By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Another area tradition is ready to begin.
This weekend, a new special event arrives in Kennett Square this weekend with intentions of becoming a popular annual summer event.
The 2022 Kennett Summerfest (100 South Broad Street, Kennett Square, kennettcollaborative.org) will be held on June 12 from 3-7 p.m.
Kennett Summerfest, a brand-new wine and spirits festival for 2022, celebrates exceptional local wineries and distilleries and brings together wine, cheese, art, and live music in a sophisticated festival atmosphere paired with the opportunity to enjoy the “Kennett Blooms: Floral Flash” installations.
Confirmed wineries for the 2022 festival include Casa Carmen, Kennett Square’s own Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery, and Grace Winery.
Pennsylvania ranks fourth nationally in grape growing and continues to come into its own as a serious place for refined and elegant wines. Local Chester County wines have been receiving national accolades for years.
The inaugural Summerfest will give ticket holders the unique opportunity to taste wines from 20 of the best local and regional wineries, paired with cheeses from Talula’s Table, as well as spirits from local distilleries and locally crafted botanical mocktails for designated drivers.
Live music, wine-centric vendors, food trucks, and a curated pop-up al fresco gallery of local artists all combine to create a Sunday afternoon to savor.
Tickets are $60 and include tasting glass for tastings of local wines, mixed drinks featuring local distilleries – and a cheese selection curated by Talula’s Table.
The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show (phsonline.org) has been a staple in Philadelphia since 1829. The massive annual show, which is the nation’s longest-running horticultural event, typically draws more than 250,000 people to Philadelphia every year.
The show, which is presented every year by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and celebrated its 190th anniversary in 2019, treats visitors to a spectacle of floral displays in every size, style and shape imaginable.
Each year, the show seems to get bigger and better. Each year’s event has the vibe of being special – different from its predecessors.
Last year, the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show was totally different from all previous editions.
Like many other iconic events, the Flower Show made pandemic-influenced changes for 2021. The spectacular display took place entirely outdoors for the first time ever.
This year, the show is back and will run from June 11-19 in South Philadelphia’s FDR Park, which is located at South Broad Street and Pattison Avenue.
The 2022 show uses South Philadelphia’s expansive and lush FDR Park as the setting for its breathtaking displays by the world’s premier floral and landscape designers. As always, the annual gardening celebration features top-of-the-line horticulture and landscape design, demonstrations, entertainment, themed nights and a marketplace.
Visitors will be able to see exceptional beauty, learn from a diverse line-up of designers and leading horticulturalists, and enter a new gardener-centric experience that invites everyone at all skill levels to nurture a lifelong connection to plants and gardening.
There are several interesting “Major Exhibits” including “The Garden for the Greater Good” as well as displays by Ann-Marie Powell, FÊTE URBANE, Martha Schwartz Partners, Refugia Design, and Wambui Ippolito
Each day, gardening experts will be on hand to provide visitors with a personalized experience, sharing ideas, solutions, and inspiration specific to unique tastes, growing conditions, and amount of gardening space.
Timed tickets are required and include admission to the American Swedish Historical Museum, also located in FDR Park. Admission prices for the 2022 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show are Adult, $45; Young Friend (18-29), $30; and Child (ages 5-17), $20.
Every year, Wilmington is home to a pair of huge ethnic food festivals — the Greek Festival at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (808 North Broom Street, Wilmington, 302-654-4446, www.holytrinitywilmington.org) and St. Anthony’s Italian Festival (St. Anthony of Padua Church, 901 North DuPont Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-421-2790, www.stanthonysfestival.com).
Greek Festival
The 2022 Greek Festival at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (808 North Broom Street, Wilmington, 302-654-4446, www.holytrinitywilmington.org) opened Monday and runs through June 11.
The list of main dish items at St. Sophia’s festival has a wide variety of meat and vegetable items. Chicken Oreganato is Grecian-style chicken roasted with a mixture of lemon, oil and oregano, while souvlaki is grilled pork tenderloin marinated with special herbs.
Gyros are pita sandwiches featuring a spice-infused ground beef-and-lamb mixture that is grilled, sliced fresh and served with tzatziki (cucumber and yogurt sauce), tomatoes, onions and olives.
