By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Joe Kenny performs at a recent Turks’ Head festival.
Summer arrived unofficially last weekend and will officially get underway two weeks from now. The weather is warm (or hot), school is almost done for the year and municipal and private pools are open.
This means that it’s time for outdoor music events. One of the area’s best outdoor music fests is free and happening this weekend.
The Turk’s Head Music Festival in West Chester (Everhart Park, Bradford Avenue and Everhart Street, West Chester, turksheadfestival.com) just keeps rocking on year-after-year — and just keeps getting better.
This year, the annual Turks Head Music Festival will be held on June 8 from noon-7 p.m. in the park at the west end of West Chester.
The all-day festival, which is one of the most popular and longest-running annual mid-summer events in Chester County, has a diverse line-up of eight musical acts.
The annual music-oriented party is presented by West Chester Recreation. It is a free event that appeals to the entire family with a wide range of live music as well as a variety of other activities geared to all ages.
The line-up for 2025 features Blues Reincarnation Project, Joe Kenney Band, Dead Friends, Cordelia Blue, Stone Throwers, Untethered, and Wild Bill & the Bruisers.
Visitors to Everhart Park this Sunday are welcome to bring picnic lunches and are advised to bring lawn blankets or folding chairs. The festival will also feature a wide array of food concessions with hot food and cool beverages.
Other popular annual features at the Turk’s Head Music Festival include kids’ play area and an arts-and-crafts show featuring more than 70 talented artisans who will be demonstrating and selling their crafts.
Rain Date is June 15.
One of the festivals features music and food as primary attractions.
The 2025 Chester County Blues Barbecue will be held on June 7 at Wyndsor Farm (2550 Ridge Road, Elverson, http://www.chestercountyblues.com).The 14th annual staging of the event, which is sponsored by the Coventry Lions Club, is slated to run from 2-7 p.m.
The festival features four headline blues acts with the following schedule – 1 p.m., Dave Mell Blues Band; 2 p.m., Voodoo DeVille; 3:45 p.m., Lonnie Shields and 5:30 p.m., Gary Allegretto.
Food, refreshments, and beer will be available for purchase from vendors on site. Admission ticket does not include food and beverage.
The Blues Barbecue will be held June 7 — rain or shine. There is a large tent for shelter and attendees are welcome to bring their own canopies.
Tickets are $22.50.
The 2025 Kennett Summerfest (100 South Broad Street, Kennett Square, kennettcollaborative.org) will be held on June 8 from 3-7 p.m.
The Fourth Annual Kennett Summerfest, a wine and spirits festival, celebrates exceptional local wineries and distilleries and brings together wine, cheese, and live music in a sophisticated festival atmosphere.With its moderate climate and rolling hills, in addition to microclimates with good elevation, soil composition and drainage, Pennsylvania continues to come into its own as a serious place for refined and elegant wines.
Local Chester County wines have been receiving national accolades for years, and as the vines that local vintners have been patiently tending for decades now come of age, wine enthusiasts both here and further afield are enjoying the (fermented) fruits of their hard work and perseverance.
Summerfest will give ticket holders the unique opportunity to taste wines from some of the best local and regional wineries, cheese samples from local cheesemakers, as well as spirits from local distilleries and locally crafted botanical mocktails for designated drivers.
Live music, wine-centric vendors, food trucks, and a curated pop-up al fresco gallery of local artists all combine to create a Sunday afternoon to savor.
The list of confirmed wineries and distilleries for the 2025 festival includes 1723 Vineyards, Acadian Wine Company, Chaddsford Winery, Casa Carmen, Dressler Estate, Grace Winery, Harvest Ridge Winery, Honey Lane Winery, Old Stone Cider, Paradocx Vineyards, Penn’s Woods Winery, R5 Wines, Revolution Bees, Stargazers Vineyard and Wayvine Winery & Vineyard.
Live music will be performed by Tuk + The Big Brass Ones.
Tickets are $60 with $30 tickets available for non-alcohol/designated drivers. Regular Admission tickets include a Summerfest tasting mug with unlimited 1 oz. samples of wine + select mixed drinks from local and regional wineries & distilleries, while enjoying the festival atmosphere with live music and other vendors.
