What To Do: Dia de Los Muertos, PA Hunt Cup top busy weekend events schedule

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times

Not all of the spirits that came back for Halloween have gone back to their homes in the netherworld. There is still a reason to hang around for a little longer.

November 1 is a special day in Mexico and in Mexican American communities throughout the states. It is the day known as “Dia de Los Muertos” — the Day of the Dead. It is a festive day when families remember and honor their loved ones who have passed away.

Casa Guanajuato Kennett Square, in partnership with The Creamery and Kennett Collaborative, is hosting a series of events to honor and celebrate Día de los Muertos.

Día de los Muertos, translates in English to “day of the dead”, and is a holiday in Mexico that is celebrated on both November 1 and 2, with dead ancestors serving as the guests of honor.

The festivities will kick off on November 1 with a traditional Callejoneada, a musical, magical, romantic and joyful spectacle in downtown Kennett Square.

On November 2, the festivities continue at The Creamery for an all-day festival. The celebration kicks off at 1 p.m. with an exciting lineup of performances, including art galleries, traditional dances, and a tribute to José Alfredo Jiménez.

The event will also feature a Catrinas Contest, open to all who wish to participate, and a special performance by the rock band DeVinil.

This weekend, the Kennett Symphony (kennettsymphony.org) is performing one of its season staples – a “Reimagined Symphony.”

The Symphony’s schedule features a “Reimagined Symphony” on November 3 at 3 p.m. at Mendenhall Inn (323 Kennett Pike, Chadds Ford).

The program for Saturday’s matinee will feature Joseph Haydn’s “Symphony No. 45 “Farewell”.

The Kennett Symphony posted this message on its website – “We invite you to immerse yourself in the world of classical music like never before at our Reimagined Concert Experience! Seated in the round, with options for food and drink, our casual setting encourages an open and friendly atmosphere. Hosted by Music Director Michael Hall, enjoy the perfect marriage of music and visuals as multimedia projections bring the music to life with informative, captivating imagery. Perfect for first time attendees, as well as patrons who would like a renewed appreciation for the timeless beauty of classical music.”

At the “Reimagined Symphony” concert, seating around the orchestra will provide the audience with a unique perspective. Food and drink will be available throughout this one-hour long performance in a relaxed atmosphere.

“It makes it fun,” said Kennett Symphony Music Director Michael Hall during a phone interview.

“The whole idea of a concert series is to make it fun. This will be very relaxed – sit, have a drink and enjoy some food. It will be general admission.”

Video link for Kennett Symphony – https://youtu.be/rWLWE2gWMZU.

Tickets for Saturday are $60 for adults and $15 for students (18 and under).

Ticket price includes the concert, your first glass of wine or other beverage, and hors d’oeuvres. Cash bar is also available on site. All seating is General Admission (no pre-assigned seats). Seating at the Mendenhall Inn is first-come, first-served.

The Pennsylvania Hunt Cup (Pennsylvania Hunt Cup racecourse, Newark Road, Unionville, 484-888-6619, http://pahuntcup.org) is one of the oldest and most respected equestrian events in the Mid-Atlantic region. This year, the Hunt Cup will celebrate its 90th anniversary on November 3.

The equestrian competition will feature four open races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association. Three of them will feature races over fences and one will be a race on the flat.

The challenging course features 18 post and rail fences and is one of just three four-mile races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association. First run in 1921 over a course in Whitemarsh in Montgomery County, the race moved to the present location in Unionville in 1964, where it has been held annually since. Over the years the race meeting has grown so that the race day card now includes three sanctioned timber races, and the Pennsylvania Pony Hunt Cup for children.

Gates open at 10 a.m. The first event — the Pennsylvania Junior Hunt Cup – is scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m. followed by the National Anthem at 12:30 p.m.

There will be the traditional “Carriage Parade” at 12:45 p.m. followed by the Lewis C. Ledyard Memorial Foxhunters Chase at 1:30 p.m., the Arthur O. Choate Jr. Memorial Trophy race at 2:15 p.m. and the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup at 3 p.m. The final event of the day will be the Athenian Idol Races at 3:45 and 4:15 p.m.

General Admission, which is $100 per car, includes parking and admission for all occupants of one vehicle.

Anyone wanting to get into a Christmas mood early can visit Koziar’s Christmas Village (782 Christmas Village Road, Bernville, 610-488-1110, www.koziarschristmasvillage.com) which begins its 77th season on November 2.

