What To Do: Kennett Winterfest tops busy weekend

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times 

This is a special time of year in Kennett Square – the time for a popular annual event known as the Kennett Winterfest. Usually, tickets are already sold out by this time but this year some tickets remain.

The Annual Kennett Winterfest (http://kennettwinterfest.com/) will be held on February 25 from 12:30-4 p.m. in a tented area near 600 South Broad Street in Kennett Square.

Visitors are invited to enjoy winter brews from more than 60 unique craft breweries. Admission to the festival includes unlimited tastings of delicious craft beer.

Breweries from all over the country will be participating including Blake’s Hard Cider (Armada, Michigan) and Half Acre Beer (Chicago, Illinois).

The line-up of food trucks participating in Saturday’s event are George & Sons Seafood, Dia Doce, Madi’s on a Roll, Natalie’s Fine Food, Mezzaluma, Southbound BBQ and A Taste of Puebla.

The long list of participating breweries includes 2SP Brewing, Kennett Brewing Co., Victory Brewing Company, Argilla Brewing, Animated Brewing, Artillery Brewing, Autumn Arch, Be Here Brewing, Bellefonte Brewing, McKenzie’s Brew House, Big Oyster Brewing, Brew Gentlemen, Braeloch Brewing, Conshohocken Brewing, Rebel Seed Cider, Rural City Beer,The Veil Brewing,  Locust Lane Brewing, Ironbound Hard Cider, Rotunda Brewing, Stolen Sun, Zeroday Brewing, and Three 3’s Brewing.

The roster also features Twisted Irons, Flying Fish Brewing Company, Chatty Monks Brewing, Iron Hill Brewery, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company, Troegs, Urban Village Brewing, Von C Brewing, Well Crafted Beer, Sly Fox Brewing Company, Wrong Crowd Brewing, Brothers Kershner, Cape May Brewing, Dew Point Brewing Company, Kennett Brewing Co., Cartesian Brewing,Ship Bottom Brewery, Zero Day Brewing, 1937 Brewing Company, Succession Fermentory, Ten7 Brewing,  Ever Grain Brewing, Levante Brewing, Hidden River, Artillery Brewing, Be Here Brewing and Dressler Estate Cider.

The lineup also includes Evil Genius Brewing, Captain Lawrence Brewing, Cartel Brewing, First State Brewing, Farmers and Bankers Brewing, Wilmington Brew Works, Mainstay Independent, Midnight Oil Brewing, Mud Hen Brewing, New Trail Brewing, Pilger Ruh Brewing, Workhorse Brewing Company, Tired Hands Brewing Company, Von Trapp Brewing,Philadelphia Mead Company, Suburban Brewing Co., Double Nickel Brewing, and East Branch Brewing Company.

There will be live music performed by Dylan Zangwill.

The Kennett Winterfest is a fund-raising event for Kennett Collaborative, which works to make the community thrive through placemaking, events, and community development initiatives. The organization’s placemaking programs, including Christmas in Kennett and Kennett Blooms and Floral Flash, reimagine and reinvent public spaces through seasonal initiatives that make Kennett a fun and beautiful place to live, work, and visit.

Other popular Kennett Collaborative programs and events include the Kennett Square Holiday Village Market, Kennett Brewfest and Winterfest, the KSQ Farmer’s Market, Summerfest, and Third Thursdays on State Street. Kennett Collaborative’s weekly Around the Square newsletter brings fresh stories about local merchants, events, nonprofit organizations, economic development, placemaking, and more—as well as information and links to local initiatives and events—to subscribers every week. Kennett Collaborative also works in partnership with other organizations to support events such as Clover Market, Juneteenth celebrations, the Memorial Day Parade, Día de los Muertos, Tinsel on the Town, and the Holiday Light Parade.

The Kennett Brewfest is intended to be an opportunity to sample some of the best regional and national craft beers accompanied by great food, great music, and great people. Anyone displaying malicious, violent, or otherwise inappropriate behavior will be removed from the festival grounds without refund.

No one without a ticket and proper photo identification will be allowed to enter. No one under the age of 21 will be admitted including babies. Pets are also on the “not welcome” list.

The Winterfest is a rain or shine event. Tickets are $60 general admission and $15 for designated drivers.

West Chester’s “Restaurant Week” for 2023 (www.downtownwestchester.com/event/west-chesters-restaurant-week) will start on February 26 and run through March 5.

