It’s prime time for everything fall, and this week, we’re celebrating the season and gearing up for the scariest day of the year. Put on your costumes and get into the Halloween spirit at Haunted Wild West City Fest in Stanhope, celebrate all things spooky and ooky at the Addams Family Fun Day in Westfield, or paddle a canoe and run through a corn maze at Thompson Park Day in Lincroft. 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: Addamsfest
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(Note: Since COVID-19 rules and regulations are continually changing, it’s best to check ahead for in-person events)
Haunted Wild West City Fest
Day Fest – Saturdays and Sundays in October, Night Fest – Fridays and Saturdays in October
There will be nonstop western entertainment during the day with a Halloween twist for kids of all ages. Tales of the Wild West will come to life through historical characters, live-action, and demonstrations by period artisans. Kids can come in costume, and the whole family will have a ball aboard the Wild West City Stage Coach or train. Want a genuinely haunted, creepy experience? Head to the terrifying Night Fest (for kids ages 12 and up).
Cost: Prices $15 and up
50 Lackawanna Drive, Stanhope, NJ 07874
(973) 347-8900
The 14th Annual Scarecrow Stroll
October 15-31
Check out the handmade scarecrows made and donated by Cranford families, business owners, and organizations lining the downtown streets. The Scarecrow Stroll is one of downtown’s biggest events, so don’t miss it. If you live in town, you can register for free, and prizes will be awarded to the top scarecrows in each category.
Cost: Free
Eastman Plaza, Cranford, NJ 07016
(908) 709-7208
Camden County Fair
October 15 from 4 PM-10 PM and October 16 from 10 AM-10 PM
Rides, games, food, live music, dance, vendors, and more. Your littles will also love the free pony rides and petting zoo.
Cost: Free parking and admission
County Fairgrounds- 508 Lakeland Road, Blackwood, NJ 08012
1-866-226-3362
29th Annual Pumpkin Festival & Share the Harvest Food Drive
October 16 from 10 AM-4 PM
Bring the whole family out to celebrate an early Halloween on the grounds of Historic Cold Spring Village. Guests are encouraged to donate non-perishable goods to the Share the Harvest Food Drive. Enjoy pumpkin painting and games throughout the day. There will also be crafters, vendors, and a haunted house at the Village Barn. Don’t miss the Children’s Halloween Parade at 11AM.
Cost: Free
Historic Cold Springs Village, 720 US 9, Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 886-7880
Taste Testers In Hannah’s Kitchen
October 16 from 11 AM-11:45 AM
This exciting cooking class uses simple recipes to encourage toddlers, ages 2-4, with a parent, grandparent or loved one to try new foods through texture and flavor. In just four steps for less, toddlers can bond with their loved ones, expand their taste buds and have fun in the kitchen. Virtual Classes are FREE and graciously funded by the Hannah Peretsman Breene Foundation.
Cost: Free
Virtual
To register, e-mail Emily Ho: Emily.Ho@rwjbh.org
Fall Fest in Princeton Shopping Center
October 16 from 11 PM-3 PM
Kids will love the pumpkin painting party at Color Me Mine, sustainable scarecrow making, spooky stations, and more at this Mercer County Fall Fest. Halloween costumes are encouraged, and DJ Darius will be spinning the tunes.
Cost: Free
301 N. Harrison Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 921-6234
Laurita Oktoberfests with Food Trucks & Fire Pits
October 16, 23
Oktoberfest is happening more than once at Laurita Winery! Free parking, free firewood for the firepits, and Saturday fireworks. Don’t miss the playgrounds, and make sure you bring your blankets and chairs to sit on the lawn.
Cost: $12 and up, free under 20
85 Archertown Road, New Egypt, NJ 08533
1-800-LAURITA
DiDonato’s Trick-or-Treat Train
October 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
Addams Family Fun Day
October 17 from 10 AM-5 PM
Celebrate Westfield’s own Charlie Addams by heading over to Quimby Street to hang with Morticia, Gomez, and the rest of the kooky, spooky, and ooky characters we’ve grown to love over the years. There will be Addams Family character visits, live performances, incredible displays by the Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, activities with local merchants, and more.
Cost: Free
Quimby Street, Westfield, NJ 07090
info@addamsfest.com
Hamilton Oktoberfest
October 17 from 11 AM-5:30 PM
The Hamilton Oktoberfest is back this year. There will be activities for children, hayrides, crafters, food trucks, and more. October 24 is the raindate.
Cost: Free
Veteran’s Park, Klockner Road, Hamilton, NJ 08690
(609) 586-0311
Thompson Park Day
October 17 from 11 AM-5 PM
Get ready for family fun this autumn with a corn maze, mini-golf, an obstacle race, corn ghost husk, and so much more. There will also be canoeing on Marlu Lake (weather permitting), pottery demonstrations at the Creative Arts Center, and a Graveyard Photo Op. There are also be Extreme Party Racing, a Bungee Trampoline, and Archery if you purchase tickets and wristbands. Don’t miss the live music, pumpkin decorating contest, and scarecrow contest too.
Cost: Free Admission, $1 per ticket, and $12 for a wristband for certain activities
Thompson Park, 805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738
(732) 842-4000
Cherry Hill Harvest Festival
October 17 from 12 PM-4 PM
Cherry Hill’s largest community event has arrived! Get in the fall spirit with pony rides, a petting zoo, a craft fair, pumpkins, live music, food trucks, a beer garden by Forgotten Boardwalk Brewery, and so much more.
Cost: Free
100 Bortons Mills Road, Cherry Hill. NJ 08034
(856) 665-6500
Pumpkin Patch Train
October 17 at 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
1 Railroad plaza, Whippany, NJ 07981
(973) 887-8177
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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