By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
This area has many – really many — annual events that have passed their 50th, 60th, 70th and even 100th anniversaries.
This weekend, you have the opportunity to partake in the inaugural staging of what should join the ranks of popular annual Chester County events — the First Annual West Chester Porchfest.
All are welcome at the First Annual West Chester Porchfest on May 21 from 1-7 p.m. Rain date is May 22.
Participants can stroll from porch to porch and enjoy live local talent and the beautiful porches of historic West Chester.
The porches are located in the southwest quadrant of West Chester from South Church Street to South Bradford Avenue and West Miner Street to Dean Street.
Food trucks and picnic tables will be open at Ironworks Church while children’s activities at Everhart Park will add to the festivities.
Live music will be provided by 938 Church Band, Annalise Curtin, Bender, Blanton-Chambers Guitar Duo, Brad Rau, Consider This, Cornflower Jam, Dan Schatz, Dre Clark and Pimp Fried Rice, Dub C Swing, Eric Schraedley, Eunice Alexander, Fumiyo Batta, Grace Guggenheim, John Faye, Jumping Juvies, Kurt Papenhausen, and Lil Breakfast Food.
The entertainment line-up also features Manali, Mark Oppenlander, Maya Claire and Friends, Michael Reaves, onyx&honey, Patrick Hedgecock, Peter Peak, Phil Hill, Philip Jamison, Rented Mule, snooze, So Colloquial & Friends, Sophia Murray, |Stephanie Phillips, Sweet Potato Fries, Taylor Ash, The Gracious, The Krrunkers, The Unit (Formally Liquid), The Walton Marquette Project, West Chester Dance Works, and Whiskey Rovers.
Scoops and Smiles Ice Cream Truck will be stationed in Everhart Park while Big Boy’s BBQ, Turks Head Sauce, Philly Hots, Saloon 51, and Scrape & Scoop will be set up at Ironworks Church
Children’s activities at Everhart Park include dinosaur themed arts and craft from 2-4 p.m., a musical petting zoo, face painting, and a planting activity.
As an added attraction, The West Chester Co-op is providing free strawberry shortcake.
Parkesburg, a borough in the far western part of Chester County, was first known as the Fountain Inn, a tavern built ca. 1734. The inn ceased operation as a tavern around 1836 and became Parkesburg’s first post office.
In 1872, the Pennsylvania legislature authorized the formation of Parkesburg Borough (from Sadsbury Township). The town was named after noted politician John G. Parke. Today, the Fountain Inn is a private residence.
Do some math and you’ll find that 150 years have elapsed since Parkesburg came into existence – and that’s cause for celebration.
The Parkesburg Sesquicentennial Celebration will be held today through May 22 at various locations around the borough.
It’s a three-day community wide celebration that will include a parade, fireworks and activities in Minch Park.
Other special activities scheduled for this weekend are Encampment of the 69th PA Irish Volunteers, Historic Parkesburg Trolley Rides, Rough and Tumble Engineers, Gerry Treadway’s Display, Carriage Display, Antique Cars, Train Car Display, Hayrides, Children’s Carnival, Baseball Activities, Entertainment, and Food Trucks.
As an added attraction, Beale Manor will be holding an Open House on May 21 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. VFW Post 4480 will also be holding an open house on Saturday.
Circuses – the ones held with the traditional three rings – usually arrive in this area during the summer months.
If you’re a circus fan and you’re already longing for a visit to the circus to see wild animals, jugglers, clowns and all the things brought by the circus, you’re in luck.
You don’t have to wait until summer arrives.
Garden Bros Nuclear Circus
Now through May 30, the Garden Bros Nuclear Circus will visit the area for a 26-performance run at Philadelphia Mills (1455 Franklin Mills Circle, Philadelphia, www.gardenbroscircus.com).
The 2022 tour features an all-new Garden Bros Circus show, which is billed as “The World’s Largest Circus Under The Biggest Big Top On Earth.”
