Fall Events 2026

2026 headliners: The Strokes, Mumford & Sons, Goo Goo Dolls, and Chaka Khan. Two-day music and surf festival on North Beach with 25+ bands on three stages, pro surf competitions, and art installations. All ages.

Downtown street fair with 100+ vendors, live entertainment, craft beer garden, and local food. Main Street closes for this popular fall kickoff event attracting 3,000+ attendees.

Juried art show featuring 75+ regional artists displaying paintings, photography, sculpture, and crafts. Free admission with live music and artist demonstrations at Harbor View Park.

Community celebration with local vendors, crafts, food, and family activities. Showcases Avon's small-town charm and Victorian heritage.

Community Halloween celebration organized by Avon Recreation Department. Family-friendly festivities bringing neighbors together for spooky fun.

Family-friendly costume parade along Main Street and boardwalk with trick-or-treating at local businesses. Costume contests for kids and adults, DJ entertainment, and pumpkin decorating.

Bradley Beach Restaurant Week features special prix-fixe menus and dining deals at top local establishments including The Buttered Biscuit, Vic's, and beachfront venues. Great opportunity to explore town's restaurant scene.

Annual 5K run around scenic Deal Lake, shared with neighboring Asbury Park. Flat, fast course popular with local runners and families. Post-race gathering at lakefront pavilion.

St. James Chapel celebrates Elberon's presidential legacy with guided tours, historical exhibits, and lectures about the seven presidents who worshipped here during the Gilded Age.

Sea.Hear.Now music and surf festival in adjacent Asbury Park draws 30,000+ attendees. Loch Arbour residents have walking access to this major two-day beachfront festival.

Annual Halloween parade through downtown Long Branch with costume contest, trick-or-treating at participating businesses, and family activities. One of Monmouth County's largest Halloween events.

Festive oceanfront tree lighting ceremony at Pier Village with Santa arrival, caroling, hot chocolate, holiday shopping kickoff, and photos with Santa. Free and family-friendly.

Manasquan's premier surfing competition requiring pre-1967 longboards. Organized by Manasquan Board Riders Club, this 25+ year tradition features multiple divisions for all ages and genders. Entry $35 includes T-shirt and post-contest buffet.

Neptune City Community Day brings residents together with live music, food vendors, kids activities, and local business showcases at the municipal complex.

Neptune City Halloween Parade features costume contests for all ages, followed by safe trick-or-treating throughout participating neighborhoods with decorated homes.

Juried arts festival transforming Main Avenue into an outdoor gallery with 100+ artisans. Live music at the Great Auditorium, Victorian architecture tours, and ocean views create a uniquely cultured shore weekend.

Sandy Hook's annual striped bass fishing tournament attracts anglers targeting migrating stripers from the beaches and jetties, with prizes for largest fish during the fall run along the Atlantic coast.

Sandy Hook Bird Festival celebrates fall migration with guided bird walks, hawk watching at the Battery, shorebird identification workshops, and expert talks at Gateway National Recreation Area's premier birding location.

Striped bass fishing competition at Barnegat Inlet jetty during peak fall migration. Weigh-in at Viking Village, prizes for largest fish. Popular with surf casters and jetty anglers.

World-famous culinary event celebrating LBI restaurants and chowder traditions. Thousands of foodies descend on Beach Haven for official end-of-summer celebration with chowder tastings.

Major surf fishing tournament attracting anglers across the Northeast. Largest striped bass catches win prizes. Multi-day competition with weigh-ins at Beach Haven locations. Free to spectators.

Brick Township annual community festival featuring local vendors, food trucks, live entertainment, kids activities, and township organization displays. Celebrates local spirit before Labor Day.

Brick Township families celebrate Halloween with annual costume parade through downtown. Kids march in creative costumes, local businesses distribute candy, community festivities follow.

Island Beach State Park experiences aggressive bluefish feeding along beaches as they migrate south. One of the best surf fishing periods of the year for dedicated anglers.

Island Beach State Park witnesses thousands of monarch butterflies passing through on their way to Mexico. The park's dunes provide a natural corridor for this spectacular migration.

Lacey Township's annual community festival featuring live music, food vendors, kids activities, local crafts, and fire truck displays. Free family event celebrating local community spirit.

Lacey Township honors veterans with annual ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park. Features wreath laying, military honors, guest speakers, and community tribute to local heroes who served.