This fun filled week is the perfect opportunity for area residents to support your favorite restaurants or explore something new.

West Chester’s culinary masters will be creating special multi-course prix fixe menus that will be featured for one week only.  There will be dine-in and takeout options available.

Participating restaurants are Barnaby’s of West Chester, Dolce Zola, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Manjé Caribbean Cuisine, Kildare’s Irish Pub, Mae’s West Chester, Mas Mexicali Cantina, Pietro’s Prime, Saloon 151 Whiskey Bar & Grill, Santino’s Tap & Table and Slow Hand Restaurant and Bar.

Also participating will be Sterling Pig Brewery, Stove & Tap, Mediterranean, The Social, Sedona Taphouse, Side Bar & Restaurant, Spence Café, Ryan’s Pub & Restaurant, Greystone Oyster Bar, Mercato Ristorante and Bar, Kooma Restaurant, Bar Avalon, Iron Hill, and Opa Taverna.

Now through February 26, the town of Lititz is hosting its annual Fire & Ice Festival (lititzfireandice.com).

Featured attractions will be live ice carvings around town and sculptures out for view all over Broad Street and Main Street (which will be closed to vehicular traffic).

Food trucks will be located around town and retailers will be open late for shopping.

Ice sculptures are available for viewing from dawn to dusk in the Lititz Springs Park and throughout downtown Lititz.

Guests are invited to walk around downtown Lititz and enjoy the ice sculptures, dine at local restaurants, and shop at the local stores.

On February 25, the Kimmel Cultural Campus (Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia, www.kimmelculturalcampus.org) will host “Organ Day featuring The Philadelphia Orchestra” beginning at 11:30 a.m.
The Kimmel Cultural Campus and The Philadelphia Orchestra are teaming up to present the 11th annual “Organ Day” — a six-and-a-half-hour marathon of free organ music performed on the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ.

Audiences of all ages are invited to explore the largest mechanical pipe organ in a concert venue in the United States through a diverse lineup of programming tailored to include something for everyone.

Visitors will be able to experience jazz, ballet, classical, opera, and the unique experience of “Organ Pumps,” where audience members can lie on the stage of Verizon Hall and feel the powerful vibrations of the organ.

“Organ Day” will be co-hosted by award winners Tyrone Whiting and Michael Barone.

The Philadelphia Orchestra will offer a special performance highlighting the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ at 11:30 a.m.

Tickets are required for the 11:30 Orchestra performance. Attendees can reserve their free tickets online and there will be a standby line available on Saturday.
All performances from noon-6 p.m. are nonticketed. Audience members can come and go as they please.

The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, 484-754-3976, www.phillyhomeandgarden.com) is hosting Philly Home + Garden Show now through February 26.

There will be exhibitors in a wide range of topics including flooring, heating and cooling, home appliances, construction, financing, home décor, pools, windows and doors, roofing and automotive.

The show allows visitors to explore a full hall of gardens and outdoor exhibitors that are sure to inspire backyard creations. They can stroll through inspirational gardens showcasing new gardening techniques, ideas and trends then stop by and relax in the Wine Garden brought to you by the Renegade Winery.

There will also be a flower shop, garden market, and succulent bar to take home some spring inspired goods.

Experts from gardening to home design will be presenting tips throughout the entire weekend.

Tickets are $12 with children (12 and under) admitted free.

The “Winter 2023 American Handcrafted® Market” is coming to Philly for a three-day run at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (10th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, americanhandcraftedshow.com) now through February 27.

The event is a juried marketplace showcasing established artists representing all mediums, along with new and up-and-coming makers from the contemporary maker movement.

The event is the largest collection of handmade wholesale artists across North America.

Featuring talented North American artists, American Handcrafted proudly provides the platform for artisan craftsmanship and design-driven products to be showcased to buyers who understand and appreciate handmade.

If you’re looking to find one-of-a-kind pieces or just want to join one of the top-tier educational sessions held throughout the show, American Handcrafted is a must-attend event.

Product categories include accessories, candles, craft food and beverage, garden/outdoors, home décor, jewelry, stationery, tabletop, toys and puzzles, wellness, 2-D Art, ceramics/clay, fiber, glass, leather, metals, mixed media, natural materials, paper, wax and wood.