Koziar’s Christmas Village is truly a holiday wonderland — a wintertime spectacle that delights young and old alike with a huge amount of holiday displays and special attractions. It will remain open every night through January 1 — including Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Night.

The tours of “Christmas Village” feature visits to a variety of displays and exhibits, including “Santa’s Post Office,” “Christmas in the Jungle,” “Manger Scene,” “Christmas Beneath the Sea,” “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “Olde Fashioned Bakery Shop,” “Toy Maker and his Toy Shop,” “Christmas in Other Lands” and “The Olde Church”.

Other attractions at Koziar’s Christmas Village include a huge model train display, a toy shop, a country kitchen, indoor and outdoor Christmas displays and a place to visit with Santa and even get pictures taken with the old guy in the red suit. Admission to Christmas Village is $13 for adults, $12 for seniors (65 and older) and $11 for children (ages 4-10).

This weekend, the Expo Center in Oaks (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, www.lapidary.org) will present the 2024 edition of Gemarama which is scheduled for November 2 and 3.

Visitors to the 55th Annual Gemarama will find an amazing variety of gems on display and available for purchase. Gem specialists and dealers from all over the country will be displaying and selling their specialties at this popular gem and mineral show.

Show attendees will be able to look at gems and rare stones from all around the world — many of which are for sale and not just exhibition pieces. Visitors will be able to examine and select purchases from a huge number of collectible items ranging from fossils to precious gems.

As an added attraction, members of the Tuscarora Lapidary Society will be presenting demonstrations of various lapidary and jewelry making skills including faceting, intrasia, faceting, channel jewelry, metal craft, silversmithing, bead stringing, chain making and wirewrap jewelry.

At the “Children’s Table”, youngsters will be able to make bracelet and key chains, use informative children’s coloring books on gems and minerals and toss a bean bag to win a prize.

Also featured will be a variety of competitive exhibits with awards in the following categories — Best in Show, Best Theme Exhibit, Most Educational Exhibit, Best Non-Member Exhibit, Best Mini-Case Exhibit and Director’s Award.

Gemarama will run from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on November 4 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on November 5. Admission is $6 for adults, $1 for children under 12 years of age; two-day adult tickets are $9. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in uniform and accompanied by an adult Scoutmaster are admitted free.

This weekend, Peddler’s Village’s will host its ultra-popular Apple Festival (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, 215-794-4000, www.peddlersvillage.com).

The 49th annual staging of the event will be held November 2 and 3 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. each day at the Peddler’s Village complex. It will feature a variety of artisans who will be demonstrating and selling their crafts. There will also be live music and the curiously entertaining pie-eating contests.

As expected, the free festival will be a showcase for apples served in all sorts of tasty ways — apple cider, caramel-covered apples, apple fritters, apple sundaes, apple pie and apple strudel.

Visitors will even be able to sample country apple butter cooked over an open fire. Many of the apple treats will be available for take-home as well as for eating at the festival. Additionally, visitors will be able to purchase a variety of fresh apples in bushels from the site’s orchard.

Live entertainment will be provided by Lolly Hopwood, Jersey Harmony Chorus, Rendition Jazz Band, Big Chill, Hoo Boy, Dirk Quinn Trio, Funkin’ Soulnuts, Give and Take Jugglers, Mike Brill, Michael Christopher Band, Vintage Vibe Tribe, BC Discoveries Dancers, Galena Brass Band, Fox & Holly Pad and RJ Steward.

On November 2 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Hope Lodge (553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, 215-646-1595, http://www.ushistory.org/hope) will host its 43rd annual “1777 Whitemarsh Encampment.”

This event commemorates the time from November 2-December 11 in 1777 when General George Washington and the Continental Army were encamped in Whitemarsh Hills.

Saturday’s activities will begin at 10 a.m. and shift into high gear at 11:30 a.m. with a skirmish re-enactment in the back field. The battle display will be followed by another skirmish re-enactment at 2:30 p.m.

There will be “Children’s Musters” at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The list of all-day activities includes sutlers, open hearth cooking demonstrations, presentations by regiments, dulcimer entertainment by Lynn King and a demonstration of Colonial dressmaking.

As an added attraction, the Hope Lodge mansion will be open for self-guided tours all day (except during the skirmishes). Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors (age 60 and older) and youths (ages 6-17). Children ages 5 and under are free.

