By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
This weekend has a trifecta of events which are traditionally party time events – Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby and Winterthur Point-to-Point.
There will be a bustle of activity this weekend on Kennett Pike just a few miles south of Kennett Square at Winterthur (Route 52, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-888-4600,www.winterthur.org) with the staging of the annual Winterthur Point-to-Point Races — an event that has become one of premier attractions in the Brandywine Valley each year.
This year’s 46th annual staging of the event is scheduled for May 5 from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Alison Hershbell Pony Races is scheduled for noon and the Parade of River Hills Foxhounds at 12:30 p.m. followed by the George A. “Frolic” Weymouth Parade of Antique Carriages at 1 p.m. and the Stick Horse Races (ages 4 and under) at 1:30 p.m.
The Point-to-Point features a variety of cross-country equestrian events. The main events are the steeplechase races. The races, which are on a course just over three miles long, include eight fences that are jumped 17 times.
Post time for the first steeplechase event is the Isabella du Pont Sharp Memorial Maiden Timber Race at 2 p.m. — after the National Anthem sung by Rebecca Gasperetti at 1:50 p.m. The Point-to-Point’s other featured races will be the Winterthur Bowl at 2:30 p.m., the Vicmead Plate at 3 p.m. and the Middletown Cup at 3:30 p.m.
The full-day event will also include all of its other traditional annual features such as the pony rides, food tents, the traditional opening ceremony with the bagpipers of the Delaware State Police Pipe Band and the legendary “Tailgate Picnic Competition.”
Video link for Point-to-Point — https://youtu.be/dLPom4ZRk6I.
Tickets are $60.
The Lights
“The Lights” (thelightsfest.com) is a festival that is celebrated throughout the year at sites located all across the United States.
This weekend, the “New York/Philadelphia” edition of the event is coming to Chester County. On May 4 starting at 4:30 p.m. “The Lights” will take place at Plantation Field, which is located at 1537 West Doe Run Road in Coatesville.
“The Lights” is billed as “a magical evening that will create memories to last a lifetime.”
Participants are invited to “come celebrate as we put our inhibitions to the side and our dreams to the sky.”
According to festival organizers, in one night, you can change into what you want to become by letting go of your fears and embracing your true self.
Gates open a few hours before sunset and participants can enjoy live music, family-friendly entertainment, and local food trucks while waiting for nightfall. They can also use this time to decorate or write on their sky lanterns.
Once it is dark, everyone will all release their sky lanterns together and light the sky. The result is a breath-taking sight for young and old.
Guests are recommended to arrive early to avoid traffic and get the closest parking, your choice of spots among the tiki torches, and the best view of the stage.
Participants should bring chairs, blankets, bug spray, food, water, umbrella and a phone or camera to capture the moment. Outside drinks and food are welcome, but alcohol is not permitted.
No outside lanterns are allowed. The festival’s special event lanterns are designed for safety and close landing zones.
After the lantern launch, guests are welcome to hang out and enjoy more music during the “After Party.”
Each adult ticket includes a packet to be picked up at the event. The packet contains a lantern and a marker. Each person 13 years and older will need an adult ticket to enter. Children (three and under) and children (ages 4-12) need a kid’s ticket. They will receive a little Fun Kit and no lantern.
Tickets are $62 for adults and $12 for “Kid No Lantern” (Ages 4-12).
Cinco de Mayo
A “Cinco de Mayo Festival” will be presented by Casa Guanajuato (www.casaguanajuato.org) on May 4
The festive event will run from 1-7 at 106 West State Street in Kennett Square.
Cinco de Mayo (“Fifth of May” in Spanish) is a holiday celebrating the day the Mexican army defeated France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862.
Casa Guanajuato’s celebration of Cinco de Mayo, which has been an annual area event since 2005, is a great way to honor and showcase the art, music, traditions, and humanity of the Mexican community in Kennett Square and surrounding areas.
The free, family-friendly event features authentic Mexican Foods, tacos, ice cream, and other snacks.
There will also be local vendors selling authentic Mexican, Guatemalan, and Venezuelan clothing and other arts and crafts
Live entertainment will be provided by local bands and dance troops, including Danza Tenochli, Tonantzin Yaotecas, Mini Chinelos, Sonido Tsunami MX., Mariachi Flores and Grupo Pasion Musicanl.
Official opening is scheduled for 1 p.m. with the American Anthem sung by Seylin, a young Mexican-Dominican singer from the area, and the Mexican Anthem by Mexican singer Ulises.
