What To Do: First Fridays offer summer fun

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times 

If it’s a Friday and the date is 7 or below, you know what that means. It means that it is First Friday

The first Friday of the month is a good time to spend an evening in Kennett Square, West Chester or Lancaster – a time to enjoy special First Friday activities.

Kennett Square will celebrate First Friday a little more low-key than in pre-pandemic times.

There won’t be the traditional First Friday Flea Market (downtown Kennett Square, http://historickennettsquare.com) but there will be the Kennett Square Farmers Market.

This weekend’s event, which is celebrating Happy National Farmers Market Week, will run from 3-6 p.m. on Friday, August 6 and offer visitors a chance to support local farmers, food producers and artisans selling direct to the community.

The Market will be located in the parking lot of The Creamery of Kennett Square, which is located at 401 Birch Street.

Also, on Friday evening, West Chester hosts its version of First Friday (downtown West Chester, http://www.downtownwestchester.com). The First Friday event for this month will be held in downtown West Chester on August 6.

First Friday activities, which are held on the inaugural Friday each month, feature great shopping opportunities and delicious food offerings. Stores are open late and many of them feature free refreshments and shopping specials.

Visitors are invited to stroll along WC’s beautiful sidewalks with friends and family and stop into some of the town’s attractive retail shops. They can also get a bite to eat or something to drink at one of West Chester’s 60-plus plus restaurants.

Participants can cap the evening with a cool treat from one of West Chester’s popular dessert cafes.

As an added attraction, there will be free on-street parking after 5 p.m.

Phoenixville First Fridays (http://www.phoenixvillefirst.org/firstfridays) are an exhilarating celebration.

Every month Phoenixville First showcases the eclectic feel of Phoenixville with live music, theatrical performances, local artists, and fun surprises.

On August 5, visitors will be able to walk around and explore some of Phoenixville’s arts venues, small shops, unique boutiques and outstanding restaurants.

This year, First Fridays will operate within the weekly Bridge Street open-air closure. There will be live music venues placed throughout the downtown on Bridge and Main Streets, and 15-20 handmade craft/artist vendors in the Main and Bridge Street parking lot.

The free family event in downtown Phoenixville will run from 6-10 p.m.

Lancaster also has a lively First Friday celebration very month. This month’s edition of First Friday Lancaster (https://visitlancastercity.com/first-friday) will run from 5-9 p.m. on August 5 in downtown Lancaster.

The event will feature attractive exhibitions at art galleries, artisan studios and museums. There will also be live performances presented in a variety of genres — professional theater, symphony orchestra and performing groups.

Time is running out, but you still have a chance to check out the annual Goshen Country Fair (Goshen Fairgrounds, Park Avenue, East Goshen, 610- 430-1554, www.goshencountryfair.org). Be advised – you need to hurry. August 7 is the last day.

The free family-oriented event is held each year as a benefit for the Goshen Fire Company. It will open at 6 p.m. Friday and at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

This is an authentic down-home country fair with all the agricultural events found at most traditional country fairs, including competitions each night at 6 p.m. – cattle on August 6 and sheep on August 7.

The fair will also feature competitions for pies, vegetables, jams and jellies, specimen flowers, bread, cookies, flowering houseplants, cakes, flower arrangements, and candy. Nightly attractions include live music performances, tug-of-war competitions and pie-eating contests.

The schedule for live music Chester County Lawmen Band on August 6 and Southern Edge Band on August 7.

The Berks County Fair (1216 Hilltop Rd, Leesport, 610 372-2649, http://www.thereadingfair.org) is running now through August 6 at the fairgrounds just outside the city of Reading.

The Midway will feature “The Fearless Flores Thrill Show.”

Traditional festival activities include a “Corn Cobb Toss,” a “Pie Eating Contest,” “Raw Egg Toss,” “Hay Bale Throwing,” a “Round Ball Bale Contest,” a “Water Balloon Toss” and a “Pedal Power Tractor Pull.”

There will also be the always-popular Beer Garden from 5-10 p.m. each night.

General admission for the fair, which is celebrating its 165th consecutive year as non‑profit yearly attraction is $5 — $4 for senior citizens and military.

August is National Peach Month.

On August 7, Linvilla Orchards (137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116, www.linvilla.com) will host its annual Peach and Sunflower Festival from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Sunflower facet is new.

More than 5,000 plants and eight different varieties of Sunflowers have been planted on the farm and now are creating a magical and breathtaking experience.

