By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www.longwoodgardens.org) is always a special place to visit – especially during the run of its annual “Festival of Fountains.” The 2022 “Festival of Fountains” opened in May and is running through September 26.
This summer is even more special because of light. More specifically because of “Light: Installations by Bruce Munro,” which is artist Bruce Munro’s illuminating new installation at Longwood Gardens.
The exhibit had its debut two weeks ago and will be on view Thursday through Sunday evenings until October 30.
“Light” is an extravagant exhibit that includes eight installations comprising more than 18,000 glowing lightbulbs across Longwood’s outdoor areas and indoor conservatory.
From the luminous “Field of Light” stretching across the Large and Small Lake landscape … to a flamboyance of 1,000 flamingoes wading near the Chimes Tower … to an immersive sensory environment inspired by the Waterlily Display in the Exhibition Hall, the exhibit showcases eight installations spanning Longwood Gardens’ indoor spaces and outdoor vistas.
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 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., 1:15, 3:15 p.m. and 5:15. There will also be performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 6:15, 7:15 and 8:15 p.m.
The “Illuminated Fountain Performance” will be staged Thursdays through Sundays at 9:15 p.m.
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 28 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. 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 $35 for adults, $32 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and college students, $27 for active military and veterans and $19 for youth (ages 5-18).
Longwood Gardens is one of many attractions on the Brandywine Treasure Trail
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/.
Brandywine River Museum
The Brandywine River Museum (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-2700, http://www.brandywinemuseum.org) 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.”
“Gatecrashers: The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America,” which is running now through September 5, examines how, after World War I, artists without formal training “crashed the gates” of major museums in the United States, diversifying the art world across lines of race, ethnicity, class, ability, and gender.
Included are over 50 works by celebrated painters such as Horace Pippin, Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses and John Kane, as well as by fifteen artists who are lesser known now but were recognized in their day, including Josephine Joy, Morris Hirshfield, Lawrence Lebduska, Patrick Sullivan, and others.
“Dawoud Bey: Night Coming Tenderly, Black,” which is running through August 31, is a selection of photographs from Bey’s critically acclaimed series from 2017.
Regarded as one of the most important photographers working today, Dawoud Bey (b. 1953) is recognized for his compelling, large-scale portraits and street photographs of marginalized people and communities that he began in the 1970s. Inspired by artist Roy DeCarava (1919—2009), Bey has been photographing the Black community in Harlem where he was born, and Queens where he grew up, for over four decades.
Hagley Museum and Library (Buck Road East entrance via Route 100, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-658-2400, www.hagley.org) is the site of the gunpowder works founded by E. I. du Pont in 1802. This example of early American industry includes restored mills, a workers’ community, and the ancestral home and gardens of the du Pont family.
High on a bank of the Brandywine River overlooking the original powder mills, E. I. du Pont, founder of the DuPont Company, built his home. For almost a century the Georgian-style home and surrounding complex of buildings and gardens served as the center of family and business life. Five generations of du Pont family members lived in the house since its completion in 1803, each leaving their mark. Today you will see it much as it was when the last family member lived there, filled with furnishings and collections of American folk art, alongside treasured family pieces and items brought with the family from France when they left in 1799.
Admission to Hagley is: $15, Adults; $12, Seniors (62+) and Students; and $8, Children 6-14.
Hagley will host “Bike & Hike & Brews” on July 20 from 5-8 p.m. – and every Wednesday evening through August 31.
Visitors to Hagley can enjoy an after-work hike or a picnic along the Brandywine’s most beautiful mile on summer Wednesday evenings from June through August.
It is a family event featuring summer fun in a beautiful outdoor setting. Guests can bring a picnic to enjoy at Hagley’s picnic pavilion on Workers’ Hill or at a picnic table along the Brandywine.
Dogfish Head craft beer and Woodside Farm Creamery ice cream are also available for purchase. You are welcome to bring your own food to “Bike & Hike & Brews,” but outside alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Admission is $5 per person and free for Hagley members and children five and under. Please note that this event is weather-dependent.
The “Food Trucks” schedule is: July 20: Zaikka on Wheels; July 27: TBA; August 3: Natalie’s Fine Foods; August 10: All Hands BBQ; August 17: Mojo Loco; August 24: Zaikka on Wheels; and August 31: Army of 2.
