Weekend Events for NJ Kids October 24-25: Halloween Fun and Fall Fests

10/22/09 - By Desiree

With Halloween just around the corner, every child-friendly venue is bringing out their best in Halloween and Fall fun.  There are haunted gardens and forests; family Fall events at museums and movie theaters; pirate-packed aquariums; and of course, more pumpkin picking!



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Haunted Gardens
Take a night time hike through the not-so-scary Haunted Forest at Tenafly Nature Center where kids can see real creatures of the night and enjoy some treats around the campfire. Reservations recommended. 

If a nighttime event is not your thing, the Camden Children's Garden hosts their annual Goblins in the Garden Family Festival with a haunted train ride, costumed characters, a haunted maze, fortune-telling and an early “Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) celebration.  Come in costume for half-priced admission! 

If that is still too scary for the little ones, try Celebrate Fall at Reeves Reed Arboretum, where the scariest event is the pumpkin carving competition and kids can march in a costume parade, join a family scavenger hunt, have their faces painted, and create arts and crafts. 

Tenafly Nature Center and the Camden Children's Garden events are all weekend long while the Reeves Reed Arboretum event is Sunday only.



Fall Festivals at Museums & Movie Theaters

This weekend, the museums and movie theaters are bringing out their best in the Fall festivities on Saturday.  In Hoboken there is Ultrasonic Super Fantastic Family Day at Clearview Cinemas celebrating the theater's grand opening with rides, games, claymation, movie bingo, a wild west show, a dinosaur rock dig, the Legomaster, and Nickelodeon characters in addition to pop star Brock Storm and other surprise guests.

The Morris Museum hosts their Fall Family Festival, themed around their newest exhibition, “Horseplay”.  There will be pony rides, make a horse out of clay, equestrian costumes, face painting, and giveaways to the first 150 children under 12. 

Halloween-inspired celebrations continue at the Pumpkin Patch Celebration at Liberty Hall Museum with pumpkin carving and decorating, Halloween crafts, ghost stories, hayrides, and other Halloween festivities. 

For an art-inspired Halloween event, the Jersey City Museum brings you Bewitched Family Project Day, involving creepy crafts and ghost stories. 

Finally, head to Liberty Science Center to learn everything you wanted to know about spindly spiders and their friends.



Pirate-packed Aquariums

It’s frightfully scary at the Jenkinson A-scare-ium when a bunch of "pillagin' penguins" take over a band of pirates and go searching for treasure!  This special event takes place after hours from 6pm to 9pm both Saturday and Sunday. 

And Jenkinson's Aquarium is not the only place to beware of pirates;  This weekend the Camden Aquarium brings you Creep in the Deep, with more pirates,  pirate decorations, and a chance to conjure the spirit of Davey Jones!

NOTE: Many activities are weather-dependent, and prices vary greatly.  Please visit websites or call and confirm your event before heading out.