Pastitsio is a macaroni dish with braised ground lamb and beef that is topped with béchamel sauce and baked. A similar entrée is mousaka, which features layers of eggplant, potato, ground lamb and beef, which is then baked and topped with a light béchamel sauce.
Saganaki is a dish with seared vlahotiri cheese that is flamed with brandy and lemon and served fresh. Greek Salad, which is always a favorite, includes lettuce, feta cheese, tomatoes, Greek olives, oregano, salt, onion, cucumbers tossed in a light olive oil dressing.
Other selections that can either be a main meal or a side dish are tyropita, which is a Greek-style cheese pie in a crispy phyllo crust; spanakopita, which is a tyropita that has spinach added; and Dolmades, which are rice and meat wrapped in grape leaves.
The menu at St. Sophia’s also includes a fried calamari dish with fresh lemon, and patates tiganitres, which are deep-fried potatoes that have been lightly seasoned with Greek herbs and spices and topped with feta cheese.
For dessert, it’s impossible to go wrong with any of the traditional Greek pastries. The most well-known Greek dessert is baklava, which is made with multiple layers of thin buttered phyllo dough cooked with walnuts, spices and honey syrup. Kataifi features shredded wheat with chopped nuts and honey syrup.
Loukoumades , the Greek version of doughnuts, are deep-fried and dipped in honey with a dash of cinnamon. Floyeres is a baked dessert prepared with thin layers of buttered pastry sheets, almonds, spices, and honey syrup. Galaktoboureko is a custard dessert baked between carefully placed pastry sheets and covered in syrup.
Karidopita is a moist walnut cake with spices and syrup. Kok, which is the Greek version of Boston cream pie, is a chocolate-covered cake that is filled with custard. Diples are crunchy treats featuring crisp folds of thin rolled pastry dough that are deep fried and topped with syrup, cinnamon and nuts.
Greek cuisine also includes a variety of mouth-watering cookies including melomakarona (oval cookie dipped in honey and rolled in nuts), kourabiedes (butter cookie served with confectioner’s sugar), paximadia (zwieback-type cookie that is baked then sliced and toasted in the oven), koulourakia (butter cookie that is twisted, basted with egg yolk and baked.)
Greek-American groups from the Delaware Valley will play popular Greek songs and standards and theer will be performances of traditional Greek folk dances. The festival also features a taverna – a bistro-style site for dancing and drinking.
Other attractions are Greek grocery stores and sales booths with items such as Greek music, icons, custom-made jewelry, leather goods and fabric. There will also be a variety of children’s activities.
The St. Anthony’s Italian Festival, which opens on June 12 and runs through June 19, features cafes, carnival rides, live Italian music and amusement games.
This festival is more than just a carnival with rides and food. It also is an educational experience with a focus each year on a different cultural region in Italy.
Over the past several years, the festival has focused on the art, architecture, food, and traditions of various regions.
It will celebrate all that makes Italy and the Italian lifestyle the envy of much of the world. There will be culinary highlights from various regions at the cafes and vendor locations, handcrafted Italian home decor items and Italian classical and contemporary music at concerts in the church and on the festival’s entertainment stages.
The St. Anthony’s Festival has become famous for its array of tasty Italian food.
Visitors will be able to enjoy such taste treats as spezzato, pizza, sausage and peppers, panzarotti, porkette, clams and spaghetti, pasta fagioli, pizza frita, meatball sandwiches, mozzarella sticks, calamari rings, spaghetti dinners and fresh espresso and cappuccino.
There is a $5 admission fee for all visitors ages 14-61. Seniors (age 61 and older) and children (age 13 and under who are accompanied by parent or guardian 18 or older) will be admitted free.
The Delaware River waterfront hosts a number of cultural celebrations this summer during the PECO Multicultural Series. This weekend, the focus is on the culture of the Islamic world.
Islamic Heritage Festival
On June 11, the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing (201 South Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, www.delawareriverwaterfront.com) will be the site of the Islamic Heritage Festival.
The event, which is part of PECO’s annual multicultural series at Penn’s Landing, will feature a colorful parade and live performances featuring the Islamic culture.
The Islamic Heritage Festival, which runs from 2-8 p.m., is free and open to the public.
ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ, — “Assalamu Alaikum” (“peace be with you” in Arabic).
On June 12, the Annual Odunde Festival (215-732-8510, http://odeundefestival.org) will be held from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. in the vicinity of 23rd and South streets in downtown Philadelphia.
Odunde attracts close to 500,000 people each year, covers 12 city blocks and is one of the largest African-American street festivals in the country.
The festival’s authentic African marketplace features vendors from around the world selling merchandise from many African nations, the Caribbean and Brazil.
The free event, whose concept originates from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, celebrates the coming of another year. One of the highlights each year is a colorful procession from 23rd and South streets to the Schuylkill River where an offering of fruit and flowers is made to Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the river.
There will be continuous live music throughout the day along with also be traditional African dance performances.
Great flower gardens, an impressive fountain show and live theater performances all can be found at one location this weekend — Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, savoy.org).
On June 10 and 11, Longwood is hosting a special live production by the Savoy Company in its Open Air Theatre.
The Savoy Company, which is the oldest amateur theater company in the world, is dedicated solely to the production of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan.
After a tremendously successful runs of “The Pirates of Penzance” in 2016, “H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor” in 2017, “Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri” in 2018, and “The Yeomen of the Guard, or; The Merryman and His Maid” in 2019, The Savoy Company is returning to Longwood Gardens with another Gilbert & Sullivan classic – “Ruddigore.”
“Ruddigore” is Gilbert and Sullivan’s satirical take on the Victorian melodrama genre with a zany plot has it all—ghosts, witches, curses, disguises, and even a wicked villain who tries to make off with the fair maiden.
Tickets for reserved seating are $29 and $39.
On June 11, 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com) will host the Wayne Music Festival (waynemusicfestival.com) with headliners Melvin Seals with JGB, Yellowman, Jade Bird and Tommy Conwell.
The Wayne Music Festival is produced in conjunction with the Music is Love Foundation, a 501c3 which hosts music events with the proceeds benefiting children’s medical causes.
There will be four stages at Saturday’s event – 118 North Stage, CHOP Stage, West Avenue Stage and Lancaster Avenue Stage – with matinee and evening sets starting at 2 p.m.
The schedule for the CHOP Stage is Melvin Seals & JGB – 8:45; Yellowman – 7; Tommy Conwell – 5; and Valentina Sounds – 3. The schedule for the West Ave Stage is Jade Bird – 8; Rugby Road – 6; Billy Walton Band – 4; and Kick & The Hug – 2.
The schedule for the Lancaster Ave Stage is Jamie McLean Band – 8; Stella Ruze – 6; The 29ers – 4; and Jeffrey Gaines – 2. The schedule for the 118 North Stage is Jamie McElan Band (Indoor After Party) – 10:30; Springbrooke – 8; Wallis – 6; Swwik – 4; and Jared Feinman – 2.
From June 15-18, the 31st Annual Clifford Brown Jazz Festival will be held in Rodney Square (11th and Market streets, Wilmington, 302-576-3095, www.cliffordbrownjazzfest.com).
The free festival will start on June 15 with internationally acclaimed bassist, Stanley Clarke with Rayford Griffin and Joe Chambers as the opening acts and close on June 18 with Regina Carter as the day’s headliner.
The 2022 Mainstage Lineup in Rodney Square features top-flight acts such as Chucho Valdés & Paquito D’Rivera, Stokley, Rebirth Brass Band, David Sanchez, Cintron, Maysa, Ernest Stuart & Thr3zus, Immanuel Wilkins, Lynn Riley & The World Mix, Spartan Alumni Jazz Band and Tony “Big Cat” Smith.
A delightful destination to enjoy flowers in bloom is Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134, www.tylerarboretum.org).
On June 13, Tyler is hosting “Saturday Wildflower Walk – Summer Explorations” from 5-7 p.m.
Participants can join wildflower expert Dick Cloud on an informative two-hour hike that will take them through Tyler’s spring scenes of meadows, woods, and occasionally streamside. Some of the destinations are Indian Rock on the Blue Trail, Dismal Valley on the Orange Trail, Dogwood Circle on the Red Trail, and the Shade Tree Nursery, which is on the White Trail.
