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.

I get dragged to this every year invariably, kicking, screaming, hiding in the basement and holding…read moremy breath until someone in my not so sweet family thinks better of their folly and leaves me home -- ginormous pigs, fried butter, fifty pound eggplants and swarms of mosquitoes are to put it charitably, not my thing. However, somehow the overwhelming earnestness of the fair wins me over and I find myself savoring an ice cream cone while listening to a string band playing a not so bad version of foggy mountain breakdown and hoping they don't follow it up with the devil went down to Georgia. Every year I bit_h and moan and every year I very find myself having fun. There's nothing more worthy of five stars than that.

The Monmouth County Fair has been an annual event for 42 yrs. Parking is a freebie but $8 is the…read moreentrance fee. The fair is always for 4days/nights and is for the whole family. Every year it seems to get bigger, with rides for all ages, attractions, and the specialty events presented by the 4H club. All types of farm animals that everyone can see and feed. Even a petting zoo area. There are also 2 main stages where at designated times attractions are presented for large audiences. There are all types of vendors to satisfy your wants. Who doesn't like a summer fair? Note: Seniors are free on Sunday. Kudos to the park attendants. They did a great job in keeping order and the grounds clean. Plenty of Porto johns.

Meh. Not really worth the $40 ticket. I will give credit to the creativity used to make some of…read morethese sculptures out of Christmas lights which is definitely cool. I didn't have to wait to get in and honestly it was a quick ride through. Maybe 20 minutes driving around 5 mph. The holiday village didn't have much to offer either. A few drink stands, mini ice skating rink, s'mores, and an opportunity to take a picture with Santa at an additional cost.

Not sure what happened to this display. It used to be so much better. We went tonight and were out…read morein 20 minutes since we didn't want to pay even more money for the village. We literally couldn't believe we were at the exit. On top of that the traffic directing was terrible and confusing. Signs were not clear and people directing the traffic were sending people out of the light show when there was still more to see. We almost accidentally left the show even earlier because the person was sending people out towards the village. Luckily I noticed and stayed in line. Unfortunately we wouldn't recommend the show anymore and we won't be returning.

Thank you Mayor Sam Joshi for injecting some holiday spirit into our community. I've lived in town…read morefor 11 years and in the last two years with Joshi at the helm, there has been a significant improvement in the level of positive engagement within the community. Leaders are more energized. New businesses are thriving. I feel more optimistic about the future of Edison. The opening night for Edison's first annual Winter Wonderland and Marketplace was a huge success, despite the intermittent rain. Now that we have this event happening in town, I have another outlet for supporting local businesses, and I won't have to drag my kids elsewhere for holiday festivities! #winning

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...

I try to go to the night market at least once a year; this time I came around 7pm and it was…read morepacked....Lines were crazy. We tried to get food at the shortest line we could find. First we got ramen and dumplings. Small cup of ramen.. 3 dumplings not exactly worth the cost but L wanted to try it. The char siu piece was good. Broth was ...ok. They prob use sun noodles. There was something I didn't like. There was a weird aftertaste. Like metallic.. prob the water.. I dunno. L got his usually sugar cane drinks. Just ok for me. Joon was sold out of everything by 9ish.. but the lady still gave us a sample leftover of the beef dish. Should've gone to her stall first. Loved her food my first visit. Very short line to get pepper pot over rice. It was really good... I got it again at the end but they ran out of rice .. definitely needs rice with that sauce. The polish sausage is huge. And the pierogies were good too. I liked the one with jalapeños. A lot of stalls were sold out of items. A lot of people were lined up for tacos and grilled corn. I mean you can get that anywhere... I don't like the skewers from the night market .. I've tried it at 2 completely different vendors and it's either the seasoning that we don't care for.. or it's so overcooked. I get it from a street vendor and it's so good in comparison to what we've tried here. If only she had a stand at the night market. It's not expensive but some of the food isn't that great. It's fun to come check it out once a year but a few of my favorites are no longer there so it's not really worth going..

Ah Queens Night Market, my beloved. The ONE food festival I always genuinely look forward to every…read moreyear because it's the only one that's still worth it for what it provides: an authentic tasting of a culture's ethnic cuisine while being small and contained enough to enjoy multiple platters from all around the market. While Smorgasburg is up to.... what, $20 a plate, that same amount can get you 3-4 tastings from a variety of stalls here that are all more authentic and tasty than what the former can really offer. First visit of the year here so I had to go all out with my buds and we got a Brazilian Steak Sandwich, Pork Intestines (my personal fave), Chicken Curry Roti, Jerk Chicken, Pork Belly, Cheese Stuffed Plantains, Fujianese style Pork Ribs, Vietnamese Lychee Coffee, Pakora, Polish Sausage, Octopus Skewer, and Passionfruit Juice. Overall, most everything was quite good and shoutout to my two favorites that I always get every visit, the pork intestine skewers and the passionfruit juice. I don't know how much longer this place has at its price point, but I know I'm going to milk it for as long as I possibly can and enjoy the flavors this market has to offer to its fullest.

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!

The 18th Avenue Feast, in my opinion, is the Brooklyn annual pre-game to San Genaro. Over the…read moreyears, the feast has become smaller, and seemingly shorter in duration. I've never had a bad experience, but it's not what it used to be. As I'm older now, to allow my daughter to have some fun. Some rides, a few games and some quality food. After a year off, due to Covid, it's made it's return. I'd suggest if you have small kids, it's better to go earlier in the day, before the teenagers and adults come out.

Love the Feast of Santa Rosalia. I try to go whenever it's on. sausage Sandwiches are blazing from…read morethe Lucy Carts!

This is an unspoken festival, that has been going on in the Bronx for over 15 years, this past…read moreweekend, was my fist time , there. I have to say it reminded me of the St Gennaro. with good food and many different vendor's, they also had so many rides for the kids and teens. but what I loved the most was the music, with the people walking and dancing the night away. for a Festival, that only stretched a few blocks and the cost of the rides where only 3 dollars and the food was just right, with sausage and peppers and more, we had Lot's of fun. cant wait for next year. I

I didn't expect much from a Bronx festival. But Lo n behold this was a jamming fest. There were…read moresome decent rides for the kiddies and your teens will love it and want to come back again the next day. The food was delish..you had your typical sausage n peppers, zeppoles, funnel cake, shish kebobs, chocolate covered everything and my fav, deep fried oreos! Well organized and cops were chillin too. Music was off the meat rack! It's a fun place to visit, eat, drink and chill. But hurry! I think it ends this weekend! It was my first time but I will def be back next year!

Last year everyone was so friendly and wonderful. I enjoyed the food the area and the items vendedread more

I was there about 10 years ago , I had a great time . The only thing was I drove around for parking…read more.