Baseball season is heating up, and whether you’re cheering on the Yankees, the Phillies—or saving your energy for football—there are plenty of fun reasons to get out of the house this weekend. Head to a dog-friendly festival, a massive touch-a-truck fundraiser for pediatric cancer research, a pumpkin train ride and more.
WEEKEND
Philadelphia Phillies Rally for Red Bus Tour
Comcast Plaza and City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Ballard Park, Pitman, NJ
Haddon Square, Haddon Twp., NJ
Thursday
The Philadelphia Phillies are heading to the playoffs, which means the bus tour will make stops across the area. The celebration in Haddon Square includes giveaways, appearances from special guests, and lots of playoff excitement. Then, stop by a participating restaurant for Almost Friday, a town-wide happy hour party.
Barkyard Bash
George Street, New Brunswick
Thursday
George Street becomes a pup paradise, featuring a mini dog park, a paw printing station, photo opportunities, a splash zone, a pet costume contest, and more.
The Race of Gentlemen Vintage Car & Motorcycle Beach Drag
Wildwood
Thursday – Sunday
American racing heritage is in full force with pre-1934 cars and pre-1947 motorcycles racing along the shoreline. There will also be live music, a kids’ area, food and beer vendors, and meetings with the owners. Special events are a kickoff party and swap meet on Thursday, another swap meet and Troglodyte Party on Saturday, and race day with a post-race beach party BBQ on Sunday.
Philadelphia Marketplace
Dilworth Park, Philadelphia, PA
Friday – Saturday
Makers and crafters from the tri-state area will bring their handmade artwork, home goods, plants and more to the outdoor market every weekend. The pop-up shops will be set up alongside activations and events set up by the Center City District. You can also skate on the Rothman Orthopaedics Roller Rink.
Run the Crest
Wildwood Crest
Friday – Saturday
The 5K is Friday night; then the half marathon, 10K and Kids Fun Run take place on Saturday. After crossing the finish line on Saturday, post-race festivities include food trucks and live entertainment.
Oktoberfest
Historic Smithville, Galloway
Saturday – Sunday
There will be over 150 juried crafters, an international food court, kids’ activities, and non-profit organization booths set up for the festival; plus the village’s 50 shops, the train, the carousel, paddle boats and arcades.
The Dog Market: Barktoberfest Dog Adoption Event & Market
Van Saun County Park, Paramus
Saturday – Sunday
Along with your babies and furbabies, browse a market of dog-themed vendors and businesses, meet adoptable dogs and puppies, participate in family-friendly pet crafts, and enter your dog into the Dog Trick Show Contest and Dog Costume Contest.
Grand Harvest Wine Festival
Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, Morristown
Saturday – Sunday
More than a dozen wineries will offer samples, plus food trucks and craft vendors will be on site. Rosewood performs on Saturday, and Naughty Humphrey performs on Sunday.
PuchiCon
DoubleTree, Fort Lee
Saturday – Sunday
Anime lovers and gamers will come together to celebrate pop culture by meeting artists, shopping for merch, exploring comics, dressing up for cosplay, and chatting with voice actors.
Festival of Fine Craft
WheatonArts, Millville
Saturday – Sunday
There will be 150 juried artists, unique artist demos, a Beer & Wine Garden, family art activities, the signature Glass Pumpkin Fundraiser, food trucks, and music by South Jersey’s Chris Lax and the Package Goods Orchestra.
Bank of America Museums on Us Weekend
Multiple locations
Saturday – Sunday
Bank of America, Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank cardholders can receive free general admission to various cultural attractions on the first full weekend of each month.
FRIDAY
Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert – The 20th Anniversary Tour
NJPAC, Newark
The two-hour performance has a live orchestra that brings the show’s iconic musical score to life, paired with visuals from all three seasons of the series.
Movie Night: Coco
Hall of Records, Freehold Borough
After watching Disney Pixar’s “Coco” there will be a Thriller Community Dance party, where you can bust a move ala Michael Jackson.
Oktoberfest
Municipal Building, Spotswood
There will be food, drinks, music, games, crafts, contests and a sensory table. The event will recognize the town’s emergency service professionals. Race for the Cure will have a special table set up in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Release Parties for Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl”
Multiple Locations
Attention Swifties! We know you’ll be waiting for midnight on Thursday, October 2, for the release of T. Swift’s newest album, and there will be listening parties held throughout the state on Friday for your first chance to hear her new songs.