Lacey Township family Halloween event with costume parade through downtown Forked River, trunk-or-treat at municipal lot, pumpkin decorating, and prizes for best costumes. Popular community tradition.

Lavallette celebrates community spirit at this free annual festival held on the first Saturday after Labor Day (11am-5pm). The event features rides, amusements, live music, food trucks, and a mobile gaming trailer for all ages.

Lavallette hosts a family-friendly fall festival (3pm-8pm) with hayrides, pony rides, trunk-or-treat, bonfire, live music, and a pumpkin carving contest. This annual event brings autumn fun to the bay-side community.

Long Beach Island's annual holiday parade runs through multiple towns including Loveladies. Features festive floats, marching bands, and Santa Claus, drawing 10,000+ spectators to kick off the season.

Long Beach Island's signature fall food festival where restaurants compete for best chowder. Loveladies residents enjoy this LBI-wide culinary event featuring 20+ vendors and live entertainment at multiple venues.

Mantoloking residents privately commemorate the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy (Oct 2012), which breached the island and devastated the community. Private memorial, not a public event.

Annual community gathering honoring resilience after Hurricane Sandy devastation. Held near the Barnacle Bill Giant statue that survived the storm, the event features local speakers, music, and celebration of community strength.

47th annual seafood festival on Arnold and Bay Avenues features 250 craft vendors, live music, beer and wine garden, and local restaurants serving crab cakes, lobster, paella, and bisques.

Point Pleasant Beach Kiwanis Club hosts family festival on Arnold Avenue with pumpkin decorating, hayrides, local vendors, food trucks, live music, and kids activities. Free admission supports community programs.

Annual international kite festival on Ship Bottom Beach featuring hundreds of kites from North America and Europe. Free daytime flying, kids kite making, art kites, and optional evening night fly experience.

Major road race covering 18 miles from Barnegat Light to Holgate, running through all LBI towns including Surf City. Draws 2,000+ runners with scenic ocean and bay views along the route.

Regional chowder competition featuring restaurants from across Long Beach Island, including Surf City's Country Kettle Chowda. Tastings, voting, and awards for best New England and Manhattan styles.

One of America's oldest surfcasting tournaments since 1954. This legendary 9-week competition offers $25,000+ in prizes for striped bass, bluefish, kingfish, and red drum caught from LBI shores.

Tuckerton Seaport hosts New Jersey's premier chowder competition with 20+ restaurants competing, live entertainment, maritime demonstrations, and fall harvest activities drawing 2,000+ visitors.

Tuckerton participates in statewide lighthouse tour event. Climb Tucker's Island Lighthouse replica for panoramic bay views, learn maritime history, and collect stamps from participating lighthouses.

Annual jazz festival at Sound Waves inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino featuring top jazz performers. Evening celebration of jazz music and culture.

Nation's third oldest marathon since 1960 features eight miles of oceanfront Boardwalk running. Fast, flat USATF certified Boston Qualifier with half marathon and 10K options.

Brig en Blanc is a unique shoulder season event where 200 guests dressed in white dine at one long table running from City Hall to Haneman Park. This BYO ticketed event supports local businesses with live music and glowing vibes.

Brigantine Elks Fall Striper Classic is a 3-day fishing tournament for boat and surf anglers benefiting veterans programs. Fish around the clock from Barnegat Inlet to Great Egg Inlet with weigh-in at Riptide Bait and Tackle.

Community volunteers participate in Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweep, removing marine debris and plastic from Longport Beach. Family-friendly cleanup supporting coastal conservation.

Free bayfront festival drawing 20,000+ visitors with 110+ booths, 10 live bands, kid's activities, beer garden, fine arts, crafts, and Margate vendors. Major end-of-summer celebration.

Fall festival at Lucy the Elephant celebrating autumn with themed activities, vendors, and family entertainment. New annual tradition started in 2025.

Historic Smithville hosts Atlantic County's largest Irish festival with Celtic bands, traditional Irish dancers, authentic food vendors, and craft beer. Free admission draws 10,000+ visitors annually.

Authentic German celebration with live oompah bands, imported German beer, bratwurst and schnitzel vendors, and Bavarian dancers. Four consecutive October weekends in the village. Free admission.

Family Halloween event with trick-or-treating at village shops, costume parade, pumpkin decorating, hayrides around Lake Meone, and live entertainment. Over 5,000 kids participate annually. Free admission.

Victorian-era festival featuring A Christmas Carol performances, period costumes, carolers, Dickensian characters, and holiday shopping. Transforms the village into 19th-century London. Free admission.

