What To Do: 44th Annual Unionville Art Gala

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so you know that Christmas-related events will be filling the event calendar over the next few weeks. Fortunately for the traditionalists who would prefer Christmas events to get underway after Thanksgiving, there are several special events around the area this weekend that are not holiday-related events.

The 44th Annual Unionville Art Gala, which will be held on November 15 and 16 at Unionville High School (750 Unionville Road, Kennett Square, 610-347-1600,www.unionvilleartgala.com), is the largest group art show of the season. It features approximately 70 professional and 50 student artists with works in a wide array of styles and types, including painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry, wood carving and ceramics.

The featured artist is Diane Cannon, an artist who is inspired by nature. The playful forms of children, the lush landscapes of the Brandywine Valley, and the unique vistas observed during her travels are favorite subjects.

The interchange of light and design are foremost on her mind as she composes and rearranges and finally paints.  Adding collage often gives her work an additional push. Her exhibit combines watercolor, collage, and mixed media.

Live music and light appetizers will be part of the opening night reception on Friday from 6-9 p.m. The show continues Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. with live music and access to view the art.

Admission is free and 30 per cent of all sales are tax deductible. There is also free parking.

If you suffer from cynophobia then don’t even think about visiting the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Ave., Oaks, 484-754-3976,http://www.phillyexpocenter.com) this weekend.

Cynophobia is the fear of dogs. On November 16 and 17, the National Dog Show will be held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center – from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and 8:30 a.m. -5 p.m. on Sunday – and Santa Dog will not be making an appearance.

The show’s sponsor – the Kennel Club of Philadelphia – will host two all-breed dog shows with completely different competitions each day. The annual event is one of only a handful of “benched” events in the United States.

Many who are not familiar with competitive dog shows may find themselves wondering what the difference is between a benched dog show and a non-benched dog show.

A benched show is where the participating dogs are required to be on assigned benches when they are not being shown in competition. This allows for all interested spectators, breeders, handlers and attendees to meet all the participating dogs, interact, ask questions, and share information about the various breeds present at the show. A non-benched dog show does not require all dogs to remain “benched” throughout the competition.

The National Dog Show, which has been held annually since 1933, is one of the four remaining (and the oldest) benched dog shows in the United States.

Visitors to the show will be able to check out more than 2,000 of the top American Kennel Club sanctioned dogs from across the country.

More than 150 different breeds and varieties compete for best of Breed, First in Group and the coveted title of Best in Show. Each day brings different competitions and attractions.

Saturday is The National Dog Show Presented by Purina, taped for telecast nationwide on Thanksgiving Day by NBC. It is the most widely viewed dog show in America. Sunday’s show offers more canine competitions, enhanced athletic dog exhibitions plus family-friendly activities and hands-on fun.

There will be a full schedule of events each day, including breed judging and demonstration events. The exhibitors at the show will be competing for prizes in categories featuring more than 160 different canine breeds in seven main groups — terrier, toy, working, sporting, hound, non-sporting and herding.

The area will also feature dog-themed face painting, caricatures and more.

Admission either day is $16 for adults, $7 for children (ages 4-12) and free for children (3 and under).

On November 16, Media will host the 17th Anniversary Jazz by Night Celebration (State Street, Media, 610-566-5039, www.mediajazzbynight.com) from 6 p.m.-1:15 a.m.

The music will be performed on more than 20 indoor stages around the downtown area and this year’s event is billed as “The Women of Jazz II.”

The roster of top-flight jazz acts performing at the Celebration includes the Bootsie Barnes B-3 Quartet, Ben Singleton Band feat. Fran Stone, Skip Denenberg, Bruce Anthony, Biodun Kuti & Jon Dichter, Cindy McCord with members of Roger Girke Band & Papa Sez, Stephen DiJoseph, Ben Tinsley & Dimitri Papadopoulos, and Matt Richards.

The line-up also includes Phyllis Chapell, Suzanne Burgess, Rhenda Fearrington & Jason Klinke Duo with The Midnighters, Larry McKenna Quartet feat. Joanna Pascale, Tony Miceli & Kevin MacConnell, Lynn Riley’s ‘The World-Mix’, Melissa Martin & The Mighty Rhythm Kings, Suzanne Cloud & Tom Glenn, Khadijah Renee, Andrea Carlson, and the Monnette Sudler Quartet.

