{"id":2152,"date":"2014-06-27T10:45:50","date_gmt":"2014-06-27T14:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=2152"},"modified":"2014-06-27T09:56:47","modified_gmt":"2014-06-27T13:56:47","slug":"what-to-do-united-sports-family-fun-concerts-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=2152","title":{"rendered":"What To Do: United Sports Family Fun, Concerts and more!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The holiday weekend starts early \u2014 a week early, as family-friendly events abound<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>,\u00a0Correspondent, The Times<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"FamilyFun\"<\/a>

United Sports in Downingtown and Brandywine Hospital present Family Fun Summer Series & Movie Nights, starting tonight, June 27, with fun games and activities and a movie after dark.<\/p><\/div>\n

At times, it can be challenging to keep finding family events that provide youngsters with outlets for their seemingly boundless energy. Fortunately, there are quite a few series of special family-oriented events in this area — including the \u201cFamily Fun Summer Series & Movie Nights\u201d in Downingtown.<\/p>\n

United Sports (1426 Marshallton Thorndale Road, Downingtown, 610-466-7100,\u00a0http:\/\/unitedsports.net<\/a>) is once again presenting its annual \u201cFamily Fun Summer Series & Movie Nights\u201d on three Friday evenings this summer. The events are scheduled for June 27, July 25 and August 22 from 6-10 p.m. each night.<\/p>\n

The popular festival, which offers fun events for the entire family, features moonbounces, waterslides, sports games and family activities. Then, when dusk arrives, there will be a screening of a movie that was chosen by United Sports\u2019 followers on Facebook.<\/p>\n

The free events are made possible by a partnership of sponsors that includes United Sports Tae Kown Do and Gymnastics, Dance & Fitness, Parisi Speed School and Kinetic Physical Therapy.<\/p>\n

If you have young children, there is an event in June 29 at Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134,\u00a0www.tylerarboretum.org<\/a>) that is sure to tickle their fancy. From 10 a.m.-2 p.m., the scenic nature site is hosting a \u201cFairy Festival.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFairy Festival,\u201d which will be held rain or shine, is billed as a \u201ccelebration of all\u00a0that is magical in\u00a0nature.\u201d Visitors will be able to learn\u00a0about nature (flowers,\u00a0forests and water), create their own\u00a0fairy or prince\u00a0crown, mix a magic\u00a0potion and make\u00a0a mushroom for\u00a0Tyler\u2019s \u201cFairy Ring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Live entertainment\u00a0will feature four\u00a0interactive performances by Celtic musician Mary Roth, a miniature fairy garden terrarium demonstration by\u00a0Terrain Garden Center<\/strong>\u00a0and a \u201cFairy and Wizard Frolic\u201d\u00a0through the Arboretum. Gourmet pizza will be available\u00a0for purchase from the Pizza Wagon.<\/p>\n

The Schuylkill Canal Association\u2019s Canal Day has become an area tradition — an event that is always staged on the last Sunday in June. Mont Clare, which is located just across the Schuylkill River from Phoenixville, will be hosting its 32nd Annual Canal Day on June 29.<\/p>\n

Canal Day will run from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Lock 60 and in St. Michael\u2019s Park (Mont Clare, 610-917-0021,\u00a0http:\/\/www.schuylkillcanal.org<\/a>). The one-day festival, which requests a $5 donation as admission fee, will also feature the\u00a027th Annual Schuylkill River Trail Run and the 16th Annual Canal Joust.<\/p>\n

All the traditional events will be happening again this year.<\/p>\n

In addition to the trail run and the joust, the festival will have a \u201cCanoe & Kayak Race,\u201d the \u201cCanal Day Horseshoe Tournament,\u201d food vendors, kids\u2019 games and crafts, \u201cCanal Stories and Songs,\u201d a fire truck display, bingo, live music, a kids\u2019 fishing derby and a flea market.<\/p>\n

