Local Knowledge. Shore Results.
Trick-or-treating through every arcade on the Seaside Heights boardwalk, a witch parade on the Keyport bayfront, the final weekend of Boo at the Boardwalk, two haunted trails and three town Halloween parades on Sunday. Here's what's happening this week:
- Mall-O-Ween (Ocean County Mall, 1201 Hooper Ave., Toms River) Thu, Oct 22, 4 to 7 PM: Mall-wide trick-or-treating for kids up to age 12, a kids' costume contest at 5 PM with prizes for every winner, craft tables, giveaways and B98.5 broadcasting live.
- Monster Mania (Manalapan Recreation Center, Lot 1, Manalapan) Fri, Oct 23, 4 to 8 PM: Free, with trunk or treat, inflatables, arts and crafts, a pumpkin patch, a Misfits Theatre performance from 5:30 to 6:30 PM and a haunted trail that opens at dusk. Rain date Saturday, Oct 24.
- Halloween Bash at Booterbeer Brewing Company (229 East Colliers Mill Rd., New Egypt) Fri, Oct 23, kicks off at 6 PM, doors open at 3 PM: Costume contests with prizes for best family, kids' and couples' costumes, a kids' Halloween march around the farm at 7:30 PM with trick-or-treat buckets, Jorgitos food truck and The Good Life Mobile Cigar Lounge.
- Asbury Park Halloween Food Truck & Music Festival (Bradley Park, in front of Convention Hall, Asbury Park) Sat and Sun, Oct 24 to 25, 11 AM to 6 PM: 20 gourmet food trucks and live bands both days, kids' costume contests for ages 10 and under with cash prizes (Saturday at 1:30 PM, Sunday at 1 PM), pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, inflatables and sand art. Dogs welcome. $5 admission, kids under 10 free.
- Boo at the Boardwalk, Final Weekend (Jenkinson's Boardwalk, Point Pleasant Beach) Sat and Sun, Oct 24 to 25: Trick-or-treating and character appearances 12 to 4 PM and half-price rides 12 to 5 PM, with Yosi's Spooky Silly Halloween Concert at 12 and 1 PM and a DJ 2 to 4 PM on Saturday, and Halloween magic shows from 12:30 PM on Sunday. Underwater pumpkin carving, Creepy Crawlers and Sunday's Monster Slime Lab are included with Aquarium admission.
- Bewitched on the Bay (Downtown Keyport and the bayfront) Sat, Oct 24, 12 to 5 PM: A downtown Potion Scramble game from 12 to 4 PM (grab a game sheet at the KBBC table in the mini park before 3), free bayfront activities including a magician at 3 PM, a pumpkin patch and crafts, a witch dance at 4 PM and a witch parade around the Promenade at 4:30 PM, ghostly bay cruises on the Keyport Princess for $10, spooky storytime, a scarecrow contest, a doggy costume contest at 3 PM and $6.66 menu specials at participating restaurants. The first 200 witches and warlocks 18 and over get $10 in Keyport Cash.
- Halloween in the Heights (Seaside Heights boardwalk) Sat, Oct 24, 1 to 5 PM: A $5 kids' event passport, sold that day at Lucky Leo's, Shake Shoppe, Casino Pier, Coin Castle, Sonny's and Rickey's, gets kids pumpkin painting, a costume contest, a corn maze and obstacle course, carousel rides, a Thriller dance contest, candy, prizes and giveaways. Kids' dinner specials run 4 to 6:30 PM at participating spots, followed by a free kids' Halloween movie on the boardwalk at Carteret Ave. at 6:30 PM.
- Trail of Terror (Johnson Park, Jackson) Sat, Oct 24, 4 to 9 PM: Free entry, with two trails, one scary and one not so scary, plus trunk or treat, free pumpkin painting while supplies last, $7 face painting, food trucks and candy. Hosted by the Jackson Township Recreation Department.
- Halloween Hullabaloo (Poricy Park, 345 Oak Hill Rd., Middletown) Sat, Oct 24, 5 to 8 PM: A costume parade and contest at 6 PM sharp, hayrides, bounce houses, a DJ, firepits, black light cartooning with the Doodle Dude and Miss Fish and food trucks, plus trick-or-treat bags for the first 300 kids. Free for Middletown residents. Parking is limited, so use the drop-off zone or the free shuttle from Fairview Fields. Rain date Sunday, Oct 25.
- Bradley Beach Halloween Weekend (Bradley Beach) Sat and Sun, Oct 24 to 25: The Bradley Boo has kids trick-or-treating at Main Street businesses Saturday 12 to 4 PM. Sunday brings a trunk or treat in the Municipal Parking Lot 1 to 3 PM, a Halloween band in Riley Park 3 to 5 PM with donuts and apple cider from the Ladies Auxiliary, and a 5 PM Halloween parade sponsored by the Bradley Beach Fire Department, with registration at 4 PM.
- 1830's All Hallows' Eve (The Historic Village at Allaire, 4263 Atlantic Ave., Farmingdale) Sun, Oct 25, 11 AM to 4 PM: Halloween the way the villagers celebrated it in the 1830s, with trick-or-treating through the village, a stilt walker, fire juggler, sword swallower, bubble magician, fortune telling, a pumpkin carving contest, crafts, a scavenger hunt, free glitter tattoos and blacksmith, tinsmith and woodworking demos. $12 adults (11 and up), $6 kids 4 to 10, 3 and under free. No refunds.
- Waretown Volunteer Fire Co. Annual Halloween Parade (Main St., Waretown) Sun, Oct 25: Line up in costume 12:30 to 12:45 PM at the Waretown Branch of the Ocean County Library on Main Street. The parade steps off at 1 PM and marches to the Waretown Firehouse.
- Freehold Halloween Parade (Main St., Downtown Freehold) Sun, Oct 25, steps off at 1 PM: Watch from Main Street, or march in it. Costume contest check-in is at 12:15 PM at Freehold Raceway on Manalapan Ave., and families, youth sports teams, cheer, dance and martial arts groups are all welcome to join.
This week's featured events: Halloween in the Heights on the Seaside Heights boardwalk, Bewitched on the Bay in Keyport, the final weekend of Boo at the Boardwalk at Jenkinson's and Sunday's three parades in Waretown, Freehold and Bradley Beach.
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