It’s full steam fall fun ahead with lots of activities for the whole fam this weekend. Go all aboard for Halloween thrills on DiDonato’s Trick-or-Treat Train in Hammonton, listen to German music and do some pre-holiday shopping at the Craft Show at Oktoberfest in Demarest, and get your little reader ready for a good book at the Morristown Festival of Books and KidFest in Morristown. And if you are looking for more to do this season, take a peek at our Fall Activities in New Jersey Guide.
Featured Photo Credit: DiDonato’s Family Fun Center
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(Note: Since COVID-19 rules and regulations are continually changing, it’s best to check ahead for in-person events)
Late Night at the Museum – Rutgers Geology Museum
October 6 from 6 PM-7:30 PM
Celebrate Earth Science Week and National Fossil Day by joining the Rutgers Geology Museum to discover the different types of dinosaurs and other creatures that inhabited Earth during the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic Eras. This virtual event will include at-home arts and crafts, a trivia game, and a guest presentation. Check out their Late Night webpage for the schedule of activities, and you can tune into the Late Night Event here.
Cost: Free
Virtual
(848) 932-7243
The LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup
October 6-10
On October 6, the tournament’s opening day, general admission tickets are FREE, courtesy of the New Jersey Golf Foundation. Kids in attendance can check out a junior golf clinic where they can develop (or hone) their skills. And whatever day you go, your littles will have the chance to take lessons or participate in other cool programs with no prior golf experience required. But the can’t-miss event of the week is Junior Golf Day on October 9, which is all about the kiddos. On Junior Golf Day, get ready to “par-tee” on the golf course. Kids start on the upper driving range beginning at 9 AM for a yummy waffle welcome. The day continues with empowering activities set up by LPGA*USGA Girls Golf at Camp PING.
Cost: Varies per event
Mountain Ridge Country Club, 713 Passaic Ave., West Caldwell, NJ 07006
(973) 575-8200
Oktoberfest at Morey’s Piers
October 8-10
Get ready for four consecutive weekends of German-themed goodness with “Oktober das Oktopus,” live entertainment, kids “Rootbier Garten” activity area, and more at the lively Oktoberfest on Morey’s Piers. On September 17 at 5:45 PM, the festivities kick-off with a ceremonial keg tapping of Warsteiner beer and the Morey family clad in lederhosen—prost!
Cost: Prices starting at $29
3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ 08260
(609) 729-3700
Italian Street Festival and Parade
October 8-10
Enjoy lots of fabulous food and festivities. Don’t miss the parade on October 10 with floats, bands, antique cars, contests, clowns, and more.
Cost: Prices vary per event
Seaside Heights, NJ 08751
Jersey Shore’s Authentic 6th Annual Oktoberfest
October 8-10
Live polka music is back, and this lively spot lets you sample all the tastes and sounds of a traditional Oktoberfest atop their festive rooftop Biergarten. There will be a Munich Style tent on the Biergarten roof too.
Cost: Free
527 Lake Ave., Asbury Park, NJ 07712
(732) 997-8767
Lima Bean Festival
October 9 from 9 AM-4 PM
Celebrate the farming heritage of West Cape May with the Lima Bean Festival. There will be recipes, crafts, and products.
Cost: Free
Back Park, 732 Broadway, West Cape May
festivals@westcapemay.us
Fall Block Party and Fireworks Spectacular
October 9 from 9 AM-5 PM, Fireworks 9 PM
From 5th – 14th Streets on Asbury Avenue, over 400 crafters, food vendors, music, and more will fill the streets. And don’t miss the fireworks—they’ll launch from a barge in the ocean near the Music Pier at 9 PM and best viewed from the beach and boardwalk between Fifth Street and 14th Street.
Cost: Free
5th-14th Street, Ocean City, NJ 08226
1-800-BEACH-NJ
The Craft Show at Oktoberfest
October 9
This Oktoberfest has enough fun for the whole family, including canoe rides and nature presentations from experts and German music, and typical German dishes and beer. You can also get a head start on holiday shopping with over 75 makers and crafters offering handmade wares.
Cost: Free
38 Park St., Demarest, NJ 07627
info@demarestnaturecenter.org
Turkey Brook Park Oktoberfest
October 9
Get ready for food, games, vendors, and hayrides for the whole family. And don’t miss the fireworks show at 8 PM.
Cost: Free
Turkey Brook Park, 30 Flanders Road, Budd Lake, NJ 07828
(973) 426-7263
Oyster Shellabration LBI
October 9
Celebrate shellfish and raise money for the Oyster Recycling Program. The event will have food, drinks, music, demonstrations, and more.
Cost: Free
Bayview Park, 68th Street, Brant Beach, NJ 08008
(609) 361-3395
Morristown Festival of Books with KidFest
October 9 from 11 AM-4 PM
The Festival of Books has more than 30 fiction, nonfiction, young adult, and children’s authors. There will also be book sales and signings, and outdoor entertainment. KidFest will also take place with opportunities for kids to meet their favorite authors and illustrators while joining interactive presentations and book reading. Kids can also get their pictures taken with costume characters, enjoy fun musical acts, and participate in writing workshops.
