NJ Festival Named One of the ‘Best New Festivals’ in the U.S.

Festivals are a great way to celebrate music, art, food, culture, and community. And it seems that each year a new festival gets added to our bucket list. USA Today, 10 Best compiled a list of the best new festivals in the U.S. From music celebrations to cultural experiences, and food adventures, they had their expert panel nominate their top picks for the best new festivals. Then their readers voted for their favorites.

An Atlantic City two-day beachside festival made the list at number 10. The Adjacent Festival took place over Memorial Day weekend last year at the shore with headliners including Paramore and Blink-182.

When the festival first hit the scene their social media pages began with posts asking, "What is Adjacent?" leading up to the official announcement of the festival.

There has been no announcement whether or not the festival will return. Although there are fans of the festival hoping for a comeback. One person commented on their Facebook, "Please bring it back next year." Another person commented under a post with a crying plea, "Please come back. I’m begging." It may be best to keep an eye out for updates on their social media pages.

Topping USA Today's list for the best new festival is the Troy Art Block in New York. If you do plan on making the trek sometime in the future to Troy, this festival may be worth checking out. Last year, Troy Art Block commissioned 27 temporary murals for the town from multiple artists. They even held panel discussions, live painting sessions, and a block party to draw attention to local businesses.

Other festivals on their list include the Because They’re Funny Comedy Festival in Washington, D.C. and the Texas Route 66 Festival in Amarillo, Texas.

Check out the complete list of the best new festivals here.

There are some major benefits to taking a trip by yourself. The solitude gives you time to clear your mind and gather your thoughts. And it also enables you to create your own schedule, taking in the sights you set out for. Good Housekeeping published a report that details America’s best places for solo travel, and New Jersey was all over this list.

In addition, Fifty Grande recently conducted a solo travel survey. They found that “52% of respondents said they planned to take a solo trip before the end of the year, and 64% of them planned to take that trip in America.” Furthermore, they found that 40% of those that participated in their survey answered “10” on a scale of 1-10 on how comfortable they were to travel alone. 83% said answered a 7 or above.

Other interesting items to note were 89% of the people had already taken a solo trip. The main reason was to “explore a new place and/or immerse in a local culture.” 22.9% said they traveled alone because it was “more fun when I’m 100% in control.”

Moreover, 52% of people plan on traveling solo before the end of the year. Much of that will be within the United States, Fifty Grande shows.

New Jersey is filled with areas that are prime for solo travel exploring. Of course, Atlantic City has a major nightlife scene. There are pristine golf courses all throughout the state, some of which are in close proximity to New York City (if you want to head in for dinner or a show). Finally, there are miles of beachside attractions along the Atlantic and historic sites deep in the heart of the Garden State. So, let's take a look at the two New Jersey destinations that were named best for solo travel. They happen to over a hundred and thirty miles away from each other, and vastly different in terms of what you can explore there.

Home to the Ivy League Tigers, Good Housekeeping calls out the historic sites this central New Jersey town house to offer. "Princeton Battle Monument honors the battle fought and won by George Washington in 1777." The University Art Museum and the Morven Museum and Garden often attract tourists from all over the world. Lastly, Carnegie Lake is one of the most serene spots in the state.

"Spend your day wandering the cute shops, sunbathing at the beach or climbing the 199 steps to the top of Cape May Lighthouse in Cape May Pointe State Park," Good Housekeeping suggest. Cape May draws a lot of visitors in the summer months. It's very common that you will find families, couples, and solo travelers among them. In addition to one of the most beautiful lighthouses on the east coast, you can visit winery's, theaters, safaris, or just rest along the shore of the beautiful beaches.