By Danny Coleman
originally published: 05/01/2025

"Marcia Ball, Terence Simien, Southern Avenue," began Crawfish Festival founder and organizer Michael Arnone (Pronounced Ar-known-e) as he didn't even scratch the surface of the line-up for this year's May 30, through June 1 "32nd Annual Crawfish Festival" being held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, NJ.

Three days, two stages and countless bands are on tap to welcome those who love music, the outdoors and authentic Cajun food; imported from Louisiana. 

Whether it's Jambalaya, Crawfish, Vignettes or a host of other fabulous offerings from his home state of Louisiana, Arnone says there is nothing like it anywhere except back home in the bayou. 

So, how does a gentleman from Louisiana start a crawfish festival in New Jersey?

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"In the mid-eighties, I was and still am a union electrician and we didn't have much work in Louisiana. I'm from Baton Rouge and was living in Baton Rouge and the Hackensack local called our local and said, "Hey, we've got plenty of work" and I had way more of an accent back then. I knew New Jersey was kind of up in the corner, so I got an Atlas and I left on a Tuesday and got there on a Friday and started working up there as an electrician and you know, we get homesick; like if you go out of state, there is no good pizza, no good bagels; I didn't even know what a bagel was (laughs). So, you get homesick and you want what you know, so I decided to rent this little pavilion, Suntan Lake on Route 23 in Butler, New Jersey and hired a couple of bands, put some ads out, printed 15-hundred tickets thinking, oh man, everyone is gonna come to this and we sold 70 tickets. We had jambalaya, boiled crawfish, beer and two bands I'd found locally. Everybody had such a great time and I'm like; you know what? I'm gonna try this again; it wasn't something I grew up thinking about; I'm gonna own a festival when I get big and older, it just turned into something. The first year was 1989 and we've been doing it ever since except for a few years due to Covid. I tell people, it's not The Rolling Stones, it's crawfish in New Jersey and we'll get almost 20,000 people. When we first started pre-email, people would call and say; "Where ya' from?" I would say, "Baton Rouge" and they'd say, "Oh, we're coming" and so, word got out to a lot of people from Louisiana who were living up here that this was the place to go once a year to have boiled crawfish and jambalaya. Then, you have so many people who love New Orleans and Lafayette that they started coming. So, it wasn't something that I just dreamed up and said, "Oh this is what I'm gonna be when I grow up," it just kind of happened and I've been fortunate, I really have."

Taking great pains to recreate a true Louisiana atmosphere can't be the easiest thing to do but when asked if the food and the music is authentic, Arnone, who was relaying this from his home in Louisiana, responded quickly and confidently.

"Without a doubt!" He snapped. "When I started this thing, I wanted it to be like a backyard party at my house. So, to this day, when we make jambalaya, I'm getting Savoie sausage from Opelousas, Louisiana, our Po Boy bread is Leidenheimer French bread from New Orleans, we're using Camellia Red Beans, the Alligator sausage is coming from Louisiana, we grill that; we use Gulf shrimp and we use Louisiana crawfish tail meat for our crawfish Etouffee. So, it's funny, I can be up there in a grocery store and nobody talks to me or smiles to me but once you walk through the gates, everybody has that same Louisiana vibe; it's like family, it's like, hey; how ya' been over the past year?  The next day, everybody goes and they just don't talk to everybody like we do."

"A lot of our bands from Louisiana will tour two or three times to the Northeast.," he continued as he explained how he finds some of the "Down home" music he finds for the festival each year. "So,like Galactic, Galactic will have maybe two or three tours to the Northeast and what we'll do, we'll put out an offer in June or July and give them 90 to 120 days to confirm and what that does is give them time to route themselves up and route themselves home. So, we're like the Macy's in a mall, we're the anchor and they'll make money on the way up and on the way home. They may play a Monday night in a tiny club in Virginia, who knows? It'll be gas money or hotel money but that's how we've been able to do it. I'll look around and see who is playing a Jazz fest, who is playing at Tipitina's, at Maple Leaf and then I have a great relationship with the artists and the agents but mostly the agents. Years ago, Page Stallings called me and said, "I've got this lady, Samantha Fish and you need to hire her" and I said, "I've never heard of her" and she said, "You will." So, I hired her and now, everybody knows her. Same thing with Trombone Shorty, when I had Trombone Shorty in 2009, he was ninth on the bill and now he's playing with U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and probably not the Crawfish Festival anymore (Laughs). Which is good for him, I'm very happy for him, I really am." 

Obviously, from humble beginnings of only 70 sold tickets to crowds of around 20,000 is a huge difference and one that required a larger space. A space which Arnone is very happy with for the festival.

"Funny story (laughs), we were up at Suntan Lake in Butler, New Jersey and we outgrew it; I think they turned it into a Home Depot or a Staples and then we moved to Waterloo Village Concert Field for a few years and then in 2001, we found the Sussex County Fairgrounds. So, we've been there since 2001, it's 130 acres, they are great people to work with, it's just a great, great venue for us."

Venue? Check! Ticket sales? Check! Bands? Check! Now, what about the food?