Show hours are 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Monday.

Admission is $25.

Rockwood Mansion is one of the stately homes built in Northern Delaware in the 1800 that has survived and been converted into a park/museum.

Built in 1851 as the retirement estate of Wilmington native Joseph Shipley, Rockwood reflects his love of English architecture and landscape design.

On February 24, there will be a “Candlelight Tour at Rockwood Museum” (4651 Washington Street Extension,
Wilmington, Delaware, www.newcastlede.gov/431/Rockwood-Park-Museum) from 6:30-8 p.m.

At night, Rockwood changes from the garden pleasure villa of the day into a romantic stage for glimmering surfaces and sumptuous textures. Despite the modern conveniences with which the mansion was built, including bright gas-powered lighting, the families that lived there often preferred the soft drama of candlelight. This tour allows visitors to experience the museum’s interiors in the way they were intended.

This is an all-ages event. Masks are required. Tickets are $20.

On February 26, the site will present “Rockwood Paranormal Reveal” from 1:30-3 p.m.

This program reveals the most recent paranormal happenings at Rockwood Mansion with the use of photographic and video evidence. It will deal with unexplained experiences and answer questions about the paranormal.

The event is for ages 14 and older. The cost for the 90-minute tour and lecture is $10. Preregistration is required as space is limited.

Historic Odessa (Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, 302-378-4119, www.historicodessa.org) is both a scenic and an historic site in Delaware.

This year, March 1 will be an historic date for the historic site.

On March 1, Historic Odessa reopens for spring tours and celebrates the beginning of its 2023 season.

Known in the 18th-century as Cantwell’s Bridge, Odessa played a vital role in commercial life along the Delaware River as a busy grain shipping port.

Today, visitors can stroll along tree-lined streets and admire examples of 18th- and 19th-century architecture in one of the best-preserved towns in Delaware. They can also tour a remarkable collection of antiques and Americana preserved in period room settings and quaint exhibits.

Historic Odessa is open to the public from March through December, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4 p.m.  The site is also open Monday by reservation.

March 5 is also a special day in Odessa for another reason.

Visitors are invited to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with Historic Odessa Foundation.

Guests will have the opportunity to party with their favorite Dr. Suess readings followed by family friendly arts and crafts.

The celebration will run from 2-4 p.m. in the Bank Building (201 Main Street, Odessa).

Reservations are required by calling 302-378-4119. RSVP deadline is 4 p.m. on March 3.

Another good destination in Delaware this weekend will be the 20th Annual Hockessin Art Festival. The event, which is scheduled for February 25 and 26, will be held at the Hockessin Memorial Hall, (606 Yorklyn Road, Hockessin, Delaware, 302-998-1930, www.wwrr.com).

The Wilmington & Western Railroad’s Hockessin Art Festival is a fundraising effort to benefit the railroad, now entering its 57th year of tourist service. The W&WRR operates steam and diesel trains year-round on 10 miles of track through the scenic Red Clay Valley.

The festival features more than 20 artists who will be displaying and selling original works of art. Refreshments will be available and door prizes will be awarded.

On February 24, there will be a special “Friday Evening Preview” from 5-8 p.m. featuring light hors’ doeuvres and a cash bar.

As an added attraction, the Wilmington & Western Railroad will be running its “Festival Express” on Saturday and Sunday. The railroad’s vintage 1929 railcar will depart from the station behind Memorial Hall for 40-minute round trips through the towns of Yorklyn and Ashland.

The trains depart from behind the Hockessin Memorial Hall in Hockessin. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Departure times are 11 a.m., noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. both days.

Admission to the festival is $5 for adults and free for children (under 12).

The Strasburg Rail Road (Route 741, Strasburg, 717-687-7522, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running a special train on February 25 and 26 – the “Wine & Cheese Train.”

Passengers can enjoy the luxurious, climate-controlled first-class accommodations and a tasting of select wine, cheese, and crackers as they travel in style down the tracks from Strasburg to Paradise and back. The train departs at 6 p.m. and the total trip time is 45 minutes.

“Wine & Cheese Train” boarding is 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Riders must be 21 or older and have their photo ID ready when they board.

Featured wines are carefully selected from Waltz Vineyards, and cheeses are paired accordingly. Beer and select non-alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase upon request. Riders can purchase a souvenir wine glass on board the train if desired. Glasses are $7 each.