“Bike & Hike & Brews” will also offer “Dog Days” on July 27 and August 31. On “Dog Days,” leashed canine companions are welcome at “Bike & Hike & Brews.”
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org) is presentin “Artisan Market at Winterthur on July 16 and 17.
Visitors can spend a summer day exploring Winterthur and shopping for original objects from more than 100 artisans at the Artisan Market on July 16 and 17. From jewelry, fine art, and pottery to clothing, specialty foods, and more, the wares at Artisan Market will delight and surprise you. The booths are located throughout the garden — in the Sundial Garden, Enchanted Woods, Sycamore Hill, Clenny Run Lawn, the Grove at Museum Lawn, and the Visitor Center Patio.
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.
A related event will be “Terrific Tuesdays” – a special activity that is running every Tuesday through the end of August.
Visitors are invited to drop in for crafts, games, and demonstrations inspired by Jacqueline Kennedy’s White House restoration in the 1960s. Activities will introduce design, history, art, cultural conservation, and architectural preservation to kids ages 3–10 and the adults they bring with them.
The schedule for “Terrific Tuesdays” is: July 12, Green Room: Wooden Wonders; July 19, China Room: Dynamic Ceramics; July 26, Rose Garden: Flower Power; August 2, Children’s Rooms: Pets and Play; August 9, Red Room: Fantastic Fabrics; August 16, Blue Room: Contrasting Compositions; August 23, East Room: Entertainment Extravaganza; and August 30, Diplomatic Reception Room: Parley and Printmaking.
Admission to Winterthur is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and students and $8 for children.
Another site with impressive gardens can be found just across the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line.
Nemours Estate
Nemours Estate (850 Alapocas Drive, Wilmington, Delaware, www.nemoursestate.org) has now re-opened after a pandemic safety closure.
Hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Reservations are not required and there is no timed entry.
Nemours Estate comprises an exquisite, 77-room Mansion, the largest formal French gardens in North America, a Chauffeur’s Garage housing a collection of vintage automobiles, and 200 acres of scenic woodlands, meadows and lawns.
Nemours was the estate of Alfred I. duPont.
Alfred named the estate Nemours, after the French town that his great-great-grandfather represented in the French Estates General. While looking to the past and his ancestors for inspiration, Alfred also ensured that his new home was thoroughly modern by incorporating the latest technology and many of his own inventions.
The Gardens is one of the estate’s prime attractions.
The two elk at the top of the Vista are the work of French sculptor Prosper Lecourtier (1855–1924), a specialist in animal figures. Lined with Japanese cryptomeria, pink flowering horse chestnuts and pin oaks, the Long Walk extends from the Mansion to the Reflecting Pool.
The 157 jets at the center of the one-acre pool shoot water 12 feet into the air; when they are turned off, the entire “Long Walk” is reflected in the pool. The pool, five and a half feet deep in its deepest section, holds 800,000 gallons of water and takes three days to fill. The Art Nouveau-style, classical mythology-based “Four Seasons” around the pool are by French-born American sculptor Henri Crenier (1873–1948).
Admission to Nemours is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $10 for children.
The Delaware Art Museum (2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware, www.delart.org) has a new exhibit that will open on June 25 and run through September 11 – “Stan Smokler: Steel in Flux.”
The Delaware Art Museum celebrates the career of Stan Smokler with this Distinguished Artist exhibition. His celebrated found object, steel sculptures continue the trajectory of modernist abstraction.
Smokler completed his Master of Fine Arts degree at Pratt Institute in 1975, and he continued to work in New York on his own sculpture as well as in art conservation and interior design before relocating to the Brandywine Valley in 1999. Smokler taught at the Delaware College of Art and Design from 1998 until his retirement in 2016, served on the Board of the Delaware Contemporary, and participated in Delaware Division of the Arts’ Artist in Residence program from 1996–1999.
In addition to participating in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States, Smokler established his Marshall Bridge Workshop in 2004. The Workshop is an immersive training opportunity for artists of all levels interested in working with welded steel, and Smokler has been praised for his supportive approach to teaching.
“Stan Smokler: Steel in Flux” includes work from the late 1970s through 2020 along with several of the artist’s charcoal and pastel drawings of his completed sculptures. Examples of Smokler’s largescale work will be on view in the Museum’s Copeland Sculpture Garden with an extended showing through October 30, 2022.
