HalloWheaton

Image of the banner for HalloWheaton. The banner is dark blue on the left side before it fades into an image on the right. On top of the blue is white text that reads "HalloWheaton". Below that is more white text that reads "The Multiverse of African Cultural Heritage". Underneath, at the bottom of the banner, is small white text that reads "Saturday, October 26 FREE Admission". The image on the right side of the banner shows two people dressed in vibrant traditional clothing and masks participating in a Morenada Mask Dance with a large crowd in the background.

HalloWheaton and The Multiverse of African Cultural Heritage

Free Admission!
Saturday, October 26, 2024
12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

This event is rain or shine, scare-free, & family-friendly!

Find out why this event has become a local family tradition! Trick-or-Treat in your Halloween costume throughout the WheatonArts campus to meet & take photos with traditional costumed characters played by the talented Mystic Realms actors. Stop by our community partner booths for various activities & games, including Cumberland County Library, Department of Children and Families, Girl Scouts of South Jersey, Holly City Family Success Center of Millville, Ocean City Free Public Library, PRAC of Southern NJ, Seeds of Love Yoga Studio, and SERV.

Down Jersey Folklife Center
12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Join us for a day to explore The Multiverse of African Cultural Heritage in our region through narrated presentations of ceremonies, ritual mask dances, drumming and traditional crafts. The activities will highlight the cultural heritage of the African communities as well as those whose cultures have been influenced by African history, traditions, and aesthetics, including those from the Caribbean islands, Central and South America. The Honoring Our Ancestors theme of the day emphasizes historic connections between cultures celebrating Ancestral Connections, Halloween or Day of the Dead. Various displays and hands-on demonstrations in traditional arts, such as woodcarving, drum and mask making, dance garments, shekere traditions and hair braiding, will provide creative experiences and a deeper understanding of the various forms of African cultural heritage. All activities on that day aim to encourage a cross-cultural exchange of knowledge, ideas, and skills, thus inspiring conversations about beliefs, aesthetics and artistic expressions that have shaped the unique multicultural landscape of our area.

View Program Schedule Here!
Image of two people dressed in vibrant traditional clothing and masks participating in a Morenada Mask Dance with a large crowd in the background.
Image of three pieces from the Ceremonies in Circles exhibit on a white background. There are two tall drums that are wide at the ends and thin in the middles. The drum on the left has a light brown base with light brown stings extended vertically from the top of the drum to the bottom. A white strand is tied around the middle. The drum on the right is slightly shorter than the one on the left with a light brown strand tied around the middle and a reddish base color. In front of them is a smaller drum about half the size of the taller ones. This drum has a light beige base color and white vertical strands. Resting on top of the drum is the curved portion of a long, thin light beige piece with green patterned fabric wrapped around the end.
Image of a large orange pumpkin with triangular eyes and a large mouth carved into it. Hot glass is being blown into the top of the pumpkin so that a large glass bubble is coming out of the mouth. A pair on tongs is assisting the glass at the top of the pumpkin.
Image of a child dressed in a pirate costume holding a patterned Halloween Trick-Or-Treating basket with a light green handle toward a HalloWheaton performer outside in front of the blue WheatonArts Paper Studio. The performer has long red hair and is wearing a light pink gown with puffy sleeves, a large silver crown, and long light pink gloves. The performer is placing a HalloWheaton Trick-Or-Treating prize into the child's bucket.

Glassmaking Demonstrations

Join us in the Glass Studio throughout the day for mesmerizing displays of various hot glass processes. Watch as the Glass Studio Team manipulates hot molten glass with unconventional tools, such as pumpkins and seasonal gourds, to produce visually stunning sculptural objects!

Free Family Art Activities

Celebrate the colorful fall season with the following complimentary hands-on crafting activities that all ages can enjoy. All materials are supplied and projects can be taken home the same day!

Friendly Ghost Pom Pom Popper: Get ready for a spook-tacular fun & friendly adventure with our Friendly Ghost Pom Pom Popper craft activity! This imaginative DIY project is perfect for kids and the young-at-heart who love to combine creativity with a touch of ghostly charm. These adorable, ghostly figures can shoot colorful pom poms across the room for hours of entertainment!

Witch’s Spell Activity Sheet: Embrace the enchanting world of magic & mystery with our “Witch’s Spell Activity Sheet.” This activity will ignite the imaginations of budding sorcerers & sorceresses of all ages! Let your inner witch or wizard soar as you craft your own spell. 

A young girl creating a magnet with glue and glass frit to be fused together later in the kiln.

Make-Your-Own Fused Glass 

Design your own fall-inspired fused glass magnet, pendant, or suncatcher in the Education Studio! These fun fused glass projects are available for ages 5 & up (with parental assistance). Using pre-fused glass blanks, small pre-cut pieces of glass, and an assortment of accessory glass, create a design to be tack fused. We will fire your design and attach a bail, magnet, or leather cord, depending on your project choice. In 7-10 business days, 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 and $20 per suncatcher.

Food Vendors

Frosbite
Nauti Girl Food Truck
Tacos el Carbon

Image of the L.J. Zucca inc. logo. The background is white and features large slanted black letters that read "L.J. Zucca inc." The bottom part of the "Z" of "Zucca" extends to the end of "inc." underneath the rest of the letters that follow it and has white text inside that reads "Distributors". Two long black horizontal lines start at the top of the "Z" and extend to the end of "inc.". A smaller black horizontal line is overtop of "inc." and runs from the start of "inc." to the end of it.

Special Thanks to LJ Zucca, Inc. for their generous candy donation for HalloWheaton. 

This event is scare-free and family-friendly. Admission to HalloWheaton is FREE, part of the “WheatonArts Family Days! Presented by PNC Arts Alive!“ program. This event includes access to the Museum of American Glass, Down Jersey Folklife Center, Artist Studios, and Museum Stores.

The Multiverse of African Cultural Heritage is supported by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

PNC Bank Banner
Image of two children outside at HalloWheaton dressed in pink princess costumes. Each child has a tiara and a scepter and one child is carrying a purple trick-or-treat basket with black bats on it. The two children are walking in front of a larger crowd, many of who are wearing costumes of their own.