There are a few things in life that are inherently good. In my opinion, those include: live music,…read morecarnival food, thrill rides, good weather, quality time with friends, and animal freak shows. The Union County Music Fest provides all of the above and more, and all at the super low price of ... well, NOTHING! Let's start with the logistics. First of all, it would be nearly impossible to get to Music Fest without a car, so I'm lucky my Jersey-dwelling pals offered to drive. Second, Music Fest is held in association with the county fair, which accounts for the rickety and slightly scary rides, the carnival food (funnel cake, anyone!?), and the Anibal freak show. Freaks on display included a zebra/donkey cross breed, sheep with five legs, and a midget bull. Awesome! Now on to the music. There was a great mix of styles on display, and the three bands I saw each provided a very different experience. First I saw The Zombies, a '60s psychedelic band that was popular with the older crowd, but still were pleasantly enjoyable. For me, the highlight of the evening was getting to see Robert Randolph and the Family Band, who were absolutely spectacular. His mix of rock, funk, rhythm and blues, and gospel is not to be missed and I was totally blown away by his incredible work on the pedal steel. In fact, I was so impressed that I weaseled my way backstage after his set so that I could tell him I was hooked and will definitely be seeing him again soon. See the attached picture for visual proof. Headlining Sunday night was Spoon, another band that I really like. They were better than when I first saw them a couple of years ago in NYC in a venue that I hate, and the crowd was very receptive. The threat of rain kept many people away, which was too bad for the bands but good for me and my friends. We were right up near the front for both Robert Randolph and Spoon. A few of my friends were there for the Saturday lineup as well, and they said it was much more crowded, which isn't a surprise since the weather was so much better. Saturday's performers included headliners Train (not my thing, but ok), OK Go, The Bravery, and several others. The festival also boasts a small stage for local bands, as well as a pop/dance area, which seemed popular with the tweens. I hear there was also a human freak show on Saturday, but unfortunately it was not open Sunday. I'm excited to see who will be back for Music Fest in 2011, but it will be hard to beat the experience I had there yesterday.

For Union County, this was a great festival. However, it was poorly put together also…read more First off, we did the smarter thing and used Uber to get to and from the event because I heard parking was a disaster. Also, there were very few signs. When you did park, you had a bit to walk but there were no signs that told you where to go. I think they need better signage and more lighting in the dark as I almost twisted my ankle walking over. The craft beer garden was $9 a drink, which was a bit high. And you didn't get to sample anything before you bought it (also note get your token beforehand) so careful how you spend it. Though, they had some great beers there. The waits weren't too long surprisingly. However, the lines for some of the food trucks were way more. Many food trucks already sold out of food when I got there Saturday night. Meh. But thankfully there were plenty that were more well prepared. The rides were a little pricey also at $1.50 a ticket and some of the rides at 5 tickets. Eek. I think I'd go again but they do need some improvement. Also, more lighting would be appreciated all around. This review doesn't include the concerts because I didn't bother with that. If you angled yourself properly in the food truck/carnival area, you got a GREAT view of the MainStage for FREE FYI.

It was good the year they had it. Then we went the next and it wasn't there. There was no notice…read morethat the fair was cancelled.

Great Street Fair... spread out all over downtown Westfield. So many vendors selling so many…read morethings. Lots of food to choose from and plenty of activities to keep the kids busy. Great place to spend a leisurely Sunday walking around...

Portugal Day is the national holiday for the country of Portugal and is celebrated annually on June…read more10th. Throughout the world, Portuguese communities celebrate the day, as well. Portugal Day in the Ironbound is a big deal and takes over Ferry Street yearly for one weekend every June. Check it out at least once. It's pretty cool. There's so much to experience - music in the streets, a parade, costumes, delicious cuisine at food stands and served at many of the restaurants lining Ferry street, huge sangria drinks and Bacardi lemonade drinks. It's a big party. It's free to walk around, but some places have private celebrations that you can enter by paying an entrance fee. I know that Iberia charged $20 to enter their lot where they had their own food stands and entertainment. I didn't go inside, but my friends went and said it was pretty cool. You'll have fun either way - going the free route or paying for a more exclusive experience. Portugal Day is a fun time and something to check out in the Ironbound in June.

I have been coming here for years. I've come with friends, i've come with family. either way- its…read morefun. You have to get the big tub of Sangria at sol-mar tent . Its $15 but so worth it. Also, try sardines, fried eel, octopus, and the ribs. For the young people, theres drinking and dancing. Theres a parade for all those that like that. Yes, sometimes it gets a little crazy in the streets. Yes, there usually is trash everywhere b/c people dont use the trash cans. Yes, parking can be tough. Yes, you still should experience it!

