NJ’s Top 6 Non-Scary, Family Friendly Events this Halloween Season

Creepy crawlers, ghosts, goblins, zombies and vampires can all be quite scary to toddlers and small children on Halloween. Besides, there are many more ways to celebrate Halloween without all those frightening sights! From North to South, New Jersey has lots to offer the little ones this Halloween weekend.  Grab the kids for a weekend of Fall family fun including hay rides, face painting, parades, pumpkins and more with this list of 7 of the best, not-so-scary Halloween activities and events taking place in New Jersey!

Goblins in the Garden Family Festival

Where: Camden Children's Garden | 3 Riverside Drive, Camden NJ, 08103
When: Saturday, October 26th & Sunday, October 27th from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Come in costume and have howling good time at the 2013 Goblins in the Garden Family Festival. Take a Haunted Train Ride; encounter characters throughout the garden, meet the bumbling burglars and have your fortune told. Trick or Treat during the Costume Parade.  Celebrate the Mexican tradition of “Día de los Muertos,” a fun and educational activity for the whole family. Stop by the Creepy concession stand to purchase some fall goodies.

Contact: 856-365-8733 | Directions

Wagner Farm Arboretum Brite Nights

Where: Wagner Farm Arboretum | 197 Mountain Ave. Warren, NJ 07059
When: October 18th, 19th, 20th & October 25th, 26th, 27th from 6:45 p.m. -  8 p.m.

With over 1,500 creatively carved and lighted pumpkins, the gardens of Wagner Farms Arboretum transforms into fun for all ages at this pumpkin paradise filled with the Spirit of Halloween. Even though tickets include the Haunted House Showcase, it’s worth the trip to to enjoy the many activities and attractions. Here’s the solution: the Haunted House Showcase begins very mild and works its way up to scary, so little kids can stay for the first showing(s) or just simply skip this attraction altogether and delight in Halloween treats and refreshments, face painting, pumpkin exploration, fun tattoos and more. Click here to purchase tickets. Call for more ticket and event information.

Contact: 908-350-7383 | Directions

Pumpkin Junction Train Ride & Corn Maze

Where: Board at Flemington Station | 80 Stangl Road, Flemington, NJ 08822
When: Every Saturday & Sunday in October from noon - 5 p.m.

Hop aboard the train at historical Flemington Station for a ride headed to the great Halloween attractions at the annual Pumpkin Junction! From the fun (non-creepy) corn mazes and petting zoo to horse and carriage rides, creative scarecrows, live entertainment and more, toddlers and kids from all over come every year! Plus, get tasty refreshments and pumpkins for sale (cash only). Tickets are FREE for infants and children under age three, $8 for kids age 3-11, and $16 for those age 12 and up. Tickets include round trip train ride & entrance to the maze.

Contact: 908-782-6622 | Directions

Six Flags Great Adventure's Fright Fest (at DAYTIME)

Where: Six Flags Great Adventure Theme Park | 1 Six Flags Boulevard Jackson, NJ 08527
When: Every Saturday & Sunday in October from 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. (The park remains open with horror attractions from 6 p.m. - 11 p.m. on Saturdays, and 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Sundays)

Bring the kids to Six Flags Great Adventure for Fright Fest! While Six Flags mainly promotes their nights of terror, zombies, frights and ghouls, many may not know that before the sun goes down, the park is maintains its many fun-filled attractions for the little ones! With wonderful fall decor and Halloween-themed entertainment, Six Flags Great Adventure is a great choice for those who want to experience the excitement of the theme park along with Halloween fun such as magic shows, trick or treating from noon-5pm and kids “haunted” wagon ride each day at 3pm.

Contact: 732-928-1821 | Tickets | Directions

Harvest Moon Hayride & Nighttime Corn Maze

Where: Alstede Farms | 84 Route 513, Chester, NJ 07930
When: Fridays & Saturdays in October from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Fun for the whole family and with admittedly “nothing scary” there, the Harvest Moon Halloween event at Alstede Farms offers a great opportunity for fun and entertainment on Halloween weekend after the sun goes down. Bring a flashlight and enjoy nighttime pumpkin picking, a campfire with s’mores and cider, a fantastic corn maze and especially a hayride to remember. Be sure to hang on to your flashlights as you enter the corn maze!

Contact: 908-879-7189 | Directions

Tuckerton's Haunted Seaport

Where: Tuckerton Seaport | 120 West Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
When: October 24th - October 26th from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Offering fun and frights for people of all ages such strolling lost pirates and sea captains along the boardwalk, Tuckerton Seaport wants small children to know that they are welcome to the less-scary attractions at the Seaport this weekend! As Tucker’s Island Lighthouse becomes haunted, there’s much more fun such as hayrides, the phragmites maze, food, refreshments, entertainment and a non-scary pumpkin patch for the little ones. Fun for the whole family! General Admission applies, $2 for hayrides.

Contact: 609-296-8868