CHESTER COUNTY CULTURAL ARTS

Museums · Attractions · Performing Arts

There is something to satisfy almost every interest in Chester County. Longwood Gardens is nationally famous for its numerous varieties of flower and plants. Chester County has several prominent museums including the Brandywine River Museum (housing a large collection of Andrew Wyeth paintings) and the Wharton Esherick Museum. Historic Yellow Springs is also a favorite of art lovers. Area theaters such as The people's Light and Theater Company, Footlighter’s Theatre and Hedgerow Theater produce original plays throughout the year.

Some popular activities in the county are seasonal events, like the Kimberton Fair, displaying arts, crafts and home-making skills. The Devon Horse Show and County Fair held in May are big crowd pleasers. Hayrides abound from May to October (including haunted ones) and pick-your-own pumpkin patches and cut-your-own Christmas tree farms are plentiful.

Dance patrons also have several options for seeing live ballet performances from top-notch companies like the Chester County Ballet/Harrison Dance Studios, Crance Performing Arts School, West Chester Ballet Theatre, the Brandywine Ballet and the world-famous Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia and the Russian Ballet Theater of Delaware in Wilmington.

Just about every major rock band tour hits a venue in the Delaware Valley and Philadelphia's popular music scene includes many diverse venues. A number of Chester County bars present live music on a weekly basis, from rock, pop, and folk to country-and-western.

Festivals galore! Annual special events run all year through. Starting with the West Chester Festival of the Arts, the Chester County Hospital May Fest and Brandywine hospitals Strawberry Festival in the Spring; summers schedule includes the Delco Scottish Games, Yellow Springs Craft Show, the Kimberton Community Fair, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival; Chadds Ford Days in early September begins the busy fall schedule which features the Chester County Restaurant Festival and Longwood gardens Mum Festival; the varied, and quite extensive list of Christmas holiday events include Christmas at Longwood, Candlelight Christmas in Chadds Ford and Old Fashioned Christmas in West Chester.

Equestrian events also rank high on the entertainment popularity scale in the area with such premier events as the Radnor Hunt Races, the Devon Horse Show and the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup.

Other Special events around the Delaware Valley which are perennially top draws are the Philadelphia International Auto Show, the Irish Music Festival, the Philadelphia Flower Show, Mellon Jazz Festival, The Philadelphia Boat Show, Welcome America!, the Philadelphia Home Show, American Indian Pow-Wow, the Philadelphia Craft Show and the Philadelphia Art Show.

Find out more about what's happening in Chester County:

Museums

Chester County Historical Preservation Coordinator West Chester, PA

Chester County Historical Society, West Chester, PA

American Helicopter Museum, West Chester, PA

Phillips Mushroom Museum Kennett Square, PA

The Christian C. Sanderson Museum Chadds Ford, PA

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Elverson, PA

Historic Yellow Springs Inc. Chester Springs, PA

Thomas Newcomen Library & Museum Exton, PA

Historic Wynesborough Paoli, PA

Wharton Esherick Museum Paoli, PA

Chadds Ford Historical Society Chadds Ford, PA

John Chad House Chadds Ford, PA

Barns-Brinton House Chadds Ford, PA

Brandywine River Museum Chadds Ford, PA

Brandywine Battlefield State Park Chadds Ford, PA

1704 Brinton House Dilworthtown, PA

Chester County Court House West Chester, PA

Downingtown Log House Downingtown, PA

Hibernia Ironmaster's  Mansion Coatesville, PA

Valley Forge National Historic Park Valley Forge, PA

Chester County Art Assn. West Chester, PA

McKinney Gallery West Chester, PA

Attractions

Chester County Tourist Bureau, 117 W. Gay Street, West Chester 19380

Brandywine Valley Tourist Info. Ctr., P.O. Box 910, Dept.. 9, Kennett Sq.., 19348

Longwood Gardens Kennett Square, PA

Herr's visitor's Center Nottingham, PA

Mushroom Festival Kennett Square, PA

Country Samplers Springtime Market West Chester, PA

Devon Horse Show & Country Fair Devon, PA

Chadds Ford Winery Chadds Ford, PA

Birmingham Octagonal Schoolhouse Birmingham Rd (off Rt.. 926, next to Birmingham Friends Meeting)

Caln Octagonal Schoolhouse Municipal Drive (off Rt. 30, between Downingtown & Coatesville)

Paoli Octagonal Schoolhouse Diamond Rock & Yellow Springs Rd. (N. of Paoli)

The Performing Arts

Kennett Symphony Orchestra

Chester County Center for the Performing Arts

Gilbert & Sullivan Society

West Chester & Barleysheaf Players

Actors Lab Theatre Company Newtown Square, PA

The Annenberg Center Philadelphia Box Office

The Bucks County Playhouse New Hope, PA

Footlighters Theater Berwyn, PA

Forge Theatre Phoenixville, PA

Forrest Theatre Philadelphia, PA

Freedom Theatre Philadelphia, PA

Hedgerow Theatre Wallingford, PA

The Painted Bride Art Center Philadelphia, PA

The People's Light & Theatre Company Malvern, PA

The Society Hill Playhouse Philadelphia, PA

Walnut Street Theatre Philadelphia, PA

The West Chester & Barleysheaf Players Lionville, PA

The West Chester University Dept.. of

Speech Communication & Theatre West Chester, PA

 

DINNER THEATRE

The Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre Lancaster, PA

Lily Langtry's  King of Prussia, PA

Rainbow Dinner Theatre East Paradise, PA

The Riverfront Dinner Theatre Philadelphia, PA

Three Little Bakers Dinner Theatre Wilmington, DE

MOVIE THEATERS

AMC Painters Crossing Concordville, PA

AMC Granite Run 8 Media, PA

AMC Marple Crossroads Springfield, PA

AMC Concord Mall 2 Concord, DE

Coventry 8 Pottstown, PA

Exton Cinema Exton, PA

REGAL Lionville 12 Lionville, PA

REGAL Brandywine 16 Wilmington, DE

United Artists Theaters King & Queen Valley Forge, PA

United Artists Theaters at the Plaza King of Prussia, PA

 

 

COMMUNITY MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS

CHESTER COUNTY BAND, Chester County Community Concert Band seeks members. Fugett Middle School, West Chester.

COLLEGE/COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA, Musicians sought, Immaculata College (Alumnae Hall) King Road, south of Rtes 30 and 352.

WEST CHESTER BAND, Experienced musicians, who play the bassoon, oboe, clarinet, tuba and percussion sought. Rehearsals Wed evenings.

WOMEN'S BARBERSHOP CHORUS, Brandywine Chorus seeks female singers. St.. Patrick's Church, Channing Ave.. Malvern.

WOMEN'S BARBERSHOP CHORUS, Valley Forge chapter of Sweet Adelines seeks women signers of all ages. No experience necessary. American College (auditorium) 270 Bryn Mawr Ave.. Bryn Mawr.

SUNSHINE SINGERS, Sopranos & altos needed for group that performs at area churches, nursing homes. Must be retired or have flexible schedule.

CHESTER COUNTY CHORDBUSTERS - Barbershop Chorus

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