The Best South Jersey Family Festivals and Events

These popular South Jersey family festivals and Family events occur at venues in all corners of Southern NJ and have wide appeal with families with kids.

They feature festivals events with special themes and are known for having good music, food, entertainment, skilled artisans and performers, fun activities, crafts, and more!

Note: This information is provided by event sponsors as a free 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.

October 2019 Southern NJ Family Festivals

LBI's Annual Chowderfest
Saturday, October 5, Sunday, October 6, 2019
Taylor Avenue ball field, Ninth Street and Taylor Avenue
(across from Schooner's Wharf and Bay Village)
Beach Haven, NJ
Website/Tickets
Chowderfest Weekend has become a tradition for family and friends to gather together to say good bye to summer and welcome the fall. Always the weekend before Columbus Day Weekend.
Join in on Saturday for the fabulous Merchant Mart (free admission) where local vendors offer the best deals of the season, and Sunday for the Chowder Cook Off Classic (a ticketed event). Chowderfest Weekend goes on rain or shine.

Elmer Harvest Day
October 5, 2019; 10:00am — 4:00pm
Greater Elmer Area Historical Society
117 Broad St
Elmer, NJ 08318
609-670-0407
Website
This family event features historical exhibits, antique car show, children's games, pony rides, food, vendors, 5K race, demonstrations, and more!

20th Annual WheatonArts Festival of Fine Craft
October 5, 6, 2019
WheatonArts & Cultural Center
1501 Glasstown Road
Millville, NJ 08332
Website
Admission: $12.00 Adults $11.00 Senior Adults (62+) $7.00 Students Children 5 + under are free
This two day family event features an art and shopping experience for the entire family with over 150 artists and craftspeople that will present and sell traditional and contemporary works. A highlight is the WheatonArts Annual Glass Pumpkin Patch with over 7,000 Glass pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and colors on display and available for purchase. Other things to experience include live music, a beer and wine garden, and children's activities
The WheatonArts Center, with a history dating back to 1888, began as a glass factory making pharmaceutical bottles, and later in 1970 as a glass museum when the first buildings at opened to the public. Today the complex of 18 buidings is spread over 45 acres. The Museum of American Glass houses over 22,000 objects, both historic and contemporary. The fully operational Glass Studio presents daily, interpretive demonstrations for the public with artists showing traditional and contemporary glassblowing techniques. In the Artist Studios, artists demonstrate the traditional southern New Jersey crafts of pottery and flameworking.

PierFest 5th Annual Fall Festival
Sunday, October 6th, 2019; 12PM - 5PM (Rain Date: 10/13/2019)
Pier Village
Long Branch, NJ
Website
This annual family event features Kids activities (face painting, inflatables, Fun Bus, photo booth), Exhibitors, vendors and crafters in the Festival Plaza, Live music from local performers, and Great food and drinks at the Pier Village restaurants

Annual Cranberry Fest
October 5, 6, 2019; 11am -5pm
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.

Annual Blackwood Pumpkin Festival
Sunday, October 6, 2019; 11am - 4pm (raindate: Oct. 13th)
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 10, 11, 12, 13, 2019; 12:00 PM until 10:00 PM
Rosenhayn Fire and Rescue and Frank LoBiondo, Sr. Park
GPS: 678 Morton Avenue
Bridgeton, NJ
Website & Entertainment Schedule
This event pays tribute to local farmers and salutes Country Stars & Stripes. The festival's outstanding entertainment lineup features local and regional entertainers coupled with established and rising national performers. It also includes a parade, arts & crafts show, mascot mania, amusement rides and games, a Songfest competition, dessert baking challenge, multi-cultural food court and fireworks on Sunday @ 9:30pm. Bring your own chairs.

5th Annual LBI FLY International Kite Festival
October 11th - 13th, 2019
Ship Bottom
Long Beach Island, NJ 08008
609-361-3395
Website
Celebrate Columbus Day weekend with brilliant colorful artist design kites, fun flying giant inflatable kites and the amazing show of sport kiting to our beautiful island. Many of these fliers are invited guests in prestigious festivals around the world. This free and cross-generational event will yield even more spectacular and unusual kites this year – as well as displayed at local galleries prior to the festival

Avalon Seafood Festival
Saturday, October 12, & Sunday, October 13, 2019
30th St. & Beach
Avalon, NJ 08202
609-967-3936
Website
This family festival features fresh and local seafood from area restaurants, craft and seasonal beer and wine and live entertainment. Children's activities including face painting, balloon art and even a family-fun Art Bar! Be sure to return on Sunday for the famous Chowder Championship at 1pm.

