Laurie Rein

Laurie Rein is passionate about finding fun (especially free!) activities for her twin daughters. Before joining Mommy Poppins New Jersey, Laurie worked in the television industry, with roles as an NBC page, copywriter, affiliate liaison for The Rosie O'Donnell Show, and research manager for CBS.

Latest posts by Laurie

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Halloween Fests, Boo at the Zoo, Trunk-or-Treats

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 10/22/2019 - 9:00am

Westfield gets creep and kooky at the weekend-long AddamsFest! Photo courtesy of the event

It's pre-Halloween weekend, and spooky, kooky fun is happening throughout New Jersey! Load up on candy at trick-or-treat events like Boo at the Boardwalk, Trick-or-Treat Weekend at Storybook Land, AddamsFest, and the North Wildwood Trunk-or-Treat Block Party.

Meet some bewitching characters at the Monster Bash and Zombie Walk, HalloWheaton, and Witch's Day Out. Or have Halloween fun with animals at Cape May and Bergen County zoos.

Check out our Halloween Guide for more options for family fun, including the best places to trick-or-treat, ideas for easy last-minute costumes, and plenty of free Halloween happenings. And look to our October GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Halloween Events, Cranberry Festival

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 10/15/2019 - 1:15pm

Dress in your Halloween best and head to the beach for the Cape May Halloween Parade on Sunday. Photo courtesy of the event

It's a boo-tiful pre-Halloween weekend in New Jersey, with a full roster of celebratory festivities. It's never to early to start collecting goodies at trick-or-treat events like Boo at the Boardwalk and Boo at Cohanzick Zoo. Get in the Halloween spirit at a local bash, including Westfield's Addamsfest and the Cape May Halloween Parade. Or celebrate in a unique way on the Halloween Express or at Allaire's haunted village.

Halloween is not the only cause for celebration this weekend. Revel in the season at harvest events like the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival, Hoboken Harvest Festival, and Thompson Park Day.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids and our Halloween Events and Guide for NJ Kids for more options, including the Ultimate Halloween Guide for NJ Kids. And look to our October GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Ultimate Halloween Guide for NJ Kids: Parades, Pumpkins, Parties

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Sun, 10/06/2019 - 10:48am

The popular Hoboken Ragamuffin Parade features local live music, floats, lots of great costumes, and so much more. Photo courtesy of the parade

Halloween is way too spooktacular for just one day of celebrating! The weeks leading up to the big day are loaded with costume parades, trunk or treats, pumpkin displays, and plenty of FREE Halloween happenings, and we created an Ultimate Halloween Guide to highlight our favorites.

Whether your kids want to visit a haunted house, take a Halloween train ride, pick some pumpkins, trick-or-treat at the zoo, or parade through downtown streets dressed as their favorite superheroes, we’ve rounded up a monstrous list of ways to celebrate.

So get your ghosts and goblins ready, fuel up on candy corn, and don’t forget to brush! Look to our Halloween Guide for even more frightening fun, and check out our Fall Fun Guide for seasonal activities beyond October 31.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Fall Festivals, Zombie Walk, Sesame Street Live

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 10/01/2019 - 9:15am

Fall Festival Weekends are happening at Johnson's Corner Farm. Photo courtesy of the farm

While October has only just begun, Halloween fun kicks into high gear this weekend. Get in the Halloween spirit at celebrations like Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest, Asbury Park Zombie Walk, and Morris County Park Palooza.

Take your pick of pumpkin events this weekend, including Pumpkin Pawlooza, The Giant Pumpkin Carve & Pumpkin Pageant, and Blackwood Pumpkin Festival. And add a touch of magic to the weekend at Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids for more options, including 25+ Free Halloween Events and Parades for NJ Kids. And look to our October GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Oktoberfest, Pumpkin Train, Dinosaurs

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 09/24/2019 - 9:00am

It's not just beer at Morey's Piers' Oktoberfest, which includes plenty of kid-friendly fun.

September comes to a close this weekend with a big batch of fall festivals. Celebrate the season at harvest festivals like the Hoboken Fall Arts & Music Festival, Harvest Home Festival, and the 15th Annual Fall Family Festival. For more fall fun, hop aboard The Great Pumpkin Train.

Add food into the mix at Smithville's Italian Festival, Wildwood's Olde Time Italian Festival, and Yogi Berra Stadium Food Truck Fest. And spend a spooky evening at Field Station: Dinosaurs with the return of Dinosaurs After Dark.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids for more options for family fun, including Halloween and Fall Train Rides. And look to our September GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Harvest Fests, Peppa Pig, Oktoberfest

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 09/17/2019 - 1:00pm

The Hopewell Harvest Fair features arts & crafts and lots of other fun for kids. Photo courtesy of the fair

With a roster full of harvest festivals, apple picking, and corn mazes, it's beginning to look a lot like fall on this first official weekend of the season. Take in everything autumn has to offer at seasonal festivals like Morey's Piers' Annual Oktoberfest, Wildwood Crest's Annual Seafarers Celebration, and fall festivals in Hopewell and Westfield.

Experience the flavors of fall at Allaire's Fall Apple Festival and Tenafly's Apple Cider Making. Plus, make it a theatrical weekend at State Theatre Family Day or a production of Peppa Pig Live!

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids for more options, including 20 Fall Day Trips and 50+ Fall Events for NJ Preschoolers. And look to our September GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Fright Fest, Corn Mazes, Insect Festival

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 09/10/2019 - 1:10pm

Enjoy kid-friendly thrills during the day at Six Flags Great Adventure's Fright Fest. Photo courtesy of Six Flags

While it's technically the last weekend of summer, there are plenty of fall-themed things to do this weekend in New Jersey, including corn mazes, fall festivals, and early Halloween fun. Make room on your calendar for seasonal favorites like corn mazes at Alstede Farms and Stony Hill Farms, and the spooky, pre-Halloween Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure.

Take advantage of end-of-summer, almost-fall temperatures when you bask in seaside adventures at the Wind & Sea Festival, old-fashioned fun at Fall Harvest Fest and Spirit of the Jerseys, plus celebrations of bugs and bats. Don't miss local festivals like Jersey City's All About Downtown Street Fair, PlayDay South Orange, Fanny Wood Day Street Fair, and Bridgewater's Community Day Featuring Touch-a-Truck & Dog Day.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids for more options for family fun, including 50 Things We Can't Wait to Do with NJ Kids this Fall. And look to our September GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

50+ Fall Events for New Jersey Preschoolers

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Fri, 09/06/2019 - 1:45pm

Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center will host HalloWheaton, a free trick-or-treat event with interactive performances and family activities. Photo courtesy of Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center

If your preschoolers are bursting with energy in the fall, we present you with 50+ ways to keep them busy with oodles of seasonal fun. The new season brings with it some awesome fall events, including fall festivals, corn mazes, train rides, touch-a-trucks, and more for the 5-and-under set!

Catch big names at preschool-friendly performances of Peppa Pig, Sesame Street Live, Disney On Ice, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Or head outside with your little ones to enjoy the beautiful weather and colors at events like the Great Pumpkin Train Ride, Giant Corn Maze Adventures, Great Pumpkin Festival, and Hefty Harvest & Scary Scarecrows.

Plus, get in the Halloween spirit at non-spooky fall events such as Boo at the Boardwalk and Trick-or-Treat Weekend at Storybook Land.

Read on for the full list of fun fall events for little ones in New Jersey. And don't forget to check out our Fall Fun Guide and Event Calendar to find even more great things to do this season!

Laurie Rein

Latest posts by Laurie

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