• Has anyone wondered How to Protect Your Native Plants? Longwood Gardens can help. On Saturday, May 16, at 1 p.m., people can join Longwood Land Stewardship and Ecology Technician Ellen Oordt for an inside look at how Longwood identifies, manages, and prevents the spread of invasive plants as part of our commitment to healthy, resilient landscapes. Discover how science-led stewardship supports the balance and diversity of native habitats and gain practical tips for recognizing and safeguarding your own garden from aggressive, non-native species. The event, held in the Fountain Room, is free with garden admission.
• Kennett Collaborative invites people to shop for their spring annuals and perennials at Pratt’s Greenhouse on May 2 and 3 during the annual Plant Sale benefitting the Beautification Committee, which provides seasonal flowers in the planters and small garden spaces throughout Kennett Square. Each year, volunteers fill the planters with flowers in the spring and summer and holiday greens during the winter. This year, in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the planters will feature red, white, and blue flowers, as well as American flags made possible by the Chester County Community Foundation. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 2, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 3.
• It’s called Mirth and Friendship, but it’s about disability in the late 18th century. A mezzotint in Winterthur’s collection called Mirth and Friendship shows a perfectly normal scene in mid-18th-century London—a group of men drinking in a tavern. Join Esme Krohn, Fellow, Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, as she explores how this print shows the complicated and often contradictory realities of being disabled in 18th-century England. The date is May 5, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Registration required. Free Register here.
• On May 17 at 7 p.m., Hagley Museum will offer a talk by author Michelle Craig McDonald on her book, Coffee Nation: How One Commodity Transformed the Early United States. Coffee is so ever-present in our lives today that its roots are under-appreciated – especially the contributions of Philadelphia-based merchants in the very early days of our nation to coffee’s popularity. In her talk, McDonald will follow coffee beans from the slavery-based plantations of the Caribbean and South America, through the storehouses and ships of Atlantic world merchants, and then into the brew that was so popular in early America’s coffeehouses, stores, and homes. The event will be in the Soda House Auditorium from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Registration will be via Eventbrite.
• The Brandywine Museum of Art will display Betsy James Wyeth’s role as the curator and archivist of the Wyeth family’s rich history and collections in “Treasures from the Family: The Gift of Betsy James Wyeth.” The exhibition consists of art and archival material from the major bequest she left to the Brandywine Museum of Art upon her death in 2020. The exhibit opens May 22.
• The KSQ Farmers Market returns to its weekly rhythm on Friday, May 1, in the heart of Kennett Square. Every Friday from 3-6 p.m., shoppers will find more than twenty small local farms, food businesses, and makers gathered in the parking lot of 600 S Broad Street to sell their fresh, locally-grown, and locally-made goods.
• The Brandywine Pops Orchestra is presenting a free concert on Monday, May 18, at 7 p.m. at St. Cornelius Parish Life Center, 160 Ridge Rd, Chadds Ford. This concert will feature the world premiere of River Songs, composed by BPO Conductor Dr. Michael Larkin, especially for the orchestra. River Songs features excerpts of American melodies such as “Ol’ Man River,” “Shenandoah,” and “Down by the Riverside.” The program also includes light classics from Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Bizet, and others.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