In accordance with Pennsylvania law, alcohol is only served during the train ride. We are not permitted to serve alcoholic beverages while the train is berthed in the station.

This popular train is available on select Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the season. Tickets are $65.

On February 25 and 26 and March 5, the Lancaster County Park Environmental Center (1 Nature’s Way, Lancaster, https://apm.activecommunities.com/LancasterCountyParks, 717-295-2055) will present a special program titled “Maple Sugaring.”

Visitors can join County Park Naturalists for ongoing maple sugaring demonstrations in the sugar bush of Lancaster County Central Park. They will be able to see trees tapped, sap boiled to syrup, and candy made from the syrup. Maple products will be on sale. Guests can drop in anytime during the program hours for an educational tour of the maple syrup making process.

Every Saturday and Sunday in February, the Chaddsford Winery (632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, http://www.chaddsford.com) is presenting “Reserve Tastings – Wine & Chocolate.”

Guests will join the CFW Crew for an intimate and educational 60-minute experience in the Barrel Room. The trained staff will guide them through a pre-selected tasting of five widely diverse and award-winning wines from across our portfolio. The selections will be paired alongside seasonal local cheeses and other accoutrements to enhance your tasting experience.

The staff will also discuss topics such as grape growing conditions at our partner vineyards and the onsite winemaking process from production to aging and bottling.

The 2023 Pairing Line Up is – Greeting Wine: 2021 Sparkling White; ’21 Chardonnay with Passion Fruit Truffle, ’21 Dry Rosé: Redux with Desert Rose Spice Chocolate Bar, ’20 Cabernet Sauvignon with Coffee Vanilla Cube and Sunset Blush with Strawberry Pate de Fruite.

Reserve seatings are $35 per person.

Penns Wood Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, 610-459-0808, http://www.pennswoodsevents.com) will also pair chocolate and wine this month.

Each weekend in February, the winery will be offering its Wine & Chocolate pairing which includes a tasting of five wines perfectly paired with five hand-crafted chocolates from Good Good Chocolates. The pairing is $38 per person and reservations are required.

Harvest Ridge Winery (1140 Newark Road, Toughkenamon, harvestridgewinery.com) also has a wine and cheese pairing event this weekend.

The winery’s “Cheese Pairing” is scheduled for February 26 at 1 p.m.

According to the winery’s website – “Cheese and Wine just go together! One of the best ways experience how different foods change the flavors of wine is with cheese.”

The message is followed by an invitation – “Come experience four different cheeses from local shops that will be paired with wine by Jason our head wine maker.”

Tickets are $25.

Harvest Ridge Winery will also present live music to accompany its tastings on February 25.

Max & Denise will perform favorite tunes from the 60’s from 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) is now featuring one of its popular annual special events – “Winter Wonder.”

“Winter Wonder,” which runs through March 26, celebrates the beauty of winter. It’s all about outdoor spacious, indoor oasis, and the power of story.

Outside, visitors can find a sense of peace and tranquility as they walk past textural grasses, seed heads and the dramatic silhouettes of trees that stretch up into the sky.

Inside, they can bask in a world of warmth that features an overhead garden of hanging baskets adorned with such vibrant beauties as jasmine, cape-primrose, and lipstick-plant.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a paradise of flowers and foliage, bursting with color — all in a beautiful indoor winter wonderland with a tropical twist.

“Winter Wonder” exists on two levels.

Both outdoors and in, they can embark on a poignant journey with “Voices in the Landscape: Deeply Rooted with Storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston” Beginning on March 11. This is a series of 10 stops throughout the Gardens which honor the contributions of the African American community through the lens of horticulture and the power of story.

Participants will follow along as storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston honors and celebrates the strength, resilience, and contributions of the African American community through the lens of horticulture and the power of story.

Those taking the tour can hear an ancient Zulu creation myth paired with the oldest plant on Earth in the Conservatory; make their way to the Lookout Loft Treehouse and learn the story of the significance and symbolism of woods and meadows; and call out the name of an ancestor in remembrance at the Large Lake while a traditional spiritual soothes your soul.

“Voices in the Landscape” signage is at each stop. Each audio recording ranges between three and eight minutes in length. The estimated time to experience the entire Voices in the Landscape exhibit is approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.

