What To Do: Symphony under the stars at Longwood

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

You can triple your pleasure if you visit Longwood Gardens (1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org/nightscape) on August 19.

The featured attraction will be a concert by Kennett Symphony of Chester County at 7:30 p.m. in Longwood’s Open Air Theater. Visitors to the site will also be able to check out Longwood’s amazing horticultural attractions and enjoy the new, improved fountain display.

The Kennett Symphony of Chester County will present “Symphony Under the Stars: Love is in the Air.”

Featuring light classics and pops, Kennett Symphony gives audiences the chance to experience love through many genres.

Throughout the performance, Kennett Symphony will feature the recent winner of the Kennett Symphony Instrumental Competition, Audrey Emata, and the winner of the Kennett Symphony Voice Competition, Jowoon Chae.

The full program includes Mikhail Glinka’s “Russlan and Ludmilla Overture,” Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Air on a G String,” Cécile Chaminade’s “Concertino for Flute and Orchestra,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s selections from “The King and I.” John Williams’s “Across the Stars: Love Theme from Star Wars Episode II,” Bedřich Smetana’s “Dance of the Comedians from The Bartered Bride,” Giacomo Puccini’s “Si, mi chiamano Mimi,” Frederick Loewe’s “I Could Have Danced All Night,” Charles Gounod’s “Je Veux Vivre,” and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.”

Ticket prices are $40 in advance, $45 on the day of the concert. Ticket price includes the concert, access to visit Longwood Gardens during the day on the day of the concert and free parking.

Year after year, the annual air show at the New Garden Flying Field in Toughkenamon continues to get better every. The lively show, which has been staged continuously for more than 40 years, has become one of Chester County’s oldest and best traditional events.

The 2017 Festival of Flight Air & Car Show (New Garden Flying Field, off Route 1, Toughkenamon, 610-268-2619, http://www.newgardenflyingfield.com) is scheduled for August 19 and 20 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day.

Aerial displays will be performed by Kevin Russo SNJ-6 Aerobatics, Jason Flood in a Pitts Special biplane, Dan Marcotte’s Ultimate 10-200 Biplane and the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum’s Eastern Aircraft TBM Avenger and North American B25-J “Mitchell.”

Also featured will be a Military Blackhawk Demo, US Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphine Rescue Demo, Spirit of Freedom C54, Scott Francis, Paul Dougherty and Parachute Jump Team.

Other attractions at this weekend’s show at the New Garden Airport include America’s Sweethearts, demonstrations by RC modelers, souvenir stands, airplane rides, a pancake breakfast, an antique and classic car show and food and beverage concessions.

As a special attraction, Bill Fili, veteran WWII pilot and P.O.W. will present a story and book signing at 11 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children (ages 6-12) and free for children (five and under).

Penns Woods Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, 610-459-0808,
www.pennswoodswinery.com) will present “Cars, Vines and Wines” on August 19 from noon-2 p.m. The event is billed as “A showcase of luxury sports cars ranging from classic to modern.”

Visitors will be able to enjoy live music, local wines, food, vendors, wine seminars and vote for their favorite vehicle.

There will be live music by the Tim Williams Duo and a 45-minute vineyard tour guided by the winemakers from 2-3 p.m.

The roster or participating local artisan vendors includes Foot Bling Things, Passionista Fashion Truck, Krista’s Scentsy, Oxford Handbags, Garbs for Good, Pierson Geoffreys Cigars and Tat’s Yummies.

Visitors who bring a toy to donate to CarzNToys will receive a free tasting ticket.

Admission to the event is $16.

On August 19, Parkesburg Brewpub (3127 Lower Valley Road, Parkesburg, www.victorybeer.com) is hosting its Ninth Annual BrewBQ.

The event, which will run from 1-6 p.m., features a heated competition between pit masters battling it out to achieve awards for best chicken and ribs.

For visitors, the hot barbecue gets paired with cold beer for a dreamy culinary event bound to please anyone who loves brew or BBQ.

This weekend, Penn’s Landing will host the 31st Annual Caribbean Festival on August 20.

Sunday’s festival, which is free and open to the public, is a celebration of the culture of 14 Caribbean Islands. The event, which runs from noon-8 p.m., features live island entertainment including drumming, dancing and music.

