Can you imagine a chocolate bar with just two or three ingredients packed full of minerals, fiber and protein? On February 9, Hagley Museum’s Victorine’s Valentine’s Day will show how such a creation is possible with Double Spiral Chocolate. The event is held in honor of Victorine du Pont Bauduy (1792-1861), E. I. du Pont’s eldest daughter, by celebrating Victorian traditions with handmade expressions of love.
Curiosity for a life transition led a Scottish couple, Mhairi and Stuart Craig, to the “bean-to-bar” movement of producing chocolate with whole ingredients and responsible sourcing. With Stuart’s background in food and nutrition research (he’s a biochemist), he wanted to know if it was possible to make a healthier chocolate bar that people would actually eat. The answer was yes, but Mhairi, a registered nurse, wondered, “would anyone be interested in buying our chocolate?”
Now living in the artisan enclave of Arden, Delaware, the couple run Double Spiral Chocolate from a converted kitchen above their garage and have more than twenty retail locations in Delaware. The logo for their company, conjoined Celtic spirals, symbolizes balance in life and aligns with Double Spiral Chocolate’s mission of balancing taste and nutrition “us[ing] as few ingredients as possible.”
Double Spiral’s chocolates are dark varieties containing 70% or higher of cacao, an ingredient with health benefits such as reduced heart disease risk, lower blood pressure and anti-oxidant properties. Just as important is what is excluded in their process: nuts, dairy and soy. Flavor is enhanced with a final whole ingredient such as freeze-dried raspberry, vanilla bean or mint leaves. Most consumers are used to the sweet taste of milk chocolate, but cacao from regions across the globe provides a variety of notes akin to those of fine wine or single malt scotch. Double Spiral Chocolate wants to reach the consumer who understands the “connection between what you buy and social and environmental issues in other parts of the world,” explains Stuart.
Learn more about the “bean-to-bar” chocolate making process with Double Spiral Chocolate at Hagley Museum’s Victorine’s Valentine’s Day on Saturday, February 9 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This sweet, family-friendly event provides a Victorian-style celebration with activities including verse writing with a quill pen, cookie baking, Valentine’s card creation and hot chocolate bar. All activities are included with regular admission and are free to Hagley members. Adults $15; children 6-14 $6; children 5 and under free. Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141.
About Hagley Museum and Library
At Hagley, we invite people of all ages to investigate and experience the unfolding history of American business, technology, and innovation, and its impact on the world, from our home at the historic DuPont powder yards on the banks of the Brandywine. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit http://www.hagley.org.
Barbershop Quartet Valentine Lunch
Hosted by Chadds Ford Barn Shops
Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 12 PM – 2 PM
This is an experience you won't want to miss!
We are so excited to introduce you to our friends "Ed Instead" - a local and legendary barbershop quartet.
They have offered to sing for you at our Chadds Cafe + Store - red blazers and all. Enjoy a latte, homemade lunch or valentine's day treat while they stroll around and sing. Family friendly and really something special. Free event, but tips for the band are always appreciated 🙂
No tickets - we will expand the event to our porch with heaters or fire pits if needed!
Shop our 8 Barn Shops businesses for unique Valentine gifts while you are here!
The Chadds Ford Historical Society is hosting its 11th annual Plein Air art event on February 7th. During each day, Mid-Atlantic artists will brave the chilly weather and paint scenes around the Brandywine Valley. On Saturday, they will frame the 'still wet' paintings and hang them in the Visitor Center exhibit and meeting rooms. That evening from 6 pm - 8 pm, the Society will host a special Artist Reception where guests can meet the artists, discuss their creations and purchase the artwork. Light refreshments, wine and beer are being served. Artwork will be on display and available for purchase through March 15, 2019.
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A Harp Happening That Is Astral Harp
Sunday, February 10, 2019 at 3:00 PM Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church at 101 Old Kennett Rd, Wilmington, DE 19807 (Route 52 at Old Kennett Road, across from Winterthur)
Lower Brandywine Vision 20/20 Series: Featuring Janet and Kevin Witman
Out Of This World
Enjoy an exciting multimedia event combining stellar harp performance with amazing astro-photography. A husband and wife team, Kevin will illustrate the wonders of the universe using visual images of space, while Janet has arranged and composed harp music to enhance the experience, including ‘What a Wonderful World,’ ‘Moon dance,’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven.’
