NJ is home to many craft beer companies and wineries and they, along with lots of other great beers and wines will be shown off at the many beer and wine festivals held in NJ this summer. Here is a list of the events being held in May and June.

The 3rd annual Garden State Brewfest will be held May 10th at the Mt. Carmel Fairgrounds, 55 River Rd, Berkeley Heights. The Garden State Brewfest champions local craft brewers along with local vendors, local bands and local charitable beneficiaries, with this years event supporting Hurricane Sandy relief. Last years event was a sellout, so be sure to buy your tickets early and save. This years event offerings include 50+ local craft brews, a “Strange Brews Tent” featuring unique beers from around the corner and around the world and a VIP food pairing experience . For more information and tickets visit http://www.njbeerfest.com

The jersey shore beerfest was last held May 18, 2013 in Neptune. I cant get confirmation if its being held again or not. I was told yes but the domain name is no longer registered and theres been nothing on any of the beer sites about it for 2014. Keep a look out for it. Heres the webpage about last years event. http://newjerseycraftbeer.com/jersey-shore-beer-fest/

Wine Festival Season kicks off when twenty of New Jersey’s premier wine producers come together Memorial Day weekend for the Garden State Wine Growers Association’s annual Blues and Wine Festival, held at the sprawling and gorgeous 500 acre Natirar estate in Peapack-Gladstone. The event is cash only and there are no ATMS so advance ticket purchase is recommended. For more information visit this website http://www.newjerseywines.com/festivals.html

Montclair is well known for its wide variety of fine restaurants and they are shown off during the annual Food and Wine Festival. The Festival is a non-profit corporation created to promote education, awareness and appreciation of the culinary arts in Montclair by uniting chefs, artisans, farmers, and wine-makers in a multi-day event featuring educational seminars, symposia, demonstrations, and lectures. The Montclair Food & Wine Festival also established a scholarship program to enable underserved or disadvantaged youth from the Montclair area the opportunity to further their culinary, agricultural, gastronomic education, and careers. There will be a grand tasting held at the Montclair Art Museum May 31, followed by a series of seminars on June 1 and concluding with the Gala Dinner on June 2 at The Manor in West Orange. For more information visit http://montclairfoodandwinefestival.org

The Lakewood BlueClaws host the Jersey Shore Wine Festival June 2-3rd at FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood. The centerpiece of the festival will be wine tasting by 12 New Jersey wineries from around the state; the event will also feature live musical entertainment, food, crafters and the BlueClaws play area for children. A portion of the proceeds of this event will benefit Sylvia’s Children, a 501(c)3 dedicated to supporting children in Uganda. Visit their them on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jersey-Shore-Wine-Festival/187908701238202l

The Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Festival is really three festivals held in Asbury Park, Point Pleasant and Long Branch thruout the summer. All three events feature live free music (jazz and blues obviously) as well as a beer garden, arts and crafts, food, and they’re all right next to (or close to) the beach It begins with the Asbury Park Blues and Brews festival June 7th. It is held at 1300 Ocean Avenue, Bradley Park. July 19th is the Point Pleasant Jazz & Blues Festival, held at Riverside Park, on the corner of Maxson Ave. and River Rd, Point Pleasant. The festival concludes August 23rd with the Long Branch Jazz and Blues Festival on the great lawn at the Promenade in Long Branch. The Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Festival has been named Favorite Music Festival in the 6th Annual JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards.

The 5th annual NJ Beer and Food Festival at Crystal Springs Resort returns June 14th. Spend a day or the whole weekend as you sample your favorite brews, discover a variety of new flavorful beers, enjoy great food ranging from an all-out BBQ feast to a beer & food pairing reception with top chefs from NJ, party to all your favorite music, participate in the Brews & Birdies Golf Tournament and so much more! For more information visit http://www.crystalgolfresort.com

Win & Wine Weekend will be held at Monmouth Park June 21-22nd. The best local New Jersey wineries will be pouring their featured wines. Plan a picnic for the day! No advance tickets required. Wine celebration hours 12-6 both Saturday and Sunday.

For details visit http://www.monmouthpark.com

The Garden State Craft Brewers Guild returns to the battleship USS New Jersey for the 18th incarnation of the organization’s festival. this event at the Camden waterfront is the only beer festival in the state to exclusively feature Jersey-brewed beers. There is a VIP session as well as regular admission, which includes a tour of the battleship, and live music will be performed. For details visit http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org

The 2nd annual Brew at the Zoo will be held June 28th at Turtle Back Zoo in South Orange. The festival will feature live entertainment, twenty-five brewers, and a selection of fifty craft beers. Several of the zoo’s exhibits will be open to browse during the event.

Advance tickets for the event are $50 with a special Designated Driver ticket for only $10. Use promo code “devilgourmet2014” at checkout to get 10% off your ticket price.

The Tuckerton Seaport hosts the Roots Music Festival (formerly the Red Wine and Blues Festival) on June 28th & 29th. There will be two days of music, wine tasting, food, crafters, vendors, demonstrations & activities. Live roots music from The Billy Walton Band, Ryan & the Blue Hearts, James Day & The Fish Fry, Steve Guyger, The Keystone Swingbillies, Snake Brothers, Home Cookin’, and Zydeco-a-Go-Go. Uncork some fun and enjoy a perfect afternoon of wine tasting from some of NJ’s finest wineries Di Matteo, Tomasello, and Valenzano. Complimentary wine glass included. Try free samples from the barbeques of best local barbeque cooks and vote for your favorite. For more information visit http://www.tuckertonseaport.org