As always, the festival will have cultural booths where people can get information about the islands of the Caribbean. There will also be a marketplace with vendors selling Caribbean arts and crafts, fashion items and souvenirs.

Island cuisine will be well represented with a number of vendors offering Caribbean delicacies such as Jamaican jerk-chicken and hard-dough bread, escovitched fish and festival cakes, codfish fritters, Jamaican Patties, curried goat and rice & peas.

There is also a festival this weekend honoring the Indians of North America.

On August 19 and 20, the Museum of Indian Culture (2825 Fish Hatchery Road, Allentown, 610-797-2121, http://museumofindianculture.org) is hosting the 2017 Roasting Ears of Corn Festival.

The event, which is Eastern Pennsylvania’s oldest American Indian festival, is a showcase for American Indian drumming, singing, dancing and food.

Visitors can watch demonstrations of Native American cooking, flintknapping and arrow making, experience throwing a tomahawk or see what it’s like using an atlatl (spear thrower). There will be a special crafts area for kids where they can make sand art pictures and weave dreamcatchers.

The festival features a wide array of Native American entertainment. This year’s featured performer is Arvel Bird.

Other live music and dance performances include “Youngblood Singers,” “White Buffalo Singers,” Aztec Fire Dancing by the Salinas Family from Mexico City, champion hoop dancer Katrina Fisher, and American Indian dancers, singers and performers from all over Canada and the U.S.

This year’s Master of Ceremonies will be David White Buffalo from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Featured dancers will include head man Wesley Halsey from Oneida Indian nation and Kim Wheatley from Ojibway Nation.

Festival attendees will be able to shop at the Marketplace for Native American jewelry, fine arts, and clothing. There will also be food vendors with Indian burgers, frybread, buffalo stew, Indian tacos and fire-roasted corn.

Video link for Arvel Bird — https://youtu.be/l6yAqyLVAmA.

Tickets for the festival are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (age 62 and older) and youth (age 8-17) and free for children (age seven and under).

On August 20, Alapocas Run State Park (1914 West Park Drive, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-577-1164, http://www.destateparks.com/park/alapocas-run/index.asp) will host the 2017 Pawpaw Folk Festival.

Visitors are invited to come to the park’s Blue Ball Barn for a day of music, storytelling, “down home” food, folk artists and Pawpaw tasting.

All-day activities will be presented by North American Pawpaw Growers Association (Pawpaw Information), Ridley Creek State Park & White Clay Creek Preserve (history or mammals), Auburn Heights Preserve (Steam Cars), Madge Ziegler (hand quilting), First State Heritage Park (children’s toys of yesteryear), Eunice LaFate (African folktales), Brandywine Zoo (traveling zoo), and Friends of Wilmington Parks (Pawpaw Tasting).

Live entertainment will be performed by Flatland Drive, Wacky Worms, Hanna Paige, and Chapel Street Junction.

The free event will run from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the park which is located just off Route 202 a few miles south of the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line.

If you’re in the mood for a lot of music this weekend, then you should head north — to Old Pool Farm in Schwenksville to check out the 2017 Philadelphia Folk Festival (Old Pool Farm, Schwenksville, 800-556-FOLK, www.pfs.org).

This Philadelphia Folk Festival is a music festival that is on a plateau all its own. Now in its 55th year, the festival continues to evolve with the times and, at the same time, maintain its traditional vibe. There is no other festival in the country quite like the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

Another good option for live music in the area this weekend is the Lanchester Fiddlers Picnic (Landis Woodland Preserve at 610 Zion Hill Road, West Sadsbury Township, 610-857-5969, www.westsadsburytwp.org).

Musicians are invited to bring their instruments and voices to the Sixth Annual Lanchester Fiddlers Picnic, which will be held at the nature site near Atglen from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on August 19.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature stage performances, informal jam sessions and hayrides — and an opportunity to see the preserve. The Landis Woodland Preserve is only open for special events such as Civil War reenactments and the annual Lanchester Community Days in September.

This Saturday, people are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets or picnics. Food vendors will be on hand with a variety of picnic offerings. There is no admission fee but there will be a parking fee of $5.

