Day Trippin'

Holiday happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Berks barn stars

"Pennsylvania German Barn Stars: A Necessary Re-evaluation of a Folk Tradition" is presented at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Daniel Boone Homestead, 400 Daniel Boone Road, north of Route 422, Birdsboro. For more information, call (610) 582-4900.

Cape May holiday

Cape May, N.J.'s Holiday Preview Weekend is Friday through Sunday. Enjoy a variety of special Christmas tours and events before it starts getting crowded. Highlights include the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. Saturday, holiday lights, trolley rides, Emlen Physick Estate Christmas tours, Ghosts of Christmas Past Trolley Rides, Santa's Trolley Rides and more.

It's also a Cape May Wine Weekend. The weekend begins at 6 p.m. Friday with a four-course dinner at the Washington Inn, featuring wines themed to the Sunday Wine School Class. Guests will be treated to individual attention from the wine steward. At 3 p.m. Saturday, visit the Cape May Winery for a tour of the vineyard, an introduction to the winemaker's art, and a barrel tasting with cheese and fruit. At 1 p.m. Sunday, it's the Wine School Class at the Washington Inn. The complete package is $135 per person.

For more information or to make reservations, call (800) 275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

Closer than you think

The Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, N.J., combines art, science, theater and history. A highlight of the museum's collection is "The Guinness Collection" of musical machines and mechanical figures, which document the earliest beginnings of today's home entertainment industry. Other current exhibitions include "Horseplay: A History of Equestrian Sports in New Jersey" through Jan. 3; "Global Patterns: Architectural Photographs by Daniel Nadler" through April 18; and "Sculpture by Sassona Norton and from the Collections of the Morris Museum" through Dec. 31. Upcoming special events include a Rock and Mineral Weekend Nov. 28-29, plus programs for children, adults and seniors. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $7, $5 for children, students and seniors, free on Thursdays between 1 and 8 p.m. Call (973) 971-3700 or visit www.morrismuseum.org.

Heard of Sundance?

DeSales University's Screendance Festival features dance works choreographed specifically for being filmed. Check it out at 8 p.m. Friday or 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday at the DeSales University Center, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley. Admission is free. Call (610) 282-3192.

Mural story

Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown, features "The Founding of the State of Liberty Spiritual: Violet Oakley's Studies for the Governor's Reception Room Murals" Sunday through May 23 in the Payne Hurd Gallery. In 1902, young artist Violet Oakley was chosen to create 13 murals for the new state capitol building, which was then under construction. The commission was a milestone in American art, for it was the largest public commission given to an American woman at the time. Her murals depicted the story of William Penn and the founding of Pennsylvania. The exhibition includes 11 of the original oil studies Oakley prepared before painting the actual murals. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $6, $4 for seniors 60+ and students, $3 for children 6-12, free on Sundays. Call (610) 432-4333 or visit www.allentownartmuseum.org.

Jazz at Symphony

Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown, offers a jazz cabaret with Lou Czechowski at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Rodale Community Room. Tickets are $20. Call (610) 432-6715.

Comic and Bruce

The State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, presents comedian Stephen Lynch at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $25 and $35. Bruce in the USA, a tribute to Bruce Springsteen, performs at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $20 and $25. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit

www.statetheatre.org.
Fermented fast

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries hold a Nouveau Weekend 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday to give the public its first opportunity to try the first wines of the 2009 vintage. Get directions and more information at www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com.
Song and dance

- Municipal Opera Company of Allentown presents "Anything Goes" at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1544 Hamilton St., Allentown. Tickets range from $10-$25. Call (610) 437-2441.

- "Christmas at the Pines" runs through Dec. 27 at Pines Dinner Theater, 448 N. 17 th St., Allentown. Matinees are at 2 p.m. Wednesdays through Sunday, with the meal at noon. Evening performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, and Wednesdays in December, with the meal at 6. Call (610) 926-3702 or visit www.pinesdinnertheater.com.

Popera stars

The Canadian popera tenors known as Destino meld opera, soul, gospel and pop at 7 p.m. Friday at the Zoellner Arts Center's Baker Hall, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets are $20, $55 if you're attending the dinner at 6 p.m. (wine and beer cost extra). Call (610) 758-2787 or visit www.zoellnerartscenter.org.

On the silk road

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:57:00 +0000

Star simulation

Penn's Peak, 325 Maury Road, Jim Thorpe, presents 2U and Invisible Sun, playing the hits of U2 and The Police, respectively, at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $19 in advance, $24 the day of the show. Call (866) 605-7325 or go to www.pennspeak.com.

'Neck breaking' show

"There, I've Broken My Neck: A Night of Theatrical Disasters," a one-man show by David Kane, chronicles the stories of theatrical mishaps of famous American and British stage actors at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Tickets are $13. Call (610) 432-7961.
Small world

"The World of Miniatures," a display of miniature vignettes exploring the seasons and winter holidays, is on view Friday through Jan. 20 at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $6 adults, $3 for children. Call (610) 435-1074.
Performing arts

The Williams Center at Lafayette College, High Street, Easton, presents the Yamato Taiko Drummers of Japan at 8 tonight. Tickets are $28.

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center is in concert at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $20.

"An Evening of A Cappella" features Lafayette's student-led ensembles Cadence, Chorduroys, Quintessence and Soulfege, among others, at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $6. Call (610) 330-5009.
Silky smooth

Opening Saturday and continuing through Aug. 16 at the American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79th Street, New York, N.Y., is "Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World." Step back 1,000 years to get a feel for the goods, cultures, and technologies connected with Xi'an, Turfan, Samarkand and Baghdad. Today through Saturday, the museum hosts the Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival, featuring documentaries and guest speakers. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. daily. For more information, call (212) 769-5100 or visit www.amnh.org.

Storage style

Scholar Gregory Huber presents "Barn Styles Across Southeastern Pennsylvania" at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Daniel Boone Homestead, 400 Daniel Boone Road, north of Route 422, Birdsboro. For more information, call (610) 582-4900.
Serious about fun

Pittsburgh has a new museum of cartoon art, called the ToonSeum, that opens to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday at 945 Liberty Ave. The ToonSeum will feature new exhibitions every two to three months, beginning with "Enchanted Drawings: A Century of Animation," featuring original art from Gertie the Dinosaur to SpongeBob Squarepants. Rare artifacts in the ToonSeum collection include an animation director's desk from one of Disney's early studios. And yes, there's a gift shop. Admission is $4, $3 for children 5-17. Visit www.toonseum.org, and for advance tickets for opening weekend, go to https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87269.
To the Jersey side

A Mano Gallery, 42 N. Union St., Lambertville, N.J., hosts the Bucks County Guild of Craftsmen's fall exhibit and sale, "Arts Across the River." On view Saturday through Jan. 15, the assemblage of work features a variety of fine handcrafts, including fiber arts, jewelry, turned wood, pottery and furniture. For hours and more information, call (215) 862-5122 or visit www.amanogalleries.com.

Music, drama and food

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Events in the region over the weekend:

Reworked classics

- Touchstone Theatre, 321 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem, opens its mainstage season with a new adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," tonight through Nov. 15. It is a show for all ages, but is recommended for older children and adults. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $25, $15 for students and seniors. Tonight's opening show is "pay what you will at the door." Call (610) 867-1689 or visit www.touchstone.org.

Accompanying the show in the Touchstone Gallery will be "The Pleasures and Terrors of a Truthful Reportage: 12 Portraits of Jacques Lecoq" by H. Scott Heist. The exhibit pairs the portraits with their featured use in publications such as the Sunday "New York Times," "Total Theatre" (UK) and "American Theatre." A reception for the exhibit will follow the Nov. 14 performance of "The Tempest."

- "The Sound of Music" was never like this. Doug Elkins and Friends take the recognizable songs from "Sound" and add dance moves associated with George Balanchine, Jose Limon, Paul Taylor and Martha Graham in "Fraulein Maria." Show time is 8 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Williams Center at Lafayette College, High Street Easton. Tickets are $20. Call (610) 330-5009.

Deduce from clues

Friday through Sunday, it's a Sherlock Holmes Weekend in Cape May, N.J. Full weekend packages are available at $180 per couple or $95 per person and include the welcome reception, performances, tour, luncheon and a gift. Weekend overnight packages are also available. The Search for Clues tour on Saturday can be purchased separately. Get more information at (800) 275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

Tasty combo

The Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown, presents "Cocktails & Collecting" from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday. The fall fundraiser features hors d'oeuvres and open bar. Cost is $125. make reservations at (610) 432-4333, ext. 10 or events@allentownartmuseum.org.

Singing rabbi

Neshama Carlebach performs with the Green Pastures Baptist Church Choir at 8 p.m. Saturday at Har Zion Temple, 1500 Hagys Ford Road, Penn Valley. Tickets are $25, $18 for students, $50 for reserved seating, $150 for orchestra seating (comes with a signed CD). Call (610) 667-5000 or go to www.neshamasingsphilly.com.

November already?
Tours of Koziar's Christmas Village begin Saturday at 782 Christmas Village Road, Bernville. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Get a preview at www.koziarschristmasvillage.com. Call (610) 488-1110.

Enjoy the scenery

The 14th annual Trail of Two Cities run/walk over the Ninth Street Causeway in Ocean City, N.J., begins at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Ocean City Transport Center, 10th and Haven Avenue, and ends in Kennedy Park in Somers Point. Registration is $25, $60 for a family of four. Call (609) 525-9300 or (609) 927-2053, ext. 3101.

Breweriana

The Great Northeastern U.S.

Brewery Collectibles Show runs 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in Macungie Park's Memorial Hall, Route 100, Macungie. Admission is $5, free for ages 18 and under.

Colorful costumes, culture

The Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company leaps into the Zoellner Arts Center for a show at 8 tonight. The concert will be in Baker Hall, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets are $28 and $34. Call (610) 758-2787 or visit www.zoellnerartscenter.org.

For women AND men

Comedian Robert Dubac tackles the age-old question of "what do women want?" in the show "The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron?" at 8 p.m. Saturday at the State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. Tickets are $30 and $35. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

King of horror

Author Stephen King discusses his career during a "New York Times Talk" simulcast viewable at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Tickets are $15, $10 for seniors and students. Call (610) 432-6715.

History, Halloween and hops

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:36:00 +0000

Back in time

- The Conrad Weiser Homestead, 28 Weiser Lane, Womelsdorf, has a French & Indian War Interpretive Sunday going on from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Historic guided tours are at 1 and 3 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to talk to re-enactors about the historical context, clothing and equipment of soldiers of the French and Indian War period. Admission is free. Call (610) 589-2934.

- Explore autumn customs, foods, traditional crafts and seasonal fun at Harvest Day 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Washington Crossing Historic Park, Routes 32 and 532, Upper Makefield. Take a look at the 1770s and 1830s in the historic village with a meal cooking on an open hearth, apple cider pressing, a Colonial kitchen garden and more. Demonstrations include coopering (barrel maker), chair caning, blacksmithing and more. Guests can meet the tavern keeper in the McKonkey Ferry Inn, talk to artisans selling their wares and be introduced to the historic uses of herbs. Turn the crank on the cider press, jump into the hay pile and play old-fashioned games. Cost is $8, $6 for children 6-17. Call (215) 493-4076 or visit www.ushistory.org/washingtoncrossing.

