June Must-do’s
• Forget about the hassle of dragging your bike to Valley Forge National Historical Park. Rentals are available on weekends thru June 21, and daily June 22-Sept. 7. The park is well marked with tour route signs, making it easy to pedal to the most significant sites of the winter of 1777-78. Visit nps.gov.
• Unwind after a stressful week at one of Chaddsford Winery’s “Summer Nights Under the Stars” Outdoor Concerts. Friday nights thru Sept. 11, live rock, soul, jazz and opera are scheduled, so pack a picnic dinner, grab a bottle, and sit back and relax. Reservations recommended. Call (610) 388-6221 or visit chaddsfordwinery.com.
• At Main Line Art Center’s “Unframed and Uncorked” Art Sale June 5, enjoy a glass of wine while browsing the impressive collection of unframed, original artwork by talented artists, displayed both inside and out (weather permitting) at its Haverford facility. Visit mainlineart.org.
• June 7’s Historic Yellow Springs’ Summerfest in Chester Springs begins with runners and walkers lacing up their sneaks for the 16th annual 5K Run and Walk. Then indulge at “Sundaes on Sunday,” with various ice cream flavors and all the toppings. The day ends with the 12th annual Jazz at the Springs concert. Visit yellowsprings.org.
• The hills of Manayunk are alive with activity in June. The fun begins June 7 at the Philadelphia International Cycling Championship, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. June 27-28, stroll the Manayunk Arts Festival, the Tri-State area’s largest outdoor juried arts event. Visit manayunk.com.
• Top-notch jazz musicians converge on North Wayne Avenue June 13 for the sixth annual Main Line Jazz & Food Festival. Downtown Wayne becomes a European-style piazza, where jazz lovers can dine al fresco while listening to live music. Visit mainlinejazz.com.
• Make and fly a kite, build a bluebird box, shoot marbles, and more during “It’s a Boy’s Life: Father & Son Outdoor Fun” at Delaware’s Winterthur Museum & Country Estate. This special series for boys ages 8-11 runs June 13, 27 and July 11. Also scheduled: explorations of the historic Winterthur estate. Registration required by June 1. Call (800) 448-3883.
• Bring your sleeping bag, and Elmwood Park Zoo will provide the fun at June 13’s ZooSnooz Family Campout in Norristown. Experience a live animal show, a flashlight tour, yummy s’mores, and more. Visit elmwoodparkzoo.org.
• June 27, the Kennett Symphony of Chester County performs its Hooray for Hollywood musical at Longwood Gardens’ Open Air Theatre in Kennett Square. Vocalists from Juilliard join the symphony to perform Hollywood hits from Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Doctor Zhivago, Star Wars and more. Visit longwoodgardens.org.
July Must-do’s on page 2 …
July Must-do’s
• Of all the July 4 events happening around the area, Sunoco’s Welcome America Festival in Philadelphia is one you won’t want to miss. It kicks off a week before the big day and continues daily with countless activities involving food and drink, live music, art, movies, and kids’ fun. Call (215) 683-2200 or visit americasbirthday.com.
• The 2009 U.S. Women’s Open welcomes more than 150 top professional and amateur golfers to Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem July 6-12. Beyond the competition itself, the event offers world-class talent and personalities, plus family entertainment amidst a picturesque setting in a certified environmental sanctuary and one of the country’s finest golf facilities. Call (610) 814-6104 or visit 2009uswomensopen.com.
• Bastille Day has to be one of the coolest ways to spend a mid-summer Saturday in Philadelphia. On July 11, a playful reenactment of the storming of the Bastille is followed by a French-themed street party. Come early and tour Eastern State Penitentiary, or stay late and take a spooky evening prison stroll. Call (215) 236-5111 or visit easternstate.org.
• Soccer’s 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Tournament makes its first appearance in Philadelphia with a quarterfinal doubleheader July 18. This premier sporting event features 12 elite teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Visit lincolnfinancialfield.com or CONCACAF.com.
• Part of the Concerts Under the Stars Summer Music Series, Trout Fishing in America arrives in King of Prussia July 19 to headline an evening of singing and swinging to some of the best family-friendly folk tunes out there. Visit umconcerts.org.
• Freedom Team Tennis hosts marquee matches from seven top pros at its new King of Prussia digs—including Anna Kournikova (July 6), Venus Williams (July 8), Andre Agassi (July 10), Serena Williams (July 13), John McEnroe (July 14), Martina Navratilova (July 20) and Kim Clijsters (July 22). Call (866) WTT-TIXS or visit philadelphiafreedoms.com.
• Take in an eclectic mix of established and up-and-coming rock, pop and folk acts at WXPN’s XPoNential Music Festival July 24-26 at Camden County, N.J.’s Wiggins Park. Call (856) 216-2170 or visit xpn.org.
August Must-do’s on page 3 …
August Must-do’s
• Laugh till it hurts (and it will) at One for the Pot at Media’s Hedgerow Theatre July 10-Aug. 30. The company’s eighth annual production of a Ray Cooney English farce features one loaded mill owner and one hefty inheritance for his late business partner’s lone son. But when the latter comes to collect, he’s no longer flying solo. The result: sidesplitting chaos. Call (610) 565-4211 or visit hedgerowtheatre.org.
• Take cover in the Academy of Natural Sciences as the second annual Bug Fest flies into Philadelphia Aug. 15-16. Pet a tarantula, watch cockroach races, learn how to collect and pin insects, and even “enjoy” buggy foods. Call (215) 299-1000 or visit ansp.org/bugfest.
• The traveling Greenberg’s Train & Toy Show makes a stop at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks Aug. 15-16. Take in the lifelike displays, find a train whistle for the kiddies, or get your favorite choo-choo appraised by any of the hundreds of dealers. Call (484) 754-3976 or visit greenbergshows.com.
• Help the Lance Armstrong Foundation help those affected by cancer at this year’s LIVESTRONG Challenge Philly Aug. 23 at Montgomery Community College in Blue Bell. Bike, walk or run—or just bring your spirit for life. Call (888) 424-2553 or visit philly09.livestrong.org.
• Season your summer with garden-fresh scents and pleasant homemade bites Aug. 27 at Scott Arboretum’s Culinary Herb Party in Swarthmore. The workshop happens pond-side in the Terry Shane Teaching Garden, where guests learn how to grow and cook their own herbs. Call (610) 328-8025 or visit scottarboretum.org.
Farther Afield
Summers in the Air: You won’t find any of the powdery, white stuff, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had at Spring Mountain during the warm months. Its canopy tours challenge visitors with a series of zip lines and rope bridges. Conquer your fear of heights and take the chairlift to the top of the mountain, hike to your starting point and then, harnessed to zip lines, fly through the air. Or tackle the new four-sided, 45-foot rock tower. Reservations required for canopy tours. Visit springmountainadventures.com.
Get Wet: Stop talking about it and just do it—surf the waves, that is. And there’s no better teacher than Matt Keenan, who’s ranked among the top 100 surfers in the world. His full-service Elation Surf Camp is CPR certified, fully insured and run through the city of Avalon, N.J., June 29-Aug. 28. Everything is provided: soft foam surfboards, wetsuits, rash guards, goodie bags, autographed posters, surprise pro surfer guests and weekly speakers. A single day costs $100, three days $250, and a full week $375. Call (609) 271-8146.