\"WPO-Vintage\"<\/a>

The West Philadelphia Orchestra brings its unique blend of musical styles to Longwood Gardens tonight, kicking off a series of Summer Soirees \u2014 an outdoor performance series.<\/p><\/div>\n

Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000,\u00a0www.longwoodgardens.org<\/a>) always has a full slate of attractive events scheduled for weekends during the summer and this weekend is no exception.<\/p>\n

Summer Soir\u00e9es is a series of musical events being held to celebrate the Open Air Theatre\u2019s 100th\u00a0year — three special summer nights with performances in the Open Air Theatre as well as throughout the Gardens.<\/p>\n

The first is scheduled for June 27 from 6-10 p.m. The\u00a0West Philadelphia Orchestra<\/a>, which is a Balkan Brass ensemble, will perform at 6, 7 and 8:15 p.m. in the East Conservatory Plaza.<\/p>\n

At 6:15 p.m. and again at 7:15 p.m., the Open Air Theatre will present performances by the\u00a0Blawenburg Band<\/a>, a highly-acclaimed Sousa band.Ensemble Novo<\/a>\u00a0will play its brand of Samba music at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the Main Fountain Garden. Katari will perform traditional music from the Andes at 6:45 and 7:45 p.m. in the Italian Water Garden.<\/p>\n

There will also be \u201cOpen Air Theatre Fountain Shows\u201d from 8:45-10 p.m. as well as the\u00a0Main Fountain Garden\u2019s \u201cIlluminated Fountain Show — Founder\u2019s Favorites<\/a>\u201d at 9:15 p.m.<\/p>\n

On June 28 at 7 p.m., Longwood will present an installment in the \u201cRecess Monkey Summer Series.\u201d Recess Monkey is a nationally-recognized trio of teachers who rock out with the sounds of the band\u2019s music for kids and families. The band recently released its ninth album \u201cDeep Sea Diver.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cCarillon Concerts Summer Series\u201d continues on June 29 with live music performed on the Longwood Carillon, an instrument that was specially made in The Netherlands and features 62 cast bells.<\/p>\n

The roster of musicians slated to perform on the carillon includes Steven Ball (June 29),<\/p>\n

Tim Sleep (July 13), Jim Fackenthal (July 27), August 3, Ray McLellan (August 3), John Widmann (August 10), Janet Tebbel (September 14) and Doug Gefvert (September 21).<\/p>\n

Entrance to all the above events is included with Gardens Admission, which is $18 for adults (18 and over), $15 for seniors (62 and older), $8 for students (ages 5-18) and free for children (age 4 and under).<\/p>\n

\"Philly4th\"<\/a>

The skies above Philadelphia will light up again, and music will fill the streets as part of Wawa Welcome America Festival billed as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Biggest Birthday Party\u201d which kicks off June 28.<\/p><\/div>\n

Ask people from Massachusetts where the birthplace of the nation is and they\u2019ll tell you Boston. Ask someone from this area and they\u2019ll say it\u2019s Philadelphia. So, it\u2019s kind of ironic that the state abbreviations associated with the cities are PA and MA.<\/p>\n

Boston has a bang-up Independence Day celebration but residents of this area know that Philly throws the better party to celebrate the Fourth of July.<\/p>\n

When the mid-summer holiday arrives, Philadelphia hosts a big multi-day party for our country — especially with a huge number of special events presented as part of the \u201cWawa Welcome America Festival.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event, which is billed as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Biggest Birthday Party,\u201d runs from June 28 through July 6 at a number of different locations in Philadelphia with fireworks, concerts, parades, outdoor film screenings, historic reenactments, an international award and a variety of activities that focus on kids.<\/p>\n

Action gets underway on June 28 with the \u201cLiberty Block Party\u201d from noon-10 p.m. at the Shops at Liberty Place and continues on June 29 with \u201cMural Arts Paint Day\u201d from noon-4 p.m. in Mantua.<\/p>\n

