Seasonal & Holiday
RMN dispatches tagged Seasonal & Holiday.
From Halloween to Thanksgiving, Bell Works Is Giving Holmdel Plenty of Reasons to Visit
Event Bell Works · Holmdel, New Jersey
Jazz, Motown, winemakers, family festivities, invention awards and a Thanksgiving turkey trot fill the landmark former Bell Labs campus through November 26.
A Pumpkin of Chaos and a Moment of Peace: Lunar Faire’s Perfect Season Finale
Reported Event New Jersey
The mechanical pumpkin bull would have made the night worthwhile by itself. But a remarkable costume contest, drag, music, fire and a community that makes room for everyone gave Halloweekend something much bigger.
Route 66 Turns 100: The Remaining Centennial Events Across America
Reported Feature
A coast-to-coast guide to the concerts, car celebrations, art shows, community festivals, history talks, races and holiday events still ahead.
Laurita Winery’s Upcoming Events: Fall Festivals, Live Shows and Holiday Nights
Reported Feature
From an autumn finale and fireworks over the vines to holiday concerts, interactive mysteries and hands-on workshops, here is what is currently on Laurita’s special-event calendar through December.
NJ Wine Expo Returns to Holmdel Nov. 7 With More Than 130 Garden State Wines
Event Bell Works · Holmdel, New Jersey
The third annual gathering at Bell Works offers a chance to taste New Jersey wines, meet the people making them and plan a future trip through the state’s wine country.
The Addams Family Never Lived in Westfield. That Hasn't Stopped the Town From Celebrating Them.
Reported Feature
As AddamsFest returns for its ninth year, the New Jersey hometown of Charles Addams is turning a fictional family into a very real community tradition.
Americans Spend Billions on Halloween Costumes. Why Do We Treat Them as Disposable?
Reported Feature
A growing community costume swap is challenging the idea that a Halloween outfit should be bought for one night and forgotten by November.
Lunar Faire Closes Its 2026 Season With Dark Carnival in Freehold and Halloweekend in Sussex County
Reported Feature
The traveling night market has two October dates remaining, with fire performances, unusual shopping, live entertainment and a seven-hour season finale.
Halloween Is Bigger Than Ever. So Why Is Traditional Trick-or-Treating Losing Ground?
Reported Feature
More Americans are celebrating Halloween, but the night of knocking on neighbors’ doors is increasingly sharing the spotlight with scheduled events, parking-lot parties and destination outings.
Adults Want Halloween to Be a National Holiday. They’d Just Rather Stay Home.
Reported Feature
New research from New Jersey-based Ferrero finds that 58% of American adults want Halloween recognized as a national holiday, even as a quiet night with candy and a favorite movie becomes the preferred celebration.
Jacksonville & the First Coast
Reported Feature
The big events, fairs, cons, pop-ups, free activities and sensory-friendly experiences to know for late 2026 and 2027
When Did '-ish' Become a Lifestyle?
Reported Feature
Sober October was built around a simple rule: don't drink for a month. In 2026, nearly half the people considering it are already rewriting the rule, and that may be the more interesting story.
The Vampire Diaries Stars Reunite in New Jersey for Vampire Fan Weekend October 24–25
Event Hanover Marriott · Whippany, New Jersey
The Salvatore brothers are returning to New Jersey this October, as Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley headline Creation Entertainment’s Vampire Fan Weekend at the Hanover Marriott in Whippany on Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Chestertown’s Dickens of a Christmas Returns Dec. 4-5 with a Victorian Weekend, 5K and a Downtown Full of Holiday Events
Event Downtown Chestertown · Chestertown, Maryland
The Eastern Shore festival turns historic Chestertown into a two-day holiday streetscape of bonfires, carriage rides, markets, family activities, live music, Victorian traditions and the annual Run Like the Dickens 5K.
When Did Halloween Get Bigger Than Thanksgiving?
Reported Feature
A new CIT Bank survey finds Halloween commanding surprisingly large budgets, especially among younger adults. The numbers suggest the holiday has become something more than a night of candy and costumes: a seasonal marketplace for identity, experience and shareable life.
