Artists of all skill levels can register now for a free outdoor painting festival at one of Union County's most unusual historic sites: the Deserted Village of Feltville in Berkeley Heights.

The second annual Plein Air Painting Festival takes place Sunday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 9 Cataract Hollow Road, inside the Watchung Reservation. The event runs rain or shine.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners announced the festival on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Registration is open at www.ucnj.org/pleinair.

Participants bring their own painting materials and chairs. There is no cost.

Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek said the village's 19th-century houses and panoramic views provide a backdrop "where nature meets history, and where artists and visitors can draw plenty of inspiration from."

Vice-Chair Rebecca L. Williams, the board's liaison to the Cultural & Heritage Advisory Board, said the county is eager to build on last year's inaugural event by welcoming artists of all levels back to the site.

The event is organized through the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and funded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Site history

The Deserted Village sits on roughly 130 acres within the Watchung Reservation. David Felt bought 760 acres in 1845 and built a printing factory and workers' village along Blue Brook. By 1850, 175 people lived there. After Felt retired in 1860, the settlement emptied out, earning its nickname.

Warren Ackerman converted the ghost town into a summer resort called Glenside Park in 1882. The resort closed in 1916, and Union County folded the land into the Watchung Reservation in 1921. Today the district includes eight houses, a church, a carriage house and a general store that serves as a visitor center.

The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. More than $6.5 million has gone toward stabilizing and renovating the buildings, according to the county.

The grounds are open daily, dawn to dusk. The visitor center is open Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.

How to register

Registration is at www.ucnj.org/pleinair. For questions, contact [email protected] or call (908) 558-2550.