For Immediate Release:
October 3, 2012

Autumn is Awesome in Monmouth County!

FREEHOLD, NJ - Colorful leaves, crisp air, hot cider, bountiful harvests, hayrides and Halloween fun! Fall is in full swing, and many activities have moved from the beaches to the fields. 

The sights, sounds and smells of the autumn season will surround you this October. The first weekend provides enough options to fill your fall fix! All on Oct. 6:

  • The Ocean Grove Fall Harvest Festival and Craft Show. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Main Avenue will feature over 90 arts & crafts vendors, sidewalk sales, pony rides, live music and food;
  • The Spring Lake Columbus Day Italian Festival/ Art Walk;
  • The 8th annual Latino Festival of Monmouth County in the Freehold Hall of Records parking lot in at noon where you can enjoy music, food, art & entertainment;
  • Oktoberfest in the Highlands from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Veterans Park for traditional Bavarian food, German beers, live music, vendors and children’s activities;
  • The 5th annual Asbury Park Zombie Walk- the world’s largest gathering of zombies- which begins at Convention Hall at 5 p.m.

>But wait, there’s still more this weekend! On Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., stop by Historic Walnford in Upper Freehold for Walnford Day where you can experience hands-on history as you celebrate life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Also on Oct. 7 is Belmar’s Fall Festival. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main Street, (between 8th and 10th Avenues) and will feature antiques & original crafts, performers, a pumpkin decorating contest, food and children’s activities.

Monmouth Park’s Fan Appreciation and Closing Day is also on Oct. 7, offering free general parking and grandstand admission, and half price clubhouse admission.

The 8th annual Russian and Slavic Cultural Festival will fill the day from noon – 7 p.m., with ethnic food and drinks, arts & crafts, children’s games and live entertainment! 

You can be multicultural this first October weekend – Italian, Latin, German and Russian celebrations all in a two-day span!

Gather all the ladies together and start the weekend early on Oct. 11 for Girls Night Out in Red Bank! From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., participating Red Bank restaurants, bars and shops will offer specials and discounts for you and your girlfriends to enjoy.

The Tavernfest Celebration at the Historic Allen House will take place on Oct. 12 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Entertainment, food and spirits will be offered at this seasonal event. On Oct. 12 and 13, you can enjoy an evening with Edgar Allen Poe at 7:30 p.m. for a special program in the Chapel in Historic Allaire Village. 

The Allentown Fall Festival will take place Oct. 13 and 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event offers a variety of fun including artisans and crafters, a civil war re-enactment camp, classic car show, live entertainment, a petting zoo & more! 

Take pleasure in the great outdoors on Oct. 13 at 9 a.m. for the 2012 Timberbrook Triathlon. One of the state’s most unique races offers you a chance to participate in a three-mile run, a two-mile canoe/kayak race or a five-mile mountain bike race! After you get your exercise in, stop by Shrewsbury Hose Company #1’s Oktoberfest celebration at 4 p.m. and reward yourself with food and spirits! 

On Oct. 14, from 11 a.m.to 5 p.m., Thompson Park Day will put you in the Halloween spirit with a corn maze, dog costume contest, scarecrow contest, pumpkin painting, wagon ride, food, crafts and live entertainment. 

For more Halloween fun, visit Historic Allaire Village on Oct. 15 from noon to 4 p.m. for All Hallows’ Eve, an event featuring pumpkins and a costume parade with prizes!

More Halloween events will be popping up all throughout the county this October. Highlights include:

  • “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” an interactive adaptation of the classic ghost story, at Historic Allaire Village, Oct. 5 & 6;
  • Jersey Shore Ghost Tours, walking lanterns tours of Red Bank, every Friday night at 8 p.m. through Halloween;
  • Camp Evans “Base of Terror” at Historic Camp Evans on weekend nights throughout the month;
  • Spring Lake “Pumpkin Patch Day”, an Oktoberfest Celebration on Oct. 21;
  • Red Bank’s Halloween Parade on Oct. 21 at 2 p.m.; Atlantic Highlands’ Halloween Parade on Oct. 27 and Bradley Beach’s Halloween Parade on Oct. 30, and
  • Rocky Horror Picture Show at Count Basie Theatre on Oct. 27 at 8 p.m.

Need a break from pumpkins and ghosts? Not a problem, Monmouth County is always filled with variety. Try A Taste of Spring Lake Kitchen Tour on Oct. 20 or Pier Village Goes Pink/Art for the Cure on the 20 & 21. This weekend art show and sale will benefit the Central and South Jersey Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

As always, our Calendar of Events will provide you with even more October entertainment. For a complete listing of events, go to www.visitmonmouth.com and click on the Tourism tab to find the Calendar of Events. Compiled by the Monmouth County Department of Public Information and Tourism, it is a comprehensive source for things to do and places to go and is updated regularly. You can also call 1-800-523-2587 to have a packet of information mailed to you, or stop by 1 East Main St., Freehold to browse the extensive literature between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

The next time you are on Facebook be sure to “like” the Monmouth County Tourism Page. If you use Twitter, follow us on there, too.

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