By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Philadelphia Flower Show
If you’re in the mood for flowers – lots and lots of flowers – all you need do is make a visit to this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (12th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, 215-988-8899, phsonline.org/the-flower-show) which runs through March 12.
The PHS (Philadelphia Horticultural Society) Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation’s largest and longest-running horticultural event and features stunning displays by the world’s premier floral and landscape designers. Started in 1829, the Show introduces diverse plant varieties and sustainable garden and design concepts.
Usually, when events have to be moved, they move indoors because of inclement weather. In 2021 and 2022, the Philadelphia Flower Show had to move – outdoors because of COVID restraints.
Held indoors once again after two years in FDR Park, the Philadelphia Flower Show returns to the Pennsylvania Convention Center with the theme “United by Flowers.”
Visitors can expect breathtaking displays by the world’s premier floral and landscape designers, as well as musical performances from a slate of hand-picked artists.
This year’s event also features some of the largest gardens in its history, with floral scapes that range in size from 2,200 to 2,900 square feet.
The show, which is presented every year by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and celebrates its 194th anniversary in 20233, treats visitors to a spectacle of floral displays in every size, style and shape imaginable.
The show will feature 10 acres of exhibition halls with floral displays and vendors and provide visitors with all new interactive experiences. This inviting part of the show will feature garden trends, chats with experts, and hands-on learning sessions for gardeners to become even greener.
Guests are encouraged to enhance their Flower Show visit each day with other popular experiences, including Flower Show Guided Tours in the early morning. The Flower Show also features an exciting competition that brings together thousands of plant lovers who compete in hundreds of categories.
The show’s biggest attraction each year is the massive “Marketplace” featuring over 150 vendors from all over America and several European nations. They will be selling flowers, orchids, floral-inspired furniture, sheds, artwork and unique garden-related crafts and supplies.
Throughout the week, hundreds of gardening experts will provide learning opportunities in the Lecture Series.
Be prepared for large crowds during the weekend hours. If you want a more leisurely visit, plan to visit the show during the week. Also, take public transportation if possible. Vehicular traffic in the area is frequently a nightmare and parking lots tend to fill up early even though they are charging exorbitant fees.
Tickets for the Philadelphia Flower Show start at $29.99.
2024 Philadelphia Flute Day
On March 2, West Chester University will host the 2024 Philadelphia Flute Day Fair (https://www.philaflutesociety.org/fairevents). The event will be held at Swope Music Building and the Performing Arts Center, which is located at 817 South High Street in West Chester.
The Flute Day Fair will be filled with a variety of events including concerts, flute choirs, master classes, exhibits, workshops and presentations.
The “Headline Guest Artist” will be Mimi Stillman .
The 2024 Flute Fair will celebrate the Flute Choir Music of Jonathan Cohen.
Cohen was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1954. After passing through Palo Alto, California and undergraduate school in Akron Ohio, he settled in Maryland, where he received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering. Cohen has worked as a researcher in information retrieval and visualization, optical and signal processing, and related fields, for four decades. His resulting trophies include more than a dozen patents.
Confined to his house for several snow days in 2003, Cohen began to compose, and has resisted all calls to desist. Nine of his compositions have been First Prize Winners of the National Flute Association’s Newly Published Music Awards.
Cohen plays flute in the Montgomery Village Community Band (Maryland). He also plays “Tiny” (his contrabass flute) in Flutes on the Brink, Flute Cocktail, and The Metropolitan Flute Orchestra.
A Reading Session with Cohen and “Tiny” will be conducted by Daniel Dorff at 9:45 a.m.
West Chester’s “Restaurant Week” for 2023 (www.downtownwestchester.com/event/west-chesters-restaurant-week) will start on February 24 and run through March 3.
This fun filled week is the perfect opportunity for area residents to support your favorite restaurants or explore something new.
West Chester’s culinary masters will be creating special multi-course prix fixe menus that will be featured for one week only. There will be dine-in and takeout options available.