Additionally, “Weekday Bird Walks: Limited Edition” are scheduled for every Wednesday in May from 8-10 a.m.
Walks are rain or shine. Tickets are $15 and include admission to Tyler for the day.
The Brandywine Valley has quite a few museums and tourist sites that provide residents and tourists ideal opportunities to spend leisure time — and you can maximize your effort if you take advantage of the 2022 Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport.
The cost is $49 for an individual pass and $99 for a family pass (for up to five family members).
The Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport is good for one-time admission to Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley’s top attractions now through October 31.
A family pass, which includes one-day admission to each of 12 sites, can bring a savings of over $200 for the holders — especially since many of the participating institutions have regular admission fees in double figures.
The list of locations covered by the Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport includes Longwood Gardens, Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, Brandywine River Museum, Delaware Art Museum, Delaware History Museum, Hagley Museum and Library, Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts, Nemours Mansion & Gardens, Read House and Garden, Mt. Cuba Center, Rockwood Museum and Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.
For more information, call (800) 489-6664 or visit www.visitwilmingtonde.com/bmga/.
Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www.longwoodgardens.org) is inviting visitors to enjoy the beauty of late spring.
The biggest attraction at Longwood right now is the “Festival of Fountains,” which is running through September 29.
With fountains that jet as high as 175 feet, gardens filled with colorful summer blooms, shade-friendly trees, exotic day- and night-blooming waterlilies, and live music outdoors, Longwood Gardens has something for everyone.
The “Festival of Fountains” began in May and all the popular attractions are going full swing – include in Longwood Gardens’ Open Air Theatre, Italian Water Garden Square Fountain, Round Fountain (Flower Garden Walk), Sylvan Fountain (Peirce’s Park), and Children’s Corner fountains.
The season of renewal and growth has started.
As the season unfolds, flowering trees delightfully punctuate the landscape, radiant tulips stretch toward the sun, and the delicious fragrance of wisteria floats along the breeze.
Visitors can also enjoy special exhibits at the Orchid House.
Admission to Longwood Gardens is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and college students, $18 for active military and $13 for youth.
For a fun and educational day for you and your children, consider a visit to the Brandywine River Museum (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-2700, http://www.brandywinemuseum.org).
The Museum will be open from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. with admission to the galleries including two featured exhibitions, “Gatecrashers: The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America” and “Dawoud Bey: Night Coming Tenderly, Black.”
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Route 52, Wilmington, Delaware, 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org) has attractions both indoors and outdoors going on right now.
There seems to be no end to what’s in bloom — and in almost every corner of the garden. Azalea Woods is at its breathtaking peak with its paths lined with azaleas in shades of red, pink, salmon, and white.
You can follow the white arrows through the garden or choose your own path. Visitors can discover the beauty and fragrance of the masses of lilac bushes and enjoy the showy display in Enchanted Woods and by the Reflecting Pool.
Winterthur is also featuring a Guided Exhibition Tour – “Jacqueline Kennedy and Henry Francis du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House” – now through January 8, 2023.
Visitors can explore the friendship between the First Lady and H. F. du Pont and their work to restore the White House in this guided tour of the special exhibition.
In 1961, an unusual partnership was formed when the youngest First Lady in American history, Jacqueline Kennedy, appointed a reserved octogenarian collector from Delaware, Henry Francis du Pont, to lead her project to restore the White House interiors. Du Pont brought credibility to Kennedy’s efforts and vision, and her enormous popularity lifted him onto the national stage and validated his life’s work.
Together, they transformed the White House from a mere public residence into a museum, and along the way, they engaged with some of the most celebrated interior designers of the 20th century.
For the first time, the story of this historic partnership will be told at Winterthur, the inspiration for Mrs. Kennedy’s project. Through artifacts, archives, and images, this exhibition will invite visitors to experience the behind-the-scenes collaboration between the two during this captivating period in American history.
Their partnership culminated in a televised tour of the White House, led by Jacqueline Kennedy, which became the most watched program in American history. The former First Lady will forever be remembered as the person who restored history and beauty to the White House.
Their “restoration” of America’s most famous house became a history lesson for the country and awakened an interest in preservation and interior design that is still felt today.