New Jersey After Dark: Halloween Glows, Holiday Lights and Winter Spectacles Through December 2026
Reported Feature
A county-by-county guide to illuminated walks, drive-through displays, glowing attractions, seasonal villages and ceremonial lightings | Reporting cutoff: October 8, 2026
NJ Activities 10/10-10/12 – Broken out by county
Reported Feature
From fall festivals and pumpkin picking to family-friendly attractions, seasonal celebrations, and outdoor adventures, New Jersey offers plenty of ways to make the most of the long holiday weekend with activities for all ages.
Two Haunted Trails, One Night: Wenonah and Oak Valley Bring the Scares Oct. 24
Event Wenonah, New Jersey
A free shuttle will connect the two community-run attractions, with early kid walks before the full scares begin.
No School Monday? Abma’s Farm in Hillsborough Has a Full Day of Fall Fun
Event Abma's Farm · Hillsborough, New Jersey
Hayrides, corn mazes, pumpkins and farm animals offer families a way to spend the Columbus Day holiday outdoors.
Turtle Back Zoo Lights Up the Holidays With a Tradition Built for the Zoo It Has Become
Event Essex County Turtle Back Zoo · West Orange, New Jersey
Holiday Lights returns to Essex County Turtle Back Zoo for its opening weekend Nov. 20-22, turning one of North Jersey’s most transformed institutions into a winter evening destination.
Middle Township Packs Halloween Week With Decorated Homes, Harvest Fest and a Parade
Event Mechanic Street · Cape May Court House, New Jersey
Six days of fall festivities in Cape May Court House move from neighborhood displays to a full-day Harvest Fest before the township’s annual Halloween Parade closes out the run.
Abma's Farm Packs Hillsborough with Hayrides, Goats, Pumpkins, a Headless Horseman and Oktoberfest
Event Abma's Farm · Hillsborough, New Jersey
The Somerset County farm's October calendar stretches from classic pumpkin-patch outings to kid-friendly goat decorating, 21+ carving nights and a flashlight corn maze after dark.
Cape May Halloween Parade Brings Costumes, Creatures and Classic Cars Downtown Oct. 25
Event Washington Street Mall · Cape May, New Jersey
The annual all-ages tradition returns to the Washington Street Mall with costume judging, decorated vehicles and a full afternoon of Halloween in the heart of Cape May.
Witches Bazaar Brings Fire, Costumes and a Little Magic to Mount Holly
Event Mill Race Village · Mount Holly, New Jersey
Mill Race Village will fill with fire twirlers, stilt walkers, dancing witches, tarot readers, live music, vendors and a crowd-judged costume contest on Oct. 17.
Avalon’s Arts & Seafood Festival Brings One More Big Day to the Beach
Event Surfside Park · Avalon, New Jersey
Fresh seafood, nearly 40 artisan vendors, live music, beach hayrides, children’s activities and an all-day football lounge fill Surfside Park on Oct. 10.
From Alebrijes to Ofrendas: New Jersey’s Cleverest Día de los Muertos Events for 2026
Reported Feature
Wildlife refuge crafts, a giant skeleton puppet parade, an oceanfront procession, a five-course Dinner of the Souls and even a Batman trunk-or-treat give the Garden State an unusually inventive Día de los Muertos calendar this fall.
Von Thun Farms Packs a South Brunswick Weekend With Mazes, Hayrides and More Than 30 Fall Activities
Event Von Thun Farms · South Brunswick, New Jersey
The Oct. 10-11 Fall Festival Weekend combines a Dogs & Dinos corn maze, pumpkin and apple picking, barnyard animals, all-day games and a hayride-access pumpkin patch at the longtime New Jersey farm.
AppleFest Brings Fall Traditions Back to Upper Township’s Gandy Farmstead
Event John Wesley Gandy Farmstead · Upper Township, New Jersey
The annual Historical Preservation Society gathering returns Oct. 10 with apples, pie, traditional crafts and a chance to spend a fall afternoon inside one of Cape May County’s preserved historic farmsteads.
Hawk Ridge Farm Brings Its Fall Festival Back to Lake Hopatcong Oct. 17
Event Hawk Ridge Farm · Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey
Free admission, cider pressing, pumpkin decorating, candle making, face painting and farm animals fill a five-hour autumn afternoon in Jefferson Township.
