🐾 Annual Morris County Events to Enjoy With Your Dog
Most outdoor events welcome well-behaved, leashed dogs in outdoor areas. Be sure to check each event's website before attending.
📍 Morristown
☐ Morristown Farmers Market (Sundays | June–November) – Fresh produce, flowers, baked goods, local vendors, and a wonderful Sunday morning tradition. Morristown Farmers Market
☐ Meet Me in Morristown – A fun downtown celebration featuring sidewalk sales, live music, local artists, and outdoor dining—perfect for an evening stroll with your dog.
☐ Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival (August) Pack a lawn chair, relax on the Green, and enjoy a full day of live music. Many attendees bring their leashed dogs to enjoy the outdoor atmosphere.
☐ Festival on the Green (Late September) One of Northern New Jersey's biggest community festivals featuring live music, food, shopping, and entertainment. Friendly, leashed dogs are welcome throughout the festival (except inside the beer garden).
☐ MPAC Summer Concert Series (June–August) Free outdoor concerts and performances throughout downtown Morristown. Bring a blanket, enjoy the music, and relax with your pup
☐ First Night Morris County (New Year's Eve)
📍 Madison
☐ Bottle Hill Day (October) – Madison's signature street festival featuring over 200 vendors, food, live music, entertainment, and a classic car show.
☐ Madison Farm & Artisan Market (May–December Saturdays) – One of the area's best farmers markets.
☐ Downtown Madison Sidewalk Sales
☐ Madison Holiday Walk
📍 Summit (Worth the 15-minute drive!)
☐ Summit Farmers Market – Every Sunday from spring through December. Summit Farmers Market
☐ Summit Street Sounds (Thursday & Fridays | June & July) Downtown Summit comes alive with live musicians performing throughout the streets while visitors enjoy outdoor dining, shopping, and a summer evening stroll. It's the perfect excuse to grab your leash, explore a charming downtown, and enjoy live music with your four-legged best friend. (Be sure to confirm the current year's pet policy before attending.
☐ Summit Sidewalk Sale
☐ Summit PAL Pet Show
📍 Hanover Township (Whippany/Cedar Knolls)
☐ Hanover Township Patriotic Celebration (Late June / Early July)
One of the township's biggest annual celebrations featuring food trucks, live music, family activities, colonial reenactors, and a spectacular fireworks show. Bring a blanket and enjoy the festivities. (Dogs are best for the daytime activities—leave them home for the fireworks.)
☐ Summer Concert Series (June–August)
Hanover Township Recreation hosts free outdoor concerts throughout the summer, making for a relaxing evening with your pup.
☐ Touch-a-Truck (Spring)
A fun community event featuring construction vehicles, emergency equipment, food vendors, and family activities. If your dog is comfortable around crowds, it's a lively outing.
☐ Get Hooked on Fishing...Not Drugs Fishing Derby (June)
An annual community fishing event held by Hanover Township Recreation that's great for a relaxing morning outdoors.
☐ Whippany Railway Museum Special Event Weekends (Spring–Fall)
The museum hosts seasonal train rides, railroad history weekends, and family events throughout the year. Dogs aren't allowed on the trains, but they're welcome to stroll the outdoor grounds during many events. Check each event's policy before visiting.
☐ Cedar Knolls Farmers Market (Seasonal)
A smaller local market that's a great stop for fresh produce, baked goods, and a morning walk. Cedar Knolls Farmers
📍 East Hanover
☐ East Hanover Farmers Market (Summer & Fall)
A community favorite with local produce, specialty foods, flowers, and artisan vendors. Great for a Sunday stroll with your dog.
☐ Summer Concert Series & Classic Car Show (July)
Live music, classic cars, food vendors, and an enjoyable outdoor evening for the whole family.
☐ 4th of July Fireworks Celebration (July)
An annual community celebration featuring live entertainment and fireworks. Dogs should stay home once the fireworks begin due to the loud noise.
☐ Public Safety Day in the Park (May)
A Touch-a-Truck style event with emergency vehicles, demonstrations, food, and family activities.
