Check out LoveLoveIsrael’s great list of events and festivals happening over the Pesach period in 2018!
In this article you will find:
The BIG Festivals and Events!
Shows
Organized hikes
What’s FREE this Pesach?
Other popular Pesach past time ideas!
Pesach survival tips and important information!
The BIG Festivals and Events
LoveLoveIsrael tip!! Check your credit cards or the supermarkets for deals on these events to avoid paying full price!
This year, as always there are many commercialized events.
Automotor, the Israel International Motor Show, is back again with some great displays of vintage and new motors, including motorbikes, buses, tanks and sports cars. Some fabulous motorbike display shows, plenty of picnic areas and a lovely atmosphere for the whole family. Open 1-4th April, 9:30-20:00 at the Mercaz Hayeridim (Convention Center), Tel Aviv.
If you missed the Smurf exhibit over Sukkot, it is back – in Beer Sheva this time – for Pesach (so pair this with a visit to Lunada children’s museum for a great day trip).24.03-7.04
The Wipark is back again, 27.03-7.04 – The WIPARK Extreme Fun Park will be in Jerusalem at the Arena for Pesach. The Arena will be filled with inflatable climbing activities and obstacle courses. There will be a special section for toddlers. There will also be a Trick Art area with 3D photo opportunities!
Shows
Miyumana – 1-7th April, across the country. Tickets from 149 Nis
Bravo Circus looks like fun for the whole family! At locations around the country from 29.03-7.04.
Tickets 109 NIS
Hagadah Shel Festival stars childrens’ vavorites, Yuval Hamebulbal and Kofiko! Great for ages 2-9, with performances at the Wohl Auditorium, Ganei Yehoshua. Tickets cost 95 NIS.
The Tower of David Museum has opened a brand new Sound and Light Show experience, called “King David”, which opens on 1st April! Read LoveLoveIsrael’s review here! It was spectacular! Book tickets here!
Watch how it was made here!
Credit:Naftali Hilger
The Children’s Theater Festival, Haifa -1-3 April
Once again this annual children’s theater festival returns.
Ticket prices vary. More details here.
Days Out
The hit summer attraction is already open! You can book your tickets and get details here.
The 21st Moshav Country Fair This fun family event is back again! Gates open at 11am!
Organized Hikes by Haganat Hateva:
If you click on to the Haganat Hateva website, they have a full list of different hikes which they are offering – family friendly as well as for teens or adults. You do need to register by clicking through their website or calling 03-6388688.
National Parks
The National Parks have many fun events – which are usually free if you have a National Parks Membership, and very reasonable even if you don’t.
One of the highlights is the Horse Show at the Caesarea National Park, with two shows every day at 11:00 and 13:30. Running 1-4th April.
What’s FREE this Pesach?
Mapa Umatza
Mapa UMatzah! 12 Heritage Sites will open for free this Pesach from 1-3rd April! The events include creative workshops, guided tours, music performances, theater, dance, creative workshops and recycling activities, children’s plays and meetings with writers. The festival is being held for the third year at the initiative of Culture Minister Miri Regev, with the aim of turning it into a long tradition. The sites participating in the festival are: the restoration site Rosh Pina, the Kinneret Courtyard, the Beit She’an Museum, the Chaim Sturman House in Ein Harod, the Valley Museum in Kibbutz Yifat, the Rambam Heritage Center in Tiberias, the Bialik House Museum in Tel Aviv , The Begin Center in Jerusalem, the Herzl Center in Jerusalem and Beit Hadassah in Hebron.
The Police Heritage Museum in Beit Shemesh will be having a Pesach ‘Happening’ on 2nd and 3rd April from 9-15:00 (Last entry at 14:00). In addition to the museum you can join guided tours, watch demonstrations of self defense, of robots , using police dogs, and a police helicopter. There are also movies, story time and more.
Derech Hatavlinim – Zaatar Festival – entry is free and many events including a walk to the fields, drumming circle, quiz with prizes, giant bubbles activity and relaxing tent are free. Some others (tractor ride, workshops) have a fee.
