Kimberton Fair starts Monday; Lancaster Jazz fest gets swinging
By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times
Phyllis Chapel is among the many artists performing at the annual Turks head Festival in West Chester.
The Turk’s Head Music Festival in West Chester (Everhart Park, Bradford Avenue and Everhart Street, West Chester, 610-436-9010, http://www.turksheadfestival.com) just keeps motoring on year-after-year and never shows any sign of slowing down.
This year, the 33rd Annual Turks Head Music Festival will be held on July 19 from noon-8 p.m. in the park at the west end of West Chester. The all-day festival, which is one of the most popular and longest-running annual mid-summer events in Chester County, has a diverse line-up of 11 musical acts. The annual music-oriented party is presented by West Chester Recreation. It is a free event that appeals to the entire family with a wide range of live music as well as a variety of other activities geared to all ages. Attendance usually tops 5,000 — unless there is bad weather.
Couple Days will be the opening act at noon. those people are scheduled to take the stage at 12:44 p.m. followed by nxt2normal at 1:28 p.m., Phyllis Chappel with Guy Johnson at 2:12 p.m. and Andre Saunders 2:56 p.m.
Eric Reavey will perform a set at 3:40 p.m. and the Dirk Quinn Band will play at 4:24 p.m. The Mighty Manatees will perform at 5:08 p.m. followed by Annachristie at 5:52 p.m. and The Cintron Band at 6:36 p.m. Dirty Purple will be the final act with a set at 7:20 p.m.
Visitors to Everhart Park this Sunday are welcome to bring picnic lunches and are advised to bring lawn blankets or folding chairs. The festival will also feature a wide array of food concessions with hot food and cool beverages.
Other popular annual features at the Turk’s Head Music Festival include kids’ games and an arts-and-crafts show featuring over 70 talented artisans who will be demonstrating and selling their crafts.
Video link for Annachristie — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=g0LJZ7JEBoE.
Video link for Eric Reavey — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nNv8O0pJx-w.
Tyler Arboretum holds its Tree House Festival this weekend.
Families can enjoy a day of activity together outdoors this weekend at a special event at Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134,www.tylerarboretum.org). On July 19, the scenic nature site is hosting a “Tree House Festival” from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Tyler Arboretum is known for its assortment of treehouses that kids can explore — including the Bell House, Fort Tyler and the Cape May Birdhouse. At the “Tree House Festival,” visitors can celebrate trees and get an up-close look at the wildlife that take up residence in these trees.
The event, which is included free with arboretum admission, will also feature the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s “Woodmobile” and an area where guests can try climbing with ropes and a harness under the supervision of Oakwood Tree Care professionals.
Admission to Tyler Arboretum is $11 for adults, $9 for seniors (65-and-older), $7 for youths (ages 3-15) and free for children (under 3).
On July 18 and 18, the Brandywine River Museum (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-2700, http://www.brandywinemuseum.org) will host a special event called “Crafts in the Courtyard.
Visitors will have the opportunity to shop for unique wares made by independent American artists in a variety of media. This event showcases exceptional works from 13 juried members of the Chester County Craft Guild, a chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.
The roster of artisans includes Susan Schulz (jewelry), Sam Moyer (brooms), Andrea Barrier (jewelry), Mary Adams (fiber art), Pat Halsey (jewelry), Pam Horsemann (fiber art), Pat Henriques (jewelry), Philip Braselton (glass), Rick and Deb Reis (wood items and baskets), Jim Stevens (Windsor Chairs), Joan Nelson (jewelry), Debby O’Keefe (fiber art), Clair Lamberth (jewelry) and Carl Bean (pottery).
The event, which is included in Museum admission, will run from 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Museum admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (65 and older), $6 for students with ID and children (ages 6-12) and free for children (ages five and under). Admission is free on Sunday mornings from 9:30 a.m.-noon through November 22.
One of the longest-running annual events in Chester County is the Kimberton Community Fair
(Kimberton Fairgrounds, Route 113, Kimberton, 610-933-4566, www.kimbertonfair.org). The fair, which runs from July 20-25, is celebrating its 87th anniversary this year.
The Kimberton Fair is among Chester County’s favorite summer events — it opens Monday and runs through next Sunday.