Inside Longwood’s Conservatory, visitors can check out the towering Clerodendrum schmidtii (chains of glory) as well as nearly 300 blooming orchids on display in the site’s newly renovated Orchid House. There will also be rare blue poppies blooming in March but for only about 10 to 15 days.

A new attraction this year is Longwood Gardens’ “Science Saturdays series.

Beyond the boundaries of the formal gardens, Longwood stewards a rich variety of natural habitats. The rolling terrain of the Pennsylvania piedmont and changing ways people have used land over time provide us with diverse conditions for plant and animal life. Dr. Lea Johnson, Associate Director, Land Stewardship and Ecology, will reveal how patterns in the landscape reveal both history and potential futures for biodiversity.

The topics for Science Saturday events are “Plant Collections: Clivia” on March 18. There also will be another series called “Sweet Floral Treats”—a make-and-take floral design class where the designer draws inspiration from a sweet treat. Classes will be presented on March 22.

The gardens are open from Wednesdays through Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Friday, March 31. Hours change in the spring.

As always, admission by “Timed Ticket” — tickets issued for specific dates and times. Timed ticketing limits the number of people in the Gardens at any given time and allows guests to enjoy minimal lines and a better viewing experience.

You may enter the Gardens up to 30 minutes prior and 30 minutes after your designated time. Make every effort to arrive at your designated reservation time. Earlier or later arrivals may not be accommodated.

Admission to Longwood Gardens is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and college students, $18 for active military and veterans and $13 for youth (ages 5-18).

Hagley Museum and Library (Route 141, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-658-2400, www.hagley.org), a 230-acre historical village on the site of the original du Pont Company gunpowder mills in northern Delaware, has just opened a new attraction – “Nation of Inventors.”

“Nation of Inventors” celebrates the American spirit of ingenuity by taking visitors on a journey from the early years of the patent system, in the 1790s, through the “golden age” of American invention, in the late 1800s. The exhibit features more than 120 patent models from Hagley’s unique collection highlighting the diverse stories of inventors from all walks of life.

Patent models are scaled representations of inventions and were part of the patent application process for nearly 100 years. “Nation of Inventors” showcases patent models representing innovations in a variety of industries from transportation and manufacturing to food preservation and medical devices.

In the exhibition, visitors will enjoy engaging experiences around every corner, testing their knowledge of innovation and hearing personal accounts from inventors.

The patent models in “Nation of Inventors” were created between 1833 and 1886. “Nation of Inventors” not only features patent models submitted by inventors from the United States, but also models from inventors in England, France, Ireland, Russia, and Spain, demonstrating an international interest in America’s intellectual property system.

“Nation of Inventors” includes patent models from well-known inventors and companies like Ball (Mason Jars), Jim Beam, Bissell, Corliss, Steinway, and Westinghouse. The exhibit presents important topics and timely themes including women inventors, Black inventors, immigrant inventors, improvements in urban living, and the ways Americans learn about and understand progress and change.

“Nation of Inventors” is located on the first two floors of Hagley’s Visitor Center. Visitors can plan to spend about 30 minutes on their self-guided tour of the exhibition.

In February, all guest areas are open Fridays through Mondays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last admission is at 3 p.m.  On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, only Hagley’s new exhibition, Nation of Inventors, is open.  All other guest areas (the historic powder yard, the historic home and garden, etc.) are closed.  Reduced admission is offered on days when only Nation of Inventors is open.

Beginning March 1, all guest areas (Nation of Inventors, the historic powder yard, the historic home and garden, etc.) are open every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Last admission is at 3 p.m.

Admission to Hagley Museum is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students and $6 for children (ages 6-14). Victorine’s Valentine activities are included with regular admission.

The newest exhibition at the Brandywine Museum of Art (1 Hoffman Mill Road, Chadds Ford, brandywine.org), “Andrew Wyeth: Home Places,” opened last weekend and will run through July 13.

This exhibition is a presentation of nearly 50 paintings and drawings of local buildings that inspired Wyeth time and again over seven decades of his career.

The artworks in this exhibition are drawn exclusively from the nearly 7,000-object Andrew and Betsy Wyeth Collection of the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, now managed by the Brandywine. Many of these pieces have never before been exhibited, offering a first glimpse at a significant treasure trove that will shed new light on the collaborative creative process of Andrew and Betsy Wyeth.

