneduce Vineyards · $10 a head, reserve ahead

5 to 9pm, Pittstown. Their Group Therapy night, rock covers, Harry's Lil Kitchen parked outside. This one is 18 and over, the only Beneduce event that is, and walk-ins pay the same ten dollars, so reserve at beneducevineyards.com.

35. Seratones · About $50

7:30pm, Frenchtown, ArtYard. Louisiana soul-rock with gospel in it, and a reputation for a loud, generous live show. The biggest booking in the county across these four days.

36. The Deadful Greats at Readington Brewery · No cover posted

6 to 9pm, Neshanic Station, Readington Brewery and Hop Farm. A full Grateful Dead tribute band on the hop farm, with the Ah Pizza truck there from 1pm.

Saturday 7/25 and Sunday 7/26

37. Weekend acoustic at Old York Cellars · No cover posted

1 to 5pm both days, Ringoes. Chris P plays Saturday, Paul Kopcienski Sunday, both in the vineyard tent. The winery posts no cover for it.

38. A weekend of sets at Alba Vineyard · No cover posted, 21 and over

Larry Corban Friday 7/24 from 6 to 8:30pm; the Dez Kozman Trio Saturday 7/25 from 1 to 4:30 and Walt Bibinger 5:30 to 8; Dillon Taylor Sunday 7/26 from 1 to 4:30. Pohatcong Township, just over the line in Warren County past Milford. It is a working farm, so every guest has to be 21.

Sunday 7/26

39. John Cain at Beneduce Vineyards · $10 for everyone 3 and over

Noon to 5pm, Pittstown. The Sunday picnic session, and unlike Saturday night this one is all ages. Harry's Lil Kitchen is back.

Thursday 7/23

40. Beginner birding at Dvoor Farm · Call for the price

6 to 7:30pm, Flemington, 111 Mine St. A Hunterdon Land Trust walk built for people who have never done this before. Sign up on their events page or call 908-237-4582.

Friday 7/24

41. Fridays at the Farm, roasted corn night · Free to get in

3 to 8pm, with the corn roasting from 5 to 7:30, Oldwick, the cider mill at 19 King St. Melick's put hard cider on tap, live music on, and let the kids climb on a tractor. No cover, pay for what you eat and drink.

Saturday 7/25

42. Stewardship Saturday at Zega-Lockatong Preserve · Free

9 to 11am, Stockton, Raven Rock Rosemont Road. Two hours pulling invasive plants with the Hunterdon Land Trust. Gloves and a willingness to get dirty.

Saturday 7/25 and Sunday 7/26

43. Peaches and sunflowers at Melick's · $4.99 in, then $2.99 a pound

Farm hours Thursday through Sunday, Califon, the orchard at 472 County Route 513. Yellow peaches and sunflowers, no reservation needed. Their own site says picking is thinner than usual this year, which is April's freeze talking. There is also cut-your-own flowers daily at their Oldwick farm on Oldwick Road, free to walk in and priced by the stem.

44. Pick your own at Phillips Farms · $7 admission, then by the pound

Daylight hours, Milford, 91 Crabapple Hill Rd. Blueberries, red raspberries, gooseberries, currants, tomatoes and cut flowers are all on. Call 908-995-0022 for the morning's list before you drive out, because it changes.

45. Warren County Farmers' Fair and Hot Air Balloon Festival · $10, ages 6 to 12 $5, under 6 free, parking free

Opens Saturday 7/25, gates 11am, then daily through Saturday 8/1. Phillipsburg, Warren County Fairgrounds on Strykers Road, about 25 minutes from Clinton. Balloons go up together at 6:30 every evening, weather permitting. Saturday adds a rodeo at 6pm, $12 a head. Sunday 7/26 is the big one: free admission for veterans, a demolition derby at 5pm, and fireworks for America's 250th after dark. Tethered balloon rides are $30 adults, $20 kids.

46. Mercer County 4-H Fair · Free, parking free

Saturday 7/25 10am to 8pm and Sunday 7/26 10am to 4pm. Hopewell Township, Howell Living History Farm on Woodens Lane, Mercer County. Hayrides, pony rides, a wheat threshing demonstration and homemade ice cream, and it costs nothing to walk in or park. About half an hour from Lambertville.

Holland Township let data centers in, then moved to ban them three months later

Back in April, Holland's Ordinance 2026-06 took effect and allowed data centers as a conditional use in the township's industrial zone. The Land Use Board had reviewed it in March and found it "not inconsistent" with the master plan, which is a careful way of putting it. That master plan dates to 2001 and says nothing about data centers at all, so the planner's own note was that the intent is unclear.

Three months later the township moved to reverse itself. Ordinance 2026-15 would prohibit data centers "whether as a principal or an accessory use, in all zoning districts," and repeals anything on the books that conflicts with it. It was introduced June 24 and was on Tuesday night's committee agenda for final adoption. By its own terms it takes effect as soon as it's published, which the township had set for Wednesday 7/22. Tuesday's minutes aren't posted yet, so what I can tell you is that it was up for a vote, and what I can't tell you yet is how that vote went. If you own land in Holland, that's worth a call to the clerk before you assume either way.

At the other end of the county, West Amwell is walking the same road a few steps behind. Ordinance 12 of 2026 went up for introduction on July 15 and would "expressly prohibit data centers as a principal, conditional, or accessory use in all zoning districts." No public hearing date is set, and the committee meets only once in August, on the 19th.

The Flemington pool is coming back after nine summers

The borough planning board approved plans last week to rebuild the Flemington-Raritan Community Pool, which opened in 1963 and has sat closed since 2017. The application came from the River Crossing YMCA, and covers the pool itself, the locker and equipment building, and the parking. No opening date yet.

April's frost took most of the county's peaches

Hunterdon farms are in line for disaster relief tied to a hard frost on April 19 through 22. John Melick, a tenth-generation grower who farms in Oldwick, lost up to 90 percent of his peaches and a large share of his ninety acres of apples. Governor Sherrill declared a state of emergency across all 21 counties and asked the USDA for a federal disaster designation. It's the reason Jersey peaches are scarcer and pricier at the markets right now.

Somebody is calling people pretending to be the Sheriff's Office

The Hunterdon County Sheriff's Office says scammers are using real officers' names and spoofing the department's actual phone number, telling people they missed a court date and have to pay immediately. One resident was told to hand over $10,000 to avoid arrest. No sheriff's office collects money over the phone. If you get one of these, hang up and call them directly at 908-788-1166.

Aunt Mary's in Flemington is being sold. TerrAscend, a multistate cannabis operator, signed a deal on June 30 that starts with $3 million for an option on 35 percent of the business, then $6 million in cash if it exercises that option. Aunt Mary's opened in February 2023 and does more than $10 million a year. It still needs regulatory approval.

Duckpin bowling is coming to the Union Hotel. Fieldhouse Social, the sports bar going into the Flemington complex, is scheduled to open in the fall with duckpin lanes, golf simulators, shuffleboard, interactive darts and self-pour beer and wine walls. No date yet.

That construction on Route 202 is a car wash. The Flemington planning board approved Spark Car Wash at the Shoppes of Flemington in April, after four hearings and a redesign that cut paved surface from 81 percent of the site down to 70. Just under 5,000 square feet with 24 vacuum spaces

Thanks for reading. Hit reply and tell me what event you’re going to (or if I missed one). I read everything.

- Steve

P.S. If you know someone who would like to see this, please forward this to them!