☐ Lurker Park Summer Events (Throughout the Summer)
Community recreation programs, concerts, and outdoor gatherings take place throughout the season at one of East Hanover's most popular parks.
☐ East Hanover Memorial Day Ceremony (May)
A meaningful annual community e
📍 Denville
☐ Denville Farmers Market
☐ Denville Downtown After Dark
☐ Denville Holiday Open House
☐ Denville Rotary Car Show
📍 Rockaway
☐ Tri-County Fair (June) – Carnival rides, food vendors, entertainment, exhibits, and live music.
☐ Rockaway Borough Family Festival (July) – Live music, food, games, and community fun before the evening fireworks.
☐ Rockaway Rotary Street Fair
☐ White Meadow Lake Summer Concerts (for residents and guests) the summer concert series is a relaxing way to spend an evening outdoors with neighbors. Bring a chair, enjoy live music, and soak up the community atmosphere.
📍 Randolph
☐ Freedom Festival (July) – Three nights of live music, food vendors, rides, fireworks, and family fun. A family-friendly celebration with food vendors, live entertainment, and carnival fun. Leashed dogs are often seen enjoying the daytime festivities before the evening fireworks.
☐ Concert in the Park (June) – Bring a lawn chair and enjoy live music outdoors.
☐ Brundage Park Summer Events Enjoy outdoor musical theater performances presented by Brundage Park Playhouse. Many summer productions include food vendors and lawn seating, making for a unique evening out.
☐ Stars & Stripes Summer Social (August)
An afternoon of food trucks, lawn games, live music, mini golf, inflatables, and family fun.
📍 Mendham
☐ Mendham Labor Day Parade – One of New Jersey's oldest Labor Day traditions.
☐ Mendham Holiday Walk (December)
☐ Summer Concert Series (Summer) Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy free outdoor concerts featuring local musicians. These relaxed evenings are perfect for enjoying warm summer nights with family and friends.
☐ Brookside Fourth of July Parade (July 4)
Although held in the Brookside section of Mendham Township rather than the borough, this is one of New Jersey's oldest Independence Day parades. Expect decorated bicycles, classic cars, marching bands, community groups, and small-town Americana at its finest.
📍 Florham Park
☐ Gazebo Summer Concert Series – Relax with live music on warm summer evenings. Florham Park Gazebo
☐ Florham Park Day
☐ Florham Park Memorial Day Parade
📍 Chester
☐ Chester Fall Festival (August) - Food trucks, live bands, local vendors, and a festive outdoor atmosphere. Dogs are welcome on leash, making it a great summer outing for the whole family.
☐ Classic Car Show
☐ Chester Summer Concerts
📍 Boonton
☐ Boonton Farmers Market
☐ Boonton Day Festival
☐ Main Street Summer Concert Series
📍 Morris Plains
☐ Morris Plains Founders Day
☐ Morris Plains Farmers Market
☐ Summer Concerts in the Park
🐶 Pro Tip
Because pet policies can vary from year to year, I always recommend checking the event's website or social media before heading out. Bring water, waste bags, and remember that summer pavement can get hot—if it's too hot for your hand, it's too hot for your dog's paws.
🐾 Jennifer's Local Tip
As a Morris County REALTOR®, one of my favorite ways to learn a neighborhood is by walking it with my Cavapoo, Mia. You notice the quiet streets, friendly neighbors, parks, coffee shops, and hidden gems that you might miss from behind the wheel.
If you're relocating to Morris County with a dog, I'd love to help you find a neighborhood that's just as perfect for your pup as it is for you.
Licensed: January 2016
Experience: More than 160 families served
Career Sales: Over $90 million
Recognition: RealTrends Top 1.5% of Realtors® in America
Awards: Multiple New Jersey REALTORS® Circle of Excellence Awards
Brokerage: Compass Real Estate
For me, real estate has never been about simply opening doors.
It's about understanding the character of a community, recognizing what makes a home truly special, and helping sellers present that story in a way that resonates with today's buyers.