It is a Veterans Day celebration a few days early.

“Trains & Troops” is the museum’s annual tribute to the U. S. Armed Forces — to all those who served or are serving in defense of our nation. At the annual autumn event, visitors will be able to greet our men and women in uniform — including veterans, civilians, railroaders and re-enactors from the Civil War forward. Also featured will be a large array of military and military railroad service-related posters, uniforms, equipment, field gear, maps, books and photographs on display.

The annual event is also a tribute to American railroads and their role in supporting the U. S. Armed Forces. Railroads built our nation and came to the country’s defense during times of war — both on the home front and overseas. The American Civil War marked the first major military application of railroads. The Military Railway Service was created in 1916 for World War I. In World War II, U. S. freight and passenger railroad service, both military and civilian, was huge.

There will be a salute to veterans and active-duty service personnel with the Lancaster Red Rose Honor Guard on November 2 at 11 a.m. and November 3 at 1 p.m. The Lampeter-Strasburg Community Band will present a concert on November 4.

Tickets for “Trains and Troops” only are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $8 for youth (ages 3-11).

The next few days will feature several popular annual ethnic festivals – events where you can find freshly made traditional food from Greece and three of Europe’s Slavic nations.

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his weekend, you can get a glimpse at how holidays are celebrated in a culinary way in Eastern Europe and Russia by visiting the festival at Saint Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church (1855 North Middletown Road (Route 352), Gradyville, 610-459-5310, www.sthermansoca.org).

The annual Christmas bazaar and food festival at St. Herman is running on November 2 and 3 and again on November 9 and 10.

The food will be available through online ordering or drive-through from noon-5 p.m. each day.

The menu, which is billed as a “Taste of Tradition,” offers a selection of Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Greek & Eastern European Cuisine.

The menu features stuffed cabbage, blini, beef stroganoff, cevapcici, kolbassi sandwiches, halushki, homemade pastries and other specialties.

The 2024 Greek Food Fest at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (229 Powell Lane, Upper Darby, saintdemetrios.org) is scheduled for November 1, 2 and 3.

The event, which will run from 4 p.m.-10 p.m. on Friday, noon-10 p.m. on Saturday and noon-8 p.m. on Sunday, will feature a wide array of tasty Greek treats such as souvlaki, shish-ka-bob, moussaka, pastitsio and gyros and baklava.

Other festival activities are areas featuring vendors with crafts and Greek items.

The Church Bazaar at Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church (1406 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, Delaware, 302-798-4455, www.sspeterandpauluoc.org) will be held on November 2.

The menu of food items which can be eaten onsite or purchased to go includes Holubtsi (Ukrainian stuffed cabbage rolls), Kovassa (Ukrainian-style kielbasa), Halushki (cabbage and noodle), Pyrohy (Ukrainian pierogies), Borscht (beet soup), Mushroom Soup and authentic handmade Ukrainian bakery items such as nut rolls, Pascha and poppy rolls.

There will also be church tours, pysanka for sale and a variety of other vendors with cultural and religious items for sale. The free event runs from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

A “Pierogi Festival” will be held on November 2 and 3 at St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Cathedral (817 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, https://www.stnicholaseoc.org/).

The church’s 2024 “Pierogi Festival” will feature homemade pierogi (traditional potato cheese, kapusta, cherry, cheesesteak and pulled pork), halupki, kielbasa, halushki, pelmeni, blini, soups and more.

The event opens at noon each day. The beer garden and outdoor seating with live music in our tent will close at 9 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The event features free admission with parking lot and street parking available.

Autumn’s colors just came in and are already on their way out – especially with the cold, windy weather forecast for the next few days. There is still time to take in autumn’s annual color display by riding on a special excursion on an area tourist railroad.

The West Chester Railroad (Market Street Station, West Chester, 610-430-2233, wcrailroad.com) is running its annual “Fall Foliage Express” trains on November 3. Trains depart at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.

The round-trip train ride travels to the village of Glen Mills and back and lasts for 90 minutes. During the brief layover in Glen Mills, riders can explore the historic Pennsylvania Railroad station and have a snack in the railroad’s picnic grove along the Chester Creek.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for children.

The Wilmington & Western Railroad (2201 Newport Gap Pike, Wilmington, DE, 302-998-1930, www.wwrr.com) is running its “Autumn Leaf Special” on November 3.

