What To Do: Labor Day means one last blast of summer events

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times

Hard as it is to believe, we’ve arrived at Labor Day Weekend — the weekend when summer unofficially draws to a close. The official end of summer arrives later in the month but for some, summer is already over because the new school year has already begun.

One thing that will never change about the Labor Day Weekend is the longevity of the annual events staged on the last holiday weekend of the summer. Many of the area’s annual Labor Day Weekend events have been held continuously for 40 years or longer.

The Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show (Routes 100 and 401, Bucktown, 610-458-3344, www.ludwigshorseshow.com) is in elevated status near the top of the list of the Chester County’s longest-running annual Labor Day Weekend events.

The show, which is held at Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show Grounds, has passed its diamond anniversary. The 2021 edition of the show, which is the 79th annual staging of the event, will be held September 3-5 at its long-time site in the northern part of Chester County.

The three-day event will feature a variety of fun activities. Families can enjoy rides, vendors, face-painting, hayrides, live music, games, food concessions and children’s games. There will also be a large number of booths with representatives of groups that are involved in the preservation of open space.

The very first Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show was staged in 1943 as a small show to raise money for local scout troops. It featured just 88 horses. Now, it is a very large show with over 400 horses competing for three days in both hunter and jumper classes.

The featured equestrian event is the Lexus Jumper Mini-Prix competition. Other competitions will feature dressage, cones and cross country — and more than $3,000 in prize money.

The horse show features a number of special events including a country fair, a carriage parade, pie-eating contests, a costumed pet parade, Creepy Crawlers Big & Small, a “Mounted Parade of Hounds,” the Thorncroft Mainstreamers, hayrides, an antique tractor show, Silkie’s Farm Alpacas, “Pioneer Games” and amusement rides.

The show will run from 8 a.m.-dusk each day. Tickets are $10 a carload.

There is a festival in northern Delaware that sailed past the century mark more than a decade ago.

It’s the Arden Town Fair (The Village of Arden, 2126 The Highway, Arden, Delaware, 302-475-3126, www.ardenclub.org) which is celebrating its 114th anniversary this year. It will be held September 3 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

The well-attended holiday event has many popular features such as delicious homemade baked goods, the Library Gild’s used book sale, more than 120 vendors of handmade crafts and jewelry, children’s games and rides and the antiques and collectibles market with more than 50 dealers.

Other attractions at the fair are the food court, pony rides, the dunk booth, booths selling plants from the Gardeners Gild, dance demonstrations, the popular Beer Garden with continuous live entertainment and the Holistic Expo at the Buzz Ware Village Center.

The Fair’s lineup of live music in the Shady Grove this year includes Diamond State Concert Band, Howl Train, Stevie and the Bluescasters, Lost Northern Tribe, Nicely, Hawkins, etc…, Cure for Pain, PJ, and Spokey Speaky.

Having been around for more than a half-century, Duryea Day has one of Boyertown’s most popular annual events. This year, Duryea Day (Boyertown Community Park, Second and Madison streets, Boyertown, 610-367-2090, www.boyertownmuseum.org) is celebrating its 56th year with another top-flight “Antique and Classic Car Show.”

The one-day event, which is hosted by the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, serves as a showcase for antique and classic cars and trucks of all types. This year, it will be held on September 3 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the scenic park in downtown Boyertown.

Duryea Day was created as a tribute to local automobile pioneer Charles Duryea, who started building automobiles in Reading more than a century ago. Duryea was making automobiles long before most people in the area had even seen a car.

A Labor Day Weekend tradition, the “Antique and Classic Car Show” draws exhibitors from all over the Mid-Atlantic region with an amazing array of collector cars, antique trucks, hot rods, vintage motorcycles, custom cars and special interest vehicles.

Visitors have the opportunity to get up-close looks at a number of automobiles they probably have never seen before — cars made by long-defunct companies such as Franklin, Winton and Peerless. There will also be displays of timeless classics like the Ford “Model T.”

