BOO! It’s the spooky season and we’re here for it with lots of Halloween and not-so-scary things to do this weekend with the kids. Get your costumes on for a lively parade, circus acts, and family fun at the Princeton’s Annual Hometown Halloween Parade, step into the dark side and meet your favorite villians on the trick-or-treat trail at the Villians Halloween Costume Party in Seaside Heights, or enjoy vendors, food trucks, music, and trick-or-treating at Fall Market at Horseshoe Lake Park in Roxbury Township. And for more start-of-fall fun, find one of the festivals this month near you. (featured photo: Arts Council of Princeton)
(Note: It’s always best to check ahead for in-person events.)
FEATURED
Disney’s Fantasia in Concert
October 23-26
Experience the magic of Disney’s Fantasia in Concert with New Jersey Symphony. The beloved repertoire from the original 1940 version and Fantasia 2000, including The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Dance of the Hours, and The Nutcracker Suite, will be played live while Disney’s stunning footage is shown on the big screen. Enjoy iconic moments and childhood favorites like never before!
Cost: Ticket prices
Oct 23 at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) – 100 South St, Morristown, NJ 07960
Oct 25 at Count Basie Center for the Arts – 99 Monmouth St, Red Bank, NJ 07701
Oct 26 at State Theatre New Jersey (STNJ) – 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Princeton’s Annual Hometown Halloween Parade
October 24 at 5 PM
Dress your little ones in their Halloween costumes and participate in this lively hometown parade. This tradition will begin at Palmer Square Green with a Halloween-themed performance by kids’ favorite storyteller, Jeff. It will then make its way to the YMCA, featuring circus entertainment and free family fun.
Cost: Free
Palmer Square, 1 Palmer Square East, Princeton, NJ 08542
13th Annual Brite Nites
October 24-25
Bring your crew to this spellbinding Halloween adventure, featuring walk-through carved pumpkin displays, unique attractions, spooktacular games for all ages, photo opportunities, and delicious food trucks.
Cost: $10 for adults 13-61, $5 for children 5-12, and seniors 65,+ and free for children under 5
Wagner Farm Arboretum, 197 Mountain Avenue, Warren, NJ 07059
2025 Fall Festival
October 24-25
There will be plenty of kid-friendly activities at this event, including giant inflatables, face painting, a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, a DJ, and more.
Cost: Free
Joseph E. Roberston Park, 1100 Allaire Road, Spring Lake Heights, NJ 07762
Pumpkin Plunge at Five Star Swim School
Join us for a splashing good time at our annual Halloween celebration. Swim alongside floating 10-pound pumpkins and discover the wonders of physics in the pool! After swimming, decorate your very own pumpkin to take home, enjoy delicious snacks, and spend time with friends and family. Costumes are encouraged after swimming to keep the festive spirit alive.
Cost: $20 ($40 in Eatontown, a drop-off event) per child
Deptford, NJ – Friday, October 24 | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
East Brunswick, NJ – Sunday, October 26 | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
East Hanover, NJ – Saturday, October 25 | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Eatontown, NJ – Saturday, October 25 | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Drop-off event!)
Princeton, NJ – Sunday, October 26 | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Haunted Wild West Fest
October 24-26
Come during the day or dare to come at night for the Haunted Wild West Fest. Check out the live-action shows, explore museums in the town, view historical demonstrations, get a hole-in-one in miniature golf, and more. At night, things get scarier for ages 12 and up.
Cost: $24.50 and up for the daytime, $18 online, and $20 at the gate for nighttime
50 Lackawanna Drive, Stanhope, NJ 07874
Fintastic Pumpkin Glow
October 24-26
Explore the glow deep in the water for some fall fun at the aquarium. During this fall festival you can see mesmerizing collection of glowing gourds in every shape, size, and species above the surface or illuminating under the water among the sharks, stingrays, and other aquatic life.
Cost: Ticket prices vary
Adventure Aquarium, 1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ 08103
Great Pumpkin Festival
October 24-26
Head to Heaven Hill Farm for this fall-themed festival featuring the Canine Stars Stunt Dog Show, hayrides, farm animals, pedal carts, a “Big Top” themed corn maze, gem mining, apple cannons, and more fall fun. This year, the corn maze will be an Alice in Wonderland theme.
