Hi Neighbor,
This Main Line Neighbors series, Exploring Castles Close to Home, began for two reasons: looking for long weekend destinations and anticipating Season 3 of The Gilded Age. The date for the new season of the HBO show isn’t set. That allows time to visit and explore Gilded Age masterpieces. Several serve as settings for the show.
There are many Gilded Age mansions a few hours from home. They all feature over-the-top architecture, grand interiors and eclectic art featured in the series. And they are terrific destinations for long weekend getaways to New York’s Hudson Valley and Rhode Island’s Newport. For places to visit that are located closer, check out last month’s Main Line Neighbors newsletter.
Visiting these magnificent relics of a time gone by is an adventure filled with beautiful, almost unbelievable craftsmanship and American history. READ MORE
Happy travels,
Jane
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SPONSORED CONTENT
Supplements to Relieve Stress & Anxiety
-By Michael Briggs
As the Holiday Season approaches, it will undoubtedly increase our stress load beyond our current levels. With the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us have already felt this increase which has manifested as anxiety, decreased mental sharpness & energy, sleep issues, to name a few. Targeted nutritional supplements offer a potential solution to getting us out of fight or flight mode and positively influencing our immune system.
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Michael Briggs, PharmD, CNC, ICCT serves as COO of Lionville Natural Pharmacy and has been published in The Professional Guide to Complementary & Alternative Therapies, Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Older Adults. The Nursing Drug Handbook Series, and Pharmacotherapy.
Learn more at lionrx.com.
FOR KIDS, BY KIDS
Parent’s Night Out
Saturday, December 7
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Brandywine Valley SPCA, West Chester
Parents get a night out together while kids ages 5-12 have a great time cuddling adorable adoptable animals, completing an animal themed craft, learning interesting animal facts and watching an animal themed movie. The party includes pizza and drinks. Look into Critter Camp for kids ages 7-12, a summer day camp for kids crazy about animals while learning about animal care and more. Details
Painting & Mocktails
Tuesday, December 3
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Gladwyne Library
Teens 12-17 are invited to attend a painting session featuring a polar bear with a cup of cocoa. Cocoa bar with treats available for participants. Free. Details
SHOP SMALL
Clover Market's Holiday Market
December 7 - 8
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Westtown School Athletic Center, West Chester
This Market, even larger than last year, will feature 110+ high quality handmade and artisan vendors and a small number of antique vendors with holiday-focused items in the roomy 33,000 SF indoor space. Details
A BIT OF THE ARTS 2024
Friday November 29: 4 - 8:00 PM
Saturday November 30: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
The Twentieth Century Club, Lansdowne
A unique holiday shopping experience with handmade goods from local artisans. Local student artwork will be showcased, and live music will play throughout the two days. Details
CAC Holiday Sale
Community Arts Center & The Potters Guild Present their Annual Holiday Sale of Fine Craft & Pottery
December 6 to December 15
Featuring one-of-a-kind handcrafted objects by members of the Potters Guild and other local artists! Details
Craft Market
Saturday, November 23
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Winterthur
Local artisans offer handmade items from jewelry to gourmet foods, garden items to original art for sale. Enjoy a complimentary seasonal sparkling toast from Penns Woods Winery (non-alcoholic option available); admire the holiday greens, trees, and lights; listen to live music; and relax by the firepits and roast marshmallows (while supplies last)! Details
Burkholder Holiday Market
November 16-December 24
Paoli
Gifts, holiday home decor, & events. Weekends will be filled with special events and activities including visits from Santa & his Reindeer, food trucks, bonfires (complete with marshmallow roasting), hot chocolate, complimentary wine and beer and more! Details
Holiday Fair and Craft Bazaar
Saturday, November 23
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The Waldorf School, Philadelphia
70 local vendors and crafts people in attendance. Activities and some refreshments will be available. Details
Holiday Craft Market at Historic Sugartown
December 7
Noon - 4:00 PM
Holiday Market featuring over 40 local crafters and artisans. Details
CraftForms 2024, 29th International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft
December 7 – January 25
Wayne Art Center
Showcasing works in basketry, ceramics, decorative fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, paper, wearable art, wood and 3-D printing. Details
Upper Merion Holiday Village
Saturday, December 7
Noon - 3:00 PM
Dozens of crafters & holiday vendors, a gingerbread house display and contest, live performances, s’mores by a fire, a caricaturist, food vendors, a beer garden, a visit from a special guest (and much more! Details
Kennett Square Holiday Village Market
Saturday, December 7, 14
Sunday, December 8, 15
11:00 AM-5:00 PM
The Creamery of Kennett Square
Featuring vendors, kids activities, ice sculptor, music, food trucks and more. Details
BOOKWORMS
Author Talk: Elise Juska of her book Reunion
Monday December 9
7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Char & Stave 21 Rittenhouse Place, Ardmore
In-person event with bestselling author Elise Juska for a discussion of her book, Reunion. This event will be hosted by Mavey Books at Char & Stave. Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event, as well as in-store at Mavey Books. This event is free and RSVPs are required to attend.
