Back-to-back events kick off Hadley season

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on September 17, 2016

For more than five decades, the Hadley Fund has been bringing free lectures and performances to the Kennett region, and it will kick off its 54th season with back-to-back events later this month.

El Mariachi Flores, who entertained Pope Francis in Philadelphia, will cap the — El Mariachi Flores, who entertained Pope Francis in Philadelphia, will cap La Comunidad Hispana's debut Let’s Choose Health Run & Family Walk.

On Saturday, Sept. 24, the Hadley Fund will present “All Things Being (almost) Equal: The Autumnal Equinox,” an outdoor celebration facilitated by Christine Campbell, founder of Wolfsongs.org and director of the Temenos Community. It will be held at 2 p.m. at The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County’s Stateline Woods Preserve.

Christine Campbell, ceremonialist and musician of Wolfsongs, will lead a program of melodic songs, chants and music combined with movement and dance. She will address topics that include balancing earth energy, celebrating the harvest and changing seasons, and separating the wheat from the chaff. She will be joined by well-known musicians John Swana and Chico Huff along and other members of the Temenos Community.

On Sunday, Sept. 25, the Hadley Fund is partnering with La Comunidad Hispana for its First Annual Let’s Choose Health Run & Family Walk. The LCH run (registration and fee required) is a fast course through and around Anson B. Nixon Park with chip timing. The one-mile walk includes fun family activities at stations along the way. Food, goody bags, event t-shirts, and family activities, including an appearance by Philadelphia Union team members, will be part of the fun.

At 10 a.m. Hadley is sponsoring a free concert by El Mariachi Flores as a finale to the event. The popular, high-energy band performed for Pope Francis during his visit to Philadelphia last year. To view a video of that performance, click here.

The Hadley Fund started in 1962 when Hal Holbrook presented “A Night with Mark Twain.” Since then many musicians, lecturers and performers have graced Hadley’s stages, many of whom became famous after they appeared Kennett Square.

Notable past performers have included Martin Luther King Jr., Linus Pauling, Julius Erving, Marian Anderson, Alex Haley, Norman Cousins, Ogden Nash and Gloria Steinem. More recently, Hadley seasons have included lectures by Stephen Kress on puffins, Jerrold Post on terrorism, Linda Ales on photography, and award-winning journalists Donald L. Bartlett and James B. Steele on health policies.

All Hadley Fund events are free and open to the public, but tickets are required. For more information, call 610-444-1855 or visit http://www.hadleypresents.org. Event registration is available at www.HadleyPresents.TicketLeap.com.