(BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ) -- The Wharton Performing Arts School (PAS) is excited to share that its 2026 summer camps will take place in Berkeley Heights, ensuring campers can enjoy the program's most popular offerings. Full-day camp options are now available for children aged 7 and up, and half-day camp options begin at age 4.
Campers are invited to dive into the world of musical theater through the popular Theater Explorers program, where participants bring a weekly showcase to life based on a fun theme. In the afternoons, campers enjoy guest artist workshops led by Wharton Arts faculty, and Monday through Thursday, they can enjoy swimming at the Berkeley Heights YMCA pool across the street. On Fridays, all campers stay for a final dress rehearsal, culminating in a showcase for friends and family featuring songs, dance, and scenes from the week's camp.
In addition to Theater Explorers, PAS summer camps include programs such as Music Around the World, Meet the Instruments, Piano Explorers, and more, giving young artists a variety of creative experiences throughout the summer.
Said PAS Director Debra Joyal, "There's no place like home! We are thrilled to bring Performing Arts School summer camps back to 60 Locust Ave. This enables us to extend our season by two weeks and significantly enhance our curriculum by offering a full-day option. From working alongside professional artists in our black box theater to sunny afternoons at the Berkeley Heights YMCA pool, we can't wait to share this upgraded experience with your family."
Families interested in registering can find full camp details and schedules online at WhartonArts.org. Please note: New Jersey Youth Symphony summer camps will continue to take place in New Providence as originally planned.
The Wharton Performing Arts School (PAS) is proud to be part of Wharton Arts, New Jersey's largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center, serving nearly 2,000 students each year through a wide range of programs. PAS has been nurturing artistic excellence and creativity in the community for 40 years. Offering programs in music and performing arts, the school empowers students to develop their talents, confidence, and lifelong appreciation for the arts.
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.
