10 Events to Check Out This Weekend! July 4th Weekend Begins on Thurs!

There are going to be A LOT of events going on this weekend due to it being July 4th weekend and all. Here are a few I picked out:

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Camden Freedom Festival

Camden County Freedom Festival hours:

• Thursday, July 3: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Friday, July 4: 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, July 5: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. (expected start time for Adventure Aquarium Waterfront Fireworks Celebration)
• Sunday, July 6: Battleship New Jersey Memorial & Museum will be open 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Adventure Aquarium will be open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Highlights of the Camden Waterfront Freedom Festival include:

• July 3-5: Freedom Festival Beer Garden
• July 3-6: TEACH Fleet LEGO display aboard the Battleship New Jersey
• July 3: Let Freedom Rock Fest pre-concert at Wiggins Park and main stage concert at Susquehanna Bank Center.
• July 4^: Battleship New Jersey Fantail BBQ and live music at Wiggins Park
• July 5: Live music at Wiggins Park and Adventure Aquarium Waterfront Fireworks Celebration
• July 6: U.S. Military Day at Adventure Aquarium and Battleship New Jersey Memorial & Museum

For hours and up-to-date information, visit www.camdenwaterfront.com/freedom

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Dexcon 2014

Dexcon is a 96-hour gaming convention from everything including LARPING, puzzles and everything in between. See more on their website, linked in the title.

Address: Hyatt in Morristown:  3 Speedwell Ave, Morristown
Date: July 2nd – July 6th, 2014 –  full 96 hour straight event!
For tickets click here

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Randolph Freedom Festival

Randolph will stage its Freedom Festival this year on Thursday, July 3, through Saturday, July 5, 2014. This festival is one of New Jersey’s biggest celebrations of Independence Day. The festivities go on for three whole days. This year they begin on Thursday and continue through Saturday with the grand finale being the fireworks on Saturday night. Freedom Fair is a carnival that features rides, games, crafts and food. The carnival and fair is open from 2:00 to 11:00 p.m. This is the last day of the fair. Day 1: Freedom Fair is a carnival that features rides, games, crafts and food. Visitors can ride all the rides as many times as they want for $25.00. The fair is open from 7:00 to 11:00 PM. Day 2: Freedom Fair is a carnival that features rides, games, crafts and food. The carnival and fair is open from 2:00 to 11:00 p.m. Friday night is band night. Day 3: Parade Day: The parade kicks off at noon at Dover Chester Avenue in front of Mt. Fern Church. It features bands, pipe and drum corps, bands, antique cars, horses and floats.

Fireworks begin at 9:45 on Saturday, July 5, 2014. The promoters call it the best show in Morris County [and it does have quite a few competitors for that title] The event features paid parking ($5.00) which helps defer the cost of the fireworks. Parking is plentiful and inexpensive. There will be a DJ from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. The rain date for the Randolph fireworks display is Sunday, July 6, 2014.

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Valenzano Fireworks Festival

Valenzano Winery will host their Fireworks Festival on Thursday, July 3, 2014. This will be their third consecutive year hosting the event. This year’s event promises to be their best yet. The event will feature live music from The Bullzeye Band, DJ to the Stars Brian Basara, convenient parking, entertainment for the kids, low altitude fireworks, food vendors, kids entertainment, pony rides, a craft show and some of BestofNJ.com’s favorite wines in New Jersey from Valenzano for sale by the bottle. Gates open at 5:00 pm. The fireworks will be staged at sunset and the event runs until about 9:30. Adult Admission is $10.00 each and anyone under 21 can get in for $5.00. Tickets can be purchased at the winery the day of the festival as long as there are spots available. Ticket sales are limited. Special party tent rentals are available.

This year there will be great food from local vendors like: Star of the Sea Seafood, Tony & Dom’s Texas Roasted Corn, Murphy’s Market’s Smoker and Grill, UpperCrust Restaurant and Pic-A-Lilli Restaurant. The festival is sponsored by Murphy’s Markets and the master of ceremonies this year is Scott Friedman from 100.7 WZXL’s Morning Show.