Cost: Free
110 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
Manasquan Inlet Intracoastal Tug of War
October 9 from 11 AM-4 PM
There will be food, music, craft vendors, and more to check out while you watch competing teams join in the ultimate game of tug of war right over the Manasquan Inlet.
Cost: Free; there is a fee if you are on a team.
Manasquan Inlet locations in Point Pleasant Beach and Manasquan
DiDonato’s Trick-or-Treat Train
October 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 23, and 24
Get your costumes ready and take a train ride through a friendly Halloween town with tricks, treats, and surprises. But that’s not all—explore a hay maze, visit the pumpkin patch, race down a giant slide, and more.
Cost: $11.95 per person if purchased before September 25, then $12.95 and up
1151 South White Horse Pike, Hammonton, NJ 08037
(609) 561-3040
Smithville Irish Fest
October 9 from 10 AM-6 PM and October 10 from 11 AM-6 PM
Two days of family fun with food, vendors, live music, and family fun. There will also be Celtic dancers, the Sandpipers Pipe & Drum Band, and two stages of live music with traditional Irish folk music to modern American-Celtic rock.
Cost: Free
The Village Green of Historic Smithville Village, 615 E. Moss Mill Road, Galloway, NJ 08205
(609) 316-7901
South Jersey Pumpkin Show
October 9-10
Just in case live entertainment, hayrides, and free family contests aren’t enough to entice you, wait until you find out what happens—the Headless Horseman will arrive at the Graveyard to tell a spooky story. On Sunday, stick around for the pumpkin pageant at this 18th annual fall festival in NJ.
Cost: Free
Salem County Fairgrounds – 735 Harding Highway (Rt. 40), Woodstown, NJ 08098
(856) 765-0118
Pumpkin Patch Train
October 10 and 17 from 1, 2, 3, 4 PM
All aboard the pumpkin train—take a 10-mile 45 minute round trip from Whippany to Roseland, and after the ride with a valid ticket, your kiddos can pick out their pumpkin. Pumpkin decorating kit while supplies last.
Cost: $15 and up
(973) 887-8177
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Jersey City
October 10 at 10:00 AM
The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer movement unites all communities, companies, and individuals across the country in the fight to end breast cancer. Join this walk with sweeping views of the city to fight breast cancer and bring hope to future generations.
Cost: Donation-based
Liberty State Park, 200 Morris Pesin Dr., Jersey City, NJ 07305
Running with the Devils 2021
Now through October 24 virtually or October 24 in-person 5K registration starts at 7:30 AM
RWJBarnabas Health and the New Jersey Devils are teaming up again this year at the Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex to honor RWJBarnabas Health’s 35,000 healthcare workers with the Running with the Devils 5K and Walk. Besides all the fun and NJ Devil players lending a hand, your family can feel good about participating—100% of the proceeds will benefit RWJBarnabas Healthcare Heros in their efforts to protect and build healthier communities. You can register here ahead of time for the in-person run and virtual one.
Cost: Registration starts at $30 for adults, $25 for RWJBarnabas employees, and children under 11 are free
Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex/Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange, NJ 07052
Snyders Farm Fall Festival
Weekends only from Now-October 24, 11 AM-6 PM
What could be finer than food, music, and family activities on a chilly fall weekend? Not much, which is why Snyders Farm gives you all that and more. Your cuties will love the hayrides, pumpkin picking, plus the cost of the pumpkin, corn maze, and more.
Cost: $15
586 South Middlebush Road, Somerset, NJ 08873
(732) 496-0441
Zeppelin Hall Oktoberfest
Now-October 24
During this almost-a-full-month-long celebration, they’re serving Oktoberfest beer, Bavarian dishes, and pretzels – with kid-friendly options like burgers and mac and cheese too. On weekdays, they have “Happy Hour” from 4 PM to 7 PM. And on weekends, your whole family can relax and enjoy the live German bands that play from 3 PM to 7 PM (on both days) on stage.
Cost: Cost of meal
88 Liberty View Dr., Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 721-8888
Sunflower Festival at Holland Ridge Farms
Now-October 31
See the blooms that inspired Vincent Van Gogh’s famous sunflower painting at these fields where millions of sunflowers are in season. Pick over eight varieties of sunflowers, including yellow, red, and white. Online tickets only.
Cost: $12.80 for ages 3 and up
86 Rues Road, Cream Ridge, NJ 08514
(609) 448-7483
Diggerfest
Now-November 7 from 11 AM-6 PM
Do you love diggers and the fall? Then, head out to Diggerland this weekend for the start of Diggerfest. The whole family can spend the day operating all the fantastic machines while enjoying live music, special fall foods, hayrides, and fun and games. Of course, you’ll get to celebrate all things fall, too, with pumpkin decorating, fall parades, and even a petting zoo on select days.