This year’s show has blasted into the next generation of showbiz with breathtaking special effects, concert style sound and lighting and three rings bursting with excitement, laughter and memories that families will always cherish.
The very best performers from over more than 22 countries make up this action jammed, fast paced 100-minute performance featuring the Crazy Cossacks Riderz, Human Slingshot, Wheel of Death, Human Cannonball, Motorcycles in the Sphere of Fear, Showgirls Hanging from their Hair, Olympic Gymnasts, the Funniest Clowns, Back Flipping Dogs as seen on America’s Got Talent.
Ticket prices start at $14.50.
Brandywine Valley SPCA Dog Adoption Day is scheduled for May 25 at 4 p.m. at Anytime Fitness (1502 West Chester Pike, West Chester).
The event will feature great raffle prizes and impressive silent auction items — and 100% of all sales goes in full to the Brandywine Valley SPCA.
Anyone who adopts will receive some extra bonus items including a custom doggie bandana made by Amber’s Custom Design Co., a free one-month gym membership, and a lifetime of love from your new best friend.
The SPCA is looking to really give some extra special attention to the senior dogs or any that may have special needs.
Before the dog event, there is the dogwood event.
Phoenixville’s annual Dogwood Festival is running now through May 21.
The annual staging of the springtime fair will take place at the historic Reeves Park Bandshell (Main Street between third and Fourth avenues, Phoenixville, 484-928-0052, www.phoenixvillejaycees.org) with live entertainment each night.
The main day for activities at the free festival will be May 21 with a parade and other festivities running from noon-10 p.m. and live entertainment starting at 4 p.m. The parade, which is one of the festival’s showcase events, is slated to get underway at 1 p.m.
Some of the music acts scheduled for the 2022 Dogwood Festival are The Music Depot, Turtle Ridge Music, Smooth Riders, Cole Campbell, Florida Wayne Band, Sun Blind, The Bent Benjamins, Tucked In, and Vinyl Roots.
May 21 is a big day in the local equestrian world – the day of the Radnor Hunt (826 Providence Road, Malvern, https://www.brandywine.org/conservancy/radnor-hunt-races).
This year marks the 91st running of the Radnor Hunt Races. Held on the grounds of the Radnor Hunt (826 Providence Road, Malvern), the event annually draws an estimated crowd of 20,000. The National Hunt Cup and the Radnor Hunt Cup headline the day’s six races.
The first Radnor Hunt Races was held in 1928 at Chesterbrook, the former estate of A.J. Cassatt. The Races were run annually until racing was suspended during the war years of 1943-1945. The following year George Brooke, II, with the aid of Morris Dixon, Thomas McCoy, Jr., and George Strawbridge, Sr., supervised construction of a new course on the present Club property.
In 1980, the Radnor Hunt and Brandywine Conservancy began a partnership spearheaded by Betty Moran and George “Frolic” Weymouth. Under their leadership, the Radnor Hunt Races are Racing for Open Space. For the past 40 years the Brandywine Conservancy has been the sole beneficiary of the Radnor Hunt Races. With over $5 million raised, those funds have fueled the Conservancy’s vital efforts to protect open space and water resources in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware.
The 91st Radnor Hunt Races, which are held on the W. Burling Cocks Memorial Racecourse in Malvern, will get underway at 1:30 p.m. with The Milfern Cup race.
There is a big event for specialized memorabilia collectors this weekend — the Philly Non-Sports Card Show.
The event will be held on May 21 and 22 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (Station Avenue, Oaks, http://phillynon-sportscardshow.com)
There are two basic categories of trading cards — sports cards and non-sports cards. Sports cards depict athletes at all levels. Non-sport cards offer so much more. There are card sets dealing with music, movies, politics, nature, pop culture and history.
For more than a century, non-sport trading cards have documented trends in pop culture – providing people with history lessons provided by small, rectangular pieces of cardboard.
Twice each year, collectors from across the country come together in eastern Pennsylvania for this very special event. The event is the oldest show of its kind in the country.