Annual back bay fishing competition for flounder, weakfish, and blues. Launch from Somers Point marinas with prizes for largest catch.

Premier food festival at Ski Beach featuring fresh seafood, craft beer, live music, cooking demonstrations, and Chowder Cook-Off competition. Family-friendly celebration of Jersey Shore culinary traditions with 90+ vendors.

Annual Halloween parade through Ventnor Avenue with costumed children, decorated floats, and community participation. Long-running tradition attracting families from across Absecon Island.

Upscale charity gala at ICONA Windrift featuring cocktails, live music, silent and live auctions. Elegant September evening benefiting Helen L. Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children.

Surfside Park celebration featuring fresh local seafood, original artwork from regional artists, live music, artisan vendors, beach hayrides, and kids' activities. Free admission with parking.

Annual 5K run and 1.5-mile walk through Avalon raising funds for the Helen L. Diller Vacation Home. Family-friendly Thanksgiving tradition at the Jersey Shore.

Cape May's signature celebration of Victorian heritage with house tours, vintage baseball, murder mystery dinners, and themed events.

Cape May Court House free zoo transforms for Halloween with trick-or-treating, costume parades, and family activities. Kids meet costumed characters while exploring decorated exhibits.

Premier birding festival coinciding with peak raptor migration. Thousands of birders gather for guided walks, workshops, and observation at the Hawkwatch Platform with 400+ species recorded.

Annual special flag-lowering ceremony at Sunset Beach honoring all military veterans. Part of the nightly flag ceremony tradition that has run since 1973 with patriotic music and remembrance.

Statewide event to visit 11 lighthouses across New Jersey, including Cape May Lighthouse. Participants collect souvenirs and complete the challenge for prizes. $5 registration plus lighthouse climb fees.

Watch Cape May Raptor Banding Project scientists capture, measure, and band hawks during fall migration at Cape May Point State Park. Educational demonstrations show hawk species up close before release.

Five-day Irish cultural celebration with live music, step dancing, bagpipes, Irish vendors, and family activities along the boardwalk. Draws 100,000+ visitors annually to North Wildwood.

Free aerial acrobatics spectacle featuring military aircraft, custom stunt planes, aerialists, and parachute demonstrations. Viewable from beach and boardwalk.

Weekend aviation celebration features Parachute Pyrotechnic Show (Sept 19) and Boardwalk Aerobatic Air Show (Sept 20). Vintage aircraft, skydivers, and aerial stunts.

Massive street festival on Asbury Avenue (5th-14th Streets) draws 400+ vendors from 9am-5pm. Arts, crafts, food, and family entertainment welcoming autumn.

End-of-summer celebration with craft market, food court, free inflatable attractions in Excursion Park, live music, and family activities on the Promenade.

Hometown fall festival at Excursion Park with pumpkin decorating, hayrides on the beach, live music, scarecrow contest, and pie baking competition.

Annual food and beverage celebration featuring local restaurants, breweries, and wineries on Stone Harbor's downtown shopping district. Includes live music, tastings, and grape stomping.

Holiday celebration featuring festive family activities, live music, shopping deals at downtown boutiques, and seasonal entertainment. Kicks off the holiday season on Seven Mile Island.

The world's only lima bean festival celebrating West Cape May's agricultural heritage with 2,000+ attendees enjoying lima bean soup, ice cream, cooking demos, live music, crafts, and family activities.

Annual grape harvest celebration at the 200-year-old vineyard with wine tastings, live music, vineyard tours, and seasonal food pairings celebrating New Jersey wine country and local viticulture.

Annual celebration of Irish heritage in North Wildwood features parade down Surf Avenue with marching bands, live Irish music, traditional dance, 5K run, and Celtic vendors.

Spectacular beach airshow over Wildwood Beach, headlined by the USAF F-22 Raptor Demo Team and the NJ Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing F-16 Viper. Full shows both Saturday and Sunday. Free admission.

Classic cars on boardwalk and inside Wildwoods Convention Center. Free boardwalk viewing Friday-Saturday 10am-3pm. Indoor show Friday-Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 9am-1pm.

Annual 5K run and 1-mile walk along the Wildwood Crest shoreline benefiting the T.J. Hunt Memorial Foundation. Family-friendly community racing event.

Wildwood Crest street festival at Sunset Lake featuring craft vendors, food, live music, and family entertainment. Concludes with fireworks display at 8:30 PM.