This weekend pick pumpkins straight from the vine at Happy Day Farm’s Pumpkin Festival in Manalapan, meet the barnyard animals and get lost in corn mazes at the Apple Days Harvest Festival in Terhune Orchards or watch the animal parade and meet the adoptable dogs at 23rd Annual Woofstock Festival in Voorhees. Fall is in full swing!
Psst! Don’t forget to hashtag #NJMOM and tag @njmom and your little cuties could be featured in our next photo round-up.
Here are 9 kid-friendly things to do around New Jersey this weekend:
Feast of St. Michael
September 27 – 29
It’s that time of year again–when the traditional Italian festivals filled with delish food and family fun are making a strong showing. Head to St. Michael Church in Cranford this weekend to get your fill of sausage and peppers, meatball subs, a beer garden, live music from local bands, as well as carnival games and rides for the littles. And did we mention zeppoles? Bonus: Thursday and Sunday are unlimited rides for $25!
40 Alden St.
Cranford, NJ
Cost: free
Hackettstown Oktoberfest
September 27 – 29
Lederhosen, pretzels, the chicken dance, those Steins full of beer—what’s not to love about Oktoberfest? Bring the whole fam to Hackettstown’s Oktoberfest, which will have plenty of pilseners to go around and celebrates all things German. Your kids will love the Stein Carry Race (done with water) as well as the grain bag toss, a costume contest and petting zoo. Raise your mug for a traditional prost (cheers!); lederhosen optional.
144 Main St.
Hackettstown, NJ
Cost: free
Pumpkin Festival at Happy Day Farm
September 28 – 29
Go straight to the source and cut your own Great Pumpkin at Happy Day Farm’s 15-acre pumpkin patch, where kids will have a ball at their annual Pumpkin Festival. Stop by the food vendors for lunch and sweet treats like apple fritters and fried oreos (yum!), then let the littles run loose with tractor rides, corn mazes, horse bouncers, rainbow tires and rubber duck racing. Still want to keep the party going? For an additional fee, enjoy pony rides, paintball and pumpkin decorating—after all, it’s fall y’all!
106 Iron Ore Rd.
Manalapan, NJ
Cost: $16, kids under 2 free
Asbury Park Fall Bazaar
September 28 – 29
Summer may be over (cue tears here), but that doesn’t mean beach festivals have to end. Head to the Asbury Park Convention Hall for a celebration of makers, music, art and fresh seafood. You’ll love strolling through the vintage and handmade market, practicing yoga on the beach, sampling specials from local faves The Anchor’s Bend & Asbury Oyster Bar and snapping a selfie in front of the vintage flower wall. Kids will have a blast too with DIY workshops, a coloring station and making funny faces in an adorbs vintage camper photo booth.
Asbury Park Convention Hall
Asbury Park, NJ
Cost: free
Apple Days Fall Harvest Festival Weekends at Terhune Orchards
September 28 – 29, 10AM-5PM
It’s harvest season, and Terhune Orchards is the place to celebrate all things apple. Head to the adventure barn, live music, a winery tasting room and pick your own apples and pumpkins. Have fun with tractor rides, pumpkin painting, meet the barnyard animals, and then get lost in the corn or hay bale mazes. Make it a festive fall weekend your littles won’t forget!
Terhune Orchards
Princeton, NJ
Cost: $10, Kids under 3 are free
Manasquan Fall Craft Fair
September 28, 10AM-4PM
The holidays may be months away, but getting a head start on gift shopping will put you ahead of the curve. Check out the Manasquan Fall Craft fair where makers will be on hand selling handmade arts and crafts. Your kids will love the live entertainment, apple and pumpkin pie baking contests, and pumpkin painting activities. Voorhees Plaza
Manasquan, NJ
Cost: free
Spring Lake’s Italian Festival
September 28, 12PM-5PM
Italy not in your vacation plans? Go to the next best thing, when the Spring Lake Italian Festival recreates an Italian village in town. Dine al fresco with pizza, pasta, bread and cannolis from local restaurants, while enjoying live entertainment featuring Italian folk dances, face painting and a show from “Uncle Floyd”, a renowned Italian entertainer. Bonus: Watch people stuff their faces with spaghetti in the Spaghetti Eating Contest—a crowd favorite.
Third Ave and Morris Ave in downtown Spring Lake
Cost: free
23rd Annual Woofstock Festival
September 28, 11AM-4PM
Bring the whole fam, including the four-legged members, to the 23rd Annual Woofstock Festival sponsored by Voorhees Animal Orphanage this Saturday. There will be a bunch of pet-loving festivities, including 100 vendors with crafts, dog demonstrations, readings from an animal communicator psychic, a kids corner and an animal parade. Don’t have a pet yet? Check out the adoptees from over 30 animal rescue groups too.
John Connolly Park
Voorhees, NJ
Cost: free
Red Bank 10th Annual Guinness Oyster Festival
September 29, 12PM-6PM
Celebrate the opening of oyster season with your crew, great food, beers and live music in downtown Red Bank at the Red Bank Guinness Oyster Festival. Eat as many oysters as your belly can hold while listening to shore bands like Brian Kirk and The Jirks, Almost U2, and others. Littles have plenty to do too, like going for a spin on the kiddie rides and getting up close to the animals at the petting zoo.
White Street Municipal Parking Lot
Red Bank, NJ
Cost: $5, kids 10 and under free
