18 Ideas For A Presidents’ Day Staycation
No plans for the long weekend? The best music, shows, daytrips and more are at your fingertips in Bergen County.
Who doesn’t love a long weekend? We’ll take the vacation vibes where we can get them in the middle of February (how are you handling all this snow?), and Presidents’ Day Weekend offers the perfect respite from some of those winter blues.
If you and your family are looking for something to do in addition to snacking on your left-over Valentine’s Day chocolate, you’re in luck. Not only are there events all over Bergen for you to check out, we’re within driving distance of some truly special day trips.
Here are a few ideas:
Upcoming Events
Throughout the weekend
• The Bergen County Players in Oradell put on their rendition of Rabbit Hole, a play about the bittersweet search for comfort in the darkest of places. There will be a Saturday evening show and a Sunday matinee show. See their website for tickets.
• There will be special screenings all weekend at Fort Lee’s Barrymore Film Center, including ’90s favorite Clueless at 2 p.m. on Feb. 15 (come early for trivia and a chance to win a prize!), cult classic love story Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind at 4:30 p.m. on the same day and 1961’s West Side Story on Feb. 16—and that’s just the start.
Feb. 15
• At Bergen Town Center in Paramus, you can browse an artisan market with 25 vendors selling handcrafted jewelry, home goods and more. This event is free, and begins at noon.
• Head over to the Williams Center in Rutherford for two screenings of the classic 1940 film His Girl Friday. Showtimes are 6 and 8 p.m. See website for tickets.
• The Ramsey Library holds its Lunar New Year celebration with cultural performances, crafts, scavenger hunts and light refreshments. This event is free, and begins at 1 p.m.
• At the Hackensack Performing Arts Center, see Brooklyn-based music collective Phony PPL for genre-bending tunes. The music starts at 8 p.m.; see website for tickets.
• If you’re looking to play some music yourself, head over to the Westside Village Tavern in Ridgefield Park at 7 p.m. for a night of acoustic music hosted by Bergen County Acoustic Musicians. See website for more information.
Feb. 16
• Dominican Heritage Month 5K takes off at 9 a.m. in Fort Lee’s Ross Dock Picnic Area. See website for registration fees and more information.
• Closter Nature Center hosts its monthly Music by the Pond jam session for local musicians. This event is free, and there is no registration required. The music starts at 2 p.m.
• In Teaneck, you can join in a February Open Stage to celebrate community, arts and culture, hosted by Teaneck’s poet laureate, Scott Pleasants. This open mic-style event is free and offers you 8 minutes to fill with music, comedy, poetry or theater. It begins at 4 p.m.
Feb. 17
• At the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, you can see a show by Akiva, one of Israel’s most prominent singer-songwriters. The show begins at 8 p.m.; see website for tickets.
• The Shannon Rose in Ramsey is offering an all-day happy hour to celebrate Presidents’ Day. Stop by for great drinks and discounted appetizers. Doors open at 11 a.m.
Day Trips
Grab the family and put together a fun, educational DIY field trip, all within driving distance of Bergen (and check with your local library for day passes!).
The American Museum of Natural History, New York, N.Y. Just 20 miles from Bergen, you can get lost for hours in the 21 buildings of this famous museum. Don’t forget to see the newest prehistoric display, Apex, one of the largest and most complete Stegosaurus specimens ever uncovered.
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City. A 30-mile trip will spark your young scientist with interactive exhibits (including Boom Time, where you can see watermelons explode under controlled circumstances) and the largest planetarium in the country.
Westchester Children’s Museum, Rye, N.Y. Learning and play go hand in hand in this 22,000-square-foot facility, only a 40-mile drive away, which prides itself on removing the “do not touch” signs from the museum experience. Check out the daily drop-in programs!
The Maritime Aquarium, Norwalk, Conn. Dive under the sea and discover seals, turtles and all kinds of fish at this Connecticut aquarium, 53 miles away from Bergen. You’ll see extensive exhibits on the creatures of Long Island Sound here, including rays and playful river otters, in addition to less familiar animals like the spiny lionfish.
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Township. Take a 75-mile trip to this year-round sculpture garden, which will delight young artists and young outdoor enthusiasts alike. Art and nature mingle across 42 landscaped acres dotted with more than 300 contemporary sculptures, many of them towering high above the ground.
Newark Museum of Art, Newark. Twenty miles will take you to this art museum, which is currently displaying the super kid-friendly Animal Kingdom exhibit, where you can walk among moving fish art in a digital aquarium and create a masterpiece to take home.
How are you spending your long weekend? Tell us all about it on Instagram @bergenmagnj!
