Fire Muster & Fire Fighter’s Family Day  Returns to WheatonArts on August 17

Fire Muster & Fire Fighter’s Family Day  Returns to WheatonArts on August 17

Image of the banner for Fire Muster. The banner includes an image of a red antique fire truck outside in front of the WheatonArts lake at Fire Muster. There is a hose on the left side of the truck that is shooting a stream of water in an arc into the lake. In the top left corner of the banner there is white text that reads "44th Annual Fire Muster in partnership with the Glasstown Antique Fire Brigade" and more white text underneath that reads "Sunday, August 17, 2025 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.". "WheatonArts" is written down the side of the right of the banner in white text with a rainbow shadow behind it.

Millville, NJ (August 8, 2025) – The 44th annual Fire Muster & Fire Fighter’s Family Day, presented by the Glasstown Antique Fire Brigade, will take place at Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center on Sunday, August 17, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Explore over 80 antique fire trucks from the Mid-Atlantic States on display through the WheatonArts campus. 

This year, the fire truck used during the episode Peyton’s Places: The Santa Game will be out for presentation! The truck featured in the segment is a very rare 1961 Ward LaFrance Firebrand model. The FireBrand was introduced in 1960 and manufactured for just under 3 years by Ward LaFrance, located in Elmira Heights, New York.  With only 109 Firebrands manufactured, few are known to remain in running condition. This truck and its sister truck are part of Glasstown Antique Fire Brigade member John Burzichellis’ Ward LaFrance collection.

Visitors will be able to take pictures as they climb aboard the fire truck and stand in the same spot as Peyton Manning did during the episode. 

Fire Muster is FREE and open to the public, part of WheatonArts Family Days, presented in part by PNC Arts Alive. All WheatonArts exhibitions and artist demonstrations are free for the day as well.

Event Highlights Include:

  • Water pumping displays of fire hoses into the lake
  • A firematic Flea Market
  • Apparatus judging and awards presentation
  • Take a photo with the truck used 
  • Dramatic exit of the fire trucks’ driving off the grounds at the end of the event
  • Free Family Art Activities including Three-Dimensional Flames, Fiery Sun Collages, and Paper Sunflowers.
  • Create glass-fused suncatchers, magnets, and pendants in the Education Studio! Available for ages 5 and up (with parental assistance) at event-discounted prices. 
  • Grab a bite to eat from one of the food vendors.
  • Watch artist demonstrations in the Glass, Pottery, and Flameworking Studios.
  • Visit the Museum of American Glass for an exhibition highlights tour at 2 p.m.
  • Walk through the current exhibit, Communities and Cultures of Down Jersey, at the Down Jersey Folklife Center.

More details can be found online at wheatonarts.org or by calling 856-825-6800. 

The Glasstown Antique Fire Brigade is the South Jersey chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America (SPAAMFAA). This national organization of over 3,000 members and over 50 chapters was organized in 1958 in Syracuse, NY.

WheatonArts strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events, and programs to all persons with disabilities. Provide two weeks’ notice for additional needs. Patrons with hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts through the New Jersey Relay Service (TRS) at 800-852-7899 or by dialing 711.

Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New Jersey Cultural Trust. WheatonArts also receives general operating support from the New Jersey Historical Commission, Division of Cultural Affairs in the New Jersey Department of State, and is supported in part by the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism. 

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About WheatonArts: With a history spanning over five decades, WheatonArts has earned regional, national, and international recognition for its unique collections and programs. The Museum of American Glass (accredited by the American Alliance of Museums) houses one of the most comprehensive collections of American glass in the country – from the first glass bottles made in America to celebrated works by Dale Chihuly, Paul Stankard, and other contemporary glass artists. Visitors experience the art of glassmaking, ceramics, and flameworking in the Artist Studios. From April through December, the Museum of American Glass and Down Jersey Folklife Center present special exhibitions. WheatonArts also offers traditional and multicultural programs, classes, workshops, performances, and weekend festivals. The award-winning Museum Stores offer traditional and contemporary art and craft in all mediums.

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