Mostly Free & Fun Things To Do With NJ Kids This Weekend Sept 27-28: Harvest Festival, Cockpit Day, Indian Dance & More!

9/24/14 - By Sasha Muzzarelli

Autumn is officially here New Jersey! These next couple of months will be filled with cooler sweater weather, pumpkins & apples and best of all, plenty of festivals and events to keep families busy and happy. Check out one of the many seasonal festivals our state has to offer, like the Bergen County Harvest Fest & Craft Fair or the 33rd Annual Harvest Festival at Trailside Nature Center. And if you want to keep the back-to-school learning momentum going, bring the kiddos to check out airplanes at Teterboro Airport’s Open Cockpit Day, hear a story from a famous children’s author at the Morristown Festival of Books or sit back and enjoy a vibrant Indian dance performance at the NJ State Museum. And remember, you can check out the full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

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Bergen County Harvest Fest (Ridgefield Park, NJ)
The Bergen County Harvest Fest Craft Fair is a fun-filled family weekend to celebrate the arrival of autumn. Stroll through booths of handmade crafts while you sample delicious local NJ eats, before kicking back to some live music. The carnival section with games and rides will keep everyone entertained!

To Kill a Mockingbird (Rahway, NJ)
UCPAC at Hamilton Stage kicks off its season with the American Literature Classic To Kill a Mockingbird. A moving story that tells about race and prejudice through a young girls eyes, older kids and teens who have read the book will definitely be engaged as they watch this universal tale come to life.

Saturday, September 27th

Open Cockpit Day (Teterboro, NJ)
Have a kid who's crazy for planes? The Aviation Museum only opens the cockpits of their planes and helicopters a few times a year, so don't miss out. Visitors experience real 'hands on' cockpit understanding, learn more about how pilots fly and what the controls and instrumentations do from real pilots and guides.

Bottle Hill Day (Madison, NJ)
Bottle Hill Day is Madison's annual town festival and street fair, open to both residents and non-residents alike. Stroll through the quaint downtown for a day filled with food, shopping and entertainment. Activities include rock climbing, an auto show, live music, tasty samples from Madison’s best restaurants and giant inflatables where the kiddos can bounce their energy off!

Morristown Festival of Books (Morristown, NJ)
Join in on the literary fun this weekend as famous children’s book authors read aloud to New Jersey kids. Hear Jane O’Connor read from her immensely popular Fancy Nancy books – all readers are encouraged to come dressed “fancy” for this very posh event, among others! Book sales and signings to follow too.

Traditions of India (Trenton, NJ)
In keeping with the theme of diversity and celebrating New Jersey’s 350th birthday, New Jersey State Museum brings you a sample of one of the many cultural groups that make up the melting pot of our state. Born in Hindu Temples more than 2,000 years ago, Indian dance is movement, mime and music in equal measure, adorned with beautiful costumes and jewelry. Don’t miss out on this lively performance at the NJ State Museum this weekend.

Sunday, September 28th

MommaConnect (Mahwah, NJ)
This mommy expo provides a wealth of information for all things mom related: the best camps, where to go on a rainy Saturday, expert child-care, who has the healthiest foods for your family and where to have the coolest birthday party on the block. And that's just the beginning; It's not just for the kids. There are fabulous things for moms too like product samples, information stations, kids' activities and even giveaways.

Outdoor Volunteer Day (Mendham, NJ)
Spend some quality time outdoors in nature by volunteering at Schiff Nature Lands this Sunday. Roll up your sleeves and help clear the paths from trash and storm debris, mark trails and even help with garden maintenance. Recommended for families with kids ages 5 & up.

Harvest Festival (Mountainside, NJ)
Trailside Nature Center is always full of educational fun both indoors and out, so if you’re looking for a family-friendly fall outing, check out their 33rd annual Harvest Festival. Activities include storytelling, Native American artifact displays and scarecrow building. Throw in pony rides, a bountiful farmer’s market and a pumpkin patch and you’ve got a great afternoon!

Check out our GO NJ List, with our top picks of awesome things to do for kids in the upcoming month; GO SEPTEMBER is full of family fun!

And don't forget: We have additional activity listings in our Event Calendar. And if you are heading into NYC for the weekend make sure you visit the New York City Mommy Poppins events calendar to get the latest on all the fun to be had NYC-style.