What To Do: Mushroom Festival, Caln Community Day and more

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times

There is an adage that always applies in Kennett Square – “There is a fungus among us.” That saying is never more evident than on the weekend after Labor Day each year – the weekend for the annual staging of the Mushroom Festival.

After three decades, anniversaries begin to take on a special significance.

This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of the annual Mushroom Festival in downtown Kennett Square (http://mushroomfestival.org).

Now in its fourth decade, the annual party is expected to draw thousands of festival fans and mushroom lovers.

Some of the main attractions are the Amateur Mushroom Cook-off, the “Cute As A Button Contest,” an Antique and Classic Car Show, the State Street Festival and the Fried Mushroom Eating Championship.

On September 6, the festival gets underway at 10 a.m. with the opening of the Street Fair and the Growers’ Exhibit. The festival will run until 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

The National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship is scheduled for 11 a.m. on September 7. The contestants will be competing for prize money by eating the most fried mushrooms in 12 minutes.

Live entertainment will be provided by Morel, Steve Liberace, CICCO, Houston & The Dirty Rats, the Gilroys, Marabou and Penny Samar.

Festival admission is $5.

On September 6, it’s time for the 17th Annual Caln Community Day (Municipal Park, Thorndale, http://www.calntownship.org/community-day.html).

The event will be held in Municipal Park in Thorndale on Saturday from 3-8 p.m.

The popular annual fair will feature food vendors, dance performances, a roaming magician, bounce houses, face painting, an art show, caricatures, introduction to pickleball and more than 70 vendors and exhibitors.

Live entertainment will be provided by

Music from Jimmy Jorge and the Latin Express, Russells Dance and Baton Studio, Shannon Cooper’s Dance Academy, LLC., and Lupo Taekwondo.

Other special activities will be bingo hosted by the Rotary Club of Thorndale-Downingtown, the Third Annual Community Day Art Show, face painting by Paintings on People and a special visit by Stich and a Minion from Birthday Buddies Inc.

The 12th Annual Covenanter Scottish Festival & Highland Games (1199 Valley Road, Quarryville, www.covenanterscottishfestival.com) are scheduled for September 6.

The Covenanter Scottish Festival, which runs from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., will feature Highland Games, Solo Piping Competitions & Highland Dance Competitions. Last year, more than 60 athletes competed in the Games last year and a larger number of competitors are expected this year.

Competition will feature nine events: Open Stone, Braemar Stone, Light Weight for Distance, Heavy Weight for Distance, Light Hammer, Heavy Hammer, Weight for Height, Caber and Sheaf.

The festival also offers Scottish entertainment, heritage events including sheep herding, Scottish food, Scottish Clans and much more.

Admission is $15 with children (12 years & under) admitted free.

Brews in a festive outdoor setting can be found at the Historic Odessa Brewfest (202 Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, 302-378-4119, http://www.odessabrewfest.com).

The 12th Annual Historic Odessa Brewfest, which is being presented by the Historic Odessa Foundation and Cantwell’s Tavern, is slated for September 6 from 1-5:30 p.m.

America’s thirst for ale and beer began with the earliest colonists who made it a priority to first build a brewhouse on the site of their new settlements. As drinking water was avoided like the plague, beer was a major dietary staple in the colonies, consumed by everyone from cradle to grave.

Brewfest attendees will be able to sample many of the best regional and national craft beers by more than 50 brewers.

Locally sourced food will be available from Cantwell’s Tavern.

Additionally, artisan vendors will be on site and live music will be provided by Spokey Speaky, Bruce Anthony, Lester’s Pearl and The Sheehan Brothers.

All attendees have access to food and merchandise vendors, live bands, sponsor tables, and more during the entire event. Doors open at noon for the VIP Tasting and the regular fest is slated to start at 1 p.m. All taps will close at 5 p.m.

The cost of the festival is $60 for general admission and $15 for designated drivers. Tickets buy an unlimited sampling of beer for the full duration of the event.

The Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance debuted in 1997 and is an invitation-only event that assembles one hundred of the most interesting and significant automobiles based on a featured automobile marque, vehicle type or coachbuilder and motorcycle marque or class each year.

