What To Do: Reptiles invade Expo Center

Also: last chance for many area holiday exhibits and displays

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

If you suffer from herpetophobia or ophidiophobia, then you better avoid of the exposition hall in Oaks this weekend or be prepared to suffer the consequences.

Herpetophobia is the scientific name for “the fear of reptiles” while ophidiophobia means “the fear of snakes.” On January 3, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Road, Oaks, 610-529-3614, www.northernberksreptileshow.com) will host the East Coast Reptile Super Expo featuring hundreds of live snakes and reptiles.

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.

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 a large number of vendors with live reptiles, amphibians and arachnids as well as food items, supplies, books, cages, and related accessories.

The roster of very diverse vendors includes AZO Reptiles, Rose’s Reptiles, Livecargo Pets & Supplies, Dale’s Bearded Dragons, Blake’s Exotic Reptiles, Dower Reptiles & Rodents, Reptile Kingdom, DHA Pythons, Gecko Haven, Skins and Scales, Hunger Reptiles, Jungle Emporium, The Snake Pit, Delaware Turtle, Harris in Wonderland, Just Lizards and Outback Reptiles.

The list also includes RKZ Rodents. Monstar Reptiles, Turtle to Turtle, Delaware Valley Herpetarium, J-N-T Reptiles, Newville Dragons, PM Herps, Jay Jacoby Serpent Propagation, Black Jungle Terrarium Supply,AZO Reptiles, VSCV Ventures LLC, Dachiu Dragons, Tom Rogan Reptiles, Native Exotics and Jon & Wess Reptiles.

Other featured vendors will be Serpents Plus, Heath’s Frog Farm, Corralus Creations, Rogue Reptiles LLC, Jason R Bartolett Captive Bred Reptiles, Fowler Reptiles, Dragon Fortress, Turtle Towns, Garden State Tortoise LLC, Reptile Addicts, Bob’s Critters, Franken Chams, MCO Reptiles and Fins, Feathers, Paws & Claws.

If snakes don’t scare you, there is another event happening this weekend that might — “Grim Philly’s Nightmare Before Christmas Tavern Tour!” (856-829-3100, http://www.grimphilly.com).

Participants will have the opportunity to toast with the ghosts of Christmas past while drinking in the yuletide spirits of grog and nog on this entertaining fact-filled tour.

They also can learn little known facts of Christmas past including the season’s pagan roots in Roman, Celtic and German traditions, while learning of medieval Christian, and New World additions in caroling, mumming and mistletoe.

The evening’s activities include trivia and drinking games for chances to win free beer, drink and/or food samples for all at each stop and a variety of drink specials.

The tour price of $39.99 includes guided historic tour of “Grim” Philly, three tavern admissions and three drinks. The tours, which run from 6-10 p.m. each night, will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night through January 22 and will depart from the Japanese restaurant Zento at 132 Chestnut Street.

Every year, the Garden State Discovery Museum (2040 Springdale Road, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, 856-424-1233, www.discoverymuseum.com) presents a special program called “Passport to Discovery.”

The opening event is the “Passport to Discovery Kickoff,” which is scheduled for January 3 and 4 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. each day. Children will be able to participate in an array of activities to introduce them to the cultures of other countries.

On January 10 and 11, the event will feature our northern neighbor with an attraction titled “Canada: Let It Snow.” On January 17 and 18, the spotlight will be on the African nation of Uganda.

“Up Helly: A Scottish Celebration” will be offered on January 24 and 25 followed by “Greece” on January 31 and February 1. The focus shifts back to Africa on February 7 and 8 with a presentation titled “African Drum & Dance.”

The schedule continues with “Scandanavia” on February 14 and 15, “Chinese New Year” on February 21 and 22, “Irish Festival” on February 28 and March 1, “Holi Festival” on March 7 and 8 and “Latin Dance” on March 14 and 15.

Admission to the Garden State Discovery Museum is $12.95 for adults and children 12 months and over and $11.95 for seniors.

The ultra-popular “Costumes of Downton Abbey” exhibit has been packing the house for months and months at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Route 52, Wilmington, Delaware, 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org).

But, all things must come to an end and the “Costumes of Downton Abbey” exhibit’s end is coming up this weekend. The exhibit will close at the end of the day on January 4.

Ironically, January 4 also marks the first day of the new season for “Downton Abbey,” the British drama series that follows the lives of the Crawley family and its servants in the post-Edwardian era in the family’s classic Georgian country house.

