Best New Jersey Fall Activities, Festivals, and Events

The 2017 NJ Fall Activities

This is an exciting time of the year to experience the many fall activities, attractions, and festivals.

It's also an ideal time of the year to get out and see the beautiful fall foliage and the many harvest end of the growing season celebrations that occur throughout the State of NJ.

Note: This information is provided by event sponsors as a service to our viewers. Sometimes conditions require cancellations or changes of dates, times and location which are not reflected in the original schedule. Before planning a trip to visit one of the listed events, it is suggested that you call the event sponsor to confirm the event schedule or for additional information on the event.

Northern NJ Fall Activities

The Corn Maze Train
Trips run late August to October 29, 2017
The Delaware River Railroad Excursions
99 Elizabeth St.
Phillipsburg, NJ
877-872-4674
Website
Ride the train to the beautiful century old Snyder farm. At the farm the fun begins! There are two games we can play in the maze. While visiting the farmآ feel free to use our beautiful picnic grove and return on any train during the day!

Learn How to Make Apple Cider
Hacklebarney Farm Cider Mill
104 State Park Rd.
Chester, NJ 07930
(908) 879-6593
Face book
September, October, November, Thursdays - Sundays: 10am - 5pm
The historic cider mill built in 1860, is the centerpiece of a farm of 23 varieties of apples. This is a popular place to see the cider making process in action Please call ahead during our hours of operation for cider pressing demonstration times. The demonstration times do vary slightly each weekend. Also, in mid-September thru October pumpkin picking is available, along with a corn maze for kids to get lost in.

1920's Country Fair & Harvest Festival
Sunday, September 17, 2017; noon - 5pm
Fosterfields Living History Farm
73 Kahdena Road
Morris Township, NJ
Website
973-326-7645
Admission is $8 per adult, $7 per senior (65+), $6 per child age 4 ق16, $4 per child age 2 & 3. FREE per child under age 2. Friends members are half price with a current membership card.
This family evebnt features wagon rides, live music, food trucks, farm animals, exhibits, old fashioned games, and hands on helping churning butter and pressing apples into cider.

47th Annual Peters Valley Fine Craft Fair
September 23 & 24, 2017 Saturday 10am-6pm,آ Sunday 10am-5pmآ
Sussex County Fairgrounds
37 Plains Road
Augusta, NJ
Website
Admission: $10 Children under 12: FREE
This annual event showcases beautiful American Craft made by 150+ exhibiting artists from across the country. Come & discover the pleasure of living with handmade objects and the beauty they bring to your life. Browse five buildings of amazing artwork, meet the makers, watch an array of artist demonstrations and find the perfect gift for yourself or someone special. There are also ongoing artist demonstrations, live music, great food and kid's art activities.

17th Annual Pumpkin Festival
Sunday, October 1, 2017; 12:00 - 5:00 PM (Rain or Shine)
Whippany Railway Museum
1 Railroad plaza
Whippany, NJ 07981
Website
Celebrate the Fall Harvest and the Season of the Witch with train rides and a Halloween crafts/vendor fair. Autumn is a Season of Family Fun, and the Pumpkin, the reassuring signal of seasonal passage, never fails to bring forth the image of cool nights, bright harvest moons, crackling fires, and the warmth of family and friends. And when pumpkins appear, they take on a playful appearance, alerting everyone that the special magic of Halloween, with its goblins, ghouls, and witches lies just around the corner. On-line ticket are is available for this event up to 2 hours before departure.

Great Pumpkin Train
Weekends, from October 1st to the end of October, 2017
The Delaware River Railroad Excursions
99 Elizabeth St.
Phillipsburg, NJ
877-872-4674
Website
Climb aboard the steam train and travel through the beautiful fall landscape of Western New Jersey. Take the train to the pumpkin patch located in a little glade in front of the historic Carpentersville Lime Kilns dating from the 1700's. Once we arrive at the Pumpkin Patchآ everyone is welcome to getآ off theآ train andآ every child can pick their own pumpkin for FREE.

Ralston Cider Mill Museun Tours
October weekends, Saturday & Sunday 1-5pm
336 Mendham Road West
Mendham, NJ
Website
This is the only operational cider mill in New Jersey functioning as a privately funded museum and educational experience for students of all ages. Built in 1848 with massive stone walls anda heavy timber structure, visitors can discover the hidden still that allowed this distillery to operate through prohibition.

