Known locally as the ‘Second Season,’ autumn in the Wildwoods offers seasonal fare and quaint local charm ideal for a Fall Getaway
The Wildwoods, NJ – August 21, 2025 – September marks the start of the Wildwoods’ Second Season. With less crowds, mild temperatures, attractive off-season rates for accommodations, and a packed lineup of events, festivals, and activities, there is no better time to explore and experience the Wildwoods. One of the defining features of the Second Season is the variety of restaurants, wineries, breweries, and events that come to life in and around the Wildwoods. As the temperature cools, seasonal fare, including fresh catches from the ocean and back bays, fall-inspired sips from breweries and area wineries, and traditional shore favorites delight visitors who want to enjoy the entertainment and flavors of the Wildwoods after the summer season.
The Wildwoods offer a sumptuous variety of restaurants and eateries with little or no wait times, as well as popular breweries, distilleries, and nearby wineries. In the Fall, these favored Wildwoods’ establishments embrace the change of season by offering one-of-a-kind, autumn-inspired creations. The Wildwoods provide the perfect setting to indulge in a unique seasonal beverage while savoring the fresh catch of the day in the mild autumn air.
A growing number of premier restaurants are located throughout the five-mile island, each of them garnering superb reviews from critics and patrons alike. The Wildwoods’ upscale restaurants offer memorable surroundings, remarkable cuisine, and attentive service for a perfect evening touched with romance, candlelight, and delectable food.
Along with seasonally crafted fare from the island’s numerous restaurants, the Wildwoods host multiple events throughout the second season catered to a wide range of palates, including the Irish Festival, Olde Time Italian Festival, Food and Music Festival, Restaurant Weeks in September and December, and holiday events featuring unique bites, themed sweet treats and seasonal beverages. Experience traditional foods from the island’s cultural festivals before delighting in seasonally caught, local fresh fish at one of the Wildwoods many restaurants and finishing the night with a sweet treat from a hidden-gem sweets shop, and a fall-flavored brew from a local brewery.
Fall is the ideal time to visit the area’s finest wineries, located just minutes from the famous five-mile island, as grape harvesting is at its peak. The Wildwoods are in the midst of an ever-burgeoning wine country, and the phenomenon is no coincidence – the sandy soils along with Southern New Jersey’s unique mild climate make the area surrounding the Wildwoods an ideal environment for grape growing and wine making.
A quick tour of the vineyards surrounding the Wildwoods illustrates that New Jersey lives up to its moniker as The Garden State. New Jersey’s southernmost region is an agricultural hub for wine cultivation. For lovers of cold brews, craft beer, and the Wildwoods’ breweries in the fall are the place to be. Located in the heart of Wildwood, MudHen Brewing Company and the Anglesea Aleworks are ideal locations for vacationers to sip craft artisan brews only found on the five-mile island. If you have a love for the distilling process, or for the products the distilleries produce, then hop over to the Lazy Eye Distillery. Try a regionally produced vodka, gin, or rum that you won’t find anywhere else other than the Jersey shore.
As the leaves change and the weather cools, the Wildwoods are a beautiful destination for cozy fall getaways. Enjoying the local food and beverages is just one aspect of the idyllic Second Season. The Wildwoods charming, small-town atmosphere comes to life during the second season, with smaller crowds offering a truly unique experience. Each season in the Wildwoods has a unique and visually stunning effect on the local environment, surrounded by the island’s signature Doo-Wop mid-century architecture, quaint appearance, numerous small businesses, and friendly locals. Visitors have cherished the small-town charm of the Wildwoods for decades, with North Wildwood even gaining national recognition for leading a tourism trend of younger visitors seeking ‘Nancy Meyers-esque’ scenery for their vacations. Dubbed Townsizing in Priceline’s ‘Where to Travel Next?’ 2025 Travel Trends report, the emerging trend finds younger travelers seeking out quaint, charming small towns, with North Wildwood being named as one of these ideal locations in the report released in January. The town’s uniquely welcoming atmosphere makes it a must-visit destination, and its charm is on full display in the fall.
A fall getaway to the Wildwoods isn’t complete without a visit to the world-famous Wildwoods Boardwalk. Overlooking the pristine beaches of the Wildwoods, the Boardwalk offers a unique experience for anyone visiting New Jersey. Home to some of the most iconic flavors and tantalizing scents of the Jersey Shore, the Boardwalk’s many attractions and amusement piers– open weekends throughout the fall– aren’t the only thing that keep families coming back for generations. Flavors from around the world can be found on the Wildwoods Boardwalk, as well as the iconic, traditional boardwalk fare that visitors have loved for decades.
Learn more about the Wildwoods’ many breweries, restaurants, and nearby vineyards here.
For additional information about the Wildwoods, visit WildwoodsNJ.com or call 800-992-9732.
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