The event was also the first nationally recognized concours to feature motorcycles on the show field and is the only such event to feature horse-drawn coaches and carriages.

From September 5-7, the 28th Annual Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance will be held on the grounds of Radnor Hunt (826 Providence Road, Malvern, www.radnorconcours.org).

The Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance features three days of activities beginning with the Friday evening barbecue, followed by the always popular road rally through the scenic countryside of Chester County on Saturday morning, culminating in a catered lunch. The Saturday evening “Black Tie Gala, Silent Auction and Art Show Preview” is the prelude to the main event, the Concours d’Elegance on Sunday.

The event also includes Motorsport Park, providing local marque car clubs the opportunity to gather in an exclusive parking area close to the show field entrance on Sunday, as well as a Cars & Coffee gathering on Saturday concurrent with the road rally. The Marketplace area features a variety of both automotive and non-automotive merchants offering specialized shopping for concours attendees.

Adult admission is $80 at the gate.

Historic Downtown Oxford (www.downtownoxfordpa.org/downtown-events/2022/9/2/8th-annual-car-show) is presenting its 11th Annual Oxford Main Street Car Show on September 5.

The show, which runs from 3-8 p.m. on South Third Street, features all types of autos including hot rods, vintage cars, supercharged vehicles, tuners and classic autos.

The following message was posted on the event’s website – “We can guarantee you’ll be charmed by the old, taken back by the new, and have a great time.”

On September 6, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, phillyexpocenter.com) 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.

Another event at the Expo Center this weekend will be the Retro Con: Retro Toy & Gaming Show on September 6 and 7.

“Retro Con: Retro Toy & Gaming Show” is a toy show that’s dedicated to all things retro. The event’s spotlight will shine on the toys from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s – and more.

Retro Con is pop culture and memorabilia show catering to anything considered “retro” — especially the 80’s – things like Transformers, Star Wars, GI Joe, Ghostbusters, He-man, and classic video games.

There will be more than 200 tables of collectibles and art for sale, as well as special guests, video games, a costume contest, raffles, a trivia contest, panels, replica props, and much more.

The show will run from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $20.

On September 6, “Wings N’ Wheels” will be held at Wings Field (1501 Narcissa Road, Blue Bell, https://angelflighteast.org).

The event, which runs from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., is a family-fun day of wings, wheels and aviation history including unique displays of vintage and military aircraft, new planes and classic and antique cars. Sightseeing flights, great food, music and a variety of children’s activities will also be featured.

Admission for adults is $10 while children’s tickets are $5. Parking is free. All admissions fees are tax-deductible and will directly support the mission of Angel Flight East.

Angel Flight East facilitates free air transportation for seriously ill patients who require medical treatment far from home, delivers supplies to disaster areas and reunites families in desperate times.

On September 6, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) will host “Auld Lang Syne: Scottish Residents.”

In the 19th Century, Scottish citizens made a significant contribution to our country, city, and even Laurel Hill.

At 26 years old, Scottish immigrant John Notman rose above more established architects like Thomas Ustick Walter and won the design commission of the cemetery and some of its monuments.

Notman now rests a stone’s throw away from the Gatehouse he designed.

This tour will acquaint you with Notman and other famous and infamous Scots of days gone by like the cantankerous signer of the Declaration of Independence, Bonny Prince Charlie’s surgeon who became the hero of the Battle of Princeton, the craftsman responsible for George Washington’s tomb at Mt. Vernon, and many more.

The Tour Guide will be Peter Howell.

Tickets are $17/General Admission (Ages 13 and up), $15/Seniors (Ages 65+) and Students with ID and $8.50/Youth (Ages 6-12)

The annual Brandywine Festival of the Arts (North Park Drive, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-363-5955, www.brandywinearts.com) has been one of the most popular late-summer events in northern Delaware for a long, long time.

The 65th annual two-day staging of the arts-and-crafts festival is slated for September 6 and 7 at its usual location in Brandywine Park’s Josephine Gardens along the banks of the Brandywine River in Wilmington. Tickets are $5 for adults with children (under 12) admitted free.

As always, the festival is a juried event that brings more than 250 artists and crafters from more than 15 states to Josephine Gardens to exhibit and sell their work.

