Hoboken Italian Festival, Thursday – Sunday, September 6th – 9th. This is the 85th year of the feast in Hoboken. The origin of the feast dates back over 800 years in Molfetta, Italy. The procession through the streets is how we honor that tradition. Enjoy the feast fun! The vendors, the entertainment and the procession, but the real highlight of the feast has to be our famous fireworks. Click for more info.
35th Annual Greek Festival, Thursday – Sunday, September 6th – 9th. St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Union, NJ. Enjoy the tastes and sounds of Greece under the tents, rain or shine! Homemade foods such as mousaka, pastitsio, roasted lamb, souvlaki and gyro as well as homemade pastries including baklava, loukoumades, and galaktonbouriko. Live music, Folk dancing, zeibekiko contest, and free dance lessons! Greek Import Boutique. Don’t forget to bring the kids to the rides and games!
An Evening in the Vineyards | Wine Tasting Fundraiser, Friday, September 7th from 6pm-9pm. CentraState Healthcare Foundation sponsors this event. The event will feature a sampling of more than 70 wines from around the world, craft beers and unique spirits, all coordinated by Max’s Beer, Wine and Liquor. Great Restaurants, Freehold, will provide catering. Proceeds will support the Linda E. Cardinale Multiple Sclerosis Center. Click for more details.
Taste of Medford, Saturday, September 8th from 12pm-3pm. Held at Kirby’s Mill. Enjoy great foods from local restaurants, live music, entertainment and working mill demonstrations. Click for more information.
Jersey Joel’s 2nd Annual Pig Roast & BBQ, Saturday, September 8th at 2pm. Joey Harrison’s Surf Club, Ortley Beach. Enjoy all you can eat pig and BBQ, a live DJ, beach volley ball, drink specials and more.
Lavallette Heritage Day Festival, Saturday, September 8th from 9am-5:30pm. Free Admission, Held at Philadelphia Avenue and Bay Blvd. 200 outdoor booths, Food Vendors, Entertainment, Children’s Games, Live Bands, Antique Car Show and the Ocean County String Band.
Galloway Elks Clambake, Saturday, September 8th from 2pm-8pm. Steamers galore! The Galloway Elks Lodge hosts this event with tons of steamers, burgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob and live music! Click for more info.
Edison’s Fall Family Spectacular, Saturday, September 8th from 2pm-11pm. Papaianni Park (Municipal Complex) will be transformed into a giant outdoor festival with fire works, over 100 merchandise and craft vendors, kids’ activities, great festival food, local merchants and civic groups and live music and entertainment. Come hungry and enjoy the pizza, zeppoles, sausage and peppers, popcorn, cotton candy, shish ka bob, kettle corn, BBQ and more great food along the street.
Feast of San Gennaro at the Jersey Shore, Saturday & Sunday, September 8th & 9th. Downtown Belmar. The festival will feature plenty of Italian foods, wines, games and activities, starting with the traditional procession of the statue of San Gennaro, benefiting The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Look for eating contests, dancing, games for young and old, live entertainment and exciting special guests. Click for more info.
Oktoberfest, Saturday & Sunday, September 8th & 9th. Held at the Deutscher Club of Clark NJ. They promise to quench your thirst and provide hours of fantastic entertainment in the true spirit of a German Oktoberfest. Click for more info.
The Art of Food Festival, Saturday – Tuesday, September 8th – 11th. The Riverdale Art Center will host, with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and its Food Service Training Academy, this event to prepare elegant dinners at the Glenburn Estate, 211 Hamburg Turnpike, Riverdale. This event will feature a gourmet dinner on September 8 and September 10 from 6-9pm and September 11th from 7-9:30pm, and a barbecue on Sunday, Sept. 9th, from 1-4pm. Students from the Food Service Training Academy will work with a different local executive chef each day to help prepare and serve meals. Tickets for the dinners are $75; $35 for the barbecue. Call 973-513-9250 for more info.
Seafood in Seaside Festival, Sunday, September 9th from 10am – 7pm. Grant Ave, Seaside Heights. Mouth watering seafood specialties from local restaurants. They will be serving a variety of seafood, such as, sushi, clams, shrimp, calamari, crab cakes, seafood kabobs, and blackened scallops just to give you a sampling of what will be offered. The festival features all day musical entertainment from bands such as local favorite, Shorty Long. Shoppers will be able to browse artists and crafters merchandise and a flea market with over 80 vendors.
