Top 5 Family Summer Activities Around Montclair, NJ

By Rachele Cohen

The New Jersey weather is warming up, the sun is shining longer and brighter, and we are all getting ready for summer! We’ve been dreaming of those long, balmy days and nights when we can enjoy the outdoors with our families and friends - and there’s no better place to play sports, experience the arts, and delve into nature than in and around Montclair, New Jersey. Montclair is a hub for diverse activities geared to all ages and interests, and we’ve compiled a list of our favorites for the summer of 2023. 

Montclair Pickleball

If you haven’t tried the hottest sport in America yet, there’s no better time than this summer! We’re so lucky that Montclair is home to New Jersey’s premiere pickleball academy - Montclair Pickleball! The Montclair Pickleball summer session is packed with clinics at all levels (including Advanced pickleball clinic play, which is not easy to find elsewhere!), open play opportunities, private pickleball lessons, kids’ pickleball clinics, and pickleball tournaments. Because pickleball is so accessible to players of all ages, this sport makes for a great family-bonding opportunity. There are so many possibilities for pickleball fun with family: Mom and Dad, challenge your kids to a pickleball match! Invite the grandparents! Host a family pickleball tournament for a big group that includes the extended clan! Montclair Pickleball also now hosts special events for pickleball enthusiasts, including pickleball birthday parties, corporate team building events, and more. Whether you’re brand new to pickleball or you’re a top notch pickleballer, Montclair Pickleball offers an exciting activity for you to try - as well as pickleball for your children, parents, friends, and colleagues! You can learn more about Montclair Pickleball’s summer programs on their website!

The Montclair Jazz Festival

The Montclair Jazz Festival Block Party is a northern New Jersey tradition that is not to be missed! Held outdoors each year at Lackawanna Plaza in the heart of downtown Montclair, the streets will be filled with locals and visitors of all ages enjoying the smooth and funky sounds of live jazz music. The all-day concert features Montclair local student performers, seasoned jazz artists, and special guests that take this event to the next level. This year, Grammy Award-winning musician DJ Brother Mister will perform at the end of the day to top off the Montclair party of the summer! And let’s not forget that many of Montclair’s awesome local restaurants and food vendors will be on hand providing delicious eats and refreshments all day long. The 2023 Montclair Jazz Festival will be held on August 12.

Summer Rose Squared Art Show at Brookdale Park

Brookdale Park in Montclair and Bloomfield is a gem of New Jersey, and this summer it’s home to one of the most anticipated outdoor art shows in the state - the Rose Squared Art Show on June 17 and 18. You can enjoy a great day out with your family viewing fantastic, curated art while exploring the lush greenery and winding paths of the Essex County, NJ park. The show features a gallery of talented artists (many local to the Montclair area), unique crafts, artisan pieces, arts and crafts for kids, local cuisine, and more. Brookdale Park is nestled between the hustle and bustle of Montclair and Bloomfield, providing a peaceful green space in which to appreciate the summer greenery and weather. The park was designed by the famed Olmsted brothers and is part of the historic Lenape Trail, also home to an impressive Rose Garden that will likely be in full bloom this June. This is sure to be a special summer day of culture for the entire family to experience, set in one of Montclair, New Jersey’s most beautiful natural settings. For more information on this celebration of art and nature, visit their website here.

First Serve Tennis

If you and yours would like to get involved in a sport you can all play together, tennis is a game for everyone, from 5 to 105! This summer the entire family can get on the court with First Serve Tennis, based in Montclair and offering tennis programs for adults and children in neighboring Belleville and Verona, NJ. Tennis encourages teamwork, teaches discipline and focus, and of course, keeps players fit and healthy. Plus, playing tennis is a great way to get the family outside together throughout the beautiful New Jersey summer months - think friendly competition and family bonding over a shared love of a classic game. Beginning on June 26 Montclair’s First Serve Tennis offers adult tennis clinics at the beginner and intermediate/advanced levels, tennis clinics and tennis camp for the younger set as well as teens, and private tennis lessons for 1-4 players. For more information on First Serve Tennis in Montclair, NJ, click here.

Family Campouts

Summer in New Jersey is the perfect time to take your family camping! Not far from Montclair, NJ you’ll find some of our state’s incredible natural forests, rolling hills and rocky mountains, and pristine, freshwater lakes. The Mahlon Dickerson Campgrounds in Lake Hopatcong are less than an hour from the Montclair area, this family camping spot features one of the best views in New Jersey from atop Headley Overlook. Your family can also enjoy quintessential summer activities here, including horseback riding and fishing. And if your family would like to make the most of summer camping with canoeing and kayaking on a lovely lake, check out Family Campground at Turkey Swamp Park in Freehold. This campsite is located just over an hour drive from Montclair, NJ and is popular with families from throughout New Jersey. Click here to find more information on camping in New Jersey this summer and to locate more campgrounds near Montclair.