Family Fun Day 2026

The City of Newark, New Jersey (Essex County) issued Invitation to Bid #2026-008 for Family Fun Day 2026, a comprehensive community recreation event requiring a qualified vendor to provide facility space and full-day entertainment services for approximately 3,000 attendees on July 18, 2026, from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. The selected facility must be located within fifty miles of Newark, comprise a minimum of fifty acres, and include adequate parking and private quarters for 25 guests. The vendor must provide a 4.5-hour all-you-can-eat buffet service featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, salads, sides, desserts, and non-alcoholic beverages with vegetarian menu options, along with extensive recreational amenities including carnival games, aquatic facilities accommodating up to 1,500 people, laser tag, zip lining, rock climbing, bumper cars, paddle boats, sports courts, miniature golf, inflatable rides, and playground areas. Additionally, specialized senior citizen accommodations are required, including separate food service, age-appropriate music, casino and bingo games, dedicated staff, and shuttle services. Pricing must be provided on an all-inclusive per-person basis for four age categories: ages 18 and up (estimated 1,000 attendees), ages 13-17 (estimated 1,000 attendees), ages 9-12 (estimated 1,000 attendees), and ages 0-8 (free of charge). Electronic bid submissions are mandatory through the City's ProcureNow portal with a deadline of February 27, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., and a question submission deadline of February 23, 2026. The contract commences upon Newark Municipal Council authorization and terminates July 18, 2026, with no pre-bid conference scheduled.

No set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, women-owned businesses, or minority-owned enterprises are specified in this procurement, and no incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified. The procurement does not require integration with existing technology infrastructure or systems. Award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4, with the City reserving the right to reject any or all bids, award to multiple vendors if demand requires, or cancel the contract if funds become unavailable. Vendors must comply with extensive statutory and federal requirements including New Jersey business registration, affirmative action compliance, workers' compensation insurance, general liability insurance with minimum limits of $200,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, federal non-debarment certification, Iran sanctions disclosure, Russia-Belarus activity certification, and non-collusion affidavits. No specific budget range or contract value is explicitly stated in the procurement documents; however, the City does not guarantee final attendance numbers and reserves the right to increase or decrease contract quantities based on actual event requirements.