The main activities on June 30 are \u201cPhilly @ the Movies\u201d and \u201cGo 4th and Learn.\u201d The movie \u201cFrozen\u201d will be screened at 9 p.m. at Franklin Square. Other \u201cPhilly @ the Movies\u201d shows are scheduled for July 1 at 9 p.m. at Rittenhouse Square and July 2 at 9 p.m. at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo 4th and Learn\u201d will be presented daily from June 30-July 2. The first day\u2019s events will start at 10 a.m. at the Academy on Natural Sciences. On July 1, the scene will shift to Smith Memorial Playground and the series will wrap up on July 2 at the National Constitution Center. Other activities on July 1 will be the Philadelphia Orchestra\u2019s \u201cNeighborhood Concert\u201d at 8 p.m. at Penn\u2019s Landing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWawa Hoagie Day\u201d is scheduled for July 2 from noon-2 p.m. at Independence Mall. Wawa will serve a 4.5-ton \u201choagie salute\u201d to visitors attending the 22nd annual Wawa Hoagie Day. There will also be a concert by the US Army Fife & Drum Corps.<\/p>\n

On July 3, Independence Hall will host \u201cPOPS on Independence.\u201d The free concert, which has an 8 p.m. starting time, features Peter Nero and the Philly Pops! The limited seating is first-come, first-served so attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs.<\/p>\n

The first event on the Fourth of July will be the \u201cCelebration of Freedom Ceremony,\u201d which will run from 10-11 a.m. on the steps of Independence Hall. At 12:30 a.m., it will be time for the \u201cPhiladelphia Independence Day Parade.\u201d The parade features more than 5,000 patriotic and multicultural marchers, musicians, dancers and floats. All five U.S. military branches will be represented.<\/p>\n

Independence Square and the surrounding neighborhoods will host \u201cLet Freedom Ring\u201d from 1-2 p.m. The ceremony starts on Independence Square and concludes with the symbolic Liberty Bell tapping.<\/p>\n

The \u201cParty on the Parkway\u201d will take place on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from noon-7 p.m. with seven blocks of educational activities, games, entertainment and food vendors.<\/p>\n

The Parkway will then be the site of \u201cPhilly Fourth of July Jam and Fireworks.\u201d This event runs from 7-11 p.m. and features live music by The Roots, Ed Sheeran, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Hudson, Aloe Blacc and Ariana Grande.<\/p>\n

The \u201cSuper Scooper All-You-Can-Eat Ice cream Festival\u201d will be held on July 5 and 6 at Penn\u2019s Landing. A $7 donation is required to enter. For more information on the \u201cWawa Welcome America Festival\u201d call (215) 683-2200 or\u00a0www.welcomeamerica.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Settlers from Germany played a major role in the early history of Pennsylvania and their influence is still being felt. These pioneers and their customs are honored each summer at a Pennsylvania German folk festival in Kutztown — an event that has been around for more than a half-century and is still growing.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Kutztown Folk Festival will open its gates for the season on June 28 and continue through July 6 at the Kutztown Fairgrounds. The popular annual event, which is billed as a celebration of Pennsylvania Dutch culture, features traditional crafts, food, music and folk life. The festival will open its gates each day at 10 a.m. and run until 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

In addition to being a fun, family-oriented country fair, it also serves as a viable introduction to the Pennsylvania Dutch in Berks County. The festival\u2019s organizers work closely with the Kutztown University Pennsylvania German Heritage Center to offer a high quality folk life program that is both enjoyable and educational.<\/p>\n

The presentation of Pennsylvania Dutch culture will feature a variety of activities daily, including farming and gardening, churches and weddings, folk life, Pennsylvania Dutch dialect and folklore, furniture, spinning and weaving, country cooks and candle making.<\/p>\n

The festival also offers non-stop entertainment with country auctions, parades and bands, fiddling, live music and dancing, comedy, storytelling and historical seminars. Additionally, over 200 juried folk artists and traditional American craftsmen will be participating with both sales and demonstrations.<\/p>\n

