Laurie R

Laurie Rein is thrilled to have made a career of digging up activities (especially free ones!) for her twin daughters. Prior to working with Mommy Poppins NJ, Laurie wore many hats in the television industry including gigs as an NBC page, NBC copywriter, affiliate liaison for The Rosie O'Donnell Show and research manager for CBS. She is currently the Events Editor for Mommy Poppins NJ and can be reached at njevents@mommypoppins.com

Latest posts by Laurie

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Fall Festivals, Zombie Walk, Sesame Street Live

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 10/01/2019 - 9:15am

Fall Festival Weekends are happening at Johnson's Corner Farm. Photo courtesy of the farm

While October has only just begun, Halloween fun kicks into high gear this weekend. Get in the Halloween spirit at celebrations like Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest, Asbury Park Zombie Walk, and Morris County Park Palooza.

Take your pick of pumpkin events this weekend, including Pumpkin Pawlooza, The Giant Pumpkin Carve & Pumpkin Pageant, and Blackwood Pumpkin Festival. And add a touch of magic to the weekend at Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids for more options, including 25+ Free Halloween Events and Parades for NJ Kids. And look to our October GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Oktoberfest, Pumpkin Train, Dinosaurs

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 09/24/2019 - 9:00am

It's not just beer at Morey's Piers' Oktoberfest, which includes plenty of kid-friendly fun.

September comes to a close this weekend with a big batch of fall festivals. Celebrate the season at harvest festivals like the Hoboken Fall Arts & Music Festival, Harvest Home Festival, and the 15th Annual Fall Family Festival. For more fall fun, hop aboard The Great Pumpkin Train.

Add food into the mix at Smithville's Italian Festival, Wildwood's Olde Time Italian Festival, and Yogi Berra Stadium Food Truck Fest. And spend a spooky evening at Field Station: Dinosaurs with the return of Dinosaurs After Dark.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids for more options for family fun, including Halloween and Fall Train Rides. And look to our September GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Harvest Fests, Peppa Pig, Oktoberfest

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 09/17/2019 - 1:00pm

The Hopewell Harvest Fair features arts & crafts and lots of other fun for kids. Photo courtesy of the fair

With a roster full of harvest festivals, apple picking, and corn mazes, it's beginning to look a lot like fall on this first official weekend of the season. Take in everything autumn has to offer at seasonal festivals like Morey's Piers' Annual Oktoberfest, Wildwood Crest's Annual Seafarers Celebration, and fall festivals in Hopewell and Westfield.

Experience the flavors of fall at Allaire's Fall Apple Festival and Tenafly's Apple Cider Making. Plus, make it a theatrical weekend at State Theatre Family Day or a production of Peppa Pig Live!

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids for more options, including 20 Fall Day Trips and 50+ Fall Events for NJ Preschoolers. And look to our September GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Fright Fest, Corn Mazes, Insect Festival

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 09/10/2019 - 1:10pm

Enjoy kid-friendly thrills during the day at Six Flags Great Adventure's Fright Fest. Photo courtesy of Six Flags

While it's technically the last weekend of summer, there are plenty of fall-themed things to do this weekend in New Jersey, including corn mazes, fall festivals, and early Halloween fun. Make room on your calendar for seasonal favorites like corn mazes at Alstede Farms and Stony Hill Farms, and the spooky, pre-Halloween Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure.

Take advantage of end-of-summer, almost-fall temperatures when you bask in seaside adventures at the Wind & Sea Festival, old-fashioned fun at Fall Harvest Fest and Spirit of the Jerseys, plus celebrations of bugs and bats. Don't miss local festivals like Jersey City's All About Downtown Street Fair, PlayDay South Orange, Fanny Wood Day Street Fair, and Bridgewater's Community Day Featuring Touch-a-Truck & Dog Day.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids for more options for family fun, including 50 Things We Can't Wait to Do with NJ Kids this Fall. And look to our September GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

50+ Fall Events for New Jersey Preschoolers

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Fri, 09/06/2019 - 1:45pm

Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center will host HalloWheaton, a free trick-or-treat event with interactive performances and family activities. Photo courtesy of Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center

If your preschoolers are bursting with energy in the fall, we present you with 50+ ways to keep them busy with oodles of seasonal fun. The new season brings with it some awesome fall events, including fall festivals, corn mazes, train rides, touch-a-trucks, and more for the 5-and-under set!