Haunted

- In honor of the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birth, Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Road, Media, presents "Tales from Poe" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays Oct. 21-Nov. 15. Dr. Morane, who witnesses the death of Poe, is haunted by his ghost and he experiences the worlds of "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Tell-Tale Heart," "Ligeia," "William Wilson" and "The Masque of the Red Death." Tickets are $20 with $3 discounts for seniors and students and $12 for children 18 and under. Call (610) 565-4211 or visit www.hedgerowtheatre.org.

- The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, Route 72 off of Pennsylvania Turnpike exit 266, Cornwall, offers a Halloween Daze and Spooky Knights theme weekend 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 1. Tickets are $29.95, $9.95 for children 5-11. Call (717) 665-7021, ext. 231 or visit www.parenfaire.com.

- From Friday through Halloween, it's Halloween Happenings in Cape May, N.J. The two weeks of specially-themed tours and events including Ghostwriter Trolley Rides, Miss Parmentier's Psychic Teas, Historic Haunts Combination Tours, Phantoms of the Physick Estate and more. Call (800) 275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

Barns, farms, houses

- The Bedminster Land Conservancy holds its fifth annual Barns & Farms Tour 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Walk through working barns that serve multiple uses and visit properties that provide a glimpse of a past era. There will be demonstrations on horseback riding, sheepherding, wood carving and more. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 on Sunday, free to children under 12.

Call (215) 795-2352 or visit www.bedminsterlandconservancy.org.

- Trinity Episcopal Church of Solebury holds its 19th annual House Tour 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Four Solebury stone homes will get their settings, style and furnishings showcased. Tickets are $30. Children under 12 are not permitted. Gourmet box lunches will be offered for $12. Lunches must be pre-ordered and are picked up at Trinity the day of the tour. Call (215) 297-8285 or visit www.trinitysolebury.org/housetour.

Different kinds of Indian

- Seven young, Indian musicians put a contemporary twist on traditional Indian classical music as Shastriya Syndicate and dancer Ramya Ramnarayan perform at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets are $18 and $22. Call (610) 758-3414 or visit www.zoellnerartscenter.org .

- The Museum of Indian Culture (meaning Native American), 2825 Fish Hatchery Road, Allentown, holds the "A Time of Thanksgiving Festival" from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy Native American drumming, craft and jewelry vendors, food, "lifeways demonstrations," dancing, singing, a children's craft area, Aztec Fire Dancers and more. Admission is $5, $4 for seniors and children 12-17. Call (610) 797-2121 or e-mail info@museumofindianculture.org.

Beer, wine, dessert

- Lehigh Valley Brewfest 2009 is set for 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday in Hugh Moore Park, 2750 Hugh Moore Park Road, Easton. Have a taste of more than 30 microbrewed beers and enjoy food and entertainment. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the gate, $5 for designated drivers. Call (610) 967-6256 or visit www.lvbrewfest.org .

- It's a Chambourcin Weekend 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the nine Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries. Chamourcin is the only type of wine that all of them have in common. Get directions and a complete list of special events at www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com.

- The Just Desserts Festival happens 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday in South Side Bethlehem on the luminaria-lit Third and Fourth streets. Enjoy live entertainment and sample more than 30 desserts. Get unlimited desserts for $10, or $1 per sample. Call (610) 841-5831.

Steepest and deepest

The Banff Mountain Film Festival captures the thrill of skiing, kayaking and extreme mountain sports at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Colonial Theater on Bridge Street, Phoenixville. For tickets and information, call Philadelphia Rock Gym at (877) 822-7673.

Rare breed

The Lipizzaner Stallions perform their brand of equine ballet at 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday at the Stabler Arena, 124 Goodman Drive, Bethlehem. Tickets are $22.50, $20.50 for seniors and children 12 and under. Call (610) 758-6611.
Educated Oktoberfest

Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast's "Deutches Kuche Vernuggen" tour/demo is scheduled Friday through Sunday. The package includes a Bavarian cooking demonstration; dinner at Stoudt's, a German themed establishment that makes beer according to the Bavarian Purity Law; and a tour of Landis Valley Museum. The package costs $160. Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast is at 311 E. Main St., New Holland. Call (888) 824-3763 or visit www.harvestmoonbandb.com.

Fall fun

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:49:00 +0000

Events for the week of October 1 - October 8

Musical theater

- The musical "Camelot" is on stage at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets are $33 and $40. Call (610) 758-3414 or visit www.zoellnerartscenter.org.

- The DuPont Theatre, 1007 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del., presents "Girls Night: The Musical" at 8 p.m. tonight and Friday. Tickets range from $38-$55. Call (800) 338-0881 or visit www.duponttheatre.com.

- Puppets, people surviving in New York City, big dreams with a tiny bank account and adult humor are featured in the musical "Avenue Q" at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Sovereign Center, 136 N. Sixth St., Reading. Tickets range from $38-$65. Call (610) 898-7299.

Big Halloween party

Six Flags Great Adventure, Route 537, Jackson, N.J., presents Fright Fest from 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 1. It will also be open 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Columbus Day on Oct. 12. Daytime attractions include "Monster Mash Bash - A Tale of Love at First Fright," "Mr. Six's Spooktacular Street Party," "Kidz Scary-oke," the "Get Ready to Wiggle" Halloween show and "Professor Slithers Creepy Critters." After 6 p.m., the ghouls come out and it's strictly for ages 12+ with "The Awakening," "Elvira's Superstition," "Dead Man's Party," two haunted outdoor walking trails and more. Admission is $49.99 plus tax, $39.99 plus tax online at www.sixflags.com, $29.99 plus tax for children under 54 inches tall and disabled patrons. Call (732) 928-1821.

Musical diversity

- Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer perform together in concert at 8 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Williams Center at Lafayette College, High Street, Easton. Tickets are $33.

- Violinist Janine Jansen joins the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at the Williams Center at 8 p.m. Oct. 7. Tickets are $29. Call (610) 330-5009 or visit www.lafayette.edu/williamscenter.

People of the corn

Miller's Orchards Farm Market, 1515 Fairview Road, Clarks Summit, has a seven-acre corn maze, which pays tribute to the TV show "The Office." Hours through Nov. 1 are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Cost is $8.50, free to children under 2. Call (570) 780-1019 or visit www.millersorchard.com.

Think conservation

Snipes Farm, 890 W. Bridge St., Morrisville, features a Green Living Festival starting at 10 a.m. Saturday with information on organic farming, alternative energy demonstrations, green building construction, music, healthy living workshops, yoga, vendors, family activities and more. The music lineup features Hoots & Hellmouth and Natural Breakdown. General admission is $6.50. Visit www.farmschoolatsnipes.org.

Pioneer spirit

Pioneer Festival is a living history event with Native American and Pennsylvania Dutch pioneer demonstrations of blacksmithing, log hewing, pottery and soap making, story telling, music, tours of the Zeisloff log house and the recreated Fort Everett and more. You'll find it 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in Ontelaunee Park, Route 143 off Route 309, New Tripoli. Bring your own seating. Call (610) 298-2309.

All American

The Allentown Symphony Orchestra and guest vocal soloists Julie-Ann Whitley Green and Edward Pleasant perform works by Gershwin, Copland and Bernstein at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Allentown Symphony Hall 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Tickets range from $25-$45. Before the Sunday performance, there will be a related "Americana: Art and Music in Allentown" presentation at 12:30 p.m. at the Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown. Then there will be light refreshments at 1:30 p.m. in the auditorium, which will be followed by a preconcert lecture at 2 p.m. Symphony patrons will receive a special buy one, get one free discount to view the exhibit "A Force for Change" on Sunday. Call (610) 432-6715.

Toast to October

Oktoberfest 2009 is open to the public and held 5 to 10 tonight, 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday in the Grove at the Reading Liederkranz, 143 Spook Lane, Reading. For more information, call (610) 373-3982 or visit www.readingliederkranz.com.

Stroll the Susquehanna

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:18:00 +0000

By: Aixa Torregrosa, Lifestyle Editor

Earlier this summer my husband and I decided to check out Susquehanna State Park in Maryland.
I know, there are plenty of parks and trails around here and Pennsylvania boasts beautiful and scenic natural areas. But we, specially I, had to check it out.
It was worth the effort.
The park is roughly 2 hours from our area and a few minutes off I95 once you go across the bridge over the Susquehanna River near Havre de Grace.
The park runs parallel to the river .
After leaving I95 and the main roads, we drove through some beautiful rolling hills, the smell of honeysuckle -- and dead animals -- in the air.
At the park you can go hiking, camping, boating, fishing, biking, birding, among other activities, and visit the Rock Run Historic Area. For information, check http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/susquehanna.html or call (410) 557-7994
Our visit consisted of walking along the river, getting to enjoy the scenery and biking. We biked the
Greenway Trail which starts at Fisherman’s Park at the Conowingo Dam. We enjoyed a warm (but not too hot) day and were treated to striking views of the river, hundreds of herons to watch and an almost-empty trail. Though it is a long drive, for us, it was worth it. The area is beautiful. We also visited Havre the Grace. It is a quaint town with walkable streets, shops to browse and quite a few restaurants. We didn’t get to any museums, but you can visit the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum and the Concord Point Light & Keeper’s House among other sites. Check http://www.hdgtourism.com. On another recent visit to Havre de Grace we took mom along and enjoyed walking the 3/4-mile boardwalk alongside the Susquehanna River and from which you can access some points of interest in town including the Concord Point Lighthouse. You can catch sweeping views of the river and enjoy some bird watching. There are some benches along the way and while taking a rest at one of them, we watched a seagull catch a rather large fish, toss it around until it swallowed it and then do a little neck dance to send the unfortunate fish down to its belly.
So head down the Mason/Dixon line. You can make it a day at either place, the park or at Havre de Grace. Both places are worth checking out. And if you stop at Fisherman’s Pak at the Conowingo Dam you may be treated to eagles sightings and the occasional black snake, like the one that scared the bejesus out of me and kept my husband laughing (at me) for a while on that first visit.
Note: Since we still have warm days ahead, do not forget the sun block and the bug spray. Carry your own water as well and take your trash with you after you visit.

Labor Day weekend fun

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:51:00 +0000

By BRIAN BINGAMAN

Barbecue jam

WXPN welcomes the Camden County Backyard BBQ. The free event runs 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday in Wiggins Waterfront Park and Marina, Mickle Street and Riverside Drive, Camden, N.J. There will be activities promoting health and wellness, Cajun barbecue, Latin food, concessions, children’s activities and live music by Robert Randolph and the Family Band, George Porter Jr., Russell Batiste, Brian Stoltz, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Tasha Taylor, 61 North, D-For and Subito Sounds. Go to www.ccparks.com.