The list of featured categories includes mixed-media, clothing, bears, stoneware, watercolors, lamps, ironwork, herbs, bonsai, wood type, glass, acrylic, weaving, stenciling, pastels, scarves, etchings, photography, sculpture, jewelry, raku, and leather.

There will also be vendors offering a wide variety of food items at the festival, which is scheduled to run from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

The West Chester Railroad (www.westchesterrr.net) is running its “Summer Picnic Specials” every Sunday in September 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 $25 for adults, $20 for children (2-12) and free for children (under two).

When summer winds down, it means that the area’s many ethnic festivals are looming on the horizon. This weekend, the list of options includes German, Lebanese, Ethiopian, Latin American, Brazilian and Polish.

The 88th Annual Oktoberfest will be held on September 6 at the Vereinigung  Erzgebirge (130 Davisville Road, Warminster, http://veclub.org/oktoberfest).

The event, which runs from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., will features German beer and food along with music by German-American bands.

There will also be a wide array of family activities including a moon bounce, arts and crafts, face painting, hayrides, an obstacle course and a full slate of soccer games.

Live music will be performed by Willi Aust, Don Bitterlich, Die Heimatklänge and The Philadelphia German Brass Band.

Admission is $8.

If you’d like to sample dishes from Lebanon such as shawarma, kefta kabob, kibbe balls and hummus, then you need to visit the Saint Sharbel Annual Lebanese Festival which is running now through September 7 at Saint Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church (3679 Providence Road, Newtown Square, www.stsharbelpa.org).

Some of the other food items will be beef kabobs, chicken tawook, falafel, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, stuffed grape leaves and Lebanese and Middle East desserts and pastries.

The Lebanese Festival will have live music and dance, and food and drinks. The featured performer will be Chadi Namath.

“Ethiopian Day Festival 2025’ will be held on September 6 at Clark Park Bowl, which is located at 4300 Chester Avenue in Philadelphia.

The event will feature freshly made Ethiopian food and vendors selling arts and crafts from the east African country.

Live entertainment will be presented by Shambel Belayneh, Slamawit Shewarega, Dereje Geteye and DJ Benjamyn.

The festival will also feature raffle tickets, face painting, twist, moon bounce and more.

The free event runs from noon-6 p.m.

Feria del Barrio (http://feria.tallerpr.org), which is one of Philadelphia’s largest celebrations of Latino arts and culture, will take place on September 7 from noon-5 p.m.

The free, all-ages event, which is celebrating its 41st anniversary this year, features top-flight Latin acts. Visitors can enjoy Latin music and dancing, Latin American food treats and vendors with handmade arts and crafts for sale.

The feria features a lineup of talented artists from various countries, including Moroquito Avila, Tino Serrano and The Latin Jazz Orchestra, CvgeBird, La Guagua 47, Foto Rodriguez, Los Pueblitos, Bachata Tropical and Emmanuel Mendez.

The popular annual festival will be held along the sidewalks of the historic Centro de Oro neighborhood on North Fifth Street between Huntingdon and Somerset streets.

This weekend, it’s Brazil’s turn to be in the spotlight along the Delaware River.

Brazilian Day will run on September 7 from 1-7 p.m. on the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing.

The event, which is part of PECO’s annual multicultural series at Penn’s Landing, will feature native food, cultural exhibits and live entertainment.

Featured artists are Project Capoeira including Capoeira and Samba, Batala Philly and Acaraje Drums play Samba Reggae and DJ Pesadelo round out the entertainment.

The event at Penn’s Landing is part of the Brazilian Day Philadelphia Series which occurs in September to celebrate Brazilian Independence Day. The Series celebrates, promotes, and shares Brazilian arts and culture in the Greater Philadelphia region while fostering intercultural exchange and uniting the Brazilian community.

Since 2014, the Brazilian Day Philadelphia Series includes a flag ceremony, Capoeira performances and classes, and a variety of other arts and cultural events for the public to enjoy.

The 59th Annual Polish Festival the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa (654 Ferry Road, Doylestown, 215-345-0600, www.czestochowa.us) is being held on September 6 and 7.

Visitors to the festival will be able to feast on such Polish delicacies as kielbasa, pierogies, placki, holubki and chruschicki. There will also be several beer booths on the grounds.