Cost: $14.99-$21.99 online & $19.99-$21.99 at the door
451 State Route 94, Vernon, NJ 07462
Lentini Farms Fall Festival
October 24-26
Come to this fall festival and enjoy a different live band and food trucks each weekend, along with their beloved 10-acre corn maze, scenic hayrides, sunflower field (seasonal), beer tent, u-pick pumpkin patch, and Haunted hayrides.
Cost: Prices vary
Route 94 South, 251 High Street, Newton, NJ 07860
Johnson’s Locust Hall Farm Fall Extravaganza
October 24-26
Enjoy a jam-packed day full of family fun that will keep you entertained with live music, a delectable Farmhouse Grill, Food Trucks, and a wine-tasting experience with Tomasello Winery. Indulge in the quintessential fall activities, such as picking your own apples, pumpkins, and sunflowers, getting lost in the family-friendly corn maze, or hopping on a hayride tour of the 325-acre farm.
Cost: $8.00-$16.00 + fees
2691 Monmouth Road, Jobstown, NJ 08041
Skylands Stadium Jack O’ Lantern Experience
October 24-26
See over 6,000 Jack O’Lanterns take over Skylands Stadium for some Halloween fun. Enjoy a 45-minute walk-through experience mixed with a family-friendly fall festival with rides, vendors, and food.
Cost: $19 and up
94 Championship Place, Augusta, NJ 07822
Fall Funland at Harbaugh Village
October 24-26
Make the most of fall with fall-themed activities the whole family can enjoy. Race on the pedal car track, leap over the straw mountain, get totally lost in the corn maze, and have a blast sliding down the Mega Slide.
Cost: Ticket prices vary
Harbaugh Village, 126 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill, NJ, 08062
Fall Harvest Days at Norz Hill Farm
October 24-26
Experience Fall Harvest Days at Norz Hill Farm. Get ready for an unforgettable day of farm fun, breathtaking scenery, and educational experiences. From farm tours to corn mazes, kids’ corner, delicious food at Café 120, and a scenic pumpkin patch, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Cost: Ticket prices vary
Norz Hill Farm, 120 South Branch Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844
Pumpkin Illumination
October 25 at 5:30 PM
Bring your carved pumpkin and place it around the reflecting pool for a truly magnificent sight. Make sure you wear your costumes and the lights will be provided for you. There will also be a storytime by Kit’s Interactive Theatre, an art workshop, the luminary mask parade and ending the night with the pumpkin illumination.
Cost: Free
Vail Mansion Plaza, 110 South St, Morristown, NJ 07960
Boo At The Zoo
October 25 at 10 AM
Get those costumes ready—this Halloween celebration will include games, a kids’ costume contest and parade, a pirate ship, craft stations, and a performance by the Cape May Dancers.
Cost: Free
Cape May County Park & Zoo, 707 Route 9 North, Cape May Courthouse, Middle Township, NJ 08210
5th Annual Trunk-Or-Treat
October 25 at 10 AM
Come out for this annual event where your little ones can go car to car, taking in the decorations and filling their bags with candy. Dress up in costume to add to the fun.
Cost: Free
Prestige Family of Dealerships, 4271 Black Horse Pike, Washington Township, NJ 08012
Fall Market at Horseshoe Lake Park
October 25 at 11 AM
Did someone say vendors, food trucks, music, and fall weather? You will find all of this and more at this fair, which will include trick-or-treating, so come dressed in your best costume.
Cost: Free admission
Horseshoe Lake Recreation Complex, 72 Eyland Avenue, Roxbury Township, NJ 07876
Halloween Parade
October 25 at 7 PM
Each year, hundreds of kids dress in their favorite Halloween costumes and parade down Main Street. The fun parade includes marching bands, cheerleaders, princesses, and firemen.
