The West Windsor Arts Council and the Historical Society of West Windsor, New Jersey, are hosting a Broadcast Bash to commemorate the 85th anniversary of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio play.
The October 30, 1938 broadcast by the Mercury Theatre on the Air thrust Grover’s Mill and the surrounding area into the national spotlight as the supposed landing site of a Martian invasion.
The family-friendly event is slated for Sunday, October 29, 2023, 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for ages 3 to 17 years. They may be obtained online at westwindsorarts.org/event/broadcast-bash-85th
Costumes are welcome, but not required.
The Broadcast Bash events include:
• Tours of the historic museum property, including the Schenck Farmstead
• Talk with A. Brad Schwartz, author of Broadcast Hysteria
• Halloween crafts and snacks
• Live music from Karl Dentino and the Ragtime Relics
• Live painting demo by local artist Robert Hummel
• Prizes for best costumes
• Reveal of the Martian mascot sculpture, based on Jodi Walker’s winning design
The town had a similar sculpture drive five years ago for the 80th anniversary of the broadcast. There is a monument in Van Nest Park, in the heart of Grovers Mill, and The War of the Worlds-themed Grover’s Mill Coffee House in the Southfield Shopping Center.
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