Seasons start

- The Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, opens its 13th season with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White performing as a trio at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $35 and $40. Call (610) 758-ARTS or visit www.zoellnerartscenter.org.

- Chamber music meets contemporary with Ethel, as the Williams Center for the Arts at Lafayette College, Hamilton and High streets, Easton, begins its Performance Series. The concert is at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $15. Call (610) 330-5009 or visit www.lafayette.edu/williamscenter.

Wine mixed with jazz

Chaddsford Winery, 632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, hosts its Labor Day Weekend Jazz Festival from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Bring your own picnic or purchase food on site. Along with wine tastings, there will be music by the Steve Rudolph Quartet and the Victory Jazz Orchestra on Saturday, Papa John DeFrancesco, and Denis DiB and George Rabbai on Sunday, and the Dave Posmontier Quartet and Budesa Brothers on Labor Day. Cost is $25. Call (610) 388-6221.

Nordic peoples

Celebrate the history and culture of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden during Scandinavian Fest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Vasa Park, 1 Wolfe Road, Budd Lake, N.J. Highlights include craft and gift vendors, more than 50 performers on four stages, children’s activities, a Viking longboat, folk dancing and more. Admission is $14, $13 for seniors, free to children under 12. Visit www.scanfest.org.

Higher purpose

Christian rock, hip-hop and singer-songwriters, plus guest speakers, a BMX team and a skateboard team, will all be a part of Revelation Generation on Friday and Saturday at Revelation Farms, 45 Fitzer Road, Frenchtown, N.J. Headliners include Mercy Me, Jars of Clay, Switchfoot, Relient K, Barlow Girl, Underoath, Flyleaf and more. Tickets are $45 for Friday, $50 for Saturday, $85 for both days. For the complete schedule, go to www.revgen.org.

Stars of bluegrass

The Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music presents the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, Friday through Sunday at the Salem County Fair Grounds, Route 40, west of Woodstown, N.J. Musical flavors include bluegrass, old-timey, Cajun music and Scottish- and French-related Canadian music. The bill includes Marty Stuart, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, The Grascals, Marty Raybon & Full Circle, The Gibson Brothers, April Verch, Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass and the Steep Canyon Rangers. A Children’s Stage will be in operation on Friday and Saturday and will feature the Give & Take Jugglers, magician Chris Capehart and folksingers John and June Gallagher. Call (302) 635-3001 or visit www.delawarevalleybluegrass.org.

Labor Day traditions

- Long’s Park, 1441 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, is the site of the Long’s Park Art and Craft Festival. Besides the works of 200 artists and craftspeople, there will be special events at 2 p.m. featuring other arts — writing on Friday, floral design Saturday, wearable art and jewelry on Sunday and culinary arts on Monday. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday, till 5 p.m. on Labor Day. Tickets are $10, $12 for a multi-day pass. Visit www.longspark.org.

- The 66th annual Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show and Country Fair is held 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday through Labor Day at the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show Grounds, just beyond the intersection of Routes 100 and 401, Glenmoore. On Saturday, the show will feature classes for younger riders and schooling classes. Hunters and jumpers, ranging from adult and child beginners to top regional competitors, will compete Sunday and Monday in sidesaddle, equitation, pleasure and classes for families, pairs and hunt teams. The show’s highlight, the Association Jumper Classic, will begin at 1 p.m. Monday. Exhibitions will feature the Pickering Hunt Pony Club competing in mounted games, and the Thorncroft Mainstreamers, a six-horse, 13-member drill team consisting of riders with and without disabilities ranging in age from 11-15. The Country Fair provides rides, games, shopping, entertainment, food and a tent with games and activities for kids. There will also be an antique and classic car show Sept. 7. Admission $7, $3 for children 12 and under. Call (610) 458-3344 or visit www.ludwigshorseshow.org.

Kids are king

- The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire offers free admission for children 5-11 (with a paid adult admission) during a Children’s Fantasy weekend, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Mount Hope Estate and Winery, Route 72, south of Pennsylvania Turnpike exit 266, Cornwall. Special activities this weekend only will be a birthday party with Queen Elizabeth, a “Children’s Interactive Music Workshop,” a Children’s Parade, children’s Renaissance crafts and entertainment from Mikael the Mime, Fool Hearty and Empty Hats. Tickets are $29.95, $9.95 for children 5-11. Call (717) 665-7021, ext. 231 or visit www.parenfaire.com.

- Help summer go out with a bang on Sunday as Sesame Place offers a dinner luau at 7:30 p.m. followed by a fireworks display at 8:30. Adults can enjoy the luau feast for $22 and children ages 2-11 are $16. The park is on Sesame Drive, Langhorne. Admission is $50.95, free for children under 23 months. Call (866) GO-4-ELMO or visit www.sesameplace.com.

Fly Eagles, fly

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Weekend fun

Taking flight

Philadelphia Eagles training camp returns to the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem. The rookies report starting Sunday, while the veterans start July 29. A popular activity is the autograph sessions that take place following the morning practice. Get the schedule and directions at www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/trainingcamp.html.

Sculpting statements

"Homage to Baskin" explores the work of sculptor and graphic artist Leonard Baskin, Sunday through Nov. 8 in the Payne Hurd Gallery at the Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown. Baskin's subjects include mythology, predatory birds, Old Testament themes, images reflecting death and the frailty of man, literary and artistic figures and social consciousness. At least 16 works will be displayed, including "Crow," one of his best known sculptures. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $6, $4 for seniors 60+ and students, $3 for children 6-12, free to members, children under 6 and to all on Sundays. Call (610) 432-4333 or visit www.allentownartmuseum.org.

Like the movie

The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown, presents "Living Night at the Museum" on Friday. Visitors go through six different scenes stationed throughout the museum, each featuring a re-enactor portraying a legendary figure from the Old West. One-hour tours start at 5:30 p.m. with a new tour every 15 minutes. The final tour starts at 9 p.m. Admission is $7, $5 for children. Call (610) 435-1074.

Take the train

It's a Kids Fun Weekend on Saturday and Sunday at the WK&S Railroad, 42 Community Center Drive, Kempton. This weekend only, there are free motorcar rides, free ice cream for all train riders, a petting zoo and more. Train rides are six miles round-trip and leave hourly from 1 to 4 p.m. Cost is $8, $4 for children 3-11. Call (610) 756-6469.

Sound of the blues

The 18th annual Pocono Blues Festival takes place Friday through Sunday at Big Boulder Ski Area, 1 South Lake Drive, Lake Harmony. There will be 20 national recording artists on three stages. Hours are 8 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $37 per day, $11 per day for children 6-12. Call (570) 443-8425 or visit www.jfbb.com.

Only handmade

The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen's Fine Craft Fair returns 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday to the Chase Center on the Riverfront, 815 Justison St., Wilmington, Del. Explore handmade works by more than 170 craftspeople in glass, jewelry, pottery, wood, metal, fabrics, furniture and more. Ten live demonstrations will give visitors perspective into how craftspeople approach their work. Admission is $7 ($1 off with the coupon from the guild's Web site, www.pacrafts.org), free for children under 12.

Wild blue yonder

- One of the highlights of the Warren County, N.J., Farmers Fair is the Hot Air Balloon Festival of Warren County. Check out mass balloon launches, tethered rides and county fair fun, Sunday through Aug. 1. The fairgrounds is off Route 519, north of Phillipsburg, N.J. Admission is $5, $3 for children 5-12. Get the complete schedule at www.warrencountyfarmersfair.org.

- The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning is held Friday through Sunday at the Solberg Airport, 37 Thor Solberg Road, Whitehouse Station, N.J. It features live music, crafts and hot air balloon launches of balloons shaped like Darth Vader, a giant panda, a golf ball and more. Entertainment includes Al Jardine, One Call, Meaghan Martin, Kool & the Gang and Michael McDonald. Ticket prices vary. Call (800) HOT-AIR-9 or visit www.balloonfestival.com.

Birthday party

Sesame Place, 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, celebrates the "Sesame Street" character Bert with a birthday celebration and fireworks on Sunday. At 7:30 p.m., there will be a luau-themed party with Bert, Ernie and other characters for $22 for adults and $16 for kids. The fireworks follow at 9. Park admission is $50.95, $45.95 for seniors, $47.95 for AAA members, free to children under 23 months. Call (866) GO-4-ELMO.

Great Americans

"Faces of a New Nation: American Portraits of the 18th and Early 19th Centuries from The Metropolitan Museum of Art" is at the Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, from Saturday through Jan. 24. See paintings portraying men, women and children across a span of nearly 150 years, including John Smibert, John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart and Samuel F.B. Morse. Winterthur is at 52 Winterthur Road, Winterthur, Del. Admission is $18, $16 for students and seniors, $5 for children 2-11. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Guided gallery walks through the exhibition are offered every Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m. Call (800) 422-1181.

Summer wine party

"Summerfest 2009: Caribbean Jam" happens 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Crossing Vineyards and Winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road, Upper Makefield. Enjoy Caribbean-style cuisine, live music and be sure to wear your favorite island shirt and flip-flops. Tickets are $50. Call (215) 493-6500, ext. 19.

A stay in history

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:53:00 +0000

Looking for a historic weekend getaway for the July Fourth weekend?

AAA Mid-Atlantic has released a list of historic inns that might just put you in a patriotic mood. According to AAA, 1,300 lodging properties are listed as 'historic' in their guides nationwide, including these 15 in the Philadelphia region:

1. Sweetwater Farm Bed & Breakfast, Glen Mills, AAA Three Diamond Rated

This beautifully appointed B&B on 50 acres features suites located in spacious cottages, plus comfortable guest rooms in an 18th-century manor house.

2. Kennett House Bed & Breakfast, Kennett Square, AAA Three Diamond Rated

A stone manor in the Foursquare architectural style, this 1910 house is attractively furnished with antiques and oriental rugs.

3. LaFayette’s Retreat, Lafayette Hill, AAA Three Diamond Rated

Set back amid tall oak trees, the guest house of this inn is quiet, and an on-site restaurant features a brewery with a variety of fresh beers.

4. Cornerstone Inn Bed & Breakfast, Landenberg, AAA Three Diamond Rated

Guest rooms in this Colonial-style country home and its adjacent outbuildings are elegantly furnished with 18th- and 19th-century antiques.

5. Pineapple Hill Bed & Breakfast Inn, New Hope, AAA Three Diamond Rated

Rooms at this stone and frame 18th-century Colonial manor house are traditionally furnished, with each having a private balcony or gas fireplace.

6. Fox & Hound Bed & breakfast of New Hope, AAA Three Diamond Rated

An 1850s stone manor, this B&B is on two-acre grounds; guest rooms offer simple yet tasteful homey decor.

Fox & Hound

7. Aaron Burr House Inn & Conference Center, New Hope, AAA Three Diamond Rated

Guest rooms at this charming Victorian-style 1872 home are furnished with a collection of antiques and feature artistic paint treatments.

