Local Summer: Fall at the Jersey Shore, From Farm Days to Town Events
Published | Posted by Dennis Mark Interdonato
- Jersey Shore
- Monmouth County NJ
- Ocean County NJ
- Fall events
- Lifestyle Connector
"Local Summer" is a real thing at the Jersey Shore, and it starts right after Labor Day, when everyone leaves. The restaurants, bars and eateries can breathe again, and the people who live here get their hometowns and local attractions back.
I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato, REALTOR® and Lifestyle Connector with Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living. Fall is an amazing time of year at the Jersey Shore, and it's when I send people to see what living here year-round actually feels like. Here's where I point them.
What is Local Summer at the Jersey Shore?
It's the stretch after Labor Day when the summer crowds head home and the shore quiets down. Local reporting has used the name for years to describe September at the shore: sparse crowds, generally beautiful weather and warm ocean temperatures (WHYY, 2014).
Beach rules change after the season too, and they vary by town. Check the beach badge guide before you go.
Where can you go to a fall farm day near the shore?
We have many farms around the area that put on events for the community every fall: apple picking, pumpkin picking, hayrides, cider tasting and farm markets. It makes a great day trip. Every farm below has its 2026 fall season posted, on its own site unless noted. Schedules change with the weather and the crop, so check before you go.
Monmouth County farms
- Eastmont Orchards, Colts Neck (321 Route 537): pumpkins, a new corn maze, fall decorations, local jams and honey. Fridays through Sundays, September 18 to October 25. eastmontorchards.com
- Battleview Orchards, Freehold (91 Wemrock Road): pick-your-own pumpkins and hayrides through October, and a country store with their own apple cider and cider donuts. Family farming since 1908. Picking is cash only. battlevieworchards.com
- Twin Pond Farm Harvest, Freehold (49 Howell Road): a new corn maze, pumpkin picking and a giant slide, on select dates September 19 to November 1. Ticketed. Family owned and operated since 1923. twinpondfarm.com
- A. Casola Farms, Holmdel (178 Route 34): a free-admission Fall Fest, September 26 to October 31, 9am to 5pm, with a petting zoo and hayrides daily. Weekends add pony rides, face painting, a corn maze and a haunted house. acasolafarms.com
- Happy Day Farm, Manalapan (106 Iron Ore Road): a Fall Festival September 19 to November 8 with corn mazes, pick-your-own pumpkins and flowers, and tractor rides. Dates confirmed by News 12 and Secret NYC.
- Stone Tavern Orchards, Cream Ridge (73 Rues Road): pick-your-own pumpkins, a hayride and a 2026 corn maze, September 19 to mid-November. Weekends add pony rides, a petting zoo and a food tent, and there's a Moonlit Corn Maze on Friday, October 23. Family owned and operated. stonetavernorchards.com
- Bullock Farms, Cream Ridge (83 Emleys Hill Road): pick-your-own pumpkins and fall harvest activities, Fridays through Sundays to October 25. Seven generations on the farm. bullockfarms.com
- Delicious Orchards, Colts Neck (320 Route 34): the country market, with its Cider Café and fall specials. The orchard dates to 1911. deliciousorchardsnj.com
- Wemrock Orchards, Freehold (300 Route 33): a family-owned country store with apples, cider, cider donuts, pies and honey, open for nearly 50 years. wemrockorchards.com
- Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel (44 Longstreet Road): a Monmouth County Park System farm with free weekend demonstrations like the cookstove, blacksmith and quilting, on October 17, 18 and 31 and into November. monmouthcountyparks.com
Ocean County farms
- Argos Farm, Forked River (1250 Lacey Road, Lacey Township): a Fall Festival with pumpkin picking, a corn maze and live music, plus Jack's & Lights, a separate ticketed pumpkin trail. Select dates through November 1. argosfarm.com
- Emery's Farm, New Egypt (346 Long Swamp Road): a two-acre corn maze, a straw-bale maze, weekend hayrides, farm animals and a bakery with cider donuts. Daily 10am to 5pm through October 30. emerysfarm.com
What do the towns put on in the fall?
This is the part most visitors never see. Once the summer traffic is gone, the towns put on their own events: farmers markets, Trunk or Treat nights, parades, meet the mayor hours and fall festivals, plus the high school plays and youth sports that fill a fall Saturday. Here's what the towns have posted for the rest of 2026. Times and locations come from each town's own calendar unless noted; confirm before you go.