Annual World War II Weekend
From June 6-8, the Mid Atlantic Air Museum (11 Museum Drive, Reading, 610-372-7333, www.maam.org) is hosting its 34th Annual World War II Weekend.
The museum and its grounds will come alive with an event that features a huge air show with more than 80 vintage military aircraft, 200 restored military vehicles, 1,700 re-enactors and a wide array of artifacts. There will also be a variety of family-oriented activities.
The long list of special activities includes presentations by many of the event’s special guests, ground displays, a “Military Collectors’ Flea Market,” battle reenactments and live entertainment featuring Let’s Dance Big Band, Frank Sings Frank, America’s Sweethearts, Forecats and Swing Fever Big Band.
There will be air shows in the afternoon on both Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, there will be an amazing number of vintage military airplanes featured at this weekend’s – both as static displays and as aerial attractions.
Some of the vintage aircraft featured at this year’s WWII Weekend are North American SNJ “Texan,” Fairchild “Cornell,” Grumman TBM-3E “Avenger,” Stampe SV-2CP, North American B-25J “Mitchell,” Douglas C-54E “Skymaster” and Boeing C-97G “Stratofighter.”
Aerial performers scheduled for this weekend are The Jersey Jerks, Kevin Russo Air Shows and Jerry Wells Airshows.
Tickets are $46.46 for adults and $25.25 for children (ages 6-12).
On June 7, SRUTI (www.sruti.org) will present a Carnatic Veena Instrumental Concert by Ramana Balachandhran.
The concert, which will start at 4:30 p.m., will be held at West Chester School District’s E.N. Peirce Middle School (1314 Burke Road, West Chester).
SRUTI, The India Music and Dance Society is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization. Every year, around 10 or more world class music and dance recitals are presented during the Spring and Fall seasons by SRUTI in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Balachandran is a veena player in the Carnatic tradition. The South Indian Saraswati veena used in Carnatic classical music is a lute. It is a long-necked, pear-shaped lute with 24 frets, four melody strings, and three drone strings.
Carnatic music is a classical music tradition that originates from South India, encompassing the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala. It is one of the two major systems of Indian classical music, the other being Hindustani music from North India.
Considered a prodigious talent, Balachandran brings on the veena exceptional phrasal clarity that exposes microtonal and curvy nuances that characterize a deeper interpretation of raga-centric music. He discovers deeper structures of traditional and contemporary ragas as he interprets them spontaneously.
Ragas are interpreted in a variety of different moods and structures, as he explores them in alapana and swaraprasthara. He has also discovered a number of playing techniques that help him stretch the boundaries of clarity and precision.
Balachandran will be accompanied by Patri Satish Kumar on mridangam and Samyuktha Sreeram on ghatam.
The mridangam is an ancient percussion instrument originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is a double-sided drum whose body is usually made using a hollowed piece of jackfruit wood about an inch thick.
The ghatam is a percussion instrument used in various repertoires across the Indian subcontinent, especially in Southern India. It is a clay pot with a narrow mouth. From the mouth, it slants outwards to form a ridge.
Satish Kumar was born into a family of musicians. He was initiated into the art of percussion when he was seven by his mother Padmavathy, a renowned violinist.
A fine performer, composer, Kumar’s specialization is his precise fingering technique and the fine balance of sounds between the treble and base heads of the mridangam.
Sreeram is a disciple of the late ghatam and konakkol vidwan (expert), Sangita Kalacharya Sri TH Subash Chandran. She has more than 13 years of ghatam percussion experience and also has studied Carnatic vocal music.
The show at Peirce Middle School on June 7 will start at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets are $40 for adults, $25 for seniors and $025 for students.
The 2025 Greek Festival at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (808 North Broom Street, Wilmington, 302-654-4446, www.holytrinitywilmington.org) is running now through June 7.
The food menu at Holy Trinity features a lot of meat and vegetable items.
Pastitsio is a macaroni dish with braised ground lamb and beef that is topped with béchamel sauce and baked.
A similar entrée is mousaka, which features layers of eggplant, potato, ground lamb and beef, which is then baked and topped with a light béchamel sauce.
Gyros are pita sandwiches featuring a spice-infused ground beef-and-lamb mixture that is grilled, sliced fresh and served with tzatziki (cucumber and yogurt sauce), tomatoes, onions and olives. Souvlaki is grilled pork tenderloin marinated with special herbs.
