Get ready to follow Alice down the rabbit hole into a land of wonder during this year’s Burlington County May Faire.
The annual spring festival returns to Historic Smithville Park on Sunday, May 19 and this year will feature a special Alice in Wonderland theme.
This is your chance to spend some time with the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, White Rabbitt, Queen of Hearts or, Alice herself. You’ll find them wandering the grounds of Smithville, along with other wonderous activities and games during this free, family-friendly event.
The fair begins at 11 AM and lasts until 4 PM.
“Hezekiah B. Smith founded Smithville as a company town in 1865, the same year that Lewis Carrol’s beloved children’s classic was first published, so we’re celebrating both the book and Smithville’s history during this year’s May Faire,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “There will be games, music, historical displays, horse and carriage rides, old-time baseball games, tours, theatrical performances and more. History and fantasy will both come alive during this incredible event.”
‘Curious and curiouser!’
Hezekiah Smith was a wealthy inventor, entrepreneur and politician who purchased the former village of Shreveville and transformed it into a thriving industrial town that was once the international center for the production of woodworking machinery and the famed American Star Bicycle.
May Faire celebrates that history, with a fantastical twist, as visitors experience a whimsical adventure with Alice and her Wonderland friends performed by Fortune’s Folly.
Learn about trees with Burlington County Parks naturalists and be rewarded with a special tea party with the Mad Hatter.
Play croquet with the Queen of Hearts outside Smithville Mansion and compete in the Giant Lawn Chess Game.
Watch Disney’s Alice in Wonderland during a special screening or experience the story live and in-person with a performance by the Riddlesbrood Touring Theater.
Other activities include a New Jersey Wheelmen display of vintage bicycles like the American Star cycles manufactured at Smithville, carriage rides through the village, historic arts and crafts demonstrations by a blacksmith, tintype photographer, yarn spinner and soap maker, plus an old-time baseball game featuring the Athletic Club of Philadelphia, played by 1864 rules.
There will also be presentations and displays by history groups from across the county, performances by Bubbleverse, American Magic Lantern Theater and Horn’s Punch and Judy Show, food trucks, beer garden and more.
The event is organized by Burlington County Parks with the support of the New Jersey Arts Council.
“Smithville is a beautiful destination all year long, but visitors will be amazed by what our Burlington County Parks staff have in store for May Faire,” added Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel, liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “The County event is a great way to explore all the park’s beauty and history while also enjoying a variety of free entertainment for all ages.”