Storefront Art Walk & Chalkfest
Throughout Hoboken
The opening night party includes Chalkfest, where participating businesses will have snacks and activities for kids. Urban Arts and other local artists will create custom works of art using chalk. This is part of Hoboken Art Month.
SATURDAY
Pawprints Pet Fest & 5K
Smithville Park, Eastampton
The Friends of the Burlington County Animal Shelter put on this fundraiser with food trucks, Tito’s Beverage Garden, a deejay, vendors, a kids’ zone, a pet costume contest, raffles, an adoption zone, and a 5K run/walk.
Hamm-O-Ween: A Night of Art and Mischief
Horton Street, Hammonton
There will be a pop-up vendor market, a performance by Allegory Dance Theatre, mesmerizing acts from Mary Macabre and the Lady White Rat, an epic costume contest, freaky photo ops, games, and interactive art installations.
Charlotte Joy Touch-a-Truck Festival
East Freehold Showgrounds, Freehold
There will be dozens of first responder vehicles, classic cars, vintage buses, the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile, big rigs, race cars, tri-axel dump truck, excavators, roll-offs, and exotic cars that kids can climb in. There will also be a helicopter landing, Re/Max hot air balloon, Monmouth Fun Bus, a broadcast by Thunder 106 Country Radio, NJ Bubble Parties, visits by Crunchy the T-Rex and Yellow Bumblebee Transformer, a mobile gaming arcade, a GellyBall shooting range, NY Teacup piggies, pony rides, mechanical rides, entertainment on the stage, facepainting, music, food trucks and tons of vendors.
Rockin’ on the River
Riverwalk Village, Hackettstown
While you wait for EPICSOUL to take the stage, get some food, go by the beer and wine garden, enter a raffle, warm up by the fire pit, walk along the scenic trail, play some classic yard games, strike a pose in the photo booth, or bring your kids to paint pumpkins – or their face.
Tapas, Taps & Tunes
Friends Village, Woodstown
Outta Toon will provide the background music for pumpkin picking, face painting, a petting zoo, a build-your-own-bouquet station, small bites and brews.
Tutus and Tiaras
Mill Ballet School, New Hope, PA
Kids and parents are invited into the studio, where they will meet a real ballerina in costume who will read a story, perform a dance demo, and then ask the group to join her in some steps. Each child will get a sparkling tiara or royal sword to take home.
Westfield Street Fair & Craft Show
Downtown Westfield
There will be arts and crafts, vendor shopping, live music, kids’ rides and food vendors.
Bottle Hill Day
Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, Madison
Members of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment will be cooking on the front lawn and performing militia drills on the back lawn. Makerspace and crafts will be open inside the Education Annex. There is free admission to the museum all day.
Applewood Village Apple Fest
Applewood Village, Freehold
The Smokin’ Mayhacks provide the music as you enjoy food truck fare and apple-inspired beverages and treats. Shop for goodies from Battleview Orchards, a family-owned business founded by Applewood Village residents Norman and Betty Lou Applegate. They will offer samples of different apples, apple-themed fun facts, and apple trivia.
Pancreatic Cancer Walk for the Cure
Roosevelt Park, Edison
All proceeds from this event will benefit pancreatic cancer research at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
Collingswood Book Festival
Haddon Avenue, Collingswood
Reading lovers will meet over 60 presenting authors and an additional 275 authors and exhibitors; there will also be music, food, and literary games and activities.
Barkitecture
Union Congregational Church, Upper Montclair
Meet adorable pups, and bid to take a pet house home. Kids can make mini doghouses, and get temporary dog and cat tattoos.
Blessing of the Autos & Car Show
Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine, Freehold Twp.
Cars, trucks and motorcycles will line the church parking lot. There will be food, music, games, a trophy presentation and family activities prior to a blessing of all the vehicles.
Basket & Broom Making
Howell Living History Farm, Hopewell Twp.
Take a close-up look at the craftsmanship that goes into making a basket and a broom when the artisans preserving these trades visit the farm for a day of demonstrations and teaching. There will also be opportunities to try your hand at some of the steps involved.
