Mercer County Park Freedom Festival (West Windsor)
Believe it or not, the 4th of July celebrations start this weekend with the Mercer County Park Freedom Festival.  Aside from the fireworks, you can enjoy music, beer and wine gardens, games, water rides, a children's area with inflatable rides, tethered hot air balloon rides, and a "how fast is your wiener dog" dachshund race!  Saturday, 3pm to 11pm.  FREE.

Annual Giralda Lawn Concert Arts & Music Festival (Madison)
Enjoy an evening of live music performed by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra on the lawns of the Giralda Farms and Estates.  Pack a picnic because before the music starts there will be prizes for most innovative picnics, raffles, hands on activities, face painting, and crafts for kids.  Ice cream and other sweets are available for purchase.  Sunday at 6pm, lawn opens and activities start at 3pm.  Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for students, children under 4 are FREE.

New Jersey Renaissance Festival and Kingdom (Clinton)
At NJ Renaissance Festival and Kingdom you can experience much more than just live jousts and fencing and stories of King Arthur.  In the Fairy Grotto kids can play with fairies, watch puppet shows, and have fun with fairy face painting, fairy games, and fairy crafts.  Saturday and Sunday from 11:30am to 6:30pm.  Adults $20, kids 7-12 $10, under 7 FREE.

Whitesbog Blueberry Festival (Browns Mills)
Celebrate everything Blueberry including a messy blueberry pie eating contest for kids!  There will be art, crafts, wagon tours and bluegrass music too!  Saturday, 10am to 4pm, $8 per car.

Firefly Festival at Terhune Orchards (Princeton)
Enjoy an evening of nature, stories, pony rides, wagon rides, music, a demonstration of "flying techniques" by Schafer's Gymnastics, and of course firefly hunting!  Don't forget to wear your wings!  Sunday, 4pm to 9pm.  FREE with $5 fee for crafts.  Food (hot dogs, corn, chicken, pie, etc) is available for purchase on location.

Fosterfield Living Historical Farm (Morristown)
Summer is the best time to see baby animals, help with the laundry, try butter churning, and collect eggs at this historical farm.  This weekend the farm also features cheese making & oat harvesting. Saturday, 10am to 5pm.  Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for kids 4-16, $1 for kids 2-3.

Fireworks at the Battleship New Jersey (Camden)
Why not spend the evening with a spectacular view of fireworks over the Delaware River while enjoying food, concessions and more aboard a real Battleship?  Saturday starting at 7pm.  $8 donation.  Tickets online or by calling 886-877-6262.  Even better, decide to spend the night onboard!  Reserve now for a July 9 family overnight encampment including meals served from the crew's galley, a tour of the ship, a ride on the 4D simulator, and sleeping on the bunks!  Ages 6 and up.  $60.95 per person.  Call 886-887-6262 to reserve.  FAQs on overnights can be found here.