Mercer County Italian American Festival

By Laurie Pellichero 

The leaves will soon be falling, the air is crisp…it’s time for fall festivals!

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events:

September 22-24

Mercer County Italian American Festival

Mercer County Park, West Windsor: Friday 3-11pm; Saturday Noon-11pm, Sunday Noon-9:30pm

italianamericanfestival.com

Named one of New Jersey’s Best Festivals by CBS News New York and now in its 18th year, this three-day festival features two stages of live entertainment plus lots of Italian American traditions and fun. Activities include a food piazza, Italian market tents, crafts, bocce, cultural theater, Italian Heritage Pavilion, puppet theater, dining and dance tents, amusement rides, Sunday Mass, and Saturday night fireworks.

Hopewell Harvest Fair

September 23

Hopewell Harvest Fair

Hopewell Elementary School, 35 Princeton Avenue, Hopewell

This annual festival brings together residents, businesses, and community organizations for a day of old-fashioned fun and entertainment. Features include hay rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, children’s games, food vendors, and a corn maze. There will also be plenty of contests like a bake-off, kids art, and photography. Funds raised from the fair are donated to local groups who provide important services to the community.

Apple Days Fall Harvest Festival at Terhune Orchards

September 23-24 (Recurring)

Apple Days Fall Harvest Festival

Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton; 10am-5pm

terhuneorchards.com

Celebrate fall with pick-your-own apples and pumpkins. Enjoy pony rides, wagon rides, a corn stalk maze, hay bale maze and a barnyard of farm animals. Children can enjoy face painting and pumpkin painting. There will also be lots of food and treats, apple cider, live music, a farm store and winery, and more. Every Saturday and Sunday until October 29.

September 23 & 24

Heritage Wine Festival

480 Mullica Hill Road, Mullica Hill; 1-5pm

heritagewinenj.com

Enjoy wine tastings from top-rated New Jersey wineries including Hopewell Valley Vineyards and Unionville Vineyards,  gourmet food truck fare for purchase, premium craft vending, all-day live music, and more. Rain or shine.

September 24

Oktoberfest

215 Uncle Pete’s Road, Trenton; Noon-7pm

gasociety.org

Hosted by the  German-American Society of Trenton & 94.5 PST, the 8th Annual Oktoberfest is billed as Mercer County’s largest German event. This traditional beer festival features German beer, food, and music as well as a pig roast, vendors, family fun, kid activities, crafts, games, and more. There will be music and entertainment by the Austrian Boys with traditional Schuhplattler dancing by the G.T.V. Almrausch. German attire is recommended. A portion of the proceeds will help benefit local charity The Jeremy Fund.

October 7 & 8

Bordentown Cranberry Festival

Farnsworth Avenue from Burlington Street to Park Street,
Bordentown City; 11am – 5pm

btowncranfest.com

Sponsored by the Downtown Bordentown Association and now in its 28th year, this two-day Cranberry Festival is one of the largest juried craft shows in New Jersey, featuring more than 150 artists, crafters, and vendors offering handmade, vintage, antique, and up-cycled items. There will also be live music throughout both days, an expanded kids’ zone, and delicious eats from both Bordentown City’s award-winning restaurants and select food trucks. New for 2017 is a craft beer garden, offering a curated selection of seasonally-appropriate
craft brews.

Collingswood Book Festival, featuring Liz Moore

October 7

Collingswood Book Festival

Haddon Avenue, Downtown Collingswood; 10am – 4pm

collingswoodbookfestival.com

Book lovers of all ages can stroll more than six blocks filled with authors/speakers for adults and children, as well as booksellers, storytellers, poetry readings, workshops, panel discussions, exhibitors, kid-friendly activities, and entertainment. Now in its 15th year, this award-winning festival is the longest-running, largest literary event in the Delaware Valley.

October 21 & 22

Chatsworth Cranberry Festival

Downtown Chatsworth; 9am – 4pm

cranfest.org

The Chatsworth Cranberry Festival is a celebration of New Jersey’s cranberry harvest, the third largest in the United States, and offers a tribute to the Pine Barrens and local culture.

There is a diverse showing of many artists and craftsmen, some of which will also be demonstrating their crafts as well as displaying them for sale. There will also be lots of food vendors and cranberry treats galore.