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The Warren County Hot Air Festival takes flight from Saturday, September 23-Sunday, September 24. Photo courtesy of the event
The Warren County Hot Air Festival takes flight from Saturday, September 23-Sunday, September 24. Photo courtesy of the event
8/28/22 - By Laurie Rein

Labor Day kicks off September activities, launching New Jersey's season of apple picking, fall festivals, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes.

Great things to do over the long, Labor Day weekend include rides and games aplenty at the Boonton Fire Department Carnival and St. Bartholomew/UNICO Italian Festival. Celebrate the arrival of fall with family-friendly events like Bridgewater Community Day and All About Downtown Street Fair. And get a sneak preview of Halloween at Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest and DiDonato's Trick-or-Treat Train.

September is also prime time for apple picking in the Garden State. We've got more seasonal picks in our Fall Fun Guide, and you can find even more great things to do in our Activity Calendar. 

Get our picks for every weekend in your inbox—sign up for our newsletters.

As always, if an event piques your interest, click through to our listing for all the details, including addresses and times. And keep in mind: Really cool things to do with kids often book up quickly, so register or buy your tickets ASAP.

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There's plenty of hands-on fun at the Bridgewater Community Day event, which include a touch-a-truck festival, too. Photo courtesy of the event
There's plenty of hands-on fun at the Bridgewater Community Day event, which include a touch-a-truck festival, too. Photo courtesy of the event

Best Things To Do in New Jersey This September

Boonton Fire Department Carnival

Boonton
Thursday, August 31-Sunday, September 3, 2023
Enjoy rides, games, live music, and scrumptious fair food. Make it a fun weekend with family and friends, and say farewell to summer in a memorable way. Fireworks take place on Sunday. READ MORE

St. Bartholomew/UNICO Italian Festival

Scotch Plains–FREE
Friday, September 1-Monday, September 4, 2023
This annual Italian fest is a Labor Day weekend tradition with something for everyone. There is nightly live music, rides, games, and delicious food, including favorites like pizza, pasta, zeppoles, clams, and calzones. READ MORE

Annual Family Football Fest

Deptford–FREE
Saturday, September 2, 2023
Kick-off Eagles football season at this Deptford Mall celebration. Enjoy Philadelphia Eagles appearances, live entertainment, food and local vendors, fitness demos, and free children's activities including face painting, balloon sculpting, character appearances, strolling magicians, bounce houses, live animals, photo booth, games, prizes, giveaways, and more. READ MORE

Wildwood Block Party & Music Festival

Wildwood–FREE
Sunday, September 3, 2023
Crafts, games, rides, great food, and continuous live entertainment are all on tap at this end-of-summer festival. READ MORE

Riverdale's Annual Labor Day Street Fair

Riverdale–FREE
Monday, September 4, 2023
Riverdale’s Annual Labor Day Street Fair closes its main street to traffic for a giant block party. Shop for a selection of assorted items, along with a special arts and crafts section, live entertainment, kiddie rides and games, great festival foods, and so much more.  READ MORE

Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest & Kid's Boo Fest

Jackson
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and select weekdays Friday, September 8-Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Six Flags Great Adventure’s Fright Fest returns with its iconic, family-friendly “thrills by day” and “fright by night."  Experience 13 haunted houses, scare zones, the Trick-or-Treat Trail, live shows, haunted mazes, and more.  READ MORE

Elmwood Park Community Day with Fireworks

Elmwood Park–FREE
Saturday, September 9, 2023
This giant block party features quality exhibitors selling a selection of assorted items, a special arts & crafts section, live entertainment, kiddie rides and games, great festival foods and food trucks, and more.  READ MORE

Annual Oktoberfest Fun at Morey’s Piers

Wildwood
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Friday, September 15-Sunday, October 8, 2023
This fall, Oktoberfest takes over Morey’s Piers for four consecutive weekends of German-themed revelry, live entertainment, a kids “Rootbier Garten” activity area, and much more. READ MORE