The auto show will feature awards in the following categories – Antique Pre-War Car, Antique Post-War Car, Antique Commercial Truck, Street Machine, Antique Pickup Truck, Street Rod, Antique Motorcycle and Antique Sports Car.

In addition to the car show, Duryea Day also features live entertainment, food and beverage vendors, a 50/50 drawing, a “car corral” and an auto flea market. There will also be a variety of entertainment and special activities for children.

Admission to Boyertown Park for Duryea Day is $7 for adults and $3 for children (ages 6-12). Visitors to Duryea Day can take advantage of complimentary admission to the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles. A special trolley will make continuous loops between the park and the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles until 4 p.m.

Historic Downtown Oxford (www.downtownoxfordpa.org/downtown-events/2022/9/2/8th-annual-car-show) is starting the holiday weekend in style by presenting its Eighth Annual Car Show on September 2.

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.”

The Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival (Salem County Fair Grounds, Route 40, Woodstown, New Jersey, 302-321-6466, www.delawarevalleybluegrass.org) has also been on the Labor Day Weekend schedule for a long, long time.

This weekend, the highly popular annual music event, which runs from September 2-4, will celebrate its 50th anniversary. The festival will feature three days of old-time music – the kind of music that takes you back to a bygone era and makes you feel good.

The event was first held on Labor Day Weekend in 1972 in Glasgow, Delaware and was known as the Delaware Bluegrass Festival. It remained in Delaware through 1989 and moved to its current location in 1990.

Live music at this year’s festival will start on September 2 with Ricky Skaggs, Seldom Scene, Laurie Lewis, Dom Flemons and Bob and Sarah Amos Band.

The lineup for September 3 features Del McCoury, Gibson Brothers, Danny Paisley & Southern Grass, Claire Lynch, Tuba Skinny, and New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters.

On September 4, live music will be provided by Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Danny Paisley & Southern Grass, Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, Country Current, Tuesday Mountain Boys and Joseph Decosimo & Luke Richardson.

Ticket prices start at $60.

Another really, really old annual event in the area is the Labor Day Volksfest at the Cannstatter Volksfest Verein (9130 Academy Road, Philadelphia, http://cannstatter.org/).

Held every year since 1873, the Cannstatter Volksfest is the nation’s oldest German festival and one of Philadelphia’s longest-running Labor Day Weekend events.

The 150th annual staging of the festival, which is running from September 3-5, features tasty German food items such as Weisswurst, Bratwurst, Leberkaese, Heisser Leberkäse, Kartoffel-Salat, Schnitzel, Maultaschen, Spätzle, Pflaumenkuchen, Zwetschgenkuchen and, of course, Frankfurters.

One of the most popular sites at the fair will be the biergarten which will have an attractive variety of great-tasting German beer on tap.

The Volksfest is a family-oriented event that has amusement rides, games and an array of activities for every age group. There will be German music and dancing, souvenir booths, German traditional singing and vendors with German clothing.

The Volksfest will have live music each day with a roster of acts that includes Greater Kensington String Band, Die Spitzbaum, GTV Almrausch Schuplattlers, Altweibermühle (Old Ladies Mill), and MountainXpress.

Admission is $10 for one day, $15 for two-day pass, and $20 for three-day pass. Children under 12 will be admitted free.

The 56th Annual Polish Festival the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa (654 Ferry Road, Doylestown, 215-345-0600, www.czestochowa.us) is being held from September 3-5 and again on September 10 and 11.

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 $12 per person.

When it comes to festivals in North America, the Allentown Fair (17th and Chew Street, Allentown, 610-433-7541, www.allentownfairpa.org) is without a doubt one of the oldest – if not the oldest. It’s an event that has been drawing large crowds ever since ’52 – that’s 1852.

The popular Allentown Fair was first staged in October 1852 when the Lehigh County Agricultural Society held its first fair. The huge annual fair in Allentown is still one of the state’s premier late-summer attractions.

