Spring: a season filled with rebirth, renewals and awakenings. Days become longer, flowers blossom on trees, birds begin their good morning chirps — cue the applause! The highly awaited mild weather means now is the time to indulge in the outdoors, and the New Jersey area has plenty to offer for the next few months.
Looking for upcoming activities to do with your friends and family locally? Here is a myriad of ideas that range from scenic to exhilarating.
Holland Ridge Farms
Starting off with a favorite, Holland Ridge Farms is an absolute must-see experience in New Jersey. Throughout the springtime, Holland Ridge Farms offers U-Pick Tulips, consisting of 8 million tulips to pick at a 300-acre family farm. Located in Cream Ridge, the farm displays never-ending fields of colorful tulips, and visitors are welcomed to pick their own and create beautiful, vibrant bouquets.
U-Pick Tulips gained its popularity on social media where people have applied the hashtag #hollandridgefarms to their posts and created viral TikToks and reels of their trip. It’s an unforgettable experience — and Instagram friendly too with plenty of photo props and selfie opportunities.
If you want to avoid the weekend crowd, take advantage of how this year Holland Ridge Farms is offering weekday picnics. Customers are welcome to bring their own food and nonalcoholic beverages so they can enjoy their lunch while absorbing vitamin D and taking in the sight of nearly endless tulips.
To enter the farm, it’s $15 per person and each person must have a reservation prior to attending. Once you arrive, you are welcome to stay as long as you like until closing at 6 p.m.
Van Vleck House & Gardens
If you’re looking for a shorter route from Ramapo, another location to check out is Van Vleck House & Gardens. Located in Montclair, Van Vleck House & Gardens offers a more elegant aesthetic, with private gardens planted throughout the property. The gardens are a center for horticulture, education, music, art and quiet contemplation.
These private gardens are open to the public, 365 days a year. The house is a center for nonprofit groups and is available to them for meetings, retreats, fundraisers and other special events. Throughout the springtime is when the flowers bloom and provide plant sales to the public. Each season, new flowers bloom at the gardens, which makes it extraordinary for visiting each time.
There is no cost to enter the property, and it’s the perfect site to visit for pictures. Visitors are welcome to walk through the gardens and participate in special classes, concerts and events.
What A View Farm
Connecting with nature during the springtime doesn’t always have to be with flowers – especially when goats are involved. Yes, goats. Take a trip to What A View Farm and have an unforgettable goat yoga session.
Bond with the farm animals while experiencing the many benefits of yoga. These adorable, playful goats wander around the class and take advantage of opportunities to climb on and connect with the participating yogis.
The friendly goats are set free during the yoga session and will roam around and potentially climb on top of your back during certain movements. It’s an entertaining, yet relaxing atmosphere — and the goats make the time so much more amusing.
Goat yoga is offered on Saturdays and Sundays with a ticket of $45. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time.
Grab your friends and family and make use of the lovely weather. With the many incredible activities offered statewide, go out and make this spring season memorable.
alisanin@ramapo.edu
Featured photo by Ana Lisanin
