"Eat. Drink. Play." That's the tagline on Westfield Garden State Plaza's Open Sundays page, a list of what's still running at the mall on the one day of the week most of it stays dark.
In Paramus, Sunday at the mall means eating, drinking and entertainment, not shopping. This fall, Bergen Town Center is leaning into that more than anyone with a full afternoon festival on a Sunday, the one day its own website lists the center as closed.
The Rule That Sets the Weekly Calendar
Bergen County bans Sunday sales of clothing, building materials, furniture and appliances. As NJ.com reported in December 2025, Bergen is the only county in New Jersey that still keeps that retail ban. NorthJersey.com's March 2026 history of the laws said the county was still enforcing them.
The rules have been in the news because of Paramus itself. In August 2025, NJBIZ reported that the borough sued American Dream over Sunday retail. Paramus wanted the law enforced and the mall fined. American Dream's position was that the restrictions don't apply on state-owned land. In December 2025, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority asked the court to dismiss three of the suit's four counts, according to NJ.com. In April 2026, legal experts told NorthJersey.com there was a good chance the laws would stay on the books, though there might now be political will to reverse them.
For anyone planning a weekend here, the result is simple. Saturday is for shopping. On Sunday, the malls run on food, groceries, prescriptions and fun.
What Bergen Town Center Looks Like on a Sunday
On Bergen Town Center's hours page, Monday through Saturday run 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday says "Closed." Some of the property stays open anyway, and in almost every case you reach those spots from outside the mall.
| Spot | Sunday hours listed by the center | How you get in |
|---|---|---|
| Whole Foods Market | 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Interior and exterior access |
| CAVA | 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Exterior entrance only |
| Olive Garden | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Exterior building on Route 4 |
| CVS | 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Exterior building |
| Tacoria | Closed | Exterior entrance only |
Tacoria shows that an outside door doesn't guarantee Sunday hours. The center's listing has it closed Sundays even though it only has an exterior entrance. On a regular Sunday, that leaves groceries, a pharmacy and two sit-down meals on a property that covers a big stretch of Route 4 East at Forest Avenue.
November 8 Fills the Quiet Day
That's the backdrop for the Fourth Annual Fall Festival. Carr Event Productions is organizing it at Bergen Town Center on Sunday, Nov. 8, from noon to 5 p.m.
According to Patch, the event listing includes:
- Food trucks
- A beer garden
- Kids' activities, arts and crafts, and games
- Mini-golf
- NFL RedZone
With a noon start and RedZone on hand, the festival shares its Sunday afternoon with the NFL slate.
A family ticket is $18 and covers two adults and up to three kids under 16. Single admission is $5, so a family of five pays $7 less than the $25 that five separate tickets would cost. Bergen Town Center's press release, quoted by Patch, sets the rain date for Sunday, Nov. 15.
The Saturday Before Works Differently
Compare the festival with what the same center is doing on Halloween. Bergen Town Center's free Halloween bash is on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It takes place in the center court near Kohl's, on a day when the stores around it are open. Patch lists treats, face painters, balloon artists and kids' crafts. The bash is part of a set of fall events the center announced for what it calls its recently updated spaces.
So the Halloween event is a free two-hour add-on to a regular shopping day. The festival is five hours long, ticketed and built to stand on its own on the day the stores are closed.
Here's the calendar from Halloween weekend into November:
- Saturday, Oct. 31, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Halloween bash at Bergen Town Center, center court near Kohl's. Free.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, 1 p.m. "3rd Annual Halloween Trunk Or Treat," listed on the Paramus Patch calendar at New Apostolic Church of Paramus.
- Sunday, Nov. 8, noon to 5 p.m. Fall Festival at Bergen Town Center. $18 family, $5 individual.
- Sunday, Nov. 15. Festival rain date.
Both Saturday events start early in the day. Patch points out that the mall's morning slot gives families two hours of activities before the rest of Halloween gets going. The Patch calendar is a live listings page, so check with the church before you go.
Garden State Plaza Already Sells Sunday as an Outing
Bergen Town Center is testing what a Sunday event looks like. Garden State Plaza has had a Sunday pitch for a while. Its Open Sundays page includes 16 Handles, AMC Theaters, Bourbon Street Grill, California Pizza Kitchen, Charleys Philly Steaks, Chili's, Chipotle, Dopamine Land and Go Playland.
Look at what's on that list. It's a movie theater, an attraction you book ahead, frozen yogurt and a row of restaurants. That's the Sunday the blue laws leave Garden State Plaza, an afternoon out that ends without shopping bags.
This Fall's New Stores Are Mostly Saturday Business
Most of what opened around Paramus this season is retail, which means it runs on the six-day schedule:
- Thirdlove was scheduled to open at Garden State Plaza on Oct. 24, Patch reported.
- Disney Store Limited Time took over the former PINK space at Garden State Plaza in early September and is set to stay through the 2026 holiday season, according to Patch.
- TJ Maxx moved to the Fashion Center at 20 East Ridgewood Ave., with a grand opening on Sept. 24, NorthJersey.com reported.
Food is where the Sunday options can grow. Blue Bottle Coffee held its Garden State Plaza grand opening on Sept. 9, according to the same NorthJersey.com roundup. If you want a Sunday coffee there, check the Open Sundays page first. Bergen Town Center's directory currently marks Canton Rodeo and Capon's Burgers as new, without opening dates. The biggest food project is further away. NorthJersey.com reported in January that Tommy's Tavern & Tap plans a 10,000-square-foot building at Bergen Town Center near Olive Garden, with an opening estimated for spring 2027.
The Olive Garden building is already one of the few spots at the center that lists Sunday hours. Hours and tenants change, so check the center's store pages the week you plan to go.
If Sunday, Nov. 8 has you looking around Paramus and wondering about your own place here, I'm happy to talk it through, en inglés o en español. Barbara Perez knows these streets, from Route 4 to Route 17. Let's connect. Get your free home valuation.