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"Food is where we shine in addition to the music," he explained. "We'll have about 15-hundred people camping for the weekend. The campers will show up Friday starting at 10 (a.m.). We have five different campgrounds, so if you came to camp, we actually have a concierge service where they set up the RVs for you, so just bring your clothes and your toothbrush (Laughs). Friday night we'll have free jambalaya for everybody camping. We'll cook jambalaya in these huge 45 gallon cast iron pots; three pots will feed 15-hundred people. So, you can imagine; they're nice size pots. Then, we'll have three bands on Friday night just for the campers and then the gates open at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and when you get there, we'll have boiled crawfish. We're boiling crawfish all day long and our pots are kind of unique; they're two feet deep, four foot by eight feet and we're boiling all of these crawfish alive. Sometimes, the kids want to come touch em and pet them and if they have a bucket, we'll give'em one to take home. We'll have charbroiled oysters, Alligator sausage; I'm flying my nephew up to cook the jambalaya in the big pots. We'll have vignettes, Shrimp & Grits and we'll also have hamburgers and hot dogs for the people who don't want to eat spicy. You've got to remember, it's not hot, hot food; it's seasoned. Sometimes people use the word "Cajun" and they overdo it and just put a lot of cayenne pepper and that's not what we are; it's seasoned but not overly hot where it'll burn your mouth."

"We have vegetarian red beans and when we first started, we cooked it all in the same pot and just pulled the sausage out and called it vegetarian and people would say, "This is vegetarian?" We'd say, "Yeah, we scooped the sausage out for ya'" and we got a quick lesson on what vegetarian was and so, now we have two pots, one with meat and one without; what do I know? (Laughs) Jambalaya without a doubt is our best selling item. We'll sell four to five-thousand plates in two days, Saturday and Sunday. We'll sell a lot of crawfish, we'll grill a lot of Alligator sausage, we'll grill a lot of oysters; for the jambalaya, I'm shipping up 1,000 pounds of smoked pork sausage. The crawfish, my buddy will pick up Wednesday morning, alive and then he'll go get the bread and drive them up. One of my drivers who has been with me since '93, Doug, just passed and so, we're using a co-transport company this year for some of the other stuff; the shrimp, the crawfish tail meat, the crawfish meat pies, they are like empanadas. We've got fried pork skins but we tell everybody there are no calories, we've sucked all of the calories out; bring your loose pants, that's all I can say (Laughs). There is alcohol at the event, I like to say, "We're a family event that likes to drink." We'll have Bud Light, some Smirnoff drinks, Twisted Tea, Sun Cruiser, Nutril is gonna be there, we're gonna have a ready to drink margarita by Suburban which is new to us, so that's brand new."

Surely, with such enthusiasm about the eats, the food must rank at the top of Michael's list of favorite things about the event; or does it?

"I would have to say, I love the load in," he said with enthusiasm. "I love when it starts Tuesday morning. I love watching it go from a field to a fully functional festival and you've got people coming in, people you haven't seen in a year; it's like a high school reunion. Everybody is happy; I don't go onstage, I don't play in front of anybody but to know that you can make that many people happy at once, that's a pretty good feeling that not everybody gets. I guess it's the Italian in me. When we were kids, you'd go to grandma's house and it was, "Let me cook" and I'd say, "Well, grandma, I'm not hungry" and she'd say, "It doesn't matter, I'm gonna cook for you" and then you'd go in the other room and grandpa would say, "You ever think about losing weight?" (Laughs) Grandpa, she just cooked me half-a-pound of bacon, six slices of toast and four eggs (Laughs). My favorite menu item? It's not the jambalaya; after you are cooking something for hours and hours, you just want to try something else. I love the fried chicken; here is the secret that we don't tell anybody. We'll go to the po-boy booth and get a catfish po-boy and don't dress it; no mayo, no lettuce or tomato, then take it over to the Etouffee booth and have them pour the Etouffee over your catfish on the Leidenheimer French bread and that bread and the catfish just soaks up that Etouffee and usually people will share that and it is so good. I love the grilled oysters, I'll do Vignettes in the morning; I just don't like what I cook, it's great but I want to try other people's food. I gotta tell ya', everybody loves to eat. When I went up there and I had a date; what would I make for her? Fried shrimp, that was my secret. I'd make a girl fried shrimp and she'd want to move in and marry me, it was that good (Laughs)."

Three days worth of music awaits festival goers which includes bands of different genres from all over the country, including popular Jersey Shore area band the Ocean Avenue Stompers whose big brass sound fits right into the atmosphere so, it's a good thing that no expense is spared when it comes to sound quality and equipment. 

"The music on Saturday and Sunday starts at 11:30 a.m.and we'll have two stages. We have probably one of the best sound systems in the world, we have the L2; I'll spend 40,000 dollars just on the sound because we want that to be great. You're gonna notice if you go to a place and it's bad sound and our two stages don't overpower each other, they're close but they don't overpower each other, there is no bleed from one stage to another."

As the Crawfish Festival turns 32, Arnone looks back and notices that it has become a generational event as families have grown and expanded right along with the party.