The Distinguished Artist Series is a celebration of those artists who have impacted contemporary art in the greater Brandywine Valley through their artistic practices, teaching, and support of the community and its various institutions. Through unique exhibitions, this series surveys artists’ legacies as they relate to local, national, and international trends. With his commitment to exploring the possibilities of steel and mentoring students through his numerous Marshall Bridge workshops and years at the Delaware College of Art and Design, Smokler has guided the trajectory of contemporary abstract sculpture.
Admission to the Delaware Art Museum is $14 for adults, $7 for students, and $6 for youth (ages 7-18).
More art in Delaware can be found in the quaint town of Odessa.
The Historic Odessa Foundation (Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, www.historicodessa.org) is now presenting its newest exhibition of acrylic paintings — “Color Secrets: Paintings by Jan Crooker.”
The exhibit of colorful acrylics by the talented Kutztown artist is on display now through August 28 in the Historic Odessa Visitor Center Gallery.
For Crooker, who is well-known for her vibrant images of still life, flowers and local scenes and landscapes, color has always been a focus of her artistic expression.
According to Crooker, “I think my love of color harkens back to my early exposure to art at the children’s classes at the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio. While some kids had favorite stars or athletes, I had favorite artists. My first favorite artist was Vincent Van Gogh.”
Crooker researched the master colorist’s use of color and read his thoughts on the subject. Although she admires other colorist artists, Van Gogh has been the greatest influence on her color use.
Crooker earned a bachelor’s degree in art education from Toledo University, and a Master of Fine Arts from Penn State University.
On July 17, Woodside Farm Creamery (1310 Little Baltimore Road, Hockessin, Delaware, www.woodsidefarmcreamery.com) is hosting its National Ice Cream Day Celebration from noon-4:30 p.m.
Visitors to the free event will be able to try new ice cream flavors, take a behind-the-scenes tour, play field games, meet one of the creamery’s Jersey cows, and take part in an ice cream eating contest.
There is a $5 registration fee for the ice cream eating contest with all the proceeds being donated to the Delaware Food Bank. Additionally, Food Bank will be accepting non-perishable food items.
The Philadelphia Zoo (3400 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, www.philadelphiazoo.org) is presenting its annual Summer Ale Festival on July 16 from 7-10 p.m. – celebrating another year of specialty brews, animals, live entertainment and more
Festivalgoers are invited to go wild for craft beer and cider with more than 100 selections pouring from more than 25 regional and national breweries. Guests will meet dozens of renowned brewers offering delicious award-winning, full-bodied beers and purchase fresh, local fare from the region’s hippest food trucks.
This exclusive night also features private Zoo access after-hours, live entertainment, delicious lite bites from Philly’s top food trucks (available for purchase) and, of course, the most majestic animals from around the globe. In addition to offering a special night of memories at one of the region’s most unique attractions, the event raises money to support the Zoo’s mission to create joyful discovery and inspire action for animals and habitats.
General Admission tickets are $65 and include evening admission to the Zoo, souvenir tasting cup, unlimited beer sampling and complimentary shuttle service to and from 30th & Market Street (across from Amtrak 30th Street Station). Non-drinker tickets are $35. Taps close 30 minutes prior to event end. This is a rain or shine event.
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum (8601 Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, www.fws.gov/refuge/John_Heinz) has several attractive events scheduled for this weekend.
“Birds Walks” will take place on July 16 and 17 from 8-10 a.m.
Visitors can take an educational walk with one of the Refuge’s knowledgeable volunteers and discover the 300-plus species of birds that use the Refuge during their migration routes. Each week guarantee different species.
Participants will meet by visitor center. The walk will be at a relaxed paced on flat surfaces. There are restrooms and a water fountain near the trailhead.
On July 17 at 10 a.m., it be time for one of the site’s “Refuge on Wheels Shuttle Tours.”
This shuttle tour will take riders around the refuge with iconic stops along the way. The event is free, and no registration needed.
The tour begins at the pavilion near the Visitor Center.
Another venue where you can get close to nature is Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134, www.tylerarboretum.org).