Other selections that can either be a main meal or a side dish are tyropita, which is a Greek-style cheese pie in a crispy phyllo crust; spanakopita, which is a tyropita that has spinach added; and Dolmades, which are rice and meat wrapped in grape leaves.
The most well-known Greek dessert is baklava, which is made with multiple layers of thin buttered phyllo dough cooked with walnuts, spices and honey syrup. Kataifi features shredded wheat with chopped nuts and honey syrup.
Galaktoboureko is a custard dessert baked between carefully placed pastry sheets and covered in syrup. Loukoumades, the Greek version of doughnuts, are deep-fried and dipped in honey with a dash of cinnamon.
Greek cuisine also includes a variety of mouth-watering cookies including kourabiedes (butter cookie served with confectioner’s sugar) and koulourakia (butter cookie that is twisted, basted with egg yolk and baked.)
Greek American groups from the Delaware Valley will play popular Greek songs and standards and there will be performances of traditional Greek folk dances.
Other attractions are Greek grocery stores and sales booths with items such as Greek music, icons, custom-made jewelry, leather goods and fabric.
This weekend, it’s also time for the annual Strawberry Festival at Linvilla Orchards (137 West Knowlton Road, Media, www.linvilla.com). The free festival will be held on June 7 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Linvilla’s grounds in Media.
The festive event will feature children’s entertainment, hayrides, pony rides, face painting, costumed characters, children’s games and contests, live music, ice cream sundaes, giant strawberry shortcake and strawberry treats.
Linvilla Grill will be serving hamburgers, pizza, fries, Ship Bottom Beer Garden, and corn roasting favorites.
Another special attraction will be the Delaware Valley’s largest Strawberry Shortcake.
An interesting and educational look at America’s past with a special focus can be found in downtown Philadelphia his weekend.
Visitors to the old, historical district in Philadelphia on June 7 will be able to enjoy “Elfreth’s Alley Day 2025” at Elfreth’s Alley, which is located off Second Street (215-574-0560, http://www.elfrethsalley.org).
From 1-5 p.m., the oldest residential street in America will be hosting a traditional festival with colonial flavor.
This is an event which dates back to 1934 (90 years!), in which residents of Elfreth’s Alley open their doors to allow visitors a glimpse of 21st century life in these 18th- and 19th-century houses.
Visitors can discover how generation after generation have continued to preserve, alter and add to these historic structures.
The popular annual festival will feature colonial crafts, music, storytelling, refreshments, scavenger hunts and a wide array of hands-on games.
Historic Tours of the 32 historic residences on Elfreth’s Alley will be offered between noon and 5 p.m.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children.
On June 8, the Cherry Street Pier (South Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, www.delawareriverwaterfront.com) will be the site of the Islamic Heritage Festival.
The event, which is part of PECO’s annual multicultural series at Penn’s Landing, will feature a colorful parade and live performances featuring the Islamic culture.
The Islamic Heritage Festival, which runs from 2-8 p.m., is free and open to the public.
ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ, — “Assalamu Alaikum” (“peace be with you” in Arabic).
On June 8, the Annual Odunde Festival (215-732-8510, http://odeundefestival.org) will be held from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. in the vicinity of 23rd and South streets in downtown Philadelphia.
Odunde, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend, attracts close to 500,000 people each year, covers 12 city blocks and is one of the largest African American street festivals in the country.
The festival’s authentic African marketplace features vendors from around the world selling merchandise from many African nations, the Caribbean and Brazil.
The free event, whose concept originates from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, celebrates the coming of another year. One of the highlights each year is a colorful procession from 23rd and South streets to the Schuylkill River where an offering of fruit and flowers is made to Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the river.
There will be continuous live music throughout the day along with also be traditional African dance performances.
Music headliners are hip-hop artists Rakim and Doug E. Fresh, who will perform at 5:30 and 7 p.m. at the stage at 23rd Street.
On June 7, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, www.laurelhillphl.com)
present “Out of the Closet and Into the Crypt” from 10 a.m.-noon.
Most Laurel Hill East residents lived at a time when it was illegal and/or unsafe to be out as an LGBTQ+ person. Sexual orientation was not mentioned in obituaries — or in cemetery records.