Participating restaurants are Barnaby’s of West Chester, Dolce Zola, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Manjé Caribbean Cuisine, Kildare’s Irish Pub, Mae’s West Chester, Mas Mexicali Cantina, Pietro’s Prime, Saloon 151 Whiskey Bar & Grill, Santino’s Tap & Table and Slow Hand Restaurant and Bar.
Also participating will be Sterling Pig Brewery, Stove & Tap, Mediterranean, Taco Mar, The Social, Sedona Taphouse, Side Bar & Restaurant, Spence Café, Ryan’s Pub & Restaurant, Greystone Oyster Bar, Mercato Ristorante and Bar, Limoncello Restaurant, Bar Avalon and Opa Taverna.
March 1 is the day for First Friday happenings around the area.
Visitors can head to Downtown West Chester (www.downtownwestchester.com) on March 1 for First Friday activities.
Along with extended hours, events, and sales at stores, there will be Drum Clinic with Sherrie Maricle, Open Studio at Ginkgo Arts 2024, First Friday Jazz Concert at Windish Studios and Karaoke Party at Saloon 151.
Street-level, metered parking is free after 5 p.m.
Lancaster’s popular First Friday (http://www.visitlancastercity.com/first-friday/) is an arts extravaganza that runs from 5-9 p.m. onMay 6. Visitors to downtown Lancaster will have the opportunity to discover innovative exhibitions, performances and perhaps a few surprises as they walk the streets lined with trees and distinctive architecture.
Unique boutiques and excellent restaurants complement the art galleries, artisan studios, museums, performing groups, professional theater, symphony orchestra and art college that form Lancaster’s arts community.
Another First Friday event this weekend will take place in Old City Philadelphia (230 Vine Street and locations throughout Old City Philadelphia, 215- 625-9200,www.oldcitydistrict.org).
On the first Friday of each month — year-round — Old City’s galleries, studios, shops and restaurants open their doors for First Friday, in an epic exhibition of the neighborhood’s vibrant arts scene.
Old City Arts Association launched First Friday in 1991 to introduce Philadelphia to the improving neighborhood and the artists and designers who were bringing it back to life.
Two decades later, Old City is a nationally recognized arts destination, named in 2013 as one of the country’s top ArtPlaces by the ArtPlace Foundation.
On the first Friday evening of every month, the streets of Old City fill with art lovers of all kinds who wander among the neighborhood’s 40-plus galleries, most of which are open from 5-9 p.m.
If you’re thinking about getting an RV — or any type from a home-away-from-home on wheels — then you should check out the Greater Philadelphia RV Show & Sale which is running now through March 3 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, 800-290-6886, www.phillyrvshow.com).
Visitors to the show will be able to shop at exhibits by many of the top dealers of Southeastern Pennsylvania without having to drive all around the area to do so. The dealers will all be assembled together under one roof allowing comparison shopping to be an easy task.
In addition to exhibits displaying all types of RVs, the show will also feature supplier booths, camping information and dealers specializing in parts and accessories.
The roster of participating dealers includes Stoltzfus RV & Marine (West Chester), RV Value Mart, Shady Maple RV, and Colton RV Pocono.
The line-up also includes Hitch RV, Fretz Enterprises, Indian Valley Camping Center, Miller Trailer Sales, Campers Inn and RV One Superstores.
Show hours are noon-8 p.m. on March 1, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on March 2 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 3.
Tickets are $13 with children (under 12) admitted free with a paying adult.
On March 2, Fort Mifflin (Fort Mifflin and Hog Island roads, Philadelphia, 215-685-4167, www.fortmifflin.us) will host a special event called “Open Investigation Evening.”
Haunted Fort Mifflin invites guests to Experience a paranormal investigation in one of the most haunted locations in the country.
Participants can bring their own equipment or just a cell phone flashlight. They will learn tips from experienced investigators from Prism Paranormal who will be on hand to assist newcomers.
Guests will be able to enjoy exploring areas that are not open to the visiting public and to learn the historic background of the site’s most famous hauntings. This event is suitable for novice and experienced investigators alike and students from young teens and up.
The event starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $49.