Stonybrook Swim Club’s 2nd Annual Car Show
Stonybrook Swim Club, Hillsdale
Cars, trucks and motorcycles will be on display. Stay for live classic music, food trucks and trophies.
Longmeadow Farm Harvest Festival
Longmeadow Farm, Hope
There will be apple picking, pumpkin picking, live music, hayrides, food trucks, permanent jewelry, flash tattoos, face painting, artisans and kids’ activities.
Salem NJ 350th Anniversary Celebration
Salem
Lenape guests, Quaker and Underground Railroad reenactors are a large part of this 350th anniversary party, plus live music indoors and outdoors, kids’ activities, artisan vendors, glass blowing, a fire performance, carriage rides, and a grand finale drone show.
NJ Privateers & The American Revolution
Twin Maples Estate, Summit
Privateer re-enactors, The Sea Dogs, will show off the seafaring adventurers and the tactics they used to disrupt British trade and aid the American cause during the Revolutionary War. This event will include exhibits and a musical presentation of sea shanties of the colonial period.
New Providence PBA 132 Car Show
Community Pool, New Providence
Aside from all the cool cars, there will be a vendor showcase, food trucks, 50/50 raffle, auctions, a DJ and door prizes.
Artisan Market
Bergen Town Center, Paramus
Take a stroll through this market in the mall, featuring 25+ artisans and vendors selling handcrafted jewelry, home decor, pet products, sweet treats, handmade gifts and more.
Hunterdon Harvest Fest
Main Street, Flemington
There will be live music, local vendors, a kids’ area, food trucks, beer and wine vendors, and a DJ playing music.
Oktoberfest
Readington Brewery, Neshanic Station
Activities include a stein-holding contest, goat races, live music, and German foods and beer.
SUNDAY
TwoSet Violin
NJPAC, Newark
World-famous YouTube classical music comedy duo TwoSet Violin – Eddy Chen and Brett Yang – take the stage with the New Jersey Symphony.
Cranford Fall Street Fest
North Union Avenue and Alden Street, Cranford
More than 100+ artisans and businesses will place their booths along the streets, in addition to food trucks and live music set up in the fire department parking lot next to the gazebo.
Somerville Street Fair & Craft Show
Downtown Somerville
There will be arts and crafts, vendor shopping, live music, kids’ rides and food vendors.
Joey’s Fund Charity Classic Car Show
Closter Plaza, Closter
The 11th annual car show benefits Joey’s Fund, to help families who have a kid suffering from a life-threatening illness.
Denville Food Truck Festival
Gardner Field, Denville
A wide variety of food trucks will serve up everything from savory bites to sweet treats. Groove to live music, shop unique finds from local vendors, sip on cold beer, and let the kids play.
A Celebration of Pets
Verona Town Hall Center, Verona
Whether or not you have a pet, spend the afternoon celebrating your favorite animals. There will be a variety of pet-oriented businesses who create things for and about pets; plus music, food, activities for kids, a pet parade (costumes optional) and pet blessings.
Fall Family Day
Morven Museum & Garden, Princeton
There will be fall activities like a scavenger hunt inside the historic mansion, leaf art making, harvesting potatoes in the garden, storytime, and cider and snacks.
Oktoberfest
West Main Street, Freehold Borough
The street from Court Street to Throckmorton Street in Downtown Freehold will be closed off to traffic so a huge beer garden can be set up, with vendors, food, live music and activities.
Youth Birding Hike
Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, Bernardsville
It’s fall bird migration time, and young birders ages 10 to 16 are invited to grab a pair of binoculars to see the year-round resident birds joined by other species headed south.
New Jersey Reptile Show
VFW, Port Monmouth
Explore reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and exotic animals up close. There will be a variety of vendors selling animals, cages and supplies.
Mission Gratitude Touch-a-Truck
Pediatric Dental Associates of Randolph, Randolph
This is a free event to honor first responders, military personnel and service dogs. Kids can climb into fire trucks, rescue vehicles and military trucks and meet puppies being raised to become Guide Dogs. There will also be face painting, balloon twisting, music and food.
