Would you rather hang with the Addams Family or the Munsters? Or both? If you picked the Addams Family and were wondering if AddamsFest is happening this year, you’ll be happy to hear it is. But, of course, since this is 2020 we’re talking about, there will be some modifications and changes.
What is AddamsFest?
AddamsFest takes place in Westfield, New Jersey, the hometown of The Addams Family comic strip creator, Charles Addams. *snap, snap*
As we all know, the comic strip was adapted into a popular 1960s television show of the same name, and later into two live-action movies, The Addams Family (1991), Addams Family Values (1993), as well as an animated The Addams Family movie (2019).
In 2018 Westfield held the inaugural AddamsFest, which immediately became quite popular not only for Westfield residents but also for Addams Family fans in general.
2020 Events
The Wicked Windows of Westfield is “an artistic celebration of Halloween and The Addams Family.” Downtown Westfield and South Avenue businesses dress up their windows to transform the town into a spooky, kooky destination. They don’t say this on their event site, but I would totally make it a scavenger hunt to find all the windows and take pictures of them.
As in year’s past, the Haunt Your House Decorating Contest is back. That’s a fun one that lends itself to social distancing. It runs from October 8 – October 31.
The Draw This in Your Own Style: Addams Family Challenge is a social media-based challenge that invites artists to draw a certain Charles Addams cartoon that they’ve posted on the event site in their own style. Then they’re supposed to post it to their Instagram with the hashtag #DrawThisInYourStyle_Addams by October 20.
Halloween lovers are invited to drive through the “new and immersive” Tamaques Haunted Trail. By day it’s the family-friendly “Trick or Trail.” But after dark, it gets spookier as the “Trail of Terror.”
Take a self-guided stroll and enjoy all that Mystical Mindowaskin has to offer, including a Painted Pumpkin Path, Halloween Fairy Doors, an Enchanted Forest, and “the return of the Addams Family House on Mindowaskin Pond.” There will also be a variety of photo stops along the way.
What’s a Halloween celebration without carved pumpkins? The Maniacs’ Carving Contest will be conducted on Zoom and will show people how to carve pumpkins as well as give them a chance to enter and win prizes.
Then there’s Halloween’s other must-have: scary movies. On two nights, October 23 and October 30, Dudley’s Drive-In will present four movies, two each night. The first showing on both October 23 and October 30 is family-friendly. They’ll show The Addams Family movie and Hotel Transylvania. The second showings on both of those nights are not kid-friendly. They’re Psycho and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Charles Addams: A New York State of Mind is a virtual conversation hosted by Kevin Miserocchi, Director of the Tee & Charles Addams Foundation and personal friend of Charles “Chas” Addams. He’ll be talking about a new book that came out earlier this year, Addams’ Apple: The New York Cartoons of Charles Addams. “Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Charles and Tee Addams’ home in the Hamptons (‘The Swamp’), visit the pet cemetery where they were married, and explore the mysterious home where Charles Addams’ creations were born.”
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For More Info
Visit: https://www.addamsfest.com/
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Who’s your favorite Addams Family character?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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Morticia Addams is cool, but I think I like Lurch the best. Or Thing . . . let’s face it, ALL of the Addams are cool! Two of our black cats are named Pugsley and Wednesday. We also have a foghorn doorbell just like the Addams Family’s.:-) Snap, snap!
{SQUEALL!!!!!} OMG I love knowing this about your cats and your doorbell, and YES! They’re all cool characters. I agree with you. Morticia and Gomez are great but probably Lurch or Thing are my faves too.