From 2001-2019, collectors of comics, toys, gaming or non-sport trading cards made an annual pilgrimage to Philadelphia to attend the Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, 215-418-4700, fanexpohq.com).
One of the country’s top pop culture conventions, the annual event was the largest event of its type on the East Coast.
COVID-19 knocked the event out of the water for a few years, but it returned two years ago with a new name — FAN EXPO Philadelphia.
It is an event that features top celebrities, hundreds of exhibitors, creators and cosplayers as well as compelling programming, meet and greets, special events, kids’ zones and more.
FAN EXPO will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center now through May 5. It will feature movies, comics, toys, video gaming, television, anime, manga, horror, sports, original art, collectibles, contests and movie screenings — along with more than 150 celebrities who will be greeting fans and autographing items and industry professionals representing the best in today’s pop culture.
Rosario Dawson at Fan Expo
The lineup is a huge one, headlined by Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, The Wrestler), Rosario Dawson (“Ahsoka,” Rent), Chevy Chase (National Lampoon’s Vacation, Fletch), Rainn Wilson (“The Office,” “Lessons in Chemistry”), Danny Trejo (Machete, The Book of Boba Fett), Mario Lopez (“Saved by the Bell,” “Access Hollywood”), Mark-Paul Gosselar (“Saved by the Bell,” “Pitch)”, Tom Cavanagh (“The Flash,” “Ed”), Chloe Bennet (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Nashville”),“The Office” trio of Kate Flannery, Creed Bratton and Oscar Nunez, Ethan Suplee (“My Name is Earl,” Remember the Titans,” Adam Savage (“MythBusters,” “Unchained Reaction”), Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, “Firefly”), Felicia Day (“The Guild,” “Dragon Age: Redemption”), Ashley Eckstein (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars”), Emily Swallow (“The Mandalorian,” “Supernatural”), Gina Carano (“The Mandalorian”) and the “Charmed” duo of Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan.
Other outstanding celebrity guests include Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy, “Mosaic”), the Avatar: The Last Airbender foursome of Ian Ousley, Maria Zhang, Elizabeth Yu and Dallas Liu., Kate Mulgrew (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Orange is the New Black”), Michelle Hurd (“Star Trek: Picard,” “Law & Order: SVU”), Sofia Boutella (Rebel Moon, The Mummy), Jeff Ward (“One Piece,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), YouTuber Brandon Rogers, Butch Hartman (creator, “The Fairly OddParents,” “Hobby Kids Adventures”) and Don Bluth (director/producer, An American Tail, All Dogs go to Heaven).
From the gaming universe come standouts such as Charles Martinet (“Super Mario”), Neil Newbon (“Baldur’s Gate 3,” “Final Fantasy XVI”), Cameron Monaghan (“Star Wars Jedi”), Roger Craig Smith (“Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Assassin’s Creed”), Steve Downes (“Halo” series), Jen Taylor (“Halo” series), Kellen Goff (“Five Nights at Freddy’s,” “League of Legends”) and Patricia Summersett (“Legend of Zelda,” “Star Wars: Squadrons”).
A vast array of talented comics artists and writers, spanning more than a half century of work and encompassing dozens of the most popular franchises in the history of the medium through the present, will also be on hand .
Other special attractions include comics-themed panels, portfolio reviews and costume contests. The show also will host hundreds of exhibitors who will be displaying and selling action figures, Anime, movie posters, trading cards, clothing, memorabilia, original artwork and comics.
Ticket prices start at $48 for adults, $38 for youth (ages 13-17) and $12 for children (ages 6-12).
Show hours are Friday, June 2, 4-9 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, June 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
A special event in downtown West Chester this weekend will be the May edition of First Friday.
This will be a special First Friday because it features the West Chester Spring Gallery Walk. The popular annual event will be held on May 3 from 4-8 p.m.
There will be a festival atmosphere along the streets of West Chester when area businesses feature pop-up gallery shows for local artists while several West Chester galleries will host their own art reception events.
This event celebrates the thriving community of artists and galleries that make greater West Chester their home. Multiple galleries combine with additional “one-night-only” show hosts throughout the downtown business area to showcase some great local Chester County artists.
Attendees can discover stunning artwork, connect with fellow creatives, and find the perfect piece for their home.