Lake Loop 2025
Hopatcong State Park, Landing
Choose your challenge for the Lake Hopatcong Foundation’s annual fundraiser. There are varying miles for biking and paddling, plus a 2-mile guided hike.
Fall Festival
West Windsor History Museum, West Windsor
Kids can pick mini pumpkins or visit the petting zoo. There will be music, plus museum tours.
Kids Craft Drop-In Days
Wicoff House Museum, Plainsboro
Kids can choose to make a variety of crafts inspired by history, art and the season.
Harvest Fest Fair
Veterans Park, Westwood
Take your time strolling through the park, as 125 booths will be set up with all sorts of arts and crafts, antiques and collectibles, handmade items and vintage treasures.
Laurie Berkner – The Greatest Hits Solo Tour
Carteret Performing Arts Center, Carteret
You’ll hear classic songs like “Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz),” “The Goldfish (Let’s Go Swimming)” and “We Are The Dinosaurs,” as well as newer hits like “Waiting for the Elevator,” “My Bunny Goes Hop,” and “Chipmunk at the Gas Pump” for the “queen of kids music.”
Hudson River Waterfront Walkway 10K
Edgewater to Weehawken
The course is fast and flat, giving you awesome views of the Hudson River and the NYC skyline as you run.
The Lewin Fund Walk for Women’s Health
Bergen Community College, Paramus
One in 3 women are at risk of or are diagnosed with cancer. The 5K will feature a family-friendly walk along the college campus, informational and educational booths, a kids’ area, vendor booths, free massages, snacks, DJ music, prizes and raffles.
Sirens & Smiles
Casino Pier, Seaside Heights
Fire safety fun includes a touch-a-truck in front of the arcade, where kids can explore multiple first responder vehicles, including police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and more.
Middlesex County 4-H Youth Development Program Open House
4-H Youth Center, East Brunswick
Part of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County, the 4-H youth program offers hands-on learning opportunities for kids in grades K–13. At the open house, meet 4-H members and club leaders, learn about the club offerings, take part in hands-on activities and demos and see the farm animals.
Roadster Rally
Ocean City Boardwalk, Ocean City
A Roadster is an open two-seat car with an emphasis on sporting appearance or character. All types of Roadsters will line the boardwalk, from new to old, race to street, beater to classic – in addition to Mini Coopers.
ONGOING
GLOW Spooky Speedway
October 1 – November 2
Take a light-filled journey as you figuratively drive along Route 66. Expect glowing pumpkins, ghosts and witches, all brought to life by thousands of synchronized lights.
Middlesex County 4-H Haunted House & Hayride
Middlesex County Fairgrounds, East Brunswick
Fridays – Saturdays, October 3-25
Choose either the haunted house or hayride, or both, in this fundraiser that supports 4-H youth in Middlesex County.
Screamline Haunted Car Wash
Streamline Car Wash, Rockaway
Fridays – Saturdays, October 3-25; October 31 and November 1 TBD
Stay in your car and get an actual car wash while costumed zombies and clowns pop out from every angle. The live actors, lights displays, smoke machines and animatronics are meant to spook you.
Fall Funland at Harbaugh Village
Harbaugh Village, Mullica Hill
Fridays – Sundays, October 3-26
Compete on the pedal car track, go sky high on the straw mountain, get lost in the corn maze and plunge down the mega slide.
Juntos (“Together”) Events
October 4: ShopRite of Bruckner Boulevard, Bronx, NY
October 5: ShopRite of Columbia Park, North Bergen
October 11: ShopRite of Passaic, Passaic
October 12: ShopRite of Linden, Linden
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, ShopRite and Unilever are teaming up for their fourth annual Juntos (“Together”) event series — a celebration of culture, family and community through live music, cultural activities, a DJ, beauty activations, sampling stations, and an ice cream station.
Festival of the Moon
Union County Performing Arts Center, Rahway
Select dates, October 4-20
Experience symphonies and movies under Luke Jerram’s 23-foot moon sculpture, which will be suspended mid-air at UCPAC’s Main Stage. Events include karaoke before a screening of the movie “Sing,” performances by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, free guided tours, a Pink Floyd tribute and Tales for Tiny Astronauts.
