Check out LoveLoveIsrael’s great list of events and festivals happening over the Pesach period in 2017!
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!
Automotor – The Israel International Motor Show is back!
April 12-15th. Tel-Aviv Convention Center
9:30-20:00 every day/ 9:00-15:00 on Friday 15th April
Automotor, Israel’s international motor show is back! The star of this year’s show is this brand new Mclaren straight from the factory in England!
Tickets include motor extreme shows (bigger than in previous years), beautiful car exhibits, two-wheeler exhibits, technology areas, gaming and plenty of fun areas to enjoy a great day out.
Tickets cost: From 109 Shekel per person.
There is 1+1 with Leumi Card as well as other reductions and a family ticket price.
For more details and to book tickets, click here. You can also by tickets (without added credit card fees) at the door.
Clash Royale Extravaganza!
9:00, 13:00 or 17:00 on 12th,13th,14th & 16th April
It’s the hit computer game and it’s coming to Israel for Pesach! At the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds, you can book in for a two and a half hour of Clash Royale fun! Meet your favorite You Tubers, play in special Clash Royale competitions, meet life size characters from the game, get top tips and strategies from top players and lots more. Book before it sells out!
WiPark in Holon
10am, 12:30, 15:00 or 17:30 slots from 8th April – 18th April.
WiPark, Holon
After the success last year, this giant inflatables park, including a WipeOut style challenge reopens at the Toto Center in Holon (right by the Children’s Museum). 20 shekel for adults, 74 shekel for children age 2+. Click here for details.
The Children’s Theater Festival, Haifa
12-14th April
Once again this annual children’s theater festival returns.
Children’s Theater Festival, Haifa
Tickets start at around 50 shekel. Shows include charlie Chaplin, Shmulikipod and other well known Israeli stories including puppet shows. You can book tickets here.
The hit summer attraction from last year is back and opens on the 5th April! You can already book your tickets. Click here for more details and to watch a preview of the amazing new additions to this incredible water challenge on the Kinneret.
13th April
This fun family event is back again for the 19th year. Gates open at 11am!
Shows!
‘Alumini’ spectacular show, using tubes and aluminium pipes, music and movement is being performed at the Eretz Yisrael Museum in Tel Aviv. 11-17th April.
Alumini
The World of Yuval Hamebulbal! Watch a show starring children’s favorite, Yuval Hamebulbal. The show is just a part of a 3 day festival including lots of fun activities and entertainment in Ganei Yehoshua, Tel Aviv. 12-14th April at the Wohl Ampitheater.
Yuval Hamebulbal
The Prince of Egypt 2 will be shown at various cities across Israel. Starring Rinat Gabbai.
Jumping to Brazil – Bravo Circus! Tickets needed for age 1+.
Jumping to Brazil – Bravo Circus
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.
What’s FREE this Pesach? Click for a full article about free events and museums over Pesach!
The Police Heritage Museum in Beit Shemesh will be having a Pesach ‘Happening’ on 12th and 13th 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 2017
Bank Hapoalim will once again be sponsoring free entry into the following sites during Pesach 2017! There are some different ones this year so take a good look through the list!
Sites will be open for free on 12-16th April. 12-13th April sites will open for full days and Friday 14th April and Sunday 16th will be half days. Full details and times can be found here.
Be warned that these places are packed over Pesach so if you plan on going get up early and be the first ones there!!
North:
Ghetto Fighters House Museum 04-9958052
Hermann Struck Museum 04-6359962 The International Family Galilee Sculpture Festival in Maalot 04-9578871
The Deer Forest 050-8723920 The Golan Antiquities Museum 04-6961350 Park Katzrin 04-6962412 Museum Otzrot Bechoma 04-991104 Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art 04 838 3554
The National Maritime Museum in Haifa 04-8536622 The Haifa City Museum 04-9115888
The Mane Katz Museum 04-911 9372 Museum Umm El Fahem – 04 -631-5257
The Janko Dada Museum, Ein Hod 04-9842350
Wilfrid Israel Museum (of Asian Arts and Studies), Kibbutz Hazorea. 04-9899566
Parobot – Kfar Yechezkel 054-439-6406 A Robotic Milking Farm (Refet)
Central Israel:
Tel Aviv Museum of Art 03-6077000
The Yitzchak Rabin Center 03 7453358/*4585
Design Museum, Holon 073 215 1500
Outlook Visitors Center 03-6423111
Petach Tikva Museum 03 9286300 The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art 03-5161970 The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center 03-5339278
Jerusalem and Modiin:
Yad LaShiryon, Latrun 08-9784302 The Bible Lands Museum 02-5611066
The Museum of Islamic Art 02 566 1291
The Bible Lands Museum 02 5611066
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens 02-6794012 The Menachem Begin Heritage Center 02-5652018
Art Museum Monart Center, Ashdod 08-8545180
Puppet Museum, Arad 052 2398918
Glass Museum, Arad 08 99533388
Museum of Philistine Culture – 08-6224799
The Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture 08-9913322
Other popular Pesach past times:
Workshops and Activities:
Atachlit – Ethiopian Experience in Kiryat Gat on 13th April. Learn how to write your name in Amharic, go on a tour of the village and have fun building with mud!
Lol&Pop 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.
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 reasonably new 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. Special open ScaVentures will be running over Pesach on April 6, and April 14 and 16 in the Old City so book your place!
Nature:
Neot Kedumim – April 12-14th. 40 shekel per person over age 3. The story of the exodus from Egypt and the forty years in which the Israelites wandered in the desert are all familiar, but what did life in Israel look like after the end of wandering? The answer to this will be experienced in the Neot Kedumim Park. Visitors to the park will arrive at the agricultural industrial zone of the ancient village “Hermeshit”, where they will meet a variety of characters who will share experiences from their “new” lives, and tell how they became farmers. At the Beit
Neot Kedumim
Hagitot, the ancient wine factory, the vintner will tell about the quality wine he produces, in the flour mill, which is powered by water, the miller will show how the mill works and in the olive press the olive oil manufacturer will be waiting for the pilgrims to present their fine produce. On the way to the village, the participants will walk in one of two walking paths, suitable for strollers. In order to recall the days of slavery in Egypt, visitors will also be able to experiment with ecological constructions made of mud bricks and hay.
“Navigation to Canaan” – an experience by moonlight on 12.4 at 18:30 – With sunset and darkness, the beautiful park turns into a mysterious and magical place, ideal for navigating space in the light of the stars. Along the two-mile route, visitors will be asked questions related to Passover. Each family will receive, prior to departure, a detailed briefing and a navigation map of the park. You should come with comfortable walking shoes and a flashlight, it is recommended to bring a compass. At the end of the navigation, refreshments will be served, and the prize ceremony will take place.
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.
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. We will soon update when lifeguards will begin working again for the season.
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 interesting events this Pesach. More details to follow.
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. IJump is an amazing trampoline arena and a firm favorite. Great for all ages but call or book before you go in case waiting times are too long!
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! There are other climbing walls in Rishon Lezion, and a new one in Netanya’s new jump place, 2Jump.
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 this Pesach you MUST pre-book online first!
Great news – There will be lifeguards at 57 beaches this Pesach, starting on April 8 2017.
The Jellyfish have started to come back in time for the holiday. Stay updated by checking here.