It’s officially October, the season of Halloween, pumpkins and all that is autumn! New Jersey has no shortage of pumpkin activities this weekend, so check out one of the many fall events like the annual Great Pumpkin Festival at Heaven Hill Farm, the Pumpkin Train Festival at Whippany Railway Museum or the Holmdel Harvest Festival at Bayonet Farm. For some nighttime fun, sign up for a cozy Harvest Moon Hayride at Alstede Farms. And if you’ve got little animal lovers in the family, head to Community Day at Woodlands Wildlife Refuge – a special once a year event where the sanctuary opens its doors to the public. And remember, you can check out the full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

All Weekend

Holmdel Harvest Festival (Holmdel, NJ)
Head down to Holmdel for a Harvest Fest to welcome in the month of October. Spend the afternoon at Bayonet Farm romping through the huge pumpkin patch and snapping pics of your little ones on pony rides and at the petting zoo. Plenty of food and craft vendors (including a beer & wine tent!) will be on site.

The Great Pumpkin Festival (Vernon, NJ)
If you’re looking to get your fill of farm fun and pumpkins, check out this northern Jersey annual festival hosted by Heaven Hill Farm. Start with an old-fashioned wagon ride to the U-Pick pumpkin patch before getting lost in the hay maze, trying your hand at barnyard sports ball-cade or visiting the baby chicken barn. Throw in carnival rides, gem mining and a spider web crawl and you’ve got a weekend full of cool weather activities!

NJ Botanical Garden Harvest Craft Fair (Ringwood, NJ)
The annual NJ Botanical Gardens Harvest Fest Craft Fair is a fun-filled family weekend featuring hayrides, pumpkin painting, face painting, storytellers, Oktoberfest food and drink, music and of course, tons of handmade crafts. On Sunday only, sign up for a guided tour of the historic Skylands Manor.

Saturday, October 4th

Big Book Bonanza (Cherry Hill, NJ)
Enjoy a day of celebrating children's books by visiting the wonderful Garden State Discovery Museum. The festivities begin at 11am with author Traci Dunham and her book, The Oyster's Secret.  Each of the local authors is set to read her book and lead children in a related activity. Conclude the day by meeting the one and only Curious George!

Harvest Moon Hayrides (Chester, NJ)
Spend a Saturday evening at Alstede Farms with a hayride under a beautiful moon on a crisp fall night. Walk through the corn maze by flashlight before settling down next to a roaring campfire to enjoy country music and mugs of steaming hot apple cider!  

Painting on Glass (Elmer, NJ)
This workshop for older kids and teens at the Appel Farm Arts & Music Center explores the experimental art form of reverse painting. Students use the principles of abstract painting – color, composition and mark making - to create an acrylic painting on glass.

The Wiggles Tour (New Brunswick, NJ)
Yes, it’s a big ticket event, but if you’ve got a preschooler that loves The Wiggles, you’ll probably want to check out their Ready. Steady, Wiggle Tour coming this Saturday to the State Theatre. The kids will be entertained with new musical numbers from their current CD Apples and Bananas with special onstage visits from Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus.

Sunday, October 5th

Woodlands Wildlife Refuge Community Day (Pittstown, NJ)
Tucked into a corner of Hunterdon County, Woodlands Wildlife Refuge has been caring for thousands of orphaned and injured native wild animals since 1986. Woodlands hold its annual Community Day this Sunday, offering the public a rare opportunity to visit one of New Jersey’s foremost wildlife rehabilitation facilities. Recommended for kids ages 4 & up, the day will be filled with fun and interactive educational activities.

14th Annual Pumpkin Train Festival (Whippany, NJ)
Celebrate the Fall Harvest at the Whippany Railway Museum with train rides and a Halloween craft fair. You can also check out the museum’s unique collection of antique farm tractors, visit the Haunted House and see a show put on by the zany Stormy the Scarecrow.

Check out our GO NJ List, with our top picks of awesome things to do for kids in the upcoming month; GO OCTOBER is hot off the presses!

And 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.