Many of the hobby’s top manufacturers will have exhibit booths at this weekend’s show and will be distributing free promo cards. There will be a huge array of non-sport cards, sets, singles, wrappers, chase cards, promos, and related memorabilia.
Topps has sent the show organizers a treasure trove of Garbage Pail Kid related prizes to give away to show attendees. Some will be Saturday give aways and some exclusive to Sunday. Included are t-shirts, puzzles, Garbage Pail Krashers, Micro Figures, the Garbage Pail Kids Monopoly game, and more.
On May 21 and 22, the Brandywine Ballet will bring its annual spring performance to West Chester University’ Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall (South High Street, West Chester, 610-696-2711, www.brandywineballet.org).
This weekend, the Brandywine Ballet will present the classic family favorite — “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
Guests can join Dorothy as she journeys from Kansas to the magical Land of Oz where she makes many friends, but also must confront the Wicked Witch of the West and her winged creatures as she tries to find her way back home. This timeless story about the power of friendship, self-confidence, and family will delight audience members of all ages.
Performance times are noon and 4 p.m. on May 21 and 2 p.m. on May 22.
Ticket prices range from $25-$45.
The annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival will be held now through May 16-June 25 at the Wayne Art Center (413 Maplewood Avenue, Wayne, www.wayneart.org).
“En plein air” is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The practice goes back for centuries but was truly made into an art form by the French Impressionists.
Fresh off the easel, more than 250 works adorn Wayne Art Center’s walls showcasing the artists’ individual interpretations of life and landscapes.
Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www.longwoodgardens.org) is inviting visitors to enjoy the beauty of late spring.
The “Festival of Fountains” began at the start of this month. Longwood Gardens’ Open Air Theatre and Italian Water Garden fountains sprang to life, as did the Square Fountain, Round Fountain (Flower Garden Walk), Sylvan Fountain (Peirce’s Park), and Children’s Corner fountains.
The season of renewal and growth has started. Millions of tiny geophytes begin the season, blanketing Longwood’s vistas with sweeps of spring-has-sprung color.
As the season unfolds, flowering trees delightfully punctuate the landscape, radiant tulips stretch toward the sun, and the delicious fragrance of wisteria floats along the breeze.
Visitors can also enjoy special exhibits at the Orchid House.
Admission to Longwood Gardens is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and college students, $18 for active military and $13 for youth.
A sweet place to enjoy flowers in bloom is Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134, www.tylerarboretum.org).
On May 20, Tyler is hosting a “Weekend Warm-up Hike: Spring Meadows” starting at 8:10 a.m.
It is a brisk, one-hour hike through Tyler’s gardens and out onto the trails and will explore a different part of the Arboretum each week.
The Weekend Warm-up Hike is intended as an introduction to Tyler’s hiking trails and will cover a mix of asphalt, gravel and natural surfaces. Hikes are not suitable for those with limited mobility.
Additionally, “Weekday Bird Walks: Limited Edition” are scheduled for every Wednesday in May from 8-10 a.m.
Walks are rain or shine. Tickets are $15 and include admission to Tyler for the day.
The Morris Arboretum (100 East Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-247-5777, www.morrisarboretum.org) is presenting its “Garden Highlights Tour” on weekdays at 10:30 a.m. and weekends at 1 p.m.
The arboretum’s knowledgeable guides will design a tour around the interests of the attendees. Every tour is different.
The main route explores most of the paved paths of the Arboretum, highlighting key trees, structures, fountains, and more along the way. Parts of the tour are hilly and depart from accessible paths. This tour is 1.25 miles long, some parts are hilly and depart from accessible paths.
Some of the May blooms are Asimina triloba (common pawpaw), Allium giganteum (giant allium), Rhododendron austrinum (Florida azalea), Styrax japonica (Japanese styrax), and Aquilegia canadensis (American columbine).
Activity is free with regular admission — Adults: $20; Seniors (65+ years): $18; Youth (3-17 years): $10; and Children (Under 3): Free.