"Funny you should say that," he laughed. "A guy who lives in Wallace, Louisiana named Damon, just reached out to me, his parents used to live in New Jersey and he's going back up; his grandkids are now fourth generation coming to the Crawfish Fest and that blew me away. His parents who have passed, they started at Suntan Lake with me and now he comes up with his kids and his grandkids. We'll have face-painting for the kids; we'll have kids up to around 14 or 15 years old and then after that they don't seem to wanna hangout with their parents, I know I didn't. After that we'll have them from 25 years old to 75 years old and the good thing about it is everything is flat. We've got some people in (Wheel) chairs, it's kind of a big area, if we see someone walking with a cane, someone in a golf cart will most likely stop and say; you need a ride? We do that too, we try to make it easy for everybody."

"Easy for everybody," everybody but him and his crew as their work seemingly never stops. Arnone says that at the closing bell, the wheels are immediately turning for next year's event.

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"Sunday night," he said seriously. "Sunday night while it's still fresh in our heads, we'll start taking notes, talking about it and what went well, what we can do to make it better and then I'll take a day off in Jersey on June 2 and not talk to anybody. By that point, I'm pretty much dead, I'm out of adrenaline, I'm just shot. I'll drive 10 miles to a hotel and sleep for a day, sometimes two and then I'll head home and not talk to anybody for two weeks and then we start talking about the following year and then offers go out at the end of June to my headliners. I know who is selling tickets at Jazz Fest, Tipitina's, Maple Leaf and Chickie Wah Wah and then I've got some agents that I work with and they'll say, "OK Michael, look at her." Some of them, I won't even know but they know me well enough to know what I'm looking for and they know I don't like to negotiate a whole lot so they'll give me a price and either I like it or I don't. I don't like to play the game. I had a band one time start out at 30 (Thousand) and they came back and said, "Oh, we'll take eight" and I'm like, "Nope, don't need ya," I'm looking for long-term relationships and not a home run. The good agents that I work with and I work with about 10 or 12, they know that good sweet spot and they're gonna keep their musicians working, they're not looking for a home run thinking I'm in New Jersey and I don't know what I'm doing and it insults me when I know what you should be making and you ask for 30 and you come back and say you'll take eight because you're 30 didn't stick; so now you want eight? Sorry, I don't want to work with you."

Tickets start at $45 for groups of 10 or more adults ages 14 and up and a single day ticket starts at $50 but Michael says that there is an extra "Special" VIP type ticket available.

"There is the King Crawfish Crew which is $275 and that gets you into the main stage photo pit and just for kicks, I threw a package on there that includes your own private golf cart and driver but nobody has taken me up on that yet. You never know, there are people up there that can do that. People have asked me if we had that; we do now. We do sell quite a few of the main photo pit passes, not a lot, I think we have 30 available. What we've learned is, a lot of other events won't compete against us. I remember in 1994, this girl's daddy asked me; "What are your goals?" I said, I want to have two days, I want to have The Neville Brothers and I want 10,000 people. I never had The Neville Brothers as The Neville Brothers but I did have all four play at different times so, I kind of hit my goal. I wanted to have Fats Domino one year but I never had him. I called because Fats could still play at the time and his agent laughed a little bit and said, "You know Michael, Fats is retired but he can be motivated (Laughs)":and I started laughing and I said, "I probably don't have enough motivation but I'm gonna use that the rest of my life." 

Over the three days, there are also acts such as Blues great, Carolyn Wonderland and others such as Galactic and Eddie 9V and to see who else and/or purchase tickets to what promises to be a fantastic three days, please visit https://www.crawfishfest.com/

That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!

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This week's event listings

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Ace Cafe 
15 Market Place New Hope, PA
Thurs. 6 p.m. Bike Night
Fri. 6 p.m. Miata/Rotary Power Meet
Sat. (11 a.m.) Vintage Moto Meet (2 p.m.) Corvette Day
Sun. (2 p.m.) Women Bikers Day (6 p.m.) Porsche Night 

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Allentown Borough
Main Street Allentown
Thurs. (11:45 a.m.) Family Storytime (1:30 p.m.) "Sensory Stations" for Ages 6 months to 4 years. (4:30 p.m.) "Getting Crafty" for Ages 3 + (All take place at the Library 16 South Main Street)

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Al's Airport Inn
636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Redbird
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch w/ Bill Burns-Lynch (7 p.m.) JT Rox
Sun. (12 p.m.) Sunday Acoustic Brunch w/ Frank Pinto (6 p.m.) Mike Tusay
Mon. 5 p.m. Bud & Carm
Tues. 7 p.m. Jessica DiDonato
Wed. 7 p.m. Danny Lynch Project

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Ancient Order of Hibernians 
2419 Kuser Road Hamilton 
Sat. 3 p.m. Kentucky Derby Party and "Let 'em Run" Podcast w/ Fred York

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Aristaeus Brewing
2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA 
(215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 

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Arts Council of Princeton 
102 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-8777 
Thurs. 6 p.m. ART OF: Mixology w/ 3BR Distillery
Sat. 11 a.m. Princeton Art Bazaar 
Sun. 2 p.m. Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Event
Wed. 7 p.m. JAM: Jersey Art Meet-Up 

