Halloween in New Jersey is on! We’ve rounded up the best events by scare factor below:
NOT SCARY
Great for the youngest in your crew, these fright-free events offer lots of fun without the scares.
AddamsFest
Westfield
Throughout October
Westfield was home to Charles Addams, creator of The Addams Family, and that’s a big reason to celebrate. The town gets its Halloween on with everything from an art exhibit and wicked window decorations to a lantern sail and masquerade ball. You can even see the house that inspired the show, but only from the outside since it’s private property.
Boo at the Boardwalk
Jenkinson’s Boardwalk, Pt. Pleasant
Oct. 21, 22, 28 and 29
How fun does underwater pumpkin carving sound? At this two-weekend event, your kids will love the crafts, face painting, trick-or-treating, entertainment and kiddie rides.
Boo at the Zoo
Bronx Zoo, The Bronx, NY
Sept. 30 – Oct. 29
Come dressed in your Halloween best and walk along a candy trail, see a costume parade, crafts, a live bird meet-and-greet, magic and mind reading, pumpkin carving demos, a Wildlife Theater, Boo Playground, Extinct Animal Graveyard, pumpkin trail and Trick-or-Truth Trail.
The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular
100 Sesame Rd., Langhorne, PA
Sept. 16 – Nov. 5
Kids can come in costume on select dates and see their favorite Sesame Street characters dressed up for the occasion. There are shows, trick-or-treating around the park, an interactive Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt and Halloween-themed floats during the parade.
The Great Pumpkin Fest
Dorney Park, Allentown, PA
Sept. 16 – Oct. 29Dorney Park gets spooky after dark, but during the day, it’s filled with family-friendly Halloween fun with Peanuts characters dressed in costumes. Snoopy and pals will be on hand for meet-and-greets, plus live music, activities, costume contests, dance parties and more, plus lots of cute kiddie rides on weekends.
Halloween House
700 Paramus Park, Paramus
Oct. 9 – Nov. 1
This indoor mall experience promises lots of fun without the fright. Immerse yourself in multiple rooms catered to a family-friendly experience: the “Trick or Treat” room, the “Glow in the Dark” room, the Vampire’s Lair and the Horror Movie Graveyard.
Skyland Stadium Jack O’ Lantern Experience
Skylands Stadium, Augusta
Sept. 22 – Nov. 5
Take a 45-minute walk around the stadium to see more than 6,000 hand-carved jack o’ lanterns. Then roast some s’mores with hot cider or cocoa at the fall festival. There’s also a Ferris wheel, carousel, live music and a craft beer selection.
Trick-or-Treat Train
DiDonato’s Family Fun Center
1151 South White Horse Pike Hammonton
Oct. 8 – 29
This outdoor goblin-friendly Halloween town has tricks, treats and surprises for the kids with a rolling railway train ride. Afterward, go to the corn maze, pick a pumpkin from the patch, play on the racing slide and meet the local witch.
LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat
LEGOLAND New York, Goshen
Sept. 16 – Oct. 29
Visit this theme park for a Brick-or-Treat extravaganza, which includes the Monster Party. There will be Halloween shows, dance parties, parades, costume contests and trick-or-treating.
SLIGHTLY SPOOKY
Come for good scares and frightful fun that won’t keep the kids up all night.
Boo Fest
Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson
Sept. 16 – Oct. 29
Six Flags is downright terrifying at night during Fright Fest, but it also has its fair share of fun family thrills during the day. The kids can walk the street grab candy on the trick-or-treat trail, play in the corn maze, play Boo Bingo and play in Hay Bale Maze. If they are feeling a bit brave, they can listen to some stories from a local witch.
The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze
Van Cortlandt Manor 525 S Riverside, Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Sept. 15 – Nov. 19
This event features more than 7,000 hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns that light up the night. New for 2023, see the twirling pumpkin Ferris wheel in action and keep an eye out for the gourd-eous circus. While in the Hudson Valley, stop at Washington Irving’s Home and learn about the legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Happy Halloween Event
Camelback Resort, Tannersville, PA
Select dates and times through Oct. 31
Calling all goblins, ghosts, witches and more — join the Howl O’Ween Doggie Parade and watch pups go through agility and rodeo courses and then visit pet-centric vendors. A treat trail, tote bag coloring, Boo Bar and a costume contest will be part of the day’s celebrations.
Halloween in Cape May
1048 Washington St., Cape May
Oct. 1 – 31
Ghost walks, graveyard tours, Ghosts of the Lighthouse Trolley Tour, historic haunts and a Magic and Mystery House Tour abound in Cape May, plus trick-or-treating and a Halloween Craft and Collectibles Show. There will also be a Halloween village exhibit on display.
