• Mt. Cuba Center is having a Tree Festival on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. See trees in their autumn glory and learn how they add beauty and value to our landscapes. Enjoy fall-themed, family-friendly programs, live music, hayrides, and more. This event is included in general admission and is free for Mt. Cuba members. General admission tickets are available here.
• Westtown Township’s Historical Commission is offering a free lecture on “Westtown School and the Township’s Quaker Tradition” on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The lecture centers on how a prominent Quaker School evolved with Westtown, beginning in 1799. The lecture is free and open to the public.
• The Delaware County Symphony opens its 2025-2026 season, “Pride and Patriotism,” on Oct. 19 with “My Homeland,” a concert that explores themes of place and belonging. Glinka’s Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila provides virtuosic brilliance and energy, followed by Grieg’s passionate and lyrical Piano Concerto, performed by the exceptional Young-Ah Tak. We conclude with Vaughan Williams’ A London Symphony, a beautifully atmospheric portrait of the city he called home, blending grandeur with quiet introspection. This year’s programs are designed to explore how music reflects where we come from, how we grow, and what unites us. All concerts are held at 3:00 PM on Sundays in Neumann University’s Meagher Theatre. Go here for tickets.
• Longwood Gardens is offering a workshop on Photo Transfer, where you can learn how to turn your printed photographs into beautiful, lasting works of art on wood. The workshop runs from Oct. 8 and 11 for $139. The Oct. 8 session is online, where you’ll learn about the materials needed to transfer photos onto wood, fabric, and canvas. The Oct. 11 session is online, where you’ll prepare and transfer your own photo onto wood and fabric. You’ll have instructor-led, step-by-step guidance throughout the entire process. Register here.
• The Brandywine Valley Symphony, formerly the Kennett Symphony, begins its 85th season with Masterworks 1: Where the River Meets the Sky on Sunday, Oct. 12, at 3 p.m. in the Duffy Arts Center of Malvern Preparatory School. The program features West Chester native Samuel Barber’s Essay No. 1, Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor with guest pianist Anna Shelest, and Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish.”
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.