The 40th Street Summer Series, which is co-produced by University City District, the University of Pennsylvania, and The Rotunda, has returned to the area behind the Walnut Street Library (40th and Poplar streets, Philadelphia, www.universitycity.org/40th-street-summer-series) with free monthly concerts.

All concerts take place on the green behind the library between Walnut and Poplar streets. The music will begin at 6 p.m. with other activities kicking off at 5 p.m. Admission is free. The remaining concert dates are August 19 and September 16.

On August 20, the entertainment will be provided by Worldtown Soundsystem with opener Drum Like a Lady.

Worldtown Soundsystem is a high-energy, eight-piece house music outfit uniting the spheres of electronic dance music culture with global rhythms and soul music. Directed by DJ/Producer Ben Arsenal, this energizing ensemble pulls its influences from soulful house, techno, afrobeat, Latin rhythms, and classic funk.

the band boasts a seasoned cast of musicians from around the globe with members from Jamaica, Nigeria, Brazil, Alabama, Vermont and their home in Philadelphia. Worldtown’s mission is to celebrate global culture through music and art.

Opening the show is Drum Like a Lady, a percussion collective founded by musician and educator LaTreice V Branson, whose mission is to curate creative spaces where people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs and lifestyles are welcome to participate in improvisational jam sessions.

On September 16, the performance will feature Banda Magda with opener Taina Asili y la Banda Rebelde.

Led by Greek-born composer, orchestrator, singer and accordionist Magda Giannikou (Kronos Quartet, Louis CK), Banda Magda moves from samba to French chanson, from Greek folk tunes to Colombian cumbia and Afro-Peruvian lando.

The 40th Street Summer Series will also feature juggling, face painting and fire dancing, along with free samples from Ben & Jerry’s and Honeygrow.

This weekend, the American Swedish Historical Museum (1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-389-1776,www.americanswedish.org) is presenting a special event on August 18 – the museum’s annual Crayfish Party.

The Crayfish Party, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., provides participants an opportunity to get a taste of Swedish summer.

Diners at the Crayfish Party will be able to enjoy a buffet of crayfish or Swedish meatballs, along with crisp bread, cheese, potatoes, cheese pie, and glass of akvavit all outside under the museum’s beautiful lighted and decorated tent.

Tickets for the Crayfish Party are $50.

A special event that is guaranteed to appeal to kids is “High Seas Saturday,” which is scheduled for August 19 at Fort Mifflin (Fort Mifflin and Hog Island roads, Philadelphia, 215-685-4167, www.fortmifflin.us).

The event, which is billed as “Fort Mifflin’s Annual Swashbuckling Spectacle” will look at the history of piracy on the Delaware River when a new band of pirates occupy Mud Island from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Fort Mifflin was initially built to protect Philadelphia from river pirates in the late 1700s and this event sheds light on the activity at the fort during that era,

Visitors can enjoy a scavenger hunt, take a guided tour, dig for treasure and take part in a drill with wooden muskets. They can also participate in lessons to talk like pirate and listen to roar of a cannon being fired.

General admission tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for veterans or students under 12.

On August 19, the Museum of the American Revolution (101 South Third Street, Philadelphia, 215-253-6731, www.amrevmuseum.org) will host a Fife & Drum Party starting at noon.

Guests are invited to join the museum staff for a celebration of fife and drum music right in the Declaration of Independence Plaza. Fifers and drummers of all skill levels have the opportunity to jam and win a prize.Free toy fifes will be available for the first 100 guests while 15-minute fife and drum demonstrations will be available periodically.

Visitors can handle replica instruments while museum staff members will perform popular tunes, such as “Yankee Doodle” and “The Liberty Song,” and military signal calls from the Revolutionary War in reproductions of Continental Army uniforms at 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30 p.m. 
At 2 p.m., visitors can enjoy a tent-shaped cake celebrating the birthday of the Museum’s collection of more than 3,000 Revolutionary-era artifacts. Afterwards, they can move in to the Patriot’s Gallery and create miniature tents to take home. 

Museum admission is not required to join the fun. Toy fifes and cake available while supplies last.