Admission to Winterthur is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and students and $8 for children.
The Historic Odessa Foundation (Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, www.historicodessa.org) is now presenting its first spring art exhibition — “Seasons: Pastels by Katie Cassidy.”
The exhibit of colorful pastel drawings by the talented Easton, Maryland artist is on display now through June 26, in the Historic Odessa Visitor Center Gallery.
Cassidy is well known for her light filled impressions of flowers and landscapes. She maintains that she sees paintings in everyday life, and her colorful pastels and fresh oil paintings capture the world around her with an enthusiasm that began in childhood classes at Washington D.C.’s Corcoran Gallery. That early education taught her to look at the world through an artistic lens, a skill she now uses to help aspiring artists do the same.
Cassidy’s passion for both pastels and oils is rivaled only by the dedication to her students at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where she has taught for 18 years and been Director of the Adult Education program for 12.
Cassidy graduated with a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Maryland at College Park and spent her early years working in marketing for a graphic design firm in the Washington D.C. area. Her departure from commercial design to pursue fine art led her to Easton, where the landscape and people provided her with new inspiration. Cassidy frequently references the influences of Edouard Manet, Mary Cassatt, and Joachin Sorolla, and has travelled extensively to Ireland, Italy and France, as well as the American Southwest, where the land and people bring constant freshness to her art.
An award-winning artist, she is well known for her comprehensive knowledge of the basics and techniques of many mediums, especially charcoal, oil and pastel. She is a noted instructor of multiple art disciplines at the Academy Art Museum where her classes are consistently filled with eager students. In 2010, Cassidy was hired to write and manage the Adult Art curriculum at the Museum, overseeing 16 instructors and multiple classes.
You can treat your pets to a day out on July 12 by taking them to a party geared for pets.
On June 12 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., the Chestnut Hill Business District and Weavers Way Co-op join forces to host Petapalooza (Germantown Avenue & East Highland Avenue, Philadelphia, chestnuthillpa.com/events/petapalooza/), a free, family-friendly celebration of our animal friends, with various activities for humans and their pets along Germantown Avenue.
Guests can treat their furry pals to a day in the refreshing doggie pools; try their luck with various Petapalooza raffles; sample delicious pet treats; and put their best nose forward for a pet caricaturist. Adventurous dog owners will have the chance to test their dog’s skills by taking them through a parkour course.
Guests can also shop at pet-focused vendors, including Weavers Way Pet Store, Bon Appetite, Queenie’s Pets, Fairmount Barks, and the Chestnut Hill Cat Clinic.
For guests looking to adopt their next best friend, pet rescue and adoption agencies, including the Philly Bully Team, Brenda’s Cat Rescue, Jax’s Labrador Retriever Rescue, German Shepherd Rescue of Southeast Pennsylvania, Blind Dog Rescue Alliance, French Bulldog Village, and ACCT will be on location with animals looking for their forever homes.
There will also be plenty of activities for entire families while they stroll Germantown Avenue and enjoy the over 200 shops and restaurant options. In addition to the shops and businesses in Chestnut Hill, visitors can browse over a dozen Petapalooza vendors and have their faces painted.
Adults can look forward to “Yappy Hour” specials throughout the day and dine with their pets at participating establishments – including a “Puppy Love” from Chestnut Hill Brewing Company, “Barkarita” from Chestnut Hill Grill, or a “Salty Chihuahua” from El Poquito.
Many restaurants will also offer a specialty menu item for the day, like the Pupparoni Pizza at Cosimos Pizza.
This free family-friendly event is open to locals and visitors alike. Many Chestnut Hill shops are dog-friendly, and attendees should be sure to look for the “Dogs Welcome Here” signs in storefront windows.
On June 11 and 12, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (Station Avenue, Oaks, www.phillyexpocenter.com) will be transformed into the Mesozoic Era with prehistoric dinosaurs throughout.
During “Dino Stroll,” participants experience a transformation into the Mesozoic Era with prehistoric dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods,
throughout!
As guests walk through this Dinosaur adventure, they are able to get up close and personal with almost 75 life-like creatures, reptiles, and life-size dinosaurs, with most standing over 25 feet tall and spanning over 60 feet long, including T-Rex, Velociraptors and Stegosaurus, just to name a few.