From the beloved author of the “uniquely poignant” (Entertainment Weekly) novel The Blessings comes a gripping story about three friends in their forties forced to reckon with their lives during a college reunion in coastal Maine. Details
“Tooth and Claw: A Longmire Story”
Wednesday, November 27
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Main Point Books
Meet the Author Craig Johnson as he introduces his new novella, a wilderness adventure for Longmire fans. Free. Register online. Details
GREAT OUTDOORS/ HOLISTIC MEDICINE
Healing through Horticulture
Thursday, November 21
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Zoom
Haverford College presents Penn State’s Master Gardener Rich Kedanis focused on healing plants in North America, therapeutic gardening and nutritious foods. Register online for zoom link. $10. Details
Kitchen Gardens
January 8 – February 5
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Online
Interactive sessions focused on designing a kitchen garden, presented by Longwood Gardens and led by Ellen Ogden who makes the process of growing food easy to implement and well-integrated with your own landscape. Details
Weed Warriors
Thursday, December 5
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Help out keeping Valley Forge National Park beautiful and healthy. All sorts of activities contribute including spreading seeds, planting plugs, installing deer fencing and much more. Free. All ages welcome. Under 18 with parental supervision. Next date, Saturday, January 11. Details
BURN IT OFF
Wayne Turkey Trot
Thursday, November 28
Great American Pub, Wayne
8th Annual Wayne Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving Day 5K run and walk benefitting the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Radnor Township Police K-9 Unit and Philadelphia Financial Scholars. Details
Burn Off the Bird 5K
Saturday, November 30
Phoenixville
Held annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, join the Jaycees 5K Race & 1 mile Fun Run through Phoenixville beginning and ending at Franklin Commons. Details
West Chester Turkey Trot
Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 8:00 AM
West Chester celebrates its first annual turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning for any runner looking to burn off some pre-meal calories. Registration is $30 for both the 5k run and 2k walk, so loosen up, have some fun and cheer on your family in downtown West Chester. Details
The Greater Philadelphia YMCA Gobble Wobble
Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 8:30 AM
Various Locations
Join the Y's annual Thanksgiving Day family tradition in the greater Philadelphia area, the Gobble Wobble 5K! There are multiple locations and race options to challenge the whole family, including a virtual race for those of us who are out of town or shudder at the idea of waking up early! Details
Delco Turkey Trot
Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 9:00 AM
Wallingford
The eighth annual Delco Turkey Trot is perfect for a day of family fun. Registration is $35 for adults over the age of 13 and $20 for runners 12 and under. The one-mile Little Drumstick Fun Run starting at 8:30 a.m. is great for children who might not yet be ready for the big one. Proceeds from this race help support Nether Providence Elementary School. Details
Cardinal John Foley School Turkey Trot
Saturday, November 30, 9:00 AM
Havertown
After you’ve gotten through your holiday meal leftovers, prepare for this 18th annual trot, which takes place on a two-loop course through the Brookline neighborhood. All proceeds will benefit the students of Cardinal John Foley Regional Catholic School. Details
St. Bernadette’s Annual Turkey Trot 5K & Family Fun Walk
Saturday, November 30, 8:45 AM
Drexel Hill
St. Bernadette’s annual race is an exciting dash. Winners in each age group will receive a medal for the fastest time. This course takes you through a beautiful neighborhood in Drexel Hill. Details
Business is booming along the Main Line, lots of new restaurants and shops especially in Wayne, which welcomes a Ballard Designs, FP Movement and lux doggie spa.