Adult tickets are $20 ($15 through November 15).

The Antiques at Kimberton Show will be held at the Kimberton Fire Company (61 Fire House Lane (off Kimberton Road), Kimberton, http://antiquesatkimberton.com) on November 16 and 17. The popular annual event will run from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday with a $7 admission fee and free parking.

The popular annual event will feature more than 65 dealers whose booths will occupy over 10,000 square feet of exhibition space. Visitors will be able to shop for items from a wide variety of antiques categories, including furniture, paintings, jewelry, books and historical items. Additionally, dealers will be on hand to discuss their items and chat about antiques-related topics.

On November 16 and 17, Historic Village of Yellow Springs (Yellow Springs Road, Chester Springs, 610-827-7414, http://yellowsprings.org/) will host its Fine Arts and Craft Show.

The well-attended annual event will feature the exhibition and sale of original fine art and crafts from more than 50 local artisans in both the Lincoln and the Washington buildings.

A new attraction this year will be a special exhibition in the main galleries on the first floor in the Lincoln building featuring the work of 12 invited artists — Ron Prybycien, oil; Lini Stevens, oil; Don Shoffner, watercolor; Katherine Cheetham, glass sculpture; Bob Richey, pastel; Barbara Tlush, oil and acrylic; Linda Turoczi, oil; Helena van Emmerick-Finn, pastel; Dru Kring, mixed media; Brian Marshall, found object sculpture; and Jayanthy Venkatraman, oil and acrylic.

On November 17 from 2 – 3:30 p.m., there will be a “meet and greet” with the invited artists. here will also be an “Opening Reception” from 5-8 p.m. on November 15.

The show’s hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission to the show either day is $5.

On November 17, December 8, the Schuylkill Canal Association will present a special “Open House at Locktender’s House” from 1-4 p.m. at Lock 60 at Schuylkill Canal Park (400 Towpath Road, Mont Clare, 610-917-8030, www.schuylkillcanal.org).

Visitors will be able to step back in time to a different era as they enter the historic Locktender’s house.

All are welcome. Admission is free but donations will be gladly accepted. Ample parking is available at Lock 60.

Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) has a new attraction – “Blooms & Bamboo: Chrysanthemum and Ikebana Sogetsu Artistry.” This will be the final weekend to see it as Longwood’s Chrysanthemum Festival will close on November 17.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience features towering Ikebana bamboo art forms, enchanting Asian arrangements, and thousands of blooming chrysanthemums throughout the Conservatory. The displays have been crafted by masters from around the world.

The world’s pre-eminent master of Ikebana Sogetsu, Headmaster Akane Teshigahara, has created spiraling and twisting works of bamboo art exclusively for Longwood’s Conservatory and the results are extraordinary.

Longwood’s Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum—a single plant bearing more than 1,000 perfect blooms on a single stem—made its dazzling debut October 24.

Admission to Longwood Gardens is $23 for adults, $20 for seniors and $12 for youth (ages 5-18).

On November 17, Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, https://www.tylerarboretum.org) will be presenting a special event called “Lantern Parade.”

Tyler Arboretum invites visitors to celebrate autumn with a family-friendly European tradition — a children’s St. Martin’s Day “Lantern Parade on the grounds of the arboretum.

“Lantern Parade,” which is being co-sponsored by Tyler Arboretum and PhillyKinder, will take place Sunday from 4-7 p.m.

The event will feature a traditional skit and sing-along, a twilight walk through the arboretum, food and drink.

Admission to this event is free of charge.

Elmwood Park Zoo (Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) will be presenting its annual “Harvest Fest” now through November 17.

Visitors can participate in themed activities, navigate through a corn maze, play games like flip-a-chicken, bean bag toss, and basketball, paint a pumpkin, enjoy live entertainment, and sip on some festive fall drinks.

Hours are from noon-4 p.m. each day. Zoo admission is $17.95 for adults, $13.95 for children and $12.95 for seniors.

The Wilmington & Western Railroad (2201 Newport Gap Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-998-193, www.wwrr.com) will run a special excursion train this weekend – the “Ice Queen Express.”

On November 17, kids of all ages are invited to come aboard a W&WRR train and ride to the Mt. Cuba Picnic Grove with the Ice Queen, her sister the Ice Princess, and their royal Ice Harvester.

Little princes and princesses can have their photo taken with any of the characters either at the station or aboard the train. This is a 1½-hour round-trip. Children are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite prince or princess.