Janet Witmanis a nationally-awarded musician. She is principal harpist with two professional orchestras, and directs the renowned Brandywine Harp Orchestra. Kevin Witman is a planetarium operator/lecturer at the North Museum in Lancaster, PA.
$5.00 Suggested Donation at the Door
I just released my first solo album in 6 years, “Everyday Street” in September and I’ll be performing an album release show at Kennett Flash in Kennett Square on Sunday Feb. 10. Doors open at 6:00 pm and show starts at 7:00 pm
My new album features harmonies by Shawn Colvin and Richard Shindell and is the most acoustically based, intimate album I’ve ever made. It was recorded over four days and features just me and multi-instrumentalist Duke Levine on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandola, National guitar, and octave mandolin.
The opening song, “Old Friends,” a duet with my long-time friend Shawn Colvin, is a reflection on our friendship and on our times together in the early days of the Greenwich Village folk scene. “Keeping Time,” with Richard Shindell on harmony, is from my vantage point as a mother sharing our neighborhood’s rhythms, from a distance, with the late actor and father of three Philip Seymour Hoffman. There are also four cover songs which have been fan favorites from my shows, including Nanci Griffith’s “I Wish it Would Rain" and “Loch Lomond.”
I’m releasing “Everyday Street” myself, and I’m managing all of the promotion myself. The album is only be available through my website and at my shows, and it will not be on any streaming services. https://lucykaplansky.com/home
http://www.kennettflash.org/event/1785923-lucy-kaplansky-kennett-square/
Public Meetings for the Brandywine Water Trail
The Brandywine Conservancy and Chester County Planning Commission are studying the feasibility of a formalized water trail and would like your input! Join us February 5 or 12 to discuss routes you currently use, areas that need to be improved, opportunities for additional access, stewardship and education.
A water trail is a route along a waterway for recreational use, enhanced by connections to land trails. Water trails involve stewardship by the local community to protect and enhance the natural, scenic, cultural and historic resources along the waterway.
The study focuses on the East and West branch of the Brandywine from Coatesville and Downingtown, PA to Brandywine Creek State Park in DE, so residents of both Pennsylvania and Delaware are welcome to attend and provide input. We hope you can join us!
https://www.brandywine.org/sites/default/files/media/water-trail-meeting-feb2018.pdf
Young children and their grown-ups hear a story, interact with art in the Museum and make their own creative works in this fun program. Online registration is requested. For more details, please contact the education office at 610-388-8382 or [email protected]. The Read-Aloud Program has been made possible by Joseph and Diane Packer in memory of Emily Grace Koenig.
Design trends in landscape development have been migrating toward a more holistic approach, one that creates functional ecological systems that mimic nature, especially as it pertains to water quality. Scott Scarfone discusses how environmental design guidelines established by the Sustainable Sites Initiative™ and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system are influencing this trend and why many jurisdictions now mandate more stringent stormwater management practices that protect the quality of local water systems. Using recent landscape design projects, including plans for the Wilmington Wetland Park, Scott shares his ideas on what the new landscape aesthetic might look like and how homeowners, professionals, and developers can implement this vision.
14th Semi-Annual Draw-a-Thon
Join us for a day of drawing on Presidents' Day, Monday, February 18! With 3 different model sessions throughout the day, this is a great opportunity to explore the figure and enhance your drawing skills. Register for 1, 2 or all three sessions. The draw-a-thon begins at 10am!
https://public.chestercountyarts.org/public/FeaturedClass.faces?wrkid=6633
100 North Bradford Avenue, WC, PA 19382
Monday, February 18 from 11 AM - 5 PM
Talk about a reason to celebrate! Its National Drink Wine Day, and we want to raise a glass with you.
Stop on in to the Winery anytime between 11 am-5 pm, and enjoy a Traditional Wine Tasting on us.
You'll select and sample 7 one-ounce servings of wine from across our portfolio.
Plus (as if you needed more convincing) - enjoy 10% off all bottle purchases so you can go home with your favorite wines.
There's no better way to spend #NationalDrinkWineDay!
BBPA Revolutionary Dining Series
featuring a talk by Glenn F. Williams, Ph.D:
"The Siege of Yorktown:
The Decisive Engagement of the American Revolution"
Brief Description: This talk will provide a better understanding of how Franco-American forces were able to destroy the combat power of a major British field army defending a well-fortified position without resorting to a bloody frontal assault.
