CultureQuest Bulletin Vol. 4: South Jersey October Events

2 days ago

5 min read

It's Fall ya'll! Let's get into it with this year's spooky and autumn season fun in South Jersey!

This month, we have not only some amazing events from our membership to share with you, but also a chance to meet us in person at one of our own collaborative events! Whether you stop by our table or enjoy the many free or low-dollar events/programs on this list, we hope you have the most incredible October full of fun!

We are excited to partner with Stockton University Performing Arts Center

Artists Featured: Ted Woods (Left), Tania Pomales (Center) | Event Featured: Día de los Muertos at the Noyes Arts Garage in 2025 (Right)

Stockton University PAC Pop-Up

South Jersey Cultural Alliance is excited to be partnering with the Stockton University Performing Arts Center for our Performing Arts Center (PAC) Pop-Up. This program brings up to 5 local South Jersey artists to a table outside of a performance to enhance the theatre-going experience with audience members.

This year, we are happy to have our artists tabling at the Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadow Performance on Saturday, October 10 at 6:00 PM. Tickets to the performance are limited, but feel free to stop by the tables to connect with local artists.

Purchase your tickets to the show: https://stockton.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1818

Browse the work of some of the local artists who will be featured and available for purchase outside the PAC. Go to our PAC POP-UP Featured Artists Blog to learn more about each of the artists!

PAC POP-UP Featured Artist Blog

Public book signing and meet-and-greet for John Schultz, author of "King of CLUBS"

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026

Time: 4:00 - 6 PM

Location: 10 S Essex Ave, Margate City, NJ 08402

You're invited to join the "King of Clubs" at Findz in Margate.

The event runs from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Partial proceeds benefit the SJAA.

About the Author

John Schultz's rags-to-riches story began in the 1940s in Atlantic City, where he grew up poor and lived with his family in one cramped apartment after another. Despite dropping out of school after the 8th grade, John had a burning desire to succeed and built on the success of each menial job to ultimately build a string of gay-oriented businesses. And what a successful life it's been!

Hamm-o-ween

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026

Location: Horton Street in Hammonton

Time: 6- 10 PM

Step into a world where creativity collides with the creepy. Hamm-O-Ween is a strange, spectacular celebration filled with unexpected performances, creepy crafts, and ghostly delights. It’s Hamm-O-Ween, where memories are made in moonlight. Join us as we create a playground for the weird and wonderful!

What’s Lurking in the Shadows:

Pop-Up Vendor Market featuring handmade goods & dark delights
Live Band & Spooky Music to move your bones
Epic Costume Contest with fang-tastic prizes
Freaky Photo Ops and interactive installations
Spine-Chilling Games all night
Admission is free!

For More Info: artclubhammonton@gmail.com

Trolls and Men

When World War II arrives on the doorstep of Norway, Julius Thoreson, the Artistic Director of the Trondheim Transformational Theatre, is thrust unexpectedly to the forefront of resistance against Nazi occupation. After being visited by the newly appointed Minister of Culture and Enlightenment, it is clear that Thoreson, his friends, and his theatre company have caught the eye of the fascist regime.

Through performance and a series of planned resistances, Thoreson’s theatre becomes a cultural battleground against the would-be Nazi occupiers. Based on a true story, TROLLS AND MEN is an inspiring tale about the power of theatre and the human spirit. Presented as part of our New Works Initiative, TROLLS AND MEN marks the ninth original piece produced by the Ritz in as many years. Join us for an evening of brand-new theatre and celebrate the work of local playwright Alex Wilkie.

Flagship: Second Friday Celebration at Bayshore Center at Bivalve

Where: Bayshore Center at Bivalve, 2800 High St, Port Norris, NJ, 08349, USA

Join us on Friday, October 9, 2026, to celebrate and partake in Bayshore’s Second Friday event and experience Flagship with NJMML artist Immanuel Oni. Inspired by a year’s worth of conversations and programs with community stakeholders in Millville, Bridgeton, Seabrook, Port Norris, Roebling, and Atlantic City, Flagship is a mobile monument that brings to life the stories of labor and migration that define South Jersey’s past and present.

Focused on the Black migrants who worked in Port Norris’s oyster industry planting, harvesting, shucking, and processing oysters for commercial markets, Oni’s program will address the artifacts, memories, and perspectives that NJMML project partners shared with him, and that make up the artistic vision of his monument.

Jazz and R & B music to be provided by the Eddie Jordan Trio!

Evesham: Victorian Ghost Stories

Description:

October 16–17, 2026 · Marlton, NJ

7:00–9:00 PM

$25 advance / $30 at the door

123 S Elmwood Rd, Marlton, NJ, 08053

Friday, October 16 · 7:00–9:00 PM

Saturday, October 17 · 7:00–9:00 PM

Throughout the nineteenth century, fictional ghost stories developed in conjunction with the Victorian fascination with death and the quest for proof of the supernatural. This era was a time of transition democratically, economically, and industrially. These changes cast shadows over daily life and thought, bringing both hope and a dash of anxiety. In literature, the ghost story offered a way of anchoring the past age to an unsettled present. These stories allowed the Victorians to keep one foot in the land of the living... and one beyond the veil.

Pumpkin Carving Linocut Print Workshop

Date & Time: Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 12- 2 p.m

Experience Level: All ages & experience levels welcome! We’ll provide plenty of pumpkin and Halloween-themed templates to help spark your inspiration.

Investment: $25 (All materials, carving tools, premium paper, and a few festive seasonal treats are included).

Reserve Your Spot

Hallowheaton

Date & Time: October 24, 2026 at 1 PM

Find out why this event has become a local family tradition! Trick-or-Treat in your Halloween costume throughout the WheatonArts campus to meet & take photos with traditional costumed characters played by the talented Mystic Realms actors.

Stop by our community partner booths for various activities & games, including Cumberland County Library, Ocean City Free Public Library, and more.

Sounds Like America

Date & Time: Friday, October 30, 2026

7:30 PM | Pfleeger Concert Hall

In her NPR series *America in Pursuit*, renowned pianist Lara Downes presents a unique program featuring live music and conversations with singer and cultural historian Rhiannon Giddens. Together, they explore the roots of American music and the intersections of various traditions.

Closed Captioning will be available at this performance in addition to our standard accommodations.

Need to dig in a little deeper? Check out our Public Events Calendar on our website or mobile app to find local arts and culture events and programs near you!

South Jersey Cultural Alliance enhances the region by promoting arts and history for all, building community connections, celebrating culture, and supporting South Jersey's artists and cultural organizations.

CultureQuest is a program of South Jersey Cultural Alliance. It is dedicated to highlighting arts, culture, and history in South Jersey through the interactive CultureQuest App, Map, Newsletter, and social media.