A few miles away from Morris Arboretum is another attractive destination.
Hope Lodge (553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, 215-343-0965, http://www.ushistory.org/hope/) will be presenting a “Guided Mansion Tour” on May 22.
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.
Visitors can participate by watching a short film and then taking a tour. Guided tours of the mansion will depart at 1 and 2:30 p.m. all three days.
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.
Chaddsford Winery is hosting its “Forage Festival” on May 21.
Activities include “Vendor Village Entertainment” by RADStringz, Will Padilla-Brown discussing “The Healing Properties of Mushrooms, Drew Zimmerman talking about “Cultivating Mushrooms at Home” and a talk by Kellie Lynch about “The Importance of Cycles in Health.”
Village Vendors will be Dad & Wills Microgreens, Dane Tilghman Artwork, Emma’s Healthy Choices, Happy Cat Farm, Heart of the Moon Herbs, Helena Husfelt Acupuncture, Hemp Alternative, Indwell Designs, Intrinsic Outdoors LLC and JunXion Café.
The roster also features Logical Living, Michelle’s Well, Moony Teas, Mother Nature’s Sun, Mycosymbiotics, Propulsion Designs, Sarah Rice Nutrition, Swarmbustin Honey, Taste Local Eats, The Right Touch Engravers and Unkle Fungus Mushrooms.
The Winery is also presenting “Mimosas with Mom” on Saturdays and Sundays in May.
This intimate and educational 60-minute experience takes place in the newly renovated Barrel Room.
Penns Wood Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, http://www.pennswoodsevents.com) will present “Live Music on the Lawn” every weekend in May.
The schedule for May 21 features from Greg Jones from 2-5 p.m.
The schedule for May 22 features Bill Hake from 2-5 p.m.
There are plenty of good reasons other than tax-free shopping to head down to Delaware this weekend.
Wilmington and Western Railroad (Greenbank Station, 2201 Newport-Gap Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, www.wwrr.com) is running a very special train this weekend – the “Brandywine Springs Historic Express.”
One of the most historically significant locations along the rail line’s tracks is Brandywine Springs Park, which was the site of a hotel and amusement park in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Brandywine Springs featured a fun house, pony rides, dance hall, lake, bandstand and an early wooden roller coaster. Many people came to the park on trains operated by the Wilmington & Western.
The amusements closed in 1923 and today Brandywine Springs is a New Castle County park – only a few stone foundations remain of the park’s amusements. The Friends of Brandywine Springs perform monthly archaeological digs in the park to uncover this unique piece of Wilmington’s history and tell the stories that this site holds.
On this special history-focused excursion, you’ll have the opportunity to explore Brandywine Springs with a Friends of Brandywine Springs guide who will point out the locations of the former amusements and paint a picture of Brandywine Springs in its heyday.
On the outbound trip from Greenbank Station, the train will stop for the Brandywine Springs walking tour, which will take approximately one hour. Once everyone is back aboard, the train will continue outbound to the Mt. Cuba Picnic Grove, and then return inbound to Greenbank Station (this train will not layover at the picnic grove). Allow two hours for the train ride and walking tour. Passengers are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes.
This excursion will be powered by the rail line’s 1929 Pennsylvania Railroad Doodlebug railcar.
The 2022 Brandywine River ShadFest is scheduled for May 22 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Brandywine Park (1080 N Park Drive, Wilmington, Delaware,www.brandywineshadfest.org).
The Second Annual Brandywine River ShadFest is a family-friendly celebration of the Brandywine River and the return of the American shad.
The Festival starts at 10 a.m. with live music by the Sin City Band scheduled for noon.
The wide array of attractions includes fishing lessons for kids, seining demonstration, face painting, live stream bugs, interactive watershed model, t-shirt fish printing, shad obstacle course, food and craft vendors, adult beverages and more.
There will also be a special guest appearance by The Mermaid of the Chesapeake.
