Also: Music at Longwood, Star Party at Marsh Creek
By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times
A music event with nearly a century of tradition in Chester County highlights what looks to be a fun-filled, but warm and steamy weekend in the Delaware Valley.
The Chester County Old Fiddlers’ Picnic (Hibernia County Park, off Route 340, Wagontown, 610-383-2812, http://dsf.chesco.org/ccparks) is scheduled for August 13. The annual Picnic is celebrating its 88th anniversary this year.
Known originally as the “Chester and Delaware Counties’ Old Fiddlers’ Picnic,” the event began at Crystal Springs Park outside Parkesburg and later moved to Lenape Park, which is located just south of West Chester. When Lenape Park closed in 1980, Chester County Parks and Recreation offered to sponsor the Picnic at Hibernia County Park.
This year’s edition of the festival will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with Open Stage registration beginning at 9:15 a.m. Remington Riders, the Old Fiddlers House Band, will kick things off with a performance from 10-11 a.m.
When Remington Riders’ set concludes, a constantly changing lineup of individuals and groups will take the stage and perform for the audience. Solo acts are allotted 10 minutes on stage while groups get as much as 20 minutes to perform.
The primary source of live entertainment will be the sounds emanating from the stage but there will also be plenty of other musical offerings throughout the park — especially Fiddlers’ Field.
In the wooded areas near the stage, there will be impromptu jams taking place throughout the day. Musicians of all ages are invited to stroll along the lane and join in with other musicians to make fresh, live music of their own.
The festival features a full slate of fun activities including square dancing, country line dancing, wagon rides and kids’ activities. Guided tours of Hibernia Mansion, the 19th century Ironmasters’ home will be available at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. A donation of $3 per person is requested for the tour.
There will also be a large number of vendors with crafts, beverages and food items such as BBQ, sandwiches, ice cream, fries, funnel cakes, smoothies and more. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged. Tents, canopies and alcohol are prohibited.
There will be free admission but parking is $5 per car. Rain date is August 14.
Nightscape at Longwood Gardens.
You can double your pleasure and double your fun if you visit Longwood Gardens (1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org/nightscape) on August 13.
The featured attraction will be a concert by Kennett Symphony of Chester County at 7 p.m. in Longwood’s Open Air Theater. Visitors to the site will also be able to check out second annual edition of “Nightscape: A Light and Sound Experience.”
The Kennett Symphony of Chester County will present “Postcards from Abroad — A Musical Journey through Europe” under the direction of Music Director Michael Hall at 7 p.m. on August 13.
The program includes Gioachino Rossini’s “ Overture to the Barber of Seville,” Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto, Movement 1: Allegro Moderato,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Evita,” Wolfgang Mozart’s “The Abduction of the Seraglio,” Claude-Michel Schönberg’s “Les Misérables,” and Alexander Borodin’s “Polovetsian Dances.”
Included in the concert is a performance of the first movement of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto by Sein An, the winner of the Kennett Symphony’s Instrumental Competition.
Ticket prices are $40 in advance, $45 on the day of the concert. Ticket price includes the concert, access to visit Longwood Gardens during the day on the day of the concert and free parking.
When “Nightscape: A Light and Sound Experience” made its debut last year, it provided visitors with the opportunity to enjoy visually-impressive sights at Longwood after the sun goes down. The installation brought the garden to life after dark with colorful lights and moving images choreographed to music.
This year, “Nightscape” will take place in various areas of the garden — Rose Arbor, Large Lake, Flower Garden Drive, Legacy Tree, Flower Garden Walk, Topiary Garden, East Conservatory and Silver Garden. The installation will be on view Wednesdays through Saturdays, and will open every day at sunset.
Video link for “Nightscapes” — https://youtu.be/QV1jdg00opU.
Tickets, which include all-day admission, are $27 adults (ages 19 and older) and $17 students (ages 5-18).
Enjoy a Star Party at Marsh Creek State Park, Saturday.
On August 13 from noon-11 p.m., the Chesmont Astronomical Society (http://www.chesmontastro.org) is hosting a “Star Party” at Marsh Creek State Park, which is located at 634 Park Road just north of Downingtown.
Those attending will be able to view the nighttime sky using society members’ telescopes and live view star cameras. Public viewing of the sights found in the Milky Way will be available through more than 20 amateur and high-end telescopes.
The Marsh Creek parties, which are held near first Lunar Quarter, focus on observing the moon, the planets and bright deep sky objects.
Potential targets for this weekend’s event tonight include the planets Saturn and Neptune, open and globular clusters, and planetary nebulae. How many or how few of these objects will be visible will depend on sky conditions.
Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket or a lawn chair — and to use red light flashlights. If you don’t have a red flashlight, cover the flashlight you have with red paper. Red light helps to preserve your night vision so you can enjoy the night sky in its entire splendor.