Cost: Free
St. Mary of the Lakes School, 196 NJ-70, Medford, NJ 08055
Howl-O-Ween Bark Bash
October 25 at 10 AM
Head to this annual event, which will benefit the Associated Humane Societies and Popcorn Park Animal Refuge. Vendors, kids’ crafts, live music, adoptable dogs, and more will be there.
Cost: Free
Calgo Gardens, 462 Adelphia Rd, Freehold, NJ 07728
Pink Pathway Breast Cancer Walk
October 25 at 9 AM
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and what better way to support all those touched by breast cancer than with a walk around this mega-entertainment center? For this event, American Dream will be transformed into an uplifting and powerful atmosphere where people of all ages will walk a mile around the space after a short program with stories of hope, inspiration, and remembrance.
Cost: Free to walk for individuals; fundraising is suggested, with a $5 parking fee.
American Dream, 1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford, NJ 07073
DiDonato’s Trick-or-Treat Train
October 25-26
Have your tickets yet? The Trick-or-Treat Train officially leaves the station this September & October, and you won’t want to miss out on a spooktacular family tradition that gets bigger and better every year! Calling all little goblins, witches, and warlocks — climb aboard for a magical ride through our goblin-approved Halloween Town, where surprises and sweet treats await around every corner. Along the way, kids will collect candy at 5 trick-or-treat stops, explore our twisty-turny Halloween Corn Maze, and meet beloved characters like Count Splitz and our friendly local Witchy Pinzella! NEW for 2025: a chilling encounter with the mysterious Warlock!
Cost: Ticket prices
DiDonato Family Fun Center, 1151 South White Horse Pike, Hammonton, New Jersey 08037
Terhune Orchards Fall Family Fun Weekends
October 25-26
Get all the fall feels at Terhune with their adventure barn, live music, pony rides, pumpkin picking, duck races, and pick-your-own opportunities.
Cost: A variety of packages are available
330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
Donaldson Farms Fall Harvest Weekends
October 25-26
Head to the farm for apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, corn cannons, apple cider samples, and seasonal treats.
Cost: Free to enter
358 Allen Road, Hackettstown, NJ 07840
Happy Day Farm Fall Festival
October 25-26
Weekends are full of autumnal fun at Happy Day, featuring activities like an animal zoo, a Lainey Wilson-themed corn maze, horse swings, pedal carts, and all the fall fun you can imagine in one place during their annual Fall Festival. Be sure to check out the Pumpkinvile House for photo ops.
Cost: $27 per person; tickets for weekends must be purchased online
106 Iron Ore Road, Manalapan, NJ 07726
VonThun Farms Fall Festival
October 25-26
Bring the family to the Fall Festival with over 20 all-ages activities in two locations—play fall-themed games, go on one of the hayrides, take a challenge through the 6-acre interactive corn maze, see farm animals, pick pumpkins and apples, and don’t forget to take lots of photos.
Cost: Ticket prices vary. Free Parking
519 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852
438 Route 57 West, Washington Township, NJ 07882
Diggerfest
October 25-26
Pumpkins are popping up all over Diggerland USA for this season’s annual Diggerfest. Enjoy hayrides, live music, carnival games, pumpkin decorating, fall parades, and more.
Cost: $45.99
100 Pineadge Drive, West Berlin, NJ 08091
Fall Festival
October 26 at 1:30 PM
This festival features a range of family-friendly activities, including crafts, a petting zoo, vendor booths, a garden tour, and more.
Cost: Free
John Patrick Sports Complex, Vine Street, Lakewood, NJ 08701
FCwalk
October 26 at 11 AM
Walk with the community and make a difference. Bring the family together and walk to create acceptance and understanding for the unique needs and gifts of people with special needs. There will also be food, a live BMX performance, and a carnival.
Cost: Register and donate
LifeTown, 10 Microlab Road, Livingston, NJ 07039
Villains Halloween Costume Party
October 26 at 1 PM
Get in the Halloween spirit with a spooky Villains Halloween Party. Come dressed in your favorite costume and get ready for a Trick-or-Treat Trail, spooky surprises, Halloween fun, and lots of villainous mischief.
Cost: Free
Casino Pier Breakwater Beach, 800 Ocean Terrace, Seaside Heights, NJ 08751
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