What To Do: Goshen Country Fair — perfect for a summer evening

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times

This is the time of the year for outdoors festivals such as country fairs, festivals honoring a particular fruit or vegetable and outdoor concerts.

One of the best — and longest-running — is the annual Goshen Country Fair (Goshen Fairgrounds, Park Avenue, East Goshen, 610- 430-1554,www.goshencountryfair.org). The fair, which is celebrating its 68th anniversary this season, will run from July 29-August 3 at the Goshen Fairgrounds, which are located just off West Chester Pike three miles east of West Chester.

The free family-oriented event is held each year as a benefit for the Goshen Fire Company. It will open at 6 p.m. from Monday through Friday and at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

This is an authentic down-home country fair with all the agricultural events found at most traditional country fairs, including competitions each night at 6 p.m. – poultry on July 29, cows on July 30, dairy goats on July 31, dairy cows on August 1, cattle on August 2, and sheep on August 3.

The fair will also feature competitions for pies, vegetables, jams and jellies, specimen flowers, bread, cookies, flowering houseplants, cakes, flower arrangements, and candy. Nightly attractions include live music performances, tug-of-war competitions and pie-eating contests.

The schedule for live music includes Cherry Crush on July 29, Johnny “Cash” Barnett Band on July 30, West Chester Swing Kings on July 31, Charlie Gracie on August 1, Chester County Lawmen Band on August 2 and Southern Edge Band on August 3.

If country fairs are to your liking, you should visit the 91st Annual Kimberton Community Fair (Kimberton Fairgrounds, Route 113, Kimberton, 610-933-4566, http://kimbertonfair.org) which is running from now through July 27.

The Kimberton Community Fair, which was first staged in 1929, is one of the oldest community fairs in the state — and one of the last “free admission” fairs operating in the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs. The Kimberton Fair is a “free admission fair with parking by donation.”

As always, the fair offers a huge array of free attractions — a festive midway with amusement rides, live entertainment shows, nightly contests, exhibit buildings and livestock displays.

The fair will be held at the Kimberton Fairgrounds on Route 113 approximately one mile south of Phoenixville. The non-profit event, which lists the volunteer Kimberton Fire Company as its beneficiary, attracts over 60,000 people each year.

There are competitions in “Youth” and “Adult” categories for sewing, needlecraft, arts and crafts, vegetables, horticulture, herbs, hay and grain, photography, honey and maple syrup, baking, homemade wines and beers and furniture-making.

There will also be open class and 4-H competitions for “Dairy Cattle,” “Dairy Goats,” “Breeding Sheep” and “Market Steer” livestock. Competitions will be staged nightly.

Other special attractions are appearances by the Phillie Phanatic and and a fireworks display on July 26.

The Kimberton Fair is a “rain-or-shine” event – more or less.

According to the event’s website, they never officially “close” the fair as a result of rain because they must remain “open” to adhere to Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture operating guidelines.

The indoor attractions stay open even in inclement weather, but the festival may shut down any amusement ride if the weather causes safety issues.

If you want to laugh uncontrollably at one of Mel Brooks’ all-time classic comedies, plan on visiting Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) this weekend or next weekend because Brandywiners, Ltd. is performing the award-winning musical “The Producers” in Longwood’s beautiful Open Air Theatre.

Every summer, the company presents a large-scale musical production at Longwood Gardens and contributes the proceeds to cultural, educational and civic causes throughout the Delaware Valley.

This summer, the Brandywiners, Ltd. present the Tony award-winning musical “The Producers,” the humorous tale of Max Bialystock’s failure at being a failure.

“The Producers” is a musical adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks’ 1967 film of the same name, with lyrics written by Brooks and music composed by Brooks and arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman. As in the film, the story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop. Complications arise when the show unexpectedly turns out to be successful. The humor of the show draws on ridiculous accents, caricatures, and many show business in-jokes.

After 33 previews, the original Broadway production opened at the St. James Theatre on April 19, 2001, starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, and ran for 2,502 performances, winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards. It spawned a successful London production running for just over two years, national tours in the US and UK, many productions worldwide and a 2005 film version.

Performances at Longwood Gardens are set for July 25-27 and August 1-3.

Tickets for the Brandywiners, Ltd. production include admission to Longwood Gardens beginning at 9 a.m. on the day of performance as well as a spectacular fountain display immediately following the show. Tickets are $35 for adults, $30 for students (ages 13-21) and $18 for children (ages 12 and under).

The biggest attraction at Longwood right now is the Festival of Fountains, which is running now through September 30.

With fountains that jet as high as 175 feet, gardens filled with colorful summer blooms, shade-friendly trees, exotic day and night blooming waterlilies, and live music outdoors, Longwood gardens has something for everyone.

The fountain project took two years and $90 million in renovations. The fountain features more than 1,300 jets and streams, a similar number of LEDs, a variety of flame features and a wide array of plants from around the world.

