• Rose Tree Park will once again be decked out for the holiday season when the 39th annual Festival of Lights kicks off Friday, Dec. 4, and runs through Jan. 3. The Festival of Lights is a local tradition that began in 1976 as part of festivities planned to celebrate the nation’s Bicentennial. The festival has grown from 50 lighted trees (one for each municipality and one large one to represent the county) to 75 decorated trees strung with 100,000 holiday lights, and dozens of hand-painted wooden figures, including toy soldiers, a snowman family and a replica of the Delaware County Courthouse. The opening celebration features a mini holiday concert by the Springton Lake Middle School Select Choir under the direction of Joseph Fisher, cocoa and cookies courtesy of Acme Markets, and a visit from Santa Claus. The Festival of Lights runs 5:30-9:30 p.m. nightly.

• The Brandywine Battlefield State Park in Chadds Ford Township celebrates Patriot's Day on Saturday, Nov. 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Program highlights include visits from Gen. George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, along with lectures by authors Bruce Mowday and Daniel Grimes. There will also be historical demonstrations and tours of Washington’s Headquarters. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for children aged 5-17.

• The Delaware County Symphony will present the second symphonic concert of the 2015-2016 season on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m. in the Meagher Theatre of the Thomas A. Bruder Jr. Life Center at Neumann University. Carl Cranmer, pianist, is the featured guest soloist who will perform the emotionally moving and technically challenging “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor” by Frederick Chopin. There will be a free pre-concert presentation by Dr. Michael Kelly from 2-2:30 p.m. in the McNichol Room. Concert tickets are $18 or $15 for seniors/students. Neumann University students with ID are free and children under 12 (one child per paying adult) are free. There is ample free parking adjacent to the theatre and the center is handicapped accessible. For information call 610-879-7059 or visit www.dcsmusic.org

• The Kennett Area Senior Center’s Walnut Street Café Community Breakfast will be offered on Monday, Dec. 7 from 7 to 9 a.m. Please join us for a fabulous meal, including scrambled eggs, home fries, sausage, bacon, sausage gravy & biscuits, and omelets made to order. All breakfasts include juice, fruit, coffee, tea & milk. The price of this menu is $5.75/member and $6.75/non-member.

• Catherine Faia of Chadds Ford will dance in the upcoming performances of “The Nutcracker,” choreographed by the Academy of International Ballet on Saturday, Dec. 12, in the Hobson Wagner Theater at Conestoga High School in Berwyn. Catherine began her study of ballet at AIB at the age of 6. Her first major role was Clara in the "Nutcracker." In this performance, she’ll be performing the roles of Columbine, Russian, Marleton, Snow and Waltz. Catherine has been accepted into various summer intensive programs such as the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy and Joffrey Ballet. Catherine is an honor student and enjoys playing the piano. Reserved seating tickets are available in advance by visiting academyballetru.com or at the door on the day of the show if available.

• Season's inspirations and magical moments await at “Yuletide at Winterthur,” the annual exhibition celebrating the holiday traditions of Henry Francis du Pont and his family at Winterthur, with a special tribute to the 30th anniversary of the beloved Dried Flower Tree. Concerts, caroling, jazz, and wine events are scheduled along with Winterthur's special Yuletide programming. Winterthur is open daily (including Mondays) during Yuletide, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Jan. 3; the last Yuletide Tour tickets are sold at 3:15 p.m. For more information, visit http://winterthur.org.

• The Longwood Fire Company kicked off its annual ambulance subscription campaign last week. Those taking part in the subscription campaign receive the added benefit of knowing that if they need ambulance service and their insurance company does not cover the full cost, the remaining balance will be discounted or waived by the fire company.  “Running the ambulance service is very expensive. … Donations offset costs for the operation of our 24-hour a day service for those in need,” said Longwood Fire Chief A. J. McCarthy.

• As part of an ongoing “Igniting Innovation” series, Penn State Great Valley and the Chester County Economic Development Council present “Igniting Innovation and Wearable Technology,” a forum focused on the economic impact of this burgeoning industry on local companies. The event will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 9, in Room 209 of the Conference Center at Penn State Great Valley, 30 E. Swedesford, Road in Malvern. Speaker Stephen Spivak, a Philadelphia-based entrepreneur who has just opened his online TheWearablesStore.com for business, will discuss aspects of the wearable technology industry. For more information, visit www.gv.psu.edu.

• Kennett Township invites the public to attend "Organic Land Care?  A New Approach to Sustainable Landscapes" with Nancy Gaspari, a master gardener. The seminar will be held in the township buildings meeting room on Sunday, Dec. 6 from 2 to 4 p.m.  No registration is required. Gaspari will focus on the fact that 11 states in the U.S. are now enacting restrictive or prohibitive fertilizer laws for residential use, a trend that is expected to expand and is prompting homeowners to seek organic alternatives.

• The Delaware Nature Society and the Association of Nature Center Administrators are co-sponsoring the 2016 Professional Leadership Institute, held at Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin from Jan. 12-16; the deadline to sign up is Dec. 11. Scholarships are available, and requests must be sent in by Dec. 4. Lodging is available at the Ashland Nature Center Lodge. The Professional Leadership Institute is geared toward professionals who are looking to grow their institution, network with colleagues, prepare for challenges and focus their vision. The full schedule and registration form, including all speakers and topics, can be found at www.DelNature.org/PLI.