North Jersey family events
27 upcoming. Family events across North Jersey: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Union, Somerset and Hunterdon counties. Daytime kid-friendly picks.
TomorrowSaturday, October 17
10am to 4pm, through Oct 18$11.75
Bergen County ZooHalloween weekend at a fully decorated zoo with trick-or-treat stations and a friendly daytime train ride with no scary elements. Costumes encouraged; children get trick-or-treat bags. Daytime sessions only.
10am to 1pm, every Saturday$35
Red Mill Museum VillageLow/no-scare daytime version of the Haunted Red Mill for younger kids: guided tour of part of the haunted mill, hayride, cider, doughnuts, face painting, and one free pumpkin per family. $35 per family at the door.
10am to 3pm, through Oct 18$15
Fosterfields Living Historical FarmOld-fashioned fall farm day at a living history farm with apple cider pressing, wagon rides, and pick-your-own pumpkins. Tagged by the organizer for families and kids.
2 to 6pm
Montclair Art MuseumAAPI New Jersey's annual Diwali festival at the museum with live South Asian music and dance, kid-friendly crafts, a photo booth, local vendors, food trucks, and a traditional diya lighting ceremony. Museum galleries open with ticket.
4 to 6pm$15
Essex County Turtle Back ZooFamily-friendly fall fest supporting Essex County conservation groups, with zoo ambassador animals to meet, a train ride, and food trucks. Tickets benefit the Zoological Society of New Jersey.
4pm, through Oct 18
The Growing StageA children's theater staging of Roald Dahl's Matilda, where a brave, clever girl stands up to cruel grown-ups with help from kind teacher Miss Honey, performed by young actors alongside professionals. The Oct 17 show is sensory-friendly.
5 to 8:30pmFree
Hanson ParkAnnual pumpkin carving and parade at Hanson Park where families drop off carved pumpkins by day and stroll candlelit pumpkin-lined paths in the evening. Cash awards for funniest, scariest, and most original carvings in kid age groups.
SundayOctober 18
10am to 1pmFree
Quimby Street, Downtown WestfieldAddamsFest family day on a car-free Quimby Street with Addams Family character visits, pumpkin decorating, music and entertainment, plus activities with local merchants. Free.
11am to 3pm$15
Reeves-Reed ArboretumFall festival at the arboretum with kids games and crafts including bird-feeder making, a Spooky Trail, a woodland story walk, visits with the garden goats, and hands-on animal encounters.
12 to 4pm
Flat Rock Brook Nature CenterAnnual fall festival at the nature preserve with live music, food trucks, live animal presentations, canoe rides, vendors, and outdoor games. Fun for all ages.
SaturdayOctober 24
10am to 5pm
Liberty Hall MuseumAnnual fall family tradition on the museum grounds: pumpkin picking, tractor rides, pumpkin carving and painting, games, crafts, and vendors on the historic 12-acre estate. $14 child, $8 adult; pumpkins extra.
11am to 2pmFree
Memorial Park at Van Neste SquareRidgewood Chamber of Commerce Halloween party in Memorial Park with a kids costume parade at noon, a pet parade at 1pm, a haunted graveyard, a pumpkin patch, and face painting. Free.
12 to 5pmFree
Newark Museum of ArtNMOA's free Community Day with harvest-themed games, a pumpkin scavenger hunt in the galleries, hands-on crafts, an indoor corn maze, vendors, plus a petting zoo and donut truck out front. Free with RSVP; pitched at kids and families.
1:30 to 4:30pm$5
Pickell ParkKids' Halloween party for preschool through grade 5 with a train ride, free family photo booth, amusements, and a goody bag for each registered child, plus a possible trunk or treat from 2:30 to 3pm. Pre-registration required by Oct 23.
5 to 7pmFree
Vail Mansion PlazaMorris Arts hosts a free family event at Vail Mansion Plaza with a Sleepy Hollow storytelling show, a kids mummy-decorating art workshop, a luminary mask parade, and a carved-pumpkin display lighting up the reflecting pool. Rain date Oct 25.
SundayOctober 25
11am to 1pmFree
Spiotta ParkSouth Orange Downtown Halloween event in Spiotta Park with a costume contest, interactive Halloween games, trick-or-treat stations, and entertainment. Free and open to all ages.
FridayOctober 30
11am to 1pm, through Nov 1
Prudential CenterDisney On Ice's star-studded skating gala with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy, plus stories from Zootopia 2, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, and Monsters Inc. Additional afternoon shows Oct 31 and Nov 1; see listing for times.
3 to 5pmFree
Morristown GreenNearly 30-year downtown tradition where costumed children trick-or-treat at participating Morristown businesses around the Green, in a family-friendly afternoon run by the Morristown Partnership. Free.
ThursdayNovember 19
1:30pm, one of 11 dates
Paper Mill PlayhouseDisney and Cameron Mackintosh's stage musical about the magical nanny who brings adventure and imagination to the Banks children, with songs like A Spoonful of Sugar. Family-friendly 1:30pm matinees.
FridayNovember 20
5 to 9pm, through Nov 22Free
Turtle Back ZooStroll the zoo at night under more than 50 lit winter and animal figures, with a free Santa meet and greet, train and carousel rides, s'mores, and ice carving demos on select Fridays. Free admission; donations of food, toys, or coats encouraged.
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