Treat your sweet.
OrKID Days
OrKid Days are designed for our young garden guests. Children spend the day experiencing Longwood in special activities designed just for them. Discovery stations, interactive storytelling, and a family seek-and-find are a few of the activities for children to enjoy. OrKID Days are February 15 and March 19 from 11 am - 2 pm and are free with Gardens Admission.
Tuesday 2/16 from 5-8 to celebrate the start of The Kennett Branch of the YMCA Annual Giving Campaign. Our goal is to raise $284,000 this year to enable kids and adults to participate at the Y regardless of their ability to pay. We would love to have you come out to celebrate. We will have various vendors, a DJ and of course all of businesses in the market will be open too!
With Duncan Himmelman
Two Wednesdays: February 17 & 24 (Snow Date: Wednesday, March 2), 2016
10 am – 12:30 pm
Registration Link: https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=161GAR201
Evergreens form the backbone of winter landscapes as well as provide shelter and food sources for owls, warblers, red squirrels, opossums, and beneficial insects. Learn the identifying characteristics, classification, and habitats of approximately 20 native conifers and broadleaved evergreens. Gain a working knowledge of the best species to incorporate into your own ecologically diverse landscape. Dress for winter conditions because the class will be held outdoors and in the lab.
Duncan Himmelman is the Education Manager at Mt. Cuba Center. He has an undergraduate degree in botany and advanced degrees in ornamental horticulture; has taught at colleges in Canada and the US; and has practiced horticulture for more than 30 years.
The purpose of the Business and Professional Association of Western Delaware County is to foster superior working relationships among area businesses and generate interest in local, state and federal issues. BPA is dedicated in the pursuit of guiding and assisting new and existing businesses for sustainable growth and prosperity of the Western Delaware County region.
Monthly meetings include a meal, program and an opportunity to network.
http://bpaofwesterndelco.com/category/events/
For information on becoming a member of BPA of Western Delco, please go to our membership page where you will be able to download an application.
Anyone interested in the future of the Unionville Community Fair, which is imperiled by a lack of volunteers for two key leadership positions, is urged to attend a meeting at the Willowdale Chapel, 675 Unionville Rd., Kennett Square, Pa., on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.
Books and Boots – Thursday, February 18th :: 10:00AM-11:30AM
BRC’s Polar Plunge –Saturday, February 20th
Watershed Conservation | Environmental Education
1760 Unionville-Wawaset Rd | West Chester, PA 19382
610-793-1090 | www.brandywineredclay.org/
When: Thursday February 18, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST
Mobile internet usage is growing and more people are receiving and reading your messages with their smartphones. More businesses are starting to use mobile to create marketing communications. Mobile has become part of everything that we do. Is your business part of the mobile online world? Join us to make mobile a part of your marketing in 2016!
Where: HeadRoom #2, Wayne, PA
More Information
Let's Grow Your Email List - Quick, easy ideas to expand your reach
When: Wednesday February 24, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST
How is your email list? Is it growing or a bit stagnant? If you are ready to develop a great list of email addresses to start marketing to, you need a plan! Join us to identify how to gather contacts of people interested in your organization wherever they find you, plus provide tips, technologies & tactics for keeping your contacts organized.
Where: Delaware County Chamber of Commerce
Let's Talk Facebook for Business
When:Wednesday March 2, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST
We will conduct a roundtable workshop on Social Media & Facebook for your business. Does your small business or nonprofit have a business Facebook page? Are you using it correctly? If you want to learn more about Facebook, join us for a roundtable on best practices. We will log into a live account and answer questions. For the beginner!
Where: BIZTract, Malvern, PA
Basics of Social Media Marketing
When: Tuesday March 22, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
A basic overview of strategies and techniques as well as time saving tips and hints to make your social media marketing, along with email marketing more successful. Bring your social media questions!
Where: Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, Springfield, PA
With Jules Bruck
Six Thursdays: February 4 to March 10 (Snow date: Thursday, March 17), 2016
Optional Project Evaluation: March 17 (Snow date: Thursday, March 24), 2016
3 pm – 5 pm
Registration Link: https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=161GAR361
Design a basic plan for a garden that requires less maintenance, fewer inputs, and is adapted to your local conditions. Learn how to measure, inventory, and analyze your site, then make a conceptual design and planting plan. Broaden your design perspective, increase biodiversity in your landscape with native plants, decrease space dedicated to lawn, and create plans for ecologically sound habitats that benefit insects, birds, and other fauna. Be prepared to walk outdoors.