8. 1870 Wedgwood Inn of New Hope, AAA Three Diamond Rated

This huge Victorian B&B features wood floors, area rugs, lace curtains and individually decorated rooms with fireplaces, plus a gazebo and a creek.

9. The Brick Hotel, Newtown, AAA Three Diamond Rated

It's said an aide to Napoleon Bonaparte once owned this hotel, which dates from 1764; guest rooms are comfortably appointed.

10. The Thomas Bond House, Philadelphia, AAA Two Diamond Rated

Convenient to downtown attractions, the 1769 Georgian Revival home has rooms from compact to comfortable, with antiques and reproductions.

11. Chestnut Hill Hotel, Philadelphia, AAA Three Diamond Rated

Near shops and restaurants on Germantown Avenue, rooms at this Colonial-style hotel are individually decorated with antique reproductions.

12. Best Western Independence Park Inn, Philadelphia, AAA Three Diamond Rated

This small property, built in 1856, has a boutique-style appeal; afternoon cookies and tea are available daily in the lobby area.

13. Alexander Inn, Philadelphia, AAA Three Diamond Rated

Find a fireplace in the lobby of this seven-story brick inn built in 1900; a parlor/breakfast room has a fireplace, artwork and decorative lighting.

14. Penn’s View Hotel, Philadelphia, AAA Three Diamond Rated

This charming 1828 structure, formerly a warehouse, offers elegant rooms with some upscale details; a few units have gas fireplaces.

15. Tattersall Inn, Point Pleasant, AAA Three Diamond Rated

This 18th-century, plastered-fieldstone manor is nestled in a riverside village close to shopping and restaurants.

Costume glitz

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:13:00 +0000

Hollywood glamor

"Fashion in Film: Period Costumes for the Screen" is on display Sunday through Aug. 9 in the Kress and Rodale Galleries at the Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown. The 36 period costumes span Elizabethan England to 1950s Argentina. The films in which the costumes were used include "Elizabeth," "Evita," "Dangerous Liaisons," "Ever After," "Pride and Prejudice," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," "Out of Africa," and "Titanic," among others. Mounted photo murals and posters from the films complete the show.

Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission to the exhibit is $5 in addition to regular admission of $6, $4 for seniors and students, $3 for children 6-12, free on Sundays. A Costume Preview Party is offered from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Come dressed as your favorite film character and enjoy food, drink and live music. RSVP to (610) 432-4333, ext. 29. Also visit www.allentownartmuseum.org.

'Quiet' time

Duck herding, sheep shearing, old time games, pony rides, horse-drawn wagon rides and more are a part of Farm Animal Frolic from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and May 23 and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday and May 24 at Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm, 1000 Turkey Hill Road, Stroudsburg. The farm comes alive with new baby farm animals, including chicks, baby bunnies, lambs, baby goats and piglets. Cost is $8, $5 for children 3-12. Call (570) 992-6161 or visit www.quietvalley.org.

Tuesday rocks

Buckcherry headlines a rock show with Chevelle, Pop Evil and Royal Bliss at 6:30 p.m. May 19 at the Stabler Arena, 124 Goodman Drive, Bethlehem. Tickets are $39.50. Call (610) 758-3770.

Watch the parade

The Celtic Cultural Alliance holds a 2009 Kilted Celtic Crawl to support the Celtic Classic event starting at 2 p.m. Sunday along Main Street in Bethlehem. The sponsored parade will feature pipe bands and highland dancers. Spectators are recommended to watch from Starters Riverport, 17 W. Second St., Bethlehem. Call (610) 868-9599 or visit www.cca.us.com.

Rhubarb revival

Kitchen Kettle Village, Route 340, Intercourse, is holding its 26th annual Rhubarb Festival and Baking Contest from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Highlights include the Rhubarb Race Car Derby, a Rollicking Rhubarb Stroll, the Rhubarb Whoopie Pie Filling Contest, food sampling, the crowning of the Rhubarb King and Queen, entertainment, cooking demonstrations and more. Call (800) 732-3538 or visit www.kitchenkettle.com.

Have you tried ...

From 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, 30 E. State St., Media, hosts the annual Brandywine Valley Craft Brewers Festival. Tickets are $35 online at www.ironhillbrewery.com and $40 at the door. Advance ticket purchase is advised. Call (610) 627-9000.

Offering 'Hope'

The Spring Concert of Hope, a Seeds for Tomorrow benefit concert for American and Iraqi children whose lives have been impacted by the Iraq War, is held 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday at 7248 Groveland Road, Pipersville. Performing will be Slo Mo with Mic Wrecka, Wineskin, Mike Pfeiffer, Best Intentions, The Plucking Grassholes, Hopetown Review, Steph Hayes, Rich Cashman and Hillbilly from Philly. Tickets are $40, $25 for students $25, free to children 12 and under. Call (215) 429-7310 or e-mail amy.mead@mac.com.

Dancing fiesta

Baila Conmigo, a three-day arts festival, is held Friday through Sunday in downtown Allentown with Latino music, dance, film and an International Peace Parade from the Allentown Arts Park to Buck Boyle Park. Get the complete schedule and ticket information at www.artsluminarium.org.

Star power

Saturday and Sunday is "Cookie Monster's 'Me Love Talented Kids' Weekend" at Sesame Place, 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne. Young performers are invited to showcase their talent. Call (215) 752-7070, ext. 222.

Bee in Bethlehem

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:56:00 +0000

Spell it out

The show "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is coming to the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Show time is 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $33 and $40, $26 and $32 for children 17 and under. Call (610) 758-2787 or visit www.zoellnerartscenter.org.

On 'Sesame Street'

"Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music" is at the Stabler Arena on the campus of Lehigh University, 124 Goodman Drive, Bethlehem. Show times are 7 tonight, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $14-$26. For opening night tonight, all seats (excluding Gold Circle) are $12. Call (610) 758-6611.

Beer fans flock

Mount Hope Estate, Route 72, south of Pennsylvania Turnpike exit 266, Cornwall, hosts 30 different breweries for BrewFest on Saturday. The festival is broken into two separate sessions — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. Maximize your BrewFest experience with a kickoff Friday night concert at the Swashbuckler Brewery & Restaurant with Scythian and The Punch Brothers. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the music begins at 6. Tickets are $26.95, $75 for the concert and VIP tasting Friday, $40 for designated drivers Friday, $40 for Saturday only, $15 Saturday only for designated drivers. Visit www.parenfaire.com.

Remember Nick Berg

Bergopalooza, a concert to benefit the Nick Berg Memorial Scholarship Fund, is set for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Note, 142 E. Market St., West Chester. Berg was kidnapped and murdered five years ago during the war in Iraq. Bands performing include The Inverse, Steppin' Razor, and Rob Perna and the New Kings of Rhythm. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted and there will be raffles and silent auctions.

Still dancing

"Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance" is at the Sovereign Center, 700 Penn St., Reading, at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets range from $37-$64.50. Call (800) 745-3000.

Misunderstood Mary

First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln attempts to clear her good name during "Tea with Mary Lincoln" with re-enactor Judi Cox at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown. During her lifetime, Lincoln was ridiculed as insane, eccentric and politically corrupt. Admission is $7, $5 for children. Call (610) 435-1074, ext. 14.

Begin with the beat

The Allentown Symphony presents a Musical Treasure Chest concert for ages 3-5 spotlighting percussion at 9:30 and 11 a.m. today and 10 a.m. Saturday at Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Tickets are $6.

A Jazz Cabaret with The Dave Roper Trio is offered at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Rodale Community Room at Symphony Hall. Tickets are $20.

Call (610) 432-6715.

Water adventures

- Whitewater Challengers, 288 N. Stagecoach Road, Weatherly, plans to take advantage of a whitewater dam release in Lehigh Gorge State Park between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday. Get started by calling (800) 443-8554 or visiting www.whitewaterchallengers.com for rates.

- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, 1700 Hawk Mountain Road, near Kempton, offers a Mother's Day Canoe Trip for ages 12 and up on the "Little Schuylkill" on Sunday. Cost is $20 and advance registration is required. Call (610) 756-6961.

Funny business

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:50:00 +0000

Last comics heard of

The State Theater, 453 Northampton St., Easton, brings back the Nobodies of Comedy show. This year's lineup has Ben Gleib, Erick James, Dan Boulger, Nore Davis and Tig Notaro starting at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $25. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

Derby Day

The Goggleworks Center for the Arts, 201 Washington St., Reading, celebrates the running of the Kentucky Derby from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday. Watch the race, sip mint juleps, and enjoy entertainment, games, raffles and gourmet food. Tickets are $75. Call (610) 374-4600.

Soul of Orbison

State Theater

The Jersey Shore Rock and Soul Revue pays tribute to Roy Orbison at 8 p.m. Saturday at the State Theater, 453 Northampton St., Easton. Tickets are $30 and $35. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

Before the fame

Children's Day runs noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Daniel Boone Homestead, 400 Daniel Boone Road, Birdsboro, explores the everyday childhood world of frontiersman Daniel Boone. Admission is $5.50, $4 for ages 4-15. Call (610) 582-4900.

Traditions continue

The Museum of Indian Culture's Spring Corn Festival runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 2825 Fish Hatchery Road, Allentown. The grand entrance is at noon and activities include American Indian drumming, craft and jewelry vendors, foods, dancing, singing, a children's craft area, Aztec fire dancers and more. Admission is $5, $4 for seniors and children 12 to 17. Call (610) 797-2121 or visit www.museumofindianculture.org.
Bach to Bach

The 102nd Bethlehem Bach Festival features lectures, concerts, festival luncheons and a buffet dinner over the course of two weekends, Friday and Saturday and May 8-9 at various venues. For a schedule and ticket information, visit www.bach.org or call (888) 743-3100.

Better with wine

- The Bear Creek Wine Festival is held 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Bear Creek Mountain Resort and Conference Center, 101 Doe Mountain Lane, Macungie. Enjoy wine samples at the base of the mountain, live music and seminars. Participating wineries include Blue Mountain Vineyards, Vinecrest Winery, Stonekeep Meadery, Paradocx Vineyard, Boyd's Cardinal Hollow Winery, Cherry Valley Vineyards, Hidden Creek Vineyard and Bastress Mountain Winery. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door with special rates for designated drivers. Call (866) 754-2822 or visit www.bcmountainresort.com.

- The Longwood Gardens Wine & Jazz Festival happens from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Sample wines from 20 Pennsylvania wineries and listen to Joe Baione, Joanne Pascale, Randy Brecker Quintet and Catherine Russell. New this year is a 7:30 evening concert with McCoy Tyner. Daytime tickets are $40, $25 for designated drivers, $15 for ages 5-20. Tickets for the McCoy Tyner concert are $60. Combination tickets are $90, $75 for designated drivers and children 12 and up. Longwood Gardens is at Routes 100 and 52, Kennett Township. Call (610) 388-1000 or visit www.longwoodgardens.org.

Making a difference

"Note By Note," a documentary that follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand piano from forest floor to concert hall, is presented at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Director Ben Niles will take questions from the audience and pianist Vivian Wang will perform. Tickets are $15, $10 for seniors. Call (610) 432-6715.

