A highlight of the Autumn is the Sussex County Heritage Weekend. This is a two-day event that the whole family can enjoy. And it is this weekend, October 10 and 11, 2026.
Engaging in the Heritage Weekend can allow you and your family to see the sights around the county and get the feel of our history, firsthand.
This great weekend has evolved from when it began in 2011. Many local historical societies open their doors, usually for only one or two times a year. This is one of the rare times this happens.
I’ve always enjoyed the trip out to Van Campen, a stone home and fort from before the Revolutionary War. The train show at the old Sparta Station is a cute way to introduce your kids to modeling. The local car shows have many friends tell about their cars. Yes, it is a fun day of short journeys near our home.
Below is a list of several special events planned for this weekend.
Revolution 250 Traveling Exhibit “Revolutionary Lives: Living the American Experiment Then and Now” - On View at SCAHC Sunday, Oct. 11 at 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., 133 Spring Street, Newton, NJ (this takes place at the home of Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council)
Special Exhibition “Posters for the People: Art of the WPA (Works Progress Administration)” - Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Peters Valley School of Craft, 19 Kuhn Rd. Layton, NJ 07851
Live Demo with Local Train Enthusiast - Saturday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sparta Train Station 30 Station Road, Sparta Township, NJ 07871
Fall Festival and Car Show - Sunday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Car Show: Municipal Lot #4, Fall Festival: Spring Street, Newton N.J.
History Talk: Women and the American Revolution - Sunday, Oct. 11, 1-2 p.m., 133 Spring Street, Newton, N.J.
Pop-Up Art Show - Sunday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Municipal Building, 39 Trinity St., Newton, N.J.
Van Campen Day - Sunday, Oct. 11, 12-4 p.m., Walpack Center, Main Street & NPS 615, Walpack N.J.
Brochures for the Heritage Weekend can be found at stores along our major highways in the county. It can also be downloaded at this site: https://scahc.org/heritageweekend On this site, you can see where the location of the events are, so that you can drive to them and between them.
I hope you enjoy the wonderful Fall foliage in our beautiful county.
Bill Truran, Sussex County’s historian, may be contacted at billt1425@gmail.com He is the author of “Honest Ogden.”