Trips are either a one-and-one-half hour roundtrips to the Mt. Cuba Picnic Grove or two-and-one-half hour roundtrips to Hockessin.

Tickets for the “Autumn Leaf Special” start at $18.

The Northern Central Railway (2 West Main Street, New Freedom, www.northerncentralrailway.com) is running its “Fall Foliage Trains” on select dates through November.

Riders can enjoy the beauty of fall in Southern York County as the train follows the original Northern Central Railroad, a mainline in operation since 1838, through the scenic Heritage Rail Trail County Park.

Motive power will be the William H Simpson No. 17 replica steam locomotive or the 6076 PRR GP9 historic diesel locomotive. The conductor and brakeman will tell riders about the history and growth of the towns and villages they pass along the way.

Ticket prices start at $34.

Another popular railroad related event this weekend is “Steamin’ Days” at Auburn Heights Preserve (3000 Creek Road, Yorklyn, Delaware, 302-239-2385, http://auburnheights.org) on November 3.

“Steamin’ Days,” which is held on the first Sunday of the month through November, focuses on steam power.

During “Steamin’ Days at Auburn Heights,” the site is bustling with activity. Visitors are encouraged to climb into an antique automobile or board one of the trains and experience what it was like to travel at the turn of the 20th century. They can also tour the magnificent 1897 mansion that was home to three generations of the Marshall family.

Also included is entry to the Marshall Steam Museum, which features the world’s largest operating collection of Stanley steam cars along with a 1930s working Lionel electric train display, a hands-on engine display, kids’ activities and exhibits and the Museum Gift Shop.

Activities run from 12:30-4:30 p.m. each time. Combo Tickets, which cover all rides and building tours, are $15 (13 and older) and $10 (age 12 and under).

Now, even though Halloween and El Dia de Los Muertos have passed, some of them have refused to die.

“Lincoln Mill Haunted House” (4100 Ridge Avenue, Manayunk, www.lincolnmillhaunt.com) is Philadelphia’s newest haunted attraction. The attraction takes guests on a journey through an interactive living story featuring more than 40 live scare-actors, production quality sets, props, animatronics, and breath-taking special effects.

The attraction is intended to be very scary during evening hours. The owners want it to be the scariest haunted house in the greater Philadelphia region. Mission accomplished — it is scary.

While most haunted house attractions have a lot of room for props and actors, Lincoln Mill has a limited area. As a result, the 20-minute walk through the attraction features many tight spaces, sharp turns, sections that are pitch black, scary props and a slew of live-scare actors doing what they do best.

The attraction’s backstory emerged from a tragic event that occurred in 2021. On September 2, 2021, Hurricane Ida struck Philadelphia and flooded the Mill to historic water levels.

The flood significantly damaged the mill’s interior and revealed a hidden chamber located below the basement level. Countless bodies were found, and a dark truth was discovered about the mill’s past.

Local authorities determined that during the 1930’s, Viktor Kane, the mill owner, tormented and experimented on his workers. Countless workers lost their lives, and their spirits continue to haunt the mill. Construction has since been halted and the mill will open up for guests to experience its dark past for themselves.

The main haunted house event will run at night on November 2 and 3. Tickets are sold in hour time slots from 6-11:45 p.m. For those that aren’t into very scary attractions, there will be a more family-oriented event every Saturday from noon-4 p.m. with no scare actors.

Ticket prices start at $25.

Pennhurst Asylum (100 Commonwealth Drive, Spring City, 484-866-8964, www.pennhurstasylum.com), which is open through November 2, is on the site of a former mental asylum which has been shuttered for over a quarter of a century.

It has been transformed into a haunted attraction with huge sets, detailed rooms and live actors. Visitors can also explore the labyrinth of underground tunnels.

Tickets are $52 for a combo pass valid for all three Haunted Attractions at Pennhurst: Pennhurst Asylum, The Morgue & The Tunnels.

For years, Eastern State Penitentiary (2124 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, www.easternstate.org) presented one of the premier Halloween attractions in Philadelphia — “Terror Behind the Walls.”

Last year, the venue tried something different – a new attraction called “Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary.”

The truly scary attraction, which is running through November 9, takes place at a penitentiary site that was once was an active prison and is now a National Historic Landmark. It is a scream-inducing event featuring laser and special-effect lighting, digital sound, sinister scents, animatronic creatures and 3-D illusions.

