# Pennsville Sets Two October Community Events With Arts in the Park and Halloween Hayride 2026-10-05 · Riverview Beach Park · Pennsville, New Jersey · Event The second annual Arts in the Park Fall Festival returns Oct. 17, followed by a residents-only Halloween costume contest, Trunk or Treat and hayride on Oct. 22. The second annual Arts in the Park Fall Festival returns Oct. 17, followed by a residents-only Halloween costume contest, Trunk or Treat and hayride on Oct. 22. --- Pennsville is packing a pair of distinctly local events into one October week, moving from an all-day celebration of Salem County artists and makers to a Halloween night built around costumes, treats and a hayride for township children. The Arts in the Park Fall Festival returns to Riverview Beach Park on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The second-year event is designed to bring together Salem County artists, crafters, vendors and residents for a fall afternoon along the Delaware River, with live music, food, crafts and an art competition among the attractions. This year’s festival again includes a plein-air art competition, inviting artists to create work in the park while using Pennsville’s riverfront setting as inspiration. Organizers say participating artists will have a chance to win prizes, with selected work also slated for local display at Pennsville National Bank and Tropic Bowls. The festival is open to Salem County residents and businesses, giving the event a wider county reach while keeping the focus on local creators. Craft and food vendors are also being recruited for the day, making Arts in the Park part art show, part community festival and part showcase for the small businesses and makers working across Salem County. Riverview Beach Park, at 48 N. Broadway in Pennsville, is already one of the township’s regular gathering places for concerts, festivals and seasonal events. Arts in the Park uses that familiar setting for a quieter kind of fall festival — one centered on making, displaying and experiencing art in the same landscape artists are being asked to capture. Five days later, the park shifts into Halloween mode. Pennsville Parks & Recreation will hold its Halloween Costume Contest and Hayride on Thursday, Oct. 22. The event is limited to Pennsville residents and is open to children through sixth grade. Registration begins at 5:15 p.m., with the costume contest scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. The evening also includes a Trunk or Treat hosted by Little World Cooperative Nursery, along with the hayride. Prizes will be awarded during the costume contest, and township organizers say every participating child will receive a treat. Together, the two events give Pennsville two different ways to use the park as autumn settles in: first as a countywide gathering place for art, music, food and local makers, then as a hometown Halloween night aimed squarely at local families. For Arts in the Park, organizers are directing event questions and vendor interest through Discover Pennsville. Questions about the Halloween program can be directed to Pennsville Recreation through the township’s official channels. Event Details Arts in the Park Fall Festival 2026Parks & Rec Halloween Contest & HayrideSaturday, Oct. 17, 2026Thursday, Oct. 22, 202610 a.m.–3 p.m.Registration 5:15 p.m.; contest 6 p.m.Riverview Beach Park, 48 N. Broadway, PennsvilleRiverview Beach Park, PennsvilleOpen to Salem County residents/businessesPennsville residents only; children through 6th gradeArt contest, crafts, vendors, food, live music and plein-air competitionCostume contest, Trunk or Treat, hayride, prizes and treats Source links: Discover Pennsville 2026 Calendar | Pennsville Township – Arts in the Park | Pennsville Township News & Updates Editorial note: The Discover Pennsville homepage labels Oct. 17 as “Friday,” but Oct. 17, 2026 is a Saturday. The Pennsville Township event listing and Salem County calendar both list the festival on Saturday, Oct. 17; that corrected day is used in this article. --- ProbleMattic is written and maintained by Matthew Kulcsar, a software engineer, project manager, technologist, platform builder, emergency-services-trained helper, grandfather, and lifelong collector of broken systems, odd behaviors, and useful nonsense.