What To Do: Have a blast at Fort Mifflin

Halloween is over so, it’s….wait for it….Christmas!

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

Are you ready for “Siege Weekend”?

It’s not an endless parade of kids looking for Halloween candy — that was last weekend. And, it’s not a weekend visit by unwelcome guests — that could happen anytime.

“Siege Weekend” is an annual celebration of an event that is almost as old as our nation — an event that took place at Fort Mifflin (Fort Mifflin and Hog Island roads, Philadelphia, 215-685-4167, www.fortmifflin.us).

On November 8 and 9, the Olde Fort Mifflin Historical Society will celebrate the 237th Anniversary of the “Siege & Bombardment of Fort Mifflin.”  There will be two days of activities commemorating the historic siege and bombardment of Fort Mifflin that took place in 1777. The event gets underway each day at 10 a.m. and continues until 4 p.m.

Fort Mifflin, which was originally called Fort Island Battery, was commissioned in 1771. It was also known as Mud Island Fort because it sits on Mud Island (also known as Deep Water Island) on the Delaware River near the Philadelphia International Airport. During the American Revolutionary War, the British Army bombarded and captured the fort as part of their conquest of Philadelphia in autumn 1777.

During the siege, 400 American soldiers held off more than 2,000 British troops and over 250 ships that had been responsible for launching an endless barrage of cannonballs into the fort. After five days of holding off the British, the American troops evacuated the fort after having successfully denied the British Navy free use of the Delaware River.

Activities at this weekend’s commemoration will depict life in the 18th century and also feature weapons demonstrations, tactical demonstrations, musket drills for youngsters and a scavenger hunt. There will be military re-enactors portraying both American and British forces as they commemorate the largest bombardment that took place in the entire American Revolution.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $4 for children.

Contrary to what some national coffee shop chains would like you to believe, there is no truth to the statement “bitter is better” when referring to fresh-brewed coffee. Bitter coffee is the result of a pot of coffee sitting on a burner too long, brewing the coffee using beans that are too finely ground or making the brew with dark-roasted beans.

When beans are roasted dark, oils rise to the surface. The taste gets bitter and the true flavor of the beans used is no longer in play. It’s like taking a prime piece of filet mignon and cooking it to a charred, well-done state. No matter how good the cut of beef was, all you taste is dry, overcooked meat.

If you want to experience good coffee brewed from properly-roasted, freshly-ground beans, there is an event this weekend that you should check out. On November 8 and 9, the Second Annual Coffee & Tea Festival Philly will be held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, 631-940-7290, http://www.coffeeandteafestival.com).

More than 40 exhibitors from around the country will be offering tastings of their finest coffees and teas and introducing visitors to new products. Industry professionals will talk about the coffees and discuss pairings with food. The exhibit hall will feature a wide array of sweet and savory foods to compliment the spectacular collection of local and national coffees and teas.

As an added attraction, the first 1,000 attendees to walk through the doors each day will be handed a free gift bag. The festival will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. Admission is $20 for one day of $30 for a two-day pass.

Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) celebrates autumn with its annual Chrysanthemum Festival every year. The 33^rd Annual Mum Fest, which runs through November 23, is an expansive exhibit featuring more than 20,000 colorful, blooming chrysanthemums in Longwood’s huge conservatory.

Longwood’s horticulturalists have grown and developed the mums into a variety of unusual forms. They have groomed chrysanthemums to resemble clouds, torches, spirals, fans, 13-foot arches and more. This year, Longwood has the largest chrysanthemum outside of Asia on display. Admission to Longwood Gardens is $20 for adults, $17 for seniors (62+) and $10 for students (ages 5-18).

If you look at the calendar, you’ll see that Thanksgiving is still almost three weeks away. If you look around you, you will see that the Christmas season has already arrived.

This weekend, you can get a glimpse at how holidays are celebrated in Eastern Europe and Russia by visiting the festival at Saint Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church (1855 North Middletown Road (Route 352), Gradyville, 610-459-5310, www.sthermansoca.org).

The annual Christmas bazaar and food festival at St. Herman, which is running from November 7-9, features authentic Eastern European cuisine. Visitors to the 2014 “Food Festival & Holiday Shopping Extravaganza” will be able to enjoy such taste treats as Beef Stroganoff, hiluski (stuffed cabbage), kielbasi and freshly-made pierogies in the dining room.

The Russian Tea Room will feature dessert items such as poppy cake, nut rolls and other Russian baked goods along with authentic Russian chai (tea). The festival will also host an expansive gift shop with a wide array of Eastern European and Russian items, including icons, jewelry, books and pysanki (Ukrainian-style decorated eggs).

