All Weekend

South Jersey Pumpkin Show (Woodtown, NJ)
Those South Jersey folks do the family fall festival thing big by celebrating with a three-day festival at the Salem County Fairgrounds. There will be tons of family fun to enjoy throughout the weekend such as rides, food, pumpkin weigh off, decorated stroller/wagon parade & contest, Little Miss Pumpkin Show Pageant, pumpkins, fall decorations, craft vendors, hayrides, pumpkin dessert contest, free crafts for kids, face painting, sand art, give ways, and more! FREE admission. $5 parking fee. Friday 4-9:00pm, Saturday & Sunday 10am-7pm. 856-765-0118

Allentown Fall Festival (Allentown, NJ)
This annual festival in the historic village of Allentown includes local artisans, crafters and food vendors, as well as live music and dance performances. There's also a classic car show and a petting zoo with the kids. FREE Admission. 9am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday September 13th

Green Halloween Kids' Costume Swap (Morristown, NJ)
Celebrate National Costume Swap day at Unity Charter School from 9am-12pm. Bring your "gently used" costumes & accessories and swap them for another donated costume, or for a small fee if you do not bring a costume to swap. While you swap, there will be a puppet show and a recycled craft for kids (while supplies last).

Hike and Seek (Bernardsville, NJ)
Get in touch with nature at the Sherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary from 9am-12pm for this fun and educational event that is part nature hike, part scavenger hunt. Armed with your Guidebook and scavenger hunt checklist, you will follow a trail map to five Stop & Study stations to learn local nature facts from Naturalists and collect stickers. Before and after your hiking adventure you can explore Basecamp, where you can enjoy fun activities and morning refreshments. All youth hikers will earn a Junior Naturalist badge at the end of the trail. Advanced registration is $7 child/$12 adult. Onsite registration is $15 per adult, $9 per child.

Hoboken Family Alliance Fall Swap Meet  (Hoboken, NJ)
Come out to Hoboken High School for Hoboken Family Alliance's bi-annual Swap, which is a 10 year tradition. Here's how it works: Bring your clothing items (sizes newborn to youth 14), toys, books and kid gear anytime during the drop-off period from 9-11am. You will receive one credit for one item of clothing or multiple credits for larger items such as bouncy seats. You can exchange these credits for clothing, shoes, coats, and toys and then come back between 12:30-2:30 pm to shop. If you don’t have any items for exchange or would like to take home more items than you brought, you may purchase items for cash. Donations are also accepted. Contact hfaphilanthropy@yahoo.com with any questions.

Lenape Day (Chatham, NJ)
Join the Great Swamp staff at their most popular annual event, which celebrates the Lenape people with dancing, drums, vendors and historical talks by the Ramapough Lenape People. Enjoy games, crafts, touring a replica wigman, and more! Great fun for the entire family. 10am-4pm. Cost: $5 per person.

Pumpkin Carving Demonstration (Hamilton, NJ)
Come out to the Grounds for Sculpture from at 2pm to take your pumpkin carving to the next level. Watch (and learn) from a master pumpkin carver, Ashley Campbell as she uses the “surface sculpted” technique of carving away the outside layer to reveal the fleshy interior, and create almost anything you can think of, including really “ghoulish” faces. Free with admission: Adults$12/Children 6-12 $8/Children under 6 FREE. 609-586-0616.

Celebrate Apples (Chester, NJ)
Give those apples some love too at Cooper Gristmill from 1-3:30pm where you can assist with cider pressing as it was done in 1880s Milltown. Use a hand-cranked apple peeler, decorate an apple, and see a display of apple head dolls (now that's got to be interesting!) Suggested donation: $3/adults, $2/seniors, $1/children. 908-879-5463.

Sussex County Harvest and Honey Festival (Augusta, NJ)
Bring the whole family out to the Sussex County Fairgrounds from 10am-4pm for this great FREE family festival. It will include a farmers market, vendors, and displays from regional organizations. The Sussex Beekeepers Association will also be there with educational displays and materials along with an array of honey products.  Activities for the kids include nature walks, games, and more!

Sunday October 14th

Richard Scarry’s Lowly Worm and Huckle Cat: Busytown Busy (Morristown, NJ)
The Mayo Center for the Performing Arts is showcasing the incredible world of Richard Scarry at 1:30 and 4:00pm. Young children will enjoy seeing these beloved characters come to life as Huckle Cat, Sally Cat, Lowly Worm, Sergeant Murphy and friends host a contest to discover their true talents -- with much humor and only a few hiccups along the way! Tickets are $12-15. Call 973-539-8008 for more information.

Candle Making (Princeton, NJ)
Come out to Princeton Battlefield State Park from 11am-3pm for this FREE event where you will learn about 18th and 19th century lighting and make your very own hand dipped candle to light up your nights. (Batteries not included.)

Circus Place Open House (Hillsborough, NJ)
Your kids will flip (literally) for Circus Place's Grand Reopening Open House Event from 12-4pm. They can try out the trapeze, juggling, tight wire, stilts, acrobatics, and more! Just like at an actual circus, cotton candy and popcorn will be provided. FREE. 908-829-3784.

The Sky Above - Sensory Friendly Planetarium Show (Branchburg, NJ)
All ages are welcome to this one-hour sensory-friendly program at the Planetarium at Raritan Valley Community College. The show will provide a comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming to all families. The doors will remain open so that children will be able to come and go. Lights will be left dim and audio will be lowered and at a consistent level. The sky show will include: music, videos, planets, the Moon, constellations and laser lights. $7 per ticket. 4:30-5:30pm. Please call 908-231-8805 to make a reservation.  Also make sure to check out the other great shows at the planetarium this weekend for both kids and adults.


Don't forget: We have additional activity listings in our Event Calendar.  And if you are heading into NYC for the weekend make sure you visit the New York City Mommy Poppins events calendar  to get the latest on all the fun to be had NYC-style.

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