Presented by Sunset Hill Jewelers and Fine Arts Gallery and hosted by The West Chester Business Improvement District,
Presented by Founders Brewing Co. and hosted by Downtown West Chester, this evening is free and open to the public with free, on-street metered parking starting at 4 p.m.
Phoenixville First Fridays (http://www.phoenixvillefirst.org) are returning this month from 5:30-8:30 p.m. beginning May 3.
This year, First Fridays will operate within the weekly Bridge Street open-air closure to create an ambiance of a night market all along Bridge Street.
During the months of May, October, and November, Main Street will be closed in addition to the open-air closures taking place on Bridge Street.
There will be live musicians placed throughout downtown on Bridge and Main Streets, and handmade craft vendors and artists displaying and selling their art in the Main and Bridge Street parking lot.
Lancaster’s popular First Friday (http://www.visitlancastercity.com/first-friday/) is an arts extravaganza that runs from 5-9 p.m. on May 3. Visitors to downtown Lancaster will have the opportunity to discover innovative exhibitions, performances and perhaps a few surprises as they walk the streets lined with trees and distinctive architecture.
This weekend’s event will introduce the First Friday Trolley which will be free to the public every First Friday of the month from May through October.
Guests are invited to join the staff this Friday for the first ride. The trolley will make stops within the Arts District Loop. Along the route you can find art galleries, shops, restaurants, bars, and more.
Non-traditional boutiques and excellent restaurants complement the art galleries, artisan studios, museums, performing groups, professional theater, symphony orchestra and art college.
Another First Friday event this weekend will take place in Old City Philadelphia (230 Vine Street and locations throughout Old City Philadelphia, 215- 625-9200,www.oldcitydistrict.org).
On the first Friday of each month — year-round — Old City’s galleries, studios, shops and restaurants open their doors for First Friday, in an epic exhibition of the neighborhood’s vibrant arts scene.
Old City Arts Association launched First Friday in 1991 to introduce Philadelphia to the improving neighborhood and the artists and designers who were bringing it back to life.
Two decades later, Old City is a nationally recognized arts destination, named in 2013 as one of the country’s top ArtPlaces by the ArtPlace Foundation.
On the first Friday evening of every month, the streets of Old City fill with art lovers of all kinds who wander among the neighborhood’s 40-plus galleries, most of which are open from 5-9 p.m.
The Yellow Springs Art Show (Art School Road, Chester Springs, www.yellowsprings.org), which is one of the longest-running art shows in the state, is celebrating its 51st anniversary in 2024.
The Yellow Springs Art Show got its start back in 1973 as a free event featuring a variety of artists displaying their work on clotheslines.
It has changed immeasurably since then and has become one of the largest and most prestigious annual art shows in the Delaware Valley.
The show is still free and open to the public. The popular annual event now features close to 200 participating artists — including many artists who are new to the show this year.
The show is running April 27 through May 12 in Historic Yellow Springs Lincoln Building. Show hours are from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily.
The 2024 Yellow Springs Art Show will have on display more than 3,000 pieces of fine art in a wide range of media and styles – oils, watercolors, bronze sculptures, pastels, landscapes, still life, three-dimensional works, seascapes and abstract.
All proceeds benefit arts education, environmental protection and historic preservation of the 300-year-old village of Historic Yellow Springs.
On May 4, one of Montgomery County’s most popular historic sites will celebrate the arrival of May.
Pottsgrove Manor (100 West King Street, Pottstown, 610- 326-4014, www.historicsites.montcopa.org) is hosting a Colonial May Fair on Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
The event will feature 18th-century entertainment, including May Pole Dancing Milkmaids’ Garland Dances. The list of hands-on activities includes trap-ball (a predecessor of baseball), colonial toys and games, fortune-telling, a kid-sized Maypole, beanbag toss games, churning butter and free spring-themed make-and-take crafts.
Visitors will also be able to tour the manor house which features the early Georgian architecture that was popular with wealthy English gentry during the mid-18th century. It was built in 1752 for John Potts (ironmaster and founder of Pottstown) on a 1,000-acre plantation.
Admission to the event is free but there is a $4 suggested donation.
The Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library (115 High Street, Odessa, Delaware, www.corbitcalloway.lib.de.us), the oldest free library in Delaware, will present its 11th annual “MayFest in Odessa” on May 4.
MayFest in Odessa” will feature crafters, vendors, food, games, inflatables, and prizes for kids. There will also be live music, a petting zoo, train rides, wandering costumed characters, a large book sale sponsored by the Friends of The Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library group, and a raffle with more than 100 prizes.
