By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Dia de Los Muertos
November 1 is a special day in Mexico and in Mexican American communities throughout the states. It is the day known as “Dia de Los Muertos” — the Day of the Dead. It is a festive day when families remember and honor their loved ones who have passed away.
Casa Guanajuato Kennett Square, in partnership with The Creamery and Kennett Collaborative, is hosting a series of events to honor and celebrate Día de los Muertos.
Día de los Muertos, translates in English to “day of the dead”, and is a holiday in Mexico that is celebrated on both November 1 and 2, with dead ancestors serving as the guests of honor.
This year, Casa Guanajuato highlights the rich culture of Sinaloa, Mexico — featuring special guest Nadia Yuriar, joining us from Sinaloa to celebrate 35 years of artistic career.
The festivities will kick off on October 31with a traditional Callejoneada, a musical, magical, romantic and joyful spectacle in downtown Kennett Square.
At 6 p.m., there will be a walking tour — “Tales From Sinaloa.” Followed at 7 p.m. by Community Altar or Ofrenda Ceremony featuring dancers from the Huey Xolotl and Danza Tenochtli doing the traditional “Deer Dance” from the Yoreme-Mayo in Sinaloa.
From 7:15-8 p.m., there will be explanation of the altars and art (English and Spanish) followed by a Dance with DJ Sonido Ternura at 8 p.m. and Catrina and Catrin contest at 8:30 p.m.
On November 1, the festivities continue at The Creamery for an all-day festival. The celebration kicks off at 1 p.m. with an exciting lineup of performances, including art galleries and traditional dances.
For youngsters, there will be children’s coloring activities, painting and decorations of skulls at 2 p.m. followed at 3 p.m. by workshop for children, “Pan de Muertos” — traditional Sweet bread workshop and Tortilla Making.
At 4 p.m., there will be a workshop for adults, learning how to make “Aguachile” and other recipes from Sinaloa along with King/Queen of the Aguachile Contest.
From 5-6:30 p.m., activities will include traditional folkloric dances with Danza Tenochtli and Danza Tenochtli Kids and from 6-30-8:30 p.m., singer from Mexico Nadia Yuriar and Marichi band Arrieros.
There are several events in the area this weekend with impressive numbers regarding anniversaries – lofty numbers such as 90, 78, 56, 50 and 44 – numbers marking the events’ anniversaries.
The Pennsylvania Hunt Cup (Pennsylvania Hunt Cup racecourse, Newark Road, Unionville, 484-888-6619, http://pahuntcup.org) is one of the oldest and most respected equestrian events in the Mid-Atlantic region. This year, the Hunt Cup will celebrate its 90th anniversary on November 2.The equestrian competition will feature four open races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association. Three of them will feature races over fences and one will be a race on the flat.
The challenging course features 18 post and rail fences and is one of just three four-mile races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association.
First run in 1921 over a course in Whitemarsh in Montgomery County, the race moved to the present location in Unionville in 1964, where it has been held annually since.
Over the years the race meeting has grown so that the race day card now includes three sanctioned timber races, and the Pennsylvania Pony Hunt Cup for children.
Gates open at 10 a.m. The first event — the Pennsylvania Junior Hunt Cup – is scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m. followed by the National Anthem at 12:30 p.m.
There will be the traditional “Carriage Parade” at 12:45 p.m. followed by the Lewis C. Ledyard Memorial Foxhunters Chase at 1:30 p.m., the Arthur O. Choate Jr. Memorial Trophy race at 2:05 p.m. and the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup at 3 p.m. The final event of the day will be the Athenian Idol Races at 3:45 p.m.
General Admission, which is $100 per car, includes parking and admission for all occupants of one vehicle.
Anyone wanting to get into a Christmas mood early can visit Koziar’s Christmas Village (782 Christmas Village Road, Bernville, 610-488-1110, www.koziarschristmasvillage.com) which begins its 78th season on November 1.
Koziar’s Christmas Village is truly a holiday wonderland — a wintertime spectacle that delights young and old alike with a huge amount of holiday displays and special attractions. It will remain open every night through January 1 — including Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Night.
The tours of “Christmas Village” feature visits to a variety of displays and exhibits, including “Santa’s Post Office,” “Christmas in the Jungle,” “Manger Scene,” “Christmas Beneath the Sea,” “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “Olde Fashioned Bakery Shop,” “Toy Maker and his Toy Shop,” “Christmas in Other Lands” and “The Olde Church”.
Other attractions at Koziar’s Christmas Village include a huge model train display, a toy shop, a country kitchen, indoor and outdoor Christmas displays and a place to visit with Santa and even get pictures taken with the old guy in the red suit. Admission to Christmas Village is $13 for adults, $12 for seniors (65 and older) and $11 for children (ages 4-10).
This weekend, the Expo Center in Oaks (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, www.lapidary.org) will present the 2025 edition of Gemarama which is scheduled for November 1 and 2.
Visitors to the 56th Annual Gemarama will find an amazing variety of gems on display and available for purchase. Gem specialists and dealers from all over the country will be displaying and selling their specialties at this popular gem and mineral show.