The day will be filled with Sunflower Selfies, Pick Your Own Peaches & other fresh fruits and vegetables, Hayrides, Face Painting, Train Rides, Fishing, Music, Games and more.

The host for the Peach and Sunflower Festival will be Silly Joe. Steve “Cool Beans” Pullarra will perform two shows – 11 a.m. and noon. At 1 and 2:30 p.m., New Jersey band Sun Dog will be performing classic rock, country rock, and classic country.

Additionally, Roasty Toasty will be doing his thing from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. – serving up fresh-roasted corn on the cob brushed with butter and sprinkled with your choice of seven different seasonings.

Linvilla’s legendary bakery will be creating a masterpiece 4’x8′ Peaches and Cream cake and will have slices available for sale at 11 a.m.

This weekend, Peddler’s Village (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, 215-794-4000, www.peddlersvillage.com) will be hosting its annual Peach Festival and Summer Sidewalk Sale from August 6-8.

Peddler’s Village’s 2021 Peach Festival, which is slated for August 10 and 11, will feature a sidewalk art show as well as live music, a stilt walker and the always-entertaining pie-eating contests. As usual, there will be peaches served in all sorts of tasty variations, including peach pies, peach butters and artisanal jams.

Live entertainment on August 7 will be presented by Uptown Brass Band, Galena Brass Band, Pirates of Fortune’s Folly, Cheddar Boys and Keith Crabb’s Magic Show.

Sunday’s schedule features Pirates of Fortune’s Folly, Meadow Perry, Rendition Jazz Band, Lolly & Friends Show, and Keith Crabb’s Magic Show.

The site’s annual Peach Festival and Sidewalk Sale, which is a celebration of National Peach Month will run from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. each day. Admission and parking are free.

Every Saturday in August, Pottsgrove Manor (100 West King Street, Pottstown, 610-326-4014, http://montcopa.org/index.aspx?nid=930) will be presenting “Open House Days-Historic Cooking and Collections Curiosities.”

Visitors will have the opportunity to see select 18th-century items from the Pottsgrove Manor collection up close and ask the curator questions. At the same time, summer treats will be being created in the site’s reproduction kitchen.

Visitors can return every week to see a presentation of something from Pottsgrove’s cook and its collections.  The first floor of the museum will be open for visitors to view at their leisure.

The schedule is:

August 7 — Collections Curiosity, Etui, a small decorative case for holding personal items, owned by Jonathan Potts

August 14 — Historic Cooking, fruity colonial waters

August 21 — Collections Curiosity, 18th century calash, or collapsible women’s bonnet

August 28 — Historic Cooking, Ice Cream

This event features free admission with a suggested donation of $2 per person.

You can also take a trip back in time by attending Das Awkscht Fescht (Macungie Memorial Park, Main Street, Macungie, 610-967-2317, www.awkscht.com).

Das Awkscht Fescht, which is celebrating its 58th anniversary this year, runs from August 6-8 in Macungie, a small town just south of Allentown.

The event is billed as one of the largest antique and classic car shows in the country with more than 3,500 cars on display.

The popular annual event takes its name from “Der Augscht”, which is the Pennsylvania Dutch word for “August.”

Das Awkscht Fescht, which is held the first weekend of August each year, is a traditional summer festival with a full roster of family fun events.

There is a completely different car show each day – the Variety Show with thousands of pre-1991 automobile models along with a variety of classic tractors, trucks and motorcycles; the Antique and Classic Car Show with over 1,200 antique cars, classic automobiles and sports cars; and the Special Interest Car Show featuring more than 30 car clubs with over 1,000 vintage autos.

Every year, the primary focus of the automobile side of Das Awkscht Fescht is on the impressive display of vintage autos — especially the featured car. This year’s featured car area will showcase Cadillac and LaSalle.

There will be a variety of kids’ shows and activities including jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, clowns and a special creative activity and display center.

Kids of all ages will enjoy the Antique Toy Show, which is held at Eyer Middle School, and Toy Town, which is staged outdoors.

Other attractions include daily bingo sessions, picnics in the park, a playground, a huge public swimming pool, an arts and crafts show featuring more than 120 artisans and an “Antique Auto Flea Market.”

Admission to the festival is $9 for adults and free for children (15 and under).