Admission to MayFest is free, and tickets for special amusements will be sold separately. CCML’s signature fundraising event, which last year drew more than 4000 people, is held on the first Saturday of every May.
The fun-filled day benefits CCML’s summer reading program, which helps prevent the “summer slide,” and provides a multitude of enriching educational and cultural activities for youth of all ages.
On Saturdays and Sundays from May 4-19, the Chaddsford Winery (632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, http://www.chaddsford.com) is presenting “Mimosas with Mom.”
The winery is honoring mom and mimosa lovers with bubbly pours and seasonal specials. This intimate 60-minute experience takes place in the Barrel Room and provides access to some of its latest wine releases.
Each ticket includes one Mimosa, featuring either Sparkling White or Sparkling Apple wine, along with a selection of fresh juices and one handcrafted sweet or savory Scone from Oso Sweet Bakery and Café.
Outside food is not permitted during this program but guests can enjoy food truck fare from Common Good Pizza.
Tickets are $23.
Guests under 21 years old are not permitted to attend.
Tulip season has arrived, and you can see the colorful flowers in home gardens all around the area.
If you want to see an amazing amount of the bulbs which have come to life this spring, you can enjoy the spectacle of thousands of brightly colored tulips at “Spring Blooms” at Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org).
One of Longwood’s most popular annual special events, “Spring Blooms” is running now through May 12.
Right now, the “star” bloom is the tulip.
Longwood Gardens celebrates spring with thousands of tulips beautifully displayed along its Flower Garden Walk. Tulips are organized into 15 divisions based on flower shape and origin. “Big Love” is a Darwin hybrid tulip. This division has cup-shaped flowers on tall, strong stems and is one of the most popular tulip types.
Some of the other showcase blooms this week are Magnolia, Tower-of-Jewels, Double Daffodil, Fritillary, Japanese Flowering Cherry, Virginia Bluebells and Compact Korean Spice Viburnum.
A new attraction this year is Longwood Gardens’ “Science Saturdays” series.
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.
Admission to Longwood Gardens is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and college students, $18 for active military and veterans and $13 for youth (ages 5-18).
Another venue where you can enjoy flowers up close is Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134, www.tylerarboretum.org).
This is a special weekend at Tyler – the weekend for the Arboretum’s “2024 Plant Sale.”
This special fundraiser, which will be open to the public on May 4 and 5, helps care for the precious natural lands, trails, and gardens at Tyler Arboretum.
It features wide plant choices in an outdoor venue, knowledgeable staff and volunteers, and ample parking.
Event hours are from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. each day.
The arboretum’s schedule for this weekend also features the “Saturday Wildflower Walk,” on May 6 at 1 p.m.
At the “Saturday Wildflower Walk,” wildflower expert Dick Cloud will lead an informative two-hour hike that will take visitors through meadows, woods, and occasionally streamside.
These walks are for those who have a love of plants, their role in ecology, or for those who want to learn more. The guide will be Dick Cloud.
Admission to Tyler Arboretum is $18 for adults (ages 18-64), $15 for Seniors (65+) and $10 for children (ages 3-17) and Military with valid ID.
The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (Station Avenue, Oaks, 800-677-4677, www.phillyexpocenter.com) will host two interesting events this weekend.
The East Coast Reptile Super Expo featuring hundreds of live snakes and reptiles will be held on May 4.
Many people think snakes and lizards are interesting creatures and maybe even fun pets to own. If you fall into this category, you should check out the show on Saturday. A wide array of reptiles will be on display as part of the popular exhibition, which is an annual event that is closing in on its silver anniversary.
One of the show’s main attractions is a sales exhibit area featuring many vendors with live reptiles, amphibians and arachnids as well as food items, supplies, books, cages, and related accessories.
Some of the featured vendors are AZO Reptiles, Rose’s Reptiles, Darin’s Toybox, Blake’s Exotic Reptiles, Dower Reptiles & Rodents, Reptile Kingdom, DHA Pythons, Gecko Haven, Hunger Reptiles, Jungle Emporium, Delaware Turtle, Just Lizards, Outback Reptiles, RKZ Rodents. Monstar Reptiles, Turtle to Turtle, and Delaware Valley Herpetarium.
The East Coast Reptile Super Expo, which is always a well-attended event, will run from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. this Saturday.
Tickets are $10 — children (under five) admitted free.