Lenape Day
Saturday, October 7, 2017: 12 PM - 4 PM
Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center
247 Southern Blvd.
Chatham Township, NJ
973.635.6629
Website
Cost: $5 per person age 3 & up
This popular annual family event celebrates the Lenape people with dancing, drums, vendors, and historical talks by the Ramapough Lenape People. Enjoy games, crafts, touring a replica wigwam, and more! Great fun for the entire family

8th Annual Sussex County Harvest Honey and Garlic Festival
October 7, 2017; 10am - 4pm
Sussex County Fairgrounds
37 Plains Road
Branchville, NJ
Free event
Website
This family festival is a celebration of agritourism, ecotourism and arts & heritage tourism. The County of Sussex, the Sussex County Beekeepers Association and the Garden State Garlic Growers are joining with the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show to showcase New Jersey's great northwest. There will be a farmers market where you can buy fresh, local Sussex County and Jersey Fresh products including fruit, vegetables, flowers and wine. The Sussex County Beekeepers Association will have educational displays and materials along with an array of honey products

West Milford Autumn Lights Festival
October 14, 2017; 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Union Valley Road (from Shoprite to Bearfort Plaza).
West Milford, NJ
Website
The Autumn Lights Festival first started 20 years ago as a celebration to West Milford for getting its first traffic light! In the beginning it was just the town gathering on the lawn of Town Hall.
Today it has grown to a street fair that has over 300 vendors, live music, child activities, games and rides. With about 20,000 'ALFers' that visit throughout the day.

Annual New Jersey Botanical Gardens Harvest Fest and Craft Fair
October 14, 15, 2017; 10AM to 5PM – rain or shine
New Jersey Botanical Gardens
2 Morris Road
Ringwood, N.J. 07456
Website
Free parking & admission.
This family friendly, fun event features Hayrides and pumpkin games, face painting, applesauce making, tasty food, music and dancing, great photo ops, free Garden tours, booths, exhibits, an autumn Plant Sale and lots more!

Chester's 34th Annual Harvest Celebration
October 14, 15, 2017; 11am - 5pm
Historic Downtown Chester
Main Street
Chester, NJ 07930
Website
Contact: Toni Perry, Phone: 973-223-2665, Email: toni@twdirection.com
Event Cost: FREE
This family friendly fall celebration features:
NBC Celebrity “Produce Pete” Pete Napolitano – Taking the mystery out of fruits and vegetables for over 50 years.
Special Musical Guests; - Morgan Treni: Singer/Songwriter of Jazz, Folk and Pop, The Morris Music Men: Morris County’s Barbershop Chorus, and Colonial Musketeers: Fife and Drum Corp.
Other Harvest Celebration activities include:
Antique Apple Press Demo, Blacksmith Demo, Clown Performance, Face Painting, Ford V-8 Antique Car Show, Guess the Pumpkin Weight, Pumpkin Carving Demo, Pumpkin Painting, and a Wood Carving Demo

Lord Stirling Fall Festival
Sunday, October 28, 2017; 11:30am-4:30pm
Lord Stirling Stable
256 South Maple Avenue,
Basking Ridge, NJ
908-766-2489
Website
They will be offering pony rides, halloween themed games and activities, fall themed food, and fun, event filled hayrides on our trails! Costumes are accepted and encouraged!

Central NJ Fall Activities

19th Century Fall Festival
September 30, 2017; 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Historic Allaire Village
4263 Atlantic Avenue
Farmingdale, NJ
732-919-3500
Website
This fall family event features all things special about the fall season including a chill in the air along with the aroma of apples, pumpkin, cinnamon and woodsmoke. The coming of winter means slowing down of outdoor jobs and time to start to relax. Join the workers of the Howell Iron Works as they celebrate the end of summer and beginning of fall with Childrenعآآs games, Hearth Cooking, Cider Pressing, Puppet Shows, Music, Dancing, Apple snapping, Town ball, Militia Recruitment and Demonstrations! Horse and Wagon rides separate from admission.

Annual Fall Forestry Festival
Saturday, October 7, 2017: 10am - 3pm
The Forest Resource Education Center
495 Don Connor Blvd
Jackson, NJ
(732) 928-2360
Website
Free parking, and admission! There is no reservation or fee for programs or activities
This annual Fall family friendly event features over 40 nature themed exhibits, hikes, programs, and activities. Explore the pinelands forest and discover unique plants and creatures on interpreter led hikes. Get crafty and paint a pumpkin or make a wooden Smokey helicopter. Use your detective skills to find the cause of a wildfire. See foresters turn logs into lumber on sawmill and basket makers, chainsaw carvers, and traditional wood carvers demonstrate artistic uses for wood. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and bring insect repellant. Refreshments and forest products such as NJ pure Maple Syrup will be available to purchase.

Southern NJ Fall Activities

Glocester County 4H Fall Festival
Saturday, September 30, 2017; 4 - 9pm (rain date: October 1st)
Bridgeton Pike
Mullica Hill, NJ
Website
This family event features some great fall activities including: a slingshot pumpkin chunkin, hayrides, a haunted house, games, activities, and more.