Now known as “The Great Allentown Fair”, the 2022 edition runs from August 31 until September 5. It will be the fair’s 170th anniversary this year.

The Allentown Fair is a fun-filled event that spans generations and appeals to people of all ages. The multi-day event at the Allentown Fairgrounds features thousands of farm, garden and home exhibits and competitions along with thrill rides, amusement games, variety acts, international food and some of the top entertainers currently on tour.

The Grandstand Stage’s 2021 schedule features The Dropkick Murphys on September 1, Cole Swindell on September 2, The Wonder Years on September 4, and Demolition Derby on September 5.

The fair’s list of daily entertainment attractions also includes Magic on the Farm, The One Wheel Wonder, The Flying Wallendas, “Robinson’s Pig Paddling Porkers,”

The Puppy Pals Comedic Stunt Dog Show, Squawk! The Amazing Bird Show, Moodonna, and “4-H Petting Zoo.”

As always, amusement games and rides are one of the fair’s main attractions. This year, the Great Allentown Fair will again feature thrilling rides and games of skill and chance presented by Powers Great American Midways.

There will also be a wide array of agricultural competitions and exhibits each day at the fair. Tickets are $8 for adults with children under 12 admitted free.

Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (Mount Hope Estate and Winery grounds, Route 72, Cornwall, 717-665-7021, www.parenfaire.com).

This year’s 43rd annual staging of the event, which bills itself as “the most wondrous event in all the Knowne World”, is running now through October 30. 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 beverage.

Single-day tickets are available at the gate for $31.95. For children (age 5-11) single-day tickets are available at the gate and online for $16.95.

The 44th Annual Long’s Park Art & Craft Festival runs from September 2-4 at Long’s Park in downtown Lancaster. The 34th Annual Heart of Lancaster County Arts and Crafts Show is scheduled to take place on September 3 and 4 at Root’s Country Market-Auction.

More than 200 fine artists and artisans representing 30 states were selected through a juried process for inclusion in this year’s show at scenic Long’s Park, an 80-acre park in the center of Lancaster. All proceeds benefit the free Long’s Park summer entertainment series.

A large contingent of artisans will be selling their wares and demonstrating their crafts each day at Long’s Park. The show will feature an array of categories, including drawing, glass, paper, musical instruments, ceramics, leather, printmaking, wearable fiber, mixed media, precious jewelry, painting, metal, decorative fiber, photography, sculpture, toys and wood.

The “Susquehanna Style Bistro” at Long’s Park will offer guests a tasty selection of food from some of the region’s finest restaurants and caterers. The selection of salads, pastas, sandwiches, seafood and desserts will be complemented by a selection of fine wines, craft beers and special mimosas.

The festival will also present live entertainment all three days.

Festival hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $14.

The Heart of Lancaster Arts and Craft Show is celebrating its 33rd anniversary this year — and its ninth anniversary as a two-day event. This year’s show will feature a roster of more than 200 artists and fine craftsmen from all around the East.

This juried event features a wide variety of traditional, primitive, and contemporary art and crafts. Importantly, all the items on display at this show are hand-crafted by the artists. The event also offers an array of crafts demonstrations.

There will be vendors with a wide variety of food and beverage items at the event, which is scheduled for September 4 and 5 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day.

One of the nicest attractions offered by the Heart of Lancaster Arts and Craft Show is free admission for all.

For the next few months, the American Swedish Historical Museum (1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-389-1776, www.americanswedish.org) is presenting an exhibit “Art for All: The Swedish Experience in Mid-America,” which just opened and will run through February 19, 2023.

More immediately, the Museum is hosting “Telge Glíma: Old Scandinavian Folk Games and Sports Demonstration” on September 3 at 2:30 p.m.

ASHM is partnering with Friends of FDR Park to host Telge Glíma! This group has traveled the world putting on displays of traditional physical games played by Scandinavians for centuries.