The arboretum’s schedule for this weekend features the “Pink Hill Tour – Tyler’s Serpentine Barren,” the “Blue Trail Tour” and “Saturday Evening Wildflower Walk” on July 16.
The “Pink Hill Tour – Tyler’s Serpentine Barren” will start at 9:30 a.m.
Pink Hill is renowned as a “serpentine barren”, yet the ancient grassland there is anything but barren. Serpentine barrens are globally rare ecosystems and hotspots for biodiversity, including many imperiled species.
Of roughly 40 locations described a century ago in the eastern U.S., less than 20 remain, and all of those have lost species due to habitat shrinkage. Pink Hill showcases the only surviving serpentine barren of 10 that once existed in Delaware County.
Tour participants will hear about the barrens’ origins and links to continental collision, extinct megafauna, and Native American prehistory; see the unique landscape and some of the endangered and threatened species; and learn what Tyler is doing to restore and sustain this geological, ecological and cultural treasure.
The “Bluebird Nesting Box Tour,” which is slated for 1-2 p.m. on July 14, will have its focus on bluebirds.
For the past 50 years, volunteers at Tyler Arboretum have been monitoring the nesting activities of the Eastern Bluebird. Tour participants can join in this “Bluebird Nesting Box Tour” to share this tradition.
The staff and guests will walk the succession field and check on quite a few bluebird boxes where they expect to see bluebirds, active nests of bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds, eggs, and young nestlings. This family-friendly program ends by providing you with a chance to catch up on the progress of our new nest box live camera program.
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.
Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden (1829 East County Line Road, Villanova, stoneleighgarden.org/garden/home/) will present a “Home and Garden Tour” on July 16 from 10:30 a.m.-noon.
Formerly a Main Line country estate, Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden opened to the public in 2018.
Dazzling displays of native plants, ancient trees, landscape designs by the Olmsted Brothers, and myriad habitats are highlighted on this guided exploration of Stoneleigh. The spectacular Tudor Revival Main House—which is usually only open for special events—is also included in the tour.
This tour will highlight the transition from beloved family home to public garden through a guided exploration of breathtaking historical landscapes, majestic trees, and the more than 2,000 varieties of native plants.
Guests can learn how the staff created gardens that are beautiful, biodiverse, and beneficial to wildlife.
Tickets for the tour are $15.
Morris Arboretum (100 Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, www.morrisarboretum.org) is opening a new season exhibit – “Bloomin’ Bubbles.”
Every Tuesday through August, Morris Arboretum is presenting “Bloomin’ Bubbles” from 11 a.m.-noon starting at the Azalea Meadow – weather permitting.
There are more than flowers in bloom this spring and summer at the Morris Arboretum. Visitors are invited to join the arboretum staff for “Bloomin’ Bubbles,” when the Azalea Meadow is transformed into a magical flurry of bubbles for children to play with, play in and pop before lunch.
Guests can celebrate opening day of “Bloomin’ Bubbles” with a “Fairy Parade on the Meadow.”
The parade will begin at the Visitor Center and work its way down to the Azalea Meadow where, if everyone sings loud enough, they might encounter a new Arboretum phenomenon — a flurry of bubbles coming seemingly out of nowhere. This year, the Arboretum has a new bubble-machine.
Participants are encouraged to come dressed as an enchanted woodland creature to dance and play, and then join Melissa in crafting their very own magical wand. They are reminded to not forget their fairy wings, gnome hats, dragon scales, and whatever else they might need to be their most magical selves.
The Morris Arboretum also 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 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.
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).
This month’s edition of the 2022 Kennett Underground Railroad Bus Tours (www.kennettundergroundrr.org) is scheduled for July 17.
The popular, family-friendly bus tours are led by a knowledgeable local guide.
Riders will have the opportunity to visit documented Underground Railroad sites, historic homes and Quaker Meetinghouses while learning about local abolitionists and anti-slavery activity in the Kennett Square area.
The popular, family-friendly bus tours are led by a knowledgeable local guide.
The tour also presents the contributions of local African Americans and their faith communities in the quest for freedom from slavery houses while learning about local abolitionists and anti-slavery activity in the Kennett Square area.
The tour, which departs at 1:30 p.m., also presents the contributions of local African Americans and their faith communities in the quest for freedom from slavery.
