During the American Revolution an officer passing through New Jersey described it as “the garden of America.” Another called it “a land of milk and honey.” This 250th anniversary year is a great time to get to know Central Jersey’s farmers, beverage producers, and farm-to-table restaurateurs whose forebears helped make our nation possible.
Harvest season is the perfect time to experience the place where Washington crossed the Delaware and won the crucial Battles of Princeton and Trenton, and where the Continental Army passed through on marches to Monmouth, Morristown, and Yorktown.
Pumpkin patch fun at Terhune Orchards.
The main attraction is the same today as it was then – fertile lands conveniently located between two great historic cities, New York and Philadelphia, a relatively short trip for so many people, with a recent renaissance of tavern culture and great places to stay overnight.
An autumn visit to Central Jersey offers fall festivals, apple- and pumpkin-picking, live music, wine tastings, and Oktoberfest-style local beer. Check out our interactive map to find lots of exciting things to do here. You’ll still find the spirit of 1776 celebrated throughout the region as a new musical, The Crossing, is previewed in advance of its premiere in December, and local historic sites continue to commemorate important anniversaries.
At DiscoverCentralNJ.com you’ll find farms and orchards to please everyone, including families, friends, young couples, and seniors. Harvest festivals generally require the purchase of tickets, either in advance or on-site. Our favorite festivals can be found at these farms, listed in order of opening weekend:
- Abma’s Farm in Hillsborough starts Fall Fun at Abma’s Farm on September 12 and runs six days a week (closed Sundays) through October. You must buy tickets o
Scare Farm at Norz-Hill Farm.
nline in advance. Enjoy hayrides, corn maze, pumpkin picking, petting zoo, and more. Geared towards families, couples, friends, and casual groups.
- Norz-Hill Farm’s Family Fun Fall Festivals in Hillsborough begin September 12 on weekends, expanding to weekday afternoons in October. The also offer Scare Farm running Friday–Sunday nights starting September 25 through Halloween. Enjoy hay wagon rides, a corn maze, u-pick pumpkin patch, Kids’ Corner, and a food stand. They also offer Scare Farm, a popular Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night experience. They are also offering Boots on the Ground country line dances on August 28 and September 18. Visit their website and social media for advance tickets and weather updates.
- Terhune Orchards and Winery, near Princeton, attracts thousands of visitors every year to a 250-acre family-owned and operated farm celebrating its 51st anniversary year. Autumn brings Terhune’s Fall Family Fun Weekends, Saturdays and Sundays 10-5 from September 12 to November, featuring live music, pick-your-own pumpkins, country food, pedal & play tractors, corn stalk & hay mazes, adventure barn, and farm animals. Estate wines served among 100-year-old apple trees. Admission discounts with advance purchase.
- Giamarese Farm in East Brunswick opens its Fall Harvest Weekends in mid-to-late September, offering hayrides, pony rides, apple-picking until mid-October, and pumpkin-picking through the end of October. They also have an on-farm store open daily Tuesday to Sunday through December.
- Etsch Farm in Monroe begins their fall festival featuring their 21st corn maze on weekends in September through October, featuring hayrides, barrel train, bakery trailer, and pumpkin patch.
Sunflower fields at Snyders Farm.
- Snyders Farm in the Somerset section of Franklin Township offers a family-oriented Farm Festival weekends October 3 to 25, from 11am to 6pm. Bring cash only to buy tickets upon arrival. Activities include pumpkin picking, hayrides, corn maze, sunflower trail, giant slide, lots of activities, food trucks, local breweries, and great photo op areas. Last entry at 4:30.
In early October, the folks at Love Flemington are hosting the annual Hunterdon Harvest Fair on Flemington’s historic Main Street on October 4 from 11 to 7 in historic Flemington. Throughout the fall, historic Flemington offers self-guided historic walking tours, great shopping, and extraordinary restaurants. Visit Flemington in mid-September for the Central Jersey Jazz Festival!
See history come alive at East Jersey Old Town Village.
