Alive with Entertainment

Union comes alive with entertainment and activities throughout the year, and no municipality enjoys more festivals and parades than Union.

Holidays are big events in the Township. Independence Day is celebrated with band concerts and fireworks, while the winter-holiday season is heralded with the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on the front lawn of Town Hall.

The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Columbus Day Parade are also favorites, as are ongoing activities such as “Youth Week” (which features a full schedule of sports and cultural events) and a series of outdoor summer concerts.

The area is also home to the Union County Arts Center. This historic landmark is housed in the restored Rahway Theatre, a vintage 1928 vaudeville and silent movie palace. It has become the centerpiece of a recently established Arts District, and the Union County Arts Center has played a vital role in the revitalization and cultural renaissance of the community.

In addition to the numerous cultural offerings in Union, shows on ice, circus extravaganzas and name entertainment are just 20-minutes away at the Meadowlands complex.

Liberty Hall Museum

History comes alive at the Liberty Hall Museum. A home to the Livingston and Kean family for 225 years, Liberty Hall represents the evolving styles and traditions of American history. Visitors can tour the Georgian mansion, an exquisite structure built in 1772 by New Jersey’s first governor, William Livingston. Furnished with beautiful antiques, the house has evolved with the family over the past two centuries.

Visitors will discover over 23 acres of manicured landscape in the heart of a bustling urban center. Strolling through formal English gardens, one can see some of the oldest trees in New Jersey. Other walkways lead to the Carriage House, Ice House and Wagon Shed. The original buildings house rare antiquities of machinery as well as artifacts that tell the story of the working farm and estate the property once was.

The ancestors of the Livingston/Kean family have included governors, a U.S. congressman, U.S. senators, business entrepreneurs and women with vision and strength. This family met the challenges of a changing nation, and their stories have been passed down from generation to generation. Equally as fascinating are the lives of the millers, farmers, servants and office workers who helped to maintain the Liberty Hall estate. Visitors can learn all of these stories and more as they tour the Liberty Hall Museum. In addition, visitors can enjoy Afternoon Tea on the Glass Porch, overlooking the Formal Gardens. Afternoon Tea is served every Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm, and includes a tour of the house as well as a formal tea meal (reservations are required).

Captain John Kean and Mary Alice Barney Kean have owned Liberty Hall since 1932. Mrs. Kean’s dedicated preservation efforts have made the Liberty Hall Museum a truly unique and richly historical experience.