Operation Slumber: Overnights at the Intrepid
Intrepid Museum, New York City
October 4, November 8 and 22, December 6 and 13
Pack a sleeping bag and some snacks because you’ll be spending the night on board the historic aircraft carrier docked in the Hudson River. You’ll take a flashlight tour of the flight deck, go on a simulator ride, build your own boat for the rain gutter regatta, make slime, play with robots, and get a cool patch to take home.
The Great Pumpkin Train
Delaware River Railroad Excursions, Phillipsburg
October 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26
Ride along the Delaware River, then hop off at The Corn Maze/Susquehanna Mine (Snyders Station) and spend 2 hours panning for gemstones or going through the corn maze. Every train stops at the pumpkin patch on the way back.
Children’s Entrepreneur Markets
October 4: Hightstown Bank Street, Hightstown
October 5: Weichert, Morris Plains
October 26: The Shoppes at Lafayette, Lafayette
Let your little ones showcase their entrepreneurial spirit by setting up their own booths and selling their handmade crafts, treats and unique creations.
Autumn Leaf Pumpkin Train
Woodstown-Central Railroad, Woodstown
Select dates, October 4-26
After you ride the rails to Fenwick Grove, you’ll hop off for fall-themed games, pumpkin picking, and cider and donuts.
Shades of Autumn Fall Foliage Tours
Port Imperial, Weehawken
Saturdays – Sundays, October 4 to November 2
NY Waterway offers two- and four-hour boat tours along the Hudson River so you can see the beautiful fall foliage in addition to the awesome NYC skyline. You’ll get food and drinks on board, plus a tour guide will point out historical sites along the way.
SUE The T. Rex Experience
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
October 4 – May 25, 2026
The world’s most complete, most well-preserved T. rex skeleton is making a stop at LSC so you can see her bones, hear her growl and smell her breath (seriously!). There will be fossils on display, projection mapping of other prehistoric creatures, and a life-sized fleshed-out replica to show what the creature’s life was like in the Cretaceous era.
The Pumpkin Patch Train
Whippany Railway Museum, Whippany
October 5, 11 and 12
After each pumpkin train ride, children with valid tickets can pick out a free kid-sized pumpkin and a pumpkin decorating kit.
Legends Brunch
Marcus Live! Bar & Grille, American Dream, East Rutherford
October 5 and 19, November 2 and 16
Giants and Jets fans can pregame at a two-hour breakfast buffet, which includes meet-and-greets with football legends. Stars on the schedule include Bart Oates, Joe Klecko, Wayne Chrebet, Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks.
Fall Festival
Snyders Farm, Somerset
Weekends, October 5-26
The events and roadside stand will reopen in late September when the fall season begins. There will be festivals, pumpkin and sunflower picking, a corn maze, music, food trucks and kids’ activities on October weekends.
Fall NJ Gem Show
New Jersey Convention & Expo Center, Edison
October 8-12
There will be museum-grade minerals, meteorites, beads, crystals, gold, silver, turquoise, and gemstones on display and for sale. Paleontologists, miners, gemologists and artists will talk about their custom work. The Kids Zone has a fossil and gem dig pit and a craft station. During the Rubber Duck Hunt, search for gold- and silver-painted ducks hidden throughout the venue to win prizes. Other hands-on activities include metal detecting, geode cracking, gemstone sluicing and panning for gems.
Newark Arts Festival
Newark Museum of Art, Newark
October 8-12
Artists will channel the power of joy to foster strength, harmony and revolutionary change through arts and ideas.
Navy & Marine Corps 250th Celebration
Camden and Philadelphia
October 9-16
The 250th anniversaries of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps will be celebrated with dozens of events, including a parade of ships, veterans reunion picnic, concerts, museum exhibits, Rocky Steps Run at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Army-Navy soccer match, Navy-Temple football game, galas, weapons demos, flyovers and fireworks.
Morey’s Piers Oktoberfest
Mariner’s Pier, Morey’s Piers, Wildwood
Fridays – Sundays, through October 12
Oktoberfest-themed decorations will liven up the boardwalk every weekend. The event includes live German music, food, beer, and games and rides at the pier. New this year, Founder Haus will offer a ticketed Oktoberfest dining experience with family-style appetizers, a special German fare menu, and seasonal beers.