The festival will feature rides, games, a “Polish Wedding & Dozynki,” “Medieval & WWII Polish Living History Groups” and a full slate of Polish music and polka bands.

Admission to the festival is $15 per person.

There is another reason to make Doylestown a destination this weekend.

On September 6 and 7, the downtown area of Doylestown will be the site of the 36th Annual Doylestown Arts Festival (www.doylestownartsfestival.com, 215-340-9988).

It will be a weekend of original arts and crafts, live music and diverse food. The two-day festival features more than 160 artists showcasing their creative works. Selections include paintings, photography, jewelry, wood and metal work, furniture, pottery and more.

There will be several stages of live music and various activities featured throughout town. A variety of dining options are available at the festival’s food court and at the restaurants that line the streets.

The annual festival features free admission.

The weekend after Labor Day always features the Hay Creek Festival at Historic Johanna Furnace (Route 10, Morgantown, 610-286-0388, www.haycreek.org).

The well-attended Berks County festival, which is an authentic traditional arts and crafts show that is celebrating its 50th anniversary, is also an event that gives visitors a chance to have a look back at the area’s historical development.

This year, the festival, which runs now through September 7 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day, will have a number of special festival areas, including Charcoal Barn, Casting House, and Festival Food Court (early American and contemporary).

Other areas are Early American Crafts, Engine and Mechanical Technology, a Civil War Encampment, Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration, Home Craft Marketplace and the Historic Joanna Furnace Iron Plantation Complex.

Festival attendees can shop in the Early American Crafts area for such items as fabrics, jewelry, folk art, pottery, woodworking, leather, dried flowers, woodcrafts, Windsor chairs, stained glass and hand-woven rugs.

The Craft Market will feature handmade redware pottery, candles and hand lotions, gourd birdhouses, soaps, wooden toys and bowls, handbags from vintage fabrics, quilted items and unique jewelry.

The Mechanical Technology area presents vintage working equipment, including a model steam blower engine and a display of pedal tractors.

Hundreds of antique cars, tractors, and hit n’ miss engines are on display and will parade the festival grounds throughout the weekend. There will also be daily demonstrations of sawmilling, shingle milling, grain threshing and water ram pumps.

Other activities include live entertainment, storytelling sessions, musical jam sessions and a variety of hands-on activities for children.

Tickets for the festival are $10 for adults and $2 for children (ages 6-12).

Another popular event just outside the Philadelphia Metro area is the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (Mount Hope Estate and Winery grounds, Route 72, Cornwall, www.parenfaire.com).

This year’s 45th annual staging of the event, which bills itself as “the most wondrous event in all the Knowne World,” is running now through October 26.

The festive annual event features authentic Elizabethan food and drink, traditional crafts from the guildsmen of yore and old-time games of skill — and a cast of hundreds of colorfully costumed re-enactors.

Every summer, the Faire, which takes place at Mount Hope Estate and Winery’s authentic 35-acre recreation of a 16th-century village in Olde England, features a new story from a different year of England’s past. This year’s Faire will take you back in time to the year 1558.

More than 70 shows are scheduled throughout each day on the Faire’s numerous stages.

Without a doubt, the most popular attraction is the Jousting Arena. Visitors to the Faire flock to Bosworth Field whenever it’s time for the Ultimate Joust. Peasants lead cheers for their favorite knights while musicians pound out a heart-thumping beat. The Master of the List announces the combatants and soon an encounter of royal proportions ensues.

The Faire offers a wide variety of activities for visitors, including listening to bagpipe music, checking out handsome Lords in their colorful silks, watching a jester’s acrobatics, learning how to juggle, being the recipient of a gypsy woman’s flirtations and watching the march of Beefeater Guards.

Guildsmen’s Way is the area that features a large variety of merchants and artisans, including jewelers, candle makers, potters, herbalists, leather smiths, clothiers, and pewter makers — all offering for sale and demonstrating their ancient wares.

And there are more than 20 Royal Kitchens located around the faire with menus featuring a wide variety of food and beverages.

Each week, there are themed weekends. On September 6 and 7, it is “Viking Weekend.”

