12 Fun-Filled Festivities This Weekend

Shake off the rain and make the most of the first full weekend of October.

After two soggy weekends, it’s time to shake off the rain boots and get back outside! October is officially here, bringing crisp-air walks, colorful leaves, pumpkin-everything and plenty of reasons to make plans. And with the first full weekend of the month upon us, there’s no shortage of ways to get out and enjoy it.

Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly outing, a fall festival, a little live music or simply an excuse to wander somewhere new, Bergen has you covered. So, grab a sweater, invite a few friends and make the most of what promises to be a very welcome return to fall fun! Here are some events to enjoy:

Oct. 2–4

• The Bergen County Players will stage The Producers, the most Tony Award-decorated show in Broadway history. Sit back and enjoy catchy songs and great dancing. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m., and Sunday curtain time is at 2 p.m. Visit the BCP for tickets and other showtimes.
• For a fun fright for the whole family, head over to Demarest Farms’ Halloween Light Show. Reserve your spot to take your vehicle on a tour of the property’s 32 acres, which will be done up in spooky Halloween décor. (Be sure to tune your radio to 107.9FM!) Afterward, treat yourself to farm fresh goodies and get warm by a firepit at the farm market. Tickets and reservations must be made online. Can’t make it this weekend? Additional shows take place through Oct. 31.

Oct. 2

• Continue America’s 250th anniversary celebration during Tavern Night at The Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus. Join Ridley and Anne Enslow and the Regimental Brewmeister Michael Carver for an evening of colonial music, dance, history and storytelling. Light food fare will be supplied, and period-correct libations will be available for purchase. The fun starts at 7 p.m., and tickets are available online.

Oct. 3–4

• Is it even fall if you haven’t made your own apple cider? The Tenafly Nature Center will make sure you welcome autumn during its Apple Cider Making program. Guests will have the opportunity to press apples to make fresh cider. The center will provide apples and the press, though visitors are welcome to bring their own apples. Multiple sessions are offered this weekend. Register online.

Oct. 3

• Start your morning with a good stretch at Yoga for the Soul, the ongoing outdoor yoga series at Bergen Town Center in Paramus. Bring your yoga mat and water to the fifth level of the mall’s parking garage for a yoga session intended to help ease anxiety, relieve stress and unwind. The free class begins at 9 a.m.
• Welcome fall at the Ridgefield Park Street Fair and Food Truck Fest, happening from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Main Street. The free event features all-day music, gourmet food vendors, a kids’ zone, live music and more than 100 merchants and vendors.
• The Allendale Chamber of Commerce is back with Allendale Day, which was postponed last week. This Saturday, stop by West Allendale Avenue from noon to 4 p.m. for arts and crafts, exhibits, face painters, live music, kids’ games and activities, food trucks and more.
• The entire family is invited to the annual Hackensacktoberfest, Hackensack’s beer and food festival. From 1 to 8 p.m., Atlantic Street Park will be filled with food trucks, live music, games and activities and a beer garden for guests 21 and older.
• Spend your night watching athletes compete in the Garden State Roller Derby’s 2026 Intraleague Championship. The title game begins at 8 p.m. and will pit the defending champion Gateway Grim Reapers against the Northern Nightmares. The action takes place at the Inline Skating Club of America in North Arlington.

Oct. 4

• Celebrate all things birds at the annual Meadowlands Birding Festival, set for 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at DeKorte Park and the Meadowlands Environment Center in Lyndhurst. All ages and birding enthusiasts can take part in guided walks, live raptor shows, demonstrations, kids’ activities and much more.
• The Westwood Harvestfest returns to Veterans Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop by and browse arts and crafts, jewelry, woodyard signs, apparel, paintings, plants, holiday items, ceramics and much more. There also will be festival foods and games and activities for all ages.
• Bring your little ones to Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood for Plim Plim Live: Musical Energy. The interactive musical invites families to celebrate song, movement and positive learning from the Plim Plim Universe. Tickets for either the 1 or 4 p.m. shows can be purchased online.

How are you enjoying this weekend in Bergen? Share your favorite photos with us on Instagram @bergenmagnj.