This Weekend in South Jersey: Chatsworth Cranberry Festival and More (October 16-18, 2026)
The Chatsworth Cranberry Festival brings up to 150 craft vendors, food, and live music to the Pine Barrens this weekend, while the Moorestown and Bordentown farmers markets, Johnson's Corner Farm, and the first family-friendly Halloween events of the season round out Burlington County and South Jersey.
October's third weekend, Friday October 16 through Sunday October 18, 2026, belongs to the Pine Barrens. The Chatsworth Cranberry Festival, the region's signature harvest celebration, fills the tiny Burlington County cranberry capital with a juried craft show of up to 150 vendors, up to 15 food vendors, live music, and a Sunday car show, all with free admission and rain or shine. It is the kind of weekend that reminds you why South Jersey homeowners love fall here.
Around it, the Burlington County Farmers Market in Moorestown opens Saturday morning, the Bordentown Farmers Market runs Sunday in the historic city, Johnson's Corner Farm in Medford keeps its hayrides and corn maze going, and the first gentle Halloween events for young kids arrive at Storybook Land, DiDonato's, and the shore. Every event below was checked against official event pages and festival guides before publishing. Times and lineups can shift, so confirm anything you plan around with the organizer.
Friday, October 16: A Quiet Lead-In
Farm Fridays and a mellow start before the big Pine Barrens weekend
Friday is the calm before the festival. Johnson's Corner Farm in Medford keeps its corn maze open on Fridays through the fall, a low-key way to ease into the weekend with the kids after school. It is also a good evening to stock up on mums and pumpkins at a local garden center before Saturday's crowds, and to check the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival's official site for the final vendor and music lineup.
Johnson's Corner Farm, Medford
133 Church Road, Medford, NJ (Burlington County)
Johnson's Corner Farm runs its Fall Harvest Festivals every weekend through November 1, and the corn maze opens on Fridays as well. Saturdays and Sundays bring hayrides to the u-pick fields for pumpkins, gourds, sweet potatoes, and popcorn, live music from noon to 4:00 PM, a festival food tent, gem mining, duck races, and the Discovery Barnyard animal farm. Remember there is no apple picking in 2026 after the spring frost, but the harvest fun is unaffected.
Saturday, October 17: Cranberry Festival Day One
The Pine Barrens' signature harvest festival, a farmers market morning, and Halloween fun for kids
Chatsworth Cranberry Festival
Chatsworth, NJ 08019 (Burlington County, Pine Barrens)
The headline event of the weekend, the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival runs Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the heart of the Pine Barrens, the self-proclaimed cranberry capital of New Jersey. The juried craft show brings up to 150 vendors selling handmade work, with up to 15 food vendors serving festival fare, live music across both days, and a car show on Sunday. Admission is free and the festival runs rain or shine.
Chatsworth sits deep in the Pine Barrens at the junction of Routes 563 and 532, about 40 minutes from Moorestown. Arrive early: the town's streets fill fast on festival mornings. Our Pine Barrens parks guide covers the surrounding wilderness if you want to turn the trip into a full day outdoors.
Burlington County Agricultural Center Farmers Market, Moorestown
Burlington County Agricultural Center, 500 Centerton Road, Moorestown, NJ 08057
The county's flagship market runs every Saturday 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM, with the 2026 season continuing through November 14. Mid-October brings mums, pumpkins, gourds, cider, preserves, and artisan breads under the pavilions at 500 Centerton Road, plus honey, flowers, and local crafts from 60-plus vendors. It is the perfect early stop before a long drive to the festival, or a full morning on its own.
The farmers market roundup lists every market in the region worth the trip, and our Moorestown guide explains why locals call this the Town of Quality.
Also on Saturday, October 17
- Storybook Land Fall Into Fun Festival, Trick-or-Treat Weekend: the family theme park in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, runs its costume trick-or-treating weekend October 17-18 alongside its fall festival, a gentle first Halloween outing for young kids. It is one of the region's best not-so-scary Halloween events, per the NJ Kids Online guide.
- All-A-Boo at DiDonato's: the Hammonton-area farm (Atlantic County) runs its Trick-or-Treat Train ride through Halloween Town, Halloween corn maze, and pumpkin patch Saturday and Sunday, October 17-18, with more dates through the month.
- Johnson's Corner Farm, Medford: another full day of fall hayrides, u-pick pumpkins, gourds, and the corn maze, with live music from noon to 4:00 PM and the Discovery Barnyard for the little ones.
Sunday, October 18: Festival Day Two and the Car Show
Cranberry Festival day two with the car show, the Bordentown market, and Boo at the Boardwalk
Cranberry Festival Day Two, Bordentown Market, and the Shore
Chatsworth, Bordentown City, and the shore (Burlington County and beyond)
Sunday keeps the weekend going at a gentle pace. The Chatsworth Cranberry Festival runs its second day from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM with the Sunday car show joining the craft vendors and live music. In Bordentown City, the Bordentown Farmers Market opens 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Carslake Community Center on Crosswicks Street, one of the county's Sunday markets with local produce, handmade goods, and music. At the shore, Jenkinson's Boo at the Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach brings trick-or-treating and Halloween activities to the boardwalk from noon to 4:00 PM.
The day trips guide has more shore and Pine Barrens ideas that work well in October, and the fall festivals guide previews everything still to come this season.
Also on Sunday, October 18
- Bordentown Farmers Market: Sundays 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Carslake Community Center, 207 Crosswicks Street, Bordentown City, running through the end of the season with local produce, handmade goods, and music.
- Boo at the Boardwalk, Jenkinson's, Point Pleasant Beach: trick-or-treating, character appearances, and Halloween activities on the boardwalk from noon to 4:00 PM, an easy shore add-on for families.
- Storybook Land Trick-or-Treat Weekend, day two: the second day of costume trick-or-treating and fall festival fun in Egg Harbor Township.
- Johnson's Corner Farm, Medford: hayrides, u-pick pumpkins, gourds, sweet potatoes, and the corn maze from about 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, with live music from noon to 4:00 PM.
Quick Look: Events This Weekend
| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Chatsworth Cranberry Festival | Free |
| Burlington County Agricultural Center Farmers Market | Free |
| Bordentown Farmers Market | Free |
| Storybook Land Trick-or-Treat Weekend | See park site |
| All-A-Boo at DiDonato's | See farm site |
| Boo at the Boardwalk, Jenkinson's | See boardwalk |
| Johnson's Corner Farm | From ~$20 |
More Ideas for the Weekend
Looking for even more? Browse the full HomeCircle Community Events calendar and check your town's recreation page for smaller neighborhood plans. Our fall festivals guide previews every pumpkin patch, Oktoberfest, and haunted attraction arriving in the weeks ahead, the farmers market roundup lists every market worth the trip, and the day trips guide covers shore and Pine Barrens escapes. The county's own AutumnLands and Winterfest programming arrives the following weekend, October 24, so this weekend is all about community-run harvest celebrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival free?
Where can we pick pumpkins in Burlington County this weekend?
Which farmers markets are open in Burlington County this weekend?
What is the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival and where is it?
What is the easiest one-day plan for families this weekend?
Are there Halloween events for young kids this weekend?
Enjoy the Harvest Weekend. We Will Be Here After.
Bob Millaway is an Epique Realty AI Certified Agent (NJ License 791082) serving Burlington County and South Jersey. Get out and enjoy the cranberry festival, the farmers markets, and the first Halloween fun of the season, and when you are ready to talk about your home, your neighborhood, or anything real estate, Bob is here at 856.426.1522.