Foodie Things To Do This Weekend & Beyond

New Brunswick Restaurant Week, Now – Saturday, July 28th. TWO full weeks of local restaurants offering special deals to participants. Get out and explore downtown New Brunswick. Click for a list of participating restaurants and their offers.

Cape May County Chicken Barbecue, Thursday-Saturday, July 19th-21st. 4-H Fair and delicious BBQ Chicken! Held in Cape May Court House. Click for more information.

Meet the Winemakers | Cocktail Reception, Friday, July 20th from 6pm-9pm. Held at Renault Winery in Egg Harbor City. 10 local New Jersey wineries will have their premium vintages for tasting, meet and talk with each winemaker and gain insight to their secrets to wine making. Their will be hors d’oeuvres, carving station, pasta station and much more. Click for more info.

Ice Cream Festival, Saturday, July 21st from 11am-5pm. The 10th Annual New Jersey State Ice Cream Festival held in Downtown Toms River hosts ice cream eating contests, ice cream tasting and voting, games, rides, vendors, and food. For more information, click here.

NJ Crab Festival, Saturday, July 21st at 11am. Ice House Restaurant, Wildwood. There will be crabs, a beer garden, crabs, kids activities, crabs, live music, and more crabs. Click for more details.

Northern NJ Wine MeetUp | Swine & Wine III, Saturday, July 21st from 6pm-9pm at The Tree Tavern, Wanaque, NJ. Join the Northern NJ Wine Meetup Group and their annual pig roast. The menu includes roasted pork, hamburgers, salads, desserts, side dishes and of course WINE! Click for more details.

Barefoot Grape Stomp, Saturday, July 21st from 6pm-9pm. Four Sisters Winery. The barefoot massage of a lifetime! Dress like Lucy and receive a free glass of wine with your dinner.
Formal wine tasting, buffet style dinner, wine cellar tour, barefoot grape stomping and concludes with a dessert wine tasting. $57.50 per person includes tax and gratuity. Reservations required.

The Tastes of New Jersey | NJ Farm to School Network, Sunday, July 22nd, from 12pm-4pm. Two opportunities to learn about and savor the foods on New Jersey. Tula Restaurant in New Brunswick will host a five course tasting menu featuring locally grown foods. Evelyn’s Restaurant in New Brunswick will host an outdoor garden a la carte selection of food drinks, local community groups, farmer’s markets and more. Click for more details.

South Jersey Farm to Form Week, Sunday, July 22nd- Saturday, July 28th. More than 30 South Jersey restaurants converge to present a week-long showcase of local farms and their freshest ingredients. Check out our article here.

Farm Fresh Collingswood | Restaurant Week, Sunday, July 22nd – Friday, July 27th. his event includes Collingswood restaurants that choose to offer a farm fresh theme during this week—a prix fixe menu event incorporating local items from the Collingswood Farmers’ Market and the local agricultural region. Click for more details.

And Beyond…

Women on the Move Luncheon & Tasting, Monday, July 23rd from 12pm-3pm. Celebrating New Jersey women of achievement at Branches, West Long Branch. Guests will enjoy the best of area restaurants and bakeries including Dauphin Grille; Park 33; Readies Café, and Bake Cupcakery and the opportunity to sample wine courtesy of The Wine Group and hand-crafted beers and sodas from The Brewer’s Apprentice. The event also includes an auction of luxury goods and services. For more information or reservations, call the Arthritis Foundation, New Jersey Chapter, 732-283-4300, extension 306.

Corn in all it’s Glory | A cooking demo, Thursday, July 26th from 11am-1pm. Taught by Chef Carol Maxwell of Sickles Market, Little Silver, will be held at the Taste & Technique Cooking Studio, 597 River Rd, Fair Haven. Tickets are $55, or $99 for two. Demo includes goodie bag and lunch. For tickets, call Sickles Market at 732-741-9563.

New Jersey Peach Festival, Thursday – Sunday, July 26th-29th. Mullica Hill, NJ. A peach bake-off, educational displays, the sale of fresh juicy peaches & peach products. It’s so peachy, you just have to be there! Also enjoy live music and carnival rides. Features the crowning of the New Jersey Peach Queen and the awarding of the New Jersey Governors Cup for the best box of peaches.

Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival, Thursday- Sunday, July 26th-29th. Festival will enjoy four days of events, tastings and celebrity chef appearances that showcase the city’s abundant culinary offerings. www.acfoodandwine.com

Merchants in Venice Seafood Festival, Friday, July 27th from 5pm-9pm between 6th and 9th streets on Asbury Ave, Ocean City, NJ. Enjoy all the delicious seafood you love while enjoying live entertainment. There will also be rides for kids. For more info. please call 609-525-9300.

Hot Air Balloon Festival, Friday- Sunday, July 27th-29th. The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning is the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America. From twice daily mass ascensions of over 100 special shape and sport hot air balloons, to headlining concerts, non-stop family entertainment, hundreds of crafters and vendors, great food, fireworks, a balloon glow, a 5k run and more, the festival is jam-packed with stuff to do. This year there will be a special Breakfast with the Balloons VIP ticket available for Sunday. Click for more info.

Cluck n’ Claw | Wenonah Lake Association, Saturday, July 28th from 4pm-8pm. All you can eat crabs and chicken. We will also have corn on the cob and birch beer. Please bring a family sized side dish or dessert to share. Click for more info.

Herbertsville Honey Harvest, Saturday, July 28th at 11am. Hamilton, NJ. Join the award-winning beekeepers of Herbertsville Honey as they extract honey from a hive at Grounds For Sculpture! You too will be able to jar your own honey to take home (for a small fee)! The company is a family owned business, providing central New Jersey with delicious raw honey and handcrafted hive-related products, available for purchase at our honey harvest event.

Soulsational Music & Wellness Festival, Saturday, July 28th from 11am-8pm, Veterans Park, Bayville. This event is dedicated to honor, learn, teach, share and explore the many healthy modalities, practitioners, organizations and businesses devoted to health and wellness. Food, great vendors and wonderful music. Learn more here.

Rutgers Gardens | Open House Festival & Wine Tasting, Saturday, July 28th from 10am-4pm. New Brunswick. Enjoy lively and informative tours of the Rutgers Gardens, a Wine Garden, Culinary Garden, Ask the Expert clinics, Farmers Market, Vendors, and Children’s Activities. Click here for more information.

Tomato Hoedown, Saturday, July 28th from 11am-4pm. Sunset Farm in Andover Township. Fun family day full of live entertainment, food, and shopping. There will be barn dancing, tomato toss/fight, raw food demo and music. There will also be vendors featuring: antiques, arts and country type crafts, food and resellers. There is something for everyone. Free entry.

Sunset Lobster Bake, Saturday, July 28th at 6pm. Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes NJ. The event promises to be a night of great music, food and wine! The cost is $85.00 a person which includes appetizers, dinner, a selection of Unionville wines and sangria and a Unionville logo wine glass! Live music all night performed by Brian Erickon. Register online.

Farm to Feast | Bordentown City Restaurant Week, Sunday, July 29th- Thursday, August 2nd. Bordentown City’s “Farm to Feast” Restaurant Week brings local produce from local farmers to local restaurants. Click for more details.

Wine and A-PAW-tizers | Fundraiser, Sunday, July 29th from 6pm-9pm. It’s a “Paws for Celebration,” Flirt for a great cause and enjoy wine and sushi! A fundraiser dinner will be held at Flirt Sushi Lounge in Allendale to support the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge. Click for more details.

28th Annual Peach Festival, Saturday, August 4th from 10am-4pm, Dutch Neck Village, Bridgeton. There will be lots of crafters, live entertainment, pony rides, food, fresh peaches, peach desserts and more.

Peach Party, Saturday, August 4th from 11am-2pm. Collingswood Community Center. Join the Food Bank of South Jersey for the debut of our first-ever food-rescue product, Just Peachy Salsa! You’ll get to taste it, buy it, and hear how we did it. This salsa comes with chunks of real Jersey peaches and packs a little heat. During the event, local chefs will also be serving up tastings that showcase the Jersey peach. Then you be the judge and cast your vote for the best recipe on your way out! More info.

An Evening in Our South Jersey Garden, Culinary Workshop, Tuesday, August 7th from 6pm-9pm. Culinary Workshops Offer Taste of Global Cuisine at Atlantic Cape. Learn how to get the most out of your farmers market or garden co-op. Receive tips on preparing locally grown eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes, and end the night by making strawberry-rhubarb pies and blueberry desserts. To register, call 609-343-4829 or visit www.atlantic.edu/conted.