Rock royalty

Foreigner is in concert at 7:30 May 7 at the Sovereign Center, 700 Penn St., Reading. Tickets are from $39.50 and $49.50. Call (800) 745-3000.

Down to Earth

- Earth Center for the Arts, a nonprofit arts organization at 10 Stable Mill Trail in Tyler State Park, Richboro, hosts a benefit auction at 7 p.m. Saturday. Guests can expect entertainment by local musicians, appetizers, and beer and wine. The live auction is of artwork and the silent auction features art, jewelry, vacation packages, massage, restaurant offerings and gift items. Tickets are $35. Call (267) 218-0290 or visit www.ec4ta.org.

- "Green and Growing," an environmental education event for all ages on the festival grounds of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, is held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Friday. The festival grounds are off Route 72 south of Pennsylvania Turnpike Exit 266, Manheim. Tickets are $10. Visit www.parenfaire.com or call (717) 665-7021. Also visit www.greatgreenameriafest.com.

Common 'Thread'

"Thread Count," a "loosely woven exhibition highlighting material strength," is presented by the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen's Guilded Tulip Gallery, 252 N. Prince St., Lancaster, from Friday to June 6. Materials used include paper, cotton, reed, silk, glass, felt, wood, pine needles and even dog fur. The gallery is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Call (717) 431-8706 or visit www.pacrafts.org/threadcount.

Grab a lawn chair

The 57th annual Festival of Bands Concert features a pops theme at 3 p.m. Sunday in West Park, 1551 Turner St., Allentown. Admission is free. Call (610) 709-8727.

Doors to history

The Historic Houses of Odessa offers a glimpse of 18th and 19th century Delaware rural farming community lifestyles. This season, the Historic Odessa Foundation offers the new Family Haversack Tour and the exhibit "The Costume of Great Britain" that runs through June.

The Family Haversack Tour stops include a scavenger hunt in the newly restored Corbit-Sharp House; a trip to the Wilson Store in the Brick Hotel and an interpretation of hearth cooking and a discussion of a child's responsibilities in assisting at the hearth in the Collins-Sharp House among other activities.

Tickets for the Family Haversack Tour are $18 per family, with an additional $4, if families want to include HOF's recently launched Living History Education program tour "Freedom Seekers: The Odessa Story." The historic village of Odessa, Del. is between the banks of the Appoquinimink River and Route 13. Call (302) 378-4119 or visit www.historicodessa.org.

Horse power

Gates open at 9:30 a.m. Sunday for the Winterthur Point to Point at the Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, 5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Del. The event is a steeplechase race with tailgate picnicking available, plus an antique carriage parade, a historic Rolls-Royce parade and more. Admission wristbands are $30, $15 for ages 12-20, $5 children for children ages 2-11. Call (302) 888-4994 or visit www.winterthur.org.

Hopewell Furnace

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Hopewell Furnace operated between 1771 and 1883 near Elverson in Chester County. This iron foundry, which supplied some of the needs of armies fighting the Revolutionary War, used the abundant forests in the area to fuel the massive furnace needed to heat the iron to 3000 degrees. The majority of iron foundry employees were woodcutters, who replaced many of the chestnuts original to the area with oaks. 6000 acres were needed for a sustainable forest to supply a foundry like Hopewell.

The site itself is maintained by the National Park Service, and features not only the original foundry building and outhouses, but also the foundry 'community' that included everything from blacksmiths and charcoal cookers to barns for the horses that carried supplies and finished products.

The site is nestled in a valley next to French Creek State Park, and can be reached by hiking trails from the park. A modern visitor's center offers exhibits and multimedia presentations describing the history and workings of the foundry.

The centerpiece of Hopewell is the foundry building, a large white wood structure with a steeple on top. Inside is the furnace itself, surrounded by the workshops where molds were created. Items forged at Hopewell include weapons, kitchen utensils, tools, pots and pans, and stoves. Many examples of these remain on the premises.

A full-sized, 22-foot working water wheel, fed by a water bridge system from a nearby creek, powered a large bellows that pumped air into the furnace. The current wheel was restored in 2006 and is in operation.

Rock on!

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:05:00 +0000

What's happening the weekend of April 17-19

Holy rock opera!

Living Colour’s Corey Glover is Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar” at 8 p.m. Friday, and 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday at the State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. Tickets are $50 and $55. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

Opera at ‘Symphony’

Allentown Symphony Orchestra joins forces with the Camerata Singers for “Italian Opera Night” at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Tickets range from $25-$45. Call (610) 432-6715.

Young and old

Longwood Gardens, Routes 1 and 52, Kennett Township, hosts the Pocono Kite Symphony from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, filling the air with kites. Kids can join the fun by making their own kites. Fee for kite-making kit is $3.50.

April 21 is Senior Day with music, cooking demonstrations, history lectures, guided tours and more 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Younger visitors are also welcome.

Admission is $16, $14 for seniors 62+, $6 for ages 5-22. Call (610) 388-1000 or visit www.longwoodgardens.org.

Revved up for more

The America on Wheels Museum, 5 N. Front St., Allentown, celebrates its one-year anniversary with special events from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, including the debut of the new exhibit “The Bulgari Collection: Automobiles of Elegance,” a program on British cars and an appearance by Herbie the Love Bug. Admission is $7, $5 for seniors 62+, $3.50 for students 6-16. Call (610) 432-4200.

Rebuild at the ‘Rock’

Philadelphia Rock Gym, 255 S. Mount Airy Road, Valley Township, holds a Family Fundraiser with climbing, rappeling, games and more, to benefit the victims of the Coatesville fires 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Cost is $20, $15 for children 12 and under. Call (877) 822-7673 or visit www.philarockgym.com.

Rock show

Third Eye Blind is at Moravian College’s Johnston Hall, Elizabeth Avenue, Bethlehem, at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $25. Visit www.moravian.musictoday.com.

Better than class

A French and Indian War Interpretive Sunday with the Pennsylvania Regiment First Battalion is offered noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Conrad Weiser Homestead, 28 Weiser Lane, Womelsdorf. Call (610) 589-2934.

Spirit medium

Postponed from last week, Lifetime TV’s Lisa Williams appears at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $35.50-$45.50. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

Dog days now

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Route 345, Birdsboro, somehow knows the birthdate of former First Pooch Fala, who was Franklin Roosevelt’s dog. During Fala Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, enjoy activities that involve getting outside with your dog, including dog competitions, refreshments and more. Call (610) 582-8773 or visit www.nps.gov/hofu.

Part of the ‘Circle’

The annual Artists Circle Show features paintings in a variety of media. Check it out in Schlack Hall at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 203 N. Valley Forge Road, Devon. The show opens at 1 p.m. friday and a Meet-the-Artists Reception is planned for 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. Show hours continue 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Artists Circle is a group of area professional female artists who have been painting and exhibiting together for more than 25 years. Free. Call (610) 688-0122.

Stewart's crew and more

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:24:00 +0000

Stewart's crew

John Oliver, a correspondent on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart, will be joined by fellow "Daily Show" writer Wyatt Cenac and the show's senior producer Rory Albanese at a program at 9:30 p.m. Friday in Johnston Hall at Moravian College, Elizabeth Avenue, Bethlehem. Tickets are $15. Visit www.moravian.musictoday.com.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M - Th 11p / 10c

Rage in the Streets

comedycentral.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

Political Humor

'Four Seasons,' just one night

The Curtis Institute of Music String Orchestra performs an all-Vivaldi program, which includes "The Four Seasons," at 8 p.m. Friday in the Conservatory at Longwood Gardens, Routes 1 and 52, Kennett Township. Tickets are $40 for the concert and $35 to feast on the tapas table that will be available. Call (610) 893-1999.

Double bill

The Williams Center at Lafayette College, High Street, Easton, presents "An Irish Homecoming" Cherish the Ladies and Maura O'Connell at 8 p.m. April 7. Tickets are $20. Call (610) 330-5009.

Hot to trot

A Spring Horse Expo is held 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Annex at the Allentown Fairgrounds, 302 N. 17th St., Allentown. Highlights include live horse demonstrations, lectures and door prizes. Admission is $5, free to children 12 and under. Call (610) 433-7541 or visit www.pahorseexpos.com.

Party like a hippo

It's Buttons the hippo's birthday at the Adventure Aquarium, 1 Aquarium Drive, Camden, N.J. A Bigger Birthday Bash features special activities slated for 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through April 19, including characters from "The Backyardigans," live music, watching as the birthday girl feast on slices of specially made hippo cake, arts and crafts activities and more. Admission is $19.95, $15.95 for children 2-12. Call (856) 365-3300 or go to www.adventureaquarium.com.

Toe to toe

The Moiseev Russian Classical Ballet presents Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" at 8 tonight at the State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. Tickets are $35 and $40. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

Home improvement

The spring Home Show at Stabler Arena, 124 Goodman Drive, Bethlehem, runs 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $6, free to children under 12. Call (610) 432-4101 or visit www.lvba.org.

Herr Rabbit

The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, 22 Luckenbill Road, Kutztown, holds the Easter on the Farm event 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Singing in the Pennsylvania German dialect, pysanky, food samples, newly hatched chicks, Easter egg dying, home made fastnachts and more will be going on. Admission is free. Call (610) 683-1589.

Get literate

Why is it that many Americans have trouble with basic history and civic literacy? The Le

high Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown, will take this trend head-on when 50 historical organizations convene a free, public History Expo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call (610) 435-1074, ext. 19.

Pirate life

The Swashbuckler Brewery & Restaurant on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, 2775 Lebanon Road, Cornwall, offers the Swashbuckler Pyrate Feaste Friday and Saturday evenings in April. Would-be pirates can carouse with scurvy sea dogs and a dastardly captain whose identity is a bigger secret that the location of Davy Jones' Locker, while devouring a five course meal. Seating for the adult only voyage of the Swashbuckler Pyrate Feaste is 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is $39.95 and includes two complimentary drink tokens. This show is not appropriate for patrons under the age of 18.

Children are invited to form their own pint-sized crew of seafaring adventurers at the special Children's Pyrate Feaste at 12:30 p.m. April 18 and 25. Admission is $13 for children and adults.

Call (717) 665-7021 or visit www.parenfaire.com.

Song and dance

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:13:00 +0000

- "Self (The Remix)" by Double National Poetry Slam champion, Robert Karimi mixes together stories, movement and music to tell the tale of a first-generation child of Iranian and Guatemalan immigrants, struggling to learn about manhood, nationhood and neighborhood. DJ D. mixes live soundscapes with 1980s hip hop, 1970s disco, house music and punk rock. Show times at Touchstone Theatre, 321 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem are 8 p.m. tonight through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are free for tonight's preview, $15, $13 for students and seniors. Call (610) 867-1689 or visit www.touchstone.org.

- "Hairspray" will play one performance at 7:30 p.m. March 25 at the Sovereign Center, 700 Penn St., Reading. Tickets range from $41-$67. Call (800) 745-3000.