There is “Delirium,” a 3D Haunted House where visitors take a mind-altering trip into another dimension — a parallel, neon universe where nothing is quite as it seems. Fascinating creatures emerge from seemingly nowhere as the world you thought you knew shrinks away.

“The Crypt” is another Haunted House. The creatures of The Crypt request your presence. Wade through the mist and into the lair of an ancient clan of vampires. They’ve set the table, but if you’re not careful, you might end up on their next menu.

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Hospital Flashlight Tour” is a guide-led Walking Tour – a 20-minute, guide-led, flashlight tour of Cellblock 3, the Hospital Block.

Another Haunted House is the “Machine Shop.” Hidden away from the world is a long-forgotten machine shop. Evil pervades this space – an evil with one mind but with many bodies. Will visitors survive or will they become just another cog in the machine?

Other attractions are “The Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell,” “The Bloodline Lounge,” “The Fair Chance Beer Garden,” “The Voices of Eastern State” Highlights Audio Tour, “Kaleidoscope Hall,” and “S’mores and Lore.”

Admission prices, which vary with the date, start at $39.

For “Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place” (100 Sesame Place, Langhorne, 215-752-7070, www.sesameplace.com), which runs now through November 3, the popular amusement park has been converted into a Halloween-themed safe venue for kids with trick or treating, pumpkin decorating, hayrides and a hay maze.

Guests will enjoy trick-or-treating around the park, Halloween-themed shows, participating in our interactive Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt, and unique photo opportunities with everyone’s favorite furry friends dressed up in costume on their Halloween-themed floats!

Featured attractions, which will continue for the next six weeks, are “Neighborhood Street Party Halloween Parade,” “Halloween Light Show,” and “The Not-Too-Spooky Howl-O-ween Radio Show.”

Admission to the park starts at $44.99.

Each September, “Pumpkinland” returns to Linvilla Orchards (137 West Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116, www.linvilla.com). “Pumpkinland,” which runs through November 3, features fairy tale characters from nursery rhymes along with a huge scarecrow and a really tall storybook.

Other activities include train rides, a straw bale maze, hayrides, pick-your-own apples and pony rides.

There will also be “Harvest Hayrides” and “Autumn Moon Hayrides” starting later in September along with “Straw Bale Maze,” “Train Rides,” “Corn Maze” and “Pony Rides.”

“Valley of Fear” (300 W. Bristol Road, Feasterville, 215-942-9787, www.valleyoffear.com), which is open through November 2, features three “heart pounding attractions” — “The Original Haunted Hayride,” “Miles Manor Haunted House,” and “Willie’s Shipwreck Cove.”

There will also be live music every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The attraction is billed as “America’s Most Horrifying Woods.” Admission prices start at $25.

The “32nd Annual Field of Screams” (109 College Avenue, Mountville, 717-285-7748, www.fieldofscreams.com), which is open now through November 16, features four world-class Haunted Experiences and an impressive Midway Area.

Top attractions include “Horrifying Haunted Hayride,” “Den of Darkness,” “Nocturnal Wasteland” and “Frightmare Asylum.”

Ticket prices start at $16.

Shocktoberfest (94 Park Avenue, Sinking Spring, 610-375-7273, shocktoberfest.com) features an array of natural and genetically engineered Zombies in a safe and controlled habitat.

“Shockfest Zombie World” is celebrating its 33rd year with five “Killer Experiences” — “Zombie Safari Hayride Tour,” “Prison of the Dead,” “The Unknown 3.0,” “Ground Assault,” “Zombie Experience,” and “Midway Massacre.”

The attraction will close on November 9. Ticket prices start at $30.

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The 28th Annual Frightland” (309 Port Penn Road, Middletown, Delaware, 302-838-0256, www.frightland.com) features eight special themed areas — “Zombie Prison,” “Ravenwood Cemetery,” “Haunted Hayride,” “Idalia Manor,” “Fear,” “Ghost Town,” “The Attic” and “Haunted Barn.”

Frightland Haunted Attractions has been named a Top 10 Scariest Haunted Attraction in the country by Travel Channel, Forbes and Huffington Post.

The venue includes a variety of haunted attractions including a two-mile Haunted Hayride, four indoor haunted houses and more. The nationally acclaimed Halloween attraction also features live entertainment, carnival amusements and a daytime fall festival.

The venue will remain open through November 2. Ticket prices start at $40.