In just a few days, the upcoming Lunar New Year brings the Year of the Dragon on February 10th…read moreamong East and Southeast Asian cultures. It's fifth in the 12-animal Chinese zodiac cycle and the only animal that's a mythical creature. This afternoon, my partner and I arrived at the Woodland, located off of Woodland Road in Maplewood, to celebrate Lunar Fest NJ 2024--Maplewood Arts & Culture. Completed in 1930, the Georgian Revival-style mansion and adjoining auditorium have been a hub for Maplewood's vibrant cultural and civic life for over eight decades. The unique event features lion dance, performances representing Chinese, Mongolian, Thali, and Korean cultures, children's activities, and delicious food trucks, which brought out the crowd.

Just attended an event at the Woodland. Aside from its being a big old barn, the parking area is…read moreway too small for a facility as large as yours. Not only that, the lot is narrow and dangerous to navigate, especially when a large crowd is trying to park. But the most infuriating aspect of the parking situation is the number of spots unusable for the general public, which are labeled "24-hour parking permit required," Are you kidding?? I had to gingerly back out of a prohibited spot and circle the neighborhood (most of whose streets had "no parking anytime" signs) for 10 minutes before finding a spot where I could park. Your facility needs to expand the available parking immediately. I advise any group considering holding an event at the Woodland to physically view the parking situation before booking an event.

Drifting Back to Lions Roar for Sure!…read more We ended the night at Lions Roar Brewing in Westfield and what a way to cap off an evening. The service was excellent -- friendly, attentive, and on point all night. The craft beer selection had some real creativity on tap. We were disappointed to hear the mango brew had run out -- that one sounded like a winner -- but the Mexican and lime brew more than made up for it. Bright, flavorful, and refreshing, it was a great pour that kept us coming back for more. But the real showstopper of the night? Drifting Back. This four-piece band was absolutely exceptional -- tight, talented, and packed with great tunes. They had the room in the palm of their hands all night. If you ever see them on the schedule here, don't miss it. A minor gripe about the sold-out mango brew aside, this was a fantastic night out at Lions Roar. We'll absolutely be back.

First time coming here and this is definitely a smaller brewery than I was expecting. Downside is…read morethere is paid parking or you can try to find parking in the residential area behind and walk the two blocks to the brewery The location itself has a small indoor area, this was taken by a private party. They also have a small covered beer garden out back. Prices on their beers were very reasonable and pours came in an assortment of sizes. We had two IPAs and both were different but good in their own way.

great place was nice when I was a kid , family always went there for hot dogs and soda after little…read moreleague games .

It use be a great place but be fair warned if you are not well like by other crafters you will be…read morecussed of doing stuff you didnt do. One person was accused of destroying their property. Another was accused of stealing and these vendors are now not allowed back because another had a vendetta against them. It is a nice place other wise good music good food and some great vendors to bad there a few that ruin it for others

I'll reuse my old quip that 3 stars on Yelp isn't considered good, this isn't my company's work…read moreperformance review. And I'll defer to the town elders about whether if I'm being unfair to a place that might be the heir to Maxwell's because of a "me" problem. I expected more of a "standing bar" venue. There's a main seating area that seems designated for full service food and drinks. The smaller seating area on the right felt like more of a VIP area. There were no signs, fences or bouncers stopping me from sitting in these places. The unambiguous standing area was quite small. I'm unclear on the ethics of whether it's required to buy drinks considering the delightfully low $10 cover charge. But I did enjoy a Down East cider and more shockingly, a loganberry hard cider from Canisteo, NY's own Cross Creek. Still, the DIY vibe is more refreshing than City Winery charging more than Live Nation to get through the door, tacking on $25 minimums and seating you with strangers. The men's room is currently out of service so I used the modular set-up outside (flush, not porta, but my rating on this sub-section of the trip varies depending on whether the light is working!) On the bright side, there's a great assortment of cover bands and originals on the calendar. I was here for Ashtray Floors, who had a stellar homage to The Replacements. I never thought I'd hear Left Of The Dial live again. And REM tribute band The Ones You Love also rocked the joint. Crossroads deserves credit just for hosting these shows but also for good sound quality whether it was the haunting echoes of the late Bob Stinson or the mandolin in Losin' My Religion. And if I don't see ya, in a long, long while, I'll try to find you, left of the Garwood NJ Transit stop.

Great place to see a show. It's small and the parking lot is very limited, but there is parking on…read moreside streets in the neighborhood. We've been here many times and it's always fun. The staff is always friendly. The acoustics are good and it's overall just a nice, intimate setting to see a musician.