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Ashlynn Distillery 
32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Cecil & Mike
Fri. 8 p.m. Carmen Marranco & the "IC" Chip Band
Sun. (11 a.m.) Yoga & Cocktails (3 p.m.) Cecil & Friends
Wed. 6 p.m. Cara Cartney

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Bent Iron Brewing
70 Extonville Road Hamilton
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Sat. 12 p.m. Kentucky Derby Party feat. (5:30 p.m.) DJ Dan

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Bill's Olde Tavern
2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music BINGO
Fri. (7 p.m.) 80's Undercover (10 p.m.) DJ Dan Murphy 
Sun. 7 p.m. BINGO
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Tues. 9 p.m. / Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke 
Ages 21+

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Bit-hin' Kitten Brewery
58-B East Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
(267) 799-5348
Thurs. 6 p.m.
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo

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Bordentown City
Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown  
Sat. 12 p.m. Bordentown Walking Tours. $20 / 2 p.m. "Porchfest" 

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Boro Bean 
9 East Broad Street Hopewell 
(609) 466-6681 
Sat. 11 a.m. John Abbott 

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Bowman's Tavern 
1600 River Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2972
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan 
Sun. (12 p.m.) Bill Avayou Trio (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Wed. 6 p.m. Liz DuFour 

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Broken Goblet Brewing
2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Thurs. 7 p.m. Mike Estabrook
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Subculture: An Emo, Indie, Grunge, Nu-Metal, Alternative Dance Party. $15 (advance), doors open at 8 p.m., ages 21+
Sat. 8 p.m. "Superunknown" A Tribute to Chris Cornell & Soundgarden. $25-$37
Sun. (12:30 p.m.) Taylor Swift Drag Brunch Hosted by Sutton Fearce. $22.55, doors open at 11 a.m. (5 p.m.) "Time Stand Still" Benefit Concert for Joel Aaron. $56.38 (Includes 2 beer tickets)
Wed. 6 p.m. The Magic of Botanical Mixology. $48.25

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Bucks County Brewery and Hewn Spirits 
31 Appletree Lane Pipersville, PA
(215) 766-7711
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Just Jeff

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Bucks On Bridge
25 Bridge Street Lambertville
(609) 483-2615
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Poetry Night 
Tues. 5 p.m. Chess Night
Wed. 6 p.m. Trivia

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Cadwalader Park (Ellarslie Museum)
299 Parkside Avenue Trenton 
(408) 335-4400 
Sat. 9:15 a.m. Walk the Talk 2025: Celebrating Cathy Reed-McMiller's Legacy
Sun. 2 p.m. "Road to Krasnostav" Documentary Screening & Discussion with Filmmaker Leo Vayn

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Cazz's Sports Bar 'N' Grille
1560 Haines Road Levittown, PA 
(267) 580-5469 
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paul

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City Streets
510 Highway 130 South East Windsor
(609) 426-9400
Sat. 9 p.m. Kindred Spirit Duo

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Club Atlantis
1858 Street Road Bensalem, PA 
(215) 944-1777 
Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Robbie Tronco 
All Events Ages 21+ and Dress to Impress

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Continental Tavern
2 North Main Street Yardley, PA  
(215) 493-9191
Fri. 8 p.m. AudioPilot
Sat. 8 p.m. Bob Thomas

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Cooper's Riverview                                                                     
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Cosmic Jerry Band
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour (7 p.m.) Balanced Breakfast Band
Sat. 8 p.m. Midnight Sun TTL
Sun. 4 p.m. Cinco de Mayo Celebration feat. (5 p.m.) Flower Power (6 p.m.) The Naturals  

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Cream Ridge Winery
145 Route 539 Cream Ridge 
(609) 259-9797 
Sat. 8 a.m. 17h Annual Run With The Eagles

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Crossing Vineyard and Winery
1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA
(215) 493-6500 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Macaron & Wine Pairing. $40
Fri. 7:15 p.m. "Summer Wine and Music Series" feat.  $15 (advance), Doors open at 5 p.m., Ages 21+ 
Sat. 12:30 p.m. Kim & Chuck 
Sun. 2 p.m. Rodney Wright

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Cryout Cave
601 Doctor Martin Luther King Boulevard Suite #2 Trenton
(862) 234-5353
Sat. 5:30 p.m. Expression of Love & Unity Open Mic
Wed. 7:30 p.m. Newark Has Comedy Improv Open Mic

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Curran’s Irish Inn
1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 245-1800
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo 
Mon. 7:30 p.m. Quizzo

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Dacey's Pub 
215 West Philadelphia Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-4838
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Music Night 
Wed. 8 p.m. Quizzo

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Dadz Bar and Grill 
744 Main Street Lumberton
(609)267-4344
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic 
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Nobody's Business
Sun. 3 p.m. Wounded Souls

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Dharma Bums 
4935 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 663-2867
Thurs. 7 p.m. Fred Scholl
Fri. 8 p.m. Bob Stirner & The Liquid Rangers w/ Tim Carbone. $20 (advance)
Sat. 8 p.m. Wood Flower. $10 (advance)
Sun. (1 p.m.) Acoustic Jam Circle ($10 suggested donation) (6 p.m.) "The Reverend Graham Ford" Songs of Tom Petty
Wed. 7 p.m.  DBums Hootenanny: An Open Mic of Music, Comedy & Spoken Word Hosted by Michael Henry Robert