The Philadelphia Comic-Con, which is scheduled to run from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on March 3 at the Clarion Hotel Conference Center (76 Industrial Highway, Essington, 856-217-5737, www.philadelphiacomic-con.com), features comic books, trading cards and other collectibles — both modern and vintage.
The event, which has an admission fee of $4, also features a number of special autograph guests.
The popular collectibles event, which is the area’s longest running comic convention, will host dealers from all over the Northeast with sales booths featuring Gold & Silver Age comics, action figures, non-sport cards (including Topps “Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens”).
Also featured will be Japanese Manga, gaming cards such as Pokemon and Magic the Gathering, original artwork and all the latest issues of today’s popular comic book series.
The roster of top-flight vendors includes veteran dealers and relative newcomers.
As an added attraction, there will be hourly door prizes beginning at 11 a.m. with $100 in show cash to be given away.
The Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show will be held March 2 and 3 at Doubletree by Hilton (4727 Concord Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, www.dmsrocks.org).
Activities include interesting and educational exhibits of mineral, lapidary and fossil specimens, a “Fluorescent Mineral Room” with brightly glowing, illuminated specimens, displays of minerals from the Iron Hill Museum, display of regional Native American stone artifacts.
Demonstrations by members of the Delaware Mineral Society and the Tuscarora Lapidary Society may include: Gem Faceting, Cabbing, Wirewrapping, Pearl Knotting, Viking Wire Weaving, Gem Tree Making, Bead-Wire Ringmaking, Fossil Fish Specimen Preparing, and more.
The show will also feature a large roster of outstanding dealers of minerals, fossils, gems, jewelry and lapidary supplies along with the “Club Members Booth” where show attendees can purchase self-collected specimens and self-made jewelry items at low cost and a “Children’s Booth” where youngsters of all ages can purchase inexpensive minerals and fossils from $1 and up.
Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and juniors (12-16) and free for children (under 12). There will also be a large specimen raffle with one free raffle ticket per paid admission.
The Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard (1124 East Seventh Street, Wilmington, Delaware, www.kalmarrnyckel.org) is hosting the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation’s “Ninth Annual LEGO Brick Shipbuilding Day” on March 2.
The Brick Shipbuilding Day is fun for all ages and skill levels. Build STEM ship models or design your own incredible creation for our annual contests. The event culminates with prizes for ships built on site and at home.
Participants will be able to build their own imaginary ships — with masts, wings, wheels or whatever they desire. They can bring one from home or build one on-site with the site’s free-play LEGOs to enter into our contests.
They can also learn to build STEM-based LEGO models of historic and naval vessels including Kalmar Nyckel, USS Gettysburg, CSS Virginia, USS Monitor and many more.
Shipbuilding kits are organized by skill level so that all ages can participate.
The fun family event will run from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Historic Odessa (Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, 302-378-4119, www.historicodessa.org) is both a scenic and an historic site in Delaware.
On March 1, Historic Odessa reopens for spring tours and celebrates the beginning of its 2024 season.
Known in the 18th-century as Cantwell’s Bridge, Odessa played a vital role in commercial life along the Delaware River as a busy grain shipping port.
Today, visitors can stroll along tree-lined streets and admire examples of 18th- and 19th-century architecture in one of the best-preserved towns in Delaware. They can also tour a remarkable collection of antiques and Americana preserved in period room settings and quaint exhibits.
Historic Odessa is open to the public from March through December, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. The site is also open Monday by reservation.
March 2 is also a special day in Odessa for another reason.
Visitors are invited to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with Historic Odessa Foundation.
Guests will have the opportunity to party with their favorite Dr. Suess readings followed by family friendly arts and crafts.
The celebration will run from 1-3 p.m. in the Bank Building (201 Main Street, Odessa).
Additionally, from March 1-31, Historic Odessa presents “Women of Courage, Independence and Perseverance,” as it celebrates Women’s History Month.
“Women of Courage, Independence and Perseverance,” a special petite case exhibit in the Wilson-Warner House will be offered as part of the general tour. It will explore the lives of four extraordinary Wilson and Corbit women who exemplified perseverance and courage at a time when women faced many barriers to their independence.