The free event will be held on the lawn next to the Gazebo near the Boat House in FDR Park. ASHM will be there with Viking artifacts to explore and a rune stone craft activity.

“Art for All: The Swedish Experience in Mid-America” is an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Swedish-American artists in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

This colorful and emotive impressionist art reflects its own time, interprets nature and landscape, and is independent of artificial conventions while keeping Swedish folk traditions alive.

The American Swedish Historical Museum is proud to present Art for All: The Swedish Experience in Mid-America, an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Swedish American artists in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. This colorful and emotive impressionist art reflects its own time, interprets nature and landscape, and is independent of artificial conventions while keeping Swedish folk traditions alive.

This exhibition features many Swedish artists who studied and absorbed the democratic philosophies of “art for all,” espoused by Anders Zorn and the Artist’s League. These young artists immigrated to America to forge new career paths. “Art for all” became a catchphrase in Kansas by the 1930s, stemming from efforts of local artists to offer affordable paintings and prints so that every citizen could have original art in their own homes for a richly cultured way of life.

“Art for All: The Swedish Experience in Mid-America” was conceived and developed by the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery and the Hillstrom Museum of Art.

Also on September 3, Fort Mifflin (Fort Mifflin and Hog Island roads, Philadelphia, 215-685-4167, www.fortmifflin.us) is hosting an event called “Private Yankee Doodle Weekend with the 4thCT Regiment.”

Private Joseph Plumb Martin served at Fort Mifflin during the 1777 siege and later wrote about his experience in a memoir published under the title Private Yankee Doodle.

Participants can explore daily life in the garrison with the 4th CT Regiment and try their hand at some of the tasks of improving the Fort’s defenses including the construction of a scale model of a chevaux de frise, underwater obstacles that were a feat of 18th century military engineering.

Visitors will also be able to see original examples in the exhibit space and then observe construction under the direction of the 4th CT Regiment.

Guests will also have the opportunity to meet Joseph Plumb Martin himself (as interpreted by our the site’s Mike Kalichak) as he reflects on his adventures in his country’s service as he prepares to write his memoir, years after the war.

The event gets underway at 10 a.m. with the special program scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

There will also be guided tours, musket and camp life demonstrations.

The Delaware River waterfront hosts a number of cultural celebrations this summer during the PECO Multiciltural Series.

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

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

The event, which are 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, Pânico X, Dendê and Band, Acarajé Drums, DJs Caique and Pesadelo, Presenters Monica and Lana from Radio Philly USA

The event at Penn’s Landing is part of the Brazilian Day Philadelphia Series whisch 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 Brazilian Day Philadelphia Series includes a flag ceremony at Philadelphia’s City Hall on September 2 at 11 a.m., Capoeira performances and classes at Project Capoeira’s Cultural Center(1213 Race Street) on September 3 at 1 p.m.

Chaddsford Winery (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, www.chaddsford.com) is celebrating Labor Day Weekend from September 3-5.

During the visit, guests will be able to keep it cool with nostalgic sippers like an icy Signature Slushie or a Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade cocktail.

Live Music will be provided on Saturday by Joe LaPree (noon-2:30 p.m.) and Sam Capalongo Duo (3-5:30 p.m.) and on Sunday by Joe LaPree (noon-3 p.m.).

Visitors can enjoy food truck fare from Common Good Pizza on Saturday and Sunday.

Admission is free.

A popular event in Delaware this weekend is “Steamin’ Days” at Auburn Heights Preserve (3000 Creek Road, Yorklyn, Delaware, 302-239-2385, http://auburnheights.org) on September 4.

“Steamin’ Days,” which is held on the first Sunday of the month through November, focuses on steam power.

During “Steamin’ Days at Auburn Heights,” the site is bustling with activity. Visitors are encouraged to climb into an antique automobile or board one of the trains and experience what it was like to travel at the turn of the 20th century. They can also tour the magnificent 1897 mansion that was home to three generations of the Marshall family.