This event is free of charge provided to the community by your neighbors who are members of the Chesmont Astronomical Society. Even though admission and parking are free, donations are encouraged.
Because this event is dependent on a clear, dark sky, visitors are encouraged to check the Society’s website after 5 p.m. for last minute schedule changes.
The Eagleview Summer Concerts on the Square at Eagleview Town Center (Wharton Boulevard, Exton, www.ineagleview.com) will host Greg Sover Band and Xande Cruz on August 16; and Cookie Rabinowitz, Dono and Van Woods/David Miles on August 23.
Another opportunity for outdoor music can be found for a few more weeks at the Shipyard Summer Concert Series (Dravo Plaza, Justison Street, Wilmington Riverfront, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-425-4890, www.riverfrontwilm.com).
This free concert series is held on Thursday evenings from 7-8:30 p.m. under the colored cranes at Dravo Plaza which is located on Justison Street next to the Shipyard Shops.
On August 18, Elizabeth Knecht will present a concert focusing on standards, show tunes and Italian Opera. On August 25, Best Kept Soul will perform a show featuring its blend of R&B, gospel, jazz, funk, hip hop and rock.
Lady Antebellum performs Saturday at Musikfest.
Musikfest (downtown Bethlehem, 610-332-1300, www.musikfest.org) has established itself as one of America’s top annual music festivals It’s an event that offers big name headliners as well as a wide variety of folk, rock, pop and ethnic music acts. It also sports some impressive numbers.
The festival, which is celebrating its 32nd anniversary this year, features free music performances on most of its indoor and outdoor stages. Musikfest presents over 300 live musical performances and draws over one million people to the Lehigh Valley every August.
The Main Stage at PNC Plaza is the main concert stage at Musikfest and features national touring acts with tickets are required for all shows.
The lineup includes Sabrina Carpenter (August 12), Lady Antebellum (August 13), and the Avett Brothers’ (August 14).
The will also be a multitude of free concerts with acts such as Nalani & Sarina, Anna Rose, MarchFourth, Cold Front, Christine Havrilla & Gypsy Fuzz, Rini, Crushed Out, Kississippi, Taylor Ash, the Hot Club of Philadelphia and the Nerds.
Musikfest is much more than just festival offering a wealth of music. It also features interactive arts and theater activities for children along with a large number of concessions offering a wide array of food and beverage treats.
On August 13, it will be time for area residents to enjoy the 12th Annual Valley Day. The event, which is presented by Valley Township, will be held on the grounds of the Highlands Corporate Center (Airport Road, Valley Township, 610-384-5751, www.valleytownship.org).
The popular annual festival features a wide array of family activities including petting zoo, rock climbing, a free health fair, face painting, displays of fire company equipment, mobile game station, pony rides and live entertainment.
You can get a look back at another era by attending an event called “Milling Demonstration Days” which will take place on August 13 at Mill at Anselma (1730 Conestoga Road, Chester Springs, 610-827-1906, http://anselmamill.org).
The Mill will be fully operational from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month.
Visitors to the Mill will be able to meet Anselma’s miller and hear him talk about how the gears work and what they do. There will also be interesting technology tours that focus on how different parts of the mill work.
Additionally, there will be special interactive activities for the children — including learning how to sift flour. Kids will also have the opportunity to operate a pump on a smaller water wheel.
The event will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors (60 and older) and children (ages 4-14). Active Military and children (under 4) will be admitted free.
On August13 and 14, the Academy of Natural Sciences (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, 215- 299-1000, www.ansp.org) is hosting an annual event that promises to be a lot of fun — unless you suffer from entomophobia (fear of insects).
The Academy’s Ninth Annual “Bug Fest” features live insects representing 60 different species along with a large and impressive sampling of specimens from the Academy’s world-renowned Entomology Collection — a collection that features more than four million insects.
Hundreds of live invertebrates will be on display throughout the museum. — beetles, true bugs, millipedes, centipedes, scorpions, stick insects, cockroaches, caterpillars, tarantulas and other spiders, and more.
Visitors can check out live invertebrates’ “gross factors” as they examine blister beetles, venomous spiders and scorpions, millipedes, grasshoppers, and stinkbugs.
Cajun Chef Zack Lehmann will cook some tasty buggy dishes during a 1 p.m. show both days and will give out samples of his famous Chocolate Chirp Cookies and fried insect treats.
Some insects do bad things. There are those who spread diseases such as Zika. And, some insects — like the emerald ash borer — damage plants.
Entomologists from the Academy and the American Entomological Society will be on hand to answer questions about these topics and also to give walking tours outside the museum in search of bugs. Some live invaders and also specimens from the Academy’s research collection of more than 4 million insects will be on display.