Tours begin at the Brandywine Valley Tourist Information Center, which is located at 308 Greenwood Road in Kennett Square.
Tickets are $28.
Chaddsford Winery (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, www.chaddsford.com) will be presenting “Taste of Summer Reserve Tastings” on select Saturdays and Sundays through July 31.
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.
The “pairing lineup” is Greeting Wine: 2019 Sparkling White, 2021 Vidal Blanc with Yellow Springs Farm’s Lil Chardy, 2020 Harbinger with Smoked Gouda Chip, 2021 Vignoles with Covina Dorada chili lime tortilla chips and fresh guacamole and Sunset Blush with Gemelli Gelato’s rosé infused sorbetto.
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.
Penns Wood Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, http://www.pennswoodsevents.com) will present “Live Music on the Lawn” every weekend in July.
The schedule for July 16 has Jason Ager from 2-5 p.m.
The schedule for July 17 at Penns Wood Winery features Matt Miskie from 2-5 p.m.
The Eagleview Summer Concerts on the Square at Eagleview Town Center (Wharton Boulevard, Exton, www.ineagleview.com) will present Sophie B. Hawkins and Brian Dunne on July 19, The Abrams on August 2,
Terence Simien on August 16 and Donna the Buffalo on August 30.
All the shows will run from 7-9 p.m. and feature free admission.
On July 15, the Shady Grove Music Fest will be held at Arden Gild Hall (2126 The Highway, Arden, Delaware, ardenconcerts.com).
The festival will run from noon-8 p.m. with performances by Cosmic Guilt, Eyebawl, The Mary Veils, Katie Dill, Kelsey Cork & the Swigs, Rew, Edgewater Avenue, Death By Indie and Red Birds. Tickets are $29.
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.
The schedule of upcoming shows in the next week features Matt Santry Band on July 15, Upper Darby Summer Stage Shooting Stars on July 16, Jersey Beach Boys on July 17, Hedgerow Theater on July 20 and Eric Mintel Quartet on July 21.
Each summer, the Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival celebrates the rich history of jazz in Philadelphia.
On July 16, PEC (People’s Emergency Center) is hosting its Annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival (Powelton Avenue at 39th Street, Philadelphia, 267-777-5893, http://www.lancasteravejazzfest.com).
The Producer’s Guild of Philadelphia has once again curated an ensemble of stellar performers highlighting jazz musicians from a variety of backgrounds and musical directions. The Orrin Evans Quartet will headline the festival.
Other featured acts will be Glenn Bryan & Friends, Hailey Brinnel, MJS Trio, Nazir Ebo’s Youth Ensemble, Alan Nelson, Dylan Band, and Kendrah Butler-Water.
The day will include a juried artists’ village, food trucks, children’s village, resources and fun for the entire family.
As part of Historic Philadelphia’s anniversary celebration at Franklin Square (200 Sixth Street, Philadelphia, www.historicphiladelphia.org), the organization is illuminating the park with its annual Chinese Lantern Festival.
Now through August 7, Franklin Square (http://historicphiladelphia.org/chineselanternfestival/) will come alive every night with its Chinese Lantern Festival featuring more than two dozen illuminated lanterns – all constructed by lantern artisans from China.
Chinese-inspired performances will take place in Franklin Square twice nightly. Performances, which celebrate Chinese performance art and entertainment, are 30-minutes long and are scheduled for 7 and 9 p.m.
Festival hours are 6-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Admission is $20 for adults, $18 for youth, seniors and military, and $12 for children (ages 3-12).
If you experience siderodromophobia (fear of trains), herpetophobia (fear of reptiles), ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) or powerrangerphobia (fear of Power Rangers/branch of kyrofelonoshophobia), you better stay away from the expo hall in Oaks this weekend.
However, if you’re into model trains or pet reptiles and snakes or Power Rangers, then the place you want to be this weekend is the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Road, Oaks, 610-529-3614, phillyexpocenter.com).
On July 16, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center will host the East Coast Reptile Super Expo featuring hundreds of live snakes and reptiles.
Many people think snakes and lizards are interesting creatures and maybe even fun pets to own. If you fall into this category, you should check out the show on Saturday. A wide array of reptiles will be on display as part of the popular exhibition, which is an annual event that is closing in on its silver anniversary.