On May 3 and 4, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center is hosting the Americana Indian Show.
American Indian art is always a popular motif for home decorating is American Indian art — especially artwork produced in the American Southwest. This weekend, you can find a lot of examples of this art style at the Americana Indian Art & Jewelry Show on Oaks.
The show provides an excellent opportunity to look at artifacts and other items related to the history of Native Americans. The show is presented by the Americana Indian and Western Gallery and admission is free.
The Americana Indian and Western Gallery had its beginning in 1947 when its founder Lee Anderson attended school on a Navajo reservation and worked after school for his uncle in the trading post. The family collected American Indian art such as Navajo rugs, pottery, baskets, and other Indian and western items.
Anderson’s sells Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and Santo Domingo jewelry, as well as Navajo rugs, Hopi and Zuni kachinas, baskets, pottery, art and collectibles. One of the most respected Native American art dealers in the United States, Americana Indian Shows brings thousands of items direct from the Southwest to the show attendees.
Show hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on May 3 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on May 4.
There will be a bustle happening on May 5, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. with the highly anticipated “Chestnut Hill Home + Garden Festival” (Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill, chestnuthillpa.com)
The Festival features more than 250 vendors set up along the 8000 to 8600 blocks of Germantown Avenue, which will be closed to vehicular traffic. The all-day, family-friendly event will highlight home and garden décor, outdoor craft demonstrations, live music, children’s activities, and more than 200 retailers, restaurants, and businesses within the Chestnut Hill Business District.
Returning this year is the Maker’s Village, featuring craft demonstrations, including pottery, macrame, sewing, and stained glass. The Sustainability Hub will highlight businesses, makers, and organizations working to support the goals of a more sustainable Philadelphia. The Maker’s Village and Sustainability Hub complement the numerous home and garden stores throughout Chestnut Hill.
There are several good reasons to visit Delaware this weekend.
This Saturday, the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard (1124 East Seventh Street, Wilmington, Delaware, www.kalmarnyckel.org) is beginning its 2024 season of live sails.
Sailing season returns with river cruises in Wilmington and tall ship sails in Historic New Castle. Tickets for day sails plus private ship rentals are now available.
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.
If you’re in the mood for a fun, family-oriented carnival, you can find two of them just south of the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line.
Now through May 12, the Concord Mall (4737 Concord Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, www.theleadfest.com) is the site of the L.E.A.D. Fest.
L.E.A.D. Fest, which will start at 5 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, is the official event of L.E.A.D.
In addition to providing fun for kids, L.E.A.D. provides protection.
L.E.A.D. stands for Law Enforcement Against Drugs. It is a non-profit supported by dedicated police officers committed to protecting our youth and communities from the proliferation of drugs, drug-related crimes, peer-to-peer cyberbullying and violence.
The carnival will feature amusement games, food vendors and rides. The Midway is provided by Reithoffer Shows.
Mt. Cuba Center (3120 Barley Mill Road, Hockessin, Delaware, 302-239-4244, www.mtcubacenter.org) is hosting “Sip and Stroll: Greenhouse Tour” on May 3 from 5-7 p.m.
With a signature cocktail in hand, guests can tour Mt. Cuba’s newly constructed conservation research greenhouse with James Rockwell. This facility is designed to be net-zero energy, utilizing solar and geothermal applications. This evening tour will showcase technology and design features as well as highlight current conservation propagation projects.
Sample signature cocktails prepared by mixologist Diane Keesee, who uses ingredients foraged from common local plants for a new twist in mixology. (Ages 21 and over).
The 2024 season is underway at Nemours Estate (1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, Delaware, nemoursestate.org). The entrance is located on the campus of Nemours Children’s Health, follow signs for Nemours Estate.
Originally constructed in 1910, Nemours Estate is one of Delaware’s grandest buildings and includes the largest formal French garden in North America.
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 are 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 $23 for adults, $21 for seniors and $10 for children.
Historic Odessa (Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, 302-378-4119, www.historicodessa.org) is both a scenic and an historic site in Delaware.
At the beginning of March, Historic Odessa reopened for spring tours and celebrated the beginning of its 2024 season.
Known in the 18th-century as Cantwell’s Bridge, Odessa played a vital role in commercial life along the Delaware River as a busy grain shipping port.
Today, visitors can stroll along tree-lined streets and admire examples of 18th- and 19th-century architecture in one of the best-preserved towns in Delaware. They can also tour a remarkable collection of antiques and Americana preserved in period room settings and quaint exhibits.