Show attendees will be able to look at gems and rare stones from all around the world — many of which are for sale and not just exhibition pieces. Visitors will be able to examine and select purchases from a huge number of collectible items ranging from fossils to precious gems.
As an added attraction, members of the Tuscarora Lapidary Society will be presenting demonstrations of various lapidary and jewelry making skills including faceting, intrasia, faceting, channel jewelry, metal craft, silversmithing, bead stringing, chain making and wirewrap jewelry.
At the “Children’s Table,” youngsters will be able to make bracelet and key chains, use informative children’s coloring books on gems and minerals and toss a bean bag to win a prize.
Also featured will be a variety of competitive exhibits with awards in the following categories — Best in Show, Best Theme Exhibit, Most Educational Exhibit, Best Non-Member Exhibit, Best Mini-Case Exhibit and Director’s Award.
Gemarama will run from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on November 4 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on November 5. Admission is $7 for adults, $1 for children under 12 years of age; two-day adult tickets are $9. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in uniform and accompanied by an adult Scoutmaster are admitted free.
This weekend, Peddler’s Village’s will host its ultra-popular Apple Festival (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, 215-794-4000, www.peddlersvillage.com).
The 50th annual staging of the event will be held November 1 and 2 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. each day at the Peddler’s Village complex. It will feature a variety of artisans who will be demonstrating and selling their crafts. There will also be live music and the curiously entertaining pie-eating contests.
As expected, the free festival will be a showcase for apples served in all sorts of tasty ways — apple cider, caramel-covered apples, apple fritters, apple sundaes, apple pie and apple strudel.
Visitors will even be able to sample country apple butter cooked over an open fire. Many of the apple treats will be available for take-home as well as for eating at the festival. Additionally, visitors will be able to purchase a variety of fresh apples in bushels from the site’s orchard.
On November 1 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Hope Lodge (553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, 215-646-1595, http://www.ushistory.org/hope) will host its 44th annual “1777 Whitemarsh Encampment.”
This event commemorates the time from November 2-December 11 in 1777 when General George Washington and the Continental Army were encamped in Whitemarsh Hills.
Saturday’s activities will begin at 10 a.m. and shift into high gear at 11:30 a.m. with a skirmish re-enactment in the back field. The battle display will be followed by another skirmish re-enactment at 2:30 p.m.
There will be “Children’s Musters” at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The list of all-day activities includes sutlers, open hearth cooking demonstrations, presentations by regiments and a demonstration of Colonial dressmaking.
As an added attraction, the Hope Lodge mansion will be open for self-guided tours all day (except during the skirmishes). Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors (age 60 and older) and youths (ages 6-17). Children ages 5 and under are free.
On November 1 and 2, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania (300 Gap Road, Strasburg, 717-687-8628, www.rrmuseumpa.org) is presenting a special event that is sure to appeal to the patriotic spirit in everyone — an event called “Trains & Troops.”
It is a Veterans Day celebration a few days early.
“Trains & Troops” is the museum’s annual tribute to the U. S. Armed Forces — to all those who served or are serving in defense of our nation. At the annual autumn event, visitors will be able to greet our men and women in uniform — including veterans, civilians, railroaders and re-enactors from the Civil War forward. Also featured will be a large array of military and military railroad service-related posters, uniforms, equipment, field gear, maps, books and photographs on display.
The annual event is also a tribute to American railroads and their role in supporting the U. S. Armed Forces. Railroads built our nation and came to the country’s defense during times of war — both on the home front and overseas.
The American Civil War marked the first major military application of railroads. The Military Railway Service was created in 1916 for World War I. In World War II, U. S. freight and passenger railroad service, both military and civilian, was huge.
There will be a salute to veterans and active-duty service personnel with the Lancaster Red Rose Honor Guard on November 1 at 11 a.m. and November 2 at 1 p.m.
Tickets for “Trains and Troops” only are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $8 for youth (ages 3-11).
This weekend, you can get a glimpse at how holidays are celebrated in a culinary way in Eastern Europe
The Church Bazaar at Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church (1406 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, Delaware, 302-798-4455, www.sspeterandpauluoc.org) will be held on November 1.
The menu of food items which can be eaten onsite or purchased to go includes Holubtsi (Ukrainian stuffed cabbage rolls), Kovassa (Ukrainian-style kielbasa), Halushki (cabbage and noodle), Pyrohy (Ukrainian pierogies), Borscht (beet soup), Mushroom Soup and authentic handmade Ukrainian bakery items such as nut rolls, Pascha and poppy rolls.
There will also be church tours, pysanka for sale and a variety of other vendors with cultural and religious items for sale. The free event runs from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
A “Pierogi Festival” will be held on November 1 and 2 at St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Cathedral (817 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, https://www.stnicholaseoc.org/).
The church’s 2025 “Pierogi Festival” will feature homemade pierogi (traditional potato cheese, kapusta, cherry, cheesesteak and pulled pork), halupki, kielbasa, halushki, pelmeni, blini, soups and more.
The event opens at noon each day. The beer garden and outdoor seating with live music in our tent will close at 9 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The event features free admission with parking lot and street parking available.
