The Addams Family House on Mindowaskin Pond

While following Lurch’s purple footprints throughout the park be sure to take a photo of the floating Addams Family house on Mindowaskin Lake. Playing off a beloved Westfield tradition, this Halloween house is a nod to the replica of the Presbyterian Church that signals the holiday season in December.

HAUNT YOUR HOUSE Decorating contest

Get in the spirit of the season with Westfield’s first annual “Haunt your House” Halloween House Decorating Contest. Community members will tour the decorations and vote for their favorites using an online map of participating homes. Which home will be the spookiest? The kookiest or the ookiest? Maybe it will be yours!

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Charles Addams Art Exhibit

The crown jewel of AddamsFest is sure to be the Charles Addams Art Exhibit graciously on loan to the Town of Westfield from the collection of the Tee & Charles Addams Foundation. Featuring 40 handpicked original drawings, cartoons and personal photographs, the collection features classic Addams Family pieces while brimming with hints of Westfield and highlighting Addams’ love of New York City. The exhibit will feature the unveiling of the newly emancipated Charles Addams Skeleton artwork. Affectionately named ‘Dudley’, this life-size Addams original, drawn during his Westfield childhood, spent almost a hundred years on the second floor of a barn on East Dudley Avenue. Current homeowners Jennifer and Samuel Khichi are lending it on a long-term basis to the town, generously sharing this valuable piece of history with the community.

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AddamsFest Opening Ceremony

The official kick off ceremony will take place at the Westfield Armory with welcoming remarks from Mayor Brindle and the presentation of the skeleton key to the city to a deserving individual. Winners of Westfield High School’s Charles Addams Cartoon Contest will be announced.

Gomez's Lecture series

Chas Addams was as interesting a character as any that appeared in his cartoons. Get to know the man behind the drawings, what inspired him, how he lived as a boy growing up in Westfield and dig deeper into the hidden messages behind his work.

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“Chill” At the Westfield Armory

Inspired by Charles Addams’ high school nickname, “Chil,” at the Westfield Armory will do just that - come for a relaxing outdoor respite from the weekend’s activities, listen to live music, play a game of giant chess, enjoy the street performers, witness an incredible pumpkin carving demonstration and dine al fresco on local fare from Westfield’s restaurants.

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Paranormal Investigations at the Reeve House

Are there ghosts in Westfield? The 1870 Historic Reeve House was occupied for more than 100 years before the Reeve brothers donated it to the Westfield Historical Society in 1985. Are any of their spirits still residing there? Walk through the house with New Jersey Paranormal experts to find out!

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Pugsley’s Trunk or Treat

The party is just getting started when the Halloween Parade ends.  The South Avenue train station becomes Halloween Trick or Treating central with Pugsley’s NEW Trunk or Treat.  Prizes will be distributed for best car decorations and an allergy-free zone will be available for trick or treaters with allergies.

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The Wicked Windows of Westfield

Destined to become an exciting new tradition that will delight residents and attract visitors from neighboring towns, The Wicked Windows of Westfield will transform Downtown Westfield’s storefronts into delightful Halloween displays. Look for some of Charles Addams’ favorite characters peering out from the windows!  And don’t forget to check out the festive murals on our businesses along South Avenue.

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Westfield High School Charles Addams Cartoon Contest Exhibit

Celebrating Charles Addams’ success as a Westfield High School alumnus - current WHS students created Addamseque cartoons inspired by a variety of themes, including his 1929 WHS Weathervane yearbook entry, which read, “He much amazed us.” And he still does! Judges include Esquire Magazine Cartoon Editor Bob Mankoff and representatives from the New Yorker and University of Pennsylvania School of Design, Addams’ alma mater. Winners will be chosen during the festival and participants’ work will be displayed online and at the Westfield Memorial Library and Town Hall.

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Morticia & Gomez’s Masquerade Ball

The weekend’s festivities kick off in high style when Morticia & Gomez Addams host their First Annual Masquerade Ball. After walking the purple carpet, guests will feast on Charles Addams-inspired gourmet fare served Goth style, sip smoldering libations and dance the night away in the incomparable James Ward Mansion.

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The Addams Family Fun Zone

Families will get ooky and spooky in Mindowaskin Park as they participate in a variety of activities including face painting, magicians, character visits and a Monster Mash Dance party they will never forget.

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Morticia’s Movies

Featured in several of Addams' cartoons, the Rialto is an essential component to both his hometown experience as well as AddamsFest. Beginning with a Movie with the Mayor, Mayor Shelley Brindle will join a new generation of fans at an early screening of The Addams Family on Saturday afternoon. Later in the evening, The Rialto will bring another Halloween favorite to Westfield with two showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Sure to draw audiences from neighboring towns, as well as Brad and Janet Fans locally, this just might prove to be a new Westfield tradition.  Morticia’s Movies will once again feature The Addams Family on Sunday.

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Charlie’s Ale Garden

Friends and neighbors will gather under the stars to enjoy a variety of beers and wine including a special Addams Ale as the Westfield Armory is transformed into a beer garden with live music. 

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The Optimist Club of Westfield’s Annual Halloween Parade and Costume Contest

A timeless Westfield tradition with an AddamsFest twist!  The Westfield Optimist Club’s Halloween Parade draws thousands of participants annually.  This year the parade will welcome visitors to the South Side of town and feature even more prizes and fun!  The Downtown Westfield Corporation will distribute prizes for a variety of Halloween and Charles Addams-themed categories.

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