For more local trip ideas, checkout //www.discovercentralnj.com Holiday trips in the family car while growing up in the 1970s often featured my mother leading the family in singing “Over the River and through the Woods,” a holiday poem and song written by a prominent abolitionist in 1844. It goes this way: “Over the river, and through the woods, To Grandmother’s house we go; the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow.” Early snowfalls are rarer today, but otherwise the spirit of an old-fashioned holiday journey is very much alive in Central Jersey, home to dozens of farms, farm markets, and beverage makers, just an hour’s journey by car, bus, or rail from New York and Philadelphia. Make Discover Central NJ your guide to the Garden State’s holiday bounty. Crossing the D&R Canal will get you to many Central Jersey Farms Whether you are crossing the mighty Hudson or Delaware rivers from a major city, or just crossing the Millstone or Raritan rivers from a nearby town, Central Jersey’s Canal Region is the perfect holiday season destination. Stock up on a bounty of traditional holiday foods and beverages, including a heritage breed turkey for Thanksgiving, an old fashioned Christmas goose, a holiday ham, or a wide assortment of prepared side dishes, fruit pies, local wines and spirits, and gift baskets. You can make a full day or a weekend of your holiday foraging in Central Jersey by rounding out your itinerary with stops at farm-to-table restaurants, breweries, historic sites, recreation areas, cultural destinations, and hotels. Double Book Farm in Hopewell and Griggstown Farm in Franklin Township pasture-raise heritage breeds of turkeys, the most similar to what was available to the Pilgrims, making them the perfect center piece to your holiday table. Double Brook Farm
For more local trip ideas, checkout //www.discovercentralnj.com Holiday trips in the family car while growing up in the 1970s often featured my mother leading the family in singing “Over the River and through the Woods,” a holiday poem and song written by a prominent abolitionist in 1844. It goes this way: “Over the river, and through the woods, To Grandmother’s house we go; the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white
New Jersey is the Garden State for a reason. For more three centuries, the state’s fertile fields and valleys have fed America’s cities and armies. Indeed, Central Jersey was the site of the “forage wars” of the American Revolution, in which winning the loyalty of local farmers as a key to the American victory. Today Central Jersey’s farmers welcome millions of visitors from near and far to partake in the bounty—and fun—of harvest season. Just an hour from New York and Philadelphia by train, car, or bus, Central Jersey is one of the most accessible agricultural areas in America. At DiscoverCentralNJ.com you’ll find farms and orchards to please everyone, including families, friends, couples and seniors. The biggest crowds are drawn to harvest festivals, beginning Sept 14 an running through October: Terhune Orchards and Winery, near Princeton, is the region’s agritourism leader, inviting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year to a 200-acre family-owned and operated farm. Autumn brings Terhune’s Apple Days Fall Festivals, featuring cider, pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, pumpkin painting, pony rides, pedal tractors, wagon rides, corn stalk maze, adventure barn, and a barnyard of farm animals. Every Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14 to Oct. 27. Admission $10 per person. Snyder Farm in the Somerset section of Franklin Township offers a family-oriented Farm Festival weekends starting September 27. Activities include hayrides, pumpkin moon bounce, hippity hop, potato sack slide, corn maze, hay bale maze, spider web, pedal carts, corn hole games, bowling, hay bale activity center and more. General admission of $13 is required for pumpkin picking, plus cost of pumpkin. Suydam Farms is operated by the family’s 12th generation of farmers in Somerset, located on State Route 27 and served by the 100 bus out of New York’s Port Authority. The history of local farming is a big
New Jersey is the Garden State for a reason. For more three centuries, the state’s fertile fields and valleys have fed America’s cities and armies. Indeed, Central Jersey was the site of the “forage wars” of the American Revolution, in which winning the loyalty of local farmers as a key to the American victory. Today Central Jersey’s farmers welcome millions of visitors from near and far to partake in the bounty—and fun—of harvest season. Just
Dear EscapeMakers -- Tackle the corn maze challenge and harvest your perfect pumpkin at the Norz Hill Farm Fall Festival! Don't miss this family-owned and operated farm of almost 100 years! Every weekend in September and October, visit Norz Hill Farm and pick from over 45 acres of pumpkins, gourds and squash! You and your family will find all the right fall decorations, tour the farm and befriend the animals, enjoy pony rides and visit the farm store and food stands for refreshments. They also feature a haunted "Scare Farm" attraction in October that'll scare-your-crow pants off! Located in Central New Jersey, Norz Hill Farm is in the town of Hillsborough, in scenic Somerset County. For the car-less, just take NJ Transit from NYC's Penn Station to Somerville (1.5 hours) and Norz Hill Farm is a quick 15-minute cab or car-share ride! Check out all the fun & activities at:NorzHillFarm.com or call 908.371.COWS (2697) Experience More Things to Do in Somerset County, NJ VisitSomersetNJ.org
Dear EscapeMakers — Tackle the corn maze challenge and harvest your perfect pumpkin at the Norz Hill Farm Fall Festival! Don’t miss this family-owned and operated farm of almost 100 years! Every weekend in September and October, visit Norz Hill Farm and pick from over 45 acres of pumpkins, gourds and squash! You and your family will find all the right fall decorations, tour the farm and befriend the animals, enjoy pony rides and visit