Nonetheless, Laurel Hill East has always had queer residents. On this tour, guests will meet some of them — from lesbian artists and a cross-dressing cleric to 21st-century gay activists.
The tour guide will be Pat Rose.
Tickets are $17/General Admission (Ages 13 and up); $15/Seniors (Ages 65+) and Students with ID; $12/Members of the Friends of Laurel Hill; and $8.50/Youth (Ages 6-12).
At 6:30 p.m., Laurel Hill will present a concert by Divine Hand Ensemble.
At the group’s 14th annual concert in the cemetery, Mano Divina’s haunting theremin leads the Divine Hand Ensemble in an evening of beautiful music outdoors.
Featuring popular favorites, scary music, movie themes, opera arias, funerary music, rock covers and more, the show includes the first ever live performance of music recorded by Divine Hand for Laurel Hill’s audio walking tour, as well as a sneak preview from their upcoming album.
Tickets are $25/General Admission (Ages 13 and up); $23/Seniors (Ages 65+) and Students with ID; $20/Members of the Friends of Laurel Hill; and $12.50/Youth (Ages 6-12).
Elmwood Park Zoo (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) will hosting a “Zoo Snooze” on June 6 at 5 p.m.
Participants can discover what happens at the zoo after the sun goes down at Elmwood Park Zoo’s “Zoo Snooze” overnight campouts.
The “Campout” includes: Dinner and Continental Breakfast, Campfire & activities, Educational show featuring animal ambassadors, Giraffe feeding the next day and Zoo admission the next day.
Pricing is $80 for adults and $12 for children (under 2).
On June 7 from noon-4 p.m., it will be time for another edition of the Zoo’s “Centennial Saturdays.”
The Centennial celebration features festivities with your family and friends with a series of exciting events.
Participants will be able to enjoy live entertainment, indulge in a delicious birthday treat, and be amazed by the Zoo’s captivating animal shows.
On June 8, Hope Lodge (553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, 215-343-0965, http://www.ushistory.org/hope/) will be hosting the “Eighth Annual Ales & Petals/ Cars & Motorcycles of England Car Show” along with a nationally sanctioned Jaguar Concours d’Elegance.
Visitors can enjoy food, live music, kids’ activities and craft beers and wines in addition to a tour of one of the largest British motoring shows on the East Coast with more than 250 classic British cars and motorcycles.
There will be Hope Lodge Mansion Tours from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and live music by the Mark Amentt Jazz Trio from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
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.
Admission is $10 for adults with children (12 & Under) admitted free.
Mt. Cuba Center (3120 Barley Mill Road, Hockessin, Delaware, 302-239-4244, www.mtcubacenter.org) is hosting “Mt. Cuba Garden History Tour” on June 7 at 11 a.m.
This tour covers the 90-year transformation of Mt. Cuba Center’s landscape from its beginnings as a private country estate to a public botanical garden.
Participants can learn about the many people, ideas, and ecologically inspired vision that have contributed to the design and evolution of the gardens over time.
The tour lasts one hour and is $7 in addition to admission — $20 for adults and $10 for children (ages 6-17).
Penns Woods Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, http://www.pennswoodswinery.com) will present “Live Music on the Lawn” every weekend now through October.
Brooke DiCaro will perform on June 7 from 2-5 p.m.
Ashley Sweetman will perform on June 8 from 1-4 p.m.
Brandywine Valley has quite a few museums and tourist sites that provide both residents and tourists with diverse ways to spend leisure time.
You can take advantage of these options with the 2025 Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport (www.visitwilmingtonde.com/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 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 over $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.
A sure sign that summer is just around the corner is the opening of the “Festival of Fountains” at Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www.longwoodgardens.org).
The “Festival of Fountains” opened for the season on May 9 and will run until September 28.
Longwood Gardens’ Open Air Theatre and Italian Water Garden fountains has sprung to life as has the Square Fountain, Round Fountain (Flower Garden Walk), Sylvan Fountain (Peirce’s Park), and Children’s Corner fountains.
The season of renewal and growth has started. Dancing fountains, performances under the stars, and beautiful gardens make the Festival of Fountains at Longwood Gardens magical.