READ NOVEMBER'S LOCAL BUZZ!
SPONSORED CONTENT
Welcome to the New & Improved Paoli Beverage!
Now Open with Exciting Additions!
Your go-to destination for all your beverage needs. Our store is better than ever – stop in and see for yourself!
From hard seltzers to slushies, we've got it all. And if we don't have what you're looking for, we can place a special order just for you!
Call 484-GET-BEER to learn more about our wide selection of domestics, imports, crafts, ciders, and more!
Visit us Monday-Saturday from 9AM to 8PM and Sunday from 11AM to 6PM for a full-service beverage experience.
Paoli Beverage is here to serve you with a wide variety of traditional brews, IPA’s, non-alcoholic beers, vodka cocktails and much more!
Stop by today and see for yourself! 🍺🍹
Paoli Beverage
ON STAGE
VoxAmaDeus Handel Messiah 2024
Sunday, December 8, 4:00 PM
Dalyesford Abbey, Paoli
Sunday, December 22, 4:00 PM
St. Katherine, Wayne
For more than three decades, VoxAmaDeus has presented to the Philadelphia region annual performances of Handel’s masterpiece. Plus, our annual presentation of magical Renaissance Noël concerts, celebrating the glorious Renaissance seasonal music of Old Europe, with masterpieces for chorus and period instruments featuring our Renaissance Consort performers exquisitely attired in lush period costumes. Details
Perform in French
Thursday, December 19
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Alliance Francaise Philadelphia
This is your opportunity to perform for 5 minutes on stage at the first Cabaret Micro Ouvert in French! Prepare a song, poem, short scene, monologue, any genre at any level completely in French. Details
Christmas in the Catskills 2: A Star is Borscht
Friday, December 6 - Sunday, December 29
Act II Playhouse
Ambler
The production is a sequel to the 2023 holiday cabaret, “Christmas in the Catskills” which enjoyed a sold-out run. This follow-up sees Tony Braithwaite return to celebrate the best of the Borscht Belt with comedic vignettes paying homage to Henny Youngman, Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, and many, many more. This promises to be a hilarious evening of stories, jokes, and songs.
Details
Adult Acting
Monday, January 13 – Monday, March 3
7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Uptown! Performing Arts Centre
Work with a professional actor introducing methods similar to those taught in NY and LA. Lots of fun with material selected to suit and challenge individual students. Register online. Details
Ballet X in Bryn Mawr
Friday, December 13—Sunday, December 15
Goodhart Hall, Bryn Mawr College
Philadelphia’s incomparable dancers present a celebration of choreography in Bryn Mawr! Details
Delaware County Symphony Presents: A Holiday Chamber Concert
Sunday, December 1, 3:00 PM
Neumann University's Meagher Theatre
Celebrate the warmth and joy of the holiday season with an enchanting afternoon of music at Delaware County Symphony’s Holiday Chamber Concert. Details
The Philadelphia Orchestra presents Disney's The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert
December 18-19
Philadelphia
The Muppets perform Charles Dickens’s classic holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). Gonzo, as Dickens, narrates the story with the help of Rizzo the Rat. The film also features Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig, and Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim. The Philadelphia Orchestra plays the memorable score in this delightful story filled with laughter and song. Details
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
December 6 - 15
December 8 at 2:00 PM is the relaxed performance
Footlighters Theater, Berwyn
In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids – probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won't believe the mayhem – and the fun – when the Herdmans collide head-on with the story of Christmas! Details
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Thanksgiving Food Drive for ElderNet
Now - Monday, November 25
Various Hours
ElderNet, 9 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr
Share some goodness by making a food donation towards someone’s delicious Thanksgiving meal. Perishables will only be accepted on November 25. Details
Camp Out for Hunger
Monday, December 2 – Friday, December 6
G Lot of Wells Fargo Parking Lots, Philadelphia
Join Preston and Steve for their 27th annual Camp Out for Hunger food drive. A weeklong event featuring live broadcasts, food trucks, and most importantly, food donations! Details
Operation Santa Claus
Starts Saturday, November 30
106 Grape Street, Manayunk
The Manayunk Development Program is bringing back Operation Santa Claus to help local families in need. Stop by to pick up a tag from the holiday tree. Be sure to return your gift by Sunday, December 15. Details
