Celebrate the Arts and Artists of South Jersey at the Appel Farm Arts & Music Center’s Annual Festival

The South Jersey Arts Fest is an annual celebration of the arts and local artists of South Jersey, featuring live music, craft vendors, food trucks, artmaking, culinary artists, and beer, wine, and spirits by local producers. People of all ages are welcome to attend this free event hosted by the Appel Farm Arts & Music Center on Saturday, April 26, from 11 AM to 3 PM, in Elmer, New Jersey. Appel Farm teaching artists will lead artmaking workshops, and local young artists who participated in the Scholastic Art Awards will display their artwork in a pop-up art gallery.

Over 34 vendors will be on site, including food trucks providing a variety of cuisine. Local fan favorite hot dog truck, Matty G Dogz, is among the food vendors at this year’s Fest. The family-run small business has been crafting traditional hot dog cart magic since 2000. Shaved ice truck, Kona Ice, offers a fun, customized, and nutritious experience, allowing customers to create their own flavor combinations. Kona Ice has popularized Vita-Blend and Fruit First shaved ice options that are lower in sugar, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and contain no high fructose corn syrup. Teenie Hut Jr's, the Elmer-based comfort food restaurant known also for its pirate-ship-shaped bouncy house for kids, will have a food truck at the Fest, providing their famous burgers and other tasty items. 

Bringing some of South Jersey's finest sips to this year’s Fest are Wagonhouse Winery, a family-owned vineyard and winery in South Harrison Township, and Farmers & Bankers Brewing, Salem County’s first craft brewery located in the historic First National Bank in Woodstown.

The indie folk acoustic duo AFTYN is among the local musicians who will perform on the main stage this year. Hailing from South Jersey, AFTYN is comprised of Guinnevere Philipp (vocals, guitar) and Chris Maher (guitar), who evoke an updated 70’s folk sound, blended with both classic and alternative influences. Soothing melodies and raw instrumentation are the core of the duo, who self-describe themselves as ‘modern hippies.’ Other music headliners include Danger Club, a regional five-piece pop-punk alternative music band from the Philly area. 

The Appel Farm Arts & Music Center is a multifaceted nonprofit regional arts center that was founded in 1960 by musicians and art educators Albert and Clare Rostan Appel when the couple transitioned their 176-acre farm into a thriving summer community. The center has blossomed since its start as an arts summer camp for children ages 7 to 17. 

Over the past several decades, Appel Farm has delivered transformative arts and learning experiences as the arts education leader in South Jersey. Appel Farm has evolved into a multidisciplinary arts facility serving hundreds of thousands of audiences, artists, and students through programs on its campus, in local schools, and in the community. The Appel Farm Arts & Music Center will celebrate a major milestone this November—its 65th Anniversary. 

The South Jersey Arts Fest has deep roots dating back to when Appel Farm first introduced its signature concert event in 1989, the annual Appel Farm Arts and Music Festival. For decades, the festival focused on folk music with well-known headliners, drawing crowds upwards of 10,000 people. Appel Farm, in recent years, introduced a festival showcasing wine and craft beers by local providers alongside live musical acts on the mainstage. 

“The annual arts and musical festival has evolved to what we now call the South Jersey Arts Fest,” says Dani Cooke, executive leader of infrastructure at Appel Farm Arts & Music Center. Also, “education has become a core component. Today, it's about celebrating youth, local artists, and regional creative expression. It is bridging the gap between our festival, history, and our current role as a hub for the arts and artists of South Jersey,” adds Cooke, who is a South Jersey native born and raised just 20 minutes outside of Elmer.  

“New Jersey has incredible artists and incredible art vendors,” Cooke says. “That's a big part of the Fest. We have multiple (craft beer and wine) vendors on site as well (representing the region). We're hoping to get back to where we used to be. So, the goal for this year is to attract thousands of (attendees).”

Cooke believes that a lot of focus on the art tends to lean towards Philadelphia and North Jersey. “But we have some really wonderful things in South Jersey,” she says. “We have Appel Farm. We have WheatonArts (Millville, NJ). We have Perkins Center (Moorestown, NJ). We have really amazing musicians and artists who deserve a space to show their art off.” 

Cooke adds that “it's really important to have these resources for the arts within driving distance. So that everybody has a fair shot. That's the whole game of Appel Farm Arts & Music Center. Everybody is an artist, and everybody has the right to the art.” 

What’s more, communities in South Jersey need a place for people to go and have access to the arts at little to no cost, Cooke says. “I believe that the arts are an indelible part of society. So as long as we're here, music is here, and the arts are here, we're good.” 

Cooke says that she personally wants to get more people on site at Appel Farm and to introduce more young people to the arts. “I want them to see what they can be, especially youth artists. It's great for them to see (fine artists) selling their paintings and professionals musicians playing on stage at the festival.” 

A special part of this year’s South Jersey Arts Fest is the Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, April 26, at 2 PM in the Theater.

Arts Fest attendees will have the chance to view the artwork created by talented student recipients that will be on display at a pop-up gallery.

To learn more about the South Jersey Fest and Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, visit https://appelfarm.org/.