Dear EscapeMakers -- Less than an hour from NYC in Somerset County, New Jersey, Duke Farms will be all aglow at the Firefly Festival! On Friday July 13th & Saturday July 14th, experience the magic of fireflies at the Firefly Festival - at one of the world's most renowned environmental destinations! During this family-friendly event, you'll meander along a self-guided 1.5-mile loop through woodlands and meadows to get a glimpse of fireflies in action. Stop at over 20 activity stations along the way and learn to communicate with fireflies, discover what a glowworm is, learn what it takes to create a home for fireflies in your backyard, and much more! The festival runs from 8:00pm - 11:00pm each day! REGISTER NOW! More Upcoming Events at Duke Farms NJ Native Orchids (Recurring) Community Garden Snoop Tour (Recurring) Getting to Know Orchids (Recurring) Junior Orchid Club (Recurring) Up with the Birds - July 22 Junior Gardeners - July 28 - October 27 Junior Ornithologists - July 29 Experience Things to Do in Somerset County, NJ VisitSomersetNJ.org
Dear EscapeMakers — Less than an hour from NYC in Somerset County, New Jersey, Duke Farms will be all aglow at the Firefly Festival! On Friday July 13th & Saturday July 14th, experience the magic of fireflies at the Firefly Festival – at one of the world’s most renowned environmental destinations! During this family-friendly event, you’ll meander along a self-guided 1.5-mile loop through woodlands and meadows to get a glimpse of fireflies in action. Stop
Dear EscapeMakers -- Less than an hour from NYC in Somerset County, New Jersey, Colonial Park Gardens is the place to be on June 9th! Their annual Rose Day Festival celebrates one of the first signs of summer. Roses in Bloom! In the heart of the park, the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden displays thousands of roses of many varieties, with both modern and historic significance. Stroll through the gardens, enjoying music and live entertainment, meet local artisans and indulge in some great food! Leonard J. Buck Garden - One of the premier rock gardens in the eastern U.S., consisting of a series of alpine and woodland gardens situated in a 33-acre wooded stream valley. Focus on Ferns – June 8 Peony’s Envy Final Friday Night Picnic – June 8 Hidden Spring Lavender Farm - Lavender fields and store featuring bouquets, buds, oil or culinary products made with 100% pure lavender and essential oils. Lavender Workshop - June 22 Duke Farms - Features three gardens with one of the largest tropical displays in the country, Arboretum with Japanese-style meditation garden, and largest allotment-style community garden in the U.S.! Community Garden Snoop Tour (Recurring) Getting to Know Orchids (Recurring) Junior Orchid Club (Recurring) Plant a Salad Garden – June 9 Getting to Know Orchids: An introduction – June 14 NJ Native Orchids (Recurring) June 16 Accessibility Gardening – June 19 Learn more about Somerset County's gardens Explore VisitSomersetNJ.org/garden for a custom itinerary!
Dear EscapeMakers — Less than an hour from NYC in Somerset County, New Jersey, Colonial Park Gardens is the place to be on June 9th! Their annual Rose Day Festival celebrates one of the first signs of summer. Roses in Bloom! In the heart of the park, the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden displays thousands of roses of many varieties, with both modern and historic significance. Stroll through the gardens, enjoying music and
Dear EscapeMakers -- What a crazy winter but as soon as the last snow melts, you're going to want to hightail it to Somerset County, NJ! It's just across the river from NYC and home to six internationally recognized garden experiences. Make plans to discover them all! Rock, formal, native, rose, peony, ornamental, whatever your garden passion, the beauty and aroma of gardens can be found in Somerset County. See below for a list of upcoming events and plan your Spring escape! 1. Duke Farms - March & April Gardening, Orchids, and Farm to Table Indoor Market! Features three gardens on the breathtaking Duke Estate-the Orchid Range with one of the largest tropical displays in the country, Arboretum with Japanese-style meditation garden, and largest allotment-style community garden in the U.S.! 2. Leonard J. Buck Garden - April & May Woodland Walks, Honey Bees 101 and Plant Sale & Earth Day Celebration! One of the premier rock gardens in the eastern United States, consisting of a series of alpine and woodland gardens situated in a 33-acre wooded stream valley. 3. Cross Estate Gardens - Garden Tours starting Mid-April, Plant Sale May 5th!! This early 20th century landscape of the Cross Estate includes a formal walled garden with ornamented grasses, shrubs, and perennials, native plant garden, wisteria-covered pergola, and mountain laurel alee. The gardens are part of Morristown National Historical Park. 4. Peony's Envy - Starting in May - Friday Night Picnics and Garden Tours! Nursery and display garden in Bernardsville, with one of the most extensive collections of tree, herbaceous and intersectional peonies in the Northeastern United States. Events and workshops are held throughout the year. 5. Willowwood Arboretum - March-May Pruning Workshop, Lectures and Annual Lilac Party! New Jersey's most comprehensive and longest continually operating Arboretum with 3,500 native, exotic,
Dear EscapeMakers — What a crazy winter but as soon as the last snow melts, you’re going to want to hightail it to Somerset County, NJ! It’s just across the river from NYC and home to six internationally recognized garden experiences. Make plans to discover them all! Rock, formal, native, rose, peony, ornamental, whatever your garden passion, the beauty and aroma of gardens can be found in Somerset County. See below for a list of