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Flying Pig Tavern & Tap 
167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown 
(609) 899-7447
Fri. 9 p.m. MOB My Other Band
Sat. 9 p.m. Dockside
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia

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Forsgate Country Club   
375 Forsgate Drive Monroe
(732) 521-0700 
Fri. 6 p.m. "First Friday"

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Founding Father's Sports Bar & Grill 
2900 Street Road Bensalem, PA 
(215) 923-1100
Fri. 6 p.m. Bob Pantano Dance Party w/ DJ Joe Castro

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Friendly's 
1031 Washington Boulevard Robbinsville 
(609) 426-9203 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Cruise Night 
Wed. 6 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Kevin McGowan and/or Gino Formaroli (Sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.)

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Gallagher's Taproom
437 Pine Street Mount Holly 
(609) 261-0500   
 Sun. 2 p.m. Son & Father 

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Gleason's Bar
6700 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA
(215) 943-4781 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo / “Ladies Night” Hosted by Best Choice Productions 
Fri. (6 p.m.) "Happy Hour" (8 p.m.) Never Enough
Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Slice
Sun. (11;30 a.m.) BINGO & Bloodies w/ Machine Gun Terry (3 p.m.) Steal Your Face
Tues. 7 p.m. Game Show Palooza

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Green Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio
240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA 
(215) 504-7277 
Thurs. 6 p.m. LJ Hall

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Grounds For Sculpture
80 Sculptors way Hamilton
(609) 586-0616 
Sat./Sun. 10 a.m. GFS Plant Sale

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Grover's Mill Coffee House 
Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction   
(609) 716-8771  
Sat. 11 a.m. Acoustic Music
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic $10 (Entry Fee)

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Hamilatte Cafe
1971 Route 33 Hamilton
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Saturdays 

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Havana New Hope
105 S. Main Street New Hope, PA.
(215) 862-9897
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Blues Jam Hosted by Mikey Jr. &The Slidewinder Blues Band
Fri. ( 8 p.m.) "Yellow Brick Road" A Tribute to Elton John (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party 
Sat. (8:30 p.m.) The Balanced Breakfast Band (11:59 p.m.) DJ Dance Party w/ DJ Iron Mike
Sun. (1 p.m.) Midnight Sun Orchestra (6 p.m.) JB Kline Blues Band
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Steve
Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet 
Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo 

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Hightstown Elks 
100 Hickory Corner Road East Windsor 
(609) 448-9794
Sat. 2 p.m. "Derby Day"

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Handmade Hopewell
Seminary Avenue (Between Broad + East Prospect Streets) Hopewell
Sun. 10 a.m. A Makers Street Fair (Juried Handcrafted Art, Crafts, Consumables)

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Hopewell Valley Golf Club
114 Pennington-Hopewell Road Hopewell
(609) 737-1199
Wed. "9 & Dine" $70 (Includes golf, cart, dinner, tax, gratuity / $40 dinner only)

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Hopewell Valley Vineyards
46 Yard Avenue Pennington 
(609) 737-4465 
Fri. 4 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. (5:30 p.m.) Strange Brew Crew
Sat. (1 p.m.) Carmen Marranco (5:30 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. The Strange Brew Crew
Sun. 11 a.m. "Bah" Sip & Play 

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Hurricane Jacks Bar and Grill
7759 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(267) 914-4517
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ John W. 
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Tuesday 
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Laura Fiocco

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Hyatt Regency Princeton
102 Carnagie Center Princeton
(781) 568-1471
Thurs. 6 p.m. Lisa Bouchelle

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Il Portico Restorante Italiano 
273 West Route 130 South Burlington
(609) 239-1000 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Jazz Night
Fri. / Sat. 7 p.m. Live Music w/ Tony O

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Irish Rover Station House 
1033 South Bellevue Avenue Langhorne, PA 
(215) 970-5412 
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo Night 

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Iron Plow Vineyards
26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus 
(732) 306-9111 
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Mark sacco
Sat. 4:30 p.m. Adrew Moorer
Sun. 1 p.m. Wild Grit

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Ivy Tavern
3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton 
(609) 888-1435 
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke 
All shows 21+    

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Jimmy's American Grill
140 US Route 130 South bordentown
(609) 291-0200
Thurs. 7 p.m. Ashley Marquez
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

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John & Peter's
96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa 
(215) 862-5981 
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic Night(Sign-ups start at 8 p.m.) 
Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+

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Kelly's Bar n Banquet Hall
14 Railroad Avenue Fort Dix
(732) 230-6169
 Tues. 6 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Carie McCay

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Killarney's Publick House
1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166 
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Mark Sacco
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Ant Cannuli 
Sat. 10 a.m. Brunch
Sun. 10 a.m. "Sunday Funday" Brunch 
Tues. 5 p.m. Kid's Night w/ "Bluey"

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Laurita Winery 
85 Archertown Road New Egypt 
(609) 752-0200 
Fri. 6 p.m. Dueling Pianos
Sat./Sun. 11 a.m. "Cinco de Mayo Celebration"

