On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater On the Air captivated the nation and set off widespread panic — especially in New Jersey and New York — with a dramatization of H.G. Wells’s late-19th century fantasy “War of the Worlds.” Thousands of listeners across the country mistook the broadcast for news reports of an actual Martian invasion that detailed meteor landings in nearby Grovers Mill, New Jersey, and aliens killing earthlings with death-rays. What resulted was mass hysteria, with residents fleeing their homes or joining to combat the “Martians.”##M:[more]##
“David Sarnoff predicted and innovated the power of network broadcasting,” says Alex Magoun, executive director of the David Sarnoff Library on Fisher Place in West Windsor. “Welles’s broadcast showed how the media could instantly encourage national hysteria as well as national unity. We think that’s a powerful lesson worth repeating. Moreover, the Princeton Observatory and Grovers Mill, where the Martian launches and landing were reported, are only a mile away from us.”
The township presents a Halloween Parade and a “War of the Worlds” 70th anniversary celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. The family event will take place at Van Nest Park, adjacent to Grovers Mill Pond, on Cranbury Road.
Parking will be available at High School South and shuttle buses will take participants to and from Van Nest Park starting at 1:30 p.m. The festivities will kick off at 2 p.m. with a brief ceremony commemorating the anniversary. The Halloween parade, which will be held within the park, will begin at 2:15 p.m. The Cranbury First Presbyterian Church Brass Band will present a concert at 3 p.m. Crafts, rides, admission, and goody bags are free.
“A lot of water has gone over the Grovers Mill dam since their last visit,” says Magoun. “It’s time to let by-gones be by-gones, and welcome them back with a festival.” Inspired by suggestions, Magoun organized the first Martians for Education Festival, a collection of educational and entertaining events in West Windsor, Plainsboro, and Princeton.
“We’ve been hosting theatrical broadcasts of the 1938 War of the Worlds radio show since 2003 to help raise money for the library’s operations,” he says. “This year we decided to expand the theme and give something back to the community.”
David Sarnoff Library will once again stage Howard Koch’s War of the Worlds radio play as produced by the Hunterdon Radio Theater and the New Jersey Antique Radio Club on Saturday, October 25, in a 2 p.m. matinee and an 8 p.m. benefit. “There’s something magical about watching a live cast perform a classic script while surrounded by the sound and warm glow of wooden radios,” says Magoun. “The original broadcast was the first dramatic demonstration of the power of broadcasting on human behavior. It alternately serves as a caution to blind technological optimism and a call for more education.”
The evening benefit includes music by concert thereminist Kip Rosser, who will play the only musical instrument one doesn’t touch before the play and during the “Out of this World” dessert reception afterwards. The reception features desserts and drinks by Grovers Mill Gourmet Coffee & Tea, Lindt Chocolate, McCaffrey’s Bakery, Sotto Ristorante, and Wegmans Bakery. Tickets are $70, of which $55 is a tax-deductible contribution to the library, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity.
Halloween Parade and War of the Worlds 70th Anniversary, West Windsor Recreation and Parks, Van Nest Park, Cranbury Road, West Windsor, 609-799-2400. Saturday, October 25, 2 p.m.
War of the Worlds, David Sarnoff Auditorium, 201 Washington Road, West Windsor, 215-885-2195. Saturday, October 25, 2 and 8 p.m.