The thrumming of drums can be heard off the coast as a longboat comes into view. By Odin’s ravens, Vikings are coming to Mount Hope, and the Lady Mayor has declared that all are welcome.

Single-day tickets are available at the gate for $34.95. For children (age 5-11) single-day tickets are available at the gate and online for $18.95.

Hope Lodge (553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, 215-343-0965, http://www.ushistory.org/hope/) will be presenting a “Guided Mansion Tours” on September 7.

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 event closes at 4 p.m.

Tour admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (age 65+) and for youth ages 6-17, and free for children under 5.

Schuylkill Banks Riverboat Tour (www.schuylkillbanks.org/events/riverboat-tours-1) presents “Secrets of the Schuylkill” now through October.

The boat ride is a one-hour family-friendly tour of Philly’s second biggest river featuring sights such as Bartram’s Garden and Fairmount Water Works.

Riders can discover the Hidden River on a fun and educational riverboat tour while seeing spectacular views of Philadelphia.

They can also learn about the past, present, and future of the tidal Schuylkill River and its impact on Philadelphia on a one-hour Secrets of the Schuylkill tour which costs $25 for adults and $15 for children (age 12 and under).

This weekend, the York Exposition Center (334 Carlisle Ave York, cirqueitalia.com/Water-Circus-Gold) is hosting “Cirque Italia Water Circus: Gold” from September 5-7.

Vivid, dramatic and entirely European, Cirque Italia is known for its jaw-dropping acrobatics, immersive visual storytelling and animal-free performances.

The traveling troupe’s Water Circus transforms the big top into a shimmering futuristic water fountain, featuring a dazzling 35,000-gallon water stage and plenty of laser-lit aquatic twirling.

The show will include jugglers, high-flying acrobats, a Wheel of Death contortionists, and other impressive feats of human artistry.

This incredible show takes place under “Grande Tenta” — the circus’ majestic white and blue big top tent which came all the way from Italy.

With more than 30 artists, chosen in rigorous auditions from around 25 different countries, Cirque Italia delivers high-end entertainment at an affordable cost to nearly two million people in about 50 cities each year.

Ticket prices start at $15.

Each September, “Pumpkinland” returns to Linvilla Orchards (137 West Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116, www.linvilla.com). “Pumpkinland,” which runs through November 7, features fairy tale characters from nursery rhymes along with a huge scarecrow and a really tall storybook.

Other activities include train rides, a straw bale maze, hayrides, pick-your-own apples and pony rides.

There will also be “Harvest Hayrides” and “Autumn Moon Hayrides” starting later in September along with “Straw Bale Maze,” “Train Rides,” “Corn Maze” and “Pony Rides.”

Pumpkinland is open from mid-September through early November and takes center stage at Linvilla Orchards. Larger than life figures and scarecrows illustrate the legends and lore of the harvest season, featuring local history and some of the many stories of pumpkins and apples.

There will be piles of pumpkins in all colors, shapes and sizes – more than 100 tons on display.

On September 6, the Philadelphia Honey Festival (6026 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia , https://phillyhoneyfest.com/) will feature a fun day of free, bee-related activities.

The mission of the Philadelphia Honey Festival is to raise awareness about the importance of honeybees to our environment, our food supply and our economy, and to promote urban beekeeping and gardening.

The Philadelphia Honey Festival began in 2010 to accompany the placement of an historic marker honoring Philadelphia-born Lorenzo L. Langstroth. Well-known to beekeepers, Langstroth invented the first movable frame hive design based on the principle of “bee space.”

You can see the marker at 106 South Front Street in Philadelphia, his birthplace.

Visitors to the festival will be able to learn about the importance of bees in our ecosystem through honey extraction demonstrations, hive talks and other programming designed to explore at the hard-working insect that supports our food supply.

If you’re looking for something very different to do on this late-summer weekend, consider attending the annual Whoopie Pie Festival at Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn (240 Hartman Bridge Road, Route 896, Strasburg, 717-687-8635,http://whoopiepiefestival.com).

The Whoopie Pie Festival, which is billed as “The Most Delicious Day in Lancaster County,” features more than 100 different Whoopie Pie flavors. It will be held this year on September 6 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

According to food historians, Amish women would bake these tasty desserts and put them in farmers’ lunch pails.