Jules Bruck is an Associate Professor of Landscape Design at the University of Delaware and owner of Evolution Landscape Design, LLC. Her current research focuses on design-based learning and public perception of sustainable landscape practices.
The Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce will host its Annual Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 18, at Hartefeld National Golf Club at 7:30 a.m. Meet the 2016 Board of Directors, hear about exciting plans for 2016, and celebrate the 2015 Ambassador of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. To purchase tickets, visit www.scccc.com.
Toddlers will get moving, dancing, and singing in this interactive music class. Children's performer and pre-school music director Linda Bunting will lead toddlers ages 3 to 5 in creating songs and dances based on their favorite fairy tales. To register or for more information, email John Hendrix at [email protected].
Savor all that jazz as 10 high schools assemble for a collegial competition on Feb. 19 from 6 to 10 p.m at Unionville High, 750 Unionville Rd., Kennett Square, Pa., 19348. Tickets are $8 for adults; $6 for students and seniors, and free for ages 5 and under. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. For more information about the Cavalcade of Bands Jazz Program, visit www.cavalcadeofbands.com.
Friday, February 19 at 8 pm Longwood’s Ballroom is the setting for a recital by James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey in London. O’ Donnell oversees the music for all events at Westminster Abbey including the music for special royal occasions held there. He has performed around the world including the U.S., Japan, Australia, New Zealand and throughout Europe. Tickets are $35 or $30 for Members and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or visiting ticketphiladelphia.org.
On Tuesday, March 8 at 8 pm New Zealand’s Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra brings its unique mix of humor, disarmingly small instruments, and musicality to Longwood. Tickets are $38 or $32 for Members and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or visiting ticketphiladelphia.org.
For a complete listing of all upcoming performances, visit longwoodgardens.org.
About Longwood Gardens
In 1906, industrialist Pierre du Pont (1870-1954) purchased a small farm near Kennett Square, PA, to save a collection of historic trees from being sold for lumber. Today, Longwood Gardens is one of the world’s great horticultural displays, encompassing 1,077 acres of dazzling gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains, 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ and 4.5-acre conservatory. Longwood continues the mission set forth by Mr. du Pont to inspire people through excellence in garden design, horticulture, education and the performing arts, through programming that includes exhibitions, musical performances by leading artists, renowned horticulture education programs, horticulture research, environmental stewardship and community engagement.
BRC’s Polar Plunge –Saturday, February 20th
Watershed Conservation | Environmental Education
1760 Unionville-Wawaset Rd | West Chester, PA 19382
610-793-1090 | www.brandywineredclay.org/
The American Red Cross will be hosting a blood drive on Saturday, Feb. 20, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Concord Lodge at 22 Thornton Road in Concordville. Donors are encouraged to make an appointment at www.RedCrossBlood.org by entering the sponsor code concord.
Landscape for Life
With Kathleen Salisbury and Margaret Shillingford
Five Saturdays: February 20 to March 19 (Snow date: Saturday, April 2), 2016
1 pm – 3 pm
Registration Link: https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=161GAR106
Create healthy, beautiful landscapes using a toolkit of basic skills that work in harmony with nature. Learn about the benefits of compost, how to manage water responsibly, plants that are both attractive and provide habitats for beneficial insects, and the value of using locally sourced materials. Whether you garden on a city or suburban lot, a 20-acre farm, or the common area of your condominium, it is possible to have a great looking garden that is healthier for you, your pets, and the environment.
Kathleen Salisbury is an experienced and award-winning horticulture educator, formerly with the New York Botanical Garden. She is co-owner of DeVosBury Designs, an ecological design and horticulture consulting firm.
Margaret Shillingford is the Education Coordinator at Mt. Cuba Center and a former docent. She is passionate about conserving the environment.
With Scott Weidensaul
Saturday, February 20 (Snow Date: Sunday, February 21)
1 pm – 3 pm
Registration Link: https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=161CON201
Whether traveling alone or in flocks, by day or by night, searching for prey or avoiding becoming prey, more than 5,000 species of birds manage annual roundtrip migrations of thousands of miles—and all without GPS. Discover the amazing world of bird migration with naturalist and author Scott Weidensaul. Learn how scientists study migration, the strategies employed to get from point “a” to point “b”, and the many conservation issues facing declining populations of migratory birds. Explore simple, effective ways we can help sustain our migrants, starting with planting gardens that support their seasonal travels. Be part of the solution!
Copies of Scott’s books, including his most recent, Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean, will be available for purchase and signing after the lecture.