The focus will be on beads at a special event this weekend at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, 610-323-3263, www.beadfest.com). From August 18-20, the expo hall near Valley Forge National Park is hosting Bead Fest — an event that claims to be the largest bead and jewelry show on the East Coast.

The ambitious annual event, which is billed as a bead and jewelry extravaganza, will feature hands-on jewelry making classes, informative seminars, beading competitions and a large vendors’ area where visitors can purchase everything from beading supplies to hand-crafted jewelry.

Bead Fest will have close to 150 booths and a wide array of workshops which will be presented by experts in the bead and jewelry fields.

A number of special techniques will be demonstrated, including wire knitting, design, wire and beads, bead crocheting, wire weaving, bead stitching, lampworking, metal clay, chain maille, wire and metal, kiln fusing, metalsmithing, bead stringing and wire wrapping.

Tickets for Bead Fest — $15 for a weekend pass — are available only at the door.

For an annual event with a completely different vibe, head west to Lancaster County this weekend.

The Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association’s annual Thresherman’s Reunion, which is billed as “The Most Complete Steam & Gas Show in the East,” has become a cherished tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch country. It is not only a “complete show,” it is an old show — one of the oldest continually running events in the state.

This year’s Thresherman’s Reunion, which is being held August 18 and 19 at the Rough and Tumble site (4977 Lincoln Highway East, Kinzers, 717-442-4249,

www.roughandtumble.org), is the 69th annual staging of the event.

The main focus this year is on “celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Otto and Langen Atmosperic Engine.”

The daily schedule starts with breakfast at 7 a.m. at the R&T Multi-Purpose. The day’s activities include a saw mill in operation, a “Pageant of Threshing”, a shingle mill in operation, a “Parade of Power” and threshing machine demonstrations.

There will also be displays featuring steam traction engines, antique tractors, threshing machines, Hit & Miss Gas engines, two steam railroads, shingle mill, large gas engines, model engines, saw mill, barker fan, stone crusher, antique cars, stationary bailers, antique wagons and the “Stationary Steam Engine Museum”.

Video link for the Reunion — https://youtu.be/WECWMP5vNIU.

Live entertainment will be provided on August 19 by The Summit Hill Band. Daily tickets for the Reunion are $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 6-12).

On August 19, the 25th Annual Postcard Expo will be held at the Farm & Home Center (1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster, 717-413-6882). The event, which is sponsored by the Lancaster County Postcard Club, will have 25 dealers who will be buying and selling postcards from all eras and all locations.

The Expo, which is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., will also feature several outstanding postcard exhibits along with a variety of food and beverage vendors. Admission is $2.50.

On August 19, The Mann Center (5201 Parkside Avenue, Philadelphia, www.manncenter.org) will host “Super Solar Saturday: Family, Friends & Art Day.”

For one full day, the Mann campus will be transformed into a space-themed park with space-inspired face painting, hands-on science experiments, global performances on four stages, roving life-sized Star Wars™ characters and more.

Featured attractions are The Space Shuttle/Please Touch Museum Traveling Exhibition,  

Science 2 the Max Audience Engagement Presentations, and “Live Global Performances” on three performance stages throughout the Mann’s campus.

Main Stage Performances will feature The Rock School for Dance Education, Korean American Dance & Music Ensemble, Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble, Zen One Caperioa, and Sun Lion Dancers. 

Garrison Carida is a chapter of the 501st Legion serving Pennsylvania and Delaware that participates in a wide array of charity and non-profit events throughout the community. The 501st Legion consists of Star Wars re-enactors who freely volunteer their time to help others while celebrating the exciting world of Star Wars.

Attendees to the festival will be able to interact directly with their favorite iconic figure from the popular film series, as 10 fully costumed characters will be moving about the Mann Center campus throughout the festival day.

The day will conclude with a free community screening of “Hidden Figures.” This Golden Globe®-winner and Academy Award®-nominated film reveals the untold story of NASA mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson, three ingenious African American women who worked behind the scenes to help launch astronaut John Glenn into outer space.

Super Solar Saturday is a prelude to the Great American Eclipse scheduled for Monday, August 21.