Energetic attendees can start the morning by running or walking in the ShadRun 5K race through Brandywine Park. The ShadRun 5K will take place from 9-10 a.m.
Winterthur is also featuring a Guided Exhibition Tour – “Jacqueline Kennedy and Henry Francis du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House” – from May 7 until 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. 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.
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.
Admission to Winterthur is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and students and $8 for children.
On May 21, you can take a trip back to a different era in America’s history by attending the annual “A Day in Old New Castle” in Historic New Castle (off Route 141, New Castle, Delaware, 302-322-5774, http://www.historicnewcastle.com).
The event, which will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., is a special activity that not only celebrates history but also has a lot of history of its own.
It is a tradition of home and garden tours in New Castle that dates back almost 100 years — in a town that was founded 350 years ago.
Billed as the oldest home and garden tour in the United States, “A Day in Old New Castle” provides visitors with the opportunity to see what life was like during the historic era when New Castle served as the capital of the fledgling colony of Delaware.
New Castle was where William Penn first set foot in North America in 1682. New Castle was also the home to two of Delaware’s three signers of the Declaration of Independence. This weekend’s event will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the year of “Union and Freedom.”
Visitors will be able to tour the many homes, gardens and public buildings that witnessed the rebirth of America at the conclusion of the Civil War. Also included are tours of the A.J. Meerwald.
The cobblestone streets of Old New Castle will be alive with activities. There will be confederate and union encampments by Union Patriotic League and Garrison of New Amstel.
Other attractions include blacksmithing, historic caricatures, a Colonial brewer, children’s games, bell ringers, a maypole, carriage rides, beer garden, tours of historic Buttonwood School.
Tickets for “A Day in Old New Castle” are $25 for adults and $5 for children (ages 6-12).
The Annual Bellefonte Arts Festival (Brandywine Boulevard, Bellefonte, Delaware, www.bellefontearts.com) will be held on May 21.
The event, which is scheduled to run from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., will feature more than 50 local artists and artisans who will be selling and demonstrating handcrafted items such as pottery, photography, paintings, “up-cycled art for home and garden,” jewelry, glass, textiles, candles, and mixed media.
There will also be an array of community booths, activities for children and pet lovers, performances of live music in the festival’s big music tent and tasty food treats at the food truck food court.
This month, the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard (1124 East Seventh Street, Wilmington, Delaware, www.kalmarnyckel.org) began its 2022 season of tours and sails.
A prime attraction is its cruises along the historic Christine River around Wilmington.
Passengers can spend 1.5 hours cruising the Christina River on Wilmington’s historic riverfront – watching the hoisting of the sails, enjoying the view, and learning about the history of the Kalmar Nyckel.
Crew members will share the ship’s story and answer questions while the ship is out on the water. Cruises depart from the Copeland Maritime Center
The ship is a beautiful recreation of the original Kalmar Nyckel, which was built in Holland in the 1620s. Her mainmast is taller than a 10-story building, and she carries 7,600 square feet of sail area and six miles of rigging.
The original Kalmar Nyckel was a Swedish-owned, three-masted armed pinnace that sailed from Goteborg, Sweden in November of 1637 and brought the first permanent European settlers to the Delaware Valley.
In 1986 a group of citizens established the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation to design, build and launch a replica of the Kalmar Nyckel at a shipyard adjacent to the original landing site.
The new Kalmar Nyckel was constructed there and was launched on September 28, 1997. She was commissioned on May 9, 1998, and now serves as Delaware’s sea-going Ambassador of Good Will. She is a fully functional sail training vessel and has represented Delaware all over the country.
“Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection” will be on exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum (2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware, delart.org) now through June 5.
A celebration of beauty, “Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection” features more than 60 objects, spanning over 30 years of Tiffany’s prolific career. The exhibition showcases Tiffany’s innovative work in leaded and blown glass, including stellar examples of his famous windows, lamps, and vases.
