Boo at the Boardwalk, Lobster Rolls in Holmdel: Your Central Jersey Week, October 13

Happy Tuesday, Central Jersey. I don't know about you, but the sunsets lately have been ridiculous. I've pulled over to take pictures almost every night. I'd still trade a lot for two more hours of daylight, but a sky like that makes the short days easier to take.

On the docket: Halloween on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk, a seafood festival at Bell Works, a Halloween weekend in a Colts Neck vineyard, pumpkin painting at Coffee Corral, and the live music lineup. I checked every detail against the organizers' own pages.

Boo at the Boardwalk is back, Point Pleasant Beach

Jenkinson's Boardwalk runs Boo at the Boardwalk on Saturday and Sunday, October 17–18 and October 24–25, noon to 4 PM. Expect trick-or-treating, character appearances, live shows like Yosi's Spooky Silly Halloween Concert and Halloween Magic, plus hands-on extras in the Aquarium, including underwater pumpkin carving.

The rides: a limited number of amusement rides run noon to 5 PM, and they cost half the usual ride credits. Some activities depend on the weather.

This is the easy grandparent win of the month. Nothing too scary, a fall afternoon by the ocean, and a costume parade you don't have to organize. Just be ready to negotiate when it's time to leave.

Full schedule at Jenkinson's

Come hungry: NJ Seafood & Music Festival, Holmdel

The New Jersey Seafood & Music Festival takes over the outdoor grounds at Bell Works on Saturday, October 17, 11 AM to 6:30 PM.

The food is the point: lobster rolls, crab cakes, shrimp and a raw bar, from vendors including Cousins Maine Lobster, Angry Archie's, Mystic Lobster, Sherri's Crab Cakes and Shore Fresh Raw Bar. If seafood isn't your thing, there's Cuban food, ribs, mozzarella, egg rolls and dessert, plus a beer, margarita and sangria garden.

Music: Only Human at 11 AM, Soul Seduction at 3 PM. For the grandkids: inflatables, mini golf, pony rides and a petting zoo.

Admission is $5, and kids under 5 get in free. The organizers say no tickets are sold in advance, so skip any website selling them. You pay at the gate.

Halloween treats and vineyard views at 4JG's, Colts Neck

4JG's Orchard & Vineyard (127 Hillsdale Road) hosts its Spooktacular Weekend on Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1, noon to 5 PM. It's the winery's last walk of the season through the apple orchard and vineyard, with a scavenger hunt, Halloween treats, food and wine, and fire pits. Costumes are optional.

If you'd like a Halloween that doesn't involve answering the doorbell 80 times, this is it. 4JG's says more details are coming, so check its page before you go.

Can't wait until Halloween? The same winery has its Rock and Wine day this Saturday, October 17 (noon to 5 PM), and Soup & Sip on October 24 (rain date October 25, $30 per adult, $15 per child).

4JG's events page

Coffee, pumpkins and a little fall fun at Coffee Corral

Coffee Corral is hosting pumpkin painting on Saturday, October 17, 9 AM to 3 PM at its Red Bank (177 Dr. James Parker Blvd.) and Farmingdale (90 Adelphia Road) shops. Pumpkins are $10 each, no registration needed. Grab a latte, paint a porch pumpkin, and leave the mess there.

I couldn't find this event on Coffee Corral's own website, so call ahead before you go: Red Bank (732) 741-2326, Farmingdale (732) 410-0212.

If you only pick one on Saturday the 17th

Four of this week's events land on October 17. Bringing grandkids? Go to the boardwalk; there's a second weekend if you miss it. Bringing an appetite? Holmdel. Feeling crafty? Coffee Corral in the morning, then the seafood festival for lunch.

Live music lowdown

Friday, October 16
The Proving Ground, Highlands — Del Boca Yacht Rock Band, 6 PM
The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park — Front Row Center, 7 PM
The Stone Pony, Asbury Park — Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country, 7 PM
Reef & Barrel, Manasquan — Dave and Kate Duo, 4 PM

Saturday, October 17
The Proving Ground, Highlands — Guns 4 Hire, 8 PM
The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park — Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers, 7 PM
Red Rock Tap + Grill, Red Bank — New Power Soul, 7–10 PM
The Stone Pony, Asbury Park — All Them Witches, 8 PM
Reef & Barrel, Manasquan — Next Wave Band, 6 PM

Sunday, October 18
The Proving Ground, Highlands — Odessa, 1 PM
The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park — Sandy Mack's Wonder Jam, 5 PM

Quick answers

What's free this week?

Jenkinson's doesn't list an admission fee for Boo at the Boardwalk; rides use ride credits at half the usual amount. The seafood festival is $5, and kids under 5 get in free. Pumpkins at Coffee Corral are $10.

Do I need tickets in advance?

No. The seafood festival is pay-at-the-gate only, and Coffee Corral says no registration is needed. For 4JG's events, check the winery's page.

What if it rains?

Some Boo at the Boardwalk activities depend on the weather. 4JG's Soup & Sip moves to October 25. For everything else, check the organizer's page that morning.

Sources: Jenkinson's Boardwalk (jenkinsons.com), Just Jersey Fest's festival listing, 4JG's Winery (4jgswinery.com), Coffee Corral (coffeecorral.net, locations). The Coffee Corral event and live-music listings come from local listings as submitted and weren't independently confirmed. Details checked October 13, 2026. Confirm with organizers before you go.