Dino Stroll will be the most realistic tour back into history with animatronic dinosaurs that are created with moving heads, necks, tails, wings, eyes blinking, mouths that open and close, breathing movements, synchronized sounds, spraying water, and many more exquisite details that bring them to life.
Guests will become paleontologists and be able to explore and study skeletons, fossils, and dinosaur eggs, even while climbing inside of them for photo opportunities.
There will be entertainment by the Dino Band, various roaming Dinosaurs to encounter during the stroll, and much more.
“Dino Stroll” will be an interactive event allowing guests to walk along, stand next to, and touch some of the life-size dinosaurs while providing a memorable experience of what it felt like when the world’s largest creatures roamed the earth.
The event will run from 8:30-4 p.m. on June 11 and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 12. Tickets are $26.99.
Hope Lodge (553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, 215-343-0965, http://www.ushistory.org/hope/) is hosting its “Guided Mansion Tours & Second Sunday Pop-Up Beer Garden” on June 12 from 1-5 p.m.
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.
Visitors can participate by watching a short film and then taking a guided tour of the mansion.
They can also relax and spend the afternoon in the pop-up Beer Garden hosted by Round Guys Brewing Company. Outside food, picnic blankets and chairs are permitted throughout the grounds. Leashed pets are welcome.
Tour admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (age 65+) and for youth ages 6-17, and fee for children under 5. Hope Lodge is a
Fort Mifflin (Fort Mifflin and Hog Island roads, Philadelphia, 215-685-4167, www.fortmifflin.us) is hosting an event called “Civil War Saturday at the Fort.”
Visitors can see what Fort Mifflin’s years as a federal prison were like as the Mifflin Guard becomes the fort’s Garrison for the weekend.
Guests can watch the soldiers drill and prepare their camp meals over an open fire. They can also “Enlist” and learn to drill with wooden muskets and enjoy Civil War Soldier Life and Medicine programs.
Another attraction will be to discover the untold story of the prisoners of the Fishing Creek Confederacy, imprisoned at the Fort in 1864.
The event will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday.
Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for veterans with ID and students.
Wonderspaces at the Fashion District (27 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, philadelphia.wonderspaces.com) is an experiential, interactive arts venue.
Building on the success of annual pop-up shows in San Diego, and its first permanent location in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wonderspaces opened a 24,000 square foot gallery space in Philly a year ago.
Wonderspaces features 14 art installations that all play with the idea of perspective. The artwork ranges from award-winning virtual reality short film about a dinner party-turned-alien abduction, to a room where visitors digitally paint the walls with the movement of their bodies.
New artworks rotate in every few months, creating an ever-evolving, year-round show.
Tickets are for entry at a specific date and time. Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they please during operating hours. The average time spent experiencing the show is 90 minutes.
A few installations contain flashing lights, images, and patterns that may trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. All visitors must sign a waiver prior to being admitted into the space. Adult supervision is required for visitors under 16.
Penns Wood Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, http://www.pennswoodsevents.com) will present “Live Music on the Lawn” every weekend in June.
The schedule for June 11 at Penns Wood Winery features from Hailey & Nero from 2-5 p.m.
The schedule for June 12 features Della Lewis. from 2-5 p.m.
The annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival will be held now through June 25 at the Wayne Art Center (413 Maplewood Avenue, Wayne, www.wayneart.org).
“En plein air” is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The practice goes back for centuries but was truly made into an art form by the French Impressionists.
Fresh off the easel, more than 250 works adorn Wayne Art Center’s walls showcasing the artists’ individual interpretations of life and landscapes.
Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) will present another “Hot Spots and Storied Plots” tour on June 11.
This tour provides an informative overview of Laurel Hill’s long history, which includes many of the marble masterpieces, stunning views, and legendary stories about Laurel Hill.
“Hot Spots and Storied Plots” is the perfect introduction for anyone who enjoys beautiful art, scenic nature, and fascinating history. An experienced graveyard guide will offer a unique perspective.
