In partnership with the Authority of Cumberland County, WheatonArts presents the 18th 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, a Nature Trail tour, 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!

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!

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.: Herbal Healing with Bright Flower at Down Jersey Folklife Center

Join us for a hands-on Herbal Healing Workshop, where you'll discover the incredible power of native plants and their traditional uses for wellness. Learn how to identify, grow, and use medicinal herbs like Sage, Mint, Chickweed, Wild Bergamot, and Dandelion. Plant Your Own Herbs, Take home a tiny pot of planted medicinal herbs and start your healing garden. "Reprogram Your Thinking! We call "weeds" powerful gifts from the Creator—providing food, medicine, and healing for people and wildlife. Learn how we are one with nature and how simple changes in our thinking can restore balance to our health and the environment. It is time to reconnect with the Earth! Come, plant, learn, and grow with me!" (Tyrese Bright Flower)

1:00 p.m. - CU Maurice River- Keynote Speaker: Dr. Daniel Herrera at Event Center

"Cats, Conservation, and Common Ground: The need for responsible management of feral, stray, and outdoor cats"

Dr. Daniel Herrera is a quantitative wildlife ecologist studying human-wildlife dynamics and predation behavior at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Dr. Herrera uses motion-activated wildlife cameras and statistical modelling to explore how urban planning and human actions inadvertently impact animal behavior. While his research has spanned many species, Dr. Herrera has spent a considerable portion of his career investigating the ecological impacts of free-roaming domestic cats in protected areas with the aim of finding solutions that safeguard wildlife, public health, and animal welfare. Dr. Herrera holds bachelor's degrees in Environmental Science and Biology (double major) from Augustana College and a PhD in Environmental Science and Technology from the University of Maryland.

WheatonArts Teen Arts Council

The WheatonArts Teen Arts Council will be expanding Chalktopia with an environmentally themed mosaic mural! Join the group and use recycled materials to create the mural of their design. You can also make your own small mural to take home!
 
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.

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.

10:30 a.m. - Nature Trail Tour & Scavenger Hunt at Meet at the CU Maurice River booth.

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.

Artist Demonstrations

Glass Studio
Watch ongoing demonstrations throughout the day. Speak with the artists about the current work they are demonstrating and feel free to ask questions about their process!

Pottery Studio
Watch Clint Hunter as he demonstrates working with clay on the pottery wheel.

Flameworking Studio
Watch artist Bill Futer making marbles over the torch.

FREE Family Art Activities

Nature View Finders
Discover nature like never before with our nature view finder craft activity! Using our informational pages on bark, clouds, and plants in New Jersey, participants will create their own handheld viewfinders to explore the world around them.

Butterfly Life Cycle Diorama
Bring the magic of metamorphosis to life with a 3D Butterfly Life Cycle Diorama! In this hands-on craft, participants will create a vibrant, interactive model showcasing each stage of a butterfly's transformation—from egg to caterpillar, chrysalis, and finally, a beautiful butterfly.

Flying Bee
Watch your bee glide from flower to flower in this fun and interactive Flying Bee Craft! Using recycled paper towel and toilet tissue rolls, you'll create a cheerful bee with bright yellow and black stripes, playful googly eyes, and paper wings.

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.

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.

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

Food & Refreshments
Creeks Edge Catering & BBQ
Dough Dudes LLC
Macs N Munchies
Matty G Dogz LLC
Top Shelf Mobile Cuisine