The spectacular celebration of music, light, water, and nature includes distinctive garden experiences indoors and out.
Before the fountain performances, guests can sit under the stars and enjoy live music and refreshing brews and pub fare in Longwood’s Beer Garden. Other dining options at Longwood are 1906 Fine Dining and The Café.
As the season unfolds, flowering trees delightfully punctuate the landscape, radiant tulips stretch toward the sun, and the delicious fragrance of wisteria floats along the breeze.
Visitors can also enjoy special exhibits at the Orchid House.
Admission to Longwood Gardens is $35 for adults, $31 for seniors and college students, $26 for active military and $20 for youth.
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.”
“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 acclaimed collection highlighting the diverse stories of inventors from all walks of life.
In the exhibition, visitors will enjoy engaging experiences around every corner, testing their knowledge of innovation and hearing personal accounts from inventors.
“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.
There are three special events coming up — Science Saturday, Blacksmithing and Walking Tour.
At this weekend’s Science Saturday event, which will be held Saturday at 11 a.m., participants will have a chance to build a ballon-powered car and test how much cargo it can carry across a finish line.
It will be an opportunity to witness Newton’s Third Law of Motion in motion.
Visitors of all ages are invited to discover solutions to science and engineering challenges. This is a drop-in activity and is included in admission and free to members.
The Blacksmithing event, which will take place on June 7 at 1 p.m., is a special demonstration of metalworking by John Bangor.
On July 9, the Walking Tour will begin promptly at 11 a.m. at Hagley’s Visitor Center. This week’s theme is “Workers’ World.”
Admission to Hagley is $20 for adults, $16 for students and seniors (62+) and $10 for children (6-14).
Thursdays through Sundays, Rockwood Park & Museum (4671 Washington Street Ext, Wilmington, Delaware, 4671 Washington Street Ext, Wilmington, www.newcastlede.gov/431/Rockwood-Park-Museum) is presenting “Self-Guided Museum Tours.”
Visitors will be able to explore the grandeur, history and beauty of Rockwood Mansion, home of the Shipley, Bringhurst and Hargraves families for 120 years. This tour emphasizes the magnificent mansion interiors and stories of the families that lived there.
The 2025 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 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.
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Route 52, Wilmington, Delaware, 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org) has attractions both indoors and outdoors going on right now.
There seems to be no end to what’s in bloom — and in almost every corner of the garden.
White flowers of kousa dogwoods, deutzias, and mock oranges invite you to visit Sycamore Hill. Visitors can wander the garden paths to discover the delicate beauty of pink mountain laurels and pale Pink Leda roses at the Bristol Summerhouse.
In Azalea Woods and Enchanted Woods, look for the flowers of martagon hybrid lilies opening. A few late-flowering peonies can be found in the Lower Peony Garden, while ferns cover the shady March Bank.
Admission to Winterthur is $25 for adults, $23 for seniors and students and $8 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 2025 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.
Admission to Chanticleer is $15 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) is located on a wooded promontory overlooking the Delaware River.
It 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.
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.
A comfortable way to sit back and enjoy the colors of spring is to take a ride on a tourist rail line train.
The West Chester Railroad (610-430-2233, www.wcrailroad.com) is running its “Picnic Specials” every Sunday now through September 8 at noon each day.
Passengers can enjoy a relaxing 90-minute train ride from West Chester to Glen Mills and return on a warm summer afternoon. They can also pack a lunch to have during the excursion’s stop at the Glen Mills train station picnic grove.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children (ages 2-12).
The Strasburg Rail Road (Route 741, Strasburg, 717-687-7522, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running a special train on June 6 at 4 and 6 p.m. — 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 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.
Tickets are $79.
The New Hope Railroad (32 West Bridge Street, New Hope, 215-862-2332, www.newhoperailroad.com) is running its “Grapevine Express” on June 6, 7 and 8.
Riders will embark on a nostalgic journey, immersing themselves in the elegance and grandeur of America’s golden age of railroads.
They will ride in premium parlor and lounge cars for an intimate, approximately one-hour journey through the scenic woodlands and rolling foothills of Bucks County.
The attentive parlor car attendants will ensure guests comfort throughout the trip, providing exceptional food and beverage service.