There will also be a lot of attractions for children including puppet shows, make-and-take crafts sessions, visits with baby farm animals, real-life haystacks, story time sessions, a hay maze, sing-alongs and a variety of hands-on activities.<\/p>\n

As always, there will be plenty of booths featuring Pennsylvania Dutch food treats and beverages, including family style feasts, shoo-fly pies, sausage sandwiches, pastries, country chicken dinners, strawberry shortcake, funnel cakes, ox roasts, sarsaparilla and chicken potpie. Admission to the festival is $14 for adults, $13 for senior citizens and $5 for students.<\/p>\n

This weekend, the Mount Hope Estate & Winery (Route 72, Cornwall, 717-665-7021,\u00a0www.PaRenFaire.com<\/a>) will host the 16th Annual International Celtic Fling and Highland Games at the winery\u2019s fairgrounds in Cornwall.<\/p>\n

The event runs from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on June 28 and 29 with tickets priced at $26.95 for adults and $10.95 for children (ages 5-11). The Celtic Fling will also feature a special Celtic concert with Albannach, Barleyjuice and Gaelic Storm on June 27 at 7 p.m. with tickets listed at $29.95.<\/p>\n

The festival, which celebrates traditional and contemporary Celtic heritage, features the music, food and culture of all the Celtic nations — Welsh, Cornish, Manx, Bretons, Galecians\/Asturians and, of course, Irish and Scottish.<\/p>\n

Attractions this year include more than 50 musical performances, competitions and demonstrations, a full slate of live entertainment and the Ceilidh (grand finale of music and dance).<\/p>\n

The competitive Highland Games focus on traditional competition events such as \u201cTossing the Caber\u201d, \u201cWeight for Distance\u201d, \u201cHammer Throw\u201d and \u201cPutting the Stone\u201d. There will also Irish dance competitions.<\/p>\n

For the thirsty and the hungry, there will be more than 20 feast kitchens featuring a culinary tour of the Celtic Nations with traditional items. Some of the\u00a0Celtic delicacies available for purchase at this weekend\u2019s festival will be\u00a0Highland Honey Mead, Scotch Eggs, Tiger Pie, Shepherd\u2019s Pie, Haggis, Cottage Pie, Irish Potato & Leek Soup, Boxty and Corned Beef and Smoked Cabbage.<\/p>\n

In addition to the 100-plus resident Renaissance Faire shops, there will be booths presented by more than 50 guest artisans and merchants with a wide array of unique items from imported Irish wools and Scottish tartans to Celtic souvenirs.<\/p>\n

Lancaster is always a bustle of activity at the beginning of each month when it hosts the well-attended \u201cFirst Friday\u201d event from January until December. This month, Lancaster will be also be hopping on a weekend at the end of the month with \u201cCelebrate Lancaster\u201d and Long\u2019s Park\u2019s \u201cSummer Music Series.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCelebrate Lancaster\u201d (717-291-4758,\u00a0www.lancastercityevents.com<\/a>), which will be held on June 27in downtown Lancaster, is designed to display the culture and diversity of Lancaster and the people who live and work here.<\/p>\n

Attendance has grown to close to 15,000 in recent years for the festival — an event that offers local food, local wine and beer, entertainment, fireworks, and a festive atmosphere in downtown Lancaster.<\/p>\n

There will be local and regional entertainment at both Penn Square and at Binns Park along with more than 20 food venders set up along North Queen Street. Two beer and wine pub areas will also be set up at Penn Square and Binns Park.<\/p>\n

The event gets underway at 11:30 am. Live music begins at 5 p.m. and the fireworks finale is scheduled to light up the sky at 10 p.m.<\/p>\n

The \u201cSummer Music Series\u201d at Long\u2019s Park (Route 30 and Harrisburg Pike,\u00a0Lancaster, 717-735-8883,\u00a0http:\/\/longspark.org<\/a>) hosts free concerts under the stars every Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. from early June through the end of August.<\/p>\n