Pennsville Sets Two October Community Events With Arts in the Park and Halloween Hayride
Event Riverview Beach Park · Pennsville, New Jersey
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.
New Jersey's Oktoberfest Season Isn't Over Yet
Reported Feature
21 celebrations still ahead in October, from Shore beer halls and rooftop breweries to farms, fundraisers and a Revolutionary War twist
Soups of the Shore Returns to Lavallette With Local Restaurants, Crafts and a Vote for the Best Bowl
Event Lavallette First Aid and Firehouse · Lavallette, New Jersey
The Oct. 17 festival turns a fall afternoon at the Jersey Shore into a $10 soup tasting, craft market and community fundraiser.
Sparta’s Thanksgiving ‘Tradition Before the Tradition’ Returns for Its 20th Year
Event Krogh's Restaurant & Brew Pub · Sparta, New Jersey
The Sparta Education Foundation Turkey Trot will bring runners, walkers and families to White Deer Plaza on Nov. 26, raising money for educational programs in the township’s public schools.
Lambertville Knows How to Do Halloween: ACME Screening Room Brings Its Film Festival Back for a Fifth Year
Event ACME Screening Room · Lambertville, New Jersey
The Lambertville Halloween Film Festival returns Oct. 16-18 with juried horror shorts, a full-scale Monster Bash and the New Jersey premiere of a new Vincent Price documentary - all built around one of the town's most distinctive cultural spaces.
The Jersey Devil Is Coming to Edison as NJ Punk Rock Flea Market Returns
Event New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center · Edison, New Jersey
The Beast Coast's largest independent DIY shopping experience is turning the NJ Expo Center into an eight-hour night market of art, vinyl, oddities, tattoos, food, live entertainment and Halloween-season chaos.
The Dog Has a Thanksgiving Dinner Now
Reported Feature
Ollie's Holiday Feast is more than seasonal dog food. It is another sign that we are no longer merely bringing dogs into human rituals. We are building parallel versions of the rituals so they can participate.
On Small Business Saturday, the Storefronts Are the Main Event
Event Downtown Somerville · Somerville, New Jersey
Downtown Somerville turns November 28 into a six-hour district-wide shopping day with special offers, giveaways, entertainment and a reminder that 'shop local' works best when it becomes physical.
Christmas in July Missed July. South Plainfield Is Doing It Anyway.
Event South Plainfield, New Jersey
The long-running downtown celebration has moved to Sept. 27, putting tropical holiday spirit into the first week of fall.
Jersey Girl Pumpkins Makes Fall Look Expensive Without Pricing It That Way
Reported Feature
After our first look at the Wayne-based porch-styling business, owner Tina Torrest walked us through what customers actually buy, how the route is built, and where the pumpkins go after the season ends.
The Goodyear Blimp Is Now a Halloween Costume. Of Course It Is.
Reported Feature
Spirit Halloween and Goodyear have turned one of America’s oldest corporate icons into an inflatable costume — which says something about the strange point at which advertising becomes nostalgia, and nostalgia becomes identity.
Before the Holiday Rush, Toms River Gets One More Handmade Shopping Day
Event Fabricated For You · Toms River, New Jersey
Fabricated For You closes its 2026 craft-fair calendar November 14 with more than 60 outdoor booths, 30 indoor spotlight vendors and an inventory that runs from candles and crochet to books, bread, sea glass and woodworking.
“Luminaries for Lost Loves” turns a South Jersey shelter into a memorial for pets
Event Animal Welfare Association · Voorhees, New Jersey
Animal Welfare Association’s “Luminaries for Lost Loves” turns a South Jersey shelter campus into a shared memorial for pets — and fills a ritual gap many families are still left to navigate on their own.
Monster Bash Returns to Historic Smithville, Where the Village Gets a Little Less Alive
Event Historic Smithville Village · Smithville, New Jersey
The Underground brings horror, local art, live music, costumes and a confirmed genre guest into one of South Jersey’s most deliberately quaint settings on Oct. 24.
The Wolf Man Has Joined the Wine Rack
Reported Feature
19 Crimes is adding The Wolf Man to its fourth annual Universal Monsters collection, turning a bottle of wine into something closer to seasonal shelf art for people who still have a soft spot for black-and-white monsters, glowing labels and a good Saturday-night horror ritual.
