Around Town Aug. 11

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on August 11, 2016

The Academy of International Ballet’ will hold an open audition for "The Nutcracker" on Saturday, Aug. 27.

• The Brandywine River Museum of Art will have a Gallery Talk entitled “Andrew Wyeth: Beyond the Obvious” on Wed., Aug. 17, at 2 p.m. Explore the creative impulses and enigmatic qualities often underlying Wyeth’s work with Audrey Lewis, curator, in the Andrew Wyeth Gallery. The talk is free with museum admission.

• The Kennett Area Senior Center sponsors an AARP Smart Driver Course for drivers age 50 and over on Thursday, Aug. 18, from noon to 4 p.m. This course is applicable for those who have previously completed the eight-hour course. The session explains the changes that occur in vision, hearing, and reaction time as people age and provides useful driving safety tips of handling those changes. There is no test, and participants may be eligible to receive a discount on their auto insurance premium (consult your insurance company for details). Call the KASC at 610-444-4819 for further information and to reserve your seat in the class.

2015-2016 Preschool students Aarika Patel, left, of Glen Mills, and August Raines, right, of West Chester, participate in a drama activity with costumes and set pieces.

• Darlington Arts Center is now accepting registrations for the 2016-2017 Arts-Integrated Preschool Program. The program exposes young learners, ages 3 to 5, to music, art, dance, and drama. The preschool curriculum includes days of the week and months of the year, science and weather, colors and shapes, numbers and sequence and more. The nine-month program starts Monday, Sept. 12, and goes through May 2017. Families can choose from one to four days a week in any combination of days between Monday and Thursday. Half-day sessions start at 9 a.m. and go until noon. Preschool information and registration is available online at www.darlingtonarts.org, by emailing register@darlingtonarts.org or by calling 610-358-3632.

• Children and adults of all ages are invited to an open audition on Saturday, Aug. 27, for the upcoming performance by the Academy of International Ballet’s full-length, fully costumed performance of “The Nutcracker,” to be performed on Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Unionville High School. Denis Gronostayskiy and Anastasia Babayeva, who are the artistic directors for the ballet company, reside in Kennett Square. Auditions will be held at the academy’s studio at 75 West Baltimore Pike, in Media. For more information or to register, call 610-357-9921 or visit http://goo.gl/forms/3XcyjVLuzpADGCcq1

• A silent auction fundraiser to benefit Brandywine Roller Derby is scheduled for Aug. 13, from 7-10 p.m. at Hannum's Harley-Davidson in Chadds Ford. Funds raised during the evening will be mainly used toward team travel expenses, practice space rentals, and home game costs. Tickets cost $30 a person or $50 for a pair and can be purchased online or at the door. Guests must be 21 and older. Brandywine Roller Derby is Chester County's first and only all-women's, flat-track roller derby league, currently ranked 41st in the world. To learn more about Brandywine Roller Derby and to purchase tickets, go to www.brandywinerollerderby.com or email brdsponsor@gmail.com.

• The 25th annual Wine Festival at Dilworthtown Inn will be held on Sunday, Oct. 9. Regarded as the county’s premier wine event, the festival features more than 100 wines, craft beers, cuisine prepared by Dilworthtown Inn chefs and local food trucks, a silent auction, shopping opportunities, a car show and more. Proceeds from the wine festival benefit patients of the Cancer Program of Chester County Hospital and Neighborhood Health. To attend, volunteer, sponsor or donate, visit www.2crushcancer.com or call 610-431-5328.

• The fourth annual Save The Valley Music Fest will take place on Friday, Sept. 9 at World Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington. This year the event will showcase six bands – three of which are local high school bands that fought for their place on the stage at a sold-out event in April. Among the performers are the Splashing Pearls and headliner Bronze Radio Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. For more information, visit http://www.savethevalley.org/music. Tickets can be obtained at: http://queentickets.worldcafelive.com/event/1281043.

• Home of the Sparrow, a nonprofit that assists homeless women, is inviting community members to its third annual “The Gathering at Penns Woods Winery” event on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The cost, which includes wine, appetizers from Whole Foods, and live music, is $55 per person. Proceeds will benefit Home of the Sparrow’s many programs and services, such as literacy education, job training and rental subsidies. The winery is located at 124 Beaver Valley Road in Chadds Ford. This is an indoor/outdoor event that will be held rain or shine. For more information, event registration, or to make a donation, visit www.HomeoftheSparrow.org/events.