(This is the one in Newark, NJ.)…read more As far as my fun meter goes, I'd give them a full FIVE STARS! It was set up like a carnival with carnival rides (the basics, the classics, the ones we know and love), carni' foods, and even a carni' freak show with deformed and giant animals. Further down, a stage was set up for live performances. There were performers from all age groups, singing, rapping, dancing, you name it. Definitely a family-friendly show with some pretty impressive acts (some more impressive than others). I had to drop a star for the lack of food variety. It may not sound like a big deal, but seriously, my choices were fried fish, fried chicken, or fried shrimp...or the other booth with fried fish, fried chicken, or fried shrimp...or the other booth with the same exact menu. There was one other booth with jerk chicken and that was pretty much it. I may not be African American, but I found this to be a little offensive. There is so much more to African American cuisine than fried foods and I didn't feel like any of that diversity was represented. I settled for a plate of fried fish with mac and cheese and greens...all mediocre.

2016. Celebrating Fall in its early days in downtown Westfield is also a good way to showcase your…read morebusiness. However, I see that they actually jacked up their prices. Lovely to peruse unique trinkets and different works of arts. Music. Speaking of which, this young band of four, The Vaughns was quite impressive! And they hail from Springfield, NJ. And Then there's the Empanada Guys. The only food truck worth lining up for in this event. Get the guava and cheese for your desert. Que ricoh!

Just like Cranford, I've also been to the fairs in Westfield ever since I was a kid. I've enjoyed…read morethe kid-friendly activities when I was much younger, but now I have to enjoy the event like an adult. The fairs in this town have never disappointed me, and it's still just as good as before. I also never had an issue with parking for the fair, which was a huge plus. This fair was located in the heart of downtown Westfield. Numerous tents set up by vendors were everywhere, selling various items from arts and crafts and sports memorabilia to home improvement and pet-sitting services. Non-profit organizations were also there to collect donations. A stage was also set up for local music performances and karate demonstrations. Let's not forget about the food vendors. Not only were there vendors in tents, but there were also those set up in their own food trucks. Various food items were sold at this event. Items such as gyros, fried Oreos, funnel cakes, and fried chicken were available from those vendors to the people who waited in long lines. Fresh squeezed lemonade and ICEEs were sold there too. The fact that I didn't smell oil used for frying from the vendors was a HUGE plus. Some businesses had also set up their own tents in front of their stores so they could sell some of their merchandise. That merchandise ranged from shoes to clothing. Nothing from there appealed to me, but it was nice to see what was on display. Those businesses picked a good day and time to set up an outdoor sale in front of their shops. How can you not love free samples? Bovella's Bake Shoppe was outside of their own store and gave away free samples of their cake. It was delicious! Also, 92.3 AMP FM was there and gave away free packets of FruitVines Bites Cherry-Flavored Candy. That was also good. Overall, these fairs are always as good as it gets!

I have never stood on a line that long for zeppoles, but I 100% would do so again. Bring cash for…read morethe zeppoles and the fried seafood stand, I'm looking forward to trying clams strips next time! I stopped by during the day and it wasn't too bad crowd wise, but that sun was rough! I also tried a mini cannoli and some pasta, both were fine. Come for the zeppoles and stay for the vibes!

Good Feast. Great food. Nice vendors. Celebrating Feast of St Ann. Good neighborhood community.read more

My husband just became a member so we went for a Friday night dinner after a long work week. We…read morewent early because I was starving and got a seat at the bar. The friendly bartender got us our drinks and the young waitress gave us a chance to get settled before taking our orders. I had the DC Burger, a tasty patty cooked medium rare with sauteed onions, mushrooms, and Swiss. Hubby had the wurst platter with mashed potatoes and gravy and cabbage. We both cleaned our plates. The other folks at the bar were friendly and happy to swap stories. I was even reunited with a family friend I hadn't seen since my wedding! I'm looking forward to many more lovely nights!

Come today their kriskrindlemarkt festival! Lots of great crafters with seasonal crafts, as well…read moreas carolers Santa and great German food. It is free to wander, and it has such a seasonal flare. Be sure to stay and listen to the music. The carolers were amazing in both German and English and get a free photo with Santa as well as enjoy the German food and have a beer. Desserts are on the inside building and are quite delicious as well.

What can I say about attending my very first wine festival? Well I'll tell you. It was one of the…read morebest experiences I have ever had! The 5th Annual New Jersey Winter Wine Festival took place at the Hilton Short Hills in Short Hills New Jersey. Music was provided by Art Sherrod Jr. which complemented the elegant and classy atmosphere that this wine festival exuded. Almost 150 plus wines were available to taste in a single night. The sheer number of wines boggled my mind. I couldn't help but get excited about the prospect of trying wines from around the world. Not only was this a showcase of wine but it was a showcase for other vendors as well. There were vendors from all over the state. Bakeries, specialty food stores, special interest kitchen equipment, desert distributors, even an olive oil vendor that is based out of Tuscany, Italy was present. There was no shortage of delicious food being served, nor was there a shortage of wonderful staff to answer questions and provide a genuinely good time at this event. Carefully curated selection of wines from France, Italy, Spain, United States, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, and Australia were all present for the voracious attendees to try. But world-renowned wines weren't the only ones that stole the show. A good showing from local winery such as Tomasello and TMRW (The Most Romantic Wine) offering wines from the Finger Lakes region of New York were also present. After being handed a stemless wine glass keepsake to use for the night, I was able to traverse the wide venue and have a little taste of everything. Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, moscato, Pinot Noir, Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Port, and on and on and on! There was no shortage of wine that you could try! It was just an exercise of futility to try every single one, much less experience the nuances that each offering held. Before the end of the night my palette was completely done! Would I return next year for such an amazing event? My answer is: absolutely yes! This event opened my eyes to the wonderful word world of oenology and now that I'm hooked I only want to go further. It's no wonder that people love wine so much. The complexity, the vivacity, the sheer deliciousness of wines from around the world can truly make someone so overwhelmed. But it is a learning process and one that I am more than glad to undertake.

