Burlington Review

Burlington County residents and visitors are invited to Historic Smithville Park for an evening of fine art, music, and theater during the upcoming Arts After Dark festival.

The special after-hours event returns to Smithville on Sept. 28 and will feature an eclectic mix of art, music, film, food, and entertainment for a celebration of creativity and self-expression.

“Burlington County is full of history and natural beauty with a vibrant arts scene,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “There will be film, fine art, light displays, mural making, jazz and DJ music, wine and cheese tastings to name a few. There’s something for everyone to enjoy.”

The free event will begin at 4 PM and run until 9 PM.

This year’s festival will feature the launch of Burlington County Troll Trek, a new public art exhibit inspired by world-renowned sculptor Thomas Dambo’s Big Rusty troll made mostly from recycled material at the site of Hainesport’s future Creek Turn Park.

To help amplify Dambo’s message and give Big Rusty some new friends, the County enlisted artists from across the region to create 18 additional trolls from recycled and natural materials. They will be placed in outdoor locations throughout the county.

Two of the new trolls will be unveiled in Smithville Park at 6 PM as part of the Arts After Dark festival. A map detailing the exact locations of the other trolls will also be released that evening.

In addition to the kickoff of Troll Trek, this year’s festival will also feature a crankie festival featuring seven distinct crankie shows created by national artists and performers.

Crankies are among the oldest storytelling art forms. They are made from long illustrated scrolls that are wound onto two spools and then fed into a lighted box with a viewing window. The score is hand-cranked while the story is told or music is played or sung.

In addition to the crankie shows, festival-goers will also be able to learn about other early forms of cinema and glass art during the final day of the Magic Lantern Exhibit in the Workers House Gallery, which will be open late throughout the festival.

The Smithville Mansion Annex Gallery will also be open with an exhibition of tattoo art, including sketches, designs, and other tattoo-inspired artwork.

There will also be a pop-up art gallery, interactive black light art exhibit, an outdoor light and cinema show, typewriter poetry theater performances live music food trucks more

Once it gets dark Smithville becomes canvas fantastic light cinema show featuring projections illuminate Smithville Mansion grounds creating otherworldly experience visitors participate interactive black light art show inside Smithville barn

There plenty more do see this year including theatrical performances live music mural painting tintype photography demonstrations much more Visitors can attend wine cheese tasting hosted Main Street Mount Holly Association delicious bites assortment food trucks site

“Burlington County has one of best park systems region Arts After Dark festival helps us showcase traditional cutting-edge art forms along beauty history fun found in Smithville Park,” said Commissioner Allison Eckel liaison Department Resource Conservation Parks “Come enjoy unique celebration help support arts Burlington County”