Bank Hapoalim Free sites 2018 – click here for the full list
Other popular Pesach past times:
Workshops and Activities:
Atachlit – Ethiopian Experience in Kiryat Gat on1st and 2nd April. Learn how to write your name in Amharic, go on a tour of the village and have fun building with mud!
Tomo Candy will be Kosher for Pesach this year, so you can book a tasty and fascinating candy making masterclass for the Pesach break! Suitable for age 6+, based in Ramat Gan. (Tomo Candy have taken over from Lol & Pop and will offer LoveLoveIsrael families 10% off!)
Soos Agala (center) – a hidden gem and a unique experience away from crowds –
The Guinness Book of Records winners for the biggest wooden rocking horse invite you to create your own handmade carpentry table decorations as well as many other wooden toys at special Pesach workshops during Pesach. They help you every step of the way and you will take home a fabulous creation of your own. Read reviews here and book before you go! They are running workshops from 14-30th April (closed on Shabbat) and is suitable from age 4-13yrs.
CliCaso (Kfar Saba) is a great paint-me-pottery studio that will be welcoming
visitors during Pesach vacation. It will be open daily from 10 am to 8 pm, during the school Pesach vacation and Chol Hamoed. Recommended to call first to book a time.
Kfar Kedem is a unique experience, where you go back to Mishnaic times. Learn ancient skills and ride a donkey and have great fun with your family! You must book.
ScaVentures – Fun scavenger hunts where you will learn and explore in cities around Israel. You need to book.
Nature:
The Salad Trail is a fascinating three hour agricultural tour, suitable for the whole family. This year,
LoveLoveIsrael has teamed up with them to run English tours! Two tours are already fully booked but if you are quick, they just opened up another one! We secured a special price of 50NIS instead of the usual 55 NIS per person!
Click here to book! As part of LoveLoveIsrael, your family will receive a special gift too! You can read reviews here.
Neot Kedumim – April 1-4th. 45 shekel per person over age 3. More details on their website – click here.
Saving water, recycling and protecting the environment are not activities that began only in recent years. Thousands of years ago, our forefathers took care of the environment, in ways that are “slightly” different from what we all know today. Neot Kedumim Park invites you to the “For the Environment” program on Passover, where you discover how we solved the problems we face today without harming or polluting their surroundings: saving water, recycling materials, overshadowing the environment and keeping it for future generations.
Visitors will choose between two walking paths (stroller friendly-ish), both surrounded by spring flowers. During the course the visitors will pass through guided stations, experience in green construction, an original play, a musical performance, a creative corner of recycled materials, and a host of activities for the whole family.
Among the sites of the routes are the observation points on the hills of Neot Kedumim that reconstruct the ancient agricultural landscape of the Land of Israel, a landscape that integrates with nature and does not act against it, passing through the threshing floor located between the fields of the grain, where it will be told why there is an old ” From the turnabout, east of the village. In the cave material visitors will be able to see how many used the pottery vessels in the ancient world and even experience the writing of “Osterikon” which is the ancient message and the water cistern will be able to draw water and learn how to keep water and how much water used in the past compared to today. Further along the route will be a display of useful plants where you can see what was made of street broom, spring mattress, stool, sieve, baskets and more.
The routes will reach the Solomon Pool complex, where the flour mill and the water-fired rocket are located in a clean and green industry, without the use of animals or environmental pollutants. Those who wish to experiment with building a rural model according to the principles of the environment can do so with clay and mud bricks.
In addition, two performances for the whole family are held throughout the day: “A World Journey in the Footsteps of the Sounds” – a musical show that exposes the participants to unique and authentic instruments from around the world. And “The Balgor’s Arrival at Balagan” – an original play that tells about the residents of a small village who discovered that if you consider the other a bit, any problem is easy. The visitors will also enjoy a recycling facility for recycled flutes, a mini-jamboree for the little ones, a farm corner, gas viewing, wool yarn spinning, bicycle rental and a guided tour of the Yarkit Park.