- A famous opera singer has been knocked unconscious right before a big performance, as Celebration Theater presents the comedy "Lend Me A Tenor," through March 28 at the 20th Century Club, 84 S. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and March 26-28, 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15. Visit www.celebrationtheater.com.

Name that 'toon

The Colonial Theater, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville, presents Warner Bros./Looney Tunes on the big screen, as they were originally presented, at 2 p.m. Saturday. The lineup is scheduled to include "Duck! Rabbit Duck!"; "Devil May Hare"; "Rabbit of Seville"; "Operation: Rabbit"; "Bedevilled Rabbit"; "Rabbit Hood"; "Cat's Bah"; "Odor of the Day"; Eight Ball Bunny"; "Who Scent You?"; "Punch Trunk"; and "Past Perfumence." Tickets are $4.

It's elementary

Join Sherlock Holmes for a weekend of mystery and intrigue in Cape May, N.J., Friday through Sunday. The mystery unfolds starting at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St. There's a Search for Clues tour on Saturday, and on Sunday submit your answer sheet for a crack at the grand prize. Full weekend packages are available at $180 per couple or $95 per person and include the welcome reception, performances, tour, luncheon and gift. Call (800) 275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

'Elegant Enigmas'

The tales and images of Edward Gorey have inspired the latest exhibition at the Brandywine River Museum, Route 1, Chadds Ford. Karen Wilkins, a friend of the artist and author of the exhibit catalog, will be there for a book signing from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. The catalog is $29.95. Admission is $10, $6 for seniors, students and children 6-12. Call (610) 388-2700 or visit www.brandywinemuseum.org.

On campus

- "Larry Fink: Sense of Sound" is a series of black and white photographs of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. It's in the Williams Center Gallery at Lafayette College, Hamilton and High streets, Easton, from Sunday through May 10. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, till 8 p.m. Thursdays, noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Call (610) 330-5361.

Also, Ballet Hispanico: Palladium Nights is at the Williams Center at 8 p.m. March 25. Tickets are $25. Call (610) 330-5009.

- The Modigliani String Quartet is in concert at at 8 p.m. Friday in the Thomas Great Hall at Bryn Mawr College, 101 N. Merion Ave., Bryn Mawr. Tickets are $18; $15 for seniors; $10 for students; $5 for children 12 and under; and free for Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore students, faculty and staff. Call (610) 526-5210.

- Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, and the Lehigh University Music Department present the Lehigh University Choir and women's ensemble Dolce in concert for "A Bach Birthday Bash!" in Baker Hall at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Many of the selections will be Bach's sacred music. Tickets are $18 with discounts available. A preconcert lecture starts at 7 p.m. and a birthday cake will be served at intermission. Call (610) 758-2787.

Gather round the fire

Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Churchville Nature Center sponsor a Star Party Campfire Program at 8 p.m. Saturday at the center, 501 Churchville Lane, Churchville. Preregistration is $5, $3 for children. Call (215) 357-4005 or visit www.churchvillenaturecenter.org.

Jazz, classical kids

Enjoy a Jazz Cabaret performance by Fusion Jazz Trio at 7;30 p.m. Friday in the Rodale Community Room at Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Tickets are $20.

An Allentown Symphony Orchestra Musical Treasure Chest concert spotlighting viola is offered at 9:30 and 11 a.m. today and 10 a.m. Saturday at Symphony Hall. Tickets are $6.

Call (610) 432-7961.

Last call

The Allentown St. Patrick's Parade will form at the Allentown fairgrounds track near the Liberty and 17th streets gate. The parade will proceed west on Liberty, turn north on 19th Street, west on Tilghman to 25th Street, south on 25th Street to Liberty Street, then east on Liberty Street and disband at the Fairgrounds 19th Street gate. For more information on the parade or the "Best Legs in a Kilt" contest or the pub crawl, both on Saturday, visit www.allentownstpatricksdayparade.com.

Chocolate and Led Zeppelin

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Weekend fun:

Big chocolate bite

The ALS Association invites you to "Hot Chocolate: Take a Bigger Bite out of Chocolate!" from 6:30 to 9:30 tonight at the Adventure Aquarium, 1 Aquarium Drive, Camden, N.J. The chocolate tasting, with chocolate martini bar, chocolate fountains and hot chocolate, will take place in the ballroom and Shark Realm. Cost is $75, $150 including the VIP reception. Visit www.alsphiladelphia.org.

Spine-tingling

LA Theatre Works presents "War of the Worlds" and "The Lost World" at 8 p.m. Friday at the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Both are presented as radio plays. The 1938 Orson Welles adaptation of "War of the Worlds" set the events in the United States and caused a nationwide panic in 1938 when listeners thought they were hearing a news broadcast of a Martian invasion. In Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World," Professor Challenger leads an expedition through a remote jungle to discover a place where dinosaurs live with ape-men, and the fate of the human race hangs in the balance. Tickets are $17 and $20. Call (610) 758-2787.

Jazzed up

At 8 p.m. Saturday, the Zoellner Arts Center presents the Led Zeppelin Big Band, featuring New York Jazz Repertory musicians and Lehigh University students. Tickets are $15. Call (610) 758-2787.

On stage

- Touchstone Theatre, 321 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem, presents "The Mammy Project" at 8 p.m. tonight through Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Using music, storytelling and historical speeches by Frederick Douglas and Halle Q. Brown, a stereotype is turned into a celebration of empowerment. Tickets are $15 (free tonight), $13 for students and seniors. Call (610) 867-1689 or visit www.touchstone.org.

- The Mozart Festival Opera performs "The Marriage of Figaro" at 8 tonight at the State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. Tickets are $32 and $37.

"Stomp" bangs out rhythm on everyday objects such as matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters and hubcaps at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the State Theatre. Tickets are $50 and $55.

Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

- DeSales University's Act 3 presents "The Adventures of Aladdin" on March 17-May 2 at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley. Tickets are $8. For show times, call (610) 282-3192.

- Civic Theatre of Allentown's production of Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues," part of the V-Day worldwide series of events, will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday. The performance will be in Civic's 19th Street Theatre, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown. Tickets are $17. Call (610) 433-8903.

Guitar hero

Classical guitarist Nemanja Ostojic performs a concert program that might feel like a Mediterranean cruise, with musical pieces from Spain, France and Italy. Hear it at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Tickets range from $25-$45. Call (610) 432-6715.

Don't forget brakes

Blue Mountain Ski Area presents its Cardboard Box Derby on Sunday. Build a float using cardboard, duct tape, string, glue and paper to slide down Vista Trail to the finish line. Registration is at 9 a.m. with the race at 1. View the rules at www.skibluemt.com. Blue Mountain is at 1660 Blue Mountain Drive, Palmerton. Call (610) 826-7700.

Weekend: Films and vultures

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Wild yonder

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour brings a slate of outdoor adventure films to the Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville. Films are shown at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $15, $18 at the door. Call the Philadelphia Rock Gym at (610) 666-7673 or visit www.banffcentre.ca.

Enjoy the show

The State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, presents Barrage, a celebration of fiddle music that features contemporary world music and dance. Show time is 7:30 tonight. Tickets are $25.

Irish tenor Ronan Tynan performs at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $40 and $45.

One Night of Queen, a tribute to the music of Queen, takes the stage at 8 p.m. March 11. Tickets are $25 and $30.

Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

Spin on tradition

The marching band tradition of America’s top historically black colleges and universities, including steppers and dancers, is brought to the stage in “DRUMLine Live” at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets are $26 and $32. Call (610) 758-2787.

The Bach Choir and Bach Festival Orchestra present the family concert “Play Bach, The Second Inning” at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Zoellner Arts Center. For ticket information, call (610) 866-4382 or visit www.bach.org.

Happy birthday

Sunday is Charter Day, the anniversary of King Charles II granting a land charter to William Penn in 1681. There will be special activities and free admission at many Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission sites including, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Third and North streets, Harrisburg; Brandywine Battlefield Park, Route 1, Chadds Ford; the Daniel Boone Homestead, 400 Daniel Boone Road, north of Route 422, near Baumstown; the Conrad Weiser Homestead, 28 Weiser Lane, Womelsdorf; Washington Crossing Historic Park, Routes 32 and 532, Upper Makefield Township; and more. Visit www.phmc.state.pa.us.

Head for mountains

Fernwood Hotel and Resort, Route 209 and River Road, Bushkill, presents a Tube Fest weekend Saturday and Sunday. Get four tickets to the Fernwood Winter Fun Center snowtubing park and two nights of hotel accommodations, starting from $286. Tube Fest runs noon to 5 p.m. both days with live entertainment, luau themed activities and prize giveaways. Call (888) FERNWOOD or visit www.fernwoodhotel.com.

Friendly vulture

Vultures are often been associated with sinister scenes of death and gothic horror. The East Coast Vulture Festival is out to change that image, from 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday in Wenonah, N.J. Entertainment and education activities will be held in the afternoon at the Wenonah Community Center, East Mantua Avenue and North East Avenue, and in the evening at Wenonah Elementary School, 200 N. Clinton Ave. Call (856) 468-6342 or visit www.eastcoastvulturefestival.org.

Signs of spring?

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:23:00 +0000

Fun for the weekend, and beyond

Rare roadsters

Today through Sunday is the 36th Atlantic City Classic Car Show & Auction at the Atlantic City Convention Center, 1 Miss America Way, Atlantic City, N.J. The event features more than 1,000 cars for sale, a flea market with hard-to-find parts and antiques dealers. Hours are 10 to 5 today, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $20, $5 for children under 12. Parking will be available at Bernie Robbins Stadium on the Black Horse Pike and at Boardwalk Hall. For online tickets, to browse photos of vehicles for sale, bidder preregistration, procedures for selling your classic car, hotel reservations and more, go to www.acclassiccars.com or call (800) 227-3828.

Equine education

The Pennsylvania Horse World Expo returns today through Sunday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, Cameron and Maclay streets, Harrisburg. Highlights include horse whisperers, seminars, demonstrations, the Wind Rider Equestrian Challenge, a horse-related marketplace, "Theatre Equus, A Musical Equine Revue" and more. Hours are noon to 8 today, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $12, $6 for children 7-12. Reserved seating for "Theatre Equus," which is presented Friday and Saturday, ranges from $12 to $24. Call (301) 916-0852 or visit www.horseworldexpo.com.

Uncorked

During "Barrels on the Brandywine," seven vineyards and wineries of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail will open their tasting rooms and cellars to showcase their 2008 vintages and offer tours and showcase food vendors. Purchase a $25 passport from any participating winery, and it is good for any and every Saturday and Sunday in March. Guests may use the passport for one tasting at each of the seven member wineries, until the passport is used up. There are two new members on the wine trail: Black Walnut Winery and Stargazers Vineyard. Visit www.bvwinetrail.com for directions.

