A Nor'easter Moved PorchFest to Halloween, and Asbury Park's October 31 Now Starts at 8 a.m.
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
Asbury Park PorchFest was set for Saturday, September 26, with Sunday, September 27 as its rain date. That turned out to be the weekend a nor'easter hit the Jersey Shore. For the first time in the event's history, the organizers postponed it, and the new date is Halloween. With the farmers market, City Hall's Trunk or Treat and the usual Saturday night shows already on the calendar, October 31 now has something going on from breakfast until close to midnight. It also means Halloween in Asbury Park starts well before dark this year.
The storm lived up to its forecast. TAPinto Asbury Park reported that the nor'easter had been threatening the Shore for days before it arrived. It brought strong winds, heavy rain, coastal flooding and power outages, and outdoor events across the region were canceled or postponed. The same report said coastal Monmouth County stayed under a High Wind Warning through noon Sunday, with sustained north winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts that could reach 50 to 60 mph. The Two River Times reported that about 2,500 county residents lost power on September 26. By Monday, September 28, that number was down to 68, according to JCP&L's outage map.
PorchFest takes place on front porches all over town, with residents and visitors walking from one to the next. That made downed power lines a direct risk to the event. The organizers explained their decision in a note on the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce event listing:
"After talking with Asbury Park city officials and police and being informed about the dangers of down powerlines we put your safety first and for the first time have postponed Porchfest this weekend. The city was kind enough to allow us to do it on Halloween October 31 with the rain date of November 7."
The organizers ended the note by promising "a very spooky PorchFest." Moving the show is a big job. On its own site, the group calls rescheduling "no easy task with 127 artists and 27 porches."
The Chamber listing puts the new PorchFest at noon to 6 p.m. on October 31. That timing matters. Most Halloween plans in a Shore town happen at night. This year, the biggest community event of the day ends right around dusk, just as the evening shows begin.
It also lines up with the city's own family event. Asbury Park's official calendar lists a Trunk or Treat at City Hall, 1 Municipal Plaza, from noon to 3 p.m. on October 31. For three hours, the city's trick-or-treat event and the porch concerts run at the same time.
PorchFest is a 501(c)(3) charity that has put on a free day of live music since 2018. Its organizers count more than 600 performances in that time and more than $50,000 raised for local charities. For the tenth edition, all of that will now happen in costume season.
Between the Chamber of Commerce calendar, the city's calendar and the Stone Pony's listings, this is how the day lines up:
The farmers market closes an hour after PorchFest begins, and the porches go quiet an hour before the first evening show. The daytime events overlap each other, then there's a gap before the night program starts.
Asbury Social is at 527 Lake Avenue, the former Asbury Festhalle + Biergarten space. The Local Girl's preview said a ribbon-cutting was scheduled for September 10 and the official opening for September 12. On October 11, TAPinto was still calling it newly opened, so this will be the venue's first Halloween.
PorchFest isn't the only event that changed dates. The Asbury Park Fall Bazaar lists "Updated Weather Date" above its schedule. It now runs Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, from noon to 5 p.m. in the Grand Arcade at Convention Hall, with more than 30 local makers and small businesses each day. It's free, indoors and pet-friendly. The organizer doesn't say what weather caused the move.
With both events pushed back, the last two weeks of October look like this:
The Zombie Walk has already happened. WBJB reported it was set for October 3, starting at Convention Hall and heading downtown. That leaves the back half of the month carrying the rest of the season's events.
If it rains on Halloween, PorchFest moves to Saturday, November 7. The organizers of the Fourth Annual Día de los Muertos in Asbury Park list their event for Saturday, November 7, from 4 to 7 p.m. along the boardwalk between Convention Hall and the Casino. Its organizers say they haven't decided which end the procession will start from.
So the backup plan for one big community event would put it on the same afternoon as another. Neither organizer has said how a shared Saturday would work. The rain date isn't needed unless the weather on October 31 forces it.
Some important details are still missing. When the new date was announced, the organizers said they were still working out logistics, and none of the material reviewed for this piece includes an updated porch map, street locations or 2026 charity beneficiaries. The performer directory on the PorchFest site names acts such as Blaise, Not Leaving Sober, TrainWrek, Sandy Mack, Meraki and Suede Aces, but it was posted in July, before the date changed. At least one performer has confirmed the new date. Christian Beach posted on October 3 that he is scheduled for October 31, with his set time and porch still to be announced.
The PorchFest site still shows a schedule and map labeled with the original September 26 date, below the postponement notice. Use the notice at the top of the page for the current date, and check apporchfest.org closer to Halloween for the updated map.
At South Jersey Fine Homes, Patty follows how the Shore's calendar moves from one season to the next. If you're thinking about what a year-round week in Asbury Park looks like, from the porch concerts to the shows on Ocean Avenue, let's connect.
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