West Berlin, NJ — At Diggerland USA, kids can trick-or-treat, decorate a pumpkin, and drive a full-size construction machine in the same afternoon. The park calls it Diggerfest, a fall festival that runs weekends from September 26 through November 15 and is included in general admission.
What Is Diggerfest?
Diggerland USA is a construction-themed amusement park where the rides are built from real diggers, dump trucks, and other heavy machinery that guests climb aboard and operate themselves. Children steer excavators, dig with the controls, and ride in trucks that would normally be on a job site, and the park bills itself as the only construction theme and water park in the country. Diggerfest is its fall version of that same idea, with the machines dressed for the season in pumpkins, hay bales, and autumn decor and a set of Halloween activities layered on top. It is a daytime, all-ages event aimed at families and younger kids rather than a scare attraction, and all of it comes with regular admission, so there is no separate charge for the seasonal add-ons.
Dig or Treat and the Parade of Machines
The Halloween heart of Diggerfest is Dig or Treat, the park’s trick-or-treating, which runs from opening until 12:30 p.m. on weekends, and costumes are encouraged. Costumed kids can also join the Parade of Machines, a procession through the park behind Diggerland’s mascot and a lineup of its vehicles that generally starts around 1 p.m. The costume parade runs each weekend from September 26 through November 1.
Everything Included at Diggerfest
Beyond the candy and the parade, Diggerfest folds a full lineup of fall activities into general admission. On weekends through the run:
- Fire truck rides: ride along in Diggerland’s real No. 2 fire engine, and ask the operator to hit the horn.
- Hayrides: a tractor-pulled ride in the park’s hay cart, with a few machines to spot along the way.
- Pumpkin decorating (September and October): pick a pumpkin and decorate it with art supplies provided by the Crayola Experience in Easton, Pennsylvania.
- Farm Friends petting zoo (weekends September 26 through October 25, noon to 5 p.m.): meet and pet farm animals, run in partnership with Farm Friends LLC.
- Balloon animals (select weekends): made by balloon artist Tim.
- Carnival games and mazes: pipe rolling, a fun maze, and a mini hay maze.
- Bonfires, s’mores, and cookies: hot chocolate and treats from the park cafes, with bonfires to gather around.
Diggerland notes that activities, hours, and offerings can change, so the park calendar is the place to confirm what is running on a given date.
Dates, Hours, and Tickets
Diggerfest runs weekends from September 26 through November 15 at Diggerland USA, 100 Pinedge Drive in West Berlin, New Jersey. Opening and closing times vary by weekend, and some activities run on set days, so the park points visitors to its calendar for date-specific hours. Everything above is included in general admission. Tickets and the current schedule are at diggerlandusa.com.
