ECO Fair

Image of a banner for Eco Fair. On the left side of the image is a large close up of the head of a yellow sunflower. In the background, on the right side of the image, is a blurred image of a crowd outside at WheatonArts in front of the General Store during Eco Fair.

ECO Fair

FREE on Saturday, May 4, 2024
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. rain or shine

In partnership with the Authority of Cumberland County, WheatonArts presents the 17th annual ECO Fair, a FREE Family Day event inspired by natural and artful living! ECO Fair, a campus-wide event, features local gardening clubs, including Rutgers Master Gardeners with various plants and herbs for sale, handmade works of New Jersey artists, environmental organizations, Nature Trail tours, eco-friendly activities for families, and more. 

Admission to all WheatonArts exhibits and artist studio demonstrations are free and open to the public for the day, part of WheatonArts Family Days presented by PNC Arts Alive!
WheatonArts is located at GPS address: 1000 Village Drive, Millville, NJ 08332.

Give us your zip code at the gate and receive a FREE Eco-shopping bag, courtesy of the Cumberland County Improvement Authority! One per adult, while supplies last. Kids can design their own at the Authority booth.

Rutgers Master Gardener’s Plant Sale

The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Cumberland County focus on growing native, pollinator-friendly plants and Rutgers varieties. Stock up on a wide variety of flowers, vegetables, herbs, trees, and shrubs. To attract pollinators to your yard, buy native flowers like milkweed, joe pye weed, and bee balm. Native shrubs like summersweet, viburnum, and dogwood will keep the birds happy! Build your herb garden with offerings of parsley, basil, chives, oregano, and more. Try growing some unique vegetables like shishito peppers, okra, and tomatillos. Many traditional vegetable crops like eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers will also be available. Plan Ahead: Bring a box or wagon if you plan on buying a lot of plants! 

Visit the Rutgers Master Gardeners booth for Helpline on the Road, to submit your gardening and lawn questions to be answered by the Master Gardeners!

Attendees of a previous ECO Fair event admire and shop for varieties of plants arranged on a vendor table. Different color tents, other attendees, and trees stand in the background.

NEW TIME! 12 p.m. – Keynote Speaker: Robin A. Jess “Botanical Illustration: Capturing a Moment”

Robin A. Jess is a botanical artist fluent in graphite, watercolor, pen and ink, and etching. She is the former Executive Director of the American Society of Botanical Artists and the former coordinator of the New York Botanical Garden’s Botanical Art and Illustration Program. With funding from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, in cooperation with Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Robin created a series of forty watercolors of NJ’s Pinelands flora, which toured the state’s major museums and arts venues. Her artwork can also be found on the NJ Pinelands auto license plate.

Headshot image of Robin Jess. Robin is in front of a white background and has shoulder-length gray hair. Robin is wearing red glasses and a black shirt.
Image of three children outside at WheatonArts during Eco Fair posing with their tote bags for the camera. The child on the right has a white tote bag with cartoon drawings of children standing around a drawing of the Earth. The drawings have been colored with multicolored scribbles. The child in the middle's white tote bag has a smaller cartoon Earth next to colorful block letters that read "The Authority". The child on the right's tote bag is similar to the child on the left's with parts of the drawings colored in with colorful colors. There are Eco Fair tents and tables in the background.

Keep Cumberland County Beautiful

Visit The Authority booth to learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Play the “Know What to Throw” recycle education game and get creative by designing your own reusable bag! While supplies last, limit one reusable bag per child. 

The Magic of Recycling with Magician Bill Kerwood

Laugh & learn with this magical comedy while learning exactly how to recycle in Cumberland County. Discover simple yet amazing tricks that you can do for your friends & family again & again. Presented by the Authority of Cumberland County.

Image taken at Eco Fair outside at WheatonArts in front of the Museum of American Glass. The image shows a visitor smiling and interacting with someone working a booth at the event. The booth is comprised of a table with containers sitting on top of it. The person working the booth is pointing towards one of the containers.
Image of the WheatonArts Nature Trail. The image is of a body of water with two geese on the ground leading up to it in the center of the image. There is a woodsy area in the background.
Image of "The Litter Busters" author Samantha DeFrancisco outside in front of a green nature background. Samantha is holding her book and smiling at the camera. The children's book is square shaped with a blue sky cover. In the top center is a diamond shaped logo. The outside of the diamond is a dark green and the center is a light green. Large black text extends across the top of the book through the center of the diamond. This text reads "The Litter Busters" and has a small recycling logo beneath it towards the tip of the diamond. Underneath is a cartoon superhero flying through the sky. The hero has long brown hair, green gloves, a blue long sleeve shirt, a magenta domino eye mask, a magenta cape, a magenta skirt, and green boots. Tiny recycling symbols trail after the hero. More black text is underneath the hero including the authors name. Samantha has long brown hair, a white shirt, and a light green cardigan.

