Duckhorn Vineyards Wine Dinner at Ventanas (Fort Lee)
Tuesday, September 21
Chef David Burke celebrates the fall wine harvest in a dinner with Duckhorn Vineyards. From 6–9 pm, guests will enjoy five courses with wine. The menu is curated by Burke, and includes oysters, hamachi crudo (jalapeño, cilantro, radish), gochujang-kumbo braised duck, strip loin and goat cheese with house made cheddar crackers. Each course will be matched with a Duckhorn wine, led by expert Dani O’Brien. Tickets are $130 per person.
Ventanas, 200 Park Ave., Fort Lee; 201-583-4777
Asbury Fest (Asbury Park)
September 24–26
Asbury Fest, formerly known as the Asbury Park Oysterfest, is back. The dog-friendly event begins Friday at 5 pm and continues through Sunday. There will be live entertainment, beverages (including craft beers and wine), and food vendors, including Cousins Maine Lobster, Ice Cream Creations, Turtle Corn, Chava’s Empanadas. Friday admission is free; Saturday and Sunday is $3 per person.
Asbury Fest, 1300 Ocean Ave. (in the park across from Convention Hall), Asbury Park
Third Annual Oktoberfest at Montclair Brewery
September 25
From 12:30–10:30 pm, Montclair Brewery celebrates their annual Oktoberfest. The event will take place in the brewery’s outdoor beer garden and will be headlined by local blues band Lil’ Bastad. The day will include contests, food and, of course, craft beer. Montclair Brewery will present new brews, including Claremont Pilsner, Blue Stripe (Oktoberfest-style amber), Fumé (a German smoked beer), Hakuna Maratha Ale (brewed with an African indigenous fruit) and a new hard seltzer cocktail. Tickets can be purchased online for $30 per person, with a limited number available at the door.
Montclair Brewery, 101 Walnut St., Montclair; 973-850-0541
Craft Beer Open (Livingston)
September 27
The Arc of Essex County hosts its first Craft Beer Open, a merge of swings and swigs. The event takes place at Crestmont Country Club in West Orange and includes 18 holes of golf, on-course tastings of craft beer and hard seltzer, a barbecue lunch, cigar rolling and a post-event award ceremony. The event will raise funds for individuals with autism, Down syndrome and related disabilities. $450 per golfer or $1,700 per foursome. Reception tickets are $125 per person. Contact Heather Comstock for more information at 973-535-1181.
Craft Beer Open, 750 Eagle Rock Ave., West Orange