The Historical Society of West Windsor and several community partners are hosting the township’s first “Martian Weekend” from Friday through Sunday, October 24 through 26.
The event is meant to mark the anniversary of the infamous 1938 “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast by Orson Welles that placed sleepy Grovers Mill at the center of a nationwide panic.
On the evening of October 30, 1938, Welles and his Mercury Theatre troupe aired a science-fiction story describing Martians landing in Grovers Mill, near the intersection of Clarksville and Cranbury roads.
Though fictional, the program convinced some listeners that an alien invasion was real. The following day, newspapers across the country reported widespread alarm, cementing Grovers Mill’s place in pop culture history.
“Rather than fear the Martians, why not celebrate them?” organizers wrote in announcing the event.
Paul Ligeti, president of the Historical Society of West Windsor, said the anniversary is an opportunity for the community to turn the legendary broadcast into something engaging and family-friendly.
“As you may know, in 1938, Welles broadcast a radio play that depicted a Martian invasion of the planet earth and (supposedly) panic spread across the nation,” Ligeti said. “Regardless of fact or fiction, it remains one of radio’s most infamous events and pegged central NJ as the landing site.”
Ligeti said that in West Windsor Township (which hosts the “Grovers Mill” neighborhood — the “touchdown” site of the aliens in the 1938 radio play), a number of community institutions have united to plan a weekend’s worth of events around the historic event.
Ligeti said: “Called ‘Martian Weekend,’ this collaboration features history tours, radio reenactments, ham radio demonstrations, family-friendly trick-or-treating/arts-and-crafts, and even a brand-new play highlighting the broadcast’s production and legacy. All of these are free or very low-cost for the public. We intend for this to be an annual weekend of events.”
The three-day festival will feature themed activities across West Windsor. On Friday, visitors can take part in a live reenactment of the radio play at Grovers Mill Coffee House. Drinks and dessert will be available at the event, which starts at 7 p.m.
Saturday’s programming includes alien-themed arts and crafts and trick-or-treating at the historic Schenck Farmstead, home of the West Windsor History Museum. Businesses and community groups will decorate their cars and give away candy from 2 to 4 p.m. at 50 Southfield Road.
On Sunday morning, a guided bicycle tour will showcase local landmarks tied to the “War of the Worlds.” The nine-mile ride is open to ages 12 and up and starts at Grovers Mill Coffee, 295 Princeton-Hightstown Road at 10:15 a.m. Pay attention, as the winner of a trivia question will receive a free “War of the Worlds” painting by Robert Hummel. The roughly two-hour ride is free, but registration is required at www.westwindsorhistory.com/mars.html.
From noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, the Delaware Valley Radio Association will set up a station in Van Nest Park, 218 Cranbury Road, near the site of the fictional Martian landing and communicate with other ham radio users from around the world. Visit www.w2zq.com/calendar for more information.
Later on Sunday afternoon, West Windsor Arts invites you to step back in time to the night Orson Welles’ 1938 “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast. The broadcast, seen by some as a Halloween prank gone terribly wrong, comes to life in an original play called “Hysteria! Or, They Came Through the Air,” to be read at West Windsor Arts from 4 to 6 p.m.
Written by Greg T. Nanni, directed by Kelly O’Donnell, and featuring a cast of local community actors, “Hysteria! Or, They Came Through the Air” reimagines the famed broadcast that allegedly sparked widespread panic. Or did it?
“The play explores the making of the ‘War of the Worlds’ broadcast and why it was so bold and daring at the time,” says Nanni. “It had all these moments of genius, but ultimately it had a bad effect — leaving many people believing that the story was true.”
Nanni says he was always interested in how all the elements came together on that Mischief Night (the night before Halloween) in 1938 — the original book by H.G. Wells, the convincing reading by Orson Welles, and the alleged media coverage. “I was looking at the newspaper angle and how it helped to create this insane mass hysteria,” he explains. “It was shocking how the news made it sound like everyone ran outside to panic, when in reality most people, perhaps with their hearts racing from Welles’ rendition, never even left their homes.”
His play asks the question: Was the broadcast so impactful because people wanted to believe the story, or did the truth get lost in the noise?
Director Kelly O’Donnell adds that they are planning more than a staged reading that night, and are encouraging lots of audience participation. “We want to dramatize both the history and the myth,” she explains. “Greg’s play is a fun and fascinating way to celebrate West Windsor’s quirky claim to fame — a town famous for something that never happened.”
Conceived by West Windsor Arts Executive Director Aylin Green, and developed in collaboration with the Historical Society of West Windsor and historian A. Brad Schwartz, author of “Broadcast Hysteria,” the play draws parallels between the panic of 1938 and today’s digital world, where misinformation can spread at light speed.
“This production is creative, community-driven and rooted in local history — but it also sparks a bigger conversation about truth, media and belief,” says Green, who also serves as producer of the production at West Windsor Arts. “Above all else, it’s going to be a really fun way to celebrate this town’s unique history.”
After the reading, the audience can stay for a talkback with the playwright, director and creative team — including members of the Historical Society of West Windsor.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, $15, visit www.westwindsorarts.org/event/hysteria-or-they-came-through-the-air.
Throughout the weekend, families can also participate in Park Martian, a hide and find game held in West Windsor Township parks. Find all of the Park Martian posters in West Windsor Community Park, complete the Park Martian Location Sheet, and send it in to the Recreation Office for a chance to win a Park Martian T-shirt. There are a total of 11 hidden Park Martians.
The deadline for submitting the completed Location Sheet is Wednesday, December 1. Mail sheets to West Windsor Recreation, 271 Clarksville Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550, or email to wwrecreation1@gmail.com. Winners will be announced at the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, December 5.
More details and a full schedule of Martian Weekend events are available at MartianWeekend.Weebly.com.