Longwood’s popular Main Fountain Garden has returned for a second season after attracting more than 600,000 guests last year with its 1,719 jets twirling and dancing to music. At night, Illuminated Fountain Performances return featuring a selection of dynamic new shows and past favorites.

In addition to the Main Fountain Garden, Longwood is also home to a collection of other fountain gardens, including the enchanting Italian Water Garden and Open Air Theatre fountains, which also perform daily.

The ultra-popular Festival of Fountains features the gardens in their summer splendor. Flowering annuals and perennials abound, as well as the breathtaking Waterlily Display that showcases aquatic plants from all over the world.

Admission to Longwood Gardens is $23 for adults, $20 for seniors and $12 for youth (ages 5-18).

The Brandywine Zoo (1001 North Park Drive, Brandywine Park, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-571-7747, www.brandywinezoo.org) is inviting people to come to the Zoo on July 27 to take part in “Zoorific Healthy Kids Day.”

The event is a celebration of being outside with a calling sent out to all “zoorific” kids, moms, and dads, too. There is no better place than the zoo to explore the many exciting ways there are to enjoy fitness and the great outdoors.

“Zoorific Healthy Kids Day” is a special day for youngsters of all ages to enjoy cool hands-on experiences and fun demonstrations. They can compare their skills to some of the animals, and enjoy fascinating encounters designed to get them pumped up about fitness, outdoor activity and healthy habits.

Admission to the Brandywine Zoo, which is located in Brandywine Park along the banks of the Brandywine Creek in downtown Wilmington, is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors (62 and older) and $5 for children (ages 3-17).

The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen is staging one of its biggest and oldest annual craft fairs this weekend — but, ironically, not in Pennsylvania.

The Guild presents several craft fairs throughout the Keystone State each year, including the Annual State Craft Fair — an event that had its origin almost 70 years ago. A few years ago, the Guild’s popular mid-summer fair moved from Lancaster to Wilmington’s Riverfront. It’s still the biggest and oldest but it now is known as the Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair.

The 2019 Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair (717-431-8706, www.pacrafts.org) features more than 200 top-flight crafters from all over the Mid-Atlantic region. It will be held on July 27 and 28 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, which is located on Justison Street in Wilmington, Delaware.

This indoor shopping experience boasts a unique array of beautiful items that are all handmade in America, ranging from one-of-a-kind clothing, jewelry, ceramics, glass, sculpture, artisan furniture and more.

As an added attraction, there will be a number of demonstrations presented by a diverse group of featured artists both days. Show hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on July 27 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on July 28. Tickets are $8 for adults. Children (17 and under) will be admitted free. There will also be free parking.

Hagley Museum and Library (Buck Road East entrance via Route 100, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-658-2400, www.hagley.org) is presenting a special “Cannon Firing Demonstration” on July 28 at 1, 2, and 3 p.m. in the Machine Shop area.

The family-oriented event is fun, loud, exciting and educational.

Cannon firings in the Hagley Powder Yards demonstrate how black powder was made and used.

The demonstrations, which take place next to the Millwright Shop, are included with site admission tickets — Adults: $15; Seniors (age 62 and up): $11; Students $11; Children 6-14: $6.

As an added attraction, an in-depth, hands-on tour focused on gunpowder production, which ends with an explosive finish, is available on the “Explosions Tour at Hagley Museum.”

Despite DuPont’s motto of “safety first” and the procedures they had in place to prevent them, gunpowder explosions at Hagley were inevitable. Participants on this tour can learn about how they affected the lives of the workers and their families. Tour involves walking on uneven ground.

The West Chester Railroad (Market Street Station, West Chester, 610-430-2233, www.westchesterrr.net) is running its special “Summer Picnic Special” trains every Sunday now through September 22.

The round-trip train ride travels to the village of Glen Mills and back and lasts for 90 minutes. During the brief layover in Glen Mills, riders can explore the historic Pennsylvania Railroad station and have a snack in the railroad’s picnic grove along the Chester Creek.

Riders can order a boxed lunch when they purchase their tickets online. Sandwich choices are ham and cheese hoagies, turkey and cheese hoagies, and PB&J. All lunches, which are made fresh, come with chips, fruit, drink and cookies.

Additionally, the lunches are packed in a special reusable lunch bag emblazoned with the WCRR logo. Tickets for the train rides are $15 for adults, $13 for children ages 2-12 and free for kids under two.

Guests are invited to spend a gorgeous summer evening at the American Swedish Historical Museum (1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-389-1776,www.americanswedish.org) while enjoying regional and international beer and sampling traditional Swedish food with a modern twist. The event, which will run from 6-9 p.m. on July 27 is called SmörgåsBeer.

Some of the participating breweries will be Yards Brewing Company, Moss Mill Brewing Company, 2SP Brewing Company, Crooked Eye Brewery, Punch Buggy Brewing Company, Workhorse Brewing Company, Lindgren Craft Brewery, Liquid Alchemy mead & cider, and Swedish Rekorderlig Cider. Also, special addition this year will be Swedish glögg (mulled wine) by Napa-based Sjoeblom Winery. There will also be Nordic drinks to sample.