If one of your hobbies is fishing, you should check out the “Fly Fishing Show” which is being held March 2 and 3 at the Lancaster Convention Center Lancaster Convention Center (3 East Vine Street, Lancaster, 866-481-2393, www.flyfishingshow.com).
The list of special attractions at the 2024 show includes seminars and demonstrations presented by many of Pennsylvania’s finest fly-fishing celebrities along with several national celebrities. There also will be a huge vendors’ area with an array of fishing-related products on sale.
The International Federation of Fly Fishers will be offering free fly-fishing instruction at the FFF Learning Center located at the FFF booth. Basic fly casting, fly tying and knot tying will be taught throughout the day on both Saturday and Sunday.
The International Fly Fishing Film Festival will be held on March 2 starting at 6 p.m. Tickets for the film fest are $15.
There will also be booths featuring fly fishing celebrities with a roster that includes Joe Humphreys, George Daniel, Dianne Tidy, Dusty Wissmath, Thomas E. Baltz, Tim Flagler, Rob Giannino and Luong Tam.
The show will be open from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Adult tickets are $20 for one day or $35 for a two-day pass. Tickets for children (under 12) are $5.
On March 3, the Lancaster County Park Environmental Center (1 Nature’s Way, Lancaster, https://apm.activecommunities.com/LancasterCountyParks, 717-295-2055) will present a special program titled “Maple Sugaring.”
Visitors can join County Park Naturalists for ongoing maple sugaring demonstrations in the sugar bush of Lancaster County Central Park.
They will be able to see trees tapped, sap boiled to syrup, and candy made from the syrup. Maple products will be on sale. Guests can drop in anytime during the program hours for an educational tour of the maple syrup making process.
“Maple Sugaring at Peter Wentz Farmstead” (2030 Shearer Road, Lansdale, peterwentzfarmstead@montgomerycountypa.gov) will take place on February 24 from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Visitors can join the site’s farmers as they create maple sugar from trees right here at the Farmstead.
Guests can watch as they tap the trees, collect the sap, and create the syrup.
They can also learn about the Indigenous origins of maple sugaring and how the process has continued through to today.
Waffles and syrup will be available at Philly Waffle Cabin’s food truck.
This free all-ages event is weather dependent — if the temperature isn’t just right the sap may not flow.
Hagley Museum and Library (Buck Road East entrance via Route 100, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-658-2400, www.hagley.org), a 230-acre historical village on the site of the original du Pont Company gunpowder mills in northern Delaware, has a popular attraction – “Nation of Inventors.”
“Nation of Inventors” celebrates the American spirit of ingenuity by taking visitors on a journey from the early years of the patent system, in the 1790s, through the “golden age” of American invention, in the late 1800s. The exhibit features more than 120 patent models from Hagley’s unique collection highlighting the diverse stories of inventors from all walks of life.
Patent models are scaled representations of inventions and were part of the patent application process for nearly 100 years. “Nation of Inventors” showcases patent models representing innovations in a variety of industries from transportation and manufacturing to food preservation and medical devices.
In the exhibition, visitors will enjoy engaging experiences around every corner, testing their knowledge of innovation and hearing personal accounts from inventors.
The patent models in “Nation of Inventors” were created between 1833 and 1886. “Nation of Inventors” not only features patent models submitted by inventors from the United States, but also models from inventors in England, France, Ireland, Russia, and Spain, demonstrating an international interest in America’s intellectual property system.
“Nation of Inventors” includes patent models from well-known inventors and companies like Ball (Mason Jars), Jim Beam, Bissell, Corliss, Steinway, and Westinghouse. The exhibit presents important topics and timely themes including women inventors, Black inventors, immigrant inventors, improvements in urban living, and the ways Americans learn about and understand progress and change.
“Nation of Inventors” is located on the first two floors of Hagley’s Visitor Center. Visitors can plan to spend about 30 minutes on their self-guided tour of the exhibition.