Live entertainment will be provided by the Kovriga Balalaika Orchestra, the Shoreliners Polka Band, Just Us Rock’N’Roll and Black Sage Bluegrass. There will also be demonstrations of traditional folk dancing. The festival, which features free admission, will be open from noon-8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and noon-4 p.m. on Sunday.

You can also get a look at German holiday traditions this weekend.

The German Christmas Festival, which is also known as Christkindl Markt, will take place November 8 at the Delaware Saengerbund (49 Salem Church Road, Newark, Delaware, 302-366-9454, www.delawaresaengerbund.org). The free event is scheduled to get underway at 11 a.m. and continue through 5 p.m.

The kitchen will open at 11 a.m. and feature a wide array of German cakes and pastries along with a variety of hot food and sandwich items. The Bauernstube (restaurant) will be open all day with food and beverages. A number of vendor booths will be set up at the festival featuring imported candy, handmade articles, German Christmas items and ornaments, bakery items, a White Elephant sale and a children’s gift shop.

There will be live entertainment all day with dance performances by the Children’s Enzian Volkstanzgruppe at 1:30 p.m. and seasonal music by Enzian Musikanten the throughout the day, Santa is scheduled to arrive between 3:30 and 4 p.m.

Beginning November 8, Nemours Mansion & Gardens (Route 141 South, Alapocas Drive, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-651-6912, www.nemoursmansion.org) is welcoming visitors for the Christmas holidays with special holiday-themed tours. The three-hour tours are held Tuesdays through Sundays and run from November 8 through December 31.

Originally constructed in 1910, Nemours Mansion is one of Delaware’s grandest buildings and includes the largest formal French garden in North America. The house was the residence of Alfred I. DuPont and is presented as a “home” rather than a “museum”. It contains more than 70 rooms over five floors that occupy 47,000 square feet. Its unique furnishings include rare French 18th century furniture.

During the holiday period, the guided tours will include several stories of the house and part of the gardens. Many of the rooms featured in the tour will be decorated as they would have been when DuPont resided there in the early 1900s while some will retain their traditional period decorations.

Tickets for the tour at Nemours are $15.

Koziar’s Christmas Village (782 Christmas Village Road, Bernville, 610-488-1110, www.koziarschristmasvillage.com) has started its 67^th annual season and it will remain open every night through January 1 — including Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Night.

The village is a visual wonderland with a large amount of holiday displays and special attractions including “Santa’s Post Office,” “Christmas in the Jungle,” “Toy Maker and his Toy Shop” and “Christmas in Other Lands. Other attractions are a huge model train display, a toy shop, a country kitchen, indoor and outdoor Christmas displays. Admission to Christmas Village is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors (65 and older) and $7 for children (ages 4-10).

From a theatrical standpoint, the holiday season has definitely arrived in Lancaster County.

The American Music Theatre (2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, 800-0 648-4102, www.AMTshows.com) has its holiday show running now through December 30 and the Rainbow Dinner Theatre (3065 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, 800-292-4301, www.RainbowDinnerTheatre.com) is presenting its holiday production now through December 28.

The AMT’s 2012 show “Joy to the World” features a performance of holiday music with renditions of such classics as “Merry Christmas, Darling,” “Jingle Bells,” “White Christmas,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “O Christmas Tree,” “O Holy Night,” and “Joy to the World.” It is an all-new presentation of favorite sacred and secular holiday songs performed by professional artists from across the country.

The show will feature spectacular vocal harmonies, lively musical arrangements, impressive dancing and the music of the AMT Orchestra. Also featured will be elaborate scenery, elegant costumes and a theater decked out with holiday decorations. Tickets are $42.

The new production at the Rainbow Dinner Theatre in Paradise is titled “Burglar’s Holiday.” The intimate theater presents comedy plays exclusively and this one fits right in. Two of the worst burglars ever try to exploit a young couple’s holiday vacation plans by stealing everything in their home. Crime loses and Christmas wins in this lovingly loony Christmas comedy.

Matinee performances are every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and selected Saturdays with an 11:30 a.m. lunch and a 1 p.m. curtain. Evening performances are every Friday, Saturday and selected Thursdays with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the show following at 8 p.m. There will also be “Twilight Performances” on selected Sundays with dinner at 2:30 p.m. and the show at 4 p.m. Ticket prices range from $48-$54.

For those of you who want to get a jump on your holiday shopping, there are plenty of options this weekend with a number of craft shows, art shows and antiques shows on the calendar.

The 2014 Holiday Fine Craft Sale at Historic Yellow Springs (1685 Art School Road, Chester Springs, 610-827-7414, www.yellowsprings.org) opens with a reception on November 7 from 6-9 p.m. and continues through November 16. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-4 p.m. on Sunday and admission is free.