Historic Odessa is open to the public from March through December, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. The site is also open Monday by reservation.
The 2024 season is in full swing at Chanticleer (786 Church Street, Wayne, www.chanticleergarden.org).
The Chanticleer estate dates from the early 20th-century, when land along the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was developed for summer homes to escape the heat of Philadelphia. Adolph Rosengarten, Sr., and his wife Christine chose the Wayne-St. Davids area to build their country retreat. The family’s pharmaceutical firm would become part of Merck & Company in the 1920s.
The Rosengartens hired architect and former classmate Charles L. Borie to design the house, which was completed in 1913. Landscape architect Thomas Sears designed the terraces as extensions of the house. A 1924 addition converted the summer home into a year-round residence and the family moved here permanently.
Rosengarten’s humor is evident in naming his home after the estate “Chanticlere” in Thackeray’s 1855 novel “The Newcomes.”
As the home of the Rosengartens, Chanticleer was beautiful and green with impressive trees and lawns. Most of the floral and garden development you see today has occurred since 1990 — designed by Chanticleer staff and consultants.
There are seven horticulturists, each responsible for the design, planting, and maintenance of an area. The areas are continually evolving, each with its own feel, yet joined together as one complete unit. The Teacup Garden and Chanticleer Terraces feature seasonal plants and bold-textured tropical and subtropical plants. These areas change greatly from year to year. Non-hardy plants overwinter in greenhouses and basements.
The Tennis Court, Ruin, Gravel Garden, and Pond Garden focus on hardy perennials, both woody and herbaceous. The Tennis Court builds on the idea of foliar display introduced in the Teacup. The Ruin is a folly, built on the foundation of Adolph Rosengarten, Jr.’s home. It is meant to look as if the house fell into disrepair. The Gravel Garden is hot and dry, a touch of the Mediterranean in Pennsylvania. The Pond area is exuberantly floriferous.
Asian Woods and Bell’s Woodland are shady areas. The former features natives of China, Korea, and Japan; the latter, plants of eastern North America. The Serpentine celebrates the beauty of agricultural crops. The cut flower and vegetable gardens produce flowers for arrangements and food for the table.
Admission to Chanticleer is $12 for adults and free for pre-teen children (12 years and under).
Andalusia Historic House, Gardens and Arboretum (1237 State Road, Andalusia, www.andalusiapa.org) had its “Season Opening” on April 1.
Located on a wooded promontory overlooking the Delaware River, Andalusia has been a stately presence on this stretch of water, just north of Philadelphia, for more than 200 years. The ancestral home of the Biddle family, Andalusia is also a natural paradise of native woodlands and spectacular gardens that have evolved over time.
Placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1966, the Big House — one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States — provides an unparalleled look into our nation’s past, while also offering a glimpse into the life of a family that helped to shape its future.
Its surrounding gardens delight the senses all through the year, from the tumbling, brightly colored leaves of fall to the floral extravaganza of spring and the abundance and scent of summer.
Self-Guided Garden Tours will be available Mondays through Wednesdays through November 4 (excluding holidays) at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m.
Visitors can stroll the spectacular formal gardens and native woodlands during a self-guided garden tour at their leisure and enjoy sweeping views from the banks of the Delaware River. Picnics are allowed on the grounds (with a “carry-in, carry-out” policy).
“Elmwood Park Zoo” (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) is hosting several of its ultra-popular “Dog Days” over the next week.
The Zoo’s “Dog Days” event will be held on May 3, 5, 8 and 10 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.
“Under the Canopy: Animals of the Rainforest,” which will run now through September 2 at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, ansp.org), is an immersive exhibition introducing visitors to the fascinating world of rainforests and the animals that inhabit them.
You can learn about unique plants and rainforest ecology as you encounter a live sloth, boa constrictor and other animals that call these habitats home. You will see the importance of rainforests to the planet as you explore interactive discovery stations, dynamic displays and engaging programming.
Presented in English and Spanish, “Under the Canopy” will engage students of all ages, with accompanying curriculums on rainforests, water cycles, the science of diversity, deforestation and soil, how kids can save the planet and so much more. Hands-on interactives are complemented by life-size, climbable animal sculptures, including a gorilla, tortoise, crocodile, red-eye tree frog and Banyan tree.
All exhibits are included with the purchase of a general admission ticket.