Scott is the author of more than two dozen books on natural history, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist Living on the Windabout bird migration. He lives in the mountains of eastern Pennsylvania, where he studies the migration of hawks, owls, and hummingbirds.
First State Ballet Theatre

, Delaware's professional ballet company, presents Cinderella on Saturday February 20 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday February 21 at 2:00 p.m. at the Baby Grand Theater, 818 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. For half price student tickets and senior discounts call 1 800-37GRAND. Adults $38-48, students $19-24. Call box office at above number or visit www.ticketsatthegrand.org (Discounts not available online)
Photo credit: Tisa Della-Volpe

United Way of Southern Chester County "Chocolate Lovers Festival"
General Admission 1 – 4 PM; Connoisseur tickets 12 – 1PM
Kennett High School, 100 E. South St., Kennett Square, PA
Calling all chocoholics! Hundreds of chocolate treats including cakes, brownies, candies, cookies and cupcakes will be available for tasting at this festival benefiting United Way of Southern Chester County. Bring family and friends and sample as many chocolate items as you wish. General Admission starts at 1PM: $10 per person includes six tastings (special deal of $30 for a family of four). General admission parking is $5.
Want to avoid the crowd? Connoisseur Tickets allow for admission at noon for a private hour of wandering the aisles of chocolate!: $25 per person or $45 for two people (includes beverages and parking).
Advance tickets and info: www.kennettchocolate.org.
ENTRIES: Are you a professional chef or a great baker? Donate your best chocolate desserts to support this event and for a chance to win ribbons and prizes. Contestant categories are professionals, amateurs and students (ages 12 up).
There is no cost to enter. Entries must have a chocolate component and be shelf-stable, but need not be original. For official rules and to enter: www.kennettchocolate.org. Entry deadline is February 17, 2016.
WHO WE ARE: United Way of Southern Chester County serves the residents of the Avon Grove, Kennett, Oxford, and Unionville-Chadds Ford school districts. Over 30 health and human service programs receive support from UWSCC.
Vocal Recital/Lecture
Erin Coats Lippard, Mezzo–Soprano
Kenneth Osowski, Accompanist
Shakespeare-inspired songs from Renaissance through 20th Century
February 21 at 3 p.m.
Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church
Rt. 52 near Winterthur
Centreville, DE
$5 suggested donation
Former Chadds Ford resident and a graduate of Kennett Consolidated High School, Erin Coats Lippard, now on York College faculty will present a recital of songs with texts by William Shakespeare at Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church on Feb. 21 at 3 pm. Erin grew up singing in Lower Brandywine choirs and performing in musicals at the Kennett Consolidated High School.
The verses of Shakespeare have provided lyrical musings to countless composers over the last four centuries. As the calendar approaches the 400th anniversary of his death, mezzo-soprano Erin Lippard (York College Director of Vocal Studies and Assistant Professor of Music) and pianist Kenneth Osowski (Chair of the Department of Communications and the Arts and Assistant Professor of Music) will present a recital of songs with texts by the famous playwright. British composers from the Renaissance through the 20th Century will be featured on the recital, including Henry Purcell, Roger Quilter, Gerald Finzi, Peter Warlock, and many more.
With Douglas Tallamy
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
6 pm – 7:30 pm
Registration Link: https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=161GAR815
Two questions are common among native plant enthusiasts: “Do cultivars of native plants provide the same ecological services as do straight species?” And “Are roadside restorations helpful or are they ecological traps?” Doug Tallamy has recently researched both questions and will share the results as well as other insights on the movement to restore the ecological integrity of human dominated landscapes.
Douglas Tallamy, PhD, is an Entomology and Wildlife Ecology professor at the University of Delaware where he has authored 80 research articles. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His book Bringing Nature Home received the 2008 silver medal by the Garden Writer's Association. The Living Landscape, coauthored with Rick Darke, was published in 2014. Doug received the Garden Club of America's Margaret Douglas Medal for Conservation and the Tom Dodd Jr. Award of Excellence in 2013.
Join Minding Your Mind in a discussion for students and parents on mental health education. Topics addressed will include anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, bullying, and the difference between positive and negative coping mechanisms. Minding Your Mind is a nonprofit whose primary objective is to provide mental health education to adolescents, teens, and young adults, as well as parents, teachers, and school administrators. Our goal is to break the silence and to reduce the stigma and destructive behaviors often associated with mental health issues. For more information please contact Elaine Anderson at [email protected].
Let's Grow Your Email List - Quick, easy ideas to expand your reach
When: Wednesday February 24, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST
How is your email list? Is it growing or a bit stagnant? If you are ready to develop a great list of email addresses to start marketing to, you need a plan! Join us to identify how to gather contacts of people interested in your organization wherever they find you, plus provide tips, technologies & tactics for keeping your contacts organized.