Catch big names at preschool-friendly performances of Peppa Pig, Sesame Street Live, Disney On Ice, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Or head outside with your little ones to enjoy the beautiful weather and colors at events like the Great Pumpkin Train Ride, Giant Corn Maze Adventures, Great Pumpkin Festival, and Hefty Harvest & Scary Scarecrows.

Plus, get in the Halloween spirit at non-spooky fall events such as Boo at the Boardwalk and Trick-or-Treat Weekend at Storybook Land.

Read on for the full list of fun fall events for little ones in New Jersey. And don't forget to check out our Fall Fun Guide and Event Calendar to find even more great things to do this season!

Weekend Fun: Corn Maze, WILD Outdoor Expo, Greek Festivals

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 09/03/2019 - 1:30pm

Alstede Farms' Giant Corn Maze opens this weekend! Photo courtesy of the farm

What's on this weekend's menu in New Jersey? Greek delights, delicious seafood, and tons of pre-fall fun. Greek food is in abundance at both St. Demetrios Greek Festival and Flemington Opa! Greek Festival. Aquatic fare is on tap at the Atlantic City Seafood Festival, and tacos galore are available at NJ Taco Fest.

With fall just around the corner, enjoy some outdoor time at the New Jersey WILD Outdoor Expo and local fairs in Red Bank, Toms River, and West Orange.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids for more options for family fun, including the Best Fall Fairs and Festivals. And look to our September GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Free in September: XX Things To Do in New Jersey with Kids

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Mon, 08/26/2019 - 12:37pm

Check out crawling creatures at the 17th Annual Insect Festival at Mercer Educational Gardens. Photo by David Byers

Are you feeling the end-of-summer blues? Here's the perfect remedy: more than 50 FREE events and activities taking place this month in New Jersey! September is off to a promising start with Labor Day freebies like Riverdale's Annual Labor Day Street Fair, St. Bartholomew Italian Festival, and Rutherford Labor Day Street Fair.

Back-to-school time is the perfect time to indulge in literature at the Annual New Jersey Storytelling Festival and Princeton Children's Book Festival.

As summer transitions to fall, get in the autumn spirit at admission-free seasonal events, including Hopewell Harvest Fair, Great Swamp Fall Festival, and Westfield FestiFall. Get back to nature at the 17th Annual Insect Festival and New Jersey WILD Outdoor Expo.

Read on for this month's picks! For more free and low-cost fun, check out our Event Calendar, as well as the Best Fall Fairs and Festivals for NJ Families in September.

Load up your calendar with dozens of FREE events taking place throughout June in New Jersey, because there's no reason summer fun has to come with a big price tag. As the days get longer, under-the-stars movies, carnivals, and other activities fill your summer roster without emptying wallets.

Swing by local fairs like West Orange Street Fair, Sparta Day 2023, and Glassboro Community Day, or kick back at evening events like Wildwood Boardwalk Friday Night Fireworks, Summit Street Sounds, and Jenkinson's Movies on the Beach.

Read on for this month's picks! For more free and low-cost fun, check out our roundups of water playgrounds and free beaches in our Ultimate New Jersey Kids Summer Vacation Guide.

Weekend Fun: Seafarers, Chocolate & Vanilla Fest, Free Movies

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 08/20/2019 - 10:50am

Bring your little pirates to Seafarers' Weekend at Historic Cold Spring Village. Photo courtesy of the village

As August comes to a close, make the most of summery weekend fun throughout New Jersey, from festivals to free movies on the beach.

Whet your appetite at tasty food festivals like the Chocolate & Vanilla Family Festival and Warinanco Food Festival. Go back in time at historical-themed celebrations this weekend, including Industrial Crafts Day and Seafarers' Weekend at Historic Cold Springs Village.

Young stuffed-animal fanatics will enjoy Teddy Bear Day at Space Farms, while music lovers of all ages won't want to miss the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Festival.

Find even more weekend options in our Summer Fun Guide, including 25 Ways to Beat the Heat with New Jersey Kids in August. And look to our August GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.