Halloween 2026: Bergen County Trunk-or-Treats & Ragamuffin Parades — This Weekend's Family Guide

Halloween 2026: Bergen County Trunk-or-Treats & Ragamuffin Parades — This Weekend's Family Guide

Halloween week is here, and Bergen County is throwing a full weekend of it. Saturday, October 24 is the busiest day on the local calendar, with trunk-or-treats and old-fashioned ragamuffin parades stacked from morning to evening — and the fun keeps rolling into Sunday, October 25 and Halloween night itself, Saturday, October 31. If your toddler is still a little young for haunted houses, this is the sweet spot: daytime candy, costumes, and parades, all close to home.

Photo: U.S. Army photo via Wikimedia Commons (public domain) — kids in costumes at a trunk-or-treat event. The photo shows a typical trunk-or-treat, not one of the Bergen County events listed below.

🎃 Saturday, October 24 — The Big Day

10 AM — Waldwick Ragamuffin Parade and Trunk or Treat, Waldwick. Start the day with the classic: kids march in costume, then collect candy from decorated trunks. Ragamuffin parades are a beloved Bergen County tradition, and Waldwick's morning slot makes it perfect for early risers.

11 AM to 2 PM — Halloween in the Park (Haunted Harvest), Ridgewood. A daytime park party with Halloween activities for families — an easy midday stop if you want games and fresh air with your candy.

2 to 4 PM — Cornerstone Christian Church Family Trunk or Treat, Wyckoff. A family-focused afternoon event with decorated trunks and treats.

2 PM — Bergen New Bridge Medical Center Trunk or Treat, 230 East Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus. Free, no tickets required, in the rear parking lot (weather permitting). Along with decorated trunks and candy, families can check out emergency vehicles and construction equipment provided by Paramus and Bergen County — a big hit with truck-obsessed toddlers.

3 PM — Park Ridge Ragamuffin Parade, Depot Square to Memorial Field, Park Ridge. The parade starts at Depot Square and proceeds to Memorial Field. Rain date is October 25, so check the forecast before you go.

5:30 to 7:30 PM — School No. 2 Trunk or Treat, Fort Lee. A quiet open at 5 PM gives sensory-sensitive kids a calmer start before the main event. This is the closest one to home for Tenafly, Fort Lee, and Palisades Park families.

🎃 Sunday, October 25 — Keep the Weekend Going

11 AM to 5 PM — Paramus Halloween Truck or Treat Festival, Paramus. A full-day festival version of trunk-or-treat — plan for a longer visit and lunch nearby.

11 AM to 4 PM — Closter PTO Halloween Fair, Closter. A hometown fair right in Bergen County's backyard, and an easy add-on if you live in the Tenafly–Closter area.

🎃 Through October 31 and Halloween Night

Through October 31 — Demarest Farms Halloween Light Show, Hillsdale, 6:30 to 8 PM. If you already love Demarest Farms from apple-picking season, their evening light show runs on select nights through Halloween — a gentle, glowing way to end the day.

Saturday, October 31, 11 AM to 2 PM — Little Nightmares Trunk or Treat, Waldwick. One last daytime candy run on Halloween itself, timed perfectly for little ones who will be home well before dark.

🚗 Getting Around

Most of these events are within 15–25 minutes of Tenafly, Fort Lee, and Palisades Park. The smart play: pick one morning event and one afternoon event on Saturday, then one Sunday event — trying to hit all nine will melt down even the most enthusiastic toddler (and parent). Fort Lee families can walk to the School No. 2 event; Paramus events pair well with a mall-area dinner stop.

👶 What Kids Can Do

• March in a ragamuffin parade in full costume — the parades are made for little marchers
• Collect candy trunk-to-trunk without walking door to door
• Climb into and explore real emergency vehicles and construction equipment in Paramus
• Play Halloween games and activities at the Ridgewood park party
• Show off their costume at a daytime event, with no scary haunted-house moments
• Enjoy a glowing evening light show at Demarest Farms as a calm Halloween-night alternative

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What Adults Can Do

• Knock out Halloween in one well-planned weekend instead of a week of evening events
• Use the Fort Lee quiet open (5 PM) if your child prefers a calmer crowd
• Pair the Paramus festival with errands or dinner in the Paramus area
• Let grandparents join the ragamuffin parades — they are short, flat, and stroller-friendly
• Save the evening light show for a date-night-style walk after bedtime routines

🧭 Things to Do Nearby

• 🍂 Seasonal highlight: October 24 is peak Halloween weekend in Bergen County — costumes are expected everywhere, so wear yours to brunch too
• 🎃 Seasonal food to try: cider donuts and hot chocolate from a local farm stand on the way home — Demarest Farms is right there for the light show nights
• Double-check times before you go: community events can shift with weather, and the Park Ridge parade moves to October 25 if it rains

Event details are compiled from Bergen County Lifestyle's 2026 Bergen County Halloween events roundup and North Jersey's 2026 Halloween listings. Times are as published for 2026; please confirm with the organizer before heading out, especially for weather-dependent outdoor events.