Cost: $44.95 per ticket
Diggerland – 100 Pinedge Drive, West Berlin, NJ 08091
(856) 768-1110
Great Pumpkin Festival
Now-November 7
Self-proclaimed as the “Largest Fall Festival in Northern New Jersey,” it has over 40 different activities each day, including a hay crawl, vortex tunnel, pedal cart track, and more. Heaven Hill Farm also offers on-site wine tastings, a farmer’s market, and more.
Cost: prices starting at $14.99 during the week and $19.99 on weekdays
451 State Route 94, Vernon, NJ 07462
(973) 764-5144
Outdoor Fall Festival at Skylands Stadium
Now-November 7
Over 6,000 pumpkins fill this spectacular Halloween Walk-Through (expect it to take 45 minutes to see it all). While you are there, roast a s’more on the fire pit and sip hot apple cider. Or ride the Ferris wheel and carousel and decorate at the pumpkin pick-and-paint. And when you need an adult beverage, there’s a beer garden too.
Cost: Walk-Thru $19-$24, VIP access $34
Skylands Stadium – 94 Championship Place, Augusta, NJ 07822
(973) 383-7644
Fall Festival Weekends at VonThun Farms
Weekends now through October 31 from 10 AM – 5 PM
This family-friendly farm (with 2 locations) has a packed seasonal schedule with over 20 different farm activities and attractions like hayrides, a 5+ acre corn maze, barnyard basketball, lil’ rocking horses, pedal karts, and more. While admission includes most of the attractions, there are additional fees for corn cannons and pony rides.
Cost: $14.99 General admission and up
VonThun’s Country Farm Market – 438 Route 57 West, Washington, NJ 07882
(732) 986-6816
VonThun’s Country Farm Market – 519 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852
(732) 329-8656
Family Fun Fall Weekends at Terhune Orchards
Weekends from now-October 31 from 10 AM-5 PM
At Terhune Orchards in Princeton, you and the littles can celebrate fall in NJ with live music, picking pumpkins, and a corn maze or hay bale maze. Don’t miss the hippy hop corral, pumpkin painting, and duckie races too. You can also visit the barnyard, play area, and adventure barn. Take a stroll on the pollinator trail and indulge in apple cider, donuts, and wines made from grapes on the farm.
Cost: $11 online, $14 at the gate
330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 924-2310
Argos Farm Fall Festival
Opening Day: September 18, and the hours vary per month
With a ton of different fall-themed activities, your kiddos will have a blast getting into the spirit of the season with a corn maze, wagon rides, a double hay slide, corn hole, pick-your-own pumpkins, the new gauntlet obstacle course, plus so much more. After, indulge in yummy fall treats from their Farm Market. Make sure to purchase your tickets online before you go.
Cost: $12 on weekdays and $15 on weekends and holidays
1250 Lacey Rd., Forked River, NJ 08731
(609) 693-3513
Fright Fest at Six Flag Great Adventure
Now-October 31
Rides, shows, entertainment, haunted attractions, scare zones, and more at the annual Fright Fest event in Jackson, NJ. Don’t worry if your littles don’t want to be frightened—there are family-friendly events throughout the day, but Six Flags transforms into a scarier Fright Fest once night falls.
Cost: Admission starts at around $30.99
Six Flags Great Adventure – 1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson, NJ 08527
(732) 928-2000
Happy Day Farm Fall Harvest Festival
Open Saturdays and Sundays (Plus Fridays in October) from 10 AM-5 PM, last entry at 4 PM
Now through October 31
Begin your fall adventure at Happy Day Farm’s Fall Harvest Festival, jam-packed with activities all day long like pumpkin bowling, tractor rides, a corn maze, hay mountain, pig races, fun slide, horse lasso, tug-o-war, and so much more. Oh, and did we mention that their pumpkin patch and photo ops at Pumpkinville is open seven days a week with no admission, pay for what you pick? Don’t miss the fun add-ons like the jumping pillow, corn cannon, and sunflowers for an extra fee. Be sure to purchase your tickets ahead of time.
Cost: $20
106 Iron Ore Road, Manalapan, NJ 07726
(732) 977-3607
Ort Farms Fall Fest
Now-October 31
Known as “the most spacious farm in Morris County,” Ort Farms offers its visitors so much in the way of fall family fun. Enjoy a monster truck ride with your family and friends, head to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin, get lost in the corn maze, or take a cow train ride. After you’ve had your fill, be sure to check out the farm store to try out Ort Farms’ delicious fresh apples, apple cider, donuts, pumpkin rolls, local ice cream, homegrown produce, and more.
Cost: $8
25 Bartley Road, Long Valley, NJ 07853
(908) 876-3351
RWJBarnabas Health: Cooking Classes for Kids
Dates and times vary depending on the program
Kids of all ages will love cooking up healthy treats in these virtual hands-on cooking classes (adult supervision required during class): Try Healthy Kids in Hannah’s Kitchen for kids 8-12, where they’ll learn to use a recipe, cook with nutritious ingredients, and utilize kitchen basics or try Taste Testers in Hannah’s Kitchen, a Mommy and Me style class for 2-4-year-olds.
Cost: Free
RWJBarnabas, Virtual
(973) 926-7371
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