Meet Your Local AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador

The AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Program promotes watershed stewardship through education and direct community involvement while raising awareness of how human activities affect water quality. Meet your local Watershed Ambassador and learn how benthic macroinvertebrates indicate water quality and how you can continue to keep your local streams healthy! Presentations occur every hour; walk-ups are welcome! Presented by the NJ AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassadors.

The City of Millville Recycles Right

Visit the City of Millville Recycling Department booth to learn how to recycle right! Grab some recycling information, promotional surprises, and download the free “Recycle Coach” app to learn more about how to recycle in your municipality. Presented by the City of Millville Recycling Department.

Nature Trail Tour & Scavenger Hunt

10:30 a.m. – Meet at the CU Maurice River booth in the Rain Garden. After learning more about the gardens, the walk will continue through the campus and onto the nature trail in the woods. The walk will last 1 hour. Nature walk participants can join in the Scavenger Hunt during the walk or complete it on their own. Both the young and young-at-heart can participate at their leisure. Naturalists will be stationed along the trail to help with the hunt and to answer questions along the walk. Be among the first 50 to complete the hunt and receive an official WheatonArts Nature Trail Explorer button! Led by CU Maurice River Naturalists and Nature Enthusiasts.

“The Litter Busters” Local Author Visit & Storytime 

Learn how you can make a difference in our community! Join local author Samantha DeFrancisco for a reading of her environmental children’s book, “The Litter Busters.” Readings occur at the top of every hour; walk-ups are welcome! Visit the author’s booth to take “The Litter Busters” pledge, receive a FREE bookmark, and purchase a signed book! 

Artist Demonstrations

African Sights & Sounds: Rhythm, Ritual, Dance
1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in front of the General Store
Join Folklife exhibiting artist Kofi Donkor and the Sankofa Ensemble for a unique collection of programming and workshops focused on African cultures and traditions. Call and honor the Ancestors, learn how to dance the Fanga, engage in a drumming techniques workshop with vocal call-and-response, plunge into the Kpanlogo clap rhythm, watch the dance performances of Atinga and Agbadza, and more! Q&A sessions are offered between each segment.

Flower Pottery
Discover the beauty of floral designs with ceramic flower vase demonstrations by resident artist Terry Plasket.

Glass Flowers
In the Flameworking Studio, watch artist Bill Futer use flame and gravity to create miniature glass flowers and vases.

Gnome Carving
Visit the Gallery of Fine Craft to see local woodcarver and artist Domenick Maggio. His Gnome series is a bestseller, and he continues to add new designs. Stop by to see his latest Gnome with a Red Rose, ask questions, and interact with Domenick as he carves!

Large-scale Murals
Witness a public demonstration of a large-scale 8×8 foot painting by mural artist and glass painter J. Kenneth Leap. He has embellished buildings and outdoor structures all over the world. His goal when designing artwork is to spin a visual narrative for the viewer to get lost in something beautiful, entertaining, and educational. He investigates local histories and searches for community themes to become his subject matter. The resulting artwork celebrates each community’s unique narrative.

Neon Glassmaking
12 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. – Join us in the Glass Studio for engaging neon glassmaking demonstrations by artists Eve Hoyt and Alissa Eberle! Offsite, see finished works by Eve & Alissa in the “Double Vision” exhibit at the DC Gallery & Studio on High Street in Millville. 

Weaving
Visit the General Store to see a demonstration of hand weaving on a frame loom by Dots By The Bay. Using a vertical warp base of plain cotton muslin, repurposed scraps of leftover cotton fabric are woven through as the horizontal weft to create soft, colorful, machine-washable throw rugs.

Image of a tall brown wooden drum with details carved into the middle and bottom of the drum. The drum has four wooden sticks extending out of the upper half with thin white sting connecting them to the top of the drum. The top of the drum has a white rim followed by a fuzzy black rim on top of it and a gray head. A black and brown piece extends off of the top of the rim on the right side of the image.
Image of a painter standing in front of a large mural. One hand is using a paint brush to paint a blue streak onto the canvas, while the other hand is holding a small tub of blue paint. The mural is of a large white swan on top of blue water. The background is blue with large pink flowers, green leaves, and dark blue stems. The painter has glasses, a black t-shirt, a white apron, and camouflage pants.
Image of a neon piece of artwork with an anaglyph flower design. The piece has a red layer and a blue layer underneath the red. The neon tubes have been arranged to resemble a three petal flower in the center of the piece. From the flower is a long stem that then splits off into a square-like shape. Inside on the square on the left and right side of the flower is another two layer design. The neon tubes on the left are shaped like a flower bud that goes into a stem that extends to the right and then up into another stem that ends in a flower. This design is mirrored on the right side of the entire piece.
Kids Volunteering at Eco Fair
Image of a person sitting and painting outside in nature. The person is sitting on a white cloth in front of a small wooden easel with paint over the front. There is a small rectangular piece of paper taped on each side with blue tape onto the easel. The person is painting leafy images onto the paper. Two more people are in the background sitting on a white cloth and working on their own nature paintings.

