Shad Fest Reels In The Fun At Weekend Celebration In Lambertville

Vendors lined several streets selling everything from art and handcrafted jewelry to Shad Fest t-shirts and treasures made by local artists.

By Jeff Werner, Patch Staff

Apr 27, 2026 5:33 am EDT

Steve Meserve narrates as members of his crew haul in the afternoon catch at Lewis Island. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

LAMBERTVILLE, NJ — Lambertville came together over the weekend to celebrate the return of the shad.

The two-day Shad Fest, organized by the Greater Lambertville Chamber of Commerce, pays homage to the shad even as they fight their way up the Delaware River to spawn.

Vendors lined several streets selling everything from art and handcrafted jewelry to Shad Fest t-shirts and treasures made by Lambertville area artists.

Along the banks of the Delaware River at Lambertville Station, Shad Fest visitors enjoyed the view while a live band entertained. Nearby, the suds were flowing at the event’s beer garden.

A few rain showers failed to dampen Saturday’s fishing demonstration at Lewis Island, where members of the fishery hauled in a catch of catfish, but turned up no shad. Earlier that morning, they caught seven, which they showed to the gathering.

Enjoy these photos from the festival.

Giant bubbles filled the air at the Wells Fargo parking lot as kids played a game of "pop the bubbles." (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Promoting the upcoming shows at the Music Mountain Theatre. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

Cooking shish-ke-bob at the Souvla King Gyro booth. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Volunteers with the Greater Lambertville Chamber of Commerce show off this year's t-shirts. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Photo by Jeff Werner)

Peanut from the Frenchtown Riding Club makes some new friends. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Steve Meserve shows off a shad caught during the morning haul. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

Music in the street. (Jeff Werner/Patch)