“Andrew Wyeth: Home Places” shares the story of a remarkable immersive and intensive artistic practice that ranged across the full array of media Andrew Wyeth practiced. Over the course of a long and diverse career of many chapters, Wyeth repeatedly depicted a small group of historic houses in the vicinity of his hometown of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.

In these weathered buildings others might have overlooked or even scorned in the face of gentrification and commercial development of the region, Wyeth found layers of emotion and association. These structures—both venerable and vulnerable in a changing Brandywine Valley—served as a means of pursuing his abiding attention to that which lies beneath the surface of things.

Through living in this landscape his whole life, he engaged in an artistic practice of uncommon focus over an extended timescale, coming to know deeply the evocative buildings in a radius of just a few square miles and rendering them in an astonishing variety of compositions, handlings and approaches. As Wyeth said, “You can be in a place for years and years and not see something, and then when it dawns, all sorts of nuggets of richness start popping all over the place. You’ve gotten below the obvious.”

Among the previously unexhibited works on view are the charming early oil “The Miller’s Son,” painted when Wyeth was just 17 years old, and the stunning watercolor “Noah’s Ark Study” made at age 87—both depicting the same property, Brinton’s Mill.

That the Wyeths came to own and restore this property for use as their primary residence is among the many contributions of Betsy James Wyeth, whose distinct role in stewarding historic properties in Pennsylvania and Maine, which informed her husband’s painting practice, is a key context of this exhibition.

Museum admission is $18 adults, $15 seniors (65+), $6 children (ages 6-18) and students with ID and free for children (ages five and under).

Delaware Museum of Art (2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware, delart.org) has an impressive exhibition that is in its final two weeks — “A Marriage of Arts & Crafts: Evelyn & William De Morgan.”

Running through February 19, “A Marriage of Arts & Crafts: Evelyn & William De Morgan” focuses on the work of Arts and Crafts pottery maker William De Morgan (1839-1917) and Pre-Raphaelite painter Evelyn De Morgan (1855-1919) who lived in harmony as married artists in Victorian England.

A power couple, they encouraged one another’s creative pursuits and engaged in the social issues of their day. William De Morgan created brilliantly colored tiles, pots, and plates with distinctive, shimmering lustre-ware surfaces. Evelyn De Morgan took inspiration from Botticelli to create richly symbolic paintings of modern subjects. This visually stunning exhibition is making its American debut at the Delaware Art Museum.

Admission to the Museum is $14 for adults, $7 for students and $6 for youth (ages 7-18). Children (6 and under) are admitted free.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, ansp.org) celebrates the remarkable diversity of birds, their important role in ecosystems, and people’s relationships with our avian friends with a special exhibition, “Conversations with Birds.”

The exhibition, which runs through May 21, spotlights familiar local birds, such as house sparrows and cardinals, and goes beyond to introduce the variety of migrators that pass through on astounding epic journeys across the globe.

“Conversations With Birds” features amazing avian photography and video by local birders and wildlife photographers, including Anwar Abdul-Qawi, an Academy educator, and Tom Johnsonof Cape May, N.J., a Field Guides birding tour leader; nest cam video footage of a peregrine falcon nest from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and of a bald eagle nest courtesy of HDOnTap.com and the Pennsylvania Game Commission; hands-on activities that explain the body architecture that enables birds to do what they do; gorgeous taxidermy mounts of familiar local birds and also migrators that visit the area; and BirdCast animations from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology showing live bird migration forecasts

Also featured will be bird-tracking products by Cellular Tracking Technologies that use cell towers, GPS, big birds, small birds, and what’s being used in research projects; an interactive media exhibit that shows five migratory birds that pass through the Philadelphia region on their seasonal passage between North and South America; live or video demonstrations (depending on the day) of Academy ornithologists and volunteers preparing specimens from the Bird Safe Philly project for research and storage in the Academy’s world-renowned Ornithology Collection; and informal presentations by a diverse range of regional birding groups and participatory poetry workshops by Drexel’s Writer’s Room on select Saturday afternoons.

“Conversations With Birds” opens just ahead of spring migration when millions of birds will wing through the Atlantic Flyway north to their breeding grounds. During this period, April 1–May 31, the partnership of Bird Safe Philly asks communities to participate in “Lights Out Philly” to minimize unnecessary lights by turning off, blocking or dimming artificial lights from midnight-6 a.m. to help keep birds from becoming confused by the lights and colliding with buildings.

