New Jersey in the fall is pure magic. From late September through November, the state transforms into a sea of color, where every hill and valley bursts with shades of red, gold, and amber. The air turns crisp and clean, carrying the scent of burning wood and spiced cider. Country roads wind past farms filled with pumpkins, apples, and corn stalks, and the hills of the Watchungs and the Highlands glow under a canopy of changing leaves. Small towns hold harvest fairs, antique markets, and craft shows that feel straight out of an old postcard.
As October gives way to November, the season deepens. Halloween fades into the warmth of Thanksgiving, but the sense of wonder remains. Historic villages light up with fall festivals and ghost tours, cider presses churn fresh apple blends, and local breweries host their own Oktoberfest celebrations. The chill in the air adds a touch of mystery to moonlit nights and old churchyards, while mornings bring quiet beauty to misty lakes and open fields. Whether exploring a Revolutionary War site under golden trees or gathering with neighbors for a hometown football game, autumn in New Jersey captures a perfect blend of history, color, and community that lasts right up until the first winter frost.
Fall Brings out the BEST of New Jersey – The Beauty, The Scary, The Oktoberfests & History
Day Trips – Four Historic New Jersey Fall Locations You Must See
Views: 7,873 The 2025 Fall Foliage Map is the ultimate visual planning guide to the annual progression of leaf change. While no tool can be 100% accurate, this tool is designed to help travelers better time their trips to maximize their chances…
Legendary Horror Tales and Ghost Stories from Central New Jersey
Views: 16,743 Urban Legends, Ghosts, Murder, Nuns gone insane, the Devil and other horror stories we’ve dug up from Central New Jersey’s past. May be urban legends, but they’re OUR stories! When the leaves start turning and the nights get…
Fall Beauty in our Community – Photos Over the Years
Views: 1,352 🍁 Fall’s Golden Tapestry, A Journey Through Time and Color Every autumn, the hills, rivers, and small towns of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania come alive in a blaze of color. Crimson maples, amber oaks, and golden…
Mr. Local History’s Haunted History Walking Tour of Basking Ridge Fundraiser
Views: 4,534 How about a fun day out in the fall fresh air, strolling the streets of a Jersey haunted village? The Mr. Local History Project has created a new chapter of the Haunted History Walking Tour of Historic Basking…
Far Hills Race Meeting Collectible & Century Old History of this Fall Jersey Classic
Views: 7,746 Celebrating over 100 years of New Jersey’s fall classic, the Far Hills Race Meeting, with this beautiful wooden painted collectible as part of the New Jersey Historic Village Cat’s Meow wooden keepsake collection. Beautifully handcrafted wood, hand-painted edges,…
Oktoberfest Year Round – Distilling and Brewing in Somerset County- Ah the History
Views: 10,842 Fall Brewing – Oktoberfest – Perfect Together! Craft brewing and distilling is alive and well in Somerset County. With a rich history dating back to before the Revolutionary War, spirits and brewing in Jersey are a long-savored tradition.…
Ghost Tales, Urban Legends and Cemeteries From Central New Jersey
Views: 557 Urban Legends, Ghosts, Murder, Nuns gone insane, the Devil, and other horror stories we’ve dug up from Central New Jersey’s past. Maybe urban legends, but they’re OUR stories! When the leaves start turning and the nights get cooler,…
Historic Tavern Pub Tours of New Jersey / PA / New York City
Views: 39,343 Self-guided tours of some of the most historic pubs and taverns in the tri-state area. Who doesn’t like going on an adventure? The Mr. Local History Project has been building a list of historic pubs and taverns in…
Bring Back the Thanksgiving Ridge vs. Bernards Turkey Bowl
Views: 2,676 The Ridge–Bernards Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl Rivalry. We could hold our tongue no more. It needs to come back, so we had to tell the history and why we’d love to get it back. From 1963 through 1977,…
Bring Back the Thanksgiving Football Classic – Westfield vs. Plainfield
Views: 2,064 🏈 The Westfield – Plainfield Thanksgiving Day Football Game. Few local rivalries in New Jersey carry the history and heart of Westfield versus Plainfield. Their first meeting dates back to the turn of the 20th century, with the…
The Blessing of the Hounds – A Countryside Tradition
Views: 6,635 An annual tradition for the Essex Fox Hounds of Peapack, New Jersey Blessing of the Hounds Back in 2007, before there was a Mr. Local History, there was just a local looking for fun historic events to go…
Thanksgiving Meet – Horses, Hounds and Foxes Before Turkey – A Countryside Tradition
Views: 10,299 President George Washington proclaimed Nov. 26, 1789, the last Thursday of November that year, to be a “day of public thanksgiving.” What is known as the “Gentry”, in New Jersey they held fox hunts on Thanksgiving Day. Fox…
The Tale of Jersey’s Devil Tree
Views: 37,760 The Devil Tree of Liberty Corner (Somerset County) Urban Legend 1 Devil Tree – The Tree and the Caretaker Me and my friends were all contemplating going up to the devil tree. I had been up there one…
Fall Day Trip – Historic Mohonk Mountain “House”, New Paltz, New York
Views: 29,481 Nestled in the Catskill Mountains in the southern portion of New York State lies the historic Mohonk Mountain House, also known to locals as the Mohonk Mountain Resort. The Resort is anything but a house, and you can…
Jackie Mars – Jersey’s Halloween Candy Icon
Views: 8,574 Jacqueline “Jackie” Mars is an American heiress, investor, and philanthropist who resided in Bedminster, New Jersey. Known at one time as the richest woman on the planet, Halloween just wouldn’t be the same without the Mars family and…
High Point State Park was Donated by Bernardsville Family
High Point State Park in Sussex, New Jersey, home to the state’s highest elevation and a monument for veterans, owes its existence to Bernardsville families the Kusars and the Drydens. Businessman and philanthropist Anthony Kusar and his wife Susie donated…
Warren’s Schwaebische Alb Was a Jersey Octoberfest Institution
Views: 10,812 HELP THIS STORY: We are still looking for photos of the beer garden or any photos taken after 1970. We are also still researching the sale date to Warren Township and the final teardown date. Contact us if you…
Jackie Kennedy Onassis’ Time in Bernardsville & Peapack, New Jersey
Views: 43,761 A Small Part of Camelot in the Somerset Hills in Northern Somerset County, New Jersey, and why the Fall and Thanksgiving were When We Saw Her Most. While the Somerset Hills is home to many power brokers and…
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