Also included is entry to the Marshall Steam Museum, which features the world’s largest operating collection of Stanley steam cars along with a 1930s working Lionel electric train display, a hands-on engine display, kids’ activities and exhibits and the Museum Gift Shop.

Activities run from 12:30-4:30 p.m. each time. Admission is $12 (13 and older) and $8 (age 12 and under).

The West Chester Railroad ( www.westchesterrr.net) is running its “Summer Picnic Specials” every Sunday now through 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 $17 for adults, $15 for children (2-12) and free for children (under two).

The Northern Central Railway (2 West Main Street, New Freedom, www.northerncentralrailway.com) is running three special excursions this weekend – “Glen Rock Express” on September 3 and September 4 at 10 a.m., “Hanover Junction Flyer” on September 3 at 1 p.m. and “Seven Valley Special” on September 4 at noon.

The first will be “Wild West Express with No. 17.”

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.

Tickets for the all-day excursion are $39 from the Reading Outer Station and Port Clinton Station and $24 from the Tamaqua Station.

Wilmington and Western Railroad (Greenbank Station, 2201 Newport-Gap Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, www.wwrr.com) is running its “Yorklyn Limited” on September 3 with departures at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.

Riders can take a leisurely 1.5-hour round-trip ride up the Red Clay Valley to the Mt. Cuba Picnic Grove, where they can de-train to enjoy a half-hour layover along the banks of the Red Clay Creek to have a picnic or simply admire the natural surroundings.

For those who don’t want to get off the train at Mt. Cuba, they can remain onboard and travel further up the line through the communities of Ashland and Yorklyn. On the return trip, there will be a brief stop at Mt. Cuba to pick up the picnic passengers.

The “Yorklyn Limited” excursion is the re-branded name of the “Mt. Cuba Meteor” excursion.

These trips are powered by one of Wilmington and Western Railroad’s historic first-generation diesel locomotives.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $17 for seniors and $16 for children (ages 2-12).

On September 3, the Colebrookdale Railroad (South Washington Street, Boyertown, www.colebrookdalerailroad.com) is running its “Secret Valley Expedition” at 5 p.m.

The tourist rail line’s two-hour expedition into the Secret Valley features rides on meticulously restored century-old rail cars and visits one of the most scenic and historic regions in the northeast.

The railroad will be offering a lunch and dinner aboard the Secret Valley Expedition to all dining class passengers.

Additionally, and a la carte menu is available in all cars and all passengers have access to the open car for near 360-degree views of the Secret Valley.

On Sunday September 4, the rail line will run the first train of its “Autumn Splendor Fall Foliage” at 11 a.m.

The New Hope Railroad (32 Bridge Street, New Hope, www.newhoperailroad.com) is running its “Grapevine Express,” which features “Wine & Cheese Tasting” on from September 2-5 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 early 1900’s first-class parlor cars.

Tickets are $102.58 (Ages 21 and older only).

The Strasburg Railroad (Route 741, Strasburg, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running its “Wine & Cheese Train” on September 3 at 7 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. The train departs at 7 p.m. and the total trip time is 45 minutes.

“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.

This popular train is available on select Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the season. Tickets are $50.

Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www.longwoodgardens.org) is always a special place to visit – especially during the run of its annual “Festival of Fountains.”

The 2022 “Festival of Fountains” opened in May and is running through September 26.

This summer is even more special because of light. More specifically because of “Light: Installations by Bruce Munro,” which is artist Bruce Munro’s illuminating new installation at Longwood Gardens.

The exhibit had its debut two weeks ago and will be on view Thursday through Sunday evenings until October 30.

“Light” is an extravagant exhibit that includes eight installations comprising more than 18,000 glowing lightbulbs across Longwood’s outdoor areas and indoor conservatory.