The exhibition shows that there are engineering solutions that can go a long way to helping prevent window strikes. Visitors also will learn about local birding groups such as In Color Birdingand Bird Philly, as well as birding app options for the adventurous birder and the backyard kitchen-table pigeon watcher alike.

“Conversations With Birds,” which is on view through May 21, is free with general museum admission – adults, $25; seniors, military and students, $22; and children, $21.

On February 24, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) will present “Sacred Spaces and Storied Places” at 10 a.m.

The expansion of Fairmount Park in the 1860s prevented further growth of Laurel Hill, and in 1869 West Laurel Hill was established just across the river in Bala Cynwyd. This walking tour provides a wonderful overview of West Laurel Hill’s long and colorful history, including its architectural artistry, stunning trees and horticulture, and the stories of residents that encompass diverse and fascinating Philadelphia history.

“Sacred Spaces and Storied Places” is the perfect introductory tour for anyone who wants to learn all that West Laurel Hill Cemetery has to offer. Experienced tour guides offer visitors a unique perspective and every Sacred Spaces tour is different.

The tour guide for this event is Jessica Heichel.

Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are: $15/General Admission, $13/Seniors (65 & up) and Students with ID, $7.50/Youth (6-12), and $0/Child (5 & Under). Youth and children must be accompanied by an adult.

Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (215-413-1997, www.ghosttour.com), Ghost Tour of Lancaster (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) and Ghost Tour of Strasburg (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) operate throughout the winter and offer an eerily entertaining evening of true ghost stories and real haunted houses.

The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia, which is based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, PA.,” is a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards abound.

Participants can discover the ghost lore of America’s most historic and most haunted city with stories from the founding of William Penn’s colony to present-day hauntings.

The activity is open year-round – weekends, December-February; every night, March-November. Tickets are $24.

The Ghost Tour of Lancaster and the Ghost Tour of Strasburg are based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Lancaster, PA.”

Participants in the Ghost Tour of Lancaster explore the long-forgotten mysteries of one of America’s oldest cities, with haunting tales of otherworldly vigils, fatal curses, and star-crossed lovers. The tour provides the opportunity to experience 300 years of haunted history from the Red Rose City’s thorny past. Tickets are $20.

The Ghost Tour of Strasburg is a candlelight walking tour of the quaint and historic town of Strasburg in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Visitors will experience an entertaining evening with a costumed tour guide spinning tales of haunted mansions, eerie graveyards, and spirits that roam the night … in a town lost in time. Tickets are $20.

Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the winter.

Participants can walk with tour guides from the grounds of America’s first White House, Congress, and Liberty Bell to homes and sites of Hamilton, Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and more than 10 other Founding-Fathers. The surprising dirt of espionage, murder, sexual license and blackmail highlight the secrets of 1776 with a ghost story or two along the way. This tour is highly researched. And your guide is a historian.

Tickets are $35.

“Banksy Was Here” was scheduled to run until January 31 at a location in Fashion District Philadelphia (901 Market Street, Philadelphia, banksyexpo.com/philadelphia/).

Fortunately, the exhibition’s stay in Philadelphia has now been extended until April 17.

“Banksy Was Here” features the work of elusive, anonymous street artist Banksy. It is an immersive, multisensory exhibit featuring original works, projections, virtual reality and more to plunge you into Banksy’s world.

“Banksy Was Here,” the “unauthorized exhibition” features a plethora of original works and installations, as well as interactivity, in galleries that pay homage to the artist’s themes, works, and sense of chaos, satire and controversy.

Banksy, the British artist whose identity is still unknown, is considered one of the main contemporary street art icons. In Philadelphia, an “unauthorized” Banksy’s exhibition lets visitors dive into the controversial artistic universe of the most influential creator of present time.

The exhibition will include over 80 original works, sculptures, installations, videos and photos including the now classics of the artist (presumed to be British). These pieces come from private collections and – with the collaboration of Lilley Fine Art / Contemporary Art Gallery – will be exhibited in Philadelphia for the first time.

Banksy is a pseudonymous England based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humor with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. His works of political and social commentary have appeared on streets, walls and bridges throughout the world.

Banksy’s work grew out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. Much of his work can be classified as temporary art.