Funtober Festival
The Funplex, Mt. Laurel and East Hanover
Saturdays – Sundays, through October 12; plus Monday, October 13
Rides, pumpkin decorating, entertainment, seasonal food and drinks, and activities are open to the whole family.
Fall Family Fun Weekends
Terhune Orchards, Princeton
Saturdays – Sundays, through October 12
Celebrate fall with PYO pumpkins and apples; there will be a pumpkin painting station. There are 30+ activities and attractions to enjoy: pony rides, pedal and play tractors, wagon rides, children’s games and activities, corn stalk maze and hay bale maze, a barnyard of farm animals, barnyard sports (basketball toss, pumpkin bowling, baseball throw), the pollinator sunflower trail, a scavenger hunt, live music, and tastings of Terhune’s wine and sangria.
Scarecrow Season
Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, PA
Daily, through October 13
While walking around the village to vote on your favorite scarecrow that lines the pathways to the shops and restaurants, you can also sign up for a scarecrow-making workshop, view the pet photo exhibit, attend the Scarecrow Festival (September 13 and 14), order from the food trucks (September 18) or bring your significant other to the wedding show.
Holland Ridge Fall Flower Festival
Holland Ridge Farms, Cream Ridge
Through October 13
Aside from millions of sunflowers, dahlias, gladiolus, calla lilies and mums, people from all over the region come for the photo ops, windmill tour, Bloom Bar, new “Moovie” Theater, picnic pods and hayrides around the farm.
Free Guided Garden Tours
New Jersey Botanical Garden, Ringwood
Sundays, through October 16
A docent will lead you on a tour of what’s blooming around the gardens.
UniverSoul Circus
Weequahic Park, Newark
Through October 19
This fall’s new Rhythm of the World production features stuntpeople performing dizzying spins on a towering vertical pole, a graceful ballerina act, a contortionist, an aerial lyra duo, a roller skating troupe, hoop divers, a stylized teeterboard act, a strong-man hand-balance duo, 20-foot dancing puppets, fire-breathing stilt dancers, hip-hop dancing clowns and the Wheel of Death stunt.
LuminoCity Dino Safari
Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold Twp.
Through October 25
The kids will be in awe as life-sized, animatronic dinosaurs move their heads and tails, open their mouths and roar. There’s also a Dino Speedway, bounce zone, playground, safari dig, fossil hunt and Dino Carousel.
Black River and Western Railroad Pumpkin Train
Black River & Western Railroad, Ringoes/Flemington
Saturdays-Sundays, through October 26
Ride the train from Flemington Station to Everitt Farms to pick a pumpkin, explore the corn maze, take wagon rides, see sunflowers, and listen to music.
Pumpkin Days
Riamede Farm, Chester
Through October 26
Pumpkin Days include a pumpkin patch, apple picking, hay wagon rides, live music, and a variety of family-friendly activities.
Etsch Farms Fall Festival & Corn Maze
Etsch Farms, Monroe Twp.
Saturday – Sunday, through October 26
At the family-owned, fourth-generation farm, you can wander through the 8-acre corn maze. You can also take a hayride, meet the farm animals, sample apple cider donuts and slushies, and pick a pumpkin.
Tri State Sunflower Festival & Pumpkin Fest
Dalton Farms, Swedesboro
Daily, through October 26 (closed Tuesdays)
Daily activities include flower picking, a corn maze, a giant slide, a trike track, a playground area, a low ropes course, a pumpkin patch and fall photo ops. Weekend activities add a farmers market, live music, food vendors, a beer garden, and pedal boat rentals.
Terror in the Junkyard
Fleming’s Junkyard, Egg Harbor Twp.
Fridays – Sundays through October 26
Scullville Volunteer Fire Company will host a haunted hayride and maze. October 18 will be a free, sensory-friendly hayride with shorter lines, no pop-outs, and no startling noises or flashing lights.
Lentini Farms Fall Festival
Lentini Farms, Newton
Weekends, through October 26
Haunted hayrides will take place every Friday and Saturday night. Food trucks, live bands, Angry Erik’s Brewery, Milk Street Distillery and O’Reilly’s Pub will be part of the entire season.
Scarecrow Festival
Hillsborough Twp.
Through October 29
Residents, organizations and businesses will decorate their buildings with scarecrows, which you can view in the streets during Halloween time.
