The town of Westfield, New Jersey is gearing up to celebrate the enduring legacy of The Addams Family with AddamsFest 2019. Back in 1938, Charles Addams created a family of delightful miscreants for a decades-long series of cartoons printed in The New Yorker. His work presented a skewed showcase of suburban American life, with the dark sensibilities of his macabre subjects contrasting against their genuine love and affection towards one another.
Over 80 years later, The Addams Family, as they came to be known, remain a seminal piece of Americana, with multiple television series, musicals, and motion picture adaptations to its name. The latest take on Charles Addams iconic creation comes in the form of a new animated film from directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan (Sausage Party). Boasting an all-star cast consisting of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Bette Midler, Chloe Grace Moretz, and more, The Addams Family has proven enough of a financial success that a sequel is already slated for October 2021.
The enduring legacy of Charles Addams is evident in his hometown of Westfield, New Jersey, which is home to AddamsFest, an annual celebration of all things Addams. Across two weekends (October 19-20 and October 26-27), the town of Westfield will be transformed into a festival for Charles Addams and his most well-known work, The Addams Family.
AddamsFest 2019 marks the second annual celebration of The Addams Family in Westfield. The festivities this year aim to be bigger and better than the inaugural offering, which was already a significant success for the town and its mayor, former HBO executive Shelley Brindle. Across the two weekends, Westfield will host a wide variety of events, including movie screenings, a masquerade ball, and costume contests for humans and dogs alike. For the more educationally-inclined, "Lurch's Lecture Series" will offer a series of talks about The Addams Family (and adjacent subjects) and there will even be a walking tour of Charles Addams' favorite neighborhood haunts, as well as exhibitions of some of his priceless artwork. There are many other events for tourists to enjoy over the two weekends, and more information can be found on the AddamsFest website.
The Addams Family has never really faded from the public consciousness, but they're certainly having a particularly strong moment right now. Thanks to the financial success of the latest film, as well as the growing phenomenon of AddamsFest, the legacy of Charles Addams is arguably stronger than it's ever been. Thanks to AddamsFest, fans and tourists from all over can visit town of Westfield, New Jersey to learn about Mr. Addams while celebrating his work.
Source: AddamsFest