All About Downtown Street Fair

Jersey City–FREE
Saturday, September 9, 2023
The annual All About Downtown Street Fair returns to Jersey City for its 12th year with over 100 vendors and more than 10 food and mobile fashion trucks. This event features a day full of fun for the entire family. READ MORE

The Downbeach Seafood Festival

Ventnor
Saturday, September 9-Sunday, September 10, 2023
Now spanning 2 days, this annual festival features delicious food, children's activities, live music, competitions, chef demonstrations, and more. READ MORE

Royal Canadian International Circus

East Rutherford
Thursday, September 14-Saturday, Septembe 23, 2023
The all-new Royal Canadian International Circus lands at American Dream Mall for 10 days of thrilling and captivating circus acts. Witness high-flying acrobatics, death-defying tricks, towering feats of strength, teetering towers of balanced bodies, extreme bending and precarious aerials. READ MORE

Great Pumpkin Festival

Vernon
Select days, Saturday, September 16-Sunday, November 5, 2023
The largest fall festival in northern New Jersey features 40+ themed activities including farm animals, a spider web crawl, a stunt dog show, an anniversary-themed corn maze, an obstacle course, farm animals, duck racing and more. READ MORE

Wind & Sea Festival

Port Monmouth–FREE
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Join this celebration of all things water at Port Monmouth's Bayshore Waterfront Park. Visitors can enjoy tons of beach- and water-themed seaside activities. READ MORE

Bridgewater Community Day Featuring Touch-a-Truck

Bridgewater–FREE
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Bridgewater Township and the Shimon and Sara Birnbaum JCC present its annual Bridgewater Community Day Featuring Touch-a-Truck. The event is free and open to the entire community and includes music, trucks, inflatables, and more.  READ MORE

Holland Ridge Farms Fall Flower Festival

Cream Ridge
Friday, September 15-Sunday, October 15, 2023
Prepare for a day filled with activities that ignite your passion for all things floral. Admire millions of rainbow blooms including sunflowers, gladiolus, dahlias, calla lilies, and mums. Plus, enjoy up to 30 delicious food options and over 100 artisanal vendors. READ MORE

Warren County Hot Air Balloons, Fun & Games Festival

Washington
Saturday, September 23-Sunday, September 24, 2023
Head over to Warren Community College for two days of family fun at this hot air balloon festival. Gates open at 3pm each day with vendors, food trucks, and family entertainment.  READ MORE

Diggerfest

West Berlin
Saturdays and Sundays, Saturday, September 23-Sunday, November 26, 2023
Bring fall fun to a new level this season by operating heavy machinery at Diggerland. In addition to the theme-park attractions, enjoy hayrides, carnival games, food, balloon animals and pumpkin decorating. READ MORE

Italian Festival at Historic Smithville

Galloway–FREE
Saturday, September 23, 2023
Come join the excitement at this Italian Festival, featuring an Italian market with a spectacular variety of wares and food. The day is filled with live Italian music, bocce ball, folk dancing, kids’ activities, and more. READ MORE

Harvest Home Festival

Holmdel–FREE
Sunday, September 24, 2023
This old-fashioned country fair at Longstreet Farm is reminiscent of the 1890s, taking visitors back in time to the period when neighbors gathered to accomplish work, harvest, and spend time socializing and enjoying each other’s company. READ MORE

DiDonato's Trick-or-Treat Train

Hammonton
Saturdays and Sundays, Saturday, September 30-Sunday, October 29, 2023
This outdoor Halloween train takes you on a ride through goblin-friendly Halloween Town. Tricks and treats include a hay maze, a new inflatable obstacle course, a pumpkin patch, a giant racing slide, photo-ops with a witch, and more.  READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

About the Author

Laurie R
Laurie Rein is thrilled to have made a career of digging up activities (especially free ones!) for her twin daughters. Prior to working with Mommy Poppins NJ, Laurie wore many hats in the television industry including gigs as an NBC page, NBC copywriter, affiliate liaison for The Rosie O'Donnell Show and research manager for CBS. She is currently the Events Editor for Mommy Poppins NJ and can be reached at njevents@mommypoppins.com
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