Fresh produce, a family-friendly farm, and a fall festival—what more could you ask for from a farm? Lentini Farms in Newton, NJ, started in 1971 when Anthony V. Lentini Jr sold watermelon on the side of Route 206, and today, it’s morphed into 1,000 acres of produce, grain corn, and loads of family agro-tainment fun. Though they are open during the growing season, the farm fun ramps up during the Fall Festival, featuring farm-themed mazes, hayrides, live music, food trucks, and a pumpkin patch during the day and a host of haunted and spooky scares at night. You can also scoop up their fresh produce at their farmstands—scroll down to get all the details on what to do this fall at Lentini Farms, one of our favorite family-friendly farms in NJ. (feature photo taken at Lentini Farms)
Find family fun and festive fall activities at Lentini Farms
The hay maze is fun for the kiddos at Lentini Farms. Photo taken at Lentini Farms
Get festive this fall
Good news if you have active kids who like to take off on their own—Lentini Farms keeps most of its activities centralized, so it’s easy to keep an eye on the whole family. Conveniently nestled under the well-lit picnic area is a private corn pit tucked away in their exclusive party tent, which is a great place to let the littles loose. Their 10-acre corn maze is iconic and appeals to kids and adults who will want to take the challenge (hints are on the trivia throughout the maze). Looking for a fun snap to include on your holiday cards? Strike a pose on the lookout bridge in the middle that oversees the fall festivities. Once you make it through the maze, make sure you go to The Harvest Moon Booth and show your wristband stamp for a free apple. Afterward, take a scenic hayride throughout the farm that will drop you off at the pumpkin patch to bring home a potential jack-o-lantern. During their fall festival, a revolving fleet of local food trucks arrives every weekend, so get a bite while you listen and dance to live music. Kids can climb in a hay maze, play corn hole, go through a tire crawl, relax by the fire pits, and check out the resident farm animals. And during sunflower season, there’s also a field bursting with the happy, yellow flowers.
Photo ops are available all over the farm. Photo taken at Lentini Farms
Stay for the scares
Nighttime at Lentini Farms is magical and a little spooky. Enjoy live music by the fire pit, take a hayride during golden hour, and explore the illuminated maze atop a hill overlooking the grounds. From 7 PM – 10 PM, older kids and adults will want to get ready for some serious scares on a haunted hayride throughout the farm (if you dare). Purchase the Nightime Terror Package, which includes general admission, a live band, food truck vendors, and the haunted hayride—Boo!
Pumpkins and lots of produce are at the farm. Photo taken at Lentini Farms
Fill-er up with a stop at the food trucks and farm stands
Hungry? Every weekend in fall, Lentini Farms hosts local food trucks, so you can check out their Instagram close to your visit to see who is going to be there. And a must-try is the farm’s fresh seasonal ice cream flavor made on-site—it’s corn-inspired and absolutely delectable with the perfect sweet and salty balance. You can hang out at one of the picnic tables near the beer tent, The Harvest Moon café, the outdoor stage, and the food truck fleet. And make sure to pick up a s’mores kit to use at one of the brick fire pits scattered throughout the property. Can’t make it to get their produce? Stop by one of the five farmstands in New Jersey, which include Augusta, Stillwater, and two locations in Newton and Branchville, to stock up all the fresh-picked produce throughout the season.
What to know before you go
The fall festival runs from September 16 to October 29, 2023, with daily and night activities. There are a variety of packages to purchase based on the activities you want to do at the farm, which include choices like the Hungry Ghost package or the A-maiz-ing package. There will also be a fireworks show on October 20, 2023. The grounds are stroller-friendly, but all-terrain or wagons are recommended. Their fresh produce is available at various times throughout the year at farm stands in Augusta, Stillwater, and two locations in Newton and Branchville, where you can get everything from Jersey Fresh tomatoes to sweet corn.
For more information, visit the Lentini Farms website, Instagram and Facebook.
Lentini Farms
Route 94 South, 251 High Street
Newton, NJ 07860
(973) 579-2424
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