When: Tuesday, February 19, 2019, 6pm
Registration Cost*: $50.00pp online (PayPal)
*Includes: Meal (Salad, Entrée, Dessert), Lecture, Q&A session
Where: The Gables at Chadds Ford / 423 Baltimore Pike Chadds Ford, Pa 19317
Registration & Additional Information: www.brandywinebattlefield.org/revwardining / 610 459 3342
Come to the Brandywine River Museum of Art to unwind, mingle and make art! Designed for adults who want to awaken their inner artists, this program features a hands-on printmaking activity. Participants will follow simple instructions to carve a linoleum block to create a beautiful printed image or pattern on a canvas tote. No experience necessary. Program fee includes art materials and light refreshments. BYOB! Register online or by phone at 610-388-8326.
Young children and their grown-ups hear a story, interact with art in the Museum and make their own creative works in this fun program. Online registration is requested. For more details, please contact the education office at 610-388-8382 or [email protected]. The Read-Aloud Program has been made possible by Joseph and Diane Packer in memory of Emily Grace Koenig.
Discover how to access Brandywine River Museum of Art’s Fine Art and Research Center Collections online and use the images to create robust and meaningful classroom lessons in a variety of subject areas. Letters for teachers to submit for Act 48 credit will be provided.
Unionville High School is hosting the annual Unionville High School PTO Used Book Sale, starting on Friday, Feb. 22 from 4-9pm in the gymnasium. The sale continues Saturday, Feb 23 from 8am-1:30pm and a $10 bag sale from 2-4pm. Bags will be provided; please do not bring your own. Approximately 75,000+ used books for sale, across 30+ different genres with a large Children’s/Young Adults Area and Special Collections Area. Refreshments and food will be available. There is sure to be something for everyone. Please visit us at www.uhsbooksale.org for more information. Snow Date March 1st and 2nd.
Chadds Ford Township will hold its annual Volunteer Appreciation Night at Turners Mill, the municipal building, at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22.
Pancake Breakfast and Maple Sugaring Celebration
Saturday, February 23, 8am – 1pm. Snow date: Saturday, March 2
Join us for our ever popular annual celebration of all
things maple syrup-related, and, of course, pancakes!
Take a stroll through our maple sugaring stations and discover
how the tasty topping we all know and love gets turned
from sap into syrup. Explore Tyler’s Great Nature Reads
with kids activities and learn about the impact climate
change has on maple syrup - both led by the Penn State
Brandywine Sustainovation Team.
Then satisfy your appetite with our famous all-you-can-eat
pancake and sausage breakfast. Fun and food for all the family.
Bring a group! Rain or shine event, snow date March 2.
Adults $16, Children (ages 3-12) $10, 2 and under FREE. Buy your Pancake Breakfast tickets online at TylerArboretum,org
Pre-registration not required; tickets available through the Visitor Center at the event.
Unionville High School's gymnasium is hosting the annual Unionville High School PTO Used Book Sale, starting on Friday, Feb. 22 from 4-9 pm. The sale continues Saturday, Feb 23 from 8am-1:30 pm and a $10 bag sale from 2-4 pm. Bags will be provided; please do not bring your own. Approximately 75,000+ used books for sale, across 30+ different genres with a large Children’s/Young Adults Area and Special Collections Area. Refreshments and food will be available. There is sure to be something for everyone. Please visit us at http://www.uhsbooksale.org for more information. Snow Date March 1st and 2nd.
Welcome to the Kennett Winterfest – February 23rd, 2019
Kennett Brewfest presents the 7th Annual Kennett Winterfest
Saturday, February 23rd, 2019
12:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Adrian Martinez, internationally known artist, teacher and lecturer, will speak about his experiences creating art at the White House, working with President and Mrs. George W. Bush, and how this experience changed the art and ambitions he had growing up in Washington, D. C.
Martinez has also been asked to give his vision on the future of Historic Yellow Springs. Historic Yellow Springs is a living village steeped in a distinguished history, tradition, and folklore that stirs the imagination of those who visit. The village spans more than 275 years of American history.
Today, the village includes 11 buildings and 142 acres. Historic Yellow Springs continues to host a wide range of fine art, sculpture and ceramic classes for adults, teens and children, boasts of some of the best art shows in the area, contains a beautiful venue for weddings and events and hosts numerous trails for all who visit to enjoy, including passing the revolutionary war hospital commissioned by then General Washington.
