Get those pumpkins out—we’re embracing spooky season with lots of kid-friendly fun this weekend. View Presby Gardens at dusk as it comes to life with artfully carved jack-o’-lanterns, cider, a mad science show, and kids’ activities at Gardens Aglow in Montclair, check out a dog costume parade with vendors, kids’ activities, and live music at Fall Fest in Berlin, or celebrate the season with fun activities for all ages, including hayrides, crafters, and a pumpkin patch at Oktoberfest in Hamilton. And for more family-friendly fun, find one of the free things to do near you. (featured photo: iStock/Linas Toleikis)
FEATURED
Five Star Swim School Pumpkin Plunge
Get ready for some pumpkin-filled fun in the pool! Join us for a fun-filled family event where you can swim with REAL pumpkins, decorate your own, enjoy tasty snacks, play games, and spend time with friends! Costumes are encouraged, so feel free to get creative and festive!
Cost: $20 per child
Deptford – Saturday, October 24th, 1:30 PM- 3:30 PM, 1500 Almonesson Rd, Woodbury, NJ 08096
Eatontown – Saturday, October 24th, 1:30 PM-3:30 PM, 1 Corbett Wy #2, Eatontown, NJ 07724
Lehigh Valley – Sunday, October 25th, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM, 1597 Lehigh St, Allentown, PA 18103
Galloway – Sunday, October 25th, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM, 323 S Pitney Rd, Galloway, NJ 08205
East Hanover – Sunday, November 1st, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM, 182 NJ-10, East Hanover, NJ 07936
Oakland – Sunday, November 1st, 2 PM-4 PM, 350 Ramapo Valley Rd, Oakland, NJ 07436
Gardens Aglow at Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
October 16 at 6 PM
Kick off the spooky season at dusk when Presby Memorial Gardens glows with artfully carved jack-o’-lanterns lit with candles for a beautiful display. There will also be fall activities, a mad science show, refreshments, and entertainment. Rain date is October 17.
Cost: FREE
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, 474 Upper Mountain Ave, Montclair, NJ 07043
Dalton Farms Sunflower and Pumpkin Fest
October 16-18
Bring the family to this South Jersey farm for a fall festival everyone will love. Pick sunflowers, enjoy a pumpkin patch, pumpkin town, tractor rides, live music, and plenty of family-friendly activities, including lots of spots for family photos.
660 Oak Grove Road, Swedesboro, NJ 08085
Riamede Farm Fall Fest
October 16-18
Hop on a hayride through nearly 25 acres of apples, wander the sunflower field, or choose the perfect pumpkin for carving season. On fall weekends, the farm shines with live music, local brewery beer, farm-fresh food, cider slushies, and donuts. Visit the farm animals from Barnes Yard, try the apple slingshot, explore the flower rows, or simply soak up the crisp fall atmosphere.
122 Oakdale Road, Chester, NJ 07930
Johnson’s Locust Hall Farm Fall Extravaganza
October 16-18
Enjoy a jam-packed day full of family fun with live music, a delectable Farmhouse Grill, Food Trucks, and a wine-tasting experience with Tomasello Winery. Enjoy quintessential fall activities, including 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.
2691 Monmouth Road, Jobstown, NJ 08041
Lentini Farms Harvest Festival
October 16-18
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 more.
Route 94 South, 251 High Street, Newton, NJ 07860
Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure
October 16-18
Haunted Houses, Scare Zones, and Rides in the Dark mean one thing: Fright Fest is back. This spooky event will keep older kids and adults on their toes (recommended for ages 13 and over). Enter if you dare!
1 Six Flags Boulevard, Jackson, NJ 08527
Skylands Stadium Jack O’Lantern Experience
October 16-18
See over 6,000 Jack-o’-lanterns take over Skylands Stadium for some Halloween fun. Enjoy a 45-minute walk-through experience, featuring a family-friendly fall festival with rides, vendors, and food.
94 Championship Place, Augusta, NJ 07822
Historic Smithville’s Costume Pet Parade
October 17
Do you have a furry family member you love dressing up? Or maybe you want to match with them this Halloween? Bring your pet in their Halloween best and check out all the cute costumes.
Cost: FREE
Historic Smithville, Route 9 & Moss Mill Road, Smithville, NJ 08205
Oasis Oktoberfest
October 17
Enjoy an authentic Oktoberfest celebration underneath the big tent. Enjoy German food and beer, plus a performance by The Nerds, NJ’s favorite shore band. Enjoy fun activities like a game tent and a beer stein-hoisting competition.
McBride Field, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
Edison’s Fall Family Spectacular
October 17 at 1 PM
Bring the family to this festival, which features kiddie rides, games, face painting, sand art, a pro wrestling ring, a remote-controlled car track, food, crafts, exhibitors, a Wine and Beer Garden, and live music.
Cost: FREE
1011 Amboy Avenue, Edison, NJ 08817
Annual Sussex County Harvest, Honey, and Garlic Festival
October 17 at 10 AM
Celebrate the fall harvest with educational displays and materials from Garden State Garlic Growers and the Sussex County Beekeepers, plus an array of honey and garlic products. Local artisans, crafters, hayrides, pumpkin painting, face painting, and crafts will also be available.
Cost: FREE
Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road, Augusta, NJ, 07822
New Jersey Oyster Festival
October 17 at 12 PM
Join local oyster purveyors and vote for your favorite bivalve for the People’s Choice Award. The festival will also feature local food trucks, a shucking contest, vendors, and live music.