His work was enthusiastically collected by art museums and private collectors throughout his lifetime and continues to be highly sought after today. This exhibition revels in the artistry and craftsmanship of the Tiffany artworks from Chicago’s distinguished Richard H. Driehaus Collection, highlighting masterworks in a comprehensive exhibition.
One of America’s most renowned artists, Louis Comfort Tiffany worked in nearly all of the media available to artists and designers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries — glass, ceramic, metalwork, jewelry, and painting. His love of the natural world inspired floral-themed vases and lamps, delicate vegetal candlesticks, and dramatic landscape windows.
Tiffany earned international acclaim, receiving prestigious awards in exhibitions across Europe and the United States, and his busy studios produced a range of objects, from common household items to one-of-a-kind masterpieces. His work was enthusiastically collected by art museums and private collectors throughout his lifetime and continues to be highly sought after today.
Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) is presenting “Market of the Macabre” on May 21 from noon-5 p.m. at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Visitors can browse through a curated collection of unusual antiques, assorted oddities, vintage items, artwork, and handmade wares at this outdoor market of the macabre.
Taking place in the most fitting of venues – a 186-year-old Victorian cemetery – visitors will have the opportunity to explore their morbid curiosity, in addition to Laurel Hill’s scenic grounds and rich history. Mini tours of the cemetery will depart starting at 1 p.m.
Live music will be performed by 49 Burning Condors, Mighty Joe Castro & the Gravaman and Hauntress. Food and drink will be provide by Algorithm Restaurants, Angie’s Vietnamese Cuisine and Many Hands Coffee Co.
Entrance fee is $5 per person. Victorian, steampunk, and/or gothic attire is encouraged.
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.
Grim Philly will also be presenting “Serial Killers & Cemetery Tour” every Saturday at 2 p.m.
Participants will have the opportunity to experience unconventional sightseeing off the beaten path. They can enjoy Betsy Ross House, Christ Church, Elfreth’s Alley, and Benjamin Franklin’s Grave, together with tales of serial slayings and psychopathic killers like the Corpse Collector, Frankfort Slasher, and H.H. Holmes.
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 $18.
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 $18.
There is a saying in Italian, “cento anni,” (pronounced colloquially by Italians as “gen-dahn”) that means “one hundred years” and implies “one hundred years of health.” It is often said during a toast.
For more than 100 years, South Philadelphia has been a stronghold of the city’s Italian-American population. Nowhere is it more evidenced than at the South Ninth Street Italian Market (Ninth Street and Washington Avenue vicinity, Philadelphia, 215-278-2903, www.italianmarketfestival.com).
On May 21 and 22, it will be time once again for the annual “South Ninth Street Italian Market Festival.” The festival’s focus will center on specialty food shops, restaurants, taverns and stores.
The festival, which is free, features the annual “Procession of Saints,” along with live entertainment, family events, crafts vendors and food booths.
It will run from 11 a.m-6 p.m. both days and will be held rain or shine.
One of the festival’s most popular attractions is “Albero della Cuccagna” — the “Grease Pole.” It is a 30-foot high pole greased with lard that is located at the Ninth and Montrose Piazza.
Teams will compete on both days for prizes of meats, cheeses, gift cards and money — prizes that are hanging from the top of the pole.
The Upper Darby Greek Festival 2022 (St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church of Upper Darby, 229 Powell Lane, Upper Darby, www.saintdemetrios.org) will be held from May 20-22 with a wide array of tasty Greek treats such as souvlaki, shish-ka-bob, moussaka, pastitsio and gyros and baklava.
Other activities include vendors with crafts and Greek items and live Greek dancing. The free festival is open from 11 a.m.-midnight on Friday and Saturday and noon-9 p.m. on Sunday.
Rhubarb can be a negative if it refers to an angry discussion or a positive if it refers a produce item that is frequently used in fruit pies.
On May20 and 21, the 2022 Rhubarb Festival will be held at Kitchen Kettle Village (3529 Old Philadelphia Pike, Intercourse, 800-732-3538,www.kitchenkettle.com). The festival starts at 11 a.m. both days.