SmörgåsBeer party goers will have the chance to play trivia and lawn games as well as a traditional Swedish “tipsrunda” or quiz walk through the museum. Amazing prizes for fun experiences will also be raffled off throughout the evening.

Tickets to SmörgåsBeer are $35 at the door, with a special designated driver price of $10. General admission includes a commemorative event sampling glass. Drink samples, food, and museum admission are included in the ticket price. Minimum age of 21 to drink alcoholic beverages.

On July 27, Fort Mifflin (Mifflin and Hog Island roads, Philadelphia, 215-685-4167, http://fortmifflin.us) is hosting “Le Francais Au Fort.”

At this special event, which runs from 3-7 p.m., Fort Mifflin will celebrate French culture and its strong friendship with the United States.

Visitors to the Fort will be able to see historical reenactors portraying the Regiment Gatinais (a French infantry regiment that teamed up with the Continental Army during the American Revolution).

Guests will also have the opportunity to learn French songs, enter a homemade quiche contest, and taste French wine and crepes with Thomas Jefferson, who served as the minister to France from 1785 until 1789.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors, veterans, students and children (12 and under).

On July 27, the Tuner Evolution Car Show will be held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, http://www.tuner-evolution.com) from noon-8 p.m.

This show is a full automotive lifestyle event that showcases many aspects of the aftermarket automotive industry. It features some of the hottest customized vehicles in the country, vendors showing off their latest and greatest products, graffiti artists, eating contests, bikini contest, celebrity appearances, models and entertainment acts including bands, hip hop artists, skating and BMX demos.

However, the main attraction at Tuner Evolution is the vehicles with many of the country’s top builders competing for the elusive Best of Show award. It allows visitors to see more of the elite cars and amazing custom builds that they won’t usually see on the streets or at meets.

Video link for Tuner Evolution — https://youtu.be/2DT7GXU_pdU.

Admission is $20 for adults, $10 for children (ages 7-12) and free for children (six and under).

The 27th annual Moonlight Memories Car Show (http://www.hatborocarshow.com), which is sponsored by the Greater Hatboro Chamber of Commerce, will take place July 27 on York Road between Summit Avenue and Horsham Road from 5-10 p.m.

Downtown Hatboro will be the center of attention when more than 500 cars roll into town for the annual Moonlight Memories Car Show.

The free car show, which historically draws more than 75,000 visitors, will have a wide array of cars lining both sides of York Road in downtown Hatboro. The event will feature antique cars, classic cars, modified cars, “muscle” and specialty vehicles and more.

Auto enthusiasts have another event to look forward to this weekend.

On July 29, more than 125 classic, antique, muscle, custom and show cars, trucks and motorcycles will take over East Passyunk Avenue for the 2019 Car Show and Street Festival (www.visiteastpassyunk.com).

The 14th annual staging of free annual event, which is a huge block party, will take place from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Visitors will be able to enjoy tasty food and drink items, live music and lots of sparkling cars.

The festival, which is centered along East Passyunk Avenue between Broad and Dickinson streets, also features a craft show, food trucks, a moon bounce and a variety of family activities.

The event is free and open to the public.

The Lititz Outdoor Fine Art Show celebrated its golden anniversary and few years ago and is still going strong.

is well into its second half-century.

On July 27, the Lititz Art Association will present the 53rd Annual Lititz Outdoor Fine Art Show at Lititz Springs Park (Route 501, Lititz, http://www.lititzartassociation.com).

The free event, which is always held the last Saturday in July — and always held rain or shine — will run from 9 a.m-5 p.m. at the park, which is located between the Square and the railroad track next to Wilbur’s Chocolate Factory.

It is a juried art show presented by the Lititz Art Association that is open to all fine artists over the age of 17. The show’s organizers stress that this is an art show and not a craft show and that there will be no jewelry, photographs, Christmas decorations, needlework, or other non-art items featured in the exhibition/sale.

An interesting annual summer event in Pennsylvania Dutch country is the Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association’s “John Deere Days” (Rough and Tumble, 4977 Lincoln Highway East, Kinzers, 717-442-4249, www.roughandtumble.org).

The event is scheduled for July 26 and 27 with activities slated to get underway at 9 a.m. each day.

This annual show, which is sponsored by the Waterloo Boys Club of Southeastern Pennsylvania, features a wide range of John Deere tractors with “Deere History” and “Tractor Pulling” events.

One of the highlights each day will be the “John Deere Parade of Power,” which is a showcase for many different and unique models.

On Friday, there will be the “Garden Tractor Parade” and the “Tractor Pull.” Popular activities on Saturday include the “Kiddy Pedal Pull,” “Large Tractor Pulling” and the always-popular “Raffle Tractor Drawing.”

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for youth (ages 12-18). Children under 12 years are admitted free.