The Kimberton Community Fair, which was first staged in 1929, is one of the oldest community fairs in the state — and one of the last “free admission” fairs operating in the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs. The Kimberton Fair is a “free admission fair with parking by donation.”
As always, the fair offers a huge array of free attractions — a festive midway with amusement rides, live entertainment shows, nightly contests, exhibit buildings and livestock displays. There are charges for ride wristbands and tickets, games and concessions and food. There is also a fee to play BINGO.
The fair will be held at the Kimberton Fairgrounds on Route 113 approximately one mile south of Phoenixville. The non-profit event, which lists the volunteer Kimberton Fire Company as its beneficiary, attracts over 60,000 people each year.
There are competitions in “Youth” and “Adult” categories for sewing, needlecraft, arts and crafts, vegetables, horticulture, herbs, hay and grain, photography, honey and maple syrup, baking, homemade wines and beers and furniture-making.
There will also be open class and 4-H competitions for “Dairy Cattle,” “Dairy Goats,” “Breeding Sheep” and “Market Steer” livestock. Competitions will be staged nightly.
The Kimberton Fair is a “rain-or-shine” event –more or less.
According to the event’s website, they never officially “close” the fair as a result of rain because they must remain “open” to adhere to Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture operating guidelines. The indoor attractions stay open even in inclement weather but the festival may shut down any amusement ride if the weather causes safety issues.
If you like looking at animals, you’ll love the Philadelphia Zoo (34th Street and Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-243-1100, www.philadelphiazoo.org). Located along the Schuylkill River, the Zoo is a great place for family visits during the hot summer months.
However, if you go to the Zoo on July 25 in the evening, you’ve got to leave family members under the age of 21 at home.
From 6:30-10 p.m., the Philadelphia Zoo is hosting its Fifth Annual Summer Ale Festival and the event is only for guests over the age of 21. The festival, which is a rain-or-shine event, will run until 10 p.m. but the taps will be turned off at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $55 and must be purchased in advance.
The Philadelphia Zoo’s popular fundraising event features live music, seasonal ales and local cuisine — all served up in the middle of a wildlife oasis. One of the featured breweries at this year’s festival will be Downingtown’s Victory Brewing Company.
Some of the other participating beer producers are Saucony Creek Brewing Company, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company, Evil Genius Beer Company, Old Forge Brewing Company, Prism Brewing Company, Manayunk Brewery, Conshohocken Brewing Company, Rock Bottom Brewery and Lancaster Brewing Company.
Philadelphia has had a tradition of great jazz going back generations. This area has produced many of the greats in the jazz world, including John Coltrane, Jimmy Smith, Byard Lancaster, Sun Ra and Jaco Pastorius.
Each summer, the Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival celebrates the rich history of jazz in Philadelphia. On July 18, PEC (People’s Emergency Center) is hosting its Ninth Annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival (Powelton Avenue at 39th Street, Philadelphia, 267-777-5893, http://www.lancasteravejazzfest.com).
The one-day festival is scheduled to run from noon-7 p.m. at the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’s Saunders Park Greene, which is located at 39th Street and Powelton Avenue (one block south of the Lancaster Avenue business corridor).
The list of acts slated to performer at the free event includes Sonny Fortune, the Charlene Holloway Band, Kimpedru Nu Gruv, Glenn Bryan and Friends, the Universal Dance and Drum Ensemble, Sistahs Laying Down Hands, Vince Turnbull and the Unique Miracles Drill Team.
On July 17, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) is presenting a special event called “Lunar Stroll: Photographing Laurel Hill After Hours.”
Photo enthusiasts will be able to capture the ethereal wonders of Laurel Hill Cemetery after the sun goes down. During the guided stroll through the cemetery’s picturesque landscape, participants will have access to some of the site’s most photogenic spots and evocative statuary.
Participants in this weekend’s event will also have the opportunity to learn how to paint with light using only a flashlight and ambient iridescence. The results of this process are a variety of unique images. Photography experience is recommended. The guide will be Emma Stern.
Friday evening’s stroll will depart from Laurel Hill Cemetery’s Gatehouse entrance at 3822 Ridge Avenue at 8 p.m. Free parking is located in the lot across the street from the Gatehouse. The cost is $20 per person and advance reservations are required. Tickets can be purchased online at www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org or by phone at (215) 228-8200.
