Events in South Orange, NJ
South Orange runs a tighter calendar than its size suggests. Here is what actually happens here.
For a town of about 18,500 people, South Orange punches well above its weight on programming. SOPAC alone brings in acts that would headline venues twice its size. Add the farmers market, summer concert series, seasonal festivals, and Seton Hall programming, and there is something worth doing almost every week of the year.
Coming Up This Month
Artist Talk with Judy Targan
Metal Bulk Pickup
One day a month, the DPW will pick up large metal items curbside for residents who have scheduled and paid for this service.
Farmers Market
The South Orange Farmers Market takes place every Wednesday from June 3 through October 28 from 1PM to 6PM at 12 Sloan Street in the Sloan Street Parking Lot, rain or shine. Shop…
Household Bulk Pickup
Monster Bawl
The Adult School is teaming up with local band The Brand New Steadys to bring its annual Monster Bawl to the Baird Center in South Orange this October!
Spooky Spiotta - Halloween Event
Save the date for Spooky Spiotta on Sunday, October 25 from 11 AM–1 PM in Spiotta Park! Bring the whole family for a morning of Halloween fun, including a costume contest with…
Watershed Literary Event
SOPL Friends HOLIDAY JEWELRY SALE
Shop the SOPL Friends Holiday Jewelry Sale to benefit the South Orange Public Library! Great gifts for everyone on your list, and for you too. Great holiday shopping – a huge…
Hometown Holiday & Tree Lighting Ceremony
Details coming soon.
Via South Orange Downtown and the Village of South Orange. Updated automatically several times a day.
On Stage at SOPAC
South Orange Performing Arts Center at 1 SOPAC Way, steps from the train station.
William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Theatre
Mamma Mia!
Theatre
unveiled26 Studio Tour SOMA
Vincenzo Bellini's Norma
Days Off
PANTO's Cinderella
Theatre
The Last Waltz Celebration
Rock
The Analog Jazz Orchestra
Theatre
Via the SOPAC calendar — tickets on their site. Updated automatically several times a day.
The Annual Calendar
Year-round
Nationally touring acts, classical concerts, comedy, dance, independent film, and education programs. Buy tickets early — the 440-seat venue sells out for popular shows.
Division I athletics, concerts, lectures, and cultural events open to the community. The basketball program draws significant crowds — games are a genuine town event.
Spring
Downtown restaurants offer tastings and specials as attendees walk the restaurant corridor. A good way to try several spots in one evening.
Summer
Produce, flowers, artisan food, and coffee. A genuine community gathering that draws the whole town. One of the best weekly rituals in South Orange.
Live music, street performers, extended restaurant hours, and a genuine festival atmosphere in Spiotta Park downtown. Peak South Orange summer.
Free outdoor concert series. Families bring blankets and coolers; the hill fills up by 6 PM. One of the best free events in Essex County.
Fall
The whole neighborhood turns out — costume contest, activities, and candy. One of the most attended local events of the year. Arrive early.
South Orange and Maplewood go all-in on Halloween. The annual MAPSOSCARY house-decorating contest turns whole blocks into elaborate haunts, with a self-guided map of the best-decorated homes and prizes from local sponsors. People genuinely go all out.
Winter
Tree lighting, holiday shopping on South Orange Ave, SOPAC holiday programming, and a downtown that actually decorates. The town genuinely shows up for the holidays.
Stay in the loop: Follow @LiveLoveMaplewood on Instagram for real-time updates on local events, seasonal happenings, and what's going on in South Orange and Maplewood.
Frequently Asked Questions
What annual events happen in South Orange?
Highlights include the South Orange Food Stroll in April, summer concerts like Downtown After Sundown and Flood's Hill Concerts, Spooky Spiotta and the MAPSOSCARY Halloween house contest in October, and a holiday season with a tree lighting in November and December.
When is the South Orange farmers market?
The farmers market runs Wednesdays from June through October, 1–6 PM, in the Sloan St parking lot. It offers produce, flowers, artisan food, and coffee.
What is SOPAC?
SOPAC is South Orange's 440-seat performing arts center at 1 SOPAC Way, presenting nationally touring acts, classical concerts, comedy, dance, independent film, and education programs year-round. Popular shows sell out, so buy tickets early.
Are there free concerts in South Orange?
Yes. Flood's Hill Concerts are a free outdoor series on summer evenings at Meadowland Park, where families bring blankets and the hill fills up by 6 PM.
What is MAPSOSCARY?
MAPSOSCARY is an annual October Halloween house-decorating contest across South Orange and Maplewood, with a self-guided map of the best-decorated homes and prizes from local sponsors.