South Jersey Food Swap, Tuesday, August 7th from 7pm-9pm. The August food swap will be held at Bellview Winery. Swap local food with the community and enjoy wine samplings at the winery. Click for more info.

Chocolate Fair, Thursday, August 9th from 6pm-8pm at the Long Beach Island Historical Association’s Museum. Many stations of luscious chocolate treats- Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream of Beach Haven, Country Kettle Fudge of Bay Village, Cand Treats from Kapler’s, Home-baked Chocolate Delights, Layer Cakes, Cupcakes, Brownies, Cookies, etc.  Beautiful Chocolate Fountain for dipping Bananas, Marshmallows, & Pound Cake.  Tickets sold at Door.  Proceeds go to Maintenance of Museum. 609-492-0700

Cape May Craft Beer & Crab Fest, Saturday, August 11th from 11am-8pm. Held at the beautiful grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May, an all-day festival featuring local and regional craft beers to wash down favorite summer picnic foods. Click for more details.

Rock Hops, Saturday, August 11th starting at 1:30pm. Mercer County Park, NJ. A beer & music festival celebrating grass roots Americana, music and craft beer. Click here for more information.

Shore Chef Crab Cake Cook-Off, Saturday & Sunday, August 18th & 19th from 12pm-5pm. Monmouth Park. Shore Chefs compete for the best crab cake award and the coveted People’s Choice Award. Taste fare from your favorite local restaurants. Crab cakes, fried catfish, and clam chowder bread bowls are just a few of the favorites. More information.

10th Annual Seafood Festival, Saturday & Sunday, August 18th & 19th from 11am-5pm. Bellview Winery, Landisville, NJ. Delicious seafood prepared fresh by local vendors along with great live music. Attractions include selected crafters and gourmet food vendors, cigars, massages and of course, wine tasting under the wine tent! Saturday also features an extensive American Car Show. Click for details.

Red Bank Food & Wine Walk, Sunday, August 19th from 2pm-6pm. * LAST RB food & wine walk for this summer! Purchase a wristband for $25/person and spend the afternoon strolling through the beautiful riverfront town while sampling food and wine from Red Bank’s fine food establishments. Click here for details.

Buffalo’s 2012 Spicy Wing Challenge, Saturday, August 25th at 3pm. Buffalo’s Chicken Shack, Wood Ridge, NJ. They’re back and the challenge is expected to be bigger, better and if you can believe it, Hotter this year. As always, they issue the challenge to those that can both stand the heat and eat some wings. Winning is just as easy this year as it’s been every other year, just eat more than person next to you! Click for registration and details.

Bridgeton Crabfest and Beer Garden | Cohansey RiverFest, Saturday, August 25th from 10am-8pm. An all day event in conjunction with the Cohansey RiverFest. Food vendors, crab dinner, beer garden, cooking demonstrations, craft vendors, music and much more.

Chili Cooks Against Cancer, Saturday, August 25th from 11am-6pm. West Windsor. The ICS Sanctioned contest includes three chili categories – Red Chili, Verde (green) Chili and Salsa ICS Sanctioned contest includes three chili categories – Red Chili, Verde (green) Chili and Salsa. Chili Lovers? Come out and taste Chili or volunteer to be a judge, either way you’ll have a wonderful time. Kids Activities and Live Entertainment as well as beer! Click for details.

Wildwood Restaurant Week, Sunday – Friday, August 26th-31st. Enjoy delicious courses from local Wildwood restaurants fro just $30. Click here for more information.

Great Tomato Tasting, Wednesday, August 29th from 3pm-dusk, Pittstown, NJ. This event includes the very popular tasting of over 60 heirloom and hybrid tomato varieties, chef demonstrations, guided educational wagon tours of the farm’s research plots, tastings of honey, basil, apples and peaches, professional advice offered by the Hunterdon County Board of Health Staff on stink bugs, mosquitoes and black flies – pesky insects near and dear to local residents, and “square foot” gardening demonstrations for those interested in small, productive gardens. Click for more info.

BBQ & Craft Beer Festival, Saturday & Sunday, September 1st & 2nd. Monmouth Park. Ribs, pulled pork, brisket – it’s all back and better than ever, served up by some of the Garden State’s best BBQ joints. In addition, cool off with a cold one in the beer garden. More information.