The Ultimate Guide To Fall Fun In New Jersey For 2019

NEW JERSEY — Fall is officially here in New Jersey, and while that means back to school for a lot of families, it also means plenty of weekend fall fun.

There's no shortage of great events and trips to fill up your weekends, and there's something for everyone. From family-friendly apple and pumpkin picking, to hardcore scares best left to an older crowd, Patch has your guide to fall in New Jersey.

See something we missed? Let us know in the comments.

Apple Picking

We're not called the Garden State for no reason. There's no shortage of beautiful apple orchards across New Jersey's 21 counties. We'd never be able to list them all, but here are some of the best pick-your-owns. Visit their websites for more information.

• Melick's Town Farm, Califon. Visit their website.
• Battleview Orchards, Freehold. Visit their website.
• Demarest Farms, Hillsdale. Visit their website.
• Lee Turkey Farm, East Windsor. Visit their website.
• Russo's Orchard Lane Farm, Chesterfield. Visit their website.
• Terhune Orchards, Princeton. Visit their website.
• Giamarese Farm, East Brunswick. Visit their website.

Pumpkin Picking

Just like with apples, there's plenty of places to pick your own pumpkins across New Jersey. This is just a sampling of some local favorites. If we missed your go-to spot, let us know in the comments.

• Butterhofs Shady Brook Farm, Egg Harbor City. Visit their website.
• Donaldson Farm, Hackettstown. Visit their website.
• Fairfield Farms, Fairfield. Visit their website.
• Springdale Farms, Cherry Hill. Visit their website.
• Happy Day Farm, Manalapan. Visit their website.
• Heaven Hill Farm, Vernon. Visit their website.
• Norz Hill Farm, Hillsborough. Visit their website.

Food Festivals

Fall is the perfect time to chow down on some great food, and sample the local beverages. Some of these options are family friendly, while others are adults only.

Chowderfest

The world-famous Chowderfest returns for another year on Long Beach Island. The fest is the first weekend in October; the Merchant's Mart on day one is free, but adult tickets to the cook-off on day two are $30. Read more here.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest celebrations will take place throughout the state in early October. These events range from small community festivals to huge, multi-week celebrations of German food and beer. You can check out a list of events around New Jersey here.

Center Jersey Beer & Wine Fest 2019

Taste over 175 different wine and beers at this Oct. 12 event. Bring a blanket or a chair and make yourself comfortable for four hours of live music and good drink. Buy tickets here.

Make A Day Of It

These events are perfect if you're interested in a day-long Halloween themed activity. Most are family friendly, depending on the level of scare you're comfortable with.

Asbury Park Zombie Walk

Get your zombie on at the annual Asbury Park Zombie Walk. Held on Oct. 5, the walk welcomes zombies of all kinds, and non-dead observers. The organizers say that this free event is family friends. Get more info here.

Fright Fest

Six Flags Great Adventure's annual Fright Fest has returned for 2019. The rides you enjoyed all summer will stay open through the fall, plus several haunted attractions will be offered, including haunted mazes and "scare zones." You can find ticket pricing here.

Take A Ghost Tour

New Jersey is more haunted than you might think, with stories of hauntings and paranormal activities in all corners of the state. If looking into the spooky side of history interests you, you can find a list of ghost tours offered around the state here.

Chills & Thrills

New Jersey is full of haunted attractions, including some interactive options (zombie paintball, anyone?). These are all classic haunted house-level of thrills and frights and might not be suited for young children.

C. Casola Farms, including the Marlboro Zombie Breakout

C. Casola Farms in Marlboro offers several haunted attractions during the fall, including a haunted maze, house, and hayride. Their most famous attraction lets you "shoot" zombies with paintball guns. Take a look at their haunted offerings here.

Brighton Haunted Asylum

You can up the ante at this Passaic haunted attraction by trying to get your way out of one of their four escape rooms. Just want to be scared? There are also two traditional haunted houses. You can buy tickets in advance on their website.

Night Of Terror At Creamy Acres

Billed as New Jersey's biggest and baddest haunted attraction, this is not for the faint of heart. They offer haunted hayrides, mazes, and something terrifying named "Slaughter Cave." Buy tickets to the Mullica Hill attraction on their website.

Red Mill Haunted Village

The quaint and historic Red Mill in Clinton turns into a haunted extravaganza every fall. They offer a startle-free version during the day, with the real fear starting at night. There's also two behind the scenes tours so you can see how the (dark) magic happens. Visit their website for information.

If You Feel Like Driving For Serious Scares

These scares are outside New Jersey and are definitely not for the faint of heart. If you're looking to make a day out of it and want true horror more than a mild scare, you might enjoy these out-of-are haunted attractions.

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia

Set in a real-life decommissioned prison, this Halloween even is known for being one of the scariest in the area. There are six different haunted attractions included in the ticket price. (Not up for scares? They also offer historic tours. Read more about it here.

I Can't See: Nightmare NYC

This immersive terror experience is not for anyone other than the most hard-core fright seekers. This year's iteration is set totally in the dark, scaring you with your other senses. Tickets sell out; you can buy them in advance online.

Bates Motel, Philadelphia

Named a Top 5 attraction by America Haunts, this haunted house is sure to scare. You can take a tour of the Bates Motel, or get your fights on a haunted hayride, maze, or in zombie laser tag. Find more information on their website.

Blood Manor NYC

Featured on Jimmy Kimmel, this is one of the scariest haunted houses in New York City. They describe themselves as "5,000 square feet of themed rooms, corridors, and a labyrinth of passageways designed to maximize one’s fears." You can grab tickets online.

Did we miss your favorite fall activity? Let us know in the comments!