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Hunterdon County Concert Under the Stars and Fireworks

Hunterdon County is turning 300 years old this year and it is celebrating the occasion on Thursday, July 3, 2014 with a Concert Under the Stars with fireworks at Deer Path Park. The concert is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. and features the Allentown Band performing John Philip Sousa classics and patriotic favorites. The concert will come to a grand climax with a spectacular fireworks display sponsored by the Hunterdon Tricentennial Committee and the Flemington Raritan Parks and Recreation Committee. The park is located at 120 West Woodschurch Road in Flemington. To make getting to and leaving the park easier, LINK shuttle buses have been organized to run between the park and various locations in Flemington. Everyone is invited to bring blankets, chairs, picnic dinners, friends and family to the celebration. There will also be a concession stand run by local food vendor, Pudgy’s Street Food. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed at this event. The rain date for the fireworks will be delayed until a later date during one of the other summer concerts in the park. For updates check the county site or call (908)782-1158 after 3:00 p.m.

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Summer Sports Cards, Toy, Comics and Collectibles

Over 100 tables of the hottest collectibles on the planet! Sports cards, old & new, toys, comic books, Starting Line-ups, McFarlane figures, non-sports cards, Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic, Beanie Babies, videos, wax boxes, supplies, autographed memorabilia, sets, posters, coins, t-shirts, legos, dolls & much more! Autograph guests include Former Baseball Manager Dallas Green, Baseball Star Jim Coates, Wrestling Superstar King Kong Bundy, former Negro League Baseball Star Bob Scott, and Bob McGrath from Sesame Street. Sing-a-longs with Bob McGrath will be FREE to all kids of all ages! FREE admission! For more information call 732.422.9365 or visit http://www.RKSportsPromotions.com for a detailed schedule of events.

Address: Wildwood Convention Center; 4501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ 08260
Dates: July 4th – 6th; Fri: 3-9 p.m., Sat: 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
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Union Soap Box Derby & Fireworks

Union Township will celebrate the holiday starting at 10:00 a.m. on Friday morning, July 4, 2014 with the 7th Annual All American Soapbox Derby. It will be held on Stuyvesant Avenue between Mountain & Tyler Avenues. The festivities pick up later at Biertuempfel Park with the Summer Concert Series. The concert will start at 7:30 and it will feature the music of Smooth. The fireworks will bring the day to a close at 9:00 p.m. Admission is free. The fireworks display is staged by Garden State Fireworks. The rain date for the fireworks is July 5th. If it rains that night the concert will be moved to the Hannah Caldwell School Auditorium and it will start at 7:30 p.m.

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Food Truck Showdown

The Manahawkin Flea Market is hosting a Food Truck Showdown on July 5th and 26th from 10pm to 7pm. Admission is free.  The Flea Market is located at  657 East Bay Avenue, Manahawkin, NJ. For more information call 609-233-0000 or email TheMarketPlaceLLC@yahoo.com.

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The Second Annual Summer Sizzle Block Party will be held on Saturday, July 5, 2014 from 2:00 to 10:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Ship Bottom Firehouse at 21st and Central Avenue in Ship Bottom on LBI. The block party features: bounce houses, slides, sports, eating contests, games, crafts, food, beverages, merchandise, door prizes and silent auctions. In addition to this there will be live music by: The Rock Lobsters, Big Whiskey Band, and Virgin Vinyl. The Ship Bottom Brewery will also be on hand providing their very own customized brew Station 46 Ale along with Bud Light Lime-a-ritas courtesy of Ritchie and Page. This event is be a fundraiser for both volunteer organizations which are non-profit 501(c)3 organizations. All donations are tax deductible. It is sponsored by the Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary

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Scranberry Coop Flea Market

The Scranberry Coop Flea Market is held on the first Sunday of the month weather permitting at the Scranberry Coop located at 42 Main Street (Route 206) in Andover, New Jersey from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Scranberry Antique Mall or Co-op features 150 dealers in a 10,000 square foot building. You can items to upcycle, repurpose or reuse here. You will find vintage, antique, steampunk items, jewelry and art. Your dog is welcome here and there is a section of the store called Rescue Row that features booths from local animal charities. Some of the other items you might find in the mall are: hand crafted leather items, artisan jewelry, photography, antique cameras, barware, McCoy, Victorian furniture, 80′s trolls, smurfs, drums, guitars, CD’s, books, vintage vinyl, time pieces, clocks, cowbells, bottles, musical instruments vintage toys, clothes and furniture.