From the luminous “Field of Light” stretching across the Large and Small Lake landscape … to a flamboyance of 1,000 flamingoes wading near the Chimes Tower … to an immersive sensory environment inspired by the Waterlily Display in the Exhibition Hall, the exhibit showcases eight installations spanning Longwood Gardens’ indoor spaces and outdoor vistas.

Daily performances in the Main Fountain Garden will feature more than 1,700 spinning jets that spin dance to various music programs. These are no little jets as some shoot up as high as 175 feet in the air.

The 30-minute show is slated for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 9:15 p.m.

The Main Fountain Garden Show fountain performance that begins with a touch of narrated history and concludes with dynamic choreography marrying music and the site’s newest fountain features.

These displays will be presented daily at 1:15 a.m., 1:15, 3:15 p.m. and 5:15. There will also be performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 6:15, 7:15 and 8:15 p.m.

The “Illuminated Fountain Performance” will be staged Thursdays through Sundays at 9:15 p.m.

Live music can be heard in the Beer Garden, where live instrumental music from traditional Celtic tunes to Caribbean steel pan grooves sets the tone Thursday through Saturday evenings.

Beer Garden performances are scheduled through August 28 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. They will also be held in September from 5-8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

As always, admission by “Timed Ticket” — tickets issued for specific dates and times. Timed ticketing limits the number of people in the Gardens at any given time and allows guests to enjoy minimal lines and a better viewing experience.

You may enter the Gardens up to 30 minutes prior and 30 minutes after your designated time. Make every effort to arrive at your designated reservation time. Earlier or later arrivals may not be accommodated.

Video link for “Festival of Fountains” — https://youtu.be/AHsC2YuFerY.

Admission to Longwood Gardens is $35 for adults, $32 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and college students, $27 for active military and veterans and $19 for youth (ages 5-18).

The Brandywine Valley has quite a few museums and tourist sites that provide residents and tourists ideal opportunities to spend leisure time — and you can maximize your effort if you take advantage of the 2022 Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport.

The cost is $49 for an individual pass and $99 for a family pass (for up to five family members).

The Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport is good for one-time admission to Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley’s top attractions now through October 31.

A family pass, which includes one-day admission to each of 12 sites, can bring a savings of more than $200 for the holders — especially since many of the participating institutions have regular admission fees in double figures.

The list of locations covered by the Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport includes Longwood Gardens, Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, Brandywine River Museum, Delaware Art Museum, Delaware History Museum, Hagley Museum and Library, Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts, Nemours Mansion & Gardens, Read House and Garden, Mt. Cuba Center, Rockwood Museum and Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.

For more information, call (800) 489-6664 or visit www.visitwilmingtonde.com/bmga/.

The Brandywine River Museum (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-2700, http://www.brandywinemuseum.org) will be open from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. with admission to the galleries including two featured exhibitions — “Gatecrashers: The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America” and “Dawoud Bey: Night Coming Tenderly, Black.” Both exhibitions will be closing soon.

“Gatecrashers: The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America,” which is running now through September 5, examines how, after World War I, artists without formal training “crashed the gates” of major museums in the United States, diversifying the art world across lines of race, ethnicity, class, ability, and gender.

Included are over 50 works by celebrated painters such as Horace Pippin, Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses and John Kane, as well as by fifteen artists who are lesser known now but were recognized in their day, including Josephine Joy, Morris Hirshfield, Lawrence Lebduska, Patrick Sullivan, and others.

“Dawoud Bey: Night Coming Tenderly, Black,” which is running through August 31, is a selection of photographs from Bey’s critically acclaimed series from 2017.

Regarded as one of the most important photographers working today, Dawoud Bey (b. 1953) is recognized for his compelling, large-scale portraits and street photographs of marginalized people and communities that he began in the 1970s. Inspired by artist Roy DeCarava (1919—2009), Bey has been photographing the Black community in Harlem where he was born, and Queens where he grew up, for over four decades.

