THINGS TO DO

15 great food and wine festivals in New Jersey

Asbury Park Press

Ah, the flavors of fall.

Apples. Pumpkin spice. Oktoberfest beers. New Jersey wines. Lima beans.

Lima beans?

Yes, even the humble lima bean gets its own celebration in autumn, with a festival in West Cape May.

Autumn is an ideal time to traverse the Garden State, as food and wine festivals crop up all over, celebrating the harvest and the fine weather. (There's also still time for apple-picking — watch the above video).

Here are 14 food and wine festivals to check out:

1. Family Fall Fun Weekends

Weekends through Oct. 29, Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Lawrenceville. 609-924-2310 or terhuneorchards.com.

Everything you love about fall will be at this festival: Wine-tastings in the vineyard and tasting room, homemade food in the farm store, pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, a corn maze, pony rides, pumpkin-painting, wagon rides.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the festival area is $8 for ages 3 and up. No admission fee to farm store, winery or pick-your-own apples.

In addition to growing apples, Terhune Orchards, located about 4 miles from downtown Princeton, produces 12 varieties of wine on nine acres.

2. Highlands Oktoberfest

Oct. 7, Veterans Park, Bay and Shrewsbury Avenue, Highlands. 732-291-4713 or highlandsnj.com

Authentic German food, children's activities, live music, dancing. Sponsored by the Historical Society of Highlands. 2 to 9 p.m. Rain date Oct. 8.

Some of the wines produced by Terhune Orchards in Lawrenceville.

3. New Brunswick Oktoberfest

Oct. 7, George Street, New Brunswick. Find the event on Facebook for more info.

Local fare and a beer garden, children's activities, live music. Hosted by Bob Makin of the "Makin' Waves" column in The Home News Tribune, and by New Brunswick City Market. Noon to 5 p.m. Free admission.

Wineries throughout New Jersey celebrate the harvest with wine festivals.

4. West Cape May Lima Bean Festival

Oct. 7, Wilbraham Park, Myrtle Avenue and West Perry Street, West Cape May. 609-884-1005 or westcapemaytoday.com.

Let's hear it for lima beans! See them in their pods. Recipes, crafts and lima bean products. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rain date Oct. 9. Free admission.

An engraved wine glass makes a nice souvenir from a festival.

5. Harvest, Honey & Garlic Festival

Oct. 7, Plains Road, Augusta. 973-579-0500 or sussexfarmvisits.com

Will you attract more flies with honey? Or repel vampires with garlic? You can pose these questions to reps from the Sussex County Beekeepers Association and the Garden State Garlic Growers. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission.

6. Sky Acres Winery Open House

Oct. 7, Sky Acres Winery, 1680 Black River Road, Far Hills. skyacreswinery.com.

Wine-tastings, tours, demonstrations. 3:30 to 7 p.m. $10 admission includes a souvenir wine glass.

Organic Norton grapes used to make wine at Laurita Winery.

7. Grand Harvest Wine Festival

Oct. 7 and 8, Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, 73 Kahdena Road, Morris Township. newjerseywines.com.

Get a real taste of New Jersey terroir at this wine festival, hosted by the Garden State Wine Growers Association. Participating wineries are Auburn Road Vineyards, Cava Winery, Chestnut Run Farm, Coda Rossa Winery, DiMatteo Vineyards, Four Sisters Winery, Plagido’s Winery, Sharrott Winery, Southwind Vineyard & Winery, Tomasello Winery, Valenzano Winery, Villari Vineyards, Wagonhouse Winery.

Gourmet food trucks, crafters, children's activities.

Noon to 5 p.m. Tickets in advance are $20, or $25 at the gate, cash only. Admission includes a souvenir wine glass. Admission for nonsamplers is $5, free for those under 21.

8. New Jersey Veg Fest

Oct. 7 and 8, Meadowlands Expo Center, 355 Plaza Dr., Secaucus. njfest.com.

Lots of good, local vegan food. Presentations, lectures. General admission is $30 for one day or $50 for both. Free for kids 12 and under.

9. Belmar Octoberfest

Oct. 8, Main Street, between Eighth and Tenth avenues, Belmar. 732-681-3700, ext. 214, or visitbelmarnj.com.

German food, oompah bands, stein hoisting, beer garden, pumpkin-decorating, games, crafters, children's activities. 11:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Free admission and parking.

10. Manasquan Wine And Beer Festival

Oct. 8, Squan Plaza, Manasquan. 732-682-3230 or email info@manasquanchamber.org.

Unlimited tastings of wine and local craft beer. Food vendors, music. Sponsored by the Women's Club of Manasquan. Noon to 4 p.m. Rain date Oct. 15. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 day of event.

11. Medford Apple Festival

Oct. 14, 275 Church Road, Medford. medfordhistory.org/events/applefestival

Apple cider, apple butter, cider doughnuts and beyond! All in a cute setting, with the barn-red backdrop of Kirby's Mill. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain or shine. Free admission. Proceeds from the festival benefit the Medford Historical Society and the restoration of Kirby's Mill.

12. Stafford Fall Wine Festival

Oct. 14 and 15, Manahawkin Lake Park, 31 Route 9 (Main Street), Stafford Township. 732-991-1672 or on Facebook.

Food, crafters, live bands and nearly 100 New Jersey wines. Admission is $15 at the gate. Free admission for non-drinkers and those under 21.

13. Taste Of Spring Lake Kitchen Tour

Oct. 21, downtown Spring Lake. springlakekitchentour.com.

Admire the kitchens of Spring Lake's gracious homes, and enjoy food tastings from local chefs in each kitchen. Self-guided tour begins at Spring Lake Train Station, corner of Warren and Fifth avenues. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rain or shine. Tickets are $65 and must be purchased in advance. Check website for updates.

14. Laurita Oktoberfest

Oct. 21 and 22, Laurita Winery, 85 Archertown Road, New Egypt. 609-752-0200 or lauritawinery.com.

Food trucks, fire pits, winery tours, children's activities, country line dancing, fireworks on Oct. 21. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 21 and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 22. Admission is $8 for those 21 and up, which includes a wine glass, and free for those under 21.

15. Harvest Food Truck & Wine Festival

Oct. 21 and 22, Alba Vineyard, 269 Route 627, Phillipsburg. 908-995-7800 or albavineyard.com.

Food trucks, Alba's estate wines, and live music by The VooDUDES. Noon to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 for adults 21 and up, $5 for ages 13 to 20, and free for children 12 and under. Wine tastings are an additional $10 per person, which includes eight samplings of Alba wines in a souvenir glass.

More Things To Do:

Family Fun:Pumpkin picking in New Jersey: 29 places to go

Get Outside:Time for leaf peeping: Top places for fall foliage

For Animal Lovers:Cat cafe in Asbury Park? Catsbury Park finally opens

Day Trip:How do they make that? Take a factory tour to find out

On Stage:Disney and Peppa the Pig pack a kid-friendly theater season