Fall has officially arrived in upstate New Jersey! The busy summer season may be behind us, but there’s still plenty happening in both of the communities Bridge Marina calls home. October brings local events, opportunities to get outside, and a chance to support the organizations and businesses that make waterfront communities like Highlands and Lake Hopatcong such great places to live, work and visit.
Bridge Marina is active in our communities year-round and this October, you’ll find our team hosting and supporting a variety of local events. Here are just three fall events to put on your calendar:
Lake Loop 2026: Bike, Hike or Paddle Around Lake Hopatcong
Sunday, October 4, 2026 • Hopatcong State Park
Looking for a good reason to get outside this fall? Pick your challenge.
The Lake Hopatcong Foundation’s annual Lake Loop returns to Hopatcong State Park on Sunday, October 4, bringing together cyclists, hikers and paddlers for a day built around enjoying – and supporting – Lake Hopatcong.
Bridge Marina is proud to return to Lake Loop as an Activity and Challenge Sponsor once again. Stop by our booth, say hi to our team and grab a free gift! We’re there to show our support of the Lake Hopatcong Foundation’s work and are also ready to help you learn about all the ways we can get you on the water next summer, from boat lessons to boat club membership, boat rentals in two of New Jersey’s best locations, plus boat sales, service and more.
As an added incentive to participate in Lake Loop, a variety of local businesses have donated fun prizes to the cause, including Bridge Marina. This year, the top fundraising team will win our donation – a half day boat rental on Lake Hopatcong with Bridge Marina!
Participants can choose how they want to take part in the Lake Loop challenge, with cycling routes, a family-friendly guided hike through Hopatcong State Park, and paddling courses on Lake Hopatcong. All activities begin and end at Hopatcong State Park, with a finish-line celebration featuring food, refreshments, music and more.
Participation helps support the Lake Hopatcong Foundation and its work to protect New Jersey’s largest lake and support the surrounding community.
As a business that has called Lake Hopatcong home for almost 60 years, that mission matters to us. The lake is at the center of this community, and protecting it takes people, businesses and organizations working together. Learn more and register for Lake Loop through the Lake Hopatcong Foundation.
Bridge Marina End of Season Fleet Sale & Open House
Saturday, October 10, 2026 • 11am-4pm • Lake Hopatcong
The following Saturday, we’ll be opening our doors on Lake Hopatcong for a fall event of our own.
Our End of Season Fleet Sale & Open House takes place Saturday, October 10 from 11am-4pm at Bridge Marina on Lake Hopatcong.
If buying a boat for 2027 has been on your mind – whether it’s your first boat, your next boat or simply something you’ve been thinking about for a while – our fall boat show on Lake Hopatcong is a great day to come take a closer look.
We’ll be showcasing new and pre-owned boats for sale, with a special focus on boats coming out of our Lake Hopatcong boat club and rental fleet. We’ll also be announcing special inventory and event offers as October 10 gets closer, so keep an eye out for what’s coming here!
But you don’t have to be shopping for a boat to stop by.
One of the things we love about an open house is getting a chance to talk boating and introduce our beautiful Lake Hopatcong to new visitors. Have questions about buying your first boat? Thinking about the Bridge Marina Boating Club for 2027? Want to become a more confident boater? Come talk with our team and explore the different ways we can help you get ready for next season.
We’ll also offer a complimentary Taste of Training, with practical boating how-to’s from our Bridge Marina team, giving our guests a quick, fun, and free way to get to know boating on Lake Hopatcong!
Thinking About Boating in 2027? Start This Fall.
October is also a great time to take care of one important step for next season: earning your New Jersey Boating Safety Certificate.
Join us for our October Boating Safety Certificate Course on Lake Hopatcong on Sunday, October 25th. Our Boating Safety Certificate course is fun, informative and teaches the fundamentals of boating. Bridge Marina offers the required NJ Boating Safety Certificate course throughout the year, including fall classes like this one. Taking the course now means one less thing to think about when boating season returns – and more time to focus on actually getting out on the water in 2027.
Already own a boat? Fall is also the time to make sure it’s properly cared for before winter.
Bridge Marina’s boat winterization service on Lake Hopatcong takes a thorough approach to protecting your boat during the off-season, including a 100+ point inspection with each winterization service. Taking care of winterization now helps protect your investment, identify potential concerns and put you in a better position for a smooth start next spring.
Whether you’re buying, learning, planning for 2027 or taking care of the boat you already own, our team will be here to help!
Admission to the End of Season Fleet Sale & Open House is free, and guests who pre-register will receive a free gift. Registered guests will also be among the first to hear about featured inventory, boat values and event offers as they’re announced.
Fall Taste of Highlands
Saturday, October 10, 2026 • 12–5pm • Highlands, NJ
While one Bridge Marina team is welcoming guests on Lake Hopatcong on October 10th, you’ll find us in Highlands, too!
The 7th Annual Fall Taste of Highlands takes place from noon-5pm on October 10, bringing people throughout town for an afternoon of local food, drinks and exploring.
Hosted by the Highlands Business Partnership, Fall Taste of Highlands features stops at local restaurants and retailers throughout town. Guests check in at Huddy Park, receive a map and make their way through participating businesses while enjoying food and cocktail samples along the route.
Bridge Marina is a proud sponsor of the Highlands Business Partnership, and we plan to return again to join the fun this year as a Hydration Station at Fall Taste of Highlands.
Stop by to get your card stamped, grab a free bottle of water and Bridge Marina koozie, and say hello to our team. We’ll have the water – and the smiles – ready!
Highlands, New Jersey has an incredible collection of restaurants, small businesses, waterfront destinations and community organizations, and this don’t miss event puts so many of them on display in one afternoon. We’ve been a proud to be a part of the Highlands community – and a sponsor of the Highlands Business Partnership – since opening our boat club and boat rental location here in 2019. This fun, festive event is a great excuse to spend a fall Saturday exploring Highlands… and supporting local businesses while you’re at it!
Learn more and purchase tickets through the Highlands Business Partnership.
Two Waterfront Communities. One Great Fall.
Bridge Marina’s boat club and boat rental seasons on Lake Hopatcong and Highlands wrap up at the end of September, but we don’t disappear when summer does. We look forward to seeing you at one of these fall events as we shift gears to another season!