Never miss what is happening in Sussex County
Events, new openings and weekend plans from Newton to Vernon, Sparta to Stanhope. Straight to your inbox, free.
October is the best month of the year in Sussex County. The leaves turn on the ridges, the farms go all in on pumpkins and corn mazes, and the Halloween attractions open their gates. Here are 10 things to put on your calendar this month, with dates, prices and links so you can plan.
1. Heaven Hill Farm’s Great Pumpkin Festival, Vernon
Heaven Hill Farm, 451 State Route 94 in Vernon, runs its Great Pumpkin Festival through Sunday, November 8, 2026. Admission covers more than 35 activities, including hayrides, the corn maze, farm animals and pig races. Weekend tickets are $24.99 in advance, and starting October 1, weekday admission drops to $15.99 in advance. Details are on the festival page.
2. Mountain Creek Fall Fest, Vernon
Mountain Creek’s 4th Annual Fall Fest runs weekends through October 25, 2026, plus a bonus day on Monday, October 12. Sky Rides up the mountain for foliage views are $14.99 plus fees, and the Harvest Circle, pumpkin painting, lawn games and hay maze are free. See the Fall Fest page.
3. Lentini Farms Fall Fest, Newton
Lentini Farms, 251 High Street in Newton, holds its Fall Fest Friday through Sunday from October 2 to October 25, 2026, with a corn maze, sunflower fields, pumpkin picking, hayrides and live music. Tickets are on the Lentini Farms ticket page.
4. Haunted Hayrides at Lentini Farms, Newton
After dark, Lentini runs Haunted Hayrides on Friday and Saturday nights through October 24, 2026, from 7 PM to 10 PM. There are no reservations, each ticket covers one ride, and rides run weather permitting.
5. Pig Roast and Community Harvest Day, Stillwater
Fairview Lake YMCA Camps, 1035 Fairview Lake Road, hosts its Pig Roast and Community Harvest Day on Sunday, October 4, 2026, from 1 PM to 4:30 PM. Admission is $21 for ages 15 and up, $11 for ages 5 to 14, and free for ages 4 and under, with archery, fishing and wagon rides included. Details are on the Fairview Lake YMCA community page.
6. Sussex County Heritage Weekend, Countywide
The 16th annual Sussex County Heritage Weekend runs Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, 2026, with museums, historic sites and historical societies across the county opening their doors. The map and brochure are on the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council page.
7. Fall Mineral Festival, Ogdensburg
The Sterling Hill Mining Museum, 30 Plant Street in Ogdensburg, hosts its Fall Mineral Festival on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 9 AM to 5 PM, with dealers selling minerals, fossils and the fluorescent specimens this area is famous for. See the museum’s special events page.
8. Jack-O’-Lantern Experience, Augusta
Skylands Stadium, 94 Championship Place in Augusta, lights up more than 6,000 hand carved jack-o’-lanterns on select nights through November 1, 2026. General admission is $20, VIP is $39, and kids 36 inches and under are free. Book on the official ticket page.
9. Haunted Wild West City, Byram
Haunted Wild West City, 50 Lackawanna Drive in Stanhope, runs every Friday and Saturday through October 31, 2026, from 6:30 PM to 10 PM. A $30 ticket covers a haunted train ride and a haunted walking trail, and the park rates it PG-13. Details are on the Haunted Wild West City page.
10. Boo at the Zoo, Space Farms Zoo and Museum
Space Farms Zoo and Museum, 218 County Road 519 in Beemerville, holds Boo at the Zoo on Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 10 AM to 5 PM. Kids under 12 in costume get in free with a full priced adult, and there is a costume contest at 2 PM. See the zoo’s events page.
Bonus: Chase the Foliage
If you only have a free afternoon, head for the ridges. High Point State Park in Wantage is home to the highest point in New Jersey at 1,803 feet, and Sunrise Mountain in Stokes State Forest has one of the best fall views in the state. Arrive early on peak weekends, because the lots fill up.
Several of these events sell out or change hours with the weather, so we recommend buying tickets online and checking each organizer’s page before you go. Want a list like this every week? Subscribe to our free Sussex County newsletter.
For farm-by-farm picking details, see our apple and pumpkin picking guide. For what is open this weekend, check Sussex County weekend events, October 2 to 4, and for cider donuts and seasonal eats try our fall food roundup.
Featured photo: Raman Chaudhary via Pexels.
Have a Sussex County event coming up?
Share it with Sussex County.
Festivals, fundraisers, 5Ks, school nights, grand openings. Send us the date, time, place and a flyer, and our team will reach out about getting it in front of Sussex County.
Enjoying our Sussex County coverage?
Add us as a preferred source and our stories show up higher in your Google results.
Add as a preferred source