Fall Fest on the Delaware River Waterfront
Cherry Street Pier and Spruce Street Harbor Park, Philadelphia, PA
Select dates, through October 31
Autumn-themed activities include art exhibitions and studio tours, Villains Day cosplay party, scary movie screenings, Super Game Day, a Taste of the Philippines, a Halloween party, Summerween Weekend, and Tails and Ales.
Halloween Light Show
Demarest Farms, Hillsdale
Select dates, through October 31
Known for its Orchard of Lights at Christmastime, the Halloween Light Show is a family-friendly drive-through of 32 acres around the farm. After, park your car near the farm market for fall goodies.
Red Wagon Farm Fall Activities
136 Applegarth Rd., Monroe
Thursdays to Sundays, through Halloween
Activities include pumpkin picking, hayrides, farm animals, redneck basketball, a giant swing set, axe throwing, tic tac toe, checkers, rock hunt, cornhole, tug of war, bowling, a tire mountain, ring toss, Connect 4 and Jenga.
Fall Harvest Days
Norz Hill Farm, Hillsborough
Through October 31
There are farm tours, corn mazes, a kids’ corner, food, and a scenic pumpkin patch.
Harvest Glow
The Bronx Zoo, The Bronx, NY
Through October 31
Although the animals won’t be viewable at night, the nighttime Halloween spectacular features a trail of 5,000 hand-carved, animal-themed jack-o’-lanterns, Dinosaur Safari, pumpkin carving demos, games, face painting, illuminated characters, shows in the Wildlife Theater, photo ops and food trucks.
Indian Acres Tree Farm Fall Activities
Indian Acres Tree Farm, Medford
Daily, through October 31
There will be pumpkin picking, a giant sorghum maze with 40 scarecrows to find, Boo Buddies Maze with 19 kid-friendly scarecrows, a Ghoul Gang Maze with 21 “slightly scary” scarecrows, weekends-only barrel train rides, a free play area, live music, visits with goats and alpacas, grilled food, and apple cider donuts.
Harvest Moon Nights
Alstede Farms, Chester
Fridays – Saturdays, through November 1
After going through the corn maze, take a leisurely hayride through the fields, then have some snacks by the campfire. There will be locally crafted hard ciders from Ironbound Hard Cider.
Corn Maze, Hayrides & Pumpkin Adventures
Abma’s Farm, Wyckoff and Hillsborough
Select dates, through November 1
Depending on the location, there will be morning yoga, music classes, tractor time, spooky storytime, a Halloween dance party, a corn maze, hayrides, and pumpkin picking.
Maple Leaf Farms Fall Fun Fest
Maple Leaf Farms, Manalapan
Weekends, through November 1; plus Monday, October 13
Classic autumn adventures include hayrides through the farm, a sprawling corn maze, a festive pumpkin village, train rides, farm animal encounters, outdoor games, playgrounds, and interactive attractions for kids of all ages. There are live bull riding shows and pig races scheduled throughout each day.
Jacks & Lights
Argos Farm, Forked River
Select dates, through November 2
Included in admission are the lighted pumpkin trail, the pumpkin patch, a flashlight maze, access to fall treats and the Spook-Easy, and photo ops.
Von Thun Farms’ Fall Festival
Von Thun Farms, Washington Twp.
Saturday – Sunday, through November 2; plus school closure days
Come to the farm for apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, cider donuts, apple blasters, corn cannons, other kids’ activities, and a new Sesame Street-themed corn maze.
Fright Fest
Six Flags Great Adventure Resort, Jackson Twp.
Select dates, through November 2
Start in the daytime at Kids Boo Fest, a not-so-scary Halloween event with trick-or-treating, silly performances and fall photo ops. At night, dare to be scared inside movie-themed haunted houses, scare zones and themed performances.
Fintastic Pumpkin Glow
Adventure Aquarium, Camden
Through November 2
The aquarium’s fall festival puts glowing gourds of every shape, size and species both above the surface and deep below the sharks and stingrays. As part of the themed activities, you can paint and take home your own personalized pumpkin masterpiece.
Halloween House
Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold Twp.
