Around Town April 19

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on April 19, 2018

• Chadds Ford Township is hosting the annual recycle event this Saturday, April 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be free gifts for the first 50 residents. State Rep. Stephen Barrar is also hosting a recycling event at his office at One Beaver Valley Road, from 9 a.m. until noon. Both events will be held rain or shine.

• Seven branches of the YMCA of Greater Brandywine are holding free community events throughout Chester County on Saturday, April 21 to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active all summer long. At the Kennett Square YMCA between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., there will be inflatables, a DJ, face-painting, hula hoops, pottery and a Zumba demonstration. All are invited. One in three children in the U.S. is obese, and when summertime hits, kids are often more idle. Research shows that without access to out-of-school physical and learning activities, kids fall behind academically and gain weight twice as fast. YMCAs across the country host Healthy Kids Day® events to remind everyone of the importance of staying active.

• The Bethel Township Preservation Society is holding a special meeting this Saturday, April 21, at 3 p.m. at the township building, 1092 Bethel Road. Tony Shahan from Newlin Grist Mill will speak on "The Making of a Blacksmith Shop." Shahan did the survey on the Chelsea Blacksmith Shop before it was demolished and will talk about the discoveries he made. There will be an open house from 1-3 p.m.

• Darlington Arts Center of Garnet Valley invites the public to celebrate the arts in the community with "A Toast to the Arts" on Thursday evening, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. This annual gala, held at the Concord Country Club in West Chester, provides an opportunity to highlight the students and programs at Darlington Arts Center with performances in dance and instrumental music. The evening schedule also features live music by Brandywine Jazz plus a silent auction. The cost is $50 per ticket or $90 for two with membership price of $45/ticket.

• Pennsbury Township’s annual Yard Sale is scheduled for Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The rain date is Saturday, May 5.

• The 14th annual West Chester Film Festival is scheduled for Friday, April 27 to Sunday April 29. Filmgoers will enjoy a mix of comedy, drama, animation, art/experimental, and documentary short films in each two-hour film block. There are seven dynamic blocks of films, each screened twice over the weekend at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center and at the Chester County Historical Society. To see the full lineup of events, film descriptions and to purchase tickets, please visit the website at www.westchesterfilmfestival.com or send an e-mail to info@westchesterfilmfestival.com.

• The Brandywine-Christina Watershed Partners, a group of six nonprofit organizations funded by the William Penn Foundation through its Delaware River Watershed Initiative will host a Clean Water Conference on Thursday, May 3 to share their work and findings with conservationists and policy makers. During the conference, the Partners will unveil the "Brandywine-Christina State of the Watershed Report," highlighting projects they have implemented throughout the watershed. National and regional experts, Delaware and Pennsylvania legislators and dignitaries, and watershed stakeholders are encouraged to attend. The Clean Water Conference will be held at the Mendenhall Inn, in Mendenhall, PA, on Thursday, May 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person; $10 students (with student ID). Registration is available by visiting www.brandywine.org/conservancy/events/ or by calling 610-388-8340.

• Train Day is approaching the Marshall Steam Museum. The date and time of arrival are Sunday, May 6 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Take a ride on the 1/8-size Auburn Valley Railroad and experience the beauty of Auburn Heights as you circle through a tunnel, over a trestle bridge and past the 1897 Marshall mansion. Learn all about the jobs on the railroad and the special tools they used, try your hand at being a railroad fireman and shovel coal at the Little Tykes Tender or build your own train out of recycled materials. General admission includes four rides on the Auburn Valley Railroad: $8 ages 12 and up (infants free). Rides Ticket admission is free for Friends of Auburn Heights Preserve members. A Mansion Ticket: includes tour of the first floor of Auburn Heights: $5 all ages and a combo ticket: covers it all, rides and mansion: $13 ages 2 and up (but infants free).