Monmouth County
- Thompson Park Day, Lincroft: Sunday, October 18, 11am to 5pm. Pumpkin painting, a scarecrow contest, wagon rides and crafts. Free. (Monmouth County Parks)
- Fall Craft Show, Tinton Falls: Saturday, November 7, 9am to 2pm, Fort Monmouth Recreation Center. Free. (Monmouth County Parks)
- Middletown Day: Sunday, October 18, 1 to 6:30pm, Croydon Hall. Halloween Hullabaloo follows on Saturday, October 24, 5 to 8pm, at Poricy Park, with a costume parade and hayrides. (Middletown)
- Red Bank Halloween Parade: the 78th annual, Sunday, October 18, 1pm, down Broad Street. (Red Bank)
- Long Branch: Fall Festival & Pooch Parade at Pier Village Saturday, October 17; Pier Village Tree Lighting Sunday, November 29. (Long Branch)
- Asbury Park: Community Day Saturday, October 17, at the new fire headquarters; Trunk or Treat Saturday, October 31, at City Hall; First Fridays art and music on November 6 and December 4. (Asbury Park)
- Wall Trunk or Treat: Thursday, October 22, 6 to 8pm, Community Park. Free. (Wall)
- Belmar: Fall Festival Saturday, October 24, 11am to 4pm; Christmas Tree Lighting Thursday, December 3. (Belmar)
- Freehold Borough: Downtown Freehold Farmer's Market on Fridays, 11am to 4pm, at the Hall of Records; Spooktacular Monster Mash Saturday, October 24; Halloween Parade Sunday, October 25, 1pm. (Freehold Borough)
- Manalapan Monster Mania (Trunk or Treat): Friday, October 23, 4 to 8pm. Registration through the township. (Manalapan)
Ocean County
- Point Pleasant Borough: Trunk or Treat Tuesday, October 20, 5 to 7pm, and Haunts in the Park Thursday, October 22, both at Community Park. (Point Pleasant Borough)
- Point Pleasant Beach: Monster Dash 5K Saturday, October 24; Grom O Ween skate and costume contest Saturday, October 31, at the skate park; Christmas Tree Lighting & Santa's Arrival downtown Friday, November 27. (Point Pleasant Beach)
- Brick Trunk or Treat: Thursday, October 22, Drum Point Sports Complex, run by Brick Recreation. (Patch, October 7, 2026)
- Toms River: the 87th Halloween Parade, Saturday, October 31, 7pm, down Main Street (WJRZ, September 24, 2026). The downtown farmers' market runs Wednesdays, 10am to 3pm, by Town Hall (Downtown Toms River).
- Jackson: Trail of Terror Saturday, October 24, Johnson Memorial Park; Mayor's Safe Trick or Treat Friday, October 30; Christmas Tree Lighting Saturday, December 5. (Jackson)
- Berkeley Trick or Trunk: Saturday, October 24, 1 to 3pm, Veterans Park, Bayville. (Berkeley)
- Lavallette: Meet the Mayor on November 13 and December 4 at Borough Hall; Soups of the Shore Saturday, October 17, at the firehouse; Halloween Hoedown Friday, October 30. (Lavallette)
- Bay Head Halloween Parade & Costume Contest: Saturday, October 31, late morning. (Bay Head)
Your town's website and recreation department page will have anything added later. If you're thinking about moving here, go to one. You'll learn more about a town in an afternoon at its fall festival than in a week of scrolling listings.
Where should you eat during Local Summer?
Anywhere you couldn't get a table in July. The local spots have room again, and fall is when the regulars come back. A few lists to get you started:
- Top 10 burger joints in Ocean County
- Hole-in-the-wall diners and cheesesteak spots
- Top 5 date-night spots in Brick
Is fall a good time to look at Jersey Shore towns?
It's one of the best. In summer you see a town at its busiest. In fall you see the town the way it is the other nine months: the farmers market, the high school play, the restaurant that knows your order. If you're deciding where to live, that's the version that matters. Read more in living at the Jersey Shore year-round.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Local Summer start?
Right after Labor Day, when the summer crowds head home, and it runs into the fall.
Where can I go pumpkin picking near the Jersey Shore?
In Monmouth County, Battleview Orchards, Twin Pond Farm, Happy Day Farm, Stone Tavern Orchards and Bullock Farms all list pick-your-own pumpkins for 2026. In Ocean County, Argos Farm in Forked River does. Check each farm's site for current dates.
How do I find fall events in my town?
Start with your town's website and its recreation department page. Farmers markets, Trunk or Treat nights and community days are usually listed there.
About the author
Dennis Mark Interdonato is a REALTOR® and Master CDRE® who leads The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living in Point Pleasant, NJ, helping buyers and sellers throughout New Jersey make their next move, with Monmouth and Ocean County as home base. Read more about Dennis Mark.