This departure is powered by one of our historic first-generation diesel locomotives.

Trains will depart on Sunday at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $19 for seniors and $18 for children.

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail (http://lehighvalleywinetrail.com) is presenting its annual “Giving Before Thanks” event on November 16 and 17. Event hours at all the wineries are Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from noon-5 p.m.

Visitors are invited to join the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail just before Thanksgiving and help the association help the less fortunate in the community.

If you bring a packaged or canned (non-perishable) food item as a donation to each winery you visit, you can receive a complimentary wine tasting at each one.

Food will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank for the Lehigh Valley and New Ringgold Area Food Pantry Christ Church McKeansburg.

Member wineries will each have their own special features taking place this weekend such as live music, wine promotions, food vendors and more.

Participating wineries are Amore, Black River Farms, Blue Mountain, Clover Hill, Franklin Hill, Galen Glen, Tolino, and Vynecrest.

This weekend’s schedule also features activities at the Center City Parks District’s Rothman Orthopaedics Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park (1 South 15th Street, Philadelphia,http://ccdparks.org/dilworth-park),

The Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park is an unparalleled entertainment experience on Philadelphia’s center stage in a wonderfully urban and unique setting. Open seven days a week, the rink offers wintery fun for all ages, with a full slate of programs.

Hours are: Monday-Thursday: Noon-9 p.m.; Friday: Noon-11 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. ; and Sunday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Admission is $3 for Kids 10 & Under and $5 for Adults. Skate rental is $10.

Now though January 5, people can get in a happy mood by visiting HAPPY PLACE (HappyPlace.me).

Live Nation Philadelphia has brought HAPPY PLACE, an interactive, immersive pop-up exhibit with larger-than-life installations and multi-sensory themed rooms, to the King of Prussia Mall where it will run now January 5, 2020.

HAPPY PLACE is filled with multi-sensory immersive rooms inducing smiles and laughter, plus larger-than-life, one-of-a-kind installations including seven-foot stilettos made of a million candies and six-foot tall mirrored X and O letters surrounded by a wall of one thousand red lips.

From dancing in the world’s largest confetti dome to posing inside the famous rubber ducky bathtub of fun and jumping off a rainbow into a pot of happiness, guests travel through each unique room guided by a team of specially selected and trained Happy People. HAPPY PLACE is created for an audience for all ages. Minors under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

HAPPY PLACE features more than 15,000 square feet of playful spaces and cheerful moments including a Super Bloom room filled with 40,000 handmade gold flowers for the perfect photogenic floral backdrop, the World’s Largest Indoor Confetti Dome, a Giant Rainbow complete with a Pot of Happiness into which guests can jump, the signature Rubber Ducky Bathtub of Fun plus other photo-friendly fantasy rooms.

HAPPY PLACE will be open though January 5 at the King of Prussia Plaza. Tickets start at $30 for adults and $20 for children (ages 4-12).

The UniverSoul Circus (52nd Street and Parkside Avenue, Philadelphia, 800-345-7000, www.universoulcircus.com), which is running now through December 8, treats fans to a very different experience.

The world-class circus’ performances, which will be held in the UniverSoul Big Top next to the Mann Music Center, blend traditional circus attractions with urban culture, hip hop tunes and world beat music. It’s the lively music that elevates the show to another level.

The UniverSoul Circus is a top-flight live entertainment attraction that has captured the hearts and imaginations of a new generation of families.

Celebrating its 26th anniversary, UniverSoul Circus has come full circle in its influence in the international entertainment marketplace – garnering the distinction of being known as a one-of-a-kind, must see attraction.

Since its first performance in 1994, The UniverSoul Circus has presented more than 11,000 performances to live audiences, exceeding 20 million people, and has been seen in more than 60 million households on both local and national television networks. The Emmy-nominated HBO special remained in rotation for more than six years.
UniverSoul connects with progressive, upwardly mobile, urban pop cultures from around the world. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of global cultures and ethnicities into a stellar production that blends circus arts, theater and music.
Now in its 26th year under the big top, UniverSoul Circus features music, theatrical performances, incredible circus acts and loads of fun. The show features acts from around the world including flashy Caribbean dancers, acrobats and high-flying trapeze artists, mind-boggling contortionists, funny clowns, lions, zebras and much more.