Beach Plum Festival, Sunday, September 9th from 9am-4pm at Island Beach State Park. The celebration will include beach plum picking and jelly making demonstration, arts and craft show, food and entertainment, children’s games, bird banding demonstration, environmental and non-profit exhibits, and a kayak raffle. Click for more info.
Local Food Festival, Sunday, September 9th from 11am-4pm. Dearborn Market, Holmdel. Come in to meet the people and places behind the delicious products Dearborn Market sells – pizza’s, cookies, cakes, chocolates, spices, honeys, ice-creams, tea’s, marinades, sauces, pasta’s, pickles and more – all produced in New Jersey and available to purchase. Jersey Bites will be there too. Learn more.
Walk Around Wine Tasting, Sunday, September 9th from 4pm-6pm. Middletown. Chef/Owner Nicholas Harary and his staff will be on-site to guide and educate guests about 6 wines personally selected by Nicholas. As guests mingle and tour the O.A.S.I.S historic estate, servers will pass a variety of hors d’ oeuvres made with fresh produce from Impact OASIS Farms. Guests can order wine (individual bottles and cases) and Restaurant Nicholas will donate 15% of all wine purchased back to Impact Oasis. Finally, each couple will receive a copy of the award winning cookbook, Restaurant Nicholas: The Cookbook. Please call 732.345.9977 to make a reservation.
Philadelphia National Candy Gift & Gourmet Show, Sunday – Tuesday, September 9th-11th. Atlantic City Convention Hall. America’s largest trade show dedicated to the retail confectioner, is sponsored by the Retail Confectioners Association of Philadelphia. There will be confectionery, snack, ingredients, display, packaging, and equipment companies from around the world. The who’s who of confectionary professionals in attendance. Educational seminars to expand your horizons. Click for more info. and register.
And Beyond…
An Evening in Normandy, Culinary Workshop, Tuesday, September 11th from 6pm-9pm. Culinary Workshops Offer Taste of Global Cuisine at Atlantic Cape. The home of Taillevent, chef to kings and author of France’s first cookbook, this region, located near the coast and its abundance of lush orchards and dairies, dictates the cuisine that is rich with seafood, butter, cream, fruit and meat. The menu will include Moules Normande, Veal Calvados, Pear and Camembert Salad, and Creamy Apple Tart for dessert. To register, call 609-343-4829 or visit www.atlantic.edu/conted.
Living Social’s Craft Beer & Food Truck Festival, Saturday, September 15th. Brooklyn, NY. I don’t normally post NY events but this one is big and for a great cause! Unlimited 5-ounce tastings of craft beer, top-notch food trucks, DJ dance party, art, games, and more—all at Skylight One Hanson. A portion of all proceeds will go to benefit Move For Hunger. There are two sessions: 12-4pm & 6-10pm. Click here for all the great details.
Sickles on the Road: Discover the Best of Edible Princeton, Saturday, September 15th from 9am-6pm. Spoil yourself this fall and join Sickles On The Road for a day of culinary discovery in Princeton! Hosted by Kirsty Dougherty, On The Road Tour Director and Sickles’ Chef Carol Maxwell, this is an insider’s look at the burgeoning culinary scene of Princeton and a chance to try your hand at mozzarella cheese making! More info. here.
Festival of the Sea, Saturday, September 15th from 10am-7pm. Presented by the Asbury Park Press is a street fair located in the heart of downtown Point Pleasant Beach, on Arnold & Bay Avenues, where visitors sample dishes by area’s finest restaurants (from clam chowder to lobster to steak); wine garden, arts & crafts, pony rides, antiques, health, business and non-profit booths, kiddie games and live entertainment.
Wine Tasting Fundraiser, Saturday, September 15th from 12pm-3pm. Creative Heartwork, an organization that utilizes the power of the arts to heal children who have experienced trauma, loss, serious illness, or disabilities, will hold a fundraiser at Ninety Acres Culinary Center, 2 Main St, Peapack. The event will include wines from Argentina, a lamb roast, lecture, and tasting of four wines followed by a walk-around wine tasting of more than 50 wines from Argentina. Casual attire. Tickets are $165. For tickets, contact Karen@CreativeHeartwork.org or call 973-889-0809.
Wine Tasting Fundraiser, Saturday, September 15th from 6pm-9pm. A Blueprints & Blue Jeans reception will be held at Union Vineyards, 9 Rocktown Road in Ringoes, to benefit the Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity. Along with wine and drinks, Matt’s Red Rooster Grill will be serving hors d’oeuvres and desserts. There will also be music and live and silent auctions. Tickets are $125. For more information, contact Warrie Howell at 908-704-0016, ext 14 or development@rvhabitat.org.