Admission to Hagley is $20 for adults, $16 for students and seniors (62+) and $10 for children (6-14).
“Under the Canopy: Animals of the Rainforest,” which will run now through September 2 at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, ansp.org), is an immersive exhibition introducing visitors to the fascinating world of rainforests and the animals that inhabit them.
You can learn about unique plants and rainforest ecology as you encounter a live sloth, boa constrictor and other animals that call these habitats home. You will see the importance of rainforests to the planet as you explore interactive discovery stations, dynamic displays and engaging programming.
Presented in English and Spanish, “Under the Canopy” will engage students of all ages, with accompanying curriculums on rainforests, water cycles, the science of diversity, deforestation and soil, how kids can save the planet and so much more. Hands-on interactives are complemented by life-size, climbable animal sculptures, including a gorilla, tortoise, crocodile, red-eye tree frog and Banyan tree.
All exhibits are included with the purchase of a general admission ticket.
Admission prices are — Adults (Age 13 and above), $22; Children (Age 2 – 12), $18.
The “Wine & Cupcake Pairings at Penns Woods” at Penns Wood Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, 610-459-0808, http://www.pennswoodswinery.com) provide a nice way for visitors to enjoy a winter weekend day.
Penns Woods Winery is featuring a pairing which includes a tasting of four wines perfectly paired with out-of-the-box custom flavors developed in partnership with the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars winning shop Dia Doce.
The mouth-watering tastings will be held every weekend in March.
Tickets cost $36 per person and reservations are required.
Harvest Ridge Winery (1140 Newark Road, Toughkenamon, harvestridgewinery.com) is hosting PA Soup Pairing On March 3 at its Pennsylvania Location.
Visitors are invited to enjoy wine tastings and then warm up from the cold with the winery’s “Sunday Soup Pairing.”
Tickets are $25.
Harvest Ridge Winery will also present live music to accompany its tastings on March 2.
AJ Love will perform favorite tunes from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) is celebrating the new year with one of its annual special events – “Winter Wonder.”
“Winter Wonder,” which runs now through March 24, celebrates the beauty of winter. It’s all about outdoor spacious, indoor oasis, and the power of story.
Outside, visitors can find a sense of peace and tranquility as they walk past textural grasses, seed heads and the dramatic silhouettes of trees that stretch up into the sky.
Inside, they can bask in a world of warmth that features an overhead garden of hanging baskets adorned with such vibrant beauties as jasmine, cape-primrose, and lipstick-plant.
Visitors will be able to enjoy a paradise of flowers and foliage, bursting with color — all in a beautiful indoor winter wonderland with a tropical twist.
Inside Longwood’s Conservatory, visitors can check out nearly 300 blooming orchids on display in the site’s Orchid House. There will also be rare blue poppies blooming in March but for only about 10 to 15 days.
Another popular attraction this year is Longwood Gardens’ “Science Saturdays” series.
Topics for Science Saturday events are “Managing Our Natural Lands” on March 9 and “Seed Science” on April 20.
Longwood custom grows a staggering 1,300 (and counting) types of plants each year for seasonal indoor displays and outdoor gardens … and each type has its own needs.
While Longwood’s team utilizes its horticulture expertise to grow this diverse palette of plants, its innovative greenhouses further the capabilities to grow them precisely and efficiently, all while attending to each plant type’s individual needs.
The gardens are open from Wednesdays through Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Friday, March 31. Hours change in the spring.
As always, admission by “Timed Ticket” — tickets issued for specific dates and times. Timed ticketing limits the number of people in the Gardens at any given time and allows guests to enjoy minimal lines and a better viewing experience.
You may enter the Gardens up to 30 minutes prior and 30 minutes after your designated time. Make every effort to arrive at your designated reservation time. Earlier or later arrivals may not be accommodated.
Admission to Longwood Gardens is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and college students, $18 for active military and veterans and $13 for youth (ages 5-18).
The Philadelphia Zoo has been a habitat for an amazing array of animals ever since its opening day in July 1874. Now, for the next two-and-one-half months, the Zoo will be home to a sextet of Trolls.