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org) is featuring a Guided Exhibition Tour – “Jacqueline Kennedy and Henry Francis du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House” – now through 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.

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.

Another site with impressive gardens can be found just across the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line.

Nemours Estate (850 Alapocas Drive, Wilmington, Delaware, www.nemoursestate.org) is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Reservations are not required and there is no timed entry.

Nemours Estate comprises an exquisite, 77-room Mansion, the largest formal French gardens in North America, a Chauffeur’s Garage housing a collection of vintage automobiles, and 200 acres of scenic woodlands, meadows and lawns.

Nemours was the estate of Alfred I. duPont.

Alfred named the estate Nemours, after the French town that his great-great-grandfather represented in the French Estates General. While looking to the past and his ancestors for inspiration, Alfred also ensured that his new home was thoroughly modern by incorporating the latest technology and many of his own inventions.

The Gardens is one of the estate’s prime attractions.

The two elk at the top of the Vista are the work of French sculptor Prosper Lecourtier (1855–1924), a specialist in animal figures. Lined with Japanese cryptomeria, pink flowering horse chestnuts and pin oaks, the Long Walk extends from the Mansion to the Reflecting Pool.

The 157 jets at the center of the one-acre pool shoot water 12 feet into the air; when they are turned off, the entire “Long Walk” is reflected in the pool. The pool, five and a half feet deep in its deepest section, holds 800,000 gallons of water and takes three days to fill. The Art Nouveau-style, classical mythology-based “Four Seasons” around the pool are by French-born American sculptor Henri Crenier (1873–1948).

Admission to Nemours is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $10 for children.

The Delaware Art Museum (2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware, www.delart.org) is presenting “Indigenous Faces of Wilmington.”

Indigenous People have built vibrant and diverse cultures — safeguarding land, language, spirit, knowledge, and tradition across generations. This exhibit opens a dialogue to re-introduce, re-discover, and re-educate individuals about the vibrant and intersecting cultures of indigenous people in northern Delaware.

Exhibition photographer Andre’ L. Wright. Jr., who identifies his ancestry as Nanticoke, shares his vision for the exhibit. “Identity is how you and the world see you, and beauty is a combination of qualities that provide a perceptual experience. My heritage and lineage have given me the opportunity to share the story of authentic consciousness, narrative, and beauty of Indigenous People through the art of photography.”

Additionally, the Delaware Art Museum has a new exhibit that will run through September 11 – “Stan Smokler: Steel in Flux.”

The Delaware Art Museum celebrates the career of Stan Smokler with this Distinguished Artist exhibition. His celebrated found object, steel sculptures continue the trajectory of modernist abstraction.

Smokler completed his Master of Fine Arts degree at Pratt Institute in 1975, and he continued to work in New York on his own sculpture as well as in art conservation and interior design before relocating to the Brandywine Valley in 1999.

In addition to participating in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States, Smokler established his Marshall Bridge Workshop in 2004. The Workshop is an immersive training opportunity for artists of all levels interested in working with welded steel, and Smokler has been praised for his supportive approach to teaching.

“Stan Smokler: Steel in Flux” includes work from the late 1970s through 2020 along with several of the artist’s charcoal and pastel drawings of his completed sculptures. Examples of Smokler’s largescale work will be on view in the Museum’s Copeland Sculpture Garden with an extended showing through October 30, 2022.

With his commitment to exploring the possibilities of steel and mentoring students through his numerous Marshall Bridge workshops and years at the Delaware College of Art and Design, Smokler has guided the trajectory of contemporary abstract sculpture.

Admission to the Delaware Art Museum is $14 for adults, $7 for students, and $6 for youth (ages 7-18).

More art in Delaware can be found in the quaint town of Odessa.

The Historic Odessa Foundation (Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, www.historicodessa.org)  is now presenting its newest exhibition of acrylic paintings — “Color Secrets: Paintings by Jan Crooker.”