Fruit picking is also popular at the time of year and you can see lots of ideas around the country by clicking here
Be’er Tuvia Flower picking (image below) is always super popular. Note that they moved a year ago to Beer Tuvia and are no longer called ‘Kedma’. Click on the link for more details. Be sure to go at Pesach or before as the crowds over Pesach certainly deplete a lot of the flowers by the end. Oh, and don’t forget to visit the Ben & Jerry’s outlet store nearby (just put it in ‘Waze’) for some great KLP ice cream!
Ein Yael is always a success (and always busy so again, be the first one there!) and has plenty to keep a variety of ages happy. Ancient style workshops including mosaics, weaving, pottery and more. Details here.
Parks:
Gan B’Ivrit in Rishon Lezion was the most popular park over Pesach in the past three years. So many of you went and enjoyed the lovely park which has a few well shaded playground areas aimed at different age groups, working water sprinklers (to be confirmed), plenty of picnic areas, bike paths, a small kiosk and a maze all themed with the Hebrew letters/language. Other popular parks were Park Herzliya, Park Kfar Saba, Park Anabe in Modiin, Park Ashdod, the playgrounds at Namal Tel Aviv and the Zichron Yaakov sensory Park.
Beaches:
Free, fun and perfect at this time of year – especially as they are still a novelty for everyone. Beaches will be open in time for Pesach.
For a special experience, participate in one of Ptil Techelet‘s snorkeling tours at Chof Dor – Learn Torah, Halacha, History, Archaeology, Biology and Chemistry. Dye wool yourself using the same tekhelet dye of the ancients. Get into the water and observe the tekhelet snail living in its natural habitat. You must book.
Animals:
Ramat Gan Safari – We advise arriving early to avoid the worst traffic but even though some of you queued a long time to get in in past years, everyone seemed to have positive feedback about their visit.
The Biblical Museum of Natural History in Beit Shemesh has had great reviews and is great for a wide range of ages. It will be open from 9am during Chol Hamoed and runs tours every hour and a half. You need to book a tour.
Jerusalem Biblical Zoo has some exciting events this Pesach.
Note that you can park in The Technological Park at Malcha and there will be a shuttle that can take you to the zoo when the zoo car park is too full.
Davida’s Farm is always popular with young children and is often recommended for a fun (and a little bit smelly) day out!
Indoor fun:
Dov Halavan – (Center/North-Emek Hefer) – A great fun indoor ext
reme sports and circus tricks. Suitable for all ages as well as adults. You will have a great time here with special extras especially for Pesach holidays. If you get there later in the day call ahead to ensure they have space…25% off for
Find one of the many trampolining places that have sprung up over the country. Funtopia and Boulderland – these are great extreme fun for a big range of ages. While Funtopia is aimed at younger ages with great fun themed walls to climb, the older kids and teens can push themselves at Boulderland under the same roof!
Escape Rooms – This is the in-craze with over a hundred of these challenging ‘rooms’ all over Israel. If you haven’t been to one, we highly recommend you do! The rooms are all themed differently but they all have the same idea – you have to work out how to get out the room within an hour, solving clever clues and challenges as a small team. Great for teens and adults. We have lots listed here and recommend ‘Book Escape Room‘ to easily find a ‘room’ available when you want one!
Survival Tips!!
Bring hats and plenty water for everyone – it can get very hot over Pesach! Depending on where you are visiting, it might be wise to bring changes of clothes too.
Get to free and National Park events as early as you can – in fact everywhere will get very busy. To find parking easily and enjoy the sites before they are crowded, it is worthwhile being the first to arrive!
Don’t forget to pack your matza sandwiches and collect any trash you make, keeping our country beautiful.
Some hikes may not be stroller friendly but you could carry babies in slings/on your back.
Many events will have food stalls (some will be kosher for Pesach) or craft stalls with unexpected costs so be aware and bring money in case your children want to do these things.
While there are many things to do, don’t forget to make the most of this amazing family time and relax and enjoy and take lots of photos to capture the memories!! Feel free to share your experiences and photos on our Facebook group!
Important Information!!
If you hope to go to Ramat Gan Safari , last year you had to book online first so check their site or call before you go!
The Jellyfish have started to come back in time for the holiday. Stay updated by checking here.