September 2023 - A Golden Salute

Are You Invited to the Secret Dinner? The Church Has Left the Building

A

Our Annual Preview of the Fall Arts Season

The Grand brings national hip-hop tour to Wilmington's Frawley Stadium

Featuring:

d Back Burner

d Bardea Steak

d Bar Reverie

d Brandywine Prime

d Cafe Mezzanotte

d Ciro Forty Acres

d Ciro Riverfront

d Columbus Inn

d Dorcea

d El Camino

d Krazy Kat’s

d La Fia Bistro

d Merchant Bar

d Piccolina Toscana

d Taverna (Wilm.)

d The Market Kitchen

d The Quoin

d Tonic Seafood & Steak

d Walter’s Steakhouse

d Wilma’s

Contributing Sponsors:

Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com

Director of Publications Jim Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com

Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net

Creative Director & Production Manager Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC

Digital Services Director Michael O’Brian

Contributing Writers Adriana Camacho-Church, JulieAnne Cross, David Ferguson, Mark Fields, Pam George, Catherine Kempista, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Steve Lanahan, Ken Mammarella, Matt Morrissette, John Murray, Kevin Noonan, Bob Yearick

Contributing Photographers Jim Coarse, Justin Heyes and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Butch Comegys, Lindsay Rudney duPhily, Joe Hoddinott, Matthew Loeb

Special Projects John Holton, Cullen Robinson, Bev Zimmermann

It has become a rite of September: Our annual preview of the upcoming season in the arts.

In fact, for more than three decades we’ve compiled this overview. So many times, to be honest, it’s challenging to create a fresh headline. After all, how many ways can you say Let The Shows Begin without getting silly.

So … let the shows begin.

And they will. Hundreds of them, in venues as varied as The Grand Opera House to The Sold Firm.

I’ve said it for years and I’ll repeat it here: Wilmington’s cultural art scene is one of its greatest assets. Within 15 minutes of Downtown Wilmington there are more than 45 venues dedicated to arts and culture. Dozens more offer exhibits and performances as a side gig. You just don’t find that in many places.

Kerriann Otaño, OperaDelaware’s ebullient vice president of Audience Engagement, said as much during The Grand’s Season Launch Party last month. Otaño and husband Dane Suarez, a gifted tenor who treated those in attendance to a powerful aria from Rigoletto, moved here from Memphis in the summer of 2022. To hear Otaño, you’d have thought they had landed in Oz.

“Do you realize how fortunate we are!” she exclaimed, referring to the richness of Wilmington’s arts scene.

Nothing like a newcomer to remind us.

I was served another reminder on a recent Saturday night. Colleague Jim Miller invited me to join him for the final show of The Rock Orchestra’s six-night stand at the Delaware Theatre Company. TRO, which prides itself on presenting live performances (faithful to the studio recordings) of classic albums, was tackling the entire 215-song Beatles catalogue.

It has become a summer ritual TRO calls All Together Now Monday night was the Please Please Me album; Tuesday night was A Hard Day’s Night … you get the picture.

For the finale, TRO was performing all songs from Abbey Road and Let It Be — and for good measure, a few bonus numbers.

However, this wasn’t simply TRO founders Joe Trainor and Matt Urban inviting a few musicians to join them for an ambitious endeavor. For most of the evening there were no less than 20 performers on stage, including a nine-piece string ensemble and eight-piece horn section. It was a show worthy of a standing ovation, and on several occasions the full-house crowd obliged.

Remarkably, the cast was all local talent, people you see around town (during a preshow beer at Iron Hill we bumped into vocalist Ryan Bacher), letting their creative sides shine.

It was impressive. It was invigorating. And it was prideful — not simply for the musicians, but for me as the publisher of a magazine that chronicles this scene.

Far too often, people attempt to describe Wilmington by what we are not. One thing we are is a small city with a large creative core — an arts scene as rich as a mocha Frappuccino.

So, get out there. Not just for the touring shows making a stop at The Grand, The Playhouse, The Queen or Delaware Theatre Company. Check out a community group you haven’t seen.

Sipping wine on the sofa and listening to vinyl is wonderful, and that option will always be there. But when you are part of a live audience, you’re a part of the show. And, yes I’ll say it again, it’s showtime!

— For a comprehensive look at the area’s arts and entertainment calendar, visit InWilmDe.com

— Jerry duPhily

...people attempt to describe Wilmington by what we are not. One thing we are is a small city with a large creative core — an arts scene as rich as a mocha Frappuccino.

MEDIA WATCH

THE WAR ON WORDS

A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language against misuse and abuse

•Reader Debbie Layton submits the first two from Delaware Online, both by veteran reporters who should know better — as should their editors.

•“According to Clawson, one of the biggest factors was they were not convinced about its safety, a tenant of DuPont.” The word is tenet — meaning guiding principle.

