Local Knowledge. Shore Results.
This is one of the busiest weekends we've covered all season. A 54 year old Greek festival that runs three full days, a lakefront celebration that closes with fireworks, a craft beer fest in Highlands, and enough food truck lineups to skip cooking through Sunday. Here's what's happening this week:
- Township of Ocean Fall Fest (Joe Palaia Park): Saturday, September 26, 10am to 3pm, rain date Sunday the 27th. Free admission, vendor and craft fair, pumpkin painting, fire truck rides, food, and music.
- Lake Como Day & Fireworks (Lake Como Lakefront): Saturday, September 26, 3pm to 9pm. 30th anniversary celebration with live music, food trucks, a beer and wine garden, pumpkin painting, free rides, face painting, a petting zoo, and fireworks to close out the night.
- Neptune City Fall Festival (Memorial Park): Saturday, September 26, noon to 8pm. Fifth annual celebration with live music, food trucks, a petting zoo, s'mores, a beer and wine tent, a bocce tournament, and a classic car show.
- Wingfest for Vetwork (Caffrey's Backyard, Forked River): Saturday, September 26, noon to 4pm, rain date October 3. Fifth annual wing eating competition, twenty dollars all you can eat wings, live music, and a gift auction, with proceeds benefiting Vetwork.
- Lacey Day 2026 (Gille Park): Saturday, September 26, noon to 4pm. Battle of the bands, kids' river games, local business and nonprofit vendors, and food trucks.
- American Angler Surf Fishing Classic (Long Beach Island): Saturday and Sunday, September 26-27. Surf fishing tournament with free 4x4 beach access included and a barbecue on Sunday.
- Patio Palooza 2026 (The Patio Bar): Wednesday, September 23. Live music benefiting the Ashley Lauren Foundation, a New Jersey based pediatric cancer nonprofit that works directly with local families to help cover the daily burdens of a cancer diagnosis.
- Rock 2 Adopt Charity Music Festival (Veterans Park, Bayville): Saturday and Sunday, September 26-27. Two stages of live music, vendors, food trucks, and live wrestling, supporting pet adoption and animal care. Ticketed, $15 for one day or $25 for both.
- Asbury Park Fall Bazaar (Convention Hall): Saturday and Sunday, September 26-27, noon to 5pm. Art, makers, live music, kids activities, photo stations, and food.
- Red Bank Mac & Cheese Festival: Saturday, September 26. Presented by Jersey Shore Lokal, supporting the JBJ Soul Kitchen community restaurant.
- Highlands Brew by the Bay (Highlands): Saturday, September 26, noon to 5pm. Ninth annual craft beer festival with pours from Triumph, Wild Air, Lokal, Twin Lights, Toms River Brewing, Carton, and more.
- Saint Barbara 54th Annual Greek Festival (Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, Toms River): Friday through Sunday, September 25-27, Friday and Saturday noon to 11pm, Sunday noon to 7pm. Outdoor food court, indoor dining room, homemade pastries, authentic Greek dancing, live band, games, and raffles. No on site parking, free shuttle from Ocean County College.
- Toms River PBA 137 Fall Fest (Washington Street, Downtown Toms River): Monday, September 28, 5pm to 9pm, rain date October 5. Second annual event hosted by Toms River PBA 137, formerly known as Vest-A-Cop, with inflatables, face painting, police demos, a live radio broadcast, axe throwing, and food trucks in support of local police.
This week's featured events: Lake Como Day closes out its 30th anniversary with fireworks over the lakefront, the Saint Barbara Greek Festival runs a full three days in Toms River, and two events this week are giving back, Patio Palooza for the Ashley Lauren Foundation and the Toms River PBA 137 Fall Fest for local police.
This roundup gets posted fresh every week, right here and on Instagram and Facebook. For the current week's events plus everything else happening at the Shore, visit Living at the Jersey Shore ». If you're a local business or event organizer and want to be included in a future week's guide, reach out directly.
Matthew Quinn, United Real Estate Associates
(609) 709-2742
matt@mattquinnsellshomes.com