The exhibit of colorful acrylics by the talented Kutztown artist is on display now through August 28 in the Historic Odessa Visitor Center Gallery.

For Crooker, who is well-known for her vibrant images of still life, flowers and local scenes and landscapes, color has always been a focus of her artistic expression.

According to Crooker, “I think my love of color harkens back to my early exposure to art at the children’s classes at the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio. While some kids had favorite stars or athletes, I had favorite artists. My first favorite artist was Vincent Van Gogh.”

Crooker researched the master colorist’s use of color and read his thoughts on the subject. Although she admires other colorist artists, Van Gogh has been the greatest influence on her color use.

Crooker earned a bachelor’s degree in art education from Toledo University, and a Master of Fine Arts from Penn State University.

Historic Rock Ford (Rockford Road, Lancaster, www.discoverlancaster.com) is presenting a new exhibit “Long Rifles of the American Revolution: How Lancaster Craftsmen Helped Win the War.” The exhibit will remain open until October 30.

Historic Rock Ford is collaborating with guest curator John Kolar on the exhibit which will showcase approximately 30 rifles.

The rifles featured in the exhibit are being loaned by museums and private collectors from across the nation and will be used to describe the pivotal role played by the long rifle in winning American independence.

Visitors will be able to examine different rifles while also engaging in the story of the war by highlighting their use in several key battles including the siege of Boston, the battle of New York, Trenton, Saratoga, Kings Mountain and the Miller Block House as well as on the Frontier.

Admission to Rock Ford is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors and youth (ages 6-17).

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).

Tours depart from the Walnut Street Dock, under the Walnut Street Bridge, east bank of the Schuylkill River.

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.

The Philadelphia Zoo (3400 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, www.philadelphiazoo.org) has opened a new “Giraffe Feeding Encounter.”

Now guests can get up close to the zoo’s giraffe trio in this all-new feeding experience. “Giraffe Encounter” is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. daily.

General admission for the Giraffe Encounter is $6; Individual, Dual, Family, and Family Plus members is $5; and Family Deluxe and above is $4. Each guest gets one piece of browse to feed. Browse is vegetation, such as twigs and young shoots, eaten by animals. Depending on the day, guests can feed our giraffes acacia browse (which is what giraffes eat in the wild) or another variety like mulberry or honeysuckle.

Considered the tallest land animals in the world, male giraffes can reach up to 18 feet tall and weigh close to 3,000 lbs. Listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with scientists estimating there are fewer than 100,000 surviving in the wild, giraffe are affected by poaching and habitat destruction, with populations decreasing more than 40% over the last three decades.

The Elmwood Park Zoo (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) is hosting “Breakfast with the Giraffes” from September 3-5.

Guests can enjoy a delicious, socially distanced outdoor breakfast buffet, right next to the zoo’s three towering giraffes. After participants have cleared their plates, they will be invited to an exclusive giraffe feeding.

The breakfast will get underway at 8:30 a.m.

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 are $55, adults; $48, ages 12-17; $38, ages 7-11.

“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 prices are: Main Park Adult Tickets (Ages 12+), $59; Main Park Youth Tickets (Ages 7–11), $51; KidTrails Tickets (Ages 4–7), $12.

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.

Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com), a family-friendly amusement park in Langhorne, is hosting “Summer Fun Fest” now through September 4. Guests will be able to rock out with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster and Count von Count.

There’s nothing like summer at Sesame Place. It’s a great time to cool off with refreshing (and splashy) water attractions for all ages, from Big Bird’s Rambling River to The Count’s Splash Castle. Find more fun in the sun with family rides like Captain Cookie’s High C’s Adventure and Oscar’s Wacky Taxi Roller Coaster.
Summer is perfect for meeting your favorite furry friends and taking bright, beautiful pictures with them. There also are exciting shows, special events, parades, dance parties, character dining experiences, and other surprises lined up to give you even more ways to connect.

Ticket prices for Sesame Place start at $49.99.