In Lancaster County, people have been celebrating rhubarb for over 30 years. This is the time of year when Kitchen Kettle Village comes alive with the sweet aroma of rhubarb jam bubbling in its kettles.
Rhubarb is the harbinger of spring in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and every year Kitchen Kettle Village pays tribute with a two-day food festival filled with delicious and sometimes zany events.
The not-your-everyday annual event will feature attractions and activities for people of all ages, including a rhubarb racecar derby, homemade desserts, the “Rhubarb Stroll” mini-parade, a “Rhubarb Whoopie Pie Filling Contest” and more.
The free, family-oriented event will also feature a wide array of homemade rhubarb foods, including rhubarb dips, rhubarb sauces, rhubarb pies and rhubarb drinks
On May 21, the annual Skippack Spring Wine Festival (Skippack Pike, Skippack, 610- 584-1155, http://winetober.com) will be staged along the main street of the scenic village near the Skippack Creek in Montgomery County.
The popular annual event will feature 32 wine vendors with a tasty array of wine and food samples along with live music. There will be 129 vendors overall.
Wine vendors who will be participating in this weekend’s event are Mountain Lake Winery, Blue Mountain Vineyards, Juanita Valley Winery, Stone & Key Cellars,Hungry Run Wine & Spirits, Naylor Winery, A’Dello Vineyard and Winery, Village Wine Cellar – Crossing Vineyard, Bee Kind Winery,Benigna’s Creek Vineyard & Winery, Inc.,Paradocx Vineyard, and Hidden Creek Vineyard and Winery.
This year’s Skippack Spring Wine Festival will be held from noon-6 p.m. Tickets for the event, which include food and wine sampling, are $30 on either Saturday or Sunday.
There are two very diverse options for a trip to Bucks County this weekend.
On May 21, it will be time for the New Hope and Lambertville “Pridefest” (https://www.newhopecelebrates.com/pridefest/).
The event, which straddles the Delaware River from New Hope in Pennsylvania to Lambertville in New Jersey will feature daytime fireworks displayed over the Delaware River from the New Hope & Lambertville Bridge.
The event’s major festivities are “Pride Parade,” “Pride Fair,” “Best Cocktail Contest Crawl,” and “New Hope Celebrates Pride Dance Party.”
Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) will be presenting “Elmo’s Springtacular” every weekend now through June 19.
“Elmo’s Springtacular” at Sesame Place is filled with furry fun and exciting events – including an exciting line up of meet & greets, music, magic, pirate adventures, and fireworks.
This weekend, it’s time for Sesame Place’s special event – “Choo-Choo Soul” on May 21 and 22.
Participants can follow the musical adventures of Disney Jr.’s hip-hop singer, train station manager Genevieve Goings and her dancing, beat-boxing engineer DC as they entertain kids while performing soulful and current renditions of the ABCs and 1-2-3s.
Guests can also take a spin on the rides, catch their favorite Sesame Street shows and be entertained by the Sesame Street Party Parade.
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.
“Elmwood Park Zoo” (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) is presenting “Breakfast with Giraffes” on May 21 and 22 at 8:30 a.m. each day.
Participants can enjoy a delicious, socially distanced outdoor breakfast buffet, right next to the zoo’s three towering giraffes. After plates are cleared, guest can enjoy an exclusive giraffe feeding.
The Zoo is also presenting several of its ultra-popular “Dog Days” over the next week.
The Zoo’s “Dog Days” event will be held on May 20, 22 and 25 from noon-4 p.m. each day.
All guests visiting the zoo with a furry friend must complete an online waiver and submit required documents before visiting the zoo. You must upload a copy of your most recent veterinary visit, including proof of vaccine and heartworm test here. All items will be required for you to attend “Dog Days.”
Pricing is $10.95 per dog with each additional dog at $9.95. Regular zoo admission is required for all humans.