Hope Lodge (553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, 215-343-0965, http://www.ushistory.org/hope/) will be hosting a popular annual event on August 7 – “Ales & Petals/Cars & Motorcycles of England Car Show.”

The fourth Annual “Ales & Petals” is an annual fundraiser for Historic Hope Lodge – an event that includes the Cars & Motorcycles of England car show and a nationally sanctioned Jaguar Concours d’Elegance.

This event features more than 200 English cars and motorcycles on the grounds of the 270-year-old mansion. Food and live music will be available for an enjoyable day for the entire family. Craft beers will be available to people age 21 and over with valid ID.

Hope Lodge was built between 1743 and 1748 by Samuel Morris, a prosperous Quaker entrepreneur. Morris acted as a farmer, shipowner, miller, iron master, shop owner, and owner of the mill now known as Mather Mill. Hope Lodge is an excellent example of early Georgian architecture, and it is possible that Edmund Woolley, architect of Independence Hall, offered advice in building. Samuel Morris owned the estate until his death in 1770.

Admission is $10 for the show which will run from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

You can get a look back at another era by attending an event called “Milling Demonstration Days” which will take place on August 10 at Mill at Anselma (1730 Conestoga Road, Chester Springs, 610-827-1906, http://anselmamill.org).

The Mill will be fully operational from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month.

Visitors to the Mill will be able to meet Anselma’s miller and hear him talk about how the gears work and what they do. There will also be interesting technology tours that focus on how different parts of the mill work.

Additionally, there will be special interactive activities for the children — including learning how to sift flour. Kids will also have the opportunity to operate a pump on a smaller water wheel.

The event will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors (60 and older) and children (ages 4-14). Active Military and children (under 4) will be admitted free.

The Clifford Brown Jazz Festival is being staged now through August 8 at Rodney Square (Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, http://www.cliffordbrownjazzfest.org).

The roster of top-flight international jazz artists includes Friday’s headliners — The Tribute Legacy Band of Grover Washington, Gerald Veasley, and Dianne Reeves.

Saturday’s schedule features Jennifer Hartswick and Nick Cassarino Duo, Clifford Brown Festival Orchestra, Chien Chien Lu, Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Justice, and Kenny Barron.

Acts slated to perform Sunday are Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency, Pieces of a Dream Dance Theatre, Wilmington Ballet, Dara Meredith — Bridge of Our Roots, and Raphael Xavier — The Musician & The Mover.

The Rose Tree Summer Festival (Rose Tree Park, Route 252, Media, www.delcopa.gov/departments/parks) returns with a summer-long series of free outdoor shows at the scenic park just north of Media.

On August 6, the series will showcase “Minas Sextet: Bossa Nova Classics & Originals.”

The schedule for the upcoming week also features Four Lean Hounds on August 7, 22 Park Avenue on August 8, Reggae Thunder on August 11 and Makin’ Music on August 12.

Hagley Museum and Library (Buck Road East entrance via Route 100, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-658-2400, www.hagley.org) is presenting a special event on August 8 called — “Explosions Tour at Hagley Museum.”

Visitors will experience in-depth the devastating power of black powder while exploring the heart of the DuPont production yards. Guests will hear personal stories about what life was like for those working and living within the reach of the nineteenth century’s most dangerous explosives, while considering the larger world of work in 1800s.

This tour ends with an explosive (but safe) finish.

Tour involves walking on uneven ground and is included in admission.

Admission fees for Hagley Museum are $9 for adults and $5 for children (ages 6-14).

The Brandywine River Museum (1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford, www.brandywine.org) is now open Wednesdays through Mondays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and closed Tuesdays.

To ensure the safety, security and quality of the visitor experience, the Brandywine has implemented a variety of procedures, including timed ticketing and capacity limits. While not required, advance purchasing of timed tickets is highly recommended. Click below to reserve your timed tickets.

During its closure, the Museum underwent several facility renovations to its second and third floors. Upgrades included a complete refurbishment of the restrooms on the second floor, making them fully ADA accessible, as well as switching their current location with the Strawbridge Family Gallery (which will open later this summer), plus new HVAC and fire suppression systems.

Opening into the Museum’s central atrium, the reimagined Gallery — complete with new state-of-the-art lighting — will improve circulation within the Museum building, enhancing the visitor experience.

The special exhibition currently on view is “Ralston Crawford: Air & Space & War,” which will be running now through September 19.

Admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors (65+), $6 for students with ID and children (ages 6-18) and free for children (ages five and under).

