Enjoy September in New Jersey with this delicious assortment of dining and drinking events.
[RELATED: The Best Things to Do in NJ]
NORTH JERSEY
Marcus Samuelsson and Priya Krishna Collab Demo
📅: Thursday, September 5 (5 pm)
📍: American Dream • East Rutherford
ℹ️: Join celebrity chefs Marcus Samuelsson and Priya Krishna at the Dream Stage for a live cooking demo. The chefs will prepare elote (Mexican street corn). Signed copies of Krishna’s recent kid-friendly cookbook, Priya’s Kitchen Adventures, will also be for sale.
💸: Free
Macedonian Food Festival
📅: Friday, September 6-Sunday, September 8 (5-8 pm, noon-10 pm, noon-8 pm)
📍: St. Nikola Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric • Totowa
ℹ️: Indulge in Macedonian culture and cuisine at this family-friendly food festival. Every day there will be homemade foods and desserts, coffee, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, games, live entertainment and more.
💸: Free admission
NJ Taco Festival
📅: Saturday, September 7 (10 am-8 pm)
📍: Sussex County Fairgrounds • Augusta
ℹ️: Enjoy tacos from 40-plus taco trucks, plus plenty of beer and margaritas, live music, lucha libre wrestling, a chihuahua pageant, taco eating contests and more.
💸: $15-$50; kids 10 and under free
Caribbean Food Fest
📅: Saturday, September 7 (noon-7 pm)
📍: Veteran’s Memorial Park • Parsippany
ℹ️: Celebrate Caribbean culture with authentic cuisine from various food vendors; beer, wine and hard seltzers; live reggae performances; henna tattoos; kids activities and more.
💸: $6 admission; kids 5 and under free
Pet Palooza & Food Truck Festival
📅: Saturday, September 21 (noon-6 pm)
📍: 21 Whippany Road • Whippany
ℹ️: Help the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter find forever homes for its dogs at this event, which will feature more than 12 food trucks, live music, family-friendly activities and a pet fashion show. Pets welcome!
💸:$6 admission; children under 5 free
Jersey City Night Market
📅: Saturday, September 21 (2-8 pm)
📍: Journal Square – Magnolia Landing • Jersey City
ℹ️: At this monthly night market, indulge in various food and treats from vendors and trucks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, craft vendors, live music and more.
💸: Free admission
Rhone Wine Dinner
📅: Thursday, September 26 (7 pm)
📍: Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas • Clifton
ℹ️: A five course meal prepared by Spuntino’s executive chef and paired with wines selected by a Rhone wine representative.
💸: $120 per person
Cheers in Chester
📅: Saturday, September 28 (3-7 pm)
📍: Municipal Field • Chester
ℹ️: At this beer and wine festival, which is a benefit for the Chester First Aid Squad, sample local food, beer and wine. 21+ event.
💸: $60-$75
Oktoberfest Bar Crawl
📅: Saturday, September 28 (4-11 pm)
📍: Multiple Bars • Jersey City
ℹ️: Dress is Oktoberfest attire and embark on a bar crawl across Jersey City. Participating bars will be offering special beer and drink specials, upbeat music, photo-ops and more.
💸: $17-$20
CENTRAL JERSEY
Swirl: An Evening of Art and Wine
📅: Friday, September 6 (5-6:45 pm)
📍: Grounds for Sculpture • Hamilton
ℹ️: Embark on a special tour of Grounds for Sculpture while paying special attention to five sculptures that will each be paired with wine and hors d’oeuvres, specially prepared by the chef and sommelier from Rat’s, the grounds’ onsite restaurant.
💸: $160-$175
San Gennaro Festival
📅: Saturday, September 7 (noon-5 pm)
📍: Pyanoe Plaza • Belmar
ℹ️: A celebration of Italian culture and cuisine. Activities includes a special mass service at St. Rose Catholic Church, a book signing by Produce Pete, a cannoli eating contest, food trucks, craft vendors and more.
💸: Free admission
Fall Brew by the Bay
📅: Saturday, September 7 (noon-5 pm)
📍: The Seafarer • Highlands
ℹ️: A ticket to this beer festival includes seven 4-ounce tastings and a pint of craft beer from multiple local breweries, plus access to purchase more craft beers and food. There will also be fire pits and live music, all to be enjoyed along the bay.