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Library Company of Burlington
23 West Union Street Burlington
(609) 3861273
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night

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Lillipies Bakery
30 North Harrison Street Princeton 
(609) 423-2100  
Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with Jeff

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Magikava
87a South Main Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2739 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Astrology Readings by Riss Cottrill 
Mon. 6 p.m. Magik "Art Mondays" 
Wed. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night  

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Makefield Highlands Golf Club
1418 Woodside Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 321-7000 
Sat. 5 p.m. Smoke & Oak 

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McStews Irish Sports Pub
5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 949-9570 
Sat. 9 p.m. Steal Your Face
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night

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Music In The Square (Village Square Park)
30 Saddle Way Chesterfield
Sun. 11 a.m. Green Fun Fair

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Music Mountain Theater
1483 Route 179 Lambertville
(609)397-3337
Fri. 8 p.m. "POTUS or Behind Every Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive"
Sat. 3 p.m./ 8 p.m. "POTUS or Behind Every Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive"
Sun. 3 p.m. "POTUS or Behind Every Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive"

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Naked Brewing Company 
212 Mill Street Bristol, PA 
(267) 544-7129
Thurs.6:30 p.m. Dana Collins Project 
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company 
909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA 
(215) 458-7081
Thurs. (6:30 p.m.) Books & Beers Meet-Up: Kitchen Confidential (7 p.m.) "Star Wars" Trivia 
Fri. 7 p.m. "Star Wars" Holiday Special Screening
Sat. 12 p.m. "Re-THIRD" of the Jedi w/ Galactic Empire
Sun. 12 p.m. "Star Wars" Blue Milk Brunch

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New Egypt Flea Market Village 
933 Monmouth County Road Cream Ridge 
(609) 758-2082
Sun. 8 a.m. Flea Market 
Wed. 8 a.m. Flea Market

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New Hope Winery / Tavern 
6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 794-2331 
Fri./Sat. 8 p.m. "Unforgettable Fire" U2 Tribute 30th Anniversary Tour

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Newtown Brewing Company
103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8609 
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Star Wars" Trivia 
Fri. 6 p.m. Terry and Jordan
Sat. 6 p.m. Thomas Duffy and Slugger O'Toole
Wed. 4 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Bill Monach 

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Nick's Roast Beef
4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA 
(215) 637-515
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke

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NJWeedman's Dispensary
322 East State Street Trenton
(609) 437-0898
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke

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Nomad Distilling Company
20 South Main Street New Hope, PA
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch

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Nottingham Fire Co. Ballroom
200 Mercer Street Hamilton Square
(609) 890-9834
Wed. 7:30 p.m. Annual Memorial Service

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Nottingham Tavern 
9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square 
(609) 587-6623
Thur. (7 p.m.) Rock On Radio Happy Hour Hosted by Danny Coleman w/ Music by Anthony Cannuli (9 pm.) Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis 
Mon. 6 p.m. BINGO
Tues. 4 p.m. Prime Rib Night feat. (6:30 p.m.) Bud Belviso
Ages 21+   

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O'Fowley's Tavern & Grill 
200 State Road Croydon, PA 
(215) 785-6998 
Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Hosted by Best Choice Productions w/ DJ John S 
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo

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Old Barracks
100 Barrack Street Trenton
Sat. (10 a.m.) Steveathon: Cynthia & Bob's Birthday Bash (7 p.m.) Concerts by Candlelight

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Old Hights Brewing 
123 West Ward Street Hightstown 
(609) 469-5976
Fri. (3 p.m.) Happy Hour (6:30 p.m.) Acoustic karaoke w/ Rory
Sat. 1 p.m. May Market feat. (3 p.m.) Anker 
Sun. 2 p.m. Bluegrass Jam
Wed. 6:30 p.m. Trivia Night

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Old Town Pub
135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown 
(609) 291-9232
Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia
Sat. 9 p.m. SiLC Trio
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Tues. 5 p.m. Spring Food Drive

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Ottoburger (Planet Animal Taste)
65 East Broad Street Hopewell
(640) 867-4915
Fri. 6 p.m. Dan Kassel
Sat. 6 p.m. James Popik's Dog Trio 

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Pasquale's Sports Bar 
9078 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA 
(267) 202-6268 
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke

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Patriots Crossing 
1339 River Road Titusville 
(609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night  
sat. 8 p.m. The Brooks Brothers
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo" 

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Pete's Steak House 
523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton
 (609) 585-8008
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Deep Release

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Picture Perfect Affairs
76 High Street Mount Holly
Fri. 7 p.m. First Friday Lyrics To Go Open Mic and Showcase

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Princeton Country Club
1-Wheeler Way West Windsor
(609) 452-9382 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Karaoke Night w/ Live DJ
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour 
Sun. 11 a.m. Jazz Brunch

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Puss N Boots Tavern
942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA
Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Recovery Sports Grill
109 Hancock Lane Westampton
(609) 702-3902
 Fri. 6 p.m. Katherine and Company

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Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 
144 US Route 130 Bordentown 
(609) 262-0110
Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz Night 