One of the show’s main attractions is a sales exhibit area featuring many vendors with live reptiles, amphibians and arachnids as well as food items, supplies, books, cages, and related accessories.
Some of the featured vendors are AZO Reptiles, Rose’s Reptiles, Darin’s Toybox, Blake’s Exotic Reptiles, Dower Reptiles & Rodents, Reptile Kingdom, DHA Pythons, Gecko Haven, Hunger Reptiles, Jungle Emporium, Delaware Turtle, Just Lizards, Outback Reptiles, RKZ Rodents. Monstar Reptiles, Turtle to Turtle, and Delaware Valley Herpetarium.
The East Coast Reptile Super Expo, which is always a well-attended event, will run from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. this Saturday. Tickets are $10 with children (under five) admitted free.
There will be a lot of model trains and a lot of toys on display and for sale when Greenberg’s Train & Toy Show visits the area for a two-day stop at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
The show, which is scheduled for July 16 and 17 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days, will feature a number of operating train displays, including Allegheny Western Lines HO Scale Layout, Reading Co. Technical & Historical Society HO Scale Layout, Philadelphia N-Trak N Scale Layout, Royersford Modular Model Railroaders HO Scale Layout, East Penn Traction Club N Scale Layout, Northeast Corridor Historical Society HO Scale Layout and Atlantic Division TCA O Gauge Layout
This weekend’s show will also offer free clinics on a wide variety of topics, including track work, using accessories and using a digital command control. There will be a large number of dealers with toys, trains, accessories and hobby publications. Other features include hourly door prizes.
Tickets for adults are $11 for Saturday and $10 for Sunday. Children (12 and under) are admitted free.
The Expo Center is also hosting “Ranger Station” on July 16 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Ranger Station is the first “All Power Ranger Con” in the Philadelphia area and is billed as “made for fans by fans.”
Visitors can meet actual Power Rangers, shop fun vendors and interact with artists. They even will have an opportunity to sit on Ranger Station’s life-size Lord Zedd throne
Some of the celebrity guests are Kevin Duhaney, Jeff Parazzo, Carla Perez, Selwyn Ward, Jasmeet Baduwalia and Rorrie Travis.
On July 15, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) will host “Cinema in the Cemetery: The Sandlot” at 8:30 p.m.
As the sun sets over the historic tombs, the grainy joys of the film experience will be brought to life during the Friends of Laurel Hill & West Laurel Hill Cemeteries’ annual Cinema in the Cemetery series. July’s feature film will be “The Sandlot,” which is directed by directed by David Mickey Evans and presented in conjunction with the Philadelphia Film Society.
In the summer of 1962, a new kid in town is taken under the wing of a young baseball prodigy and his rowdy team, resulting in many adventures. Scotty Smalls moves to a new neighborhood with his mom and stepdad and wants to learn to play baseball. Rodriguez, the neighborhood baseball guru, takes Smalls under his wing – soon he becomes part of the local baseball buddies. They fall into adventures involving baseball, treehouse sleep-ins, the desirous lifeguard at the local pool, the snooty rival ball team, and the travelling fair. Beyond the fence at the back of the sandlot menaces a legendary ball-eating dog called The Beast, and the kids inevitably must deal with him.
On July 21, Laurel Hill Cemetery will present “Hot Spots and Storied Plots” walking tour at 11:30 a.m.
In life and in death, we all have stories to tell, and what better place to hear tales of wonder than Philadelphia’s most famous home of the dead?
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. No two “Hot Spots and Storied Plots” are alike.
The tour will take place on July 10 at 10 a.m. — departing from Laurel Hill Cemetery’s Gatehouse entrance at 3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia. The tour Guide will be Jim Hence.
Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are: $12/General Admission, $10/Seniors (65 & Up), $10/Students with ID, $7/Members, $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.
Tickets are $35.
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 $20.
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 $20.
Hope Lodge (553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, 215-343-0965, http://www.ushistory.org/hope/) will be presenting a “Guided Mansion Tours” on July 17.
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.
The site opens at 12:30 p.m. with self-guided tours starting at 1 and 2:30 p.m. The closes at 4 p.m.
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 Blue Star Museum which means that active-duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve and their families, are admitted free for regular tours from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
On July 16, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm (150 Cherry Hill Road, Ronks, www.cherrycrestfarm.com) will host its “Sweet Corn Festival” — a festival dedicated to celebrating the county’s farm fresh sweet corn.
