The annual NCAA college basketball tournament and basketball lovers’ favorite time of the year, March Madness, will begin on Tuesday, March 18th in Dayton, Ohio and end on Monday, April 7th with the championship in San Antonio, Texas. For those who can’t travel to see the games in person, plenty of local bars and restaurants will play all of the tournaments while also providing various specials. Keep reading for a list of Montclair + Northern New Jersey spots to watch March Madness for 2025.
Blu Alehouse | 92 NJ-23, Riverdale
Montclair locals can venture outside of the Essex County area to Blu Alehouse on Route 23. This bar will show the games and serve March Madness specials all month long. See more details here.
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Horseshoe Tavern | 36 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown
Watch all the games, enjoy various wing and drink specials, and cheer on your favorite teams on March 21st at Horsehoe Tavern in Morristown. This March Madness watch party will take place from 12PM to 2:30PM. Register for this event here.
Just Jake’s | 30 Park Street, Montclair
March Madness fans can catch the games at Just Jake’s in Montclair. Details regarding the daily drink specials have yet to be posted, but Just Jake’s will announce all the information closer to the date. Check out the bar’s Instagram to stay in the know.
Shannon Rose | 98 Kingsland Road, Clifton
The Shannon Rose will play each March Madness game with sound starting March 18th. There will also be different drink specials available to customers. See the pub’s website for future announcements.
Sidelines Bar + Grill | 198 US-46, Fairfield
Catch all six rounds of the March Madness tournament, including the NCAA Championship Game, at Sidelines Bar + Grill in Fairfield. See the restaurant’s website for a full schedule of March Madness events.
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Tierney’s Tavern | 136 Valley Road, Montclair
Locals can head to this Irish pub throughout the March Madness season to watch all the games. Tierney’s Tavern will provide a whole list of drink and food specials. More details will be posted to the spot’s Instagram story within the coming week.
A Visit to the Fairy Trail at South Mountain Reservation in Millburn
One of Essex County’s largest outdoor spaces is South Mountain Reservation, located across Millburn, West Orange, and South Orange and boasting about 2,110 acres of land along the Rahway River and nearly 20 miles of walking and hiking trails. Perhaps the most notable of these trails is the Fairy Trail, which sits on the edge of the reservation in Millburn and is home to 100 unique fairy homes visitors can spot from the trail. Keep reading to learn how the South Mountain Reservation Fairy Trail came to be and what makes it special today.
About The Fairy Trail
For over a decade, delightful fairy houses have been mysteriously appearing along a half-mile stretch of the white-blazed Rahway Trail. In the early days, these charming creations were mainly the handiwork of a local artist and the Fairy Trail's founder, Therese Ojibway.
Therese wanted her autistic son to have a safe place to discover and explore these mythical dwellings. The South Mountain Conservancy took notice, and when they learned of the intent, they allowed Therese to continue building her kingdom into what is now known as the Fairy Trail.
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Therese and her son have moved out of the area, but the Conservancy maintains the trail. Beth Kelly and Julie Gould are at the forefront as co-coordinators of the trail, managing the “fairy experience” portion. They believe the trail is uniquely magical, and as Beth said, “It is more than a path through the woods. The fairy houses are crafted with imagination and love. It is a fairy tale that comes to life.”
Maintaining The Trail
At the top of the list for maintaining the trail, visitors are asked to Leave No Trace: not adding fairy homes to the trail or constructing lean-tos or other structures as they disrupt the natural habitat, strip and compact the forest floor, and prevent seedlings from growing.
Additionally, Beth and Julie ask visitors to respect the fragile structures. While visitors can open most small doors to view interiors, they should be gentle with the houses and not remove any items. They also ask fairy seekers to stay on the path, where fairy homes are visible, to protect the bordering vegetation.
They also welcome the addition of new fairy houses, as long as they meet specific criteria and photos are submitted beforehand. Beth told The Montclair Girl, “There are wonderful benefits to making/building a Fairy House. Children are outside enjoying the natural environment, it gets them away from computer screens, encourages healthy, creative, and imaginative play, and best of all, it creates an opportunity to make memories and build connections.”
Visiting + Events
In addition to welcoming daily visitors, the Conservancy hosts an annual Fairy Tales at the Fairy Trail event every spring. The day is filled with activities at the reservation and on the trail, such as a scavenger hunt, storytelling, fairy house building, face painting, and searching for fairies. Those interested can join the South Mountain Fairy Trail Facebook group to stay connected.
Beth and Julie are proud of what the trail brings to the community. Beth said, “Whether you’re a child searching for adventure or an adult looking to recapture your inner child, the Fairy Trail is a unique and unforgettable experience. It is a journey that makes you feel like you are on a passage through a living storybook.”
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When heading to the trail, search Locust Grove Parking Lot or 197 Glen Avenue, Millburn, in Maps. Both will lead to the parking lot where visitors can access the trailhead. Parking fills up quickly, but there are spots across the street if the lot is full. The trailhead starts to the left of the parking area along the Rahway Trail (white-blazed). A large Fairy Trail Welcome sign to the right greets visitors.
