(ELIZABETH, NJ) -- Families from across Union County and surrounding communities are invited to experience the joy of music at Wharton Arts Day 2026, a free afternoon of interactive musical activities and live performances on Sunday, March 22, from 1:30pm–5:30pm at The Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth.
Designed as an accessible, family-friendly arts celebration, Wharton Arts Day brings together youth musicians, educators, and community members for hands-on musical exploration culminating in a live orchestral pops concert. The event highlights Wharton Arts' mission to expand access to high-quality arts education while serving diverse communities through inclusive programming.
Said Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Helen Cha-Pyo, "Wharton Arts Day is our annual gift to the community, a joyful celebration of music and togetherness. Families of all ages are invited to explore hands-on musical activities and experience the powerful sound of an orchestra featuring more than 500 Wharton Arts young musicians performing iconic movie music and Broadway favorites. It's truly a gigantic musical celebration, and we invite everyone to come join the fun!"
"With nearly 600 young musicians performing, Wharton Arts Day fills the community with the energy of full orchestras, choirs, and interactive opportunities," said Erika Fanelle, Trustee and Interim Executive Director. "The event reflects our broader mission to provide high-quality, inclusive arts education and to share those experiences directly with our local communities."
2026 Wharton Arts Day takes place on Sunday, March 22 from 1:30pm–5:30pm at The Mills at Jersey Gardens (651 Kapkowski Road) in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Admission is free and open to the public.
New Jersey Youth Symphony Jazz Pop-Up Stage | 1:30pm–3:00pm. The celebration begins with a special New Jersey Youth Symphony Jazz Pop-Up Stage located in front of Saks OFF 5TH. Featuring student jazz ensembles, this lively pre-event performance invites shoppers and visitors to experience live music throughout the mall and sets the stage for an afternoon of interactive musical discovery.
Interactive Music Activity Zones | 1:30pm–3:00pm. Visitors are invited to explore four interactive Music Activity Zones located throughout the mall. These hands-on engagement areas allow participants of all ages to create, play, and discover music alongside Wharton Arts students and artistic staff.
New Jersey Youth Chorus: Karaoke & Community Sing-Along | Upper Level by Metro Mart. An interactive vocal experience where participants sing alongside choristers, learn simple songs, and celebrate the joy of making music together.
New Jersey Youth Symphony: Orchestral Instrument Petting Zoo | Center Court. A hands-on introduction to orchestral instruments where visitors can see, touch, and try instruments while meeting youth musicians and learning how sound is created.
Performing Arts School: Early Childhood Music Exploration & Instrument Craft | Lower Level by Polo Ralph Lauren Children's Factory Store. Young learners explore early childhood instruments through guided musical play and create their own musical crafts to take home.
Paterson Music Project: Interactive Musical Games | Lower Level by Simon Guest Services & Entrance D. High-energy rhythm and movement activities including tempo walk, body percussion, and hand drumming that build musical skills through teamwork and play.
Festival Orchestra Pops Concert | 4:00pm–5:30pm. The afternoon concludes with the New Jersey Youth Symphony PLAYATHON and Wharton Arts Festival Orchestra Pops Concert in Center Court, performed by nearly 600 student musicians from across Wharton Arts programs. The family-friendly program features beloved cinematic and video game music, including Mission: Impossible (new this year!), Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Members of the New Jersey Youth Symphony unite for the annual PLAYATHON fundraiser, now a part of Wharton Arts Day, raising nearly $100,000 in support of music education programs and scholarships that expand access to the performing arts for young people across the region.
Community Impact: Wharton Arts Day is designed to serve Union County families and neighboring communities by providing free access to live arts experiences, showcasing youth-led artistic excellence, offering bilingual programming to welcome diverse audiences, creating meaningful community engagement through music education. Held in one of New Jersey's most visited shopping destinations, the event removes traditional barriers to arts participation by meeting families where they already gather.
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 over 500 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.