14th Annual Woodstown Fall Festival
Saturday, September 30, 2017; 10AM-4PM
downtown shopping district
Woodstown, NJ
Website
Woodstown's historic district comes alive; scarecrows by the dozens keep watch along the streets; historic houses are decorated in their fall best; and vendors, crafters and local shops line their food and wares along Main Street. Local South Jersey wineries bring out their best wines for tasting in the wine tasting tents. Woodstown's own Auburn Road Vineyards & Winery is always a favorite at the festival, offering tastes of their award-winning wines produced by grapes grown right on their vineyard here in Salem County.

Annual Cranberry Harvest Tour
Tours run the month of October. Tours begin at 9:00 am
Pine Barrens Native Fruits
1 Pasadena Road
Browns Mills, NJ 08015
609-500-1074
Website & Tour Booking
Expect to spend approximately 3 hours experiencing everything cranberry!
Learn about the native agriculture difference and how the cranberry industry preserved the Pine Barrens, the largest wilderness area between Boston and Richmond. Learn about the local history and cranberry culture through personal stories and entertaining, but little-known facts.Then it is out to the bogs on a specially designed bus. Every seat is a window seat with panoramic views. Unlike demonstration farms, your experience will take you right into the heart of a working cranberry farm. See the crews picking and gathering the fruit as they work in a sea of floating cranberries. The narrated tour guide will explain everything that is happening as the crew works to water harvest the cranberries … it's even better than the two guys from the commercials! And a trip to the farm just wouldn't be complete without the opportunity to eat some cranberries!! Enjoy a cooking demonstration that will include family recipes as well as those from Brenda's own kitchen. Learn about the health benefits as you get to see and taste cranberries prepared in a variety of ways. Throughout the presentation lots of easy serving and gifting ideas will be shared and all participants get a free recipe booklet.

26th Annual Blackwood Pumpkin Festival
Sunday, October 1, 2017; 11am - 4pm (raindate: Oct. 8th)
The Studio at Mainstage
27 South Black Horse Pike
Blackwood, NJ
Website
This annual festival features food, games, live music, and crafters, including four stages of entertainment, amusement rides, hayrides, pumpkin painting and carving, scarecrow making, a costume contest, and more.

Annual Deerfield Township Harvest Festival
October 5, 6, 7, 8, 2017
Website (Information, entertainment schedule, reserved seats and more)
This family festival features live music entertainment, amusement rides,children's activities, food, crafts, a fireworks display, and more.
Sunday Evening will end with the grand finale fireworks at 9:30pm.

28th Annual Cranberry Fest
October 7, 8, 2017
Downtown Bordentown, Farnsworth Ave.
Bordentown, NJ
609-414-0828
Website
This family event features live music,over 145 crafters, food from local eateries, a kids corner, and an antiques & vintage row.

Lima Bean Festival
Saturday, October 7, 2017; 9am-5pm
Wilbraham Park
Perry Street
West Cape May, NJ
609-884-9325
Website
The lowly legume takes center stage delighting locals and visitors alike with her vast array of recipes, crafts and products available. Come out and celebrate West Cape May's farming heritage with lima bean soup, tacos, salad, jewelry, T-shirts and more! Enjoy great food, quality vendors, antiques, entertainment and fun.

South Jersey Pumpkin Show Festival
October 13th - 15th, 2017
Salem County Fairgrounds
760 Harding Hwy. Rte. 40,
Woodstown, NJ
856-765-0118
Website
This festival features three- days of family fun with contests, artists, craftsmen, home products, a pumpkin pyramid, entertainment, food, wine, amusement rides, a Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off, headless horsemen, scarecrows, Little Miss & Mister Pageant, dog parade, Boo Barn and more.

Annual Pine Barrens Jamboree at Wells Mills Park
October 14th, 2017; 11am - 4pm (rain or shine)
Wells Mills County Park
Rt. 532
Waretown, NJ
Website
Parking and admission FREE
This annual event features a fun filled day of music of the pines, cultural demonstrations, traditional crafts, nature and history programs. Attendees will sit under the big tent and enjoy a fun filled day of county, bluegrass and traditional music presented by the musicians from Albert Music Hall.

Family Fall Float Festival
Sunday, October 15, 2017 10 am - 34pm
Historic Smilville Park
803 Smithville Road
East Hampton, NJ
Website
This event features a variety of family fun activities including:
Tractor rides, live music, jugglers, scarecrows on parade, mansion tours, face painting, games, magic, smores, caone & Kayak trips, and more.

Chatsworth Cranberry Festival
October 21, 22, 2017; 9am to 4pm
Downtown, Chatsworth NJ
Website
The Cranberry Festival is a celebration of New Jersey's cranberry harvest, the 3rd largest in the United States, and offers a tribute to the Pine Barrens & Local Culture. This family event features live entertainment many artists & craftsmen demonstrating their crafts and offering them for sales.
Admission is FREE. Parking is available at the school. Signs will be posted and traffic will be directed.