Guests will be indulged with a decadently rich cheese and charcuterie board that balances with the wine and spirits experienced on their journey.
Moreover, guests aged 21 and over will be treated to their choice of exquisite wine, crafted beer, or unique whiskey flight, all locally sourced from the bounty of Bucks County.
Tickets are $99.
The Northern Central Railway (2 West Main Street, New Freedom, www.northerncentralrailway.com) is hosting a very special event the next two weekends — “Glen Rock Express with No. 85.”
Scheduled for June 7, 8, 14 and 15, the excursions are an all-ages one-hour ride powered by the No. 85 Steam Locomotive.
Riders will travel to Glen Rock and back with “MACK” Steam Goal burning steam engine, #85 on the former Pennsylvania Railroad mainline that has been in operation since 1838.
The excursion follows the route of the original Northern Central Railroad through the scenic Heritage Rail Trail County Park. Passengers will be able to learn about the history of the towns and villages they pass along the way.
Departures are 11:30 a.m., 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. on June 7, 8 and 15 and 3 and 5 p.m. on June 14.
Tickets are $34.99 for adults and $24.99 for children.
The Colebrookdale Railroad (South Washington Street, Boyertown, www.colebrookdalerailroad.com) is running its “Secret Valley Expedition” on June 11.
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 $45 for adults (13-64), $30 for children (2-12), $40 for seniors (65 and older) and $20 for toddlers.
If you enjoy walking around garden displays or if you like to look at model railroad layouts, then you should definitely check out the Garden Railway Display at the Morris Arboretum & Garden (100 Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, www.morrisarboretum.org).
The ultra-popular Garden Railway Display has become a major summer attraction at The Gardens at Morris Arboretum. The 27th annual edition of the display opened in May 23 and will remain open until September 30.
This summer, Morris Arboretum will unveil a brand-new exhibition in its popular Garden Railway – “Garden Railway: World Pollinators,” part of its new summer-long exhibition, “Bees, Butterflies & Blooms: A Pollinator Paradise.”
As one of the largest outdoor miniature train displays in the United States, the Garden Railway will delight and amaze visitors of all ages.
The railway has a quarter mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels with 15 different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under) and bustling model trains.
The buildings and the display are all made of natural materials – bark, leaves, twigs, hollow logs, mosses, acorns, dried flowers, seeds and stones – to form a perfectly proportioned miniature landscape complete with miniature rivers.
Philadelphia-area landmarks are all meticulously decorated for the holidays with lights that twinkle. There is even a masterpiece replica of Independence Hall are made using pinecone seeds for shingles, acorns as finials and twigs as downspouts.
Visitors will be able to see miniature replicas of iconic structures at some of America’s most famous public gardens including the Climatron at Missouri Botanical Garden, Torii Gate and Pavilion at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Science Pyramid at Denver Botanic Gardens, and so much more.
Admission is $22 for adults; $20 for seniors (65 and older); $12 for youth (ages 13-17 or with ID), active military and retired military; and free for children (under 3).
A great place to enjoy flowers in bloom is Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134, www.tylerarboretum.org).
The arboretum’s schedule for this weekend features the “Saturday Wildflower Walk: Spring Edition” at 1 p.m. on June 7 and “Bluebird Nesting Box Tour” at 11:30 a.m. on June 8.
On Saturday, guests can join wildflower expert Dick Cloud on an informative two-hour hike that takes them through meadows, woods, and occasionally streamside.
Although the focus is on plants, Cloud will talk about whatever participants might see while they are out.
Sunday’s tour is more specific.
For more than 50 years, volunteers at Tyler Arboretum have been monitoring the nesting activities of the Eastern Bluebird. This is a family-friendly tour to share this tradition.
Admission to Tyler Arboretum is $18 for adults (ages 18-64), $15 for seniors (65 and older) and $10 for children (ages 3-17) and Military with valid ID.
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 it will time for “Choo-Choo Soul Concerts.”
Guests can follow the musical adventures of Disney Jr.’s hip-hop singer, train station manager Genevieve Goings and her dancing, beat-boxing engineer DC as they entertain guests while performing soulful and current renditions of the ABC’s and 1-2-3’s.
The concerts will be held at Sesame Street Theater each day at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Ticket prices for Sesame Place start at $59.99.