FREE Family Art Activities

Butterfly Puppets 
Create your very own fluttering butterflies using cardstock and straws. Enjoy watching your butterfly’s wings flap with each movement of the straw; great for imaginative play and storytelling. 

Cardboard Creatures 
This fun craft transforms humble scrap cardboard and vibrant scrapbook paper into two-dimensional creatures that come to life before your eyes. Imagination and sustainability combine as you breathe new life into discarded materials, turning them into characters that spark joy. 

Plant Sketching 
Join us in embracing the connection between art and the natural world! Our Plant Sketching activity is a perfect introduction to nature journaling. Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of plants as you sketch their unique features. 

Image of Ken Leap holding a light brown singing bowl in one hand and a wooden mallet with a red top in the other hand. Ken is wearing a long white sleeveless cardigan over a white shirt and white pants. Ken is standing in front of a woodsy area with a white circular labyrinth on the ground in the background. There is also a brown gazebo with yellow string lights on the right side of the image.

The Discovery Garden

Meet with the Rutgers Master Gardeners in the Discovery Garden for presentations on native birds including facts about species, characteristics, and bird calls. Worksheets and crafts will be provided. Crafts will include a homemade bird feeder for children to take home!

World Labyrinth Day

12:30 p.m. – Engage with artist Ken Leap as he ceremoniously prepares everyone through dance and a singing bowl to join other participants worldwide in walking a labyrinth as a symbolic gesture for world peace. Walk the labyrinth at your leisure, with each step echoing a collective commitment to harmony and understanding.

Fee-based Make-Your-Own Fused Glass

Create a fused glass magnet, pendant, or suncatcher beginning with pre-fused glass blanks. Using small pre-cut pieces of glass and an assortment of accessory glass, including frit and stringers, create a design to be tack fused. After firing your fused glass, our artists will attach a bail, magnet, or leather cord, depending on your project choice. In one week, completed glass projects will be ready to pick up or ship (for a fee). This glass fusing activity has a discounted fee of $10 per magnet/pendant, $20 per suncatcher. 

There are two boxes of recycled crazy crayons boxed and unboxed and arranged on a white workspace.

Crayon Recycling

Imagine how many ways we can all reduce, reuse, & recycle to nurture our planet to create a better tomorrow. One easy way to help is by participating in Crazy Crayon’s National Crayon Recycling Program, and WheatonArts is a collection site! Bring your old crayons to the General Store at WheatonArts to be recycled during ECO Fair.

40+ Vendors: Local Artists, Garden Clubs, & Enivornmental Groups

Artists & Handmade
Aritimi Design Studio
Beads on Cypress
Bee Cool Honey
Copper Knoll Farms
DC Gallery & Studio
Deppenwood Products
Dream Trader Jewelry
Fey Fire Pyrography
Galactic Soup Art
Gourds by Bruce
Happy Goats Soap
Ralston “Hop” Edwards, Woodcarver
Hou-Tien Cheng, Chinese Paper Cuts
Jam Designs
Kathryn Bjorklund
Lakeview Studio, Feather Painting
Nara Spa Facial & Body Bar
Nature Photography by Phillip
NJERISTUDIO
Nutty Novelties
Paul’s Pottery
Peacewood Art
Pine Barrens Post
Ray Yoast, Woodcarving
Sacred Moon Jewelry
Author Samantha DeFrancisco
Savvy Fit Soaps
Seamles Art
The Ungroomed Shroom
The Potato Homestead
WheatonArts’ Potters

Live Music

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., enjoy live musical entertainment by South Jersey’s PackageGoods Orchestra band!

Food & Refreshments

Chef Steve’s Popcorn
Creeksedge Pizza & Grill
Frosbite
Mac’s & Munchies
Matty G Dogz, LLC

Environmental & Non-Profit Organizations 
Aerus
Art & Soul Center
City of Millville Recycling Coach
Creating Health, LLC
CU Maurice River
Cumberland County Mosquito Control Division
Natural Vineland
Nature, Here and Now! With Chris Egnoto
Renewal by Andersen
Seeds of Love Yoga
The Authority of Cumberland County
Tori’s Critters
White Cloud Therapies

Nurseries, Garden Clubs, & Farms
Countryside Garden Club
Earth & Sky Nursery
Faith Flower Farm
JL Mixner Nursery
Kumarie’s Organic Garden
Lavender and Old Lace
Millville Senior High School Greenhouse
Murphy’s Farm Market
Rutgers Cumberland County Master Gardeners
The Potato Homestead
Schmitt Family Farms
Shady Exotics
The Great Full Garden

Crowd of children and adults exploring the booths at the ECO Fair.
Become a 2024 ECO Fair Vendor - Apply Here!

Please check this page for updates as the event gets closer. Thank you!

Logo for Family Days: presented by PNC arts alive: be part of art
Logos for "The Authority: Improving Your Tomorrow.", "Rutgers: New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station." and "CU Maurice River." All logos are against a gray and white checkered background.