Deptford Mall, Deptford
Daily through November 2
This indoor experience transports you into a movie-based Halloween world that is more creative than scary. Each of the 10 rooms you walk through have different scenes like the Beetlejuice Illusion Room, Glow Room, Halloweentown and Trick-or-Treat Room.
Happy Day Farm Fall Festival
Happy Day Farm, Manalapan
Select dates, through November 2
There’s a little bit of everything you love about fall here: sunflower and pumpkin picking, corn cannon and pumpkin blaster, animal zoo and pony rides, a real corn maze and an inflatable corn maze, pig races and a bee barn, pumpkin bowling and a spider web climb, and many more kid-friendly activities.
Great Pumpkin Festival
Heaven Hill Farm, Vernon
Select dates, through November 2
There will be 35+ fall-themed attractions, plus food, games, a hayride to the pumpkin patch, an Alice in Wonderland-themed corn maze, farm animals and pig races, a dog show, giant slingshot, a straw pyramid and a baseball speed through. For an additional fee, take the kids to the carnival ride area, apple cannon, paintball range and gem mining.
The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular
Sesame Place Philadelphia, Langhorne, PA
Select dates, through November 2
Sesame Street- and Halloween-themed activities include a castle maze, stage performance, trick-or-treating, costume contests, Halloween parade, pumpkin decorating, character shows, Halloween storytime, and a special Halloween dining op.
Winery Weekend Music Series
Terhune Orchards, Princeton
Saturdays, through November 2
In the wine orchard among 100-year-old apple trees, have a glass of wine, listen to live music from local artists, snack on food, shop in the farm store, or take a stroll with the kids on the farm.
Halloween Haunt
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Allentown, PA
Fridays – Saturdays, through November 1
Additional Sundays October 12, 19 and 26, and November 2
There are seven haunted mazes, separate scare zones, access to the theme park’s 60 rides, musical stage shows, and seasonal food and drinks.
Hoboken Art Month
Throughout Hoboken
Through November 3
Highlights include a storefront art walk with a docent-led tour, Jazz on the Hudson, a public print event where families can squeegee their own hand-cut print on paper, storytelling, a lace exhibit, a screening of “Hocus Pocus,” a walking tour of Hoboken art studios, pop-up markets, musical performances, an improv workshop, hat making and pottery building.
Halloween Nights
Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, PA
Select nights, through November 8
The ten-acre former prison site is transformed for Halloween with five haunted houses, historic tours, themed bars, live entertainment, and more. There’s an outdoor scare zone, food and drink vendors, a lineup of characters from Shadow of the Veil, and the ability to “opt in” to access hidden passageways.
Field Station: Dinosaurs
Overpeck County Park, Leonia
Select dates, through November 9
This will be the final season of the dino-themed park, which has 30 life-sized dinosaurs, a bounce house, live musical shows, meetings with paleontologists and science shows.
Fall Theatre Season
All Children’s Art Center of New Jersey, Denville
Select dates, through November 26
ACACNJ’s fall productions include Aladdin, Camp Rock, The Sound of Music Jr., Shrek Jr., and The SpongeBob Musical.
Terhune Orchards Fall Art Show
Terhune Orchards, Princeton
Through December 7
This year’s exhibit honors the Mount family with the theme “50 Years of Terhune Orchards.” Displayed inside the 250-year-old red barn, the art showcases original works inspired by the farm’s landscape, history and community over the past five decades.
Hometown Pride: The Power of Sports in Middlesex County
Cornelius Low House Museum, Piscataway
Select dates through December 31
Middlesex County’s sports connections include the first-ever college football game played between Rutgers University and Princeton University; professional athletes and Olympians, Paralympians, and Special Olympians. You will see high school trophies from the 1930s to the present, NFL golden footballs for pro athletes, balls from the highest-scoring high school athletes, uniforms from the 1930s to the present, and more.
Springsteen in Long Branch: An exhibition telling the story of Born to Run
Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center, Long Branch
Ongoing through 2026
Fifty years ago, Bruce Springsteen wrote the “Born to Run” album in West End, Long Branch. A new exhibit showcases his life at the Jersey Shore through photos, posters, album promo materials and mementos – like his green drum set from his first band, and a replica of the guitar used on the album cover.
Editor’s Note: Always check times, dates and weather updates before heading out.
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