There will be special sweet corn foods available, as well as corn-themed crafts, games and activities. Cherry Crest’s national park-themed corn maze will also be open.
The Sweet Corn Festival will feature specialty sweet corn menu items, corn crafts and games, live music, local wine and craft beers.
A popular attraction is the sweet corn eating contest — whether you’re chomping your teeth as a contestant or clapping your hands as spectator.
There will be music from Mark DeRose & the Dreadnoughts, as well as brews from Our Town Brewery and Raney Cellars Brewing Co. and wine from Britain Hill Winery.
The event will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Historic White Chimneys Estate (5117 Lincoln Highway, Gap, whitechimneys.com) will host a day dedicated to living history of the Civil War. There will be battle reenactments, band performances, house tours, displays, food trucks, cannons fired and fireworks, among other activities.
More information: Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Historic White Chimneys Estate,
Doors open at 10 a.m. with house tours, carriage displays, food trucks, Amish BBQ and food vendors all day.
The Historic Society of Salisbury Township will be in the Bridal Suite with historic displays from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Some of the featured attractions are Pennsylvania 69th Irish Volunteers, 69th Irish Volunteer Band, cannon firing, “Line Dance With Brittanie,” and a fireworks display at dusk.
Tickets are $10 for ages 13+, $5 for ages 5-12, and free for kids under 5.
If a full moon always catches your eye, there is an event this weekend that you’ll probably like.
And, if you like wolves and are fascinated by their lifestyle, there is an event this weekend that you’ll probably like.
It’s the same event – the “Full Moon Tour” at the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania (465 Speedwell Forge Road, Lititz, 717-626-4617, http://wolfsanctuarypa.org).
The Sanctuary offers this tour once a month on the closest Saturday to the full moon. This month, the date is July 16, and it is the Buck Moon.
This event allows participants to create their own experiences. Instead of following a tour guide from pack to pack at a regulated pace that fits within a 45-minute timeline, you get to go at your own pace from pack to pack.
There is also the option of talking to tour guides who are stationed at each pack. You can listen to what they have to say about the wolves when stopping at a station – and you have the option to ask questions.
With this tour, you move at whatever speed you find comfortable. If you get tired, you can go over and sit next to a roaring bond fire (weather permitting) and just relax.
Visitors are requested to bring a blanket, a flashlight, a chair and maybe some hot dogs and marshmallows.
The tour starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35, and no reservations are required.
Peddler’s Village (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, 215-794-4000, www.peddlersvillage.com) is presenting “Bluegrass & Blueberries” in July — a month-long celebration of bluegrass and blueberries.
July will be Blueberry Month at Peddler’s Village.
Every day, the site will offer special blueberry-themed food and drinks at its restaurants and eateries, and also present live bluegrass and country entertainment on weekends. On Saturdays and Sundays, you can also enjoy made-to-order sandwiches and burgers at the Water Wheel Food Tent.
Many of the village’s shops will be hosting sidewalk sales and special offers throughout the month.
Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com), a family-friendly amusement park in Langhorne, is hosting “Christmas in July” from July 21-25.
Guests will be able to rock out with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster and Count von Count.
The festive “Santa Cookie Monster Meet & Greets” will be held each day at 11:30 a.m., 12:30, 1:30, 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. at Sesame Studio.
Kids can Visit Cookie Monster Santa each day during the Christmas in July Celebration. Christmas card photos will be available for purchase.
Additionally, “Christmas Photos with Elmo & Friends,” will take place each day at 11 a.m./, noon, 1, 4 and 5 p.m.
Visitors will be able to get a photo with Elmo and his friends in their holiday attire.
On June 19 and 20, the park is hosting “Father’s Day Weekend Fan Fest.”
Families can celebrate dad with a sports fan fest at Sesame Place. “Father’s Day Fan Zone” festivities include special meet & greets, photo opportunities, games and more.
Ticket prices for Sesame Place start at $49.99.
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.
The Elmwood Park Zoo (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) has a variety of special activities coming up.
A “Zoo Snooze” overnight campout will start at 6 p.m. on July 22 and run until 9:30 a.m. on July 10.
