Tenafly's October Weekends Move Up the Hill, and the Two Biggest Dates Close the Lot at the Top

Where does a Tenafly weekend go once Fall Fest is over? This year the answer is up Hudson Avenue. Most of the remaining October calendar runs through the Tenafly Nature Center at 313 Hudson Avenue. For its two largest events, the preserve's own parking lot is closed.

That second fact changes how you plan the month. Getting into the Haunted Forest or Campfire & Cocktails starts with a reservation and a plan for getting there. The first stop may be the Borough Hall lot on Riveredge Road or a valet stand at the end of Hudson Avenue.

Fall Fest Was Downtown's Big Afternoon

The Tenafly Chamber of Commerce's Fall Fest took over Huyler Park, near Piermont Avenue and West Railroad Avenue, on Sunday, October 4, from noon to 5 p.m. It was free and had live music, a beer garden, an artisan market, food trucks, rides and family activities.

It was also the last large, free, walk-up downtown event confirmed for this October. We looked for a borough Halloween parade or a Washington Street trick-or-treat date and couldn't confirm either one. After Fall Fest, the confirmed calendar moves to the Nature Center, and almost all of it requires booking ahead.

The Rest of October, on One Calendar

The Nature Center's seasonal programs calendar for October 2026 has something on every remaining weekend. The table below lists its public dates from now through the end of the month, plus the Campfire & Cocktails fundraiser, which has its own event page:

The calendar also shows a 3 p.m. Apple Cider Making session on Saturday, October 10, marked cancelled, so that day has two sessions.

Apple Cider Making runs on four separate weekend days, more than any other event this month. The Apple Cider Making page says it's open to all ages. Children must come with an adult, and space is limited, so you need to register in advance. In bad weather, sessions move under cover. Members can use a seasonal promo code for a discount. The page text we reviewed doesn't list the price.

Both Big Dates Close the Nature Center Lot

The month's two largest events handle arrival differently, and in both cases the usual lot is closed.

Campfire & Cocktails, Saturday, October 17, 6 to 9 p.m. This is the Nature Center's fall fundraiser. It was originally set for Saturday, September 26, and was moved because of weather. The event page lists cocktails, seasonal bites, a campfire and s'mores bar, live music and nocturnal animal ambassadors. The event is 21 and over. Limited childcare is available as an add-on for ages 5 to 16, and kids ages 13 to 16 take part as junior counselors in training. The regular lot will be closed, and free valet is available at the 313 Hudson Avenue cul-de-sac. The page says more details are coming, and the text we reviewed doesn't list an adult ticket price.

Haunted Forest, Sunday, October 25. According to the Haunted Forest page, this is a family wildlife tour for all ages, and it's billed as not scary. You check in 10 minutes before your time slot, then stay for games, a themed craft and the campfire. You must register in advance, children need an adult with them, and strollers aren't allowed. The Nature Center's lot is closed again. There are two ways in:

1. Park at the Borough Hall and Public Library lot at 100 Riveredge Road. A free shuttle runs from there between 12:45 and 6:30 p.m.
2. Find one of the limited spaces on Hudson Avenue, then walk up a steep hill to the entrance.

The shuttle window starts 15 minutes before the first 1 p.m. tour. It runs until 6:30 p.m., well after the last 5 p.m. start, so even late slots leave time for the craft table and the campfire before the last ride back down.

The Haunted Forest's no-stroller rule and the steep walk up from Hudson Avenue both point the same way. With small children, the Riveredge Road shuttle is the easier option the Nature Center offers.

Riveredge Road Hosts Two Sundays in a Row

The shuttle lot comes up twice this month. The Tenafly Public Library shares the 100 Riveredge Road lot with Borough Hall. On Sunday, October 18, at 2 p.m., the library hosts the Richard Baratta Latin Jazz Quartet, and admission is free.

That Sunday is also one of the busiest days on the Nature Center calendar, with Heal and Hike plus three Apple Cider Making sessions at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. A late-morning cider session at the preserve and a 2 p.m. concert at the library fit the same Sunday. Then, on October 25, the library lot becomes the departure point for the Haunted Forest.

Washington Street Gets a New Morning Stop

The month's newest downtown business opens this week. PopUp Bagels is coming to 6-8 Washington St. NJBIZ reported a grand opening on Friday, October 9, with festivities from 8 to 11 a.m., a DJ and merch giveaways. A local report from late September said the brand's website was then listing October 2 as the opening date. Check the shop's own page before planning a morning around it.

The opening has a hometown tie. NJBIZ describes Tenafly as chef Josh Capon's hometown. He's known for appearances on "Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay" and recently opened Capon's Burgers in Paramus and Capon's Chophouse in Hackensack. For the opening, he worked with the brand on a limited-time carrot cake schmear, available while supplies last. "I'm beyond excited for PopUp Bagels open in Tenafly, right in my own backyard," Capon told NJBIZ. The local report describes the shop as the brand's first Bergen County location.

The timing works with the hill. The shop opens the day before the first weekend of cider sessions, so a Washington Street stop can come before an 11 a.m. slot up Hudson Avenue.

On Quieter Days, the Map Is on Your Phone

Between the ticketed events, the preserve is just a walk in the woods, and it's easier to get around than it used to be. Over the past season the Nature Center added an interactive trail map. You open it by scanning a QR code at the information kiosks or the Visitors' Center. A "My Location" button shows your position on the trail system, and you can turn on a legend and hide icon sets you don't need.

The map also has a widget for reporting downed branches, trail erosion and similar problems straight to staff. The Nature Center names Pfister's Pond and Lost Brook Trail among the routes the map covers, and you can still print it at home.

A practical October on the hill comes down to this:

• Book first. Apple Cider Making and the Haunted Forest both require advance registration, and the Nature Center notes that programs can be cancelled if too few people sign up.
• Pick your way up. For Campfire & Cocktails it's valet at the cul-de-sac. For the Haunted Forest it's the Riveredge Road shuttle or the steep walk from Hudson Avenue.
• Use the map on regular days. Scan the QR code at the kiosk and report anything blocking the trail.

The last Sunday of the month has the tightest timing. The first Riveredge Road shuttle leaves at 12:45 p.m. for 1 p.m. Haunted Forest check-ins, and the last one heads back down at 6:30 p.m.

At JC Luxury Group, we follow Tenafly the way residents do, from the opening line on Washington Street to the parking plan for a busy Sunday on Hudson Avenue. If knowing a town week by week is the kind of advice you want behind your next move in Bergen County, Schedule Your Strategy Call.