The expansion of Fairmount Park in the 1860s prevented further growth of Laurel Hill, and in 1869 West Laurel Hill was established just across the river in Bala Cynwyd. This walking tour provides a wonderful overview of West Laurel Hill’s long and colorful history, including its architectural artistry, stunning trees and horticulture, and the stories of residents that encompass diverse and fascinating Philadelphia history.
The tour guide for this event is Jacquie Mahon.
Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are: $12/General Admission, $10/Seniors (65 & up) and Students with ID, $6/Youth (6-12), and $0/Child (5 & Under). Youth and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the summer.
Participants can walk with tour guides from the grounds of America’s first White House, Congress, and Liberty Bell to homes and sites of Hamilton, Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and more than 10 other Founding-Fathers. The surprising dirt of espionage, murder, sexual license and blackmail highlight the secrets of 1776 with a ghost story or two along the way. This tour is highly researched. And your guide is a historian.
Grim Philly will also be presenting “Serial Killers & Cemetery Tour” every Saturday at 2 p.m.
Participants will have the opportunity to experience unconventional sightseeing off the beaten path. They can enjoy Betsy Ross House, Christ Church, Elfreth’s Alley, and Benjamin Franklin’s Grave, together with tales of serial slayings and psychopathic killers like the Corpse Collector, Frankfort Slasher, and H.H. Holmes.
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (215-413-1997, www.ghosttour.com), Ghost Tour of Lancaster (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) and Ghost Tour of Strasburg (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) operate throughout the winter and offer an eerily entertaining evening of true ghost stories and real haunted houses.
The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia, which is based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, PA.,” is a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards abound.
Participants can discover the ghost lore of America’s most historic and most haunted city with stories from the founding of William Penn’s colony to present-day hauntings.
The activity is open year-round – weekends, December-February; every night, March-November. Tickets are $24.
The Ghost Tour of Lancaster and the Ghost Tour of Strasburg are based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Lancaster, PA.”
Participants in the Ghost Tour of Lancaster explore the long-forgotten mysteries of one of America’s oldest cities, with haunting tales of otherworldly vigils, fatal curses, and star-crossed lovers. The tour provides the opportunity to experience 300 years of haunted history from the Red Rose City’s thorny past. Tickets are $18.
The Ghost Tour of Strasburg is a candlelight walking tour of the quaint and historic town of Strasburg in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Visitors will experience an entertaining evening with a costumed tour guide spinning tales of haunted mansions, eerie graveyards, and spirits that roam the night … in a town lost in time. Tickets are $18.
“Elmwood Park Zoo” (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) is presenting “Breakfast with Giraffes” on June 11 and 12 at 8:30 a.m. each day.
Participants can enjoy a delicious, socially distanced outdoor breakfast buffet, right next to the zoo’s three towering giraffes. After plates are cleared, guest can enjoy an exclusive giraffe feeding.
The Zoo is also presenting several of its ultra-popular “Dog Days” over the next week.
The Zoo’s “Dog Days” event will be held on June 10, 12 and 15 from noon-4 p.m. each day.
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.”
Pricing is $10.95 per dog with each additional dog at $9.95. Regular zoo admission is required for all humans.
Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) will be presenting “Elmo’s Springtacular” every weekend now through June 19.
“Elmo’s Springtacular” at Sesame Place is filled with furry fun and exciting events – including an exciting line up of meet & greets, music, magic, pirate adventures, and fireworks.
This weekend, it’s time for Sesame Place’s special event – “Elmo’s Pirate Weekend.”
The pirate event will take place on June 11 and 12.
Elmo and his crew are setting sail for a pirate adventure with exclusive showings of “Elmo and the Bookaneers” in Abby’s Paradise Theater.
Participants can join in the fun with a Treasure Hunt throughout the park — and get a photo with everyone’s favorite furry friends dressed in their pirate garb!
Guests can also take a spin on the rides, catch their favorite Sesame Street shows and be entertained by the Sesame Street Party Parade.
The West Chester Railroad (610-430-2233, www.westchesterrr.net) is running Summer Picnic Specials every Sunday now through September 18.
There is just one special excursion per day and it will depart at noon.
The special train features a relaxing 90-minute train ride from West Chester to Glen Mills and return.
Passengers can pack a lunch or purchase lunch from the rail line’s on-board snack bar and then chow down during the train’s stop at the Glen Mills train station picnic grove.