“Bug Fest,” which is free with museum admission, will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. both days. Museum admission is $17.95 for adults and $13.95 for children (ages 3-12).
This is the “Golden Year” for the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival (Henry Antes Plantation, Colonial Road, Upper Frederick Township, 215-234-8953, www.goschenhoppen.org) — the year the event celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Attending the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival is like taking a trip way back in time — back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Goschenhoppen Historians presented the inaugural Goschenhoppen Folk Festival in East Greenville 50 years ago and it has steadily evolved into a cherished summer tradition in eastern Pennsylvania.
The festival, which honors the oldest existing Pennsylvania German community in the United States, maintains a strictly traditional atmosphere. There are no amusement games or rides, no commemorative t-shirts or beer mugs, no modern snacks, no ATM machines and no Wi-Fi.
This year’s festival, which is being held August 12 and 13, will feature several hundred craftsmen presenting live demonstrations of more than 150 skills of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Dressed in authentic costumes of the periods (many of which are loaned from the Historians’ extensive wardrobe), the participating artisans use authentic tools in recreating traditional home skills, trades, pastimes, foods and folk music.
The Historians also display the area’s largest collection of traditional foods, crafts, trades, music and folk itinerants.
There will be a variety of old-fashioned foods and Pennsylvania Dutch meals available for purchase at the festival — everything from full dinners to chow-chow and from red-beet eggs to faschnachts (doughnuts served with molasses). The list of tasty beverages for sale includes raspberry shrub, lemonade and birch beer.
The 2016 Goschenhoppen Folk Festival, which has been honored as one of the premier noncommercial folk festivals in the country, will be staged on Friday from noon-8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Henry Antes Plantation.
Admission is a $12 donation for adults ($18 for a two-day pass) and a $3 donation for children (ages 6-15).
For more than two decades, the Chinese American Community Center (1313 Little Baltimore Rd., Hockessin, Delaware, 302-239-0432, www.chinesefestival.org) has presented its Chinese Festival with a mission of fostering appreciation of Chinese culture through exhibits and performances.
The 2016 Chinese Festival will open on August 12 and run through August 14 at the CACC’s facility in Hockessin. The event’s hours are 5-9 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday — with dragon dances opening each day’s activities.
As always, the festival will feature performances of Chinese music and dance throughout each day including Dragon Dance, Lion Dance and Folk Dance. There will also be a tea ceremony as well as demonstrations of Tai Chi, Chinese cooking and Kung Fu.
As with most ethnic festivals, one of the main attractions is the food. The festival will have booths featuring a wide array of Chinese cuisine — with an emphasis on dishes that are not usually found on the menus of area Chinese restaurants.
From August 12-14, Peddler’s Village (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, 215-794-4000, www.peddlersvillage.com) will be hosting its annual Peach Festival and Summer Sidewalk Sale
Peddler’s Village’s 2016 Peach Festival will feature a sidewalk art show as well as live music, a stilt walker and the always-entertaining pie-eating contests. As usual, there will be peaches served in all sorts of tasty variations, including peach pies, peach butters and artisanal jams.
There will also be a special surprise visit by Giggles the Monkey from Giggleberry Fair.
The site’s annual Peach Festival and Sidewalk Sale, which is a celebration of National Peach Month will run from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on August 12 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on August 13 and 14.
Admission and parking are free and the event will be held rain or shine.
If you’re making the trip to Lahaska in central Bucks County for Peddler’s Village’s Peach Festival, you might want to also check out the annual New Hope Car Show (New Hope-Solebury High School, Bridge Street, New Hope, 215-862-5665, www.newhopeautoshow.com) on August 13 and 14.
The New Hope Car Show is really two separate automobile shows. So, if you want to see all of the cars, you’ll need to come both days this weekend because there is a different show each day.
The well-attended annual show features a different lineup of automobile categories on display each day. Both days will feature “Senior Cars”, all of which were national prize winners from 1985 on back.
The line-up for August 13 includes seven classes of domestic makes classified by decade from the “Cars of the Twenties to the “Cars of the Eighties.” Some of the other featured categories are antique trucks, high performance production cars, professional specialty cars, antique autos, fire engines, vintage racing cars and Woodies.
The lineup for August 14 features antique motorcycles, foreign exotic cars (Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Pantera, Maserati, DeTomaso), classic cars recognized by the Classic Car Club of America, historically preserved originals, foreign racing cars and production models (through 1985) of Chrysler, Plymouth, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and all makes and models of General Motors.
Because the show is conducted on school grounds, consumption of alcoholic beverages and the use of tobacco products in any form are strictly prohibited at all times.
Admission to the show is $5 for adults and $3 for seniors (age 62 and older). Children under 12 accompanied by an adult are free as are active duty military and their dependents. Parking is $5.