“Banksy Was Here” is running now through April 17 in Fashion District Philadelphia. Timed tickets are $37.90 for adults (ages 13 and up), $28.90 for seniors, students and military and $22.90 for kids (ages 4-12).

There is also another popular destination in the Fashion District.

Wonderspaces at the Fashion District (27 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, philadelphia.wonderspaces.com) is an experiential, interactive arts venue.

Building on the success of annual pop-up shows in San Diego, and its first permanent location in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wonderspaces opened a 24,000 square foot gallery space in Philly a year ago.

Wonderspaces features 14 art installations that all play with the idea of perspective.  The artwork ranges from award-winning virtual reality short film about a dinner party-turned-alien abduction, to a room where visitors digitally paint the walls with the movement of their bodies.

New artworks rotate in every few months, creating an ever-evolving, year-round show.

Tickets are for entry at a specific date and time. Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they please during operating hours. The average time spent experiencing the show is 90 minutes.

A few installations contain flashing lights, images, and patterns that may trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. All visitors must sign a waiver prior to being admitted into the space. Adult supervision is required for visitors under 16.

Throughout the month of February, the Betsy Ross House (239 Arch Street, Philadelphia, historicphiladelphia.org) will offer free programming on weekends celebrating the contributions Black Americans have made throughout our nation’s history.

On February 25 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., the program will be “Meet the History Makers.”

Each Saturday in February, visitors can meet Black residents of Colonial Philadelphia and learn about their lives, times and the contributions they made to our nation in its early days.

The event on February 26 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. is a free event — “Once Upon A Nation Storytelling.”

The Betsy Ross House’s award-winning storytellers will share short, interactive and little-known tales about Black Americans through history.

Blue Cross RiverRink (Market Street at the Delaware River, Philadelphia, www.riverrink.com) is heading to the final stretch of another season.

Unlike most of the suburban ice rinks, RiverRink features public skating. Ice skating is the only use of the ice. This winter, RiverRink takes the ice-skating experience on the Delaware River waterfront to another level by once again transforming the annual rink into a bona fide winter wonderland.

For 28 seasons, Winterfest has been Philadelphia’s favorite Winter tradition on the Delaware River Waterfront, inviting visitors for a chance to indulge in flights of fancy under thousands of sparkling lights in a winter wonderland with spectacular views of the Delaware River, complete with comforting warming cabins, physically distanced fire pit stations, games for the young and young-at-heart, delicious food and refreshing drinks, the signature holiday tree and — of course — ice skating on an NHL-sized rink.

Another ice-skating option in downtown Philadelphia is Center City Parks District’s Rothman Orthopaedics Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park (1 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, http://ccdparks.org/dilworth-park).

It is an unparalleled entertainment experience on Philadelphia’s center stage in a wonderfully urban and unique setting. Open seven days a week, the rink offers wintery fun for all ages, with a full slate of programs.

If you’re looking for a fun family activity – an indoor activity unaffected by the weather — Linvilla Orchards (137 West Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116, www.linvilla.com) has something just for you — the miniature golf course “Fore! the Planet.”

Linvilla Orchard’s “Fore! The Planet” is a highly interactive and playful museum exhibit created by the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. This exhibition pairs important environmental issues with the fun of miniature golf.

It features nine unique educational holes explore butterfly metamorphosis, a tropical rain forest, evolution, dinosaur extinction, food chains, and more. It’s perfect for kids of all ages. The entire family will enjoy playing miniature golf while learning about our environment – every step of the way.

The mini-course is open daily from 9 a.m. -5 p.m. through March 26. Tickets are $5.

Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) may be closed for park rides and activities but there’s still furry fun to be had.

The amusement park in Bucks County will celebrate Mardi Gras now through March 19.

Guests can join in the festivities and celebrate by dancing along with special strolling entertainment, participating in the Mardi Gras Mask Scavenger Hunt, and much more.

There will also be Sesame Street-themed rides and attractions for guests of all ages.

The Sesame Street Mardi Gras Parade is a celebration with everyone’s favorite Sesame Street friends dressed up and ready to shine, and features lively tunes, fancy dancing, and floats decked out in Mardi Gras colors of sparkly purple, green, and gold.

Visitors will also be able to enjoy mouth-watering menu items made famous by the city of New Orleans like beignets and jambalaya.

Theme Park admission and parking fees are not required for entry.