The show scheduled for June 29 features the Allegro Chamber Orchestra. In Allegro\u2019s NextGen ensemble, students rehearse side-by-side with professionals in a mentoring environment. The experience culminates with a performance of large symphonic repertoire in Lancaster\u2019s largest outdoor music venue.<\/p>\n

The Old Fashioned\u00a0Ice Cream Festival at Rockwood Park (4651 Washington Street Extension, Wilmington, Delaware,<\/em>\u00a0302-690-5555,<\/p>\n

www.rockwoodicecream.com<\/a>) is one of northern Delaware\u2019s oldest — and most popular — summertime outdoor events.<\/em><\/p>\n

The festival, which costs $5 for adults and $1 for children under 12, will be held at historic Rockwood Park on June 28 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and June 29 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.<\/p>\n

This weekend\u2019s event will feature cool taste treats produced by eight regional ice-cream vendors and restaurants — Sweet Lucy\u2019s, UD Creamery, Tocumbo, Kilby Cream, Vanderwende\u2019s, Caffee Gelato, Hy-Point Farms and the Ice Cream Shoppe.<\/p>\n

The festival features a wide array of food and snack vendors along with a craft beer garden and wine bar.<\/p>\n

There will be a number of special family-oriented activities including Brandywine Traveling Zoo, Juggling Hoffman\u2019s, Annie\u2019s Menagerie, Mad Science and Jungle John.<\/p>\n

Mad Science. Additionally,\u00a0<\/strong>continuous live music will be presented both days.<\/p>\n

From June 27 through July 5, the Kalmar Nyckel is returning to its home in Wilmington for a series of public sails departing from Dravo Plaza (Shipyard Shops area of the Riverfront, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-429-7447,\u00a0www.kalmarnyckel.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Kalmar Nyckel, which is Delaware\u2019s only tall ship, is a recreation of a boat that brought Scandanavian settlers to America in the 1600s.<\/p>\n

The Kalmar Nyckel will have 11 sailings during its current stay. The 1.5-hours sails depart on June 27 at 5 p.m.; June 28 and 29 at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.; July 3 at noon and 3 p.m.;\u00a0 July 4 at 10 a.m., 3 and 6 p.m. and July 5 at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $20 for youth (age 17 and under).<\/p>\n

A trip on the Kalmar Nyckel is a totally different from most tourist water rides. 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.<\/p>\n

When the Kalmar Nyckel departs the dock in Wilmington, she uses her motors to travel down the Christina River, under a few drawbridges and into the basin near the Delaware River. If conditions permit, the ship\u2019s sails are put in place and arranged according to the wind and her engines are shut down.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Carrying 24 settlers from four countries (Sweden, Finland, Holland, and Germany), she landed on the banks of the Christina River. The site, which became known as \u201cThe Rocks\u201d, can be visited at Fort Christina Park off Wilmington’s East Seventh Street.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s sea-going Ambassador of Good Will. She is a fully functional sail training vessel and has represented Delaware all over the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The holiday weekend starts early \u2014 a week early, as family-friendly events abound By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Correspondent, The Times At times, it can be challenging to keep finding family events that provide youngsters with outlets for their seemingly boundless energy. Fortunately, there are quite a few series of special family-oriented events in this area — including […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2149,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7,8],"tags":[1563,1373,1564,1565,330,1566,1567,1568,1569,1570],"class_list":["post-2152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-events","category-featured","tag-americas-biggest-birthday-party","tag-brandywine-hospital","tag-kalmar-nyckel","tag-kutztown-folk-festival","tag-longwood-gardens","tag-old-fashioned-ice-cream-festival-at-rockwood-park","tag-schuylkill-canal-associations-canal-day","tag-tyler-arboretum","tag-united-sports","tag-wawa-welcome-america-festival"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}