•“. . . found high levels of lead in the home’s baseboards, door jams, and windows.” Later in the same story: “. . . jams, interior casings and sills.” A jamb — the word needed here — is a structural piece or surface forming the side of an opening (as for a door, window, or fireplace).

•CNN Congressional reporter Lauren Fox said that there had been “a number of incidences” of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell falling during the last few months. She meant incidents Incidence is the rate at which something happens, usually something negative: “The incidence of diseases transmitted by food has increased.” An incident is a single event or episode.

•Another CNN reporter said this about a WNBA star who was taking time off for her mental health: “The team doesn’t know how long Brittney Griner could be gone for.” To repeat: There is no rule against ending a sentence in a preposition, but inserting one where it’s unnecessary is sloppy.

VERBAL ABUSE

The past tense of the verbs lead and sink and the past participle of drink are frequently misused by the media. Recent examples, with corrections in parentheses:

•From The News Journal: “In 2000, sonar used by Navy ships during a training session in the Bahamas likely lead (led) to the deaths of six whales.” Lead is the present tense of the verb.

•Scott Lauber, in The Philadelphia Inquirer: “File it away among the many miscues that sunk (sank) the Phillies.” Sunk is the past participle of sink.

•Pardon the reference to bodily functions, but we have this from a WDEL interview about hydrating during hot weather: “Check your urine; if it’s brown, you haven’t drank (drunk) enough.” Drank is the simple past tense of drink.

Word of the Month

By Bob Yearick

COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING

I recently came across two not uncommon problems having to do with comparisons.

•From a Facebook group discussing the Paramount+ series 1883 and the merits of oxen vs. horses for pulling covered wagons: “Oxen are more hardier.” This is an example of a double comparative, which is usually committed when someone uses “more” followed by a word ending in “-er.” In this case, the right choice is simply hardier. No need to intensify the comparison with more

•From a CBS News report on the ranking of the world’s happiest countries: “Afghanistan is the least happiest.” You can say “least happy” or “unhappiest.” A CBS reporter (as opposed to someone on Facebook) should know better.

GOBSMACKED REDUX

In last month’s column, I admitted to being gobsmacked by the ridiculous redundancy former predecessor in the current season of Prime Video’s Jack Ryan. Another show — Modern Family — had a similar impact on daughter Danielle.

While watching a re-run of that show, she heard Mitchell Pritchett, the supposedly giftedly intelligent attorney, say this after his encounter with a high school bully at his nephew Luke’s school dance: “That kid Damian Warmiak is so mean, honing in on these poor kids’ insecurities and then lacerating them.”

While some “authorities” now claim that the two phrases mean the same thing, the preferred phrasal verb here is homing in on, which means focusing on or making progress toward a target, metaphorical or otherwise. Hone means to sharpen, refine, or perfect something, and the careful writer never follows it with in on

After rewatching the episode with closed captioning and confirming that the scripted words were actually “honing in on,” Danielle says her reaction was identical to mine when Jack Ryan referred to his former predecessor : “I thought, the writers actually wrote this line, it survived however many rounds of editing, re-writes, and read throughs, the actor then said the line in front of the director and a dozen others, and then the footage went through editing, and everyone still signed off on it. Sad.”

Indeed.

Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 5pm Start

RIVERFRONT

The Delaware Contemporary

200 South Madison Street

656-6466 • decontemporary.org

Artists: Other Pastures- Group Exhibition, The Platform Gallery- Shaylin Wallace, New Directions- Scott McClurg & Stephanie Boateng

DOWNTOWN

Chris White Gallery

701 N. Shipley Street

475-0998 • chriswhitegallery.com

Artist: K.O. Simms, A Retrospective of Paintings, Jack Knight, Playful MixedMedia Wall Constructions & Extranjera/o — No soy de aqui y no soy de alla curated by Cony Madariaga

City of Wilmington’s Redding Gallery

800 N. French Street

576-2100 • cityfestwilm. com/redding-gallery

Artist: The Wonder Woman by Theda Sandiford

Delaware College of Art & Design

600 N. Market Street

622-8000 • dcad.edu

Artist: Bi-Annual Faculty & Staff Exhibition

Next Art Loop:

Friday, Oct. 6, 2023

WEST SIDE

Blue Streak Gallery

1721 Delaware Avenue

Gallery at Grace Church

900 N. Washington Street

655-8847 • gracechurchwilmington.org

Artist: Home by Megan Walborn Flachier

919 Gallery Market

919 N. Market Street

298-1542

Artist: Visions by Nancy Dolan

The Grand Opera House

818 N. Market Street

658-7897

thegrandwilmington.org

Grand Gallery: Todd Breitling “New Awakenings” baby grand Gallery: Frances Hart “Flower Paintings”

