On Stage (Holidays edition): The Nutcracker, Scrooge and so much more

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Brandywine Ballet Company With all the holiday craziness going on all around you – crowded stores, long waits at restaurants, heavy vehicular traffic, ridiculous lines at checkouts, Santa showing up everywhere and, of course, guys with cauldrons ringing bells to solicit donation everywhere you turn – it’s a normal reaction to seek respite. One...

What To Do: Holiday events in county parks

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The Chester County Department of Parks and Preservation (www.chesco.org/4520/Parks-Trails) has three special events on its schedule for this weekend. Springton Manor Farm (860 Springton Road, Glenmoore) will host “Holiday at the Barn + Wagon Ride” on December 18 from noon-3 p.m. The Friends of Springton Manor Farm and Chester County Parks and Preservation...

What To Do: Get outside for festivals and fairs

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Goshen Country Fair This is the time of the year for outdoors festivals such as country fairs, festivals honoring a particular fruit or vegetable and outdoor concerts. One of the best — and longest-running — is the annual Goshen Country Fair (Goshen Fairgrounds, Park Avenue, East Goshen, 610- 430-1554, www.goshencountryfair.org). The fair,...

On Stage: Eisenhower comes home to star in ‘Into The Woods’

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Shows based on fairy tales can be a welcome alternative to holiday stories in the middle of the Christmas season —  and two of them are running now at theaters in Chester County. The Resident Theatre Company (RTC) at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (236 North High Street, West Chester, http://www.rtcwc.org) is presenting the second production...

On Stage: Little Red Robin Hood at People’s Light

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Little Red Robin Hood: A Musical Panto! Now is a great time to take a break from the holiday frenzy and enjoy a few hours of watching a stage production. It’s a great time because there are great options – several classic ballet productions of “The Nutcracker,” two holiday-themed stage shows and a brand-new panto. Now through January 5, People’s...

What To Do: Busy holiday — and non-holiday — event schedule this weekend

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times March In at Valley Forge Which is harder to do right now – go 10 minutes without being bombarded by holiday advertising or finding a non-holiday activity on the area’s event calendar? The Christmas season seems a little different this year. The holiday spirit is in the air but the traffic around malls and shopping centers is almost normal —...

What To Do: Valley Jamboree in Chadds Ford

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The weather forecast is lovely for the next week — sunny days and highs ranging from 75-83 degrees – and that’s great because many of the popular events on this weekend’s calendar are outdoor activities. The Chadds Ford Historical Society’s “Valley Jamboree” is scheduled for May 18 and 19 at the Barn Visitors Center (1736 Creek Road, Chadds...

On Stage: Modern day minstrels take their art to the people

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times hackedepicciotto Europe in medieval times had minstrels. A minstrel was an entertainer. Originally describing any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool, the term later, from the 16th century, came to mean a specialist entertainer who sang songs and played musical instruments. From the 14th century until the present...

What To Do: Mumfest at Longwood

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Mumfest This is the time of year when nature’s colors in this area usually go through a shift. Normally, the bright colors of summer’s flowers begin to disappear and are replaced by the autumnal colors of changing leaves. But, the warmer and wetter weather through September and October has allowed the green leaves to stick around. As a result, autumnal...

What To Do: With outdoor events looming, hope for dry weather

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Larry Ahearn will perform at Spring Gulch. Hopefully, things won’t be too soggy over the next few days – especially because many of the popular events on this weekend’s calendar are outdoor activities. From May 18-20, the Spring Gulch Folk Festival will return for another year at Spring Gulch Resort Campground (475 Lynch Road, New Holland, 717-354-3100,...