Martinez’s first talk, From the White House to Historic Yellow Springs — An Artistic Journey, is scheduled for Saturday, February 23 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. in the second floor gallery of the Lincoln Building, 1685 Art School Road, Chester Springs. The cost is $20 for members of Historic Yellow Springs and $25 for non-members. Tickets may be purchased in advance at http://yellowsprings.org/event/adrian-martinez/ or on the day of the lecture. Martinez’s future talks have not been scheduled.
Martinez’s presentation combines his intimate knowledge of American art, history and culture in the last half of the 20th century and how his particular artistic evolution in the 21st century inevitably progressed from his youth growing up in Washington D.C., to the White House, to the Historic Yellow Springs of today.
Using his firsthand experience as stage actor/dancer, set designer, art and history lecturer, curator, museum exhibits designer, painter, sculptor and printmaker Martinez makes a case for cultural survival in this new and challenging era of exploding information.
Martinez was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Washington. He received degrees from the Maryland Institute of Art in Baltimore, Maryland (BFA), St. Martins School of Art in London, England (CS) and Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana (MA). His work has been exhibited in New York, Pennsylvania, Ankara, Turkey, Texas, Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Indiana, California and London, England.
A major retrospective of his work at the Chester County Art Association in 2002 was attended by First Lady Laura Bush and she and her husband collect his work. President George W. and Mrs. Laura Bush commissioned him to paint two large landscapes commemorating the National Parks theme for the White House holiday season in 2007 and these two works are now installed in the George W. Bush Presidential Library.
Martinez’s 12-painting exhibit Adrian Martinez Presents the Visionary World of Humphry Marshall, 1750-1800 was recently displayed at the Chester County Historical Society for a year.
For more information on Adrian Martinez, see www.adrianmartinez.com.
Whooo’s hiding in the trees?
Join naturalist Tim Zador to listen for creatures of the night in Bucktoe Creek Preserve's woodland habitat. We will start the outing with a brief introduction to owls before we venture out to look for the great horned, eastern screech and barred owls that are known to swoop the preserve!
ARTZ Philadelphia joins with Brandywine to offer this popular program which welcomes a small group of visitors with dementia and their care partners to the Museum to view and discuss art in a supportive setting. ARTZ Philadelphia was founded on the belief that people living with dementia should be accorded the benefits of well-being and quality of life that others enjoy. The Museum is pleased to partner with ARTZ to provide these cultural and creative opportunities.
There is no charge for this program, but registration is required. To register, contact ARTZ Philadelphia at [email protected] or 610.721.1606. Space is limited; please register at least a week in advance.
Young children and their grown-ups hear a story, interact with art in the Museum and make their own creative works in this fun program. Online registration is requested. For more details, please contact the education office at 610-388-8382 or [email protected]. The Read-Aloud Program has been made possible by Joseph and Diane Packer in memory of Emily Grace Koenig.
Kennett Area Community Service 8th Annual Empty Bowls Event One Community, One Voice, Ending Hunger
Kennett Area Community Service (KACS) will hold its 8th Annual Empty Bowls Event on Thursday, February 28, at the Red Clay Room in Kennett Square.
We invite the community to join us and learn what KACS is doing to eliminate hunger, alleviate homelessness and reduce poverty in our community. Enjoy a simple meal of soup, salad and bread and select a handmade bowl as a reminder of families in need. Silent and live auctions will be held at both lunch and dinner. Silent auction items include restaurant and merchant gift cards, works by local artisans, sports tickets and baskets of cheer. Live auction will feature a day of sailing on the Chesapeake, a week’s stay at a 5-bedroom luxury home in Breckenridge, Colorado and two 4-day getaways in Ocean City, New Jersey.
All proceeds benefit the Kennett Food Cupboard, a program of Kennett Area Community Service.
Tickets: $30 Lunch from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Dinner from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Please visit www.KACSonline.net or call 610-925-3556 for more information and tickets.
Kennett Are Community Service/Melanie Weiler 610-925-3556 ext. 112
Enjoy the wintry beauty of the river from the Brandywine River Museum of Art’s expansive atrium windows. Artists working in all media are invited to explore the vista from inside the Museum where they can sketch, paint or photograph while staying warm. Participants may also enjoy sketching (with pencil) in the Museum’s galleries. Participants are responsible for providing all art materials (including drop cloths)