A rained-out Oktoberfest and the annual Harvest Homecoming celebration are joining forces on Oct. 25 at Historic New Bridge Landing in River Edge, giving Bergen County residents a single big day of beer, pumpkins and Revolutionary War history. The combined event runs from noon to 5 p.m. at 1201 Main St., with proceeds going toward a museum construction project the Bergen County Historical Society has been building toward for years.
According to WDHA, planners originally scheduled the festival for Sept. 26, 2026, but pushed it back a month after severe weather forced a postponement. Event listings from the Bergen County Historical Society confirm that planners combined the Baron's Oktoberfest with the Harvest Homecoming celebration for the new Oct. 25 date, folding two distinct autumn traditions into one afternoon.
The festival doubles as a birthday celebration for Major General Baron von Steuben, born Sept. 17, 1730, whose post-war residence anchors the historic site. Reenactor Ed Koenig will portray the Prussian-born general, per the society's own event listing, joined by other Revolutionary War re-enactors throughout the day, WDHA reports.
Beer, Bread and a Site Steeped in History
Craft beer will flow from local Bergen County breweries including Hackensack Brewery, Gearblock Brewing and Brix City Brewery, according to the historical society's listing, alongside wine sellers and food vendors that WDHA reports will round out the lineup. Particle Theory is slated to provide live music during the five-hour event, per WDHA.
Historical interpreters will put the site's authentic Jersey-Dutch outkitchen to use, demonstrating traditional baking methods by making what NJ Kids describes as “Spent Grain Bread,” crafted from repurposed mash left over from the beer-brewing process. It's a hands-on feature of the Harvest Homecoming portion of the day, paired with pumpkin picking, games and tours of the grounds for families, as WDHA notes.
The historic site includes the 1752 Zabriskie-Steuben House.
Two More Historic Houses Open for Tours
Beyond the Steuben House, the property includes two other restored 18th-century Jersey-Dutch sandstone structures open for public tours during the festival: the Campbell-Christie House and the Demarest House Museum, according to the historical society's marker program listing.
Admission is set at $15 for adults and $10 for Bergen County Historical Society members and students ages 12 to 20, with children under 12 admitted free, per the society's event page. Every dollar collected at the gate supports construction of the group's new museum building.
The Bergen County Historical Society is handling registration through an online form on its website, WDHA reports. Guests can reach the site via NJ Transit's Pascack Valley Line at the New Bridge Landing station. Free public parking is available on-site; station-lot parking is free on weekends and weekday evenings.