Mezzanine Gallery at the Carvel State Building

820 N. French Street 577-8278

arts.delaware.gov

Artist: Enlightenment by Bryant “Tee” Bell

Urban Artist Exchange Open Studios

16th & North Walnut Streets

493-7614

Artists: Knit and Knot

429-0506

Artist: Art from the collection of Barry Schlecker and Ginger Weiss

Delaware Center for Horticulture

1810 N. Dupont Street

658-6262 • thedch.org

Artist: Mother Nature, The Regional Center for Women in the Arts (RCWA)

Howard Pyle Studio

1305 N. Franklin Street (978) 460-8120

Artists: Sungmin Bobyak

BEYOND THE CITY

Lumen Studio & Gallery

Independence Mall

1601 Concord Pike, Suite 89 545-3204

Artist: INSPIRE

Finist & The Owl

811 Brandywine Boulevard

786-228-6638

Artist: Baisun Candle & Co: Rooted in Culture

The Station Gallery

3922 Kennett Pike

654-8638 • stationgallery.net

Artist: “Painter’s Folly: Old Views, New Hues”

A program of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

stigma, is looking for the personal stories of individuals from the state who have passed away from a drug overdose/ drug poisoning.

Things worth knowing

These stories become part of a statewide art exhibition featuring that person’s portrait and narrative.

DELAWARE ARTS ALLIANCE LAUNCHES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORT

Theresa Clower was inspired to create INTO LIGHT Project shortly after the death of her son, Devin Bearden, to an accidental drug overdose in February 2018 in Baltimore. Having never attempted portraiture work before, she picked up her graphite pencil and began drawing. It was a cathartic experience that allowed her to say goodbye to her son.

Location: Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington DE

Date: June 1, 2023 – Dec 3, 2023

FIND THE TICKETS!

It’s our annual preview of the upcoming performing arts season and we hope you’re ordering tickets today. After all, you have hundreds of shows to choose from (see page 26). But in our exuberance over the great entertainment coming our way, we’ve misplaced four tickets in this issue. Please help us find them and you could win a fantastic prize — a pair of tickets to the Odessa Brewfest on Sat., Sept. 9. Three winners will be selected from those who answer correctly by midnight on Sept. 7. Congratulations to last month’s winners — Scott Rothbart, Jacqui Caine and Janet Leishman — who found the missing popcorn on pages 9, 24, 36, 42. Good luck and remember, the ticket pictured here is not among the four tickets lost.

Sponsored by: DE Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health with support from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield DE

In Partnership: DE Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Office of the Lt. Governor of DE, and the DE Art Museum

In so doing, Theresa tapped into an entirely new calling – drawing the faces of others who had lost their lives to drug addiction. From there, INTO LIGHT Project held the first exhibition in Baltimore in 2019. Since then, exhibits have been held in 7 states, with more booked for 2023.

In August, more than 60 stakeholders joined the Delaware Arts Alliance in Milford to celebrate the launch of community engagement efforts to aid the development of a Creative Economy and Cultural Tourism Recovery and Growth Plan. The initiative plans to engage hundreds of Delawareans from diverse backgrounds to produce a shared vision, advocacy tools, and actionable policy agenda for advancing Delaware’s creative economy across state, county and local governments. The effort is the first of its kind in the nation.

Artists, creatives, cultural organizations, businesses, and community members are encouraged to participate in their brief survey at Delawareartsalliance.org/survey.

For more information contact:

Jane Donovan DE State Ambassador, INTO LIGHT Project 302-438-5537

ajanedonovan@verizon.net

Theresa Clower

To find out more about INTO LIGHT Project’s founder and Executive Director Theresa Clower, watch this biography Or visit https://intolightproject.org/

“The input that we receive from Delawareans over the coming months will provide the data needed to form the actionable recommendations that we will then bring to our policymakers and decisionmakers when this plan is released by Summer of 2024,” said Neil Kirschling, Executive Director of the Delaware Arts Alliance.

Founder, INTO LIGHT Project 302-455-9595

tclower@intolightproject.org

DISCOVER BLONDIE MANSION

Thank you for considering a submission to our project. We look forward to working together to change the conversation about drug addiction and erasing the stigma of SUD by helping others to better understand this insidious disease.

INTO LIGHT Project, a national non-profit organization to changing the conversation addiction and erasing stigma, the personal stories.

Blondie Mansion — an organization headed by Wilmington fashion designer and entrepreneur Sara A. Crawford — is dedicated to empowering creatives and entrepreneurs. This month, Crawford is unveiling Blondie Mansion Weekend, hosted at The Westin Wilmington Sept. 29-30.

The event is a two-day thoughtfully curated experience that combines business, music, art, and social impact to inspire personal and professional growth. Engaging panel discussions led by industry professionals will provide business trends, cuttingedge insights, and best practices. The weekend will also offer networking and mentorship opportunities, local creators, live artistry and a Blondie Marketplace. For tickets, visit Bit.ly/Blondie2023.

