(ELIZABETH, NJ) -- Wharton Arts will bring music to the mall on Sunday, March 16, 2025 from 12:00pm until 6:00pm at The Mills at Jersey Gardens. Families and audiences of all ages are invited to Jersey Gardens for a day of creativity, community, and inspiring performances.
The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS) returns to The Mills at Jersey Gardens (651 Kapkowski Road in Elizabeth), New Jersey's largest outlet and value retail center, for its annual Playathon as part of the 2025 Wharton Arts Day. Over 500 talented young musicians will entertain shoppers with pops favorites, including symphonic highlights from Harry Potter, The Lord of The Rings, and Star Wars. Audience members can bid on a chance to conduct the 500-piece orchestra and the crowd favorite Stars and Stripes Forever at 5:15pm. In addition to the festival orchestra performance in Center Court at 4:00pm, an additional stage will feature NJYS jazz and woodwind performers beginning at 1:00pm.
Wharton Arts welcomes guests to experience the performing arts up close—with free participatory music-making stations and performances by over 700 young musicians from the New Jersey Youth Chorus, New Jersey Youth Symphony, Paterson Music Project, and Performing Arts School. All are encouraged to celebrate the festivities!
Said Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Helen Cha-Pyo, "Wharton Arts Day is like a giant musical party at the mall! There’s nothing more exciting than filling the space with the energy and passion of over 700 young musicians. From movie soundtracks to jazz grooves, and even the chance to conduct a 500-piece orchestra, there’s something for everyone. We invite the community to experience the joy of live music, engage in hands-on activities, and witness the incredible talent of our students. This event not only showcases the powerful impact of music education but also reinforces our commitment to making the performing arts accessible to all."
As the youth orchestra program’s largest fundraiser, Playathon helps provide financial assistance for students who would not otherwise be able to participate in NJYS, as well as ensures the continuation of programs that support excellence in music education for all. This year, 20% of donations made to the Playathon on March 16 will go to support MusiCares’ fire relief effort to support music professionals impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.
To learn more or donate to the NJYS Playathon, visit playathon.givesmart.com.
Wharton Arts Day Schedule
Center Court
12:00pm Performing Arts School
1:00pm Paterson Music Project
2:00pm New Jersey Youth Chorus
4:00pm New Jersey Youth Symphony PLAYATHON
Pop-Up Stage near Saks OFF 5TH
1:00pm New Jersey Youth Symphony Fortissimo Flutes
1:30pm New Jersey Youth Symphony Clarinet Ensemble
2:00pm New Jersey Youth Symphony Jazz Program including the Jazz Orchestra, Big Band, and Jazz Workshop
Kids Zone near Center Court
12:00pm – 3:15pm Instrument Petting Zoo, Art Activities, and more!
Kids Zone (Zona Infantil) Schedule
12:00pm-12:45pm Paper Violin Craft (Manualidad de Violín de Papel)
12:45pm-1:00pm Drum Circle #1 (Círculo de Tambores)
1:00pm-1:45pm Hosophone Activity (Actividad de Instrumento con Manguera de Jardín)
1:45pm-2:00pm Drum Circle #2 (Círculo de Tambores)
2:00pm-2:45pm Make your Own Pan Flute (Haz Tu Propia Flauta de Pan)
2:45pm-3:15pm Drum Circle Finale #3 (Círculo de Tambores)
Wharton Arts’ mission is to offer accessible, high quality performing arts education that sparks personal growth and builds inclusive communities. Wharton Arts’ vision is for a transformative performing arts education in an inclusive community to be accessible for everyone.
Wharton Arts is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving nearly 2,000 students through a range of classes and ensembles. The 5 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Chorus, an auditioned choral ensemble program for students in grades 3–12, encourage a love and appreciation of choral music while nurturing personal growth and creative development. The 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve nearly 600 students in grades 3–12 by audition, inspire young people to achieve musical excellence through high-level ensemble training and performance opportunities. Based in Paterson, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of Wharton Arts that uses music education as a vehicle for social action by empowering and inspiring young people to achieve their full potential through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing. From Pathways classes for young children to Lifelong Learning programs for adults, the Wharton Performing Arts School has a robust musical theater and drama program and offers both private and group classes for instruments and voice for all ages and all abilities. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and that performing arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton Arts offers need-based scholarships.
Wharton Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 12 counties. All of Wharton Arts’ extraordinary teaching artists, faculty members, and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.