Where: Delaware County Chamber of Commerce
Let's Talk Facebook for Business
When:Wednesday March 2, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST
We will conduct a roundtable workshop on Social Media & Facebook for your business. Does your small business or nonprofit have a business Facebook page? Are you using it correctly? If you want to learn more about Facebook, join us for a roundtable on best practices. We will log into a live account and answer questions. For the beginner!
Where: BIZTract, Malvern, PA
Basics of Social Media Marketing
When: Tuesday March 22, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
A basic overview of strategies and techniques as well as time saving tips and hints to make your social media marketing, along with email marketing more successful. Bring your social media questions!
Where: Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, Springfield, PA
A Town Hall meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Genesis HealthCare building at 101 E. State St. Residents are urged to take advantage of the chance to discuss topics of interest with borough officials.
With Anne Brennan
Thursday, February 25 (Snow date: Friday, February 26), 2016
10 am – 2:30 pm
Registration Link: https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=161GAR107
Proper pruning of shrubs and trees improves their structure and health while enhancing their appearance in the landscape. In this hands-on workshop, learn basic pruning principles, how to make proper cuts, the best times of year to prune different species, and how to select and maintain tools. Gain the ability to shape and form your plantings in a more naturalistic, appealing way. Be prepared to walk outdoors and bring your lunch, work gloves, and hand pruners.
Anne Brennan is the Horticulture Supervisor at the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. She is a Certified Arborist from the International Society of Arboriculture and says pruning is one of her favorite garden tasks.
With Jules Bruck
Six Thursdays: February 4 to March 10 (Snow date: Thursday, March 17), 2016
Optional Project Evaluation: March 17 (Snow date: Thursday, March 24), 2016
3 pm – 5 pm
Registration Link: https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=161GAR361
Design a basic plan for a garden that requires less maintenance, fewer inputs, and is adapted to your local conditions. Learn how to measure, inventory, and analyze your site, then make a conceptual design and planting plan. Broaden your design perspective, increase biodiversity in your landscape with native plants, decrease space dedicated to lawn, and create plans for ecologically sound habitats that benefit insects, birds, and other fauna. Be prepared to walk outdoors.
Jules Bruck is an Associate Professor of Landscape Design at the University of Delaware and owner of Evolution Landscape Design, LLC. Her current research focuses on design-based learning and public perception of sustainable landscape practices.
Once again, local host Trail Creek Outfitters is bringing the 14th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival – the country’s largest environmental film festival – to the area.
The 14th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival will be held on Feb.
The 14th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival will be held on Feb. 25 and 26.
This year’s theme, “A Change of Course,” focuses on pressing issues surrounding water. The films aim to inspire dialogue and encourage change in the way people interact with the environment, said a press release from the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC).
The two-night festival of short films, sponsored nationally by Patagonia, will be held at the Chester County Historical Society in West Chester on Thursday, Feb. 25, and Friday, Feb. 26. Doors open at 6 p.m. for hors d'oeuvres and local brews, with films beginning at 7 p.m., the release said.
Tickets are $25 per night or $45 for both nights. This festival historically sells out and features stellar filmmaking that combines stunning cinematography and first-rate storytelling to take the audience on an adventurous ride to remote areas of the world.
Proceeds from the festival will equally benefit the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County and the Stroud Water Research Center. Tickets are available now at trailcreekoutfitters.bigcartel.com. For more information, call 610-347-0347, ext. 103 or visit www.tlcforscc.org/wild-scenic-film-festival.
Watch art come to life at the Brandywine River Museum of Art on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27. In the atrium of the museum, visitors will have an opportunity to view artists who are painting during Plein Air Inside Out.
Unionville High School’s gymnasium is hosting the 21st Unionville High School PTO Used Book Sale, starting on Friday, Feb. 26. Donated by a diverse group of avid readers, the approximately 80,000 books cover a wide variety of genres, including children’s books, art books and classics. The used book sale is the high school PTO's primary fundraiser and allows the PTO to support enrichment projects to enhance the educational experience. Sale hours are Friday, Feb. 26, from 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 27, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a half-hour break to prepare for the $10 bag sale from 3 to 5 p.m.
Along with our award winning Friday Best of Philly half price burgers in the bar and tavern, we will offer a crab cake burger. The sandwich will be served on a buttery, brioche bun with a lemon caper aioli. Remember, we do not take reservations in the bar and tavern room.