The event features a huge selection of artwork and crafts created by many of the area’s top-flight artists and artisans. Some of the featured genres are ceramics, jewelry, glass, pottery, woodworking, painting, photography and fiber arts.

The Chester Springs Studio is a vibrant arts center at Historic Yellow Springs.  Founded in 1978 as an offshoot of Historic Yellow Springs, the Studio grew in reputation as a nationally-known home for the visual arts, particularly in the areas of painting and ceramics.

When it comes to craft shows in the Mid-Atlantic region, the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show is the biggest, one of the oldest and definitely one of the best.

The 38th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show will be held now through November 9 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (12th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, 215-684-7930, http://pmacraftshow.org). The well-attended juried show and sale of contemporary craft, which had over 1,000 applicants, includes 195 of the finest and most respected craft artists in the United States.

Visitors to the show will be able to meet the craft artists, discuss the artisans’ work and purchase their crafts. The show will feature crafts in a variety of categories, including paper, leather, furniture, clay, glass, baskets, jewelry, fiber wearable, metal, wood, mixed media and fiber-decorative works

In an effort to promote craft education, the 2014 Craft Show will devote its guest artists program to emerging artists. This year the show will again offer outstanding work from top craft students from The University of the Arts, Moore College of Art & Design, Kutztown University, and Savannah College of Art and Design.

Additionally, funds raised at the event will be used to purchase works of art and craft for the permanent collections, education programs and to contribute to conservation and publication projects. Tickets for adults are $15 for one day and $20 for a two-day ticket. Children will be admitted for $5. Show hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday

The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen’s Fine Craft Fair, which is being held November 8 and 9 at the Lancaster Convention Center (25 South Queen Street, Lancaster, 717-431-8706, www.pacrafts.org), features a diverse selection of artisans.

The fair will feature approximately 150 master artisans representing a wide variety of fine crafts including jewelry, quilts, basketry, pottery, clothing, sculpture, wood turning and more. Each artisan specializes in work that is functional, aesthetic or both. There will be thousands of works on display — all of which were created one at a time.

Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $8 for adults and children will be admitted free.

The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival, which is being held November 7-9 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, 800-210-9900, www.sugarloafcrafts.com), presents the work of over 250 top-flight crafters, many of whom are the elite of American artisans.

The festival will feature an large variety of crafts categories, including blown glass, tapestry, rugs, leather, sculpture, woodturnings, forged iron, baskets, photography, woodwork, weaving, pottery, mixed media, hats, painted silk, musical instruments, jewelry, fused glass, fine arts, brass items, boxes, wind chimes, specialty foods , accessories, bells, quilts, glass, copperware, chair caning, enamels, furniture, pillows and clothing.

The event will also feature a variety of craft demonstrations including “Wheel-thrown Pottery” by Alan Burslem, “Jewelry Making” by Alan and Dale Uchin, “Broom Making” by Jeff Heilman, “Ironforging” by Nick Vincent, “Copper Spinning” by John Akkus, “Wheel-thrown Pottery” by Allen and Helen Weichman, “Hand-Carved Wooden Bowls & Spoons” by Bob DeWitt and “Papermaking” by Cyndi Mylynne,

The festival also will feature a full schedule of live entertainment, including performances by the Jazz Lobsters, Chris Wilson, David Young and Ed Wright. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $10 and are good for all three days.

One of the area’s longest-running traditional events is the Delaware Antiques Show (Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington, Delaware, 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org). The event, which has been around for more than 50 years, will be held from November 7-9.

Honored as one of the nation’s most highly acclaimed antiques shows, the annual three-day event presents a large and diverse assemblage of art, antiques and design. With more than 60 top-flight dealers participating, the Delaware Antiques Show highlights the best of American antiques and decorative arts.

The show will feature sales displays featuring furniture and decorative accessories from the 17th to the early 20th centuries, including folk art, Native American art, ceramics, needlework, quilts, jewelry, prints, paintings, and rugs.

As usual, the knowledgeable dealers will at their booths answering questions and offering advice to collectors. Visitors to the show can learn from the experts about a variety of different antiques categories, including brass, jewelry, painting, ceramics, silver, textiles and 18th and 19th century furniture.

Proceeds from the Delaware Art Show benefit the educational programs at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library. Hours are from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $15 and include the show catalogue. Children under 12 are admitted free.

On November 7, there is also the Pennsylvania German Folk Art Sale which is presented each year by the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society (2215 Millstream Road, Lancaster, 717- 393-9745, www.lmhs.org). The event will open this weekend and run through December 31.

The annual sale kicks off on Friday with an opening reception from 6-8:30 p.m. The reception features craft demonstrations, live music, a variety of refreshments and displays of the work of more than 25 Pennsylvania artists.