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River House at Odette’s 
274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 682-2022 
Thurs. (6 p.m.) Cara Cartney (7 p.m.) Gina Corso
Fri. 7 p.m. Wendy Simon Duo
Sat. 7 p.m. Bob Egan
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Brunch w/ Dave Dales Duo 

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Rossi's Bar & Grill
2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 890-2004 
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Ernie White
Sat. (11 a.m.) Brunch (6:30 p.m.) Lindsay Jordan
Sun. 11 a.m. Brunch 
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics

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Saint Mark United Methodist Church  
465 Paxson Avenue Hamilton Square 
(609) 587-1286
Fri. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Bill Wieszczek 

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Sandy's Beef & Ale
2028 E. Old Lincoln Highway Langhorne, PA
(2670 852-2333
Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzo  
Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo

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School of Rock Princeton
1761 Princeton Avenue Hamilton
(609) 890-7090
Fri. (6 p.m.) Arena Rock (7:30 p.m.) Neo Soul
Sat. (12 p.m.) 21st Century Indie Rock (1:15 p.m.) A Tribute to The Ramones (2:30 p.m.) A Tribute to Pink Floyd (3:45 p.m.) Billie Eilish vs Olivia Rodrigo (5 p.m.) Iron Maiden: Bruce vs Paul (6:15 p.m.) "From Under The Cork Tree" Album Show (7:30 p.m.) "Physical Grafitti" Album Show

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Second Sin Brewing Company
1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P
(267) 812-5251
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Shady Brook Farm 
931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 968-1670 
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "UnWINEd" Concert feat. Big Whiskey. $12 (advance/online, $15 at door), doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Sat. "Party On The Patio" feat. (12:30 p.m.) Gabe & Chuck Duo (6:30 p.m.) Terry & Jordan
Sun. "Party On The Patio" feat. 12:30 p.m. Just Jeff 

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Slice of Brooklyn NJ
1295A Route 33 Hamilton 
(609) 527-9663
Sat. 9 a.m. Yappy Hour Brunch Fundraiser for Save a Friend Homeless Animals

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Slim's Irish Pub 
2195 Galloway Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 332-0047
Sat. 8 p.m. Big Whiskey
Mon. 6 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Cecil 
Wed. 6 p.m. Karaoke Contest 

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Small World Coffee 
14 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-4377 x2 
Sat. 7 p.m. Rich Seiner

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Sparky World-Famous Beer Garden
4333 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 943-2321 
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Dana
Sun. 9 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Cara Cartney
Mon. 9 p.m. Game Night Hosted by Kid Dalton 
Tues. 7 p.m. Johnny Betz   

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Tavern On The Lake 
101 Main Street Hightstown 
(609) 426-9345  
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia 
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke 

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Temperance House
5 South State Street Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8050
Thurs. 7 p.m. Steve Guyger and Filthy Rich 
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia Hosted by Neville Esquire
Tues. 7 p.m. Beginner Line Dance Lessons w/ Jeremy Line Dance. $40/4 Weeks 
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Cara Cartney  

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Terhune Orchards  
330 Cold Soil Road Princeton
(609) 924-2310 
Sat. 1 p.m. "Kite Day Weekend Music Series" feat. (TBA)
Sun. 1 p.m. "Kite Day Weekend Music Series" feat. Barbara Lin Band

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TGI Fridays 
780 Route 130 South Hamilton
(609) 581-6910 
Sun. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Burn

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TGI Fridays
2703 Mount Holly Road Suite 3 Washington Twp.
(609) 239-486 
Thurs. 7 p.m.  Trivia  

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TGI Fridays
3535 U.S. Route 1 North #275 Princeton
(609) 520-0378
Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia Night

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The Birdhouse Center For The Arts
7 North Main Street Lambertville
(215) 681-4660
Tues. 7:30 p.m. NJNO the "not just nyckelharpa orchestra" Community Orchestra

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The Buck Hotel 
1200 Buck Road Feasterville, PA 
(215) 396-2002 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Kirko
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Fat Mezz
Sat. (11 a.m.) Brunch (8:30 p.m.) The Zings
Tues. 7 p.m. Danny Lynch Duo

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The Cool Cricket
216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dave Curtis
Sat. 9 p.m. Asylum Choir
Mon. 6 p.m. Trivia

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The Corner Inn
24509 East Main Street Columbus
(609) 298-8543
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ We R Entertainment 

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The Dubliner
34 North Main Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 693-1816
Fri. 7 p.m. JB Rocks
Sat. 7 p.m. Gerry Timlin
Sun. 2 p.m. Gerry Timlin

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The Federal Twist Vineyard 
8 Federal Twist Road Stockton
(609) 773-6066 
Fri. 3 p.m. Grand Opening of The Tasting Room feat. John Beacher
Sat. 5 p.m.  Phase 3
Sun. 2 p.m.  "Cinco de  Mayo" w/ Laurie Vosburg

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The Five Four Bar & Grill
8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 547-5525
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam 
Fri. 8 p.m. WitZend
Sat. 9 p.m. Rustic Revival
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ Jonathan Appel