The Chaddsford Winery (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, www.chaddsford.com) is presenting “Reserve Tastings – Summer Sips” on select Saturdays and Sundays in July and August.

Visitors are invited to join the winery’s staff for an intimate and educational 60-minute experience in the newly renovated Barrel Room tasting some of Chaddsford’s latest wine releases.

The trained staff will guide you through a pre-selected tasting of five widely diverse wines from across the portfolio.  The selections will be paired alongside local cheeses and other accoutrements to enhance your tasting experience.

The staff will also discuss topics such as grape growing conditions at partner vineyards and the onsite winemaking process from production to aging and bottling.

Reserve Tastings are $35 per person. There are three seatings each day – noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Advanced reservations are required and are non-refundable.

The “pairing lineup” is Greeting Wine: 2019 The White Standard wine spritzer with peach and fresh herbs; 2020 Sauvignon Blanc with Yellow Springs Farm Black Diamond; 2020 Dry Rosé with Birchrun Hills Farm Little Chardy and sour cherry pomegranate preserve; and 2020 Niagara Demi Sec with Gemelli’s Pear Sorbetto.

Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) is always a special place to visit – especially during the run of its annual “Festival of Fountains.”

The 2021 “Festival of Fountains” opened in May and is running through September 26.

Daily performances in the Main Fountain Garden will feature more than 1,700 spinning jets that spin dance to various music programs. These are no little jets as some shoot up as high as 175 feet in the air.

The 30-minute show is slated for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 9:15 p.m.

The Main Fountain Garden Show’s “Fountains Then and Now” show is a 12-minute fountain performance that begins with a touch of narrated history and concludes with dynamic choreography marrying music and the site’s newest fountain features.

These displays will be presented daily at 1:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. There will also be performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:15 p.m.

Another daily show in the Main Garden is “Classical, Jazz, and Hits of Today,” another 12-minue show but with a different musical style. These will be presented daily at 1:15 and 5:15 p.m.

The third show on the roster is “Fountain Refresher,” which is billed as “a five-minute mix of music genres that teases the theme of that evening’s Illuminated Fountain Performance.”

These are scheduled for Thursday through Saturday now through August 28 at 6:15 and 8:15 p.m. and September 2 through October 30 at 6:15 p.m.

There will also be daily shows in the Open Air Theatre and the Italian Water Garden.

Featuring 750 jets in changing patterns, the Open Air Theatre comes alive with fountains set to music.

Since its 1914 Garden Party debut, this Italian-style outdoor theatre has expanded from its simple original fountains to the 750 jets that create the rainbowed curtain of water you see today, while playing host to more than 1,500 performances throughout the years.

To limit the spread of COVID-19, Longwood has made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend all ticketed concerts, fireworks shows and in-person continuing education classes. But live music can be heard in the Beer Garden, where live instrumental music from traditional Celtic tunes to Caribbean steel pan grooves sets the tone Thursday through Saturday evenings.

Beer Garden performances are scheduled through August from 6-9 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday evenings. They will also be held in September from 5-8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

As always, admission by “Timed Ticket” — tickets issued for specific dates and times. Timed ticketing limits the number of people in the Gardens at any given time and allows guests to enjoy minimal lines and a better viewing experience.

You may enter the Gardens up to 30 minutes prior and 30 minutes after your designated time. Make every effort to arrive at your designated reservation time. Earlier or later arrivals may not be accommodated.

Video link for “Festival of Fountains” — https://youtu.be/AHsC2YuFerY.

Admission to Longwood Gardens is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and college students, $18 for active military and veterans and $13 for youth (ages 5-18).

This is the time of year to enjoy nature at its best and there are plenty of locations around the area where the focus is on flowers, plants and the beauty of nature.

On August 7, Bartram’s Garden (5400 Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, www.bartramsgarden.org) will host a special event “Curator’s Tour: Franklinia.”

Curator Joel Fry will lead a garden tour focusing on Franklinia, the rare native plant from Georgia, saved from extinction by the Bartram family. Several examples of Franklinia alatamaha will be in bloom in early August, and visitors will be able to see the daily blooms and the development of seed pods from last season.

John and William Bartram first encountered the Franklinia tree on October 1, 1765, after getting lost while searching for the ferry crossing the Altamaha River at Ft. Barrington in Georgia. There were no flowers present to identify the botanic identity of this very curious shrub.