To bid farewell to the exhibit and welcome the new “Downton Abbey” season. Theatre N at Nemours (1007 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-576-2565, http://theatren.net) is hosting a “Downton Abbey Watch Party” on January 4.

The free event starts at 8 p.m. with the show’s air time scheduled for 9 p.m. The Theatre N is inviting fans to wear their best hats and fascinators to the party. Concessions will be available and there will also be free giveaways.

Even though Christmas is officially over, holiday activities and other special events in the area will continue for at least another week — including the 36th annual staging of “Yuletide at Winterthur.”

The exhibition, which like the “Downton Abbey” exhibit closes on January 4, highlights the winter celebrations of H. F. du Pont and his family at Winterthur in the first half of the 20th century.

Admission to Yuletide at Winterthur is $25 for adults, $23 for seniors and students and $5 for children.

The popular annual event “Holidays at Hagley,” which is included with regular admission, is running now through January 6 at Hagley Museum and Library (Route 141, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-658-2400, www.hagley.org). As a special attraction, the Twelfth Night (January 6) will feature free admission.

The 2014 edition of “Holidays at Hagley” features tours of Eleutherian Mills, which is the first du Pont family home built in America. The tours, which will be presented each day from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., feature decorations in a combination of styles from both the 19th and 20th centuries.

The 1803 du Pont family ancestral home, Eleutherian Mills, will feature holiday decorations and interpretation on the French traditions of exchanging gifts on New Year’s Day and the celebration of Twelfth Night. Admission is $14 for adults and $5 for children (ages 6-14).

“A Longwood Gardens Christmas,” the festive holiday display at Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org), is like the Energizer Bunny — it just keeps going and going.

The current edition of the event has been running since November 27 and will continue through January 11. The popular annual display features spectacular lights, lavish decorations, holiday music and colorful displays featuring thousands of brilliant poinsettias, brightly decorated trees and fragrant flowers — and that’s just the part inside the heated Conservatory.

When the sun goes down, “A Longwood Gardens Christmas” features a night-blooming garden of more than a half-million lights strung on close to 100 trees with approximately 40 miles of wire. A carillon with 62 cast bells plays holiday music every half hour during daylight hours. Longwood’s Open Air Theatre fountains dance to holiday music each half hour — temperature permitting.

Admission to Longwood Gardens is $20 (non-peak), $27 (peak) for adults), $17/$24 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and $10/$13; students (ages 5-18).

The Historic Odessa Foundation’s 2014 Christmas Holiday Tour will be presented now through January 4 in Odessa’s historic district (Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, 302-378-4119, www.historicodessa.org).

This year, the Historic Houses of Odessa’s Corbit-Sharp House (c. 1774) will be the focal point for the literature-inspired Christmas Holiday Tours. The exhibit is inspired by the classic fairy tale “Snow White.”

Pottsgrove Manor (100 W. King Street, Pottstown, 610-326-4014, http://historicsites.montcopa.org) is presenting its Twelfth Night Tours during regular museum hours now through January 11. Visitors can take guided tours of the manor to see how it was decorated for the holidays during the middle of the 18^th century.

The special tours will focus on how the manor’s family celebrated Twelfth Night and how these celebrations differed from the tradition Christmas festivities. Museum hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 1-4 p.m. on Sunday. The last tour each day departs at 3 p.m. A donation of $2 is suggested.

This weekend will be the final opportunity to check out the “Victorian Holiday Tours” at Pennypacker Mills (3 Haldeman Road, Perkiomenville, 610- 287-9349, www.historicsites.montcopa.org).The tours will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on January 2 and 3 and 1-4 p.m. on January 4.

The house will feature Victorian era decorations, costumed historians, a Victorian Santa Claus and clear candy toys. The last tour each day departs at 3 p.m. A donation of $2 is suggested.

The model railroad display at the Morris Arboretum (100 Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, 215-247-5777, www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/index.html), which is open to the public now through January 4 in the winter garden of the Morris Arboretum, has a quarter-mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels.

There are 15 different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under) and bustling model trains.  Philadelphia-area landmarks are all meticulously decorated for the holidays with lights that twinkle.

Model trains will also be included in “A Brandywine Christmas,” which is running now through January 4 at the Brandywine River Museum (Route 1, Chadds Ford 610-388-2700, www.brandywinemuseum.org).

The family-oriented annual holiday event features an array of interesting holiday displays, including an extensive O-gauge model railroad and thousands of natural “critter” ornaments on holiday trees.