Video link for UniverSoul Circus — https://youtu.be/UatZSn1JJbQ.

The show at UniverSoul Big Top will run now through December 2 with early afternoon, late matinee and evening performances. Ticket prices start at $22.

Just as you can sometimes dig down in the cushions of your couch a week after Valentine’s Day and find a Christmas cookie, if you look hard enough, you can find a Halloween attraction on the event calendar in the middle of November.

The “26th Annual Field of Screams” (109 College Avenue, Mountville, 717-285-7748, www.fieldofscreams.com), which is open now through November 16, features four world-class Haunted Experiences and an impressive Midway Area. Top attractions include “Horrifying Haunted Hayride,” two massive Haunted Houses, and Wicked Haunted Woods.

Ticket prices start at $16.

Now that Christmas activities have begun, Peddler’s Village (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, 215-794-4000, http://peddlersvillage.com) is starting its celebration and that means there will be a lot of activity at the site over the next few weeks.

Visitors to the Village can join special guest Mrs. Claus for festive fun and mini-lightings in a different Village neighborhood each night leading up to the Village-wide Grand Illumination Celebration. Village shops will be open until 9 p.m. with a distinctive assortment of merchandise, special promotions and refreshments.

The 20th Annual Grand Illumination will showcase thousands of tiny white lights outlining the Village’s buildings, colorful lights with less-than-common colors (teal, peach, and fuscia) adorning the trees and shrubs and a landscaped backdrop featuring a group of reindeer glowing in white light. Santa will arrive to turn on the lights and officially mark the beginning of the event. After the lights go on, visitors will be treated to free cider and toasted marshmallows.

November 15 also marks the start of Peddler’s Village “Gingerbread House Competition and Display.” Slated to run through January 5, the “Gingerbread House Competition” features over $2,000 in cash prizes in such categories as Traditional and Authentic Reproduction of a Significant Building.

The New Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org) celebrates the opening of its holiday show this weekend.

“Christmas by Candlelight” is the theater’s heartwarming celebration of the yuletide season – a bi-annual event that is back by popular demand. The show features classic holiday tunes, as well as some new surprises – all performed by fans’ favorite “Candlelighters.”

Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m./show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m./show, 3 p.m.). Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $63 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12). All seats are reserved.

The Historic Odessa Foundation’s 2019 Christmas Holiday Tour and Exhibit “The Secret Garden” is an event with an appeal that spans generations. The tours will be presented from November 19 through December 29 in Odessa’s historic district (Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, 302-378-4119, www.historicodessa.org).

This holiday season the Historic Odessa Foundation (HOF) is celebrating the 33rd anniversary of the Historic Houses of Odessa’s annual Christmas Holiday Tours and Exhibits inspired by works of classic children’s literature.

For the past 33 years, Historic Odessa has celebrated children’s literature by recreating scenes from the classics in one of its 18th-century museum houses. Visitors have been treated to the literary works of Louisa May Alcott, P.L. Travers, Beatrix Potter, Tasha Tudor, Washington Irving, Lewis Carroll, and Charles Dickens, to name just a few.

Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “The Secret Garden” was first published in book form in 1911, after its serialization in The American Magazine, from November 1910 to August 1911. Set in England, this story of regeneration and rejuvenation is one of Burnett’s most popular novels and is considered a classic of English children’s literature.

Visitors to Historic Odessa’s Corbit-Sharp House will be transported through the pages of Burnett’s novel as the Historic Landmark’s period rooms are transformed into scenes that include Misselthwaite Manor and its secret garden.

This year’s Storybook Trees exhibit of more than 30 trees decorated by local families, schools, and organizations showcasing books and works of children’s literature will be displayed in the Wilson-Warner House (built in 1769). Appropriate for all ages, Historic Odessa’s Storybook Trees exhibit is designed to promote reading and literacy.

Special events and tours will be held throughout the holiday season including “Candlelight Tours” at 7 p.m. on December 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, and 26;

“Christmas in Odessa” on December 7 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; “Storybook Time” on December 11 at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; “Festive Foods/Hearth Cooking Demonstration” on December 14, 21 and 28 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; “Children’s Deck the Halls Workshop” on December 8 at 2 p.m.; and “Curator Candlelight Tour” on December 19 at 5 and 7 p.m.

The Historic Houses of Odessa are open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The last full tour of the Historic Houses starts at 3 p.m. The Houses will be closed on December 24 and 25.