Fall Block Party & Fireworks Spectacular
October 12th, 2019; 9am – 5pm
5th – 14th Streets on Asbury Ave.
Ocean City, NJ
609-399-1412
Website
This family event features over 400 crafters, food, vendors, music and and a grand finale fireworks display fireworks viewed over the boardwalk from 6th – 14th Streets in the evening.

South Jersey Pumpkin Show
October 12, 13, 2019; Saturday 10am to 8pm and Sunday, 10am to 6pm.
Salem County Fairgrounds
735 Harding Highway
Woodstown, NJ 08098
Web Site
Contact: Kathryn Wright, Phone: 856-765-0118, Email: sjpumpkinshow@aol.com
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.
Contact: Kathryn Wright, Phone: 856-765-0118, Email: sjpumpkinshow@aol.com
The South Jersey Pumpkin Show has become one of the best ways to welcome the autumn harvest with kids and parents alike.Festival goers visiting will enjoy pumpkin desserts, 100+ craftsmen, Salem County Fall Home Show, fun contests, give-a-ways, wine sampling, giant food court, NJ Largest Baked Pumpkin Pie, pony rides and hayrides around the fairgrounds. The festival will host a variety of live musical acts daily.
The giant Pumpkin Pyramid, filled with pumpkins, gourds and mums, represents everything beautiful about the fall harvest. Each year many of our vendors create hand-crafted scarecrows and festival goers are invited to judge our entries.
The "Fall Festival of Trees Exhibit" is a must see when visiting the festival. Colorful trees will be decorated in Halloween, Thanksgiving and Autumn themes. Contest is open to adults, clubs and groups. There will be a pumpkin patch for kids, corn maze and pumpkin painting for the whole family.
Saturday activities includes the Decorated Wagons and Stroller Contest and the Adults Pumpkin Toss with over USD 500 in prize money awarded. The best pumpkin desserts are being sought for the Fun Pumpkin Food contest and free sampling. Saturday will showcase the reading of the Sleepy Hollow legend and the arrival of the Headless Horsemen.

Downtown Wildwood Chili & Chowder Cook-off Festival
October, 12, 13, 14, 2019: Saturday Noon to 9 pm., Sunday Noon to 8 pm, & Monday 11 am to 5 pm.
Byrne Plaza
3400 Pacific Ave.
Wildwood. NJ
(732) 481-2311
Website Don't miss the Columbus Weekend Chili & Chowder cook-off at Byrne Plaza. Food trucks & local tent vendors, artisan & bacon related vendore, FREE family & kids activities (to include but not limited to corn hole, kam jam, lawn Jenga, Connect Four and face painting) wine and craft beer tasting and sale in garden/tent area. Sat: & Sun: DJ & live band, Monday, DJ.

Annual Pine Barrens Jamboree at Wells Mills Park
October 12th, 2019; 11am - 4pm (rain or shine)
905 Wells Mills Rd,
Waretown, NJ
Website
Parking and admission FREE
This annual family event features a fun filled day of music of the pines, cultural demonstrations, traditional crafts, & Crafts, Kids Crafts and Games, 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.

Chatsworth Cranberry Festival
October 19, 20, 2019; 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.

December Southern Jersey Family Festivals and Events

Wassail Day
December 7, 2019;11:00am - 3:00pm
Historic Cold Spring Village
720 Rt. 9
Cape May, NJ 08204
609-898-2300
Website
The Village paths come alive with the sounds and smells of wintertime at this free family event. Select buildings will be open where guests can enjoy hands-on crafts, live music, hot beverages and holiday treats served by historical clothed interpreters. Visitors can meet Father Christmas at the Country Store. The Country Store will be open and stocked with unique holiday gift ideas including traditionally-processed wool, artisan crafts for the home, books, jewelry, toys and old-fashioned candy