Fall Family Festival, Saturday, September 15th from 9am-4pm. JFK Blvd. & Promenade, Sea Isle City. Sand Sculpting: Demonstration & Contest, 9am to 12pm; Seaside Market & Food Court, 9am to 4pm; Children’s Activities and Live Music, 10am to 3pm.
Atlantic City Seafood Festival, Saturday & Sunday, September 15th & 16th. A two day extravaganza of fun, food and entertainment celebrating the treasures of the Atlantic Ocean while highlighting our sea side city. The festival will offer event goers the opportunity to treat their taste buds to a large variety of dishes prepared by area restaurants and culinary personalities. Click for more details.
WineFest 2012, Saturday & Sunday, September 15th & 16th from 12pm-5pm. Held at Valenzano Winery in Shamong, NJ. Sample award winning, local, wines from seven New Jersey wineries, while enjoying live entertainment. There will also be local restaurants providing food and cheese tastings, try grapes right from the vine, children’s activities, helicopter rides and much more.
Bellview Winery Harvest Party, Saturday & Sunday, September 15th & 16th from 11am-5pm. There will be wine tasting, live music, grape stomping, tie dying, and tasting different varieties of wine grapes. Light fare and sangrias by the carafe will be available to enjoy indoors or out. The winery green will also be host to local food and crafters. Click for more info.
Delicious Orchards Apple Fest, Saturday & Sunday, September 15th & 16th. Colts Neck, NJ. Applefest is fun for all ages! Some of the things planned are: Live Music, Antique Car Show, Free Food Samplings, Clown Entertainment, Fun Games and more.
Champion of the Grill | BBQ & Blues Festival, Sunday, September 16th from 12pm-5pm. Sussex County Fairgrounds, Augusta. Get your ears and appetites ready for bbq tastin’ and the blues. Free admission, free parking, free tasting, and free music plus a classic car show, motorcycle show, vendors and exhibitors.
South Jersey Food Swap, Friday, September 21st from 7pm-9pm. Held at Bellview Winery. Swap locally produced foods with your community. All items must be homemade, homegrown or foraged. You can bring all the same item or several difference items. Click for more details.
Great Grape Harvest Celebration, Friday, September 21st. Renault Winery. Enjoy a cooking of the goose dinner. This is a multi course tasting menu featuring various wine tastings. This event is highlighted by the rare opportunity to taste the grape, the juice and the wine. For more information and to RSVP, call 609-965-2111.
SJ Oktoberfest, Friday, September 21st from 7pm-10pm. Held at Wedgwood Country Club in Turnersville. This event will feature German craft beers and wines from the region’s top beverage distributors and festive food sampling from the area’s finest restaurants, food suppliers and chefs. Look forward to great German-inspired foods and libations, Oom-Pah music, DJ party and dance songs, contests and prizes and much more.
QUE by the SEA, Friday – Sunday, September 21st – 23rd. Grant Ave, Seaside Heights. The highlight of the event, the Barbeque State Championship will exemplify good, old-fashioned American fun. This competition will feature contestants from throughout the tri-state, who provide the best overall BBQ in four categories including chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket. Large food vendors will be selling tasty barbeque specialties along Grant Avenue, artists and crafters, as well as retail vendors will contribute to the experience of the event. All day musical entertainment includes Seaside Heights’ favorites, Little Bit of Heaven and Shorty Long to name a few. Beer will be available for purchase. Click for more details.
Greek Festival, Friday – Sunday, September 2st – 23rd. St. Barbara, Toms River. There will be authentic Greek food and Greek pastries, loukoumades, Souvlakia, and Gyros. There will also be drinks, dancing by GOYANS and youth groups, music, rides and games. Click for more info.
Summit Wine & Food Festival, Friday- Sunday, September 21st – 23rd. This event features Food Network & Bravo celebrity chefs, Sommeliers, top winemakers and wineries. Enjoy chef’s demonstrations, wine expert seminars, wine tastings, food and wine dinners, mixology cocktail, spirits and beer presentations. Click for more info.
Wildwood Crest Seafarers Celebration, Saturday, September 22nd at 10am. A vibrant street festival featuring live music, family and children’s entertainment, dozens of craft vendors, food and more. Along Sunset Lake from New Jersey to Miami Aves. during the day. Cap off the day with a live concert and fireworks display at the beachfront. Click for more information.
