EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — It takes 650 mums, 1,350 hay bales, 800 cornstalks and a whole lot of pumpkins to turn one of South Jersey's best-known family attractions into an autumn wonderland.
Storybook Land is preparing for the return of its annual Fall Into Fun Festival beginning Sept. 19, followed by four Trick or Treat Weekends in October.
The third-generation, family-owned amusement park has been celebrating fall for nearly 30 years, creating an autumn tradition that now brings back some parents who experienced the festivities themselves as children.
"Fall has been part of the Storybook Land tradition for nearly 30 years, and there's something really special about watching families come back year after year to experience it together," co-owner Jessica Panetta said.
"Many parents who bring their children today remember coming for hayrides, pumpkins and Halloween fun when they were kids themselves, and that is what this is all about — creating traditions families can carry from one generation to the next."
Pumpkins, Hayrides and a Maze
Fall Into Fun runs on select dates from Sept. 19 through Oct. 16, transforming the Egg Harbor Township park with seasonal decorations, fall photo opportunities and special activities in addition to Storybook Land's regular rides and attractions.
Children ages 2 and older can visit the Pumpkin Patch, where each child can select and decorate a mini pumpkin to take home. The activity is included with admission, with additional pumpkins available for purchase.
The Happy Hay Ride will carry families around the park during the day.
Visitors can also tackle Elmer's Hay-Mazin' Maze, a handcrafted maze constructed from hay and cornstalks. Children search the maze for puzzle stickers needed to complete a picture.
Creating the fall atmosphere requires a sizable delivery from area farms.
Storybook Land says approximately 650 mums, 1,350 hay bales and 800 cornstalks are used to decorate the park, along with 12 bins filled with pumpkins and gourds.
A specialty fall food and beverage menu will also be available.
Halloween Without the Scares
The celebration shifts toward Halloween beginning Oct. 17 with an event aimed specifically at families with younger children.
Storybook Land's annual Trick or Treat Weekends will be held Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24-25.
Rather than haunted houses and frightening attractions, the park bills the event as Halloween with "all the fun" but none of the scares.
Children and their families are encouraged to arrive in costume and can trick or treat at 12 locations throughout the park.
Trick-or-treat bags will be provided for children ages 2 and older.
Admission for the special Halloween weekends also includes the park's rides and attractions, Happy Hay Ride and Elmer's Hay-Mazin' Maze.
Trick or Treat Weekend tickets cost $42.95 and must be purchased online in advance. Tickets are being sold on a first-come, first-served basis while quantities last.
A South Jersey Attraction Since 1955
Storybook Land has been a fixture on the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township since 1955.
The family-owned amusement park was created around classic children's stories and nursery rhymes, with attractions based on characters and tales familiar to generations of children.
More than 70 years later, the park remains family owned and operated, now under its third generation.
Fall Into Fun begins Sept. 19 and continues on select operating dates through Oct. 16. The festival activities are included with regular park admission, with discounted admission available when tickets are purchased online.
Trick or Treat Weekends will be held Oct. 17, 18, 24 and 25.
Tickets, operating dates and additional information are available through Storybook Land's website.