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The Ivy Inn
248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Talking In Cursive
Sun. 2 p.m. Gameday
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv 
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown 

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The Morrisville Tavern 
376 West Trenton Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-5310
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Sat. 8 p.m. Finster
Sun. 8 p.m. Mew
Mon. 7:30 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia Night 

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The Newtown Theatre
120 North State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 968-3859
Fri. 8 p.m. The Discoteks. $40.10
Sat. 3 p.m./8 p.m. "Damn The Torpedos" Tom Petty Tribute. $40.10
Sun. (3 p.m.) Three Stooges Film Festival. $24.39 (7:30 p.m.) "The Empire Strikes Back." $12.90
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Cult Vault: "The Big Lebowski" $6-$14
Wed. 7:30 p.m. Movie Club: "City Lights" $10-$14 (FREE for members)

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The Penguin Rocks (24 Hour On-Demand Music/Radio)
www.thepenguinrocks.com 
Mon. -  Fri. "Radio Jersey" Hosted by Lee Mrowicki 
Sun. - Sat. "Classic Jersey" Hosted by Gary Wien
Sun. - Sat. "Beyond The Palace" Hosted by Lee Mrowicki 
Sun. - Sat. "Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio" feat. Ken Martin
Sun. - Sat. "From The Basement" Hosted by Mike Marrone
Sun. - Sat. "Deuce Radio" Hosted by Matt Barker
Sun. - Sat. "Altrok Radio" Hosted by Sean Carolan
Sun. - Sat. "Lighty's Corner" Hosted by Gary Wien 
Sun. - Sat. "The Troubador Show" Hosted by John Godfrey

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The Roost
181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. DC Duo
Fri. 9 p.m. Kindred Spirit
Sat. 9 p.m. Buckshot
Mon. 6 p.m. Music Bingo
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia
Wed. 6 p.m. Joe Vadala

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The Tavern at Penns Park 
2295 Second Street Pike Newtown, PA
(267) 491-5658
Sun. 3 p.m. Jukebox Graveyard / Faded Flannel

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The Union House 
19 East Union Street Burlington
(609) 531-6077
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. Rough Cut
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (8 p.m.) My Name Is Margot
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch

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Tindall Road Brewing Co.
102 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 526-8651 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Fly Tying Event
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia Night w/ Dr Josh
Sat. 2:30 p.m. Goat Yoga w/ Elise

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Tir Na Nog 
1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton 
(609) 392-2554
Sat. 10 a.m. 3rd Annual Billy Briggs Scholorship Run Fundraiser
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" 
All Shows 21+

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Trenton Free Public Library
120 Academy Street Trenton
(609) 392-7188
Fri. 5 p.m. "First Friday"

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Trenton Social
449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Happy Hour Throwback Thursday
Sat. 9 p.m. Live Music (TBA)
Mon. 6 p.m. "Monday Night Karaoke" Hosted by Sweets

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Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Fri. 8 p.m. Bad Hombres
Sat. 8 p.m. Bombzr
Sun. 1 p.m. Atmospheric Trio

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Triumph Brewing Company (Princeton Location)
20 Pamer Square east Princeton 
(609) 924-7855
Sat. 5 p.m. Rodrigo Bonelli Trio

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Union Coffee
49 North Union Street Lambertville 
(609) 460-4637
Fri. 5 p.m. "First Friday" Tarot Meet-Up w/ Kristina Gorman

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Vault Brewing Company
10 South Main Street Yardley, PA 
(267) 573-4291
Fri. 7 p.m. Dave Posmontier Trio
Sat. 7 p.m. Behn Gillece Trio

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Village Idiot Brewing Company
42 High Street Mount Holly
(609) 975-9270 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Villa Mannino
73 US Highway 130 North Bordentown
Wed. 6 p.m. "Mom's Night Out" Dinner & Tumbler Paint Night

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Washington Crossing Historic Park 
1112 River Road Washington Crossing, PA
Sat. 12:30 p.m. "Brewfest" feat. music by First Highland Watch, Fife and Drum Corps. $60 (Designated Driver tickets $17.76

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Washington Crossing Inn 
1295General Washington Memorial Boulevard Washington Crossing, PA
(877) 882-1776
Tues. 6 p.m. "Bourbon & Blues"

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Whitehill Mansion
217 Fourth Street Fieldsboro
Fri. 7 p.m. Family Ghost Hunt 
Sat. 10 a.m. Paranormal Expo

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Wildflowers Too
255 Route 156 Yardville
(609) 585-5483
Wed. 7 p.m. Poker Night

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Working Dog Winery
610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Thurs. 4:30 p.m. This N That
Fri. 6 p.m. Trivia Night w/ Sam
Sat. 12 p.m. Artisan Market feat. (1 p.m.) Bob Daley
Sun. 12 p.m. Artisan Market feat. (1 p.m.) Rob Silvers

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WWFM 89.1 FM HD2 Radio
MCCC Old Trenton Road West Windsor
Jazzon2.org
Mon. 7 a.m./7 p.m. "Danny Coleman's Got The Blues"

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Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled 'Rock On Radio' airing Sunday evenings at 7:00pm EST on ThePenguinRocks.com where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.

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