On Cherry Lane, the Season Moves Into the Evening

The paddle boats on the South Mountain reservoir made their last run of 2026 on Monday, October 12. Turtle Back Zoo closes at 4 p.m. every day under its posted regular hours. The two largest events on the complex's calendar between now and New Year's run 4 to 8 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m.

So the Essex County campus at Northfield Avenue and Cherry Lane is not winding down for the year. The daytime attractions close one at a time, and the programming moves into the evening. October 31 is the day the switch happens. November 1, the morning after, puts more daytime programming on the campus than any other day this fall.

The Daytime Attractions Close in Order

The summer attractions close one by one, each on its own date.

That makes this Sunday the last chance at the 19-hole Safari Mini Golf course on the corner of Cherry Lane and Northfield Avenue, where you putt past a life-size gorilla and hippo. You can't buy tickets in advance. They're sold first come, first served at the Hut, which takes cash and credit.

The same Sunday morning, October 25, has two other things on the calendar. Turtle Back Zoo's Family Nature Club holds "Autumn Artists" at 9 a.m., and the zoo emails the meeting spot to registrants instead of posting it. Essex County Parks also lists the reservoir walking path at The Waterfront as closed from 8 to 11 a.m. that day. The path is otherwise open year-round. If your Sunday routine is a lap of the reservoir, start after 11, then finish at the mini golf course before it closes for the year at 7.

TreeTop is the one to keep an eye on. The course is still open on weekends and select dates, and it hasn't posted a closing date.

October 31 Splits the Zoo's Day in Two

On Halloween, Turtle Back Zoo runs a shortened schedule. It's open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., then closes before the separately ticketed evening event. Howl-O-Ween starts at 4 p.m., the zoo's usual closing time, and runs until 8.

Here's how the evening works:

• Tickets: $5 general, $3 for current zoo members, free for children under 2. Everyone 2 and older needs a ticket.
• Weather: The event happens rain or shine, and there is no rain date.
• On the grounds: Candy stations for trick-or-treating, plus stilt walkers.
• Spooky Storytime: Not included in the Howl-O-Ween ticket. Sessions are at 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. and cost $13 general or $11 for members, with children under 2 free.
• Members: Staff may ask to see ID, and the member rate covers only the people listed on your current membership.

Compare that with a regular day, when general admission is $22 for adults and $19 for seniors and children ages 2 to 12. On Halloween, the $5 evening ticket gets you into the zoo for four hours after its normal close.

November 1 Fills the Campus by Daylight

The next morning, the complex's biggest daytime event of the season takes over Cherry Lane. The RWJBarnabas Health Running with the Devils 5K Run & Walk runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, based at 9 Cherry Lane. The timed 5K and the wellness walk cost $40, and children 11 and under are free.

This year is the race's 10th anniversary. According to the New Jersey Devils' announcement, the inaugural race had 238 participants and the event now draws more than 2,600 across four formats. The competitive 5K uses a USATF-certified course along Cherry Lane and the reservoir. That growth matters if you plan to drive in that morning. The race shares its start area with the reservoir path, which closes again from 8 to 11 a.m. that day.

The race also feeds into the rest of the campus for the day. Here's how November 1 lays out, using posted times:

1. 8 to 11 a.m.: The reservoir walking path is closed.
2. 9 a.m.: The 5K and wellness walk begin on Cherry Lane. Devils alumni and the team mascot, NJ, will be there for photos, along with mascots from New Jersey universities and pro teams.
3. After the race: Every registered runner and walker gets free entry to Turtle Back Zoo that day. Get Fit with Animals returns, with kids completing physical challenges at ten exhibits and turning in a passport for a prize.
4. 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m.: Public skating at Codey Arena. Admission is $14 for adults and $10 for children 15 and under, with skate rental $5.

If you can't make race morning, the virtual option runs October 1 through November 1 and costs $35. New for 2026, virtual participants can do a cumulative challenge, logging miles across the month until they reach 3.1. They also get one free day at Turtle Back Zoo, good between November 2 and December 30. That free day overlaps with most of the Holiday Lights season.

Codey's posted public-skating calendar currently ends with those two November 1 sessions, so check the arena calendar before planning a skate later in the month.

The Quiet Weeks Before the Lights Come On

From November 2 to November 19, the complex has no headline evening event. That stretch belongs to quieter daytime programs.

Essex County's South Mountain Fall Foliage Bus Tour Guides are available by appointment through November 13 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Tours run about an hour from the South Mountain Recreation Complex at 560 Northfield Avenue. Your group brings its own bus, and pricing starts at $150. That setup suits a school group, a scout troop or a block association more than a single household.

For families, the Family Nature Club has two more dates. "National Take a Hike Day" is Sunday, November 15, at 1 p.m., and "Preparing for Winter" is Sunday, November 29, at 1 p.m. Prices vary by program.

McLoone's Boathouse sits at 9 Cherry Lane on the reservoir. Its posted hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, with Sunday brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's the one sit-down restaurant on the campus that stays open late every night, which makes it the natural meal before or after an evening at the zoo. Call ahead about outdoor seating as the weather cools.

Holiday Lights Takes Over the Evenings

On Thursday, November 19, Turtle Back Zoo holds a members-only preview of Holiday Lights 2026. The public run follows from 5 to 9 p.m. on these dates:

• Friday through Sunday, November 20 to 22
• Friday through Sunday, November 27 to 29
• Every night from December 4 through December 31, except December 24 and 25

That adds up to 32 public nights. Six fall on the two weekends before December, then the event runs nightly through the end of the year. Admission is free, and you don't need a reservation. The zoo asks visitors to bring non-perishable food, new toys and gently used coats as donations. The display features more than 50 lit winter and animal characters.

The free admission covers the walk itself. The carousel, pony track, gift shop and face painting each charge separately, while the touch tank, reptile house, farm and train are listed without a fee. The Savanna Café, the zoo's indoor dining spot, will be open. Outside, there will be s'mores by the café, kettle corn and hot cocoa by the train, zeppole by the sea turtle exhibit and holiday treats near the Africa section. The igloos by the picnic area require a reservation.

The zoo's regular daytime hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. From late November through New Year's Eve, it opens again at 5 p.m. on Holiday Lights nights, an hour after the daytime gates close. The last public night is December 31, from 5 to 9 p.m.

If you're thinking about a home near Northfield Avenue and South Mountain, and you want to know how this calendar shapes everyday life on those streets, The Arrived Team Compass knows West Orange street by street. We'd be glad to share what we see on the ground.