This FREE Fair is held every year, FREE parking, FREE admission, many FREE giveaways, tasty food in…read morethe food tent (that, you do pay for) many animals and exhibits. No rides for the kids, but what do you want for free? Fair Warning: If you're expecting rain, the fair might open but you might want to park elsewhere. The parking lot tends to get muddy and at least one year many cars got stuck deep in the mud.

This annual event, always on a W-Th-F in mid-August, is an area tradition. Unlike other county…read morefairs, there's never a charge to get in or park. The food tent is 100% local non-profits (fire departments, churches, Boy Scouts, etc.), so you know the "profit" is going to a good cause. A not-insignificant chunk of the food revenue goes to the 4-H and helps fund this very expensive event. There are no rides, but you can visit politicians at various tents and stands. The emphases are agriculture and education. You'll see cows, chickens, goats, cats, dogs, horses, and a host of other critters. There are also bands and stuff for the kids like operating a back-hoe (really); the Children's Museum exhibit; model trains, cars, and planes; the Rutgers Extension service; clubs; etc. There are commercial displays for mulch, basement waterproofing, etc., but you don't feel like it's a hard-sell trade show by any stretch. If the weather is dry, there is some parking at the site, though parking at Raritan Valley Community College (a few miles away, but with free bus shuttles) is recommended. If it rains, they quickly curtail or close on-site parking and it may take longer for the shuttle service (which is now air-conditioned buses!). The smart move is to take off a day from work if you can, and spend a few hours. Evenings are far more crowded, in addition to dealing with rush-hour traffic in general. FULL DISCLOSURE: My church operates a stand under the gigantic food tent, and I spend a lot of time there volunteering.

It's definitely not for everyone. I will say the price is very affordable at $16, but it literally…read morejust includes a walk through tour. It would have been nice to have the option to sit in the garden, or even have some group photos taken somewhere other than the gift shop and parking lot. I think a few things could have been done to elevate the experience, for instance offering some refreshments or seating in the garden instead of waiting in the gift shop for enough people for the tour to start. If you're at all interested in this era it's worth trying for $16

I had the opportunity to visit the Liberty Hall Museum for a Yelp Elite Event…read more This place is so beautiful and is sort of hidden within the Kean University campus, not sure if that's intentional, but I love it. I was able to visit the mansion and was fascinated by the history behind it. As I enter one of the dinning room, I notice it was decorated for a young boy's birthday/Halloween party. Later on I found out from one of the tour guide that the little boy's birthday party was around Halloween in 1930. Haha! He's 86 years old and the decoration that was used in 1930 was the same decoration displayed today in that dinning room - please check my picture out. Now that's amazing! The rest of the mansion and museum is indeed historical and tells a special story. As I made my way into the British garden I was wowed. The garden is picture perfect and is well maintained. For those planning on having an outdoor and well reserved wedding, I'd recommend this place. For my fellow New Yorkers that don't drive. It's convenient to get to Liberty Hall Museum with the N113 bus from Port Authority! It's beautiful to visit during the fall!

Nicely managed country club with amenities for family such as the pool and playground. Staff are…read moresuper professional and friendly. Premesis are clean and well maintained. Food was decent and clubhouse has a nice bar. Total size is over a 100 acres so make sure to grab a cart before you start walking from one area to another.

I have played golf many times at fiddler's in the past and was always very pleased with the…read moreservice. But had never had the pleasure of attending a function there. This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a wedding there and all I can say is wow!!! The service was impeccable and impressive to say the least. Not just the food that was provided being amazing but the staff was just beyond extraordinaire.. Every single one of them was cheery and made you feel like a special guest! Unbelievable I have been to many weddings in my life and have never experienced anything like it !! I highly recommend this place and heck I'd even consider getting married again just to have a wedding there! Kudos to the staff and the management team!!!

Winard Harper & Jeli Posse at Flemingtondiy. Great concert last evening. Our first time having the…read moreopportunity to hear Windward Harper's band and what an invigorated experience it was. They played for two hours without taking a break Winard's drumming is some of the best I have heard - he truly plays with heart and soul and it is clear that jazz is his life. Rounding out the band was lead guitar, bass, trumpet, piano, saax, and bongo. Wish I could give you all the band members names (but I can't) as each one of them individually was masterful and together produced an evening of pure excellence. If you get the opportunity to attend a performance I suggest you make your way there quickly. We often attend Jazz Night at the Michener Museum in Doylestown PA and Winard Harper & Jeli Posse would be a great addition to their offerings. #Winard Harper & Jeli Posse #The Michener Museum

Love this beautiful non-profit space for local community and artists! It's well-kept, clean,…read moreorganized thanks to all the volunteers. Many events on rotation it's always fun to discover something new when I visit. The location is great too. Food and brewery right next door it's such a wonderful space in the summer! There is also Comedy open mic every 2nd Sunday at 2:30 PM that is free and so much fun to see.