L.E.A.D. Fest Carnival at Garden State Plaza

L.E.A.D. Fest Carnival opened at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus on Thursday, according to the event’s ticketing page and the organizer’s website. The event is being promoted by L.E.A.D. Fest, the events arm of L.E.A.D. Inc., a nonprofit that says it supports drug- and violence-prevention programs in communities across the United States. Organizers describe the Paramus stop as a family carnival with rides, food and games. The published schedule lists dates from May 21 through June 7, extending beyond the Memorial Day weekend window included in some local event listings. ### When is the carnival open in Paramus? Thursday, May 21, is the first listed day for the Paramus carnival, according to the official L.E.A.D. Fest event page. That page says the event will run through Sunday, June 7. The posted hours are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends and the holiday, according to the ticketing page. (leadfest.saffire.com) Organizers also say hours are subject to change. ### Where at Garden State Plaza is it being held? Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus is the named venue across the organizer’s site and local event listings. (leadfest.saffire.com) The L.E.A.D. Fest homepage identifies the Paramus stop as taking place at Westfield Garden State Plaza, and third-party listings use the mall’s Paramus address. Westfield’s own events page did not prominently list the carnival in the material reviewed Thursday, though the shopping center continues to publish other promotions and store events for late May and June. (leadfest.saffire.com) That means visitors looking for carnival-specific details are more likely to find them on L.E.A.D. Fest pages and local event calendars than on the mall’s general events feed. (theleadfest.com) ### What does L.E.A.D. Fest say visitors will find there? L.E.A.D. Fest says the Paramus carnival offers food, rides and carnival games. The group uses similar language across its event pages and says its events are meant to support its broader nonprofit mission. Mommy Poppins, which lists the event on its New Jersey calendar, says the Paramus carnival benefits the local L.E.A.D. program and includes rides, games, food and entertainment. (westfield.com) NJ Family also describes the event as being hosted by L.E.A.D., or Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence, and says everyone is welcome to attend. ### Why do some listings show different end dates? (theleadfest.com) May 25 appears in some roundup-style weekend guides because those listings focus on Memorial Day weekend rather than the full carnival run. A New Jersey events guide published this week listed the Paramus stop for May 22 to May 25, while the official L.E.A.D. Fest ticketing page says the event continues into early June. (mommypoppins.com) June 7 is the date repeated in the official and several local listings reviewed Thursday. NJ Carnivals says the event runs for two weekends from May 21 through June 7, and Mommy Poppins lists dates from May 22 through June 7. ### Who is behind the event? L.E.A.D. Fest says it is the official event brand of L.E.A.D. (newjerseyisntboring.com) Inc., which it identifies as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. On its website, the organization says it delivers evidence-based drug- and violence-prevention programs to local communities nationwide. The Paramus carnival is one of several 2026 stops listed by the group, alongside events in places including Hackensack, Mahwah, Lawrence and Wheaton, Maryland. (nj-carnivals.com) That broader calendar suggests Paramus is part of a larger seasonal circuit rather than a one-off local fair. June 7 is the next key date for the Paramus event because that is the listed final day on the official page. L.E.A.D. (theleadfest.com) Fest says tickets and event updates for Garden State Plaza are available through its Paramus event page. (leadfest.saffire.com)