Admission to the Historic Odessa Foundation holiday tour is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and students and free for children (under 6).

Nemours Mansion & Gardens (Route 141 South, Alapocas Drive, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-651-6912, www.nemoursmansion.org) is welcoming visitors for the Christmas holidays with “Holidays at the Estate.” The attraction opens on November 16 and runs through December 29.

Originally constructed more than a century ago, Nemours Mansion is one of Delaware’s grandest buildings and includes the largest formal French garden in North America.

Ever since 1910, when Mr. and Mrs. duPont began living in their newly built mansion, the holiday season has been a festive time at Nemours. The Christmas decorations at the Nemours Mansion are often inspired by the architecture of the home, the customs of the duPonts or the French influence.

The Mansion is also decorated by some of the duPonts’ original decorations, including a German crèche, which dates from the late 19th century. The figures are soft ceramic, unglazed and hand-colored. In addition to their own ornaments, Nemours also proudly displays ornaments made by patients at Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.

Visitors can enjoy Christmas trees, wreaths, and hundreds of feet of garland on grand display in the Visitor Center, Chauffer’s Garage, Mansion and grounds.

New this year, the Estate will feature a Gift Shop located in the Chauffer’s Garage. This charming pop up is an extension of the Rocco and Mary Abessinio Gift Shop located in the Hospital Atrium. It is operated by the Volunteer Auxiliary and all proceeds of the shop will benefit the hospital and its patients.

The 2019 Franklin Square Holiday Festival (200 North Sixth Street, Philadelphia, http://www.historicphiladelphia.org/franklin-square/holidays-in-franklin-square/) opens its season this weekend and it will run until December 31.

The Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show will be open from 4-8 p.m. daily and 4-9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Visitors are invited to experience the magic of the holidays and celebrate traditions new and old at the Franklin Square Holiday Festival.

Inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s electrifying genius, the free Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show presented by PECO is the key to holiday fun in Franklin Square.

Attendees can marvel at more than 50,000 lights as they shimmer, dance, and illuminate the Square to a soundtrack of holiday classics, some of which are performed by The Philly POPS in two alternating shows every 30 minutes. Every evening, one lucky audience member will be selected to “ignite’ the 4:30 p.m. show.

If you really want to get into a Christmas mood early, visit Koziar’s Christmas Village (782 Christmas Village Road, Bernville, 610-488-1110,www.koziarschristmasvillage.com) which begins its 72nd season on November 2.

Koziar’s Christmas Village is truly a holiday wonderland — a wintertime spectacle that delights young and old alike with a huge amount of holiday displays and special attractions. It will remain open every night through January 1 — including Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Night.

The tours of “Christmas Village” feature visits to a variety of displays and exhibits, including “Santa’s Post Office,” “Christmas in the Jungle,” “Manger Scene,” “Christmas Beneath the Sea,” “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “Olde Fashioned Bakery Shop,” “Toy Maker and his Toy Shop,” “Christmas in Other Lands” and “The Olde Church”.

Other attractions at Koziar’s Christmas Village include a huge model train display, a toy shop, a country kitchen, indoor and outdoor Christmas displays and a place to visit with Santa and even get pictures taken with the old guy in the red suit. Admission to Christmas Village is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors (65 and older) and $10 for children (ages 4-10).

The American Music Theatre (2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, 800-648-4102, www.AMTshows.com) has its holiday show running now through December 30.

The AMT’s 2019 show “Joy to the World” is an all-new presentation of favorite sacred and secular holiday songs performed by professional artists from across the country. The show will feature spectacular vocal harmonies, lively musical arrangements, impressive dancing and the music of the AMT Orchestra.

Also featured will be elaborate scenery, elegant costumes and a theater decked out with holiday decorations.

The show will have both matinee and evening performances each week with the addition of 10:30 a.m. performances on Saturdays throughout December. Show length is two hours and 15 minutes with a short intermission. Tickets are $46 for adults and $23 for children.

“Christmas Candylane,” which is the annual holiday event at Hersheypark (100 West Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, 800-HERSHEY, www.hersheypark.com), is running now through December 31.

Visitors to Hershey can also experience the winter wonderland called “Hershey Sweet Lights, A Holiday Drive-Thru Spectacular.” The attraction is a two-mile drive through wooded trails featuring approximately 600 illuminated, animated displays.

Admission to “Christmas Candylane” is $30.95.