I was at Met Life Stadium for this event a few weeks ago and witness alot of crazy. I got there a…read morebit late because I had a family function earlier that day but it rained so heavily I honestly did not miss much. The price of this event was very expensive, I mean seriously VIP tickets were $200 a day. I was lucky as can be that I won them from a twitter contest. I was shocked to be honest, both days of VIP, was very grateful. The main theme is a day time into night time RAVE, no other way to describe it. Maybe not like the ones in the Mojave desert or EDC Las Vegas but those are hard to duplicate. There was the EXPERIENCE OF 4 STAGES- 2 DAYS. 100,000 SUPPOSEDLY people there. So many smiling faces, so many women dressed very scandalous for this. There were litterally hundreds of artists there performing. Over 70 DJS in all. There were even Carnival Rides to go on for your entertainment, Interactive Art Installations and one GIGANTIC OWL. The day I was there was Saturday and there was a mess of people there. Martin Garrix was the first one I really saw I believe. He was definitely a fan favorite. He did a really long set. http://youtu.be/AmJLR_9ivqw Crazy live like in this video I was there really for the main artists like Krewella, and yes I got to see her, but was so far away. I left the VIP section early and wanted to really mingle with the people. http://youtu.be/JqVbVfhM2EY I was honestly even further back for this group, it was that packed. End of the night there was Carl Cox and Loco Dice playing together in the only inside venue. I was there for a bit and saw many pretty ladies. http://youtu.be/Q-FyhYdlcw8 I knew about Carl Cox for years so it was actually nice to finally see him. Ended up also catching about 30 minutes of AFROJACK set. He went on last and his particular stage. It was really good, and crowded so I didn;t stay whole time. http://youtu.be/5eNGO1PdxN0 This was AFROJACK in case you didn't know who he is. HARDWELL was also a main act and he did his thing too. *All in all, a great experience, and a really hot day of moving around here and there. I got some water and there were free refilling stations. I still almost felt like I was dehydrated. Had a monster drink and that helped too. I would come back again another year. Each stage was great.

I feel betrayed and lied to…read more When you purchase tickets to EDC, it says "rain or shine." It even says it on the shiny colorful tickets you get. THEY DON'T MEAN THAT, PEOPLE! On Saturday of this year, it started drizzling... raining... well, okay, fine, pouring buckets... and they made us all go inside the stadium for at least a whole hour! Liars! Can you imagine all those people huddled up in the parking lot making their way inside? Needless to say, it was a zoo. Otherwise, EDC was an incredible 2-day experience and I can't wait to go again. I didn't think I'd love it this much, especially having gone to Coachella last month and thinking this would pale in comparison. But it had the elements of Coachella that I loved while having its own qualities that made it unique. Obviously go if you're into the music (EDM, house, dance, electro house, D&B, techno, dance punk, hardstyle, dubstep), or if you just want to witness the atmosphere, I guess. Speaking of which, girls are all in crop tops, high waisted shorts, and floral headbands. Sounds cliche, but it was fun dressing up! I saw maybe 10 concerts within the 2 days, which I believe is worth the money. I also very much appreciated the real bathrooms available inside versus the standard portapotties. Beware: there is a very small variety of food (Papa John's, chicken fingers, and fries. That's it) and the prices are outrageous. $7 for French fries whatwhat! Also, security is over the top. They don't let you bring in makeup or water bottles (because apparently these things are made of ecstasy??...) Transportation that I took from NYC: metronorth from Penn Station to Secaucus, then bus from there to Metlife. $10.50 roundtrip and so easy a monkey could do it. In any case, go and dance like no one is watching!

This festival was awesome, off Palisades Ave in Washington Park (right on the boarder of JC). Not…read moresure how long it was around for, but I went the night of 9/14. There were lots of people enjoying the rides and food, and a good police presence as well. Rides: Farris Wheel, bumper cars, loop roller coaster, starship spiny ride, another spiny ride, a ride where you sit in a swing and fly in the air in a circle. There was also a little kid ride section with 3-4 different rides for toddlers. And a petting zoo with ponies and lamas. Food options were an Italian and fried food station, a Spanish food station, and an Asian meet on a stick station. I did not see any alcohol sold. There was also a candy apple and cotton candy station. Carney games were cool too, there was a rifle target game that was impossible to win, a water gun game, and 4 or 5 other booths. I rocked the shuffle board game on my first shot! Had such a good time at this festival, quality of rides and entertainment was better than similar fairs I have been to in Jersey City. Will definitely be looking out for this fair's return next September!