William Bartram returned to the same location on his southern travels 1773-1776 to see the flowers, which he illustrated for the first time. William gathered seeds and plants for his London patron, Dr. John Fothergill, and returned to Philadelphia in January 1777 with seeds, which preserved the species in the Bartram botanic garden.

Tickets for the event, which starts at 1 p.m., are $25 general admission.

The Morris Arboretum (100 Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, www.morrisarboretum.org). is offering its “Garden Highlights Tour” this month.

Experienced guides will share both the history and current highlights of the Arboretum during a one-hour walking tour.

Tours depart from the Visitor Center at 1 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. These tours are small groups and space is very limited.

This reservation is good for admission to the Arboretum as well as for the tour itself. The tour is weather permitting. If the tour is cancelled, your ticket is still good for admission. Another attraction at Morris Arboretum is the ultra-popular Garden Railway Display, which has become a major summer attraction at the site. The annual edition of the display will remain open until October 11.

The railway has a quarter mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels with 15 different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under) and bustling model trains.

The buildings and the display are all made of natural materials – bark, leaves, twigs, hollow logs, mosses, acorns, dried flowers, seeds and stones – to form a perfectly proportioned miniature landscape complete with miniature rivers.

Philadelphia-area landmarks are all meticulously decorated for the holidays with lights that twinkle. There is even a masterpiece replica of Independence Hall are made using pinecone seeds for shingles, acorns as finials and twigs as downspouts.

This year the tracks are surrounded by miniature replicas of “Wonders of the World.” Visitors will be able to see the Eiffel Tower, Hagia Sophia, the Egyptian Pyramids, the Wall of China and more.

Admission is $20 for adults; $18 for seniors (65 and older); $10 for students (ages 13-17 or with ID), active military and retired military; and free for children (under 3).

Another venue where you can get close to nature is Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134, tylerarboretum.org)

The arboretum’s schedule for this weekend features the “Saturday Evening Wildflower Walk” on August 7.

“Saturday Evening Wildflower Walk,” which runs from 6-8 p.m., features wildflower expert Dick Cloud on an informative two-hour hike that will take guests through meadows, woods, and occasionally streamside. These walks are for those who have a love of plants, their role in ecology, or for those who want to learn more.

Although the focus is on plants, Cloud will also talk about whatever else is seen on the tour. Walkers should wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring a camera and/or a wildflower guide, for this botanical-filled walk.

Admission to Tyler Arboretum is $15 for adults (ages 18-64), $13 for Seniors (65+) and $9 for children (ages 3-17) and Military with valid ID.

A fun summertime family activity is taking a trip to the past by riding behind a vintage locomotive on a tourist rail line.

The West Chester Railroad (610-430-2233, www.westchesterrr.net) is running its “Summer Picnic Specials” every Sunday now through Sept 19. There will be one excursion each day at noon.

Passengers can enjoy a 90-minute round trip train ride from West Chester to Glen Mills and return on a warm summer afternoon. Riders are invited to pack a lunch to have during excursion’s stop at the Glen Mills train station picnic grove.

Tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for children (2-12) and free for children (under two).

The New Hope Railroad (32 Bridge Street, New Hope, 215-862-2332, www.newhoperailroad.com) is running its “55th Anniversary Excursions’ from August 6-8.

On August 6, 1966, the New Hope Railroad ran its first revenue tourist passenger train to show a new generation what train travel was like during the early twentieth century, when steam locomotives were the newest technology and train travel was the main mode of transportation.

Now 55 years later, we continue to entertain and educate new generations about historic rail travel. Riders are invited to visit the New Hope Railroad as it celebrates this milestone.

Upon boarding the train, riders will receive a replica of the original Opening Day ticket that will be punched by the Trainman during your trip, a tradition as old as time. During your journey, they will enjoy an enhanced live narration, detailing some of the interesting facts and stories about our past 55 years as a tourist railroad. First-Class riders will have the option to purchase a special 1960s cocktail from Parlor Car Attendants.

Steam locomotive No. 40 will be operating on the regular Traditional Excursion trains to help celebrate this special occasion.

The excursions will take place aboard one of the railroads lavishly appointed early 1900’s first-class parlor cars.

Ticket prices start at $34.99.

The Northern Central Railway (2 West Main Street, New Freedom, www.northerncentralrailway.com) is running several special excursions this weekend.

The “Glen Rock Express with No. 17” is scheduled for August 7 and 8 at 11:30 a.m.

