This year’s Super Bowl will bring the best football teams to New Jersey, but it's also doing much more. From Newark to Hoboken and beyond, local festivals and charity events will mark the start to Super Bowl celebrations.
Below is a list of New Jersey’s hottest football-themed activities leading up to game day.
FUN FOR ALL:
NEWARK’S LARGEST INDOOR TAILGATE
Visit the Newark Museum to enjoy food and drinks and to get a glimpse of football history on Jan. 29. The Vince Lombardi Trophy, won by the Green Bay Packers in the first-ever 1967 AFL-NFL World Championship, will be on display till March 30. In honor of the big game, the trophy is the centerpiece of the “City of Silver and Gold from Tiffany to Cartier” exhibition. There will be food demonstrations from celebrity chefs like Aaron McCargo Jr. of Food Network and panel discussions that will include special guest Hall of Famer David Robinson.
For more information, visit the Newark Museum website.
SMITHSONIAN’S “HOMETOWN TEAMS” AT YOGI BERRA MUSEUM
Just in time for the Super Bowl, the traveling Smithsonian exhibit “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America” is headed to the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center at Montclair State University from Jan. 29 to March 16. The exhibit shows how hometowns foster the passion for sports and includes a series of events – a children’s sports art drawing class and a sports writing seminar, to name a few.
For more information, visit the Yoga Berra Museum Learning Center website.
HOBOKEN HUDDLE
Hoboken’s waterfront will transform into a weeklong pre-Super Bowl party the week of Jan. 27 to Feb. 2. Treat yourself to food, games and entertainment including an outdoor ice skating rink and three curling lanes. The extravaganza at Pier A Park will feature a lighted 16-foot sculpture of the Roman numerals “XLVIII.”
For more information, visit the official Hoboken Events Committee Facebook page.
MEADOWLANDS TAILGATE PARTY 2014
The borough hosting the Super Bowl will be throwing a town festival of its own during the Super Bowl game on Feb. 2. If you don’t have Super Bowl tickets, this is the place to be. Explore the town of East Rutherford by attending Meadowlands Tailgate Party 2014, a tailgate celebration from noon to 4:30 p.m. with food trucks and performances by the Bruce Springsteen tribute BStreetBand and The Nerds.
For more information, visit East Rutherford's website.
SEACAUCUS WINTER BLAST
Winter Blast, a three-day family celebration, will take place at Buchmuller Park in Seacaucus from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1. The festival will include more than 30 award-winning food trucks, a beer garden, ice rink with hockey games and open skating, entertainment, shopping and tons of prizes. Proceeds will benefit the Seacaucus Emergency Relief fund.
For more information, visit the North Jersey events website.
The Scene
CHARITY EVENTS:
SUPER COMMUNITY SPIRIT SHOWCASE
Celebrate Super Bowl season by supporting local nonprofit community organizations on Jan. 22. Along with more than 100 nonprofits showcasing their accomplishments, there will be Super Bowl-themed festivities with special giveaways and complimentary refreshments. NFL alums like George Martin, Karl Nelson and Curtis McGriff will be discussing how to give back to the community and will be available for autographs and photos.
For more information, visit the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce website.
FOOTBALL FASHION WEEK
Pairing up fashionistas and sports fans, this upscale social event will spotlight emerging designers and professional athletes from Jan. 23 to Jan. 25. Eat, shop and watch former NFL athletes like Odessa Turner and Darrell Reid strut the runway and feature their own clothing lines. Proceeds will go to DLG Give to Live Community Foundation, Jersey City Recreation Foundation, Grid Iron Group, Seacaucus Emergency Fund and the Snowflake Youth Foundation.
For more information, visit the Jersey City Fashion Week website.
19TH ANNUAL KICKOFF TO REBUILD
National nonprofit organization Rebuilding Together is partnering with Lowe’s to bring together hundreds of volunteers, NFL players, celebrities, community leaders and sponsors to complete home renovations for 13 low-income homeowners in Bergen County. This NFL sanctioned event will be held on Jan. 31.
For more information, visit the Rebuilding Together website.
MUSIC AND MORE:
SUPER BOWL KICKOFF SPECTACULAR
Kick off Super Bowl week with NJ/NY Host Committee’s Super Bowl Kickoff Spectacular at Liberty State Park on Jan. 27. The free, ticketed show begins with a live concert featuring Goo Goo Dolls and and ends with a 13-minute Macy’s fireworks show. The hosts will be FOX Sports’ Joe Buck and Erin Andrews, as well as singer and actress Jordin Sparks.
For more information, visit the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee website.
SUPER BOWL MEDIA DAY BY GATORADE
Sit in the stands at the Prudential Center and watch live interviews with Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos players at Super Bowl Media Day on Jan. 28. Fans will receive a media gift bag that will include a radio receiver to hear the news conferences.
For more information, visit the official Super Bowl XLVIII website.
TASTE OF THE BEST WINE EXTRAVAGANZA
The Taste of the Best Wine Extravaganza on Jan. 30 at The Chart House in Weehawken features specialty food stations, infused cigars, live jazz music, celebrity appearances, a gift bag and a silent auction. Proceeds will benefit the Hope the Children Foundation of New Jersey.
For more information, visit the Elite Nation Entertainment website.
VH1’S SUPER BOWL BLITZ
On the eve of the Super Bowl, musician and singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw will be performing at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair. The concert is part of a series of six consecutive shows that will be leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. The five other performances will take place in New York City’s five boroughs with performers J. Cole, Janelle Monae, Fall Out Boy, TLC, and Goo Goo Dolls. The concerts begin Jan. 27 and run through Feb. 1. To score tickets to the show, you must win them. But don’t worry, the event will be shown on TV and streamed online.
For more information, visit VH1’s website.
