Community Corner

Fun Halloween Day Trips for the Whole Family

Celebrate Halloween with these entertaining, spooky and all-around fun excursions.

Written by Brianna Gunter

Halloween is only a week away. Before you indulge in a night of trick-or-treating with a bevy of ghost, goblins and ghouls, make time for your family to enjoy these great Halloween-themed day trips:

Dearborn Farms

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2170 Route 35, Holmdel, NJ 07733

(732) 264-0256

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Why Go

Dearborn Farms may look like just a supermarket when passing by it on Route 35, but the truth is that this place is a full farm with a large indoor market at its front. It’s the farm in the back of the property that you’ll want to visit with your family this Halloween season. According to Director of Marketing and Promotions Nicole Luccarelli, this year’s Halloween festivities include pumpkin picking, hayrides, pony rides and more. 

Insider Tip

Hayrides run to and from the pumpkin patch at Dearborn Farms, which is located in the fields behind the main store. Pumpkin picking also runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and until 4 p.m. on Sunday, but if you and your family members are not that interested in the hayride or actual pumpkin picking, there are plenty of pre-picked pumpkins of all different shapes and sizes at the store itself.

Must Do

One of the great things about Dearborn Farms is that there are a variety of activities for children in addition to pumpkin picking. The weekend of Oct. 26 and 27th is a particularly good time to go, as there will also be a special Halloween face painter and a petting zoo with child-friendly animals like chicks, rabbits, and goats. Spending a little time at each is going to be a must for families with younger children.

The Fine Print

“Both the face painting and the petting zoo are free,” Luccarelli said. However, other activities like pumpkin picking and pony rides are at an additional cost.

Jersey Shore Ghost Tours

(Keyport and Red Bank)

(732) 500-6262

Why Go

History lovers and paranormal enthusiasts alike will enjoy Jersey Shore Ghost Tours, which run out of both Keyport and Red Bank in Monmouth County (if you enjoy one, you can extend the fun by going on the other one!). On this tour, you’ll visit different businesses and landmarks with a spooky history. Maybe you’ll even see a ghost! 

Insider Tip

Use your best judgment when it comes to determining whether or not the ghost tour is appropriate for your children. “Ages vary depending in kids and their interest in ghosts,” says co-owner Tabitha Bradley. “Could be as young as six or 8, or 9, depending on their love for the supernatural.” Keep in mind that this is largely a walking tour, with the Keyport tour lasting about an hour and 20 minutes and the Red Bank tour running an hour. So, make sure everyone in your family is wearing comfortable shoes.

Must Do

The tours run throughout the year, but there is a special “Witches Walk” on the weekend of Oct. 26 and 27. According to Bradley, this is the fourth year of this Halloween event and has attendees “dress up like witches and make crazy hats. It's a fun group.” So if you’re going as a witch for Halloween this year, it may just be time to break out the costume early!

The Fine Print

To attend a ghost tour in either town, call (732) 500-6262 to make a reservation. There are multiple tour guides and groups run between 20 and 25 people, but this is the Halloween season, and ghosts are especially popular at this time. 

K&S Farms “Field of Terror”

831 Windsor Perrineville Rd., East Windsor, NJ 08520

(609) 758-7817

Why Go

There is quite literally something for everyone this Halloween season at K&S Farms. Go for pumpkin picking and other fall fun during the day, or attend the evening activities for a frightening tour through their famed “Field of Terror”. The different spooky attractions here include the “Zombie Attack Haunted Hayride”, the “Killer Kornfield”, the “Unknown Barn” and the “Dementia 3D Haunted House”.

Insider Tip

Decide what attractions you and your family members want to take part in before you go to the farm, to help you save both time and money. There are four scary ones, but if you have younger children or just ones that frighten easily, there is always the family-friendly, non-scary “Flashlight Maze,” nighttime pumpkin picking and the “Safe Zone” Halloween play area. If your children want to take part in the Halloween activities but you don’t, that’s fine as well. “Oftentimes we have parents who will come in and sit in the pavilion area and listen to music or sit by the fire and wait for their kids to go through,” says co-owner Sharon Kyle, adding that there is no charge for this.

Must Do

The “Flashlight Maze” is fun for all ages. Make your way through a corn maze with only a flashlight to guide you! And don’t worry if you get lost— there will be people around to help.

The Fine Print

The pricing here varies by attraction. For example, the daytime hayride to the pumpkin patch is free, with the only cost being that of the pumpkin you pick. Nighttime activities are more expensive, but you are able to purchase combo packages that will allow you to do more than one attraction. The Field of Terror runs until the first weekend of November (followed by a “Zombie Mud Run” the following weekend), so if you’re still itching for some Halloween fun after the holiday itself, this is a good way to continue celebrating.

“Haunted Express” at Allaire State Park

4265 Atlantic Ave., Wall, NJ 07719

(732) 938-5524

Why Go

Everyone goes on haunted hayrides and into haunted houses during the Halloween season, but a haunted train? That’s something else. The historic Pine Creek Railroad at Alliare State Park transforms into the “Haunted Express” every Halloween, creating a spooky tour unlike any other in the area. “The customers really enjoy it, and we really like doing it,” coordinator Idella LuBrant said. “It’s so much fun.”   

Insider Tip

While older children and teens will definitely enjoy this special Halloween event, the Haunted Express may be just a bit too frightening for the younger ones. “It’s not for little kids. It’s definitely scary. We say that if a child can watch ‘Harry Potter’ and doesn’t have nightmares, then they’ll be fine,” LuBrant said.

Must Do

The train ride itself is the “must do” here, although you may want to tour the park during the day.

The Fine Print

The trains depart every half hour, and the entire thing lasts about 25 minutes. The price or “train fare” is $7.50 and is the same price for everybody.

Samaha’s Farm

704 Lloyd Road, Aberdeen 07747

(732) 566-2474

Why Go

Samaha’s Farm is a family-run farm that gained local fame years ago for its corn, but it is during the Halloween season that the farm really shines. Towards the entrance of the farm is the “Mr. Pumpkin Show”, where kids can sit on hay bales and enjoy watching a singing and talking pumpkin. There is also a family-friendly hayride filled with music and singing. 

Insider Tip

The “Mr. Pumpkin Show” is right next to the Samaha Farm market. While the little ones enjoy the show, you can get some Halloween shopping done. Pumpkin pie, anyone?

Must Do

While children will have fun seeing Mr. Pumpkin and you’ll enjoy browsing the open market for fall flowers and other things to enhance the Halloween season, it is the hayride that is a must. “While on the hayride they learn a spell just in case they come in contact with the Wicked Witch of Aberdeen. They put the spell on the witch and save the children she has captured,” said Nora, daughter of owner, John Samaha. “Our hayride is geared towards younger children. However, it makes for a great family afternoon for all.”

The Fine Print

The show and hayride are $3 per person and include a raffle for a free pumpkin at each show. However, children under two years old are free! The hayrides also run every weekend in October from 1 to 4 p.m., weather permitting.  


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