The Night Downtown Somerville Turns the Holidays On
Event Downtown Somerville · Somerville, New Jersey
The annual Holiday Jubilee returns December 4 with the tree lighting, Santa, trolley rides, live entertainment and a downtown-wide evening built around being together before the season gets busy.
Somerville’s Holiday Lights Parade Is Already Taking Shape
Event Downtown Somerville · Somerville, New Jersey
The 2026 date has not been announced, but the parade’s recent first-Saturday pattern points to Dec. 5 — and Raccoon Media Network plans to dispatch live from the route.
Westfield Doesn’t Have to Borrow Halloween. It Has Charles Addams.
Event Westfield · Union County, New Jersey
AddamsFest returns for a ninth October with art, cemetery tours, storefronts, a floating family house, a 1991 movie night and a town using its own history as something more interesting than seasonal decoration.
The Giant Pumpkins Are Going Back to the Farm
Event Needle Creek Farm Brewery · Pennington, New Jersey
Hopewell Valley’s Amazing Pumpkin Carve is moving from Woolsey Park to Needle Creek Farm Brewery for its 12th year. The venue is new, but adaptation has been part of this oversized autumn tradition almost from the beginning.
New Jersey Has a Pumpkin Concierge. I Kind of Love That.
Culture
Jersey Girl Pumpkins will design, deliver, install and even remove a custom fall porch display. It is unmistakably a luxury service, but it is also an unusually specific New Jersey small business built around artistic judgment, seasonal ritual and the value of letting someone else handle the entire job.
Some Dogs Arrive With Families. Some Are There Looking for One.
Event Essex County Turtle Back Zoo · West Orange, New Jersey
Turtle Back Zoo’s 10th annual BARKtoberfest brings rescue groups, adoptable animals, family pets and a public costume contest into the same West Orange gathering — turning pet adoption into something visible, communal and occasionally dressed like a taco.
Smodcastle Turns Trick or Treat Into a Live Heavy-Metal Halloween Party
Event SModcastle Cinemas · Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
For the cult film’s 40th anniversary, Marc Price returns as master of ceremonies while Midnite Hellion performs the Fastway soundtrack alongside the movie on Oct. 30.
When the Boardwalk Trades Summer for Costumes
Event Jenkinson’s Boardwalk · Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
Jenkinson’s Boo at the Boardwalk returns for two October weekends with trick-or-treating, half-price rides, character appearances, aquarium oddities and a Halloween program built for families rather than scares.
Halloween Works Better When the Whole Downtown Plays Along
Event Downtown Somerville · Somerville, New Jersey
Somerville’s Halloween Spooktacular returns October 29 with free pumpkin painting, trick-or-treating and a family-first reason to walk the downtown in costume.
Behind Every Scream Is Somebody Building the Room
Event Voorhees Hall · Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
The Fright Stuff, Mike Meyer's documentary about America's haunted-attraction world, comes to the New Jersey Film Festival at Rutgers on Sept. 12, looking past the jump scare to the builders, performers and obsessive craft that make an entire seasonal culture work.
The Family Costume Has Four Legs Now
Reported Feature
PetSmart's 2026 Halloween collection looks like a seasonal retail story. It is also evidence that pets are no longer adjacent to family rituals. Increasingly, they are cast in them.
Downtown Somerville Gets a Little Stranger After Dark
Event Downtown Somerville · Somerville, New Jersey
The Spooky Night Market brings oddities, gothic goods, horror-inspired art and costume-friendly nightlife to Division Street on October 8.
Darkside NJ Has Two More Chances to Get Weird This Fall
Event Mercer County Park Ice Skating Facility · West Windsor, New Jersey
Season of the VVitch arrives at Mercer County Park on Sept. 12, followed by a Friday the 13th Dark Market in Edison on Nov. 13.
Lunar Faire’s Final Five Nights Move Across Five Very Different New Jersey Grounds
Event Middlesex County Fairgrounds · East Brunswick, New Jersey
The traveling witchy night market closes its 2026 season with Elements, Zodiac, Vasquerade, Dark Carnival and Halloweekend, and the setting changes almost as much as the theme.