When farmers would find the treats in their lunch, they would shout “Whoopie!” It is likely that the original Whoopie Pies were made from cake batter leftovers.

Scheduled events at the 2025 festival are Whoopie Pie Treasure Hunt, Whoopie Pie Race, Whoopie Pie Launch, Whoopie Pie Checkers, Whoopie Yell Off, and Amateur Whoopie Pie Eating Contest.

Visitors will also be able to watch when the festival’s Whoopie Pie makers attempt to produce the “Largest Whoopie Pie Ever Made.” You might even see a Whoopie Pie that weighs more than you do. Past attempts have created a Whoopie Pie well over 250 pounds.

Other events throughout the day include Whoopie Pie making for kids, face painting and bounce house fun.

The event features free admission.

If you find yourself being affected by a full moon, you should consider attending a “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 September 6, and the full moon is known as the Harvest Moon.

Your guide will lead you and whoever you choose to bring with you around the entire sanctuary to view all of the wolves. They will stop for a few moments at each pack to introduce them and provide information on conservation and biology.

During Full Moon Fundraisers, you may bring chairs, blankets, non-alcoholic refreshments and snacks. Bring a flashlight as the tour will take place in the evening with limited light availability and you will be walking on uneven ground. Please avoid shining lights directly towards the wolves.

The tour starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.

The next “Full Moon Tour” this year will be Hunter’s Moon on October 4 followed by Beaver Moon on November 8 and Cold Moon on December 6.

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.

This summer, giraffes at area zoos will have a variety of dining partners joining them for meals.

“Elmwood Park Zoo” (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) is presenting

“Vulture Awareness Day” on September 6.

The program schedule starts with a “Vulture Flight Demonstration” at 11 a.m. in the Zoo Bowl Theater.

Also at 11 a.m., there will be a “Vulture Keeper Chat” in the Wetlands.

In the afternoon, there will be a “Vulture Meet & Greet” at 2 p.m. in the Zoo Bowl Theater.

The event features vulture-themed activities throughout the day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Zoo admission is $14.95.

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 start at $47.

“TreeTrails Adventures Trevose” (301 West Bristol Pike, Trevose, treetrails.com/trevose-pa) is an adventure park full of fun challenges for outdoor adventurers of all ages.

Participants can experience the rush of TreeTrails Adventures as they swing through the trees of the new adventure park. They will be able to discover the excitement of climbing and zip lining above the forest floor with family, friends, co-workers, or teammates.

The park, which is based at Phoenix Sport Club in Bucks County, offers two ways to experience climbing – TreeTrails Adventure Park and KidTrails Park. Young explorers can enjoy miniaturized courses in the adjacent KidTrails Park.

General Park Admission price is $69.

The Northern Central Railway (2 West Main Street, New Freedom, www.northerncentralrailway.com) is running its  “Glen Rock Express” on September 6 at 11 a.m.

The “Glen Rock Express with No. 17” 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.

The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (Reading Outer Station, Reading, www.rbmnrr-passenger.com) is running “All Day Train Excursions” every Saturday and Sunday in September.

Passengers can take a train excursion through Pennsylvania’s beautiful landscape to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. They can board the train at the Reading Outer Station, Port Clinton Station, or Tamaqua Station.

During the trip, riders will see rolling farmland, beautiful mountains, glistening lakes, and small towns along the railroad’s mainline. The train will also travel through tunnels and over bridges — a highlight being the Hometown High Bridge.

Once the excursion arrives in Jim Thorpe, riders have more than 3.5 hours to explore the many shops, restaurants, and attractions before boarding the train for your return trip.

While in Jim Thorpe, they can also ride one of the rail line’s 70-minute Lehigh Gorge trains at a discounted rate.

The New Hope Railroad (32 Bridge Street, New Hope, www.newhoperailroad.com) is running its “Grapevine Express,” which features “Wine & Cheese Tasting” on September 6 and 7 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 first-class parlor cars.

Tickets are $99 (Ages 21 and older only).

The Strasburg Railroad (Route 741, Strasburg, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running its “Wine & Cheese Train” on September 5 at 6 p.m., September 6 at 4 and 6 p.m. and September 7 at 4 p.m.

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.

“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.

Tickets are $79.