Admission prices are — Adults (Age 13 and above), $22; Children (Age 2-12), $18.
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts (201 Washington Street, Reading, https://goggleworks.org/), one of the country’s largest interactive art centers, will hold its annual Spring Planter Sale on May 5.
The planter sale will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in GoggleWorks Gardens at Lauer’s Park. The garden plot is on the corner of Third and Walnut streets conveniently located next to GoggleWorks’ free parking lot.
There will be an impressive array of locally made planters, birdhouses, and garden ornaments for purchase. Purchasers can choose a plant and either have it planted by staff and volunteers or they can pot their own plant.
There will be a kids’ table set up with art supplies to occupy the little ones while the big ones shop. Coffee and pastries will also be available to purchase.
The event features free admission and free parking.
The newest exhibition at the Brandywine Museum of Art (1 Hoffman Mill Road, Chadds Ford, brandywine.org), “Jamie Wyeth: Unsettled,” opened last month and will run through June 9.
“Jamie Wyeth: Unsettled” will trace a persistent vein of intriguing, often disconcerting imagery over the career of renowned artist Jamie Wyeth (b. 1946).
This major exhibition — organized by the Brandywine and five years in the making — features more than 50 works drawn from museum and private collections across the country that focus on the artist’s arresting, visceral imagery, revealing fascinating insight into Wyeth and the art of visual storytelling. Following its debut at the Brandywine, the exhibition will travel to four additional art museums around the United States.
As the title suggests, “Jamie Wyeth: Unsettled” focuses on a single through line in Wyeth’s work — one in which ominous stillness, postapocalyptic skies, frightening shifts in scale, and strange vantage points seem to highlight the vulnerability of the human condition. With his startling compositions and a masterful use of media, color and texture, Wyeth creates an immersive, synesthetic experience that both engages and upsets visual and emotional equilibrium.
While frequently countered and even hidden by the artist’s fuller body of work — particularly his well-known coastal views, farmscapes, and portraits — a consistent thread of darker, more troubling imagery has been a constant in the artist’s work over the past 60 years. His work has evolved from the ultra-realistic visions and virtuoso brushwork of his youth into a mature expressionism in which intense color and dramatic use of paint electrify his canvases.
As this exhibition demonstrates, Wyeth is at home with uneasy subjects and a master of the unsettled mood in each of these stages of his career.
The exhibition immerses viewers into natural and supernatural worlds, from works inspired by the artist’s time spent in Maine—which frequently acknowledge the power of the sea and its fearsome ability to render humans helpless—to forest-based works from Pennsylvania that delve into the supernatural side of nature.
“Jamie Wyeth: Unsettled” is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue co-published by Rizzoli Electa and Brandywine.
Following its presentation at the Brandywine, the exhibition will travel to the Farnsworth Art Museum (Rockland, ME), Greenville County Museum of Art (Greenville, SC), Dayton Art Institute (Dayton, OH), and the Frye Art Museum (Seattle, WA).
Museum admission is $20 adults, $18 seniors (65+), $8 children (ages 6-18) and students with ID and free for children (ages five and under).
Hagley Museum and Library (Buck Road East entrance via Route 100, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-658-2400, www.hagley.org), a 230-acre historical village on the site of the original du Pont Company gunpowder mills in northern Delaware, has a popular ongoing attraction – “Nation of Inventors.”
Additionally, there will be a “Walking Tour” on May 6 at 11 a.m.
With the “Walking Tour,” participants can walk through history during an in-depth, 90-minute guided tour each Monday morning from March through December. This week’s topic is “Director’s Walking Tour.”
“Nation of Inventors” celebrates the American spirit of ingenuity by taking visitors on a journey from the early years of the patent system, in the 1790s, through the “golden age” of American invention, in the late 1800s. The exhibit features more than 120 patent models from Hagley’s unique collection highlighting the diverse stories of inventors from all walks of life.
Patent models are scaled representations of inventions and were part of the patent application process for nearly 100 years. “Nation of Inventors” showcases patent models representing innovations in a variety of industries from transportation and manufacturing to food preservation and medical devices.
In the exhibition, visitors will enjoy engaging experiences around every corner, testing their knowledge of innovation and hearing personal accounts from inventors.
The patent models in “Nation of Inventors” were created between 1833 and 1886. “Nation of Inventors” not only features patent models submitted by inventors from the United States, but also models from inventors in England, France, Ireland, Russia, and Spain, demonstrating an international interest in America’s intellectual property system.
