Clinton Township Newsletter

2 8 o c t o b e r 2 0 2 4 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M Welcome to with Rachel Sprague * C linton ree Questions * Are you ready for some encounters of the third kind? To see some beings who maybe need to phone home? Or maybe a place that needs to be nuked from orbit? Well, you're in luck, because this year's theme of the Haunted Mill is "UFO: Unidentified Frightening Objects!" It's bound to be a galactically good time, as the Haunted Red Mill heads into its thirty-fourth year as one of NJ's Top Scare Attractions. C3Q: Hello Gina Sampaio, Director of the Red Mill. What can you tell us about this year's upcoming haunt? GS: The event runs for four full weekends this year! "UFO" will be presented on Fridays and Saturdays in October, with doors opening around 7:15 pm. Tickets will be available for sale online and at the gate each night. Visitors must have a ticket and be lined up no later than 10:00 pm to be admitted. There are mazes, chases, jump scares, and a hayride, before visitors enter the Mill itself, which has a haunted history. There are also Behind- the-Scenes events on Thursdays, where you can see a lights-on guided tour of the attraction, as well as "Happy Haunts," a low/no scare event designed for children (or squeamish adults), which is a guided tour of the Haunted Red Mill, with a hayride, cider, doughnuts, and face-painting. Happy Haunts will run during the Saturday daytimes in October. C3Q: How exciting, it is always so fun to see what is new this year! I can't wait! This event caps off a very busy season at the Red Mill; there have been so many fun events this year. What were some of the highlights? GS: One of our highlights this year was our "Salute to Service" in June, which was tied to the 80th Anniversary of D-Day; it included WWII-style music, Taps Ceremony, helicopter flyover, and really interesting exhibits in the Mill such as an Army Medical unit exhibit, a Civil War exhibit, a D-Day exhibit, and military transport exhibit. There was a Navajo Codebreaker activity as well; something for everyone to enjoy! C3Q: You've been the Executive Director at the Red Mill for nearly a year now, how is it going? GS: Overall, we've been really trying to insert the historical "mission" back into programs and events, and also bring fresh eyes to existing events. Our tour count this summer was fantastic, with at least 1400 kids coming through over the spring/summer. Having worked at the Mill as a docent and museum assistant previously (before being the Curator at the Lebanon Township Museum for 5 years), I was pretty familiar with the grounds, history and staff, and didn't have to learn everything from the ground up. The rest of the staff has been crucial, and I couldn't have done it without Deputy Director Elizabeth Cole, who has been at the Mill for at least 20 years, and Jim Bernardo, the Visitor Engagement Manager, whom you will often see giving school tours or working in the gift shop. The staff and trustees work together and have a wonderfully strong team, in addition to all of the volunteers. The Red Mill is open April through September, Wednesdays through Sundays, and then is open for special events such as the Haunted Mill and Festival of Trees. One goal of ours is to reach out more to local teachers and groups who have never been here before; it's a wonderful site for a field trip, with ten acres and twelve buildings, there is so much to see and do and learn about local history. C3Q: What do you wish more visitors knew about the museum? GS: While the Mill is certainly the star attraction, the Tenant House is really interesting. It is the only standing tenant house in North America, and was lived in until 1960, with no plumbing and no electricity; workers who lived there included quarry laborers and people who tended the lime kilns. However, it's the Screen House which is really my favorite. It is so charming and rustic, and the simple technology of it is so cool; it really changed people's lives with how people could more easily sift and crush stone. I totally recommend coming to the grounds and taking a tour and learning more, and also signing up for the Red Mill Newsletter, where we feature interesting facts about this site in addition to our upcoming events. Haunted Mill V o l u n t e e r Signup link: Interested in being a part of the amazing volunteer team that makes the magic happen? P l e a s e s i g n u p h e r e : h t t p s : / / b i t . ly/3Sd70ug. For more the most updated information as it becomes available (including ticket sales and discounts) please visit: https://theredmill.org/ events and be sure to follow: www. facebook.com/HauntedRedMill! n Local residents Rachel Sprague and her husband Russell are raising their two young children in Annandale. She thinks that Clinton Township is a delightful place to live.

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