The middle weekend of October is when New Jersey goes all in on Halloween without giving up on fall. Two Halloween parades, a zoo full of costumes, a paddle in witch hats on a little lake at the shore, and lighthouses from Sandy Hook to Cape May open for one weekend only. Here is what is worth the drive, Friday Oct 16 to Sunday Oct 18. Dates and times can change, so check each organizer's page before you go.
Halloween parades and costumes
- Friday, Oct 16: parade at 7 pm; the party runs 7 to 9 pm
- Parade check-in at 6:30 pm at 45th Street and Landis Avenue
- The dance party is at Excursion Park
Details: Sea Isle City's event page.
A Halloween weekend at the Bergen County Zoo in Paramus, with day and evening sessions.
- Friday, Oct 16: 6 to 9 pm
- Saturday, Oct 17: 10 am to 4 pm and 6 to 9 pm
- Sunday, Oct 18: 10 am to 5 pm
- Tickets are online only, with timed arrival; they are not sold at the gate. Everyone 2 and up needs one
- The carousel is cash only, and full-face masks are not allowed
Tickets and rain dates: Friends of the Bergen County Zoo.
Red Bank's parade is in its 78th year.
- Sunday, Oct 18: lineup starts at 1 pm at Hudson Avenue and E. Bergen Place
- Rain date: Sunday, Oct 25
More: Patch's story on the 2026 parade.
Kayaks and paddleboards full of witches and warlocks on Twilight Lake in Bay Head. Costumes are the point.
- Saturday, Oct 17: 12 pm, rain or shine
- $35 to paddle; register online or on site
Details: Ocean County Tourism.
Lighthouses, history and fall days outside
Once a year, 11 lighthouses, 4 lifesaving stations and a museum open together, from Sandy Hook down to Cape May and up the Delaware Bay and River to Paulsboro. Visit as many as you can in a weekend.
- Saturday and Sunday, Oct 17 and 18
- $10 registration gets you a souvenir from each site
- Hours differ by site: check the Hours and Directions page before you plan a route
Details: Lighthouse Challenge of New Jersey.
An evening walk to the bloodiest part of the battlefield at Monmouth Battlefield State Park, with the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield.
- Saturday, Oct 17: meet at 5:45 pm at the Visitor Center
- Cost and reservations are not posted: check before you go
Details: Friends of Monmouth Battlefield 2026 schedule.
A fall day at Thompson Park in Lincroft: pumpkin painting, wagon rides, kids' races and entertainment.
- Sunday, Oct 18: 11 am to 5 pm
- Admission and parking are free; some activities have a fee
Details: Monmouth County Parks.
Batsto Village, in the heart of Wharton State Forest, holds its country fair.
- Sunday, Oct 18: 10 am to 4 pm
- 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton
- No price is posted: check before you go
Details: Batsto Village.
NJ Audubon's four-day fall festival in Cape May, Thursday Oct 15 to Sunday Oct 18, with programs and field trips. Some need pre-registration.
Details: NJ Audubon.
Howell's fall festival and the Optimist Club's annual car show, Saturday, Oct 17. Times and place are on the township's flyer: Howell Township events.
Run for a cause
- Sunday, Oct 18: ceremony at 8:30 am, race at 9 am
- Wall Township Municipal Complex, 2700 Allaire Road
- Register online
Details: Tunnel to Towers.
Make a day of it
Want something scarier after dark? Every haunted hayride, trail and house we found for 2026, sorted from Mild to Intense, is in our guide: NJ Haunted Hayrides and Haunted Houses 2026.
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