Cartoon tunes

If you first discovered the music of Wagner and Rossini on a Saturday morning in PJs in front of the TV set, you'll appreciate "Music for Cartoons" with the Fireworks Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Elizabethtown College's Leffler Performance Center, College Avenue east of Route 230, Elizabethtown. The program features music from Carl Stalling ("Roadrunner"), Scott Bradley ("Tom and Jerry") and Milt Franklyn ("Bugs Bunny"), all performed live with their original cartoons. An informal Classical Conversation about the evening's program will be offered at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 and $25, half-price for ages 19-26, $1 for ages 18 and under. Call (717) 361-1508 or visit www.gretnamusic.org/tickets.htm.

Got that swing

"Simply Sinatra" is featured at 8 p.m. Saturday at the State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. Tickets are $25 and $30. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

'Crony'-ism

"A Couple of Cronies," a two-woman show about the perils and joys of turning 50 in the 21st century, is presented at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Touchstone Theatre, 321 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem. Tickets are $10. Call (610) 867-1689.

God rock

The Newsboys headline a show with December Radio, Vota and Bread of Stone at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Stabler Arena, 124 Goodman Drive, Bethlehem. Tickets are $21 and $27. Call (800) 861-0850.

Opening day

- Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Route 345, south of Birdsboro, opens for the 2009 season Sunday. Listen to the experiences of nine characters from the site's past at audio stations on a new "Voices of Hopewell" program, which will be available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission is $4 for aves 16 and older. Call (610) 582-8773 or visit www.nps.gov/hofu.

- Crystal Cave, 963 Crystal Cave Road, Kutztown, opens for the season Sunday. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Sundays. Admission is $11, $7 for children 4-11. Call (610) 683-6765 or visit www.crystalcavepa.com.

Family ties

Sunday through April 30, you can visit both Longwood Gardens and Winterthur, two former du Pont homes, for $20, which includes a guided tour of the Winterthur mansion. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (till 6 p.m. starting in April), Longwood is at Routes 1 and 52, Kennett Township. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Winterthur Museum and Country Estate is on Route 52, northwest of Wilmington, Del. Call (800) 448-3883.

The play's the thing

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:33:00 +0000

Weekend happenings: On stage

- DeSales University presents “Death of a Salesman,” Feb. 18-March 1 at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley. Wednesday and Thursday tickets are $20, $18 for students and seniors. Friday and Sunday tickets are $23, $21 for students and seniors. Tickets are $24 Saturdays. Show times are 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Call (610) 282-3192.

- Jonathan brings his girlfriend to his parents’ cottage, but then his mom and dad arrive with their extramarital lovers in tow. Then they all get snowed in. “Wintertime,” which contains content not appropriate for children, is staged at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Feb. 18-21; and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets are $12.

“Cirque Eloize: Nebbia” features music, acrobatic theater and modern circus arts at the Zoellner Arts Center at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $34 and 28.

Call (610) 758-2787.

- The musical “Sweeney Todd” is at the State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. Tickets are $50 and $55. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

Stretch your legs

Bryn Mawr College, 101 N. Merion Ave., Bryn Mawr, presents Ballet X and Miro Dance Theatre simultaneously at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Thomas Great Hall and the Erdman Living Room. Audiences switch venues at intermission. One highlight will be a tribute to Frida Kahlo’s life and work with “Self Portrait.” Tickets are $18, $15 for seniors, $10 for students, $5 for children 12 and under. Call (610) 526-5210.
Jazz and orchids

Longwood Gardens, Routes 1 and 52, Kennett Township, begins a Jazz Club concert series at 7:30 tonight. By suggestion of Marian McPartland of NPR’s “Piano Jazz,” Renee Rosnes will play in the Ballroom. Tickets are $60. Call (215) 893-1999.
You’ll really flip

High school and recreational cheer, gymnastics and dance squads from Connecticut to Florida will compete at the Spirit Unlimited Cheerleading Competition starting at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Atlantic City Convention Center, 1 Miss America Way, Atlantic City, N.J. Spectator passes for ages 9 to adult are $20, $10 for ags 6-8. Call (888) 737-2221 or visit www.spiritunlimited.com.

Hail to the chief

- The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville, presents “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” at 2 p.m. Feb. 16. Tickets are $8, $6 for seniors and students, $4 for children under 13. Call (610) 917-0223.

- To celebrate the life and legacy of America’s 16th president, the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown, will open a year-long tribute to Abraham Lincoln with a Lincoln Bicentennial Birthday Party at 3 today. Feast on Lincoln’s favorite foods and music, plus sign a Lincoln Birthday Card that will be placed on exhibit at the Lincoln Heritage Museum in Illinois. Lincoln re-enactor Robert Costello will also make an appearance. Preregistration is $12. Call (610) 435-1074, ext. 14.

- Open-hearth cooking of foods typical of President Washington’s social class will be prepared during the programs “General Washington’s Favorites” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and “Virginia Elegance” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Washington Crossing Historic Park, Route 32, Upper Makefield. The demonstrations are free. Guided tours are available throughout the day for a fee. Call (215) 495-4076 or visit www.ushistory.org/washingtoncrossing.

A Spectrum Requiem

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:12:00 +0000

By: Dan Sokil

It's been there for more than four decades, and until last October was the only place in Philadelphia where any of our sports teams had actually won a championship. So what better place to spend a few hours and see some Philly history while it's still there, than the Spectrum?

Waiting outside for the rest of my group, I had some time to wander around the outside of the old arena, and was surprised at how similar it felt to games at the Vet during the last season there. The feel of the exterior is very similar, with the near-oval shape of the building and concrete concourses leading up and down from the parking lots...although the ice and snow all over the place was not something you'd see often at baseball games! Still, I was able to visit with some Philly icons who will soon be leaving Broad Street, like Dr. J and Kate Smith.

The statue of Gary Dornhoefer down by the Will Call window is a particularly fun one to look at, because only from above can you see the puck actually in the net! The goal was an overtime winner against the Minnesota North Stars, who have since moved to Dallas, and Dorny has recently retired from years of broadcasting with the team. I wasn't around for those classic Broad Street Bullies, but get the impression that the goal Dorny scored was as great a moment for that generation as the overtime winner Keith Primeau scored in 2000 vs the Penguins...a comparison I like because Primeau had gotten the puck on that play from Keith Jones, who took over in the broadcast booth from Dornhoefer!

Walking around the concourse of the Spectrum is very different from inside it's bigger brother, the Wachovia Center next door. There's only one level in the Spectrum, no big escalators or super high seats, just poured concrete stairs that again are very similar to the old ones at the Vet. Our seats were in section 300, but even though we were only ten or so rows from the roof we could see every play, and that feeling of being right on top of the ice is one of the Spectrum's hallmarks. The ice we watched them play on is the same place the Flyers beat Bobby Orr's Bruins for the Cup in '74, where they beat up the Red Army team from the USSR so badly in 1976 they walked off the ice, and where Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers, perhaps the greatest team in hockey history, took the full seven games to beat Flyers teams led by goalies Ron Hextall and the late great Pelle Lindbergh.

Hextall became the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal here, Eric Lindros and John LeClair first formed the "Legion of Doom" here, and after the big team left the minor league Phantoms won two Calder Cups in the Spectrum. Current Flyer coach John Stevens captained one of those teams and was head coach of the other, and so many current Flyers like Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and almost all of the young defensemen have worn the Phantoms' purple and orange. In fact, prospect Ryan Parent wore #77 in the game we went to, and we may be seeing him on the big team's blue line for many years to come, along with winger Jared Ross who recently had a league record six assists in the AHL All-Star Game.

It may not have luxury boxes, microbrews at every concession stand or bathrooms on the same floor as the concourse, but the Spectrum is a unique part of Philly history. When it was built in the late 1960s, the only thing down at the Sports Complex area was old JFK Stadium that was built for America's 150th birthday celebrations in 1926. What was once state of the art is now the oldest arena on the block, as the Spectrum literally paved the way for construction of the Vet in 1971, the Wachovia Center (where JFK Stadium used to be) in 1996, and the newest additions to the sports complex, Lincoln Financial Field (2003) and Citizens Bank Park in 2004. I suppose it's fitting that the Spectrum will be torn down after this season: ever since the Vet was closed in 2003, it had been the only building left in Philadelphia where one of our sports teams won a championship. Now that the Phils have finally ended that title drought, the Spectrum will give way to bigger and better things...but one fan I talked to before last weekend's game thinks in this economy, ownership may decide a minor league hockey team is a better bet to draw crowds than the high-end retail and sports bars they had planned to replace it with. It's just my opinion, but it sure seemed like most of the 9,270 who came out to watch the Phantoms play the Albany River Rats on Saturday weren't ready to say farewell to the Spectrum quite yet...

Editor's note: In a twist of fate, the Phantoms were sold February 5 to a group from Pittsburgh. No formal announcement on their fate has yet been made.

Going groundhog

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Prognosticator Phil
Punxsutawney Phil’s official residence is in the Groundhog Zoo at Gobbler’s Knob, 1548 Woodland Avenue Extension, Punxatawney. Groundhog Day festivities begin Friday and continue through Monday, with some going all night Sunday into Feb. 2. Phil’s official winter/spring prognostication will happen at about 7:25 a.m. Feb. 2, but you’ll want to get there much earlier. Check the complete schedule at www.groundhog.org.

On stage

- Media Theater for the Performing Arts, 104 State St., Media, presents “Altar Boyz,” a musical comedy about a religious boy band, with performances through Feb. 15. Show times vary. Call (610) 891-0100 for tickets.

- Looking over the President’s Shoulder, a show based on the diaries of White House butler Alonzo Fields, is at the Hedgerow Theater, 64 Rose Valley Road, near Media. Show times through Feb. 8 are 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays and 1 p.m. Feb. 4. Tickets range from $20-$30, $12 for children. A $3 discount applies for seniors, students and groups. Call (610) 565-4211.

- People’s Light and Theater Company, 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, presents “The Day of the Picnic” through Feb. 15. For show times and ticket information, call (610) 644-3500.

Still talking King

Through March 29, the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown, offers a Martin Luther King Jr. exhibit, which features a signed first edition of King’s 1958 book “Stride Toward Freedom.” At 1 p.m. Saturday, there will be a panel discussion on King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $6, $3 for children. Call (610) 435-1074.

Ready to jam?

Snowboard Friday Night Jams happen Friday nights through Feb. 27 in the Plaza at Big Boulder Ski Area, 1 S. Lake Drive, Lake Harmony. There’s no entry fee and it’s open to all ages. Registration and open practice is from 5 to 6 p.m. The Jam itself is 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. followed by awards. Call (570) 443-8425.

Signature sounds

- Kenny Rogers performs at 8 p.m. Feb. 5 at the State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. Tickets are $57 and $60. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheater.org.

- “The Pink Floyd Experience” comes to the Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del. Show time is 8 p.m. Saturday and includes songs from “Dark Side of the Moon,” “Wish You Were Here” and “The Wall.” Tickets range from $31-$37. Call (800) 374-7263.

