MILLVILLE, NJ (August 7, 2017)  – Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, in association with the Glasstown Antique Fire Brigade, will present the 37th annual Glasstown Antique Fire Brigade Muster and Fire Fighter’s Family Day on Sunday, August 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event celebrates the important role, past and present, that firefighters play in the community.

The Muster is included in WheatonArts’ “Wheaton Wide Open” initiative, where all visitors receive free admission for the entire weekend, from Friday August 18 to Sunday, August 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on all three days. Wheaton Wide Open weekends are presented through the PNC Arts Alive initiative, with funding provided by The PNC Foundation.

Over 80 antique fire trucks from the Mid-Atlantic States will be on display on the grounds. Show highlights include: a firefighter competition to show how firefighters use their training and skills to battle fires; a water barrel fight (two opposing teams try to move a barrel suspended on a cable to opposite ends using a high pressure fire hose); bucket brigade (each team is timed as they carry water to the roof of a small building in buckets); and firefighting demonstrations including pumping displays of fire hoses on numerous fire trucks.  In addition to the Fire Brigade activities, WheatonArts’ award-winning Museum Stores, the Museum of American Glass, as well as the Glass Studio and Ceramics Studio will be open during the event. Free family art activities will also be available.

The winner of the “Nancy Howe Memorial Award – Best in Show” receives a glass trophy created by a WheatonArts artist. The winner of “Best Appearing Hand or Horse Drawn Apparatus” receives a WheatonArts paperweight.  The Glasstown Antique Fire Brigade is the South Jersey chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America (SPAAMFAA). This national organization of over 3,000 members and over 50 chapters was organized in 1958 in Syracuse, NY. New Jersey Assemblyman, John J. Burzichelli (3rd District) is an active member and trustee. For more information about the Glasstown Antique Fire Brigade visit gafb.net. Muster information: John Burzichelli at 856-423-8910. Apparatus registration: Diana Ford at 856-299-9434. Flea Market information: Wes Howe at 856-696-0373.

WheatonArts is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about WheatonArts, call 1-800-998-4552 or 856-825-6800, or visit online at wheatonarts.org. Please submit requests for press images to wheatonartsnews@wheatonarts.org.

PNC Arts Alive is a multi-year initiative of the PNC Foundation dedicated to supporting visual and performing arts groups with the goal of increasing arts access and engagement in new and innovative ways. The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture.

WheatonArts strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events and programs to all persons with disabilities. Please provide two weeks notice for additional needs. Patrons with hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts through the New Jersey Relay Service (TRS) 800-852-7899 or by dialing 711.

Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey Cultural Trust. WheatonArts receives general operating support from the New Jersey Historical Commission, Division of Cultural Affairs in the New Jersey Department of State, and is supported in part by the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.

About WheatonArts

With a history spanning four decades, WheatonArts has earned regional, national and international recognition for its unique collections and programs. The Museum of American Glass, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, houses one of the most comprehensive collections of American glass in the country…from the first glass bottles made in America to celebrated works by Dale Chihuly and other contemporary artists who work in glass. Visitors experience the art of glassmaking, ceramics and flameworking in the Artists Studios. From April through December the Museum of American Glass and Gallery of Fine Craft present special exhibitions. WheatonArts also offers traditional and multi-cultural programs, classes, workshops, performances, and weekend festivals. The award-winning Museum Stores offer traditional and contemporary art and craft in all mediums.

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