Oktoberfest at Crystal Springs Resort, Saturday & Sunday, September 22nd & 23rd. Vernon, NJ. This year the event with have a bigger location, more events, more bands, more food, more beer… but this is still the same Oktoberfest you’ve come to love! Click for more info.
Red Bank Guinness Oyster Festival, Sunday, September 23rd from 12pm-7pm. This is a huge food and music festival. Enjoy delicious food from Red Bank’s excellent restaurants and live music from some of the shore’s best bands. Click for more info.
The Chester Lions Oktoberfest Fundraiser, Saturday, September 29th from 12pm-8pm. Keeping with tradition, the Oktoberfest will focus on celebrating traditional music, native dress and a special Oktoberfest beer only available for a short time. There will be a nice selection of German food as well. Click here for more details.
Italian Festival, Saturday, September 29th. Enjoy the many great shops at Smithville while experiencing everything Italian.
Golden Nugget Beer Festival:
Chowderfest, Sunday, September 30th from 11am-4pm in Beach Haven, LBI. This family fun festival features live music, activities and unlimited Chowder tasting with the opportunity for each ticket holder to vote for their favorite red and white chowder. The event is nestled in Beach Haven surrounded by beautiful views of the bay and plenty of year end discounted shopping. It has become a tradition for family and friends to gather together to say good bye to summer and welcome in the fall.
A Taste of Bergen | The (201) Restaurant Week Party, Monday, October 1st from 7pm-10pm. Sample dishes from Bergen County’s top restaurants. Enjoy beer, wine and cocktails. Tickets must be purchased online in advance.
Robert Irvine Live, Friday, October 5th at 8pm. Red Bank, NJ. This show, with Chef Robert Irvine (Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible) is a high-energy, multimedia and multi-sensory theatrical experience. More than just a cooking demo, “Robert Irvine Live” is an interactive culinary show that provides multiple opportunities for audience participation while witnessing the challenging nature of the TV show come to life right before your eyes. Click for more details and tickets.
Italian Street Festival, Friday – Sunday, October 5th – 7th in Seaside Heights. The Italian festival features performers straight from Italy. Savor a weekend of delectable Italian specialties, arts and crafts, entertainment, and a parade that is bound to delight young and old alike. The festival begins Friday at 4:00 p.m. and continues through Sunday. The Columbus Day Parade starts at 1:00 pm Sunday on the Boulevard.
RHO Oktoberfest, Saturday, October 6th at 3pm. This is a cultural event that will be held at Rho Waterfront in Trenton celebrating the German culture with authentic German food, German beers, live entertainment, and more! Click here for more info and tickets.
Medford Oktoberfest, Saturday, October 6th from 3pm-7pm. Held at Ironstone Village. Enjoy a beer garden, food, live music, entertainment, local vendors and more.
Historic Smithville Oktoberfest, Saturday & Sunday, October 6th & 7th. There will be over 100 Juried Crafters, an International Food Court, Music, Kids Activities, non- Profit organizations and more… All of this is on top of the over 60 shops, Carousel ride, Train ride, Paddleboats, 7 eateries, and antique arcades that are already located at the Village year round.
Grape Stomping Wurst Festival, Sunday, October 7th from 12pm-5pm. Renault Winery, Egg Harbor City. This is the last chance to stomp grapes for the season. Renault chefs will also prepare German food. Fun for the whole family. Click for more info.
Jersey Shore Wine Weekend, Friday – Sunday, October 12th – 14th. Asbury Park, NJ. From the creators of Jersey Shore Restaurant Week comes four great events to enjoy wine and food. Learn more about the event details here.
Our Lady of the Lake Oktoberfest, Saturday, October 13th from 6pm-11pm. Verona, NJ. The Oktoberfest festivities begin with a ceremonial beer tapping, followed by German music, great food and other live entertainment. There are also raffle baskets, 50/50 tickets and the Kinderfest. For tickets and more info, click here.
Porktoberfest, Saturday & Sunday, October 13th & 14th. Philadelphia, PA. Pig out on a plethora of porcine pleasures—and toss back some tasty German beer while you’re at it—with this seasonal Adventure: entry to Porktoberfest: an Oktoberfest-themed afternoon filled with all-you-can-eat pork barbecue, live music courtesy of CTO Entertainment, games, and more.
Brielle Oktoberfest, Wednesday, October 17th from 6pm-9pm. Held at the Brielle Fire House, there will be samplings from local restaurants, seasonal beer, door prizes, music, oh and BYOB too! Click for more info.