The “Campout” includes — Dinner (includes pizza, salad, and potato chips), Breakfast (includes pastries and fresh fruit), Flashlight tour of the zoo, Campfire & activities, educational show the next morning and Zoo admission the next day.
Tickets are $54.95.
“Night Adventures” is scheduled for July 22.
Adventurous visitors can zip the zoo in the dark with Treetop Adventures’ “Night Adventure.” They will be able to experience all the thrills of the zip line and ropes courses with the added challenge of darkness.
Adventurers will navigate through the trees, equipped with a headlamp. Young adventures can also experience the nighttime fun on the Zoo’s Cub Climb course.
Treetop Quest Philly (51 Chamounix Drive, Philadelphia, www.treetopquest.com) is an aerial adventure park that will challenge you physically and mentally as you maneuver from tree to tree through obstacles and zip-lines. Once you’re equipped, they will teach you how to operate your equipment and you’ll be able to swing through each course as many times as you want for 2.5 hours.
Each participant is outfitted with a harness and gloves. Each course has a continuous belay system — a lifeline that is impossible to detach without a staff member. The activity is self-guided, and the staff is ready to assist when needed.
Gloves are required for our activity. During this time, we encourage participants to bring their own gloves to use while up in the trees, gardening gloves are perfect for this activity.
Ticket prices are $55, adults; $48, ages 12-17; $38, ages 7-11.
Several tourist rail lines will be running special excursions this weekend.
The West Chester Railroad ( www.westchesterrr.net) is running its “Summer Picnic Specials” every Sunday now through Sept 18. 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).
Wilmington and Western Railroad (Greenbank Station, 2201 Newport-Gap Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, www.wwrr.com) is running its “Superhero Express” on July 17.
Passengers will join four classic superheroes for an epic live show and interactive train ride. Departure times are 12:30 and 3 p.m.
Riders are encouraged to wear their favorite superhero attire and arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the departure time to participate in our Hero Boot Camp for all the young heroes-in-training
This is a 1.5-hour round-trip ride to Ashland and this train will not stop or layover at the Mt. Cuba Picnic Grove.
The excursion will be powered by one of our historic first-generation diesel locomotives.
Tickets are $22 for adults, $21 for seniors and $20 for children.
On July 16, the Colebrookdale Railroad (South Washington Street, Boyertown, www.colebrookdalerailroad.com) is running its “Secret Valley Expedition” at 1 p.m. and again on July 17 at 11 a.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 and dinner aboard the Secret Valley Expedition to all dining class passengers.
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 two special excursions this weekend – “Wild West Express” on July 16 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and “Glen Rock Express” on July 18 at 1 p.m.
The first will be “Wild West Express with No. 17.”
Riders will witness the exploits of the infamous Jesse James and Younger Gang, a well-known group of 19th-century outlaws.
During the trip to Seitzland and back, riders can experience train travel as it was in the Wild West when this notorious group held up trains and passengers.
The modern-day reenactors are using their skills for good, robbing the train for donations to New Freedom Heritage.
Tickets are $28 Adult; $15 Child (age 3-12); $5 Toddler (in lap).
The “Glen Rock Express with No. 17” is scheduled for July 18 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 $27 Adult; $15 Child (age 3-12); $5 Toddler (in lap).
The New Hope Railroad (32 Bridge Street, New Hope, www.newhoperailroad.com) is running its “Grapevine Express,” which features “Wine & Cheese Tasting” on July 16 and 17 at 5 p.m. each night.
Riders are invited to take part in a romantic “Wine and Cheese Excursion” and enjoy fine gourmet cheese, artisan crackers, meats, fruit, and our featured local wines. Additional Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic beverages are also available onboard.
Wine and cheese will be served to passengers as they travel along the same railroad line passengers did when it was built in 1891 connecting New Hope with Philadelphia. The journey travels through the beautiful hills and valleys of Bucks County, along once vital waterways and streams and across numerous trestle bridges.
The excursions will take place aboard one of the railroads lavishly appointed early 1900’s first-class parlor cars.
Tickets are $102.58 (Ages 21 and older only).
This weekend, the Strasburg Railroad (Route 741, Strasburg, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running its “Wine & Cheese Train” on July 15 and 16 at 7 p.m. each night.
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 7 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.