Waiting for the thaw

The 30th Atlantic City International Power Boat Show runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 4, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 5-6, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 7 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 8 at The Atlantic City Convention Center, 1 Miss America Way, Atlantic City, N.J. See 600 of the newest, biggest and even greenest, in luxury motor yachts, sport fishers, performance boats, personal watercraft, inflatables, engines, marine accessories, electronics, fishing gear and more.

Also catch free boating and fishing seminars, the Discover Boating Center and Miss Geico. Tickets are $15 $8 for youth 13-15, free to children 12 and under, $25 for a two-day ticket. Call (212) 984-7000 or visit www.acboatshow.com.

Before digital

Sixty Victorian era paintings from a Royal Holloway endowment to the University of London make a stop Sunday through April 12 with “Paintings from the Reign of Victoria” at the Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Del. Artists include Sir Edwin Landseer, William Powell Frith and Sir John Everett Millais. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $12, $10 for seniors, $6 for students, free to children 6 and under and to all on Sundays, $25 for families. Call (866) 232-3714.

Can you luge?

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Weekend travel ideas:

Can you luge?

Blue Mountain Ski Area, 1660 Blue Mountain Drive, Palmerton, hosts the 2009 Luge Challenge for ages 10 and up Saturday and Sunday. The race starts at 1 p.m., with a training session preceding the race. There will a DJ spinning music, announcing times and explaining the event. For more information, call (610)-826-7700 or visit www.skibluemt.com.

Penguins play

It’s a Big Splash Weekend from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Lehigh Valley Zoo, 5150 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville. It’s all about pen in January at theguin presentations, feedings, activities, crafts and treats. Admission is $9, $7.25 for seniors, $6.50 for children 2-11. Call (610) 799-4171 or visit www.lvzoo.org.
Concerts of note

- Chubby Checker, and Otis Day & The Knights (the band from the movie “Animal House”) appear at 8 p.m. Saturday at the American Music Theatre, 2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster. Tickets are $55. Call (800) 648-4102 or visit www.amtshows.com.

- The Elvis Birthday Bash concert, featuring Mike Albert and Scot Bruce, starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. Tickets are $35 and $40. Call (800) 999-STATE.

- It’s an evening of blues and soul with James Hunter and Ryan Shaw at 8 p.m. Friday at the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets are $21 and $25. Call (610) 758-2787.

- Bob Dorough, who performed the music on almost 50 of the “Schoolhouse Rock” videos, performs with his jazz trio at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Tickets are $20.

Also at Symphony Hall is a Musical Treasure Chest concert for children 3-5, spotlighting the tuba. The program starts at 9:30 today, 11 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.

Call (610) 432-7961 or visit wwwallentownsymphony.org.

- The Lukens Piano Trio is featured at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 7809 Old York Road, Elkins Park. A dessert reception follows the concert. Tickets are $15, $10 for seniors and students, $5 for children under 12. Call (215) 528-0582 or (215) 745-7899.
Look alert, soldier!

Learn about Hopewell Furnace and the Civil War from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Activities include a military camp, classroom, drills and a walk to a cemetery where some Civil War veterans are buried. Admission is free. Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is on Route 345, south of Birdsboro. Call (610) 582-8773 or visit www.nps.gov/hofu.
History shows

From Saturday through April 11, see “Family Tree” at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May, N.J. The exhibit traces the origins, descendants and relationships of Cape May’s oldest and most prominent African-American families. The gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays and President’s Day. Admission is $2, $1 for children 3-12, or free with any tour of the Physick Estate. For hours and more information, call (800) 275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

Winter fun

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:06:00 +0000

All things agriculture

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday through Jan. 16 and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 17 at the Farm Show Complex at Cameron and Maclay Streets, Harrisburg. Admission is free except during the Thursday, Friday and Saturday PRCA Circuit Finals Rodeo. View the complete show schedule at www.agriculture.state.pa.us/farmshow/site/default.asp.

Goes in cycles

“Born to Be Wild: Adventures in the Art of Motorcycle Design” has been extended at the Reading Public Museum through March 8. Among the 46 motorcycles are the Captain America chopper and Billy Bike featured in the film “Easy Rider,” bikes from the first half of the 20th century, contemporary creations such as the dual-engine Two Bad 2, and British and Italian motorcycles. The museum is at 500 Museum Road, Reading. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $8, $6 for children, seniors and students, free to children under 4. Call (610) 371-5850 or visit www.readingpublicmuseum.org.
Tens are wild

Saturday, which is Jan. 10, admission is $10 at Adventure Aquarium, 1 Aquarium Drive, Camden, N.J., because it’s NBC-10 Day. Members of the NBC-10 news team will be at the aquarium to greet viewers and sign autographs. Call (856) 365-3300 or visit www.adventureaquarium.com.
Fiddle champion

Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul are in concert at the Media Theater, State Street, Media. Show time is 8 p.m. Saturday. For ticket information, call (610) 891-0100 or visit www.mediatheatre.org and click on “Events.”

Tunes take you back

The American Music Theater, 2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, presents “ABBA - The Music” at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $45.

Then it’s back to the 1960s with Jay & The Americans, The Shangri-Las, and Kenny Vance and the Planotones at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $40.

Call (800) 648-4102 or visit www.amtshows.com.

Balloons or bust

The eccentric “Balloon Freak John Cassidy” is on stage at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville. Tickets are $5 and the show is recommended for ages 4+. Call (610) 917-1228 or visit www.thecolonialtheatre.com.
Visit for free

The Brandywine Museums and Gardens Alliance will waive admission fees on Saturday. The eight participating attractions are the Brandywine River Museum, Route 1, Chadds Ford; Longwood Gardens, Routes 1 and 52, Kennett Township; Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Del.; Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, 200 S. Madison St., Wilmington, Del; Delaware Museum of Natural History, 4840 Kennett Pike, Route 52, Wilmington, Del.; Hagley Museum and Library, Route 141, Wilmington, Del.; Historical Society of Delaware, 504 Market St., Wilmington, Del.; Nemours Mansion and Gardens, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, Del.; and Rockwood Park and Mansion, 610 Shipley Road, Wilmington, Del. Visit www.brandywinetreasures.org for links to each of the sites.
Bristol stompin’

Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol, presents Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $15, $10 for students. Call (215) 785-0100.

Cue sinister laughter

The week-long “Horrorfest III” kicks off Friday around the country. See “eight films to die

for” at Cinemark’s Lionshead 16, 711 Evesham Road, Somerdale, N.J. Find out more at www.horrorfestonline.com.
Downhill from here

Bikercross, a downhill bike race on the snow at Blue Mountain Ski Area, starts at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Registration is $20 and starts at 8 a.m. Helmets are required and youth 17 and younger must have a parent sign the race release form. Spectators are welcome. Blue Mountain is at 1660 Blue Mountain Drive, Palmerton. Call Jason at (570) 668-6850 or visit www.skibluemt.com.
Show on the road

“Last Comic Standing” comedians Marcus, Jeff Dye, Louis Ramey, Iliza Shlesinger and Jim Tavare do their thing at 8 p.m. Saturday at the State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. Tickets are $30 and $35. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

Get your Global on

GlobalFEST features world music on three stages at 7 p.m. Sunday at Webster Hall, 125 E. 11th St., New York. The lineup includes Calypso Rose, Chicha Libre, Hot 8 Brass Band, Kailash Kher’s Kailasa, L&O, La Troba Kung-fú, Marcio Local, Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, Shanbehzadeh Ensemble, Tanya Tagaq, and Watcha Clan. Tickets are $40. Call Ticketmaster at (212) 307-7171.
Gather round

Enjoy free “Fireside Tales” for children 4-8 and their families at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Wayside Lodge at the Daniel Boone Homestead, 400 Daniel Boone Road, north of Route 422, Birdsboro. This week’s theme will be the boyhood adventures of Daniel Boone. Light refreshments will be available, and although there’ll be a fire, you should dress warm and bring a blanket. Call (610) 582-4900.

Take a hike

The Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation sponsors a hike in the Tohickon Gorge on Saturday. Departure time is 8:30 a.m. by private car pool from Churchville Nature Center, 501 Churchville Lane, Churchville. Cost is $11. Pre-register by calling (215) 357-4005 or e-mail churchvillenaturecenter@co.bucks.pa.us.
Eye opener

The Goggleworks Center for the Arts, 201 Washington St., Reading, hosts a Second Sunday open house 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Take at look at the day’s schedule of events at www.goggleworks.org/secondsunday.php.

New in the gallery

“Slow Clay: The Ceramic Art of Willi Singleton” is on display Sunday through April 12 in the Payne Hurd Gallery at the Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $6, $4 for seniors and students, $3 for children 6-12, free to all on Sundays. Call (610) 432-4333 or visit www.allentownartmuseum.org.

Roadside America(na)

noreply@blogger.com (Online editor) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:52:00 +0000

In 1935, the Reading Eagle published an article on Laurence Gieringer and his extensive model train setup, which was set up each Christmas for his children.
This was no ordinary train set. Gieringer had been crafting the pieces of this set since he was a teenager, and it had grown in size and popularity.
So Gieringer decided to make the trains a year-round venture, eventually moving in 1941 into a large building near Route 22, which today is I-78 in the Bercks county hamlet of Shartlesville (near Hamburg).
The building, and the train set are both still there, still operated by the Gieringer family, and has entertained generations of visitors ever since.
Visitors enter through a gift shop, stocked with a variety of train-related items, cedar boxes and hex signs. The layout is behind the shop, entered through a door that reminds one of entering an old movie theater. Once inside, the smell of your grandparent's basement washes over you, and the scene in front of you is a pageant of lights and motion.
The layout is about the size of half a football field, and features O-guage trains and 3/8"-foot scale buildings and accessories that have been added through the decades. The dozens of trains than run in the layout range from antique tin trolleys to modern plastic engines; all are are in
excellent condition and working. In addition, many electro-mechanical features dot the layout, from a working merry-go-round and a musical hurdy-gurdy to miniature 'steam engines' and figures dancing in a barn.

Visitors can control many of these features as they circle the layout by pressing the many buttons situated on the edges.

Other features include working fountains, a waterfall and a canal complete with a working mill-wheel.
If you stay long enough, the lights will dim and you will be treated to a 'night pageant' of the layout backed up by a recording of 'God Bless America' and a slide show featuring images of Jesus and various American vistas.
Roadside America captures a time when this country's industrial might made anything seem possible, that any kid's dream could turn into something big. A sign on a model of Henry Ford's first shop advises parents to tell their kids about his story - he was a hobbyist.
And indeed that is Laurence Gieringer's story, a boy who turned his hobby into an attraction that still inspires awe.

Roadside America is open daily September through June 10 am -5 pm, and weekends 10 am until 6pm. In summer the hours are daily 9 am - 6:30 pm, and weekends 9 am - 7 pm. They are closed Christmas Day. Entrance fees are $6 for adults and $3 for children 6-11. 5 and under is free.
They are located off of I-78 at the Shartlesville (exit 23), adjacent to the highway. Shartlesville is near the town of Hamburg, and six miles west of Cabela's Outfitters on I-78. For info: 610-488-6241.