> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.destination.living/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Weekend Edit: Monmouth County & the Jersey Shore, October 16–18, 2026 - URL: https://www.destination.living/the-weekend-edit-monmouth-county-the-jersey-shore-october-16-18-2026/ - Published: 2026-10-16T14:21:54.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-16T14:21:54.000Z - Description: he summer crowds are gone and the shore is ours again. Red Bank's Halloween Parade, a record show on the Asbury boardwalk, a seafood festival at Bell Works and six farms for pumpkin picking: here is where I would spend October 16–18 in Monmouth County. - Author: Laurie Savino - Tags: Monmouth County Events, Monmouth County NJ, monmouth-county-real-estate, Red Bank NJ, redbankhalloweenparade The summer crowds are gone. The shore is ours again. Mid-October is the best-kept secret of living in Monmouth County. The ocean still holds some of August's warmth. The Navesink catches the late light. Broad Street fills with costumes for Red Bank's Halloween Parade, and the farms in Colts Neck and Freehold are full of pumpkins. This weekend, October 16 to 18, has a little of everything: a parade, a record show on the Asbury boardwalk, a seafood festival at Bell Works and a big night of music at the Basie. Here's where I'd spend it. ## Red Bank and the River Towns ### Red Bank Halloween Parade **Sunday, October 18.** Red Bank has been throwing this parade for more than 75 years, and the whole town turns out. Marchers gather at Hudson Avenue and East Bergen Place, and the parade heads up Broad Street, with live music, food and costume contests. Check Red Bank Parks & Rec for the step-off time. [Details](https://patch.com/new-jersey/freehold/record-show-haunted-theater-more-weekend-monmouth-county?ref=destination.living). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/54/d3540774-f79c-477f-86bf-aae0c1979a84/content/images/2026/10/Document.png) ### A Big Weekend at the Count Basie Center The Basie on Monmouth Street has a full lineup. [See the calendar](https://thebasie.org/?post%5Ftype=tm%5Fevent&ref=destination.living). - **Friday, October 16** — *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* at 10pm. Costumes encouraged. - **Saturday, October 17** — Little Steven Presents: A TeachRock Benefit at 7pm. - **Sunday, October 18** — saxophonist Boney James at 7pm. ### Family Soap-Making in Red Bank **Saturday, October 17, 2pm.** Sensorium Emporium at 24 Monmouth Street hosts a hands-on soap-making session for families. $25 per person, capped at 20 people. RSVP ahead. ### Brookdale Haunted Theater, Lincroft **Friday through Sunday, October 16 to 18.** The Brookdale Performing Arts Center on Newman Springs Road turns into a haunted house for the season. Tickets required. Best for older kids and adults. ### NJ Seafood & Music Festival at Bell Works, Holmdel **Saturday, October 17.** Seafood, live music, vendors and kids' activities inside the old Bell Labs building, now one of the most striking spaces in the state. Admission is $5, and kids under five get in free. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/54/d3540774-f79c-477f-86bf-aae0c1979a84/content/images/2026/10/images--7-.jpeg) ### Take the Long Way Home Rumson, Fair Haven and Little Silver don't need an event to be worth the trip this time of year. Drive River Road along the Navesink. Stop at a farm stand. Watch the light change over the water. It's the season locals wait all summer for. ## Along the Shore ### Asbury Park Record Show **Saturday, October 17.** Vendors from across the tri-state area fill the Grand Arcade at Convention Hall with thousands of records. Come to dig through the crates. Stay for a walk on the boardwalk. ### Asbury Park Vintage Market **Sunday, October 18, 12:30pm to 6pm.** Vintage clothing, jewelry and antiques on the Stone Pony Summer Stage at 913 Ocean Avenue. Free to get in. Early-bird entry needs a ticket. [Details](https://patch.com/new-jersey/freehold/record-show-haunted-theater-more-weekend-monmouth-county?ref=destination.living). ### Live Music at The Stone Pony - **Friday, October 16, 7pm** — Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country. All ages. - **Saturday, October 17, 7pm** — All Them Witches. All ages. ### Sandy Hook Stroll **Saturday, October 17, 10:30am.** A free walk out on Sandy Hook, with the bay on one side and the ocean on the other. October is one of the best months to see it, with quiet beaches and migrating birds. [See listing](https://baselocal.com/nj/monmouth-county/events/?ref=destination.living). ## Where to Pick Pumpkins This Weekend Monmouth County is farm country just a few miles from the beach. These farms are all in season this weekend. Hours depend on weather and crops, and many farms take cash only, so call ahead. ### Eastmont Orchards, Colts Neck The closest pick to the river towns. Pumpkins and late-season apples on a classic Colts Neck farm. Open Friday 9am to 4:30pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5:30pm, through October 25\. 321 Route 537\. Call (732) 542-5404 to check what's ready. [Website](https://eastmontorchards.com/?ref=destination.living). ### A. Casola Farms, Holmdel The Casola family has farmed in Holmdel for more than 200 years and says it ran the area's first pick-your-own pumpkin farm. Fall Fest attractions run 9am to 5pm, and admission is free. 178 Route 34\. Call (732) 332-1533 for this weekend's schedule. [Website](https://www.acasolafarms.com/events?ref=destination.living). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/54/d3540774-f79c-477f-86bf-aae0c1979a84/content/images/2026/10/image-asset.webp) ### Battleview Orchards, Freehold A favorite for generations. A hard April freeze cost the farm its 2026 apple crop, so pumpkins are the main event this fall. The country store, with its cider donuts, is open 9am to 6pm and closed Tuesdays. 91 Wemrock Road. Call (732) 462-0756 for picking hours. [Website](https://www.battlevieworchards.com/?ref=destination.living). ### Happy Day Farm, Manalapan Built for kids, with a corn maze, animals and fall activities through November 8\. Buy tickets online ahead of time for anyone 2 and older. Purchases in the fields are cash only. 106 Iron Ore Road. [Website](https://happydayfarmnj.com/?ref=destination.living). ### Robbie's Atlantic Farms, Manasquan At the southern end of the county. A $16 wristband covers the pumpkin patch, hayrides, corn mazes, petting zoo and bounce house, and kids 12 months and under get in free. Pumpkins are sold by the pound. Open 10am to 5pm. 1506 Atlantic Avenue. [Website](https://www.atlanticfarmmarket.com/fall?ref=destination.living). ### Bullock Farms, Cream Ridge Worth the drive west. A 175-acre preserved farm with pick-your-own pumpkins, hayrides and corn mazes. Open Friday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm, through October 25\. 83 Emleys Hill Road. [Website](https://www.bullockfarms.com/?ref=destination.living). ## Before You Head Out Check each organizer's or farm's page before you go. In October, weather can change plans fast. And if a slow Sunday on River Road has you wondering what it would be like to live here, you're asking the right question. Fall is when you see these towns as the people who live here do: quiet beaches, full farm stands, a parade where everyone knows somebody marching in it. I'd love to show you around. Red Bank, Rumson, Little Silver and Fair Haven each have their own pace, and I can tell you which one fits yours. **Laurie Savino** | The Savino Team at Corcoran Baer & McIntosh 718-309-4054 | [laurie.savino@corcoran.com](mailto:laurie.savino@corcoran.com) | [savinoteam.com](https://www.savinoteam.com/?ref=destination.living) ##