Riders will take the train to Glen Rock with the William H. Simpson No. 17 (the rail line’s authentic replica steam locomotive) on a former Pennsylvania Railroad mainline that has been in operation since 1838. The ride follows the route of the original Northern Central Railroad through the scenic Heritage Rail Trail County Park.

Tickets are $25 Adult; $15 Child (age 3-12); $5 Toddler (in lap).

Riders can look out their windows at the beautiful Heritage Rail Trail County Park and southern York County countryside on this trip to Hanover Junction.

The rail line’s historic PRR GP9 Diesel Locomotive built in 1959 will take riders back in time to the 1860s when President Abraham Lincoln rode these tracks on his way to Gettysburg to deliver the Gettysburg Address. The excursion includes a 20-minute stopover at the Hanover Junction Museum.

Tickets: $28 Adult; $15 Child (age 3-12); $5 Toddler (in lap)

The Elmwood Park Zoo (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) has a variety of special activities coming up.

The Zoo’s “Dog Days” event will be held on August 6, 11 and 13.

All guests visiting the zoo with a furry friend must complete an online waiver and submit required documents before visiting the zoo. You must upload a copy of your most recent veterinary visit, including proof of vaccine and heartworm test here. All items will be required for you to attend “Dog Days.”

The “Dog Days” event is slated to run from 1-5 p.m.

Pricing is $10.95 per dog with each additional dog at $9.95. Regular zoo admission is required for all humans.

“Zoo Revue” will be held every weekend throughout the summer with live entertainment by a variety of talented performers including musicians, young actors, magicians and more.

All performances will take place on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m-3 p.m. on the stage located next to the bison feeding deck and across from Zoo Brew Beer Garden.

Performances are free to attend with regular zoo admission – Adult, $17.95; children (ages 3-12), $13.95; and Students and Seniors, $15.95.

This Saturday is a special day at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, www.ansp.org).

“Hungry Pop-Up at the Academy” is scheduled to get underway at 11:30 a.m. on August 7 with local chefs serving delicious and sustainable lunches.

The Academy is partnering with Hungry, a national platform for top local checks and food delivery services. Hungry is committed to environmental sustainability and uses materials that are either fully compostable or recyclable.

Hungry is also committed to the fight against hunger, and for every two meals purchased at the Academy, the organization will donate one meal through food bank partnerships.

Visitors to the museum can also check out the Academy’s latest exhibit, “Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs,” which shows the species that predated dinosaurs.

Visitors to the museum can step back in time 290 million years to when bizarre-looking creatures dominated life on land and sea, and dinosaurs had not yet evolved. They can also learn about the most devastating mass extinction the world has ever seen when “Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs” takes up a year-long residence at the Academy.

The exhibit blends vivid artwork, amazing fossils and full-size scientifically accurate models of moving beasts to recreate this relatively unknown period that ended with the most devastating extinction of life. Visitors will explore odd-looking sharks, strange reptilelike precursors of mammals, a vicious giant saber-toothed gorgonopsid, and other extinct creatures that ruled the world millions of years before the dinosaurs.

“Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs” will be on view through January 17, 2022.  “Wildlife Photographer of the Year,” which is located in the museum’s new natural-light-filled gallery, will be on view through February 15.

Admission is $22 for adults, $19 for seniors and $18 for children (ages 2-12).

From one of the oldest, most iconic museums in Philadelphia to one of the newest, a new “Art & America” discounted joint ticket will provide access to two world-class institutions this summer.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art (2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, www.philamuseum.org) and the Museum of the American Revolution (101 South Third Street, Philadelphia,www.amrevmuseum.org) have joined forces to offer visitors a convenient joint ticket that includes access to both museums for a discounted price.

The adult joint ticket, which is $35 (savings of $11), will be available for purchase from now through September 6.at www.philamuseum.org, by calling (215) 763-8100, or at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s front desk. Tickets will be redeemable through September 20 at both museums.

This summer at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, visitors can explore Philadelphia’s extraordinary creativity in the brand new Early American Art galleries. They feature an unparalleled collection of paintings, sculpture, ceramics, furniture, glass, silver and more from the early 17th century until 1850.

More than 10,000-square-feet of new gallery space has been installed to tell new and inclusive stories of how Philadelphia became the young nation’s cultural capital, and how Black, Indigenous, and Latin American artists contributed to the development of American art.