Halloween Light Show
Demarest Farms, 244 Wierimus Rd., Hillsdale
Sept. 23 – Oct. 31
Hop in the car for a family-friendly drive-thru light show. You’ll see 32 acres of light displays before trying some farm-fresh goodies at the market.Â
Halloween Parade and Dance Party
Sea Isle City
Oct. 20, Oct. 31
The parade on October 20 will feature live music, entertainers, floats and costumed participants. A Family Dance Party will take place at the Excursion Park Band Shell right after the parade. On October 31, Sea Isle City will host a trunk-or-treat from 5-7 pm for families.
Ghoul Spring Village
Historic Cold Spring Village, Cape May
Oct. 20 and 21
The historic village gets a little spooky. This family-friendly haunted walk-thru will give you chills and it’s fun for all ages, including $3 hayrides.
REALLY SCARY
Only the brave should attempt these.
Fright Fest
Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson
Through Oct. 31
During the day, there are kid-friendly events, but after dark, the zombies come out to play! The fear returns as terrifying haunted attractions, horrific shows and scare zones are packed with roaming zombies, bloodthirsty cowboys, crazed clowns and so much more! Try riding any of the roller coasters in the dark if you dare.
Brighton Asylum
2 Brighton Ave., Passaic
Sept. 23 – Nov. 4
Brighton Asylum is a massive walk-thru dark attraction filled with live actors, horror movie-style scares and Hollywood-quality special effects. Choose from the original Brighton Asylum, The Bleeding Grounds and Subculture, and — if you dare — add on The Hack Shack, Fear Pressure or The Twitching Hour.
Bloodshed Farms Drive-Thru
2919 Route 206, Columbus
Sept. 30 – Oct. 29
Prepare yourself for terrifying encounters with twisted creatures as you drive through scenes that channel spirits using special effects that may or may not give you nightmares.
Night of Terror
Creamy Acres Farm 448 Lincoln Mill Rd., Mullica Hill
Sept. 29 – Nov. 4
This massive 100-acre farm is inhabited by zombies, attack dogs, chainsaw-wielding maniacs and killer clowns. But the most unique attraction at Creamy Acres is the Haunted Paintball Hayride: visitors climb aboard a wagon and use mounted paintball guns to defend the crew.
Halloween Haunt
Dorney Park, Allentown, PA
Sept. 15 – Oct. 29
Dorney Park will release hundreds of terrifying ghouls and ghosts into the park, ready to turn your nightmares into reality. Every corner is cursed with haunted scare mazes, scare zones and live entertainment. Hordes of hungry zombies and blood-thirsty vampires eagerly await you (as their next meal).
Field of Terror
831 Windsor-Perrineville Rd., East Windsor
Sept. 22 – Oct. 31
Experience five unique terror-filled attractions where visitors encounter zombies of all shapes and sizes. By day, there’s a corn maze, pumpkin patch and haunted hayride. At night, the farm transforms into Kornfield of Karnage, the Karnival, the Haunted Hayride to Terror Town, Timmery Manor and Creepy Carnival Paintball Ride.
Nightmare at Gravity Hill
Cicconi Farms, 1005 Farmingdale Rd., Jackson
Sept. 15 – Oct. 28
As you enter the gates of Gravity Hill, you’ll find more than a dozen scenes throughout 5 acres of walkable haunted trails and creepy themes and adventures. See which haunted house is the scariest!
Casola Farms Haunted Attractions
131 S. Main St., Marlboro
Sept. 29 – Oct. 31
There are four terrifying attractions hidden in the woods here: Haunted Hayride of Terror, 3D Haunted Barn, The Living Maze and the Marlboro Zombie Breakout.
Scare Farm
120 S. Branch Rd., Hillsborough
Oct. 13 – 29
See three attractions for the price of one: try Creepy Hollow (a killer doesn’t like guests to leave the corn field), the Paranoia Walking Trails on sacred burial grounds, and the Slayride hayride of terrorizing scenes.
Farm of Horrors
Schaefer Farms, 1051 County Rd. 523, Flemington
Sept. 29 – Oct. 29
Walk through 200 acres of fright to begin your night with a haunted hayride to the Trail of Terror, where you’ll find your way through the MassAcre Maize. The final nightmare is the Carnevil of Chaos.
13 Hour Haunted House
105 W. Dewey Ave., Suit 5, Wharton
Sept. 23 – Nov. 4
Take your pick of three haunted house attractions (the House of Nightmares, the Attic and the Darkside), complete with special effects and movie-quality sets. Stay for one of eight 60-minute escape rooms (and try to make your way out alive). Or throw hatches at different targets with 13 Hour Haunted Hatches.
Read More:
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