There’s Still Time To Catch Fall-Inspired Events Near Mahwah

MAHWAH, NJ — Fall is a great time to get outside in the Mahwah area and take in the rich offering of festivals.

The changing colors of autumn provide a scenic background for fall and harvest festivals, which have contests ranging from apple bobbing and pumpkin carving to lumberjack contests and Halloween parades.

Fall is also the season for pumpkin patches, corn mazes and apple orchard visits.

Here are a few events in the Mahwah area worth putting on the calendar for the rest of October:

1. Wayne Valley Fall Craft Show: Sunday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wayne Valley High School, 551 Valley Road, Wayne, NJ

Don't miss a chance to start your holiday shopping at this exciting show. Over 100 exhibitors with arts and crafts will be set up in one huge gym. The show is sponsored by the Wayne Valley Band Parents and promoted by P.J.'s Promotions.

Just some of the items to be shown are stained glass, fiber, florals, charcuterie boards, soaps, jewelry, soft sculpture, totes, chocolates, signs, pottery, apparel, resin and metal art, folk art, hand-painted ornaments and gourds, pillows, birdhouses, wind chimes, quilting, tie dye and much more.

The sponsors will be serving a breakfast and lunch in the cafe. Admission is $3. For more information about the show go to www.pjspromotions.com.

2. Halloween: A Haunted History with Kevin Woyce: Monday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.

Mahwah Public Library, 100 Ridge Road, Mahwah, NJ

Why do we carve pumpkins at Halloween, dress up in costumes, or decorate our homes with skeletons and ghosts? This colorful program traces the strange history of Halloween, from Old World harvest festivals to our modern family holiday. Along the way, Kevin will discuss the origins of the Jack-o'lantern, Orson Welles' 1938 "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, the first monster movies, famous costume makers, and much more. The hour-long slideshow is illustrated with original photographs and antique Halloween cards, advertisements, artwork, and movie posters. This program is in person only but registration is necessary.

3. Murder at Rhino Manor: An Interactive Murder Mystery: Sunday, Oct. 30, 2 p.m.

Rhino Comedy, 22 Lafayette Avenue, Suffern, NY

Join Rhino Comedy to solve the Murder at Rhino Manor. Master Rhino was discovered, evidently extinct, in his lavish manor, and one of the members of his mysterious personnel is surely to blame. Join to interview the suspects, inspect the crime scene, and pick out the perpetrator. Deduce the criminal correctly for the chance to win a prize. Check-in begins at 1:30 p.m., the mystery unfolds promptly at 2 p.m.