Tickets are $17 for adults and $15 for children (ages 2-12). Children under two ride free.
The Strasburg Rail Road (Route 741, Strasburg, 717-687-7522, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running a special train on June 10 and 11.
Passengers can enjoy the luxurious, climate-controlled first-class accommodations and a tasting of select wine, cheese, and crackers as they travel in style down the tracks from Strasburg to Paradise and back. The train departs at 6 p.m. and the total trip time is 45 minutes.
“Wine & Cheese Train” boarding is 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Riders must be 21 or older and have their photo ID ready when they board.
Featured wines are carefully selected from Waltz Vineyards, and cheeses are paired accordingly. Beer and select non-alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase upon request. Riders can purchase a souvenir wine glass on board the train if desired. Glasses are $7 each.
In accordance with Pennsylvania law, alcohol is only served during the train ride. The rail line is not permitted to serve alcoholic beverages while the train is berthed in the station.
This popular train is available on select Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the season. Tickets are $50.
On June 12, the Colebrookdale Railroad (South Washington Street, Boyertown, www.colebrookdalerailroad.com) is running its “Secret Valley Expedition” at 1 p.m.
The tourist rail line’s two-hour expedition into the Secret Valley features rides on meticulously restored century-old rail cars and visits one of the most scenic and historic regions in the northeast.
The railroad will be offering a lunch aboard the Secret Valley Expedition to all dining class passengers. Riders can enjoy a choice of Chicken Parmigiana or lasagna while journeying through the verdant land lost in time. Children on board will be served chicken fingers with macaroni-and-cheese.
First Class Parlor and Lounge Car fares include one complementary beverage served in a commemorative glass, an hors d’oeuvre plate that includes a fine selection of cheeses, meats, cranberries, and mixed nuts, and a cheesecake dessert as part of the ticket price.
Additionally, and a la carte menu is available in all cars and all passengers have access to our open car for near 360-degree views of the Secret Valley.
The Northern Central Railway (2 West Main Street, New Freedom, www.northerncentralrailway.com) is running its “No. 17 Special” on June 10 at 11 a.m., 12:30 and 2 p.m.
Passengers can get “All aboard” at the special price of just $17 and enjoy a ride powered by the rail line’s #17 steam engine. They also will be able to take in the summer scenery and learn a bit about the history of the railway.
On June 11, the tourist railroad is running its “Glen Rock Express” at 11 a.m.
The ride travels to Glen Rock and back with powered by the NCR’s vintage PRR GP9 Diesel Locomotive built in 1959.
The ride follows the route of the original Northern Central Railroad through the scenic Heritage Rail Trail County Park.
Tickets: $26 Adult (ages 13+); $18 Child (age 2-12).
Wilmington and Western Railroad (Greenbank Station, 2201 Newport-Gap Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, www.wwrr.com) is running a “Princess Express” train on June 12.
Riders can join the rail line’s professional princesses and princes for a live fairytale show on the station platform and royal ride aboard the Princess Express.
This year’s special guests are the Little Mermaid and her Prince, the Island Princess, Princess Beauty and Princess Aurora.
Young princesses are invited to join in for a magical and unforgettable ride – and to wear their most festive royal attire.
Sing-alongs and prizes aboard the train are an extra perk this year during the 1.5-hour round-trip to the Mt. Cuba Picnic Grove.
This departure is powered by one of the railroad’s historic first-generation diesel locomotives.
Trains depart at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for children (ages 2-12) and $21 for Seniors.
If you enjoy walking around garden displays or if you like to look at model railroad layouts, then you should definitely check out the Garden Railway Display at the Morris Arboretum (100 Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, www.morrisarboretum.org).
The ultra-popular Garden Railway Display has become a major summer attraction at The Gardens at Morris Arboretum. The 23rd annual edition of the display has its official season opened in May and will continue until October 10.
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.
The Garden Railway opens for the summer season Saturday, May 27, Memorial Day weekend. This year’s theme — “America’s Roadside Attractions,” features miniature replicas of some of this country’s most iconic roadside attractions including Randy’s Donuts, the Jolly Green Giant, and the World’s Oldest Largest Pecan.
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).
