Corn Mazes, a Costume Parade and a 100-Year-Old Train: Your Central Jersey Week, October 20

Happy Tuesday, Central Jersey. I've officially reached the point in October where I realize Halloween is days away and I probably should have figured out my costume weeks ago. What's everyone dressing up as this year? I promise I won't steal your idea. Much.

On the docket: a corn maze and pumpkin patch at Twin Pond Farm, Freehold's Halloween costume parade, an all-day Halloween party at 3BR in Keyport, a 100-year-old locomotive coming back to life in Bayville, and the live music lineup. I checked every detail against the organizers' own pages.

Pumpkins, hayrides and a corn maze at Twin Pond Farm, Freehold

Twin Pond Farm's fall festival, Harvest at Howell, is only in its second season, and it's already one of the best family farm days around. It runs through Sunday, November 1 at 49 Howell Road in Freehold, a separate field from the family's garden center on Route 9.

Hours from here on out: Fridays 3 to 6 PM, Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM to 5 PM. (The festival's two Monday openings have already passed, so plan on a Friday-to-Sunday visit.) Fridays before 3 PM are reserved for school trips.

Admission covers a lot: a seven-acre corn maze, hayrides around the farm, a petting zoo, duck races, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin cornhole, pedal car racing, a bounce pad, a hay bale maze for the little ones, and entry to the pumpkin patch. Live music plays every Saturday.

The extras cost more. Pumpkins are priced by weight, sunflowers are $2 a stem, and the pumpkin and apple cannons are $7 a round (4 pumpkins or 6 apples). Pony rides, the mega slide and paintball target practice are also extra.

The good news for us: seniors 65 and up pay $20 instead of $25. On Fridays it's $15.99 for seniors and $19.99 for everyone else. Kids 2 and under are free. Tickets are sold online.

One tip: the farm says to arrive by 4 PM to enjoy everything, and the last entry to the corn maze is 4:15 PM. If you're bringing grandkids who will want to do the maze twice, get there early.

Hours, prices and tickets at Twin Pond Farm

Freehold's Halloween Spooktacular Costume Parade hits Main Street

Costumes take over Main Street in Freehold Borough on Sunday, October 25 at 1 PM for the Halloween Spooktacular Costume Parade. It's free, and it's the perfect test run for a costume before the big night, especially the ones that took weeks to put together.

March in the parade, enter the costume contest, or grab a spot on the sidewalk and watch. After the parade, head to the Hall of Records parking lot for complimentary refreshments; that's also where the contest winners are announced.

Want to compete? Contest check-in is at 12:15 PM at the Freehold Raceway parking lot, Manalapan entrance (130 Park Avenue), with judging done by 12:45 PM before everyone lines up. There's a category for 13 and over, so grown-ups can absolutely enter, plus Best Group, Families and Best Pet. Matching grandparent-and-grandkid costumes, anyone?

Can't wait until Sunday? The same group hosts its Monster Mash on Saturday, October 24, 6 to 8 PM, with games, music, face painting and a pumpkin decorating contest.

Parade and contest details at Freehold Spooktacular

3BR has your Halloween plans covered, Keyport

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and 3BR Distillery (7 Main Street, Keyport) is making the most of it with its Annual Halloween Party on Saturday, October 31, 2 PM to midnight. That's ten hours of Halloween, so there's really no excuse not to get some use out of that costume.

Expect a DJ, games, costumes and plenty of fun through the afternoon and night. Whether your costume has been in the works for weeks or you're pulling something together at the last minute, you'll fit right in.

The details that matter: this one is 21 and over, so the grandkids stay home. There's no ticket to buy, but reservations are welcome, so round up your friends and save a table.

Reserve a spot at 3BR

A century of railroad history comes to life, Bayville

This one is worth the short drive south. The Berkeley Township Historical Society Museum, 630 Atlantic City Boulevard (Route 9) in Bayville, celebrates its reopening with its 1st Annual Railroad Fest on Saturday, October 24, 11 AM to 5 PM.

The star of the show is Plymouth Locomotive #2173, built in 1926 and celebrating its 100th birthday with a return to operation. It has a great local story: the engine helped dig the lake in front of the old Royal Pines Hotel in Pinewald in the late 1920s, then vanished into private hands for decades until it turned up for sale online. Volunteers have spent the last couple of years rebuilding it, and they say about 70% of the original is still working.

You'll also see several other narrow-gauge locomotives running, antique engines and equipment from the Pinelands Antique Engine Association, model train displays from the Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders, fire trucks and antique cars.

It's not every day you get to watch a 100-year-old locomotive come back to life, and it's the kind of outing grandkids and grandparents enjoy equally. The society hasn't posted an admission price, so call ahead at (732) 269-9527 if you want to know before you go.

Railroad Fest details at Ocean County Tourism

If you only pick one this weekend

Saturday the 24th is stacked. Train lovers and grandkids: Bayville in the daytime, then the Monster Mash in Freehold at 6. Sunday the 25th belongs to the Freehold parade at 1 PM, and Twin Pond Farm is open until 5 PM if you want to keep the fall day going. Save 3BR for Halloween night itself.

Live music lowdown

Friday, October 23
The Proving Ground, Highlands — 9 South, 7 PM
The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park — Big D and the Kids Table, with The Pietasters and Devon Kay & the Solutions, 6:30 PM doors (21+)
Reef & Barrel, Manasquan — Force Fed, 8 PM

Saturday, October 24
The Proving Ground, Highlands — E-Boro Bandits, 7 PM
The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park — Quality Living, 7 PM
The Stone Pony, Asbury Park — Emo Night Brooklyn, doors 9 PM, show 10 PM (21+)

Sunday, October 25
The Proving Ground, Highlands — Steve Johnson, 6 PM
The Stone Pony, Asbury Park — Melvin Seals & JGB, 7 PM
Reef & Barrel, Manasquan — Brian Kirk & the Jirks, 4 PM

Deadheads, take note: Melvin Seals played the Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band for 18 years. Sunday night at the Pony is your show.

Quick answers

What's free this week?

The Freehold costume parade and contest are free, and 3BR's Halloween party has no ticket price (21+ only). Twin Pond Farm is $25, or $20 for seniors 65 and up. Railroad Fest hasn't posted an admission price.

Is there a senior discount at Twin Pond Farm?

Yes. Seniors 65 and up pay $20 on weekends and $15.99 on Fridays, instead of $25 and $19.99.

Can adults enter the Freehold costume contest?

Yes. There's a 13-and-over category, plus Best Group, Families and Best Pet. Check in by 12:15 PM at the Freehold Raceway lot's Manalapan entrance.

Can I bring grandkids to the 3BR party?

No. The 3BR Halloween party is 21 and over.

Sources: Twin Pond Farm (twinpondfarm.com and its ticket page), Freehold Halloween Spooktacular (freeholdspooktacular.com) and Freehold Borough, 3BR Distillery's event listing, Ocean County Tourism and the Berkeley Times, and venue calendars for The Stone Pony and The Wonder Bar. The Proving Ground and Reef & Barrel listings come from local listings as submitted and weren't independently confirmed. Details checked October 20, 2026. Confirm with organizers before you go.