During this 250th anniversary year, consider combining harvest season with revolutionary history at East Jersey Old Town Village in Piscataway. They will offer a free family-friendly Fall Harvest Festival on two long weekends, October 24-26 and October 31-November 2, 2026, from 10-5pm. Wander the grounds and interact with living history interpreters, enjoy live music, and children’s crafts. Take a wagon ride – accessible for all – to farm fields and pick your own pumpkins and snap your postcard-perfect family photo. Stop by the tent and take home a variety of pies, cider donuts, pickles, salsas, and preserves. A limited selection of gourmet lunch food from The Food Architects will be available in the General Store.
You’ll also find a great Fall Music Series on Saturday afternoons (1–3pm) in September and October on the Palmer Square Green in world-famous Princeton, home to Princeton University and a dozen farm-to-table restaurants, plus a vibrant shopping district. On Sunday October 18, they will offer a Fall Fest from 1 to 4pm.
Live music every weekend as well as special autumn festivals can be found at Central wineries and breweries, including:
- Oktoberfest at Sunken Silo Brewery in Lebanon in partnership with Metropolitan Seafood will be on September 26 this year.
- Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes will hold its Harvest Celebration on Saturday October 3 from noon to 5pm, featuring live music by Free Soil, the Antimo’s Italian Kitchen Food Truck, vineyard walks, and wine to toast to the end of our 2026 harvest.
- Flounder Brewing in Hillsborough celebrates its 13th anniversary with an Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 3, from noon to 10pm, with The Adlers taking the stage at 5:00 for a high-energy set of German favorites and infusions.
Oktoberfest at Flounder Brewing.
- Working Dog Winery will be hosting their annual, highly popular Fall Fest on October 10 & 11, 2026, from noon to 6pm. This is a free-entry, dog-friendly event featuring live outdoor music, local food trucks, and a relaxed lawn setup.
- Federal Twist Vineyards is offering a Gumbo Fest on October 11 from noon to 6pm. Enjoy an afternoon of wine, gumbo, and music featuring the Gumbo Gumbas who will be jammin’, the krewe will be dancin,’ and the wine will be a flowin’!
We’re awaiting Oktoberfest announcements from a number of other great Central Jersey breweries, including Needle Creek Brewing in Pennington, Old Hights Brewing in Hightstown, and River Horse Brewing in Ewing. We’ll update this article when they are announced.
The petting zoo at Abma’s Farm.
Lots of Central Jersey Farms offer regular open hours at their on-farm stores, including:
- Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse in Milford produces 100% grass-fed, raw cows’ milk cheeses, pastured meats, and rustic breads baked in a wood-fired oven.
- Cherry Grove Farm is a sustainable dairy farm and creamery on 480 acres in Lawrenceville, making award-winning farmstead cheeses from grass-fed raw cows’ milk.
- Gorgeous Goat Creamery in Stockton offers Goat Hikes and Farm Tours. Get ready for the surprise and delight of over 100 goats at the only goat dairy farm in New Jersey. Purchase tickets online.
- Griggstown Farm Market near Princeton sells its famous “Griggstown chicken” and other farm products using all-natural methods. The market sells seasonal fruit pies, pot pies, poultry sausages, and more.
- Hidden Spring Lavender and Alpaca Farm is offering “walk with an alpaca” tickets on Saturdays, while their store is open both Saturdays and Sundays. Their on-farm store is chock full of bouquets, buds, oil, lotions, creams, and more.
Earlier this year, Central enjoyed massive crowds from overseas and across the country for the FIFA World Cup games played in nearby Philadelphia and the New Jersey Meadowlands. With the games now part of history, it’s a great time to take advantage of all the sprucing up undertaken by local cities, towns, and businesses.
Make Central Jersey your harvest season destination for 2026.
For more information about everything to see and do in Central Jersey, visit discovercentralnj.com. This article is supported in part by a grant from New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.
Note: Photo at the top shows reenactors of Generals Washington and Rochambeau, and Col. Stephen Moylan address an Independence Day crowd in Montgomery Township, NJ. Contact Discover Central NJ for more information about these reenactors.