“Nation of Inventors” includes patent models from well-known inventors and companies like Ball (Mason Jars), Jim Beam, Bissell, Corliss, Steinway, and Westinghouse. The exhibit presents important topics and timely themes including women inventors, Black inventors, immigrant inventors, improvements in urban living, and the ways Americans learn about and understand progress and change.
“Nation of Inventors” is located on the first two floors of Hagley’s Visitor Center. Visitors can plan to spend about 30 minutes on their self-guided tour of the exhibition.
Admission to Hagley is $20 for adults, $16 for students and seniors (62+) and $10 for children (6-14).
You can enjoy views of nature’s springtime bounty without having to drive or hike. All you need do is take a ride on a tourist rail line train.
The New Hope Railroad (32 West Bridge Street, New Hope, 215-862-2332, www.newhoperailroad.com) is running its “Traditional Excursion” on May 4 and 5.
The rides, which are billed as a “Traditional American Railroad Experience,” will be powered by a diesel locomotive.
The NHRR is also running its “Grapevine Express” on Saturday and Sunday. Trains will depart at 4:30 p.m. each day.
Riders can choose premium parlor or lounge cars for an intimate one-hour (approximately) excursion through the wooded foothills of Bucks County. On the journey, they will be able to enjoy food and beverage service from the friendly and attentive parlor car attendants.
Each couple will receive an assortment of crudités, a lush charcuterie board, and a sweet treat to wrap up the experience. In addition, guests over 21 years of age will receive their choice of wine, beer, or whiskey flight from Bucks County.
The Strasburg Rail Road (Route 741, Strasburg, 717-687-7522, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running a special train – “The Wine & Cheese Train.”
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 6 p.m. and the total trip time is 45 minutes.
“Wine & Cheese Train” boards 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.
Departures are scheduled for April 26 and 27 at 4 and 6 p.m. and April 28 at 4 p.m.
Tickets are $70.
The Colebrookdale Railroad (South Washington Street, Boyertown, www.colebrookdalerailroad.com) is hosting a “Cinco de Mayo” celebration on May 5 and “Sundays Sundaes Adventure” on May 7.
The Colebrookdale ride is billed as “your ticket to a verdant land lost in time.”
Passengers board one of the railroad’s meticulously restored century-old rail cars for a two-hour expedition into one of the most scenic and historic regions in the northeast.
Deluxe coach fares are $35 for adults (13-64), $25 for children (2-12) and $32 for seniors (65 and older).
The Northern Central Railway (2 West Main Street, New Freedom, www.northerncentralrailway.com) is running its “Hanover Junction Flyer” on May 4 and 5 at 1 p.m.
The “Hanover Junction Flyer” will run through the beautiful Heritage Rail Trail County Park and southern York County countryside on this trip to Hanover Junction. The excursion includes a 20-minute stopover at the Hanover Junction Museum.
Tickets are $49.99 for adults and $34.99 for children (ages 2-12).
Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) will be presenting “Elmo’s Springtacular” every weekend now through June 16.
“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 will feature “Grumpy Monkey Meet & Greet” and “Pete the Cat Meet & Greet”on May 4 and 5.
Kids can enjoy an action-packed day with their favorites.
Activity will take place at Sesame Studio.
Peddler’s Village (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, peddlersvillage.com) is hosting its “Strawberry Festival” on May 4 and 5 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. each day.
The weekend will include strawberry-themed food, beverages, live music, food trucks, kids’ activities, and shop specials. Peddler’s Village shops will be open until 8 p.m. on Saturday.
Admission and parking are free. The event will be held rain or shine.
Peddler’s Village is also presenting its “Cupcake Decorating Competition” now through May 12.
On display for the first two weeks of May, this icing-laced display will include professional and amateur culinary creations in four categories: Traditional, Baker’s Choice, Student, and Kids.
Admission is free to the display which is housed in the Visitor & Event Center (Red Barn, located off Street Road and Peddler’s Lane).
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 5.
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.
Tour admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (age 65+) and for youth ages 6-17, and free 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.
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 two years ago.
Wonderspaces features 14 art installations that all play with the idea of perspective. New artworks are rotated 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.
Some of the current featured exhibits are SPHERES: Songs of Spacetime, ERUPTURE, Rainbow Rooms and RADIANCE (INFINITY BOX NO. 6)
Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the spring.
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.
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.
Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the winter.
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.