GREAT DAMES RELEASES NEW BOOK ON WOMEN SHARING THEIR POWER

Great Dames, a global community of women, has released its first book, Great Dames: Women Sharing Their Power, a collection of 52 true stories written by women about powerful moments in their lives that helped them become who they are today. Proceeds from the book will fuel the dreams of young women through the Great Dames Empowerment Fund. The book was created by members of the Great Dames community to explore the power of women’s storytelling and how it helps women connect with each other, challenge thinking, and effect change. The stories, which were collected by Sharon Kelly Hake, the founder of the organization, represent women from all walks of life, ages, and diverse cultures and backgrounds.

“By collaborating on this book, we discovered how women use stories to inspire others, promote social justice, and empower themselves and their communities,” says Kelly Hake. “I believe Great Dames: Women Sharing Their Power is a celebration of women’s resilience, strength, and creativity, and a call to action for all women to share their stories and make their voices heard.”

With more than 3000 members globally, Great Dames was founded 15 years ago to convene women so they could forge meaningful connections and form a community focused on their individual and collective power to create change. Through virtual and in-person programs, the organization comes together to support, learn, and lead through conversation. The book is currently available through on-line booksellers at GreatDamesBook.com.

SNEAKER BALL TO BENEFIT DOWNTOWN YMCAS

You can support the Downtown YMCA’s community programs by contributing to or attending the Sneaker Ball set for the Delaware Art Museum. Cocktail attire with sneakers is the dress. Music will be provided by the Vince Lardear Trio and DJ Tim Dogg with food provided by Toscana. Tickets are $75; the party starts at 6:30pm. Visit YMCA.org/ locations/central-ymca.

TAKE YOUR CAR AROUND THE MONSTER MILE

Dover Motor Speedway is offering a rare opportunity for race car fans to drive their personal vehicles around the world’s fastest one-mile oval during Laps For Charity set for Saturday, Sept. 30 (10am-3pm). Proceeds benefit Speedway Children’s Charities. For $50 per vehicle, participants can take five laps around the track. A VIP session will be held from 10am-noon permitting drivers to take eight laps around the track. Exclusive track access is available to car clubs interested in attending and driving the track as a group. Participants are encouraged to preregister at SpeedwayCharities.org/events.

DIAMOND STATE BLACK FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO PENN CINEMA SEPT. 21-24

The second Diamond State Black Film Festival (DSBFF), set for Sept. 21-24 at Penn Cinema in Wilmington, will showcase some of the most established and emerging talent in independent films that highlight and celebrate works with Black oriented themes and casts. This event is being presented by the GTL Education Foundation, Inc. Highlights of this year include two feature films that spotlight veterans and the Black DC Comics scene. The festival will screen 24 films, offer an opening and closing reception, workshops, and discussions with directors and producers. Visit DiamondStateBFF.com.

The Church Has Left the Building

A mission-driven model for serving the community

By Catherine Kempista

Born from a simple idea rooted in community service, Limestone Presbyterian Church’s The Church Has Left the Building project will celebrate its fourth anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 22, dispatching more than 150 volunteers to local nonprofits for a morning of service and connection.

In 2018, Ann Miller, a 35-year-long member of Limestone Presbyterian, met with a friend and fellow congregant for a glass of lemonade and conversation about a successful community service program at a Methodist church in Pennsylvania. The idea was simple — invite members of the church outside the walls of the sanctuary for a Sunday morning of service to others.

“I took the brochure back to our leadership, and they said, ‘Oh, we’ve got to do this!’ Within three or four months, we had pulled together our community partners and organized the morning event,” says Miller, who serves on the church’s Mission Committee.

Led by Limestone Presbyterian’s Mission Committee, The Church Has Left the Building project was formed around the basic principle of giving church members an opportunity and means to go into the community and serve its neighbors. The project is entirely collaborative, seeking input from ►

After an environmental cleanup, a group of volunteers from Limestone Presbyterian gathers for a photo. Photo courtesy of Tom Moran

the congregation on whom to partner with and in which activities to engage. The project also features multiple options for service to be accessible to congregants of all ages and abilities.

According to Miller, many of the nonprofit partners welcome volunteers as young as 5 years old, which allows families to participate together. There are also activities to accommodate those who prefer to stay at the church for the morning, including making Christmas ornaments for Cokesbury Village residents or sandwiches for distribution at the Sunday Breakfast Mission. There is something for everyone who wants to be a part of the day.

Suggestions for project partnerships are often expansions of existing relationships within the church while others come from a member’s interest in a certain cause.

For example, Limestone Presbyterian has partnered with UrbanPromise Wilmington (UPW) on a variety of initiatives for more than 15 years, so when The Church Has Left the Building