2800 High Street, Port Norris, NJ 08349
Halloween Book Fair & Market
October 17 at 12 PM
This market is such a fun way to get out and about to celebrate the fall season. Enjoy live music, tarot readings, kids’ activities, Halloween photo ops, and delicious food vendors.
Cost: FREE admission
Calgo Gardens, 462 Adelphia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728
Long Branch Fall Festival and Pooch Parade
October 17 at 12 PM
Celebrate this beautiful season with family fun, delicious fall flavors, and all the furry friends you can imagine. Fun includes face painting, trick-or-treating, mini-golf, pumpkin-carving demonstrations, and the cutest pet parade.
Cost: FREE
Pier Village, 50 Chelsea Ave. Long Branch, NJ 07740
BergenPoint Fall Festival
October 17 at 12 PM
Bring the family to this fun event, featuring inflatable rides, face painting, live music, a pumpkin patch, and more. There will also be a dog costume contest, so dress your furry friends in your favorite character.
Cost: FREE
5th to Cottage Street, Bayonne, NJ 07002
Heartstrings Fall Festival
October 17 at 12 PM
Come out for a fun day of live music, performances, delicious food, vendors, and fun kid activities. Make sure you stop and say hi to the farm animals.
Cost: FREE
Colts Neck Firehouse Grounds, 123 County Road 537, Colts Neck, NJ 07722
Chatsworth Cranberry Festival
October 17-18 at 9 AM
This annual event celebrates all things cranberry. Enjoy a juried craft show, shop 150+ vendors, taste cranberry foods, and listen to live music.
Cost: FREE
3980 Main Street, Chatsworth, NJ 08019
Pumpkin Train
October 17-18
Ride the rails with the Black River & Western and Everitt Farms at Pumpkin Junction. Board the train in Flemington and arrive in style at Everitt Farms for pumpkin picking, wagon rides, and lots of fall fun.
80 Stangl Road, Flemington, NJ 08822
Donaldson Farms Fall Harvest Weekends
October 17-18
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
DiDonato’s Trick-or-Treat Train
October 17-18
Enjoy beautiful fall foliage as you hop aboard the “All A Boo” train, perfect for the littles in the fam. The train will take you through Halloween Town, including tricks, treats, and surprises (costumes are encouraged). After the ride, get lost in the Halloween corn maze, trick-or-treat spots, a pumpkin patch, a giant slide, and more.
DiDonato’s Family Fun Center, 1151 South White Horse Pike, Hammonton, NJ 08037
Diggerfest
October 17-18
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.
100 Pineadge Drive, West Berlin, NJ 08091
VonThun Farms Fall Festival
October 17-18
Bring the family to the Fall Festival for 20+ all-ages activities in two locations—play fall-themed games, take a hayride, take on the 6-acre interactive corn maze challenge, see farm animals, pick pumpkins and apples, and don’t forget to take lots of photos.
519 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852
438 Route 57 West, Washington Township, NJ 07882
Happy Day Farm Fall Festival
October 17-18
Weekends are full of autumnal fun at Happy Day, with activities like an animal zoo, a Dolly Parton-themed corn maze where you can search for each square on your Maize-O-Poly game board, horse swings, pedal carts, and all the fall fun you can imagine, all in one place during their annual Fall Festival. Be sure to check out the Pumpkinville House for photo ops.
106 Iron Ore Road, Manalapan, NJ 07726
Great Pumpkin Festival
October 17-18
Head to Heaven Hill Farm for this fall-themed festival featuring the Canine Stars Stunt Dog Show, hayrides, farm animals, pedal carts, a themed corn maze, gem mining, apple cannons, and more fall fun. This year, the corn maze will be themed “Celebrating America 250 Years.”
451 State Route 94, Vernon, NJ 07462
Spooky Wild West City
October 17-18
Come during the day for a spooktacular, family-friendly good time with live-action dramatizations by historical characters and demonstrations from period artisans. Kids can dress up for the costume contest, trick-or-treating, and helping the Marshal track down the notorious Headless Horseman Gang. Beware— the Wicked Witch of the Wild West is coming. At night, things get scarier for ages 12 and up at the Haunted Wild West Fest.
50 Lackawanna Drive, Stanhope, NJ 07874
Snyder’s Farm Fall Festival
October 17-18
Step out this season to a corn maze, pumpkin picking, fire pits, comfort food, and more. Snyder’s has everything you need to get in a fall mood.
586 South Middlebush Road, Somerset, NJ 08873
Fall Festival
October 18 at 1:30 PM
This festival offers family-friendly fun, including crafts, a petting zoo, vendors, a garden tour, and more.
Cost: FREE
John Patrick Sports Complex, Vine Street, Lakewood, NJ 08701
Hamilton Oktoberfest
October 18
Celebrate Oktoberfest with fun activities for all ages, including hayrides, crafters, a pumpkin patch, and more. There will also be character meet-and-greets for the kids. The rain date is October 25.
Cost: FREE
Veterans Park South, Klockner Road, Hamilton, NJ 08690
2026 Italian Heritage Parade
October 18 at 1 PM
October is a great time to get outdoors with the family and head to this fun parade. Spend the afternoon watching the parade and enjoying all things Italian at the post-parade celebration, with food, raffles, and live music at St. Vincent’s Church Hall.
Cost: FREE
From 56th to Devlin Drive, Bayonne, NJ 07002
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