Little Plans
Monmouth County · Never stroll aloneFri, Oct 2, 2026
The first crunch of fall
Corn mazes are cut, the pumpkins are out in the fields, and the farms on Route 537 open at nine. October is short and the good weekends go fast, so here is the month in one place: the tiny adventures our family is doing, a few more worth stealing, and every Halloween happening we could find within a short drive.
Same shape as always. Each plan has one ★ anchor that makes the trip, plus side stops you can drop or flip depending on who napped. See something you like? Tap I'm in and pick a date. It comes straight to me.
Kazior-de Oliveira tentative plans
two a day at most · one main, one addWhere we expect to be each weekend. A / B means two things land on the same day and we haven't picked yet, so your vote counts. Tap I'm in on a day to join us.
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3Oct · SatTentative
MainEastmont Orchards corn maze and pumpkins, then 4JG's winery · moves to Sat Oct 24 if this day falls through
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10Oct · Sat
MainFossil hunt at Poricy Brook, 10 to 2
ARed Bank Oktoberfest, 1 to 5
BOcean Grove Fall Harvest Festival, from 10am
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11Oct · SunTentative
MainCarm's Farm petting zoo, then 4JG's winery · moves to Sun Oct 25 or Nov 1 if this day falls through
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17Oct · Sat
MainBullock Farms corn maze, then Cream Ridge Winery
AddCreatures of the Night wagon ride, Huber Woods, 4 to 7:30pm starts
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18Oct · Sun
AThompson Park Day, Lincroft, 11 to 5
BMonmouth Moms Fall Festival, Bell Works, 11 to 3 · indoors, the rain pick
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24Oct · Sat
MainFall Fest at A. Casola Farms, Holmdel, 9 to 5
AddCreatures of the Night wagon ride, its last night
Our family's fall plans
morning plans · home in time for the napWe're doing all of these and would love company. Dates are tentative, so tell us which one works for you and we'll lock it in together.
Carm's Farm & Vineyard Sip
Gates open at 9 on Fall Fest weekends. Bunnies and goats first while it's quiet, carrot feed ($3), the barrel train ($5), then the corn maze and pumpkin patch. Admission is $12, under 12 months free. 4JG's pours its tastings in an 18th-century farmhouse. Call ahead (908-930-8066) to check kids are welcome that day.
A Morning Around Eastmont Orchards Ends Oct 25
No entrance fee at Eastmont: walk the new corn maze, take the hayride into the fields if it's running (about $5), and pay only for the pumpkins you pick. Then across the road to Carm's for goats and the train. A spring freeze means no apple picking anywhere at Eastmont this year, so come for the pumpkins. For a free morning, stop after Eastmont.
A Day Around the Corn Maze at Bullock Farms Ends Oct 25
The barnyard is built for little ones: a corn-crib sandbox, a straw mountain slide and a grain truck full of corn. Two small mazes for the toddlers, and a hillside maze with a lookout tower for anyone with legs left. Hayrides and pick-your-own run Friday to Sunday. Cream Ridge Winery is five minutes away, with lawn for a blanket and a tasting bar for the grown-ups.
Fossil Hunt, Then Oktoberfest Sat Oct 10
Sift Poricy Brook with fossil expert Marc Rogoff for shark teeth and, with luck, a mosasaur tooth, then take the bucket to the museum's STEAM wing to identify what you found. Runs 10 to 2, rain or shine. $15 a head includes museum admission. Reservations required, tickets non-refundable. Red Bank's free Oktoberfest runs 1 to 5, so bratwurst is a late lunch, and Riverside Gardens is a two-block walk. Bring rubber boots, a bucket and a change of clothes.
More fall tiny adventures
from the summer dispatch, still in seasonNot on our calendar yet. Say the word and we might join you.
Allaire, fall edition Oct 25
Village buildings and trade demonstrations run Friday to Sunday, 11 to 4. Circle Sunday, Oct 25: All Hallows' Eve, trick-or-treating through an 1830s village with crafts and a scavenger hunt (last year $12 adults, $6 ages 4 to 10). Check the village calendar for this year's times.
Cape May Zoo day Best by mid-Oct
A free zoo with a toddler playground outside the gate. In early October it's 65 to 75°F, the animals are livelier than in August, and the fall hawk migration is passing overhead. Leave by 8. The drive home is the second nap.
October events
one-offs only · farms, festivals, trick-or-treatsEach of these happens once (or for a few weekends), so they're easy to miss. Tap Interested if you'd go with us.
The full timings live in Fall Fun Must-DosStop-by-stop times, prices, phone numbers and the weird-weather backups for the three farm mornings.
Open Fall Fun Must-Dos →