💸: $40
Cinnaholic Anniversary Celebration
📅: Monday, September 9 (10 am-8 pm)
📍: Cinnaholic • East Windsor
ℹ️: Celebrate this Cinnaholic’s first anniversary with a day of specials. One of Cinnaholic’s most popular cinnamon rolls, the Old Skool, will be available for $3 each. All of Cinnaholic’s rolls are 100% vegan and cholesterol-free.
💸: Prices vary
Festival Cultural Latino
📅: Sunday, September 15 (1-5 pm)
📍: Hinds Plaza and Palmer Square • Princeton
ℹ️: The town of Princeton will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an afternoon of traditional cuisine, live music, dance performances, artisan vendors, family-friendly activities and more.
💸: Free admission
Red Bank Oktoberfest
📅: Saturday, September 21 (1-5 pm)
📍: Edmund Wilson Plaza • Red Bank
ℹ️: At this Oktoberfest celebration, guests can enjoy food, beer, spirits, crafts and music. While open to guests of all ages, those 21+ can get beer sampling packages and sip on craft beers from local breweries.
💸: $25-$55
Central Jersey Beer Fest
📅: Saturday, September 28 (noon-6 pm)
📍: Byrne Plaza • West Windsor Township
ℹ️: At this festival, taste samples of beer, wine, seltzers and spirits from local vendors. Food trucks, live music and more will be at the 21+ festival. Rain or shine event.
💸: $10-$60
SOUTH JERSEY
Wildwoods Food & Music Festival
📅: Saturday, September 7 (1-7 pm)
📍: Byrne Plaza • Downtown Wildwood
ℹ️: A festival at the Shore featuring 50+ food vendors, a beer garden, craft vendors, live music, family friendly activities and more.
💸: Free admission
Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival
📅: Saturday, September 7 (1-7 pm)
📍: Burlington County Fairgrounds • Columbus
ℹ️: A festival featuring 15+ food trucks, local breweries, live music, family friendly activities and more.
💸: $12-$15 admission; kids 12 and under free
Vineland Food Truck Festival
📅: Sunday, September 8 (noon-8 pm)
📍: Landis Avenue • Vineland
ℹ️: Food trucks and craft vendors will line the street of Landis Avenue between East Avenue and 7th Street.
💸: Free admission
Atlantic City Latino Festival
📅: Sunday, September 8 (noon-9 pm)
📍: Showboat Event Lot • Atlantic City
ℹ️: Celebrate Latino culture with authentic cuisine from various food vendors, traditional dance performances, live music and more.
💸: Free admission
Harvest Brew Fest
📅: Saturday, September 14 (10 am-5 pm)
📍: The Physick Estate • Cape May
ℹ️: Sip craft beers from South Jersey breweries in the nation’s oldest beach town. There will also be plenty of food vendors, craft vendors and live music.
💸: Free admission
Downbeach Seafood Festival
📅: Saturday, September 14-Sunday, September 15 (11 am-7 pm, 11 am-6 pm)
📍: Ski Beach • Ventnor
ℹ️: This annual festival brings Atlantic County’s best seafood dishes and bites to one spot. Spend the weekend at the Shore sampling a variety of seafood, sipping local beers and beverages, watching a chowder cook off, shopping from local vendors, and much more.
💸: $10-$15 admission; kids 12 and under free
Fall Harvest Beer Dinner
📅: Thursday, September 19 & Thursday, September 26 (6 pm & 6:30 pm)
📍: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant • Voorhees & Maple Shade locations
ℹ️: Taste the flavors of fall at these special harvest-themed dinners. This five-course meal includes a brussles and beets salad, charred cauliflower, pumpkin gnocchi, seared duck breast and warm apple coffee cake, and each course is paired with a beer.
💸: $75 per person
Comfort Food Festival
📅: Saturday, September 21 (noon-6 pm)
📍: Washington Street • Toms River
ℹ️: Comfort food from local restaurants and vendors will be at this festival, as well as a beer and wine garden, craft vendors, live music and more.
💸: Free admission
WineFestNJ
📅: Saturday, September 21-Sunday, September 22 (11 am-5 pm)
📍: Valenzano Winery Festival Grounds • Shamong
ℹ️: Wine down at this huge wine festival. Featuring 200+ wines from 14 New Jersey wineries, attendees will have access to wine samplings and a souvenir wine glass with their tickets. Plus, enjoy dozens of food trucks, craft vendors, live music and more.
💸: $45; $15 for anyone under 21
No one knows New Jersey like we do. Sign up for one of our free newsletters here. Want a print magazine mailed to you? Purchase an issue from our online store.