Now through April 15, the Philadelphia Zoo (3400 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia) is hosting the East Coast debut of Thomas Dambo’s “TROLLS: Save the Humans,” produced by Imagine Exhibitions. This represents the first-ever winter feature experience at Philadelphia Zoo.
The world’s leading “recycle” artist has created these six, folklore-inspired Trolls using repurposed wood. The Trolls are on a mission to inspire humans to take better care of nature. The Trolls, ranging up to 15 feet tall, will be located throughout the Zoo’s 42-acre campus.
“TROLLS” were created by artist Thomas Dambo, who currently lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark. Born in Odense, Denmark in 1979, Dambo’s mission is to create art that inspires people to explore, have adventures in nature, and show that recycled goods can be turned into something beautiful.
Dambo’s colossal troll sculptures range in height from 16-50 feet and ‘live’ as permanent or semi-permanent installations in parks, greenspaces, industrial parks, and in other site-specific locations around the world. Each folklore-inspired sculpture is imbued with expression and character and is built entirely from reclaimed materials.
Each Troll has a unique name and story. There are six Trolls who will be taking up residence at the Philadelphia Zoo through April 15.
They all believe rethinking how we live our daily lives will help save the planet for all animals, including humans, and they want to share their ideas. They want all humans to reduce trash, reuse everything, and recycle when they can. The Trolls believe that these actions and others to protect wildlife and wild places are important steps to help save the planet for all animals, including humans.
The exhibition is included in admission to the Zoo. Admission prices start at $19 for adults and children. Tickets are now available on philadelphiazoo.org.
If you’re looking for a fun family activity – an indoor activity unaffected by the weather — Linvilla Orchards (137 West Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116, www.linvilla.com) has something just for you — the miniature golf course “Fore! the Planet.”
Linvilla Orchard’s “Fore! The Planet” is a highly interactive and playful museum exhibit created by the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. This exhibition pairs important environmental issues with the fun of miniature golf.
It features nine unique educational holes — explore butterfly metamorphosis, a tropical rain forest, evolution, dinosaur extinction, food chains, and more. It’s perfect for kids of all ages. The entire family will enjoy playing miniature golf while learning about our environment – every step of the way.
The mini-course is open daily from 9 a.m. -5 p.m. through April 1. Tickets are $8.
“TreeTrails Adventures Trevose” (301 West Bristol Pike, Trevose, treetrails.com/trevose-pa) is an adventure park full of fun challenges for outdoor adventurers of all ages.
Participants can experience the rush of TreeTrails Adventures as they swing through the trees of the new adventure park. They will be able to discover the excitement of climbing and zip lining above the forest floor with family, friends, co-workers, or teammates.
The park, which is based at Phoenix Sport Club in Bucks County, offers two ways to experience climbing – TreeTrails Adventure Park and KidTrails Park. Young explorers can enjoy miniaturized courses in the adjacent KidTrails Park.
General Park Admission prices are: Main Park Adult Tickets (Ages 12+), $59; Main Park Youth Tickets (Ages 7–11), $51; KidTrails Tickets (Ages 4–7), $12.
On February 23, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) will present “Duffy’s Cut Ceremony” from 2-4 p.m.
At Duffy’s Cut, a railroad construction site in Chester County, 57 Irish immigrant railroad workers died amid an 1832 cholera epidemic and were buried in a mass grave.
In 2004, an excavation led by the Duffy’s Cut Project at Immaculata University and others uncovered archaeological evidence showing several of the workers had been murdered, now widely believed due to anti-immigrant violence.
Visitors to Laurel Hill will be able to visit the Duffy’s Cut Project to learn more about this history, and honor those who died with a procession and memorial ceremony at the site where the remains of five of the workers were reburied at Laurel Hill West.
Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) may be closed for park rides and activities but there’s still furry fun to be had.
This weekend’s special event will be “Mardi Gras Celebration,” which will be now through March 17.
Visitors can let the good times roll at Sesame Place’s family-friendly Mardi Gras Celebration.
Guests can join in the festivities and celebrate by dancing along with special strolling entertainment, participating in the Mardi Gras Mask Scavenger Hunt, and much more. They also can enjoy Sesame Street-themed rides and attractions for guests of all ages.
The Sesame Street Mardi Gras Parade is a celebration with everyone’s favorite Sesame Street friends dressed up and ready to shine, and features lively tunes, fancy dancing, and floats decked out in Mardi Gras colors of sparkly purple, green, and gold.
Visitors to Sesame Place can enjoy mouth-watering menu items made famous by the city of New Orleans like beignets and jambalaya.
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (215-413-1997, www.ghosttour.com), Ghost Tour of Lancaster (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) and Ghost Tour of Strasburg (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) operate throughout the winter and offer an eerily entertaining evening of true ghost stories and real haunted houses.
The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia, which is based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, PA.,” is a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards abound.
Participants can discover the ghost lore of America’s most historic and most haunted city with stories from the founding of William Penn’s colony to present-day hauntings.
The activity is open year-round – weekends, December-February; every night, March-November. Tickets are $24.
The Ghost Tour of Lancaster and the Ghost Tour of Strasburg are based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Lancaster, PA.”
Participants in the Ghost Tour of Lancaster explore the long-forgotten mysteries of one of America’s oldest cities, with haunting tales of otherworldly vigils, fatal curses, and star-crossed lovers. The tour provides the opportunity to experience 300 years of haunted history from the Red Rose City’s thorny past. Tickets are $20.
The Ghost Tour of Strasburg is a candlelight walking tour of the quaint and historic town of Strasburg in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Visitors will experience an entertaining evening with a costumed tour guide spinning tales of haunted mansions, eerie graveyards, and spirits that roam the night … in a town lost in time. Tickets are $20.
Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the winter.
Participants can walk with tour guides from the grounds of America’s first White House, Congress, and Liberty Bell to homes and sites of Hamilton, Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and more than 10 other Founding-Fathers. The surprising dirt of espionage, murder, sexual license and blackmail highlight the secrets of 1776 with a ghost story or two along the way. This tour is highly researched. And your guide is a historian.
Tickets are $35.
Blue Cross RiverRink (Market Street at the Delaware River, Philadelphia, www.riverrink.com) is a great place to enjoy a pleasant winter skate.
Unlike most of the suburban ice rinks, RiverRink features public skating. Ice skating is the only use of this ice rink.
This winter, RiverRink takes the ice-skating experience on the Delaware River waterfront to another level by once again transforming the annual rink into a bona fide winter wonderland.
For three decades, Winterfest has been Philadelphia’s favorite Winter tradition on the Delaware River Waterfront, inviting visitors for a chance to indulge in flights of fancy under thousands of sparkling lights in a winter wonderland with spectacular views of the Delaware River, complete with comforting warming cabins, physically distanced fire pit stations, games for the young and young-at-heart, delicious food and refreshing drinks, the signature holiday tree and — of course — ice skating on an NHL-sized rink.
Another ice-skating option in downtown Philadelphia is Center City Parks District’s Rothman Orthopaedics Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park (1 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, http://ccdparks.org/dilworth-park).
It 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.
Wonderspaces at the Fashion District (27 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, philadelphia.wonderspaces.com) is an experiential, interactive arts venue.
Building on the success of annual pop-up shows in San Diego, and its first permanent location in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wonderspaces opened a 24,000 square foot gallery space in Philly a year ago.
Wonderspaces features 14 art installations that all play with the idea of perspective. The artwork ranges from award-winning virtual reality short film about a dinner party-turned-alien abduction, to a room where visitors digitally paint the walls with the movement of their bodies.
New artworks rotate in every few months, creating an ever-evolving, year-round show.
Tickets are for entry at a specific date and time. Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they please during operating hours. The average time spent experiencing the show is 90 minutes.
A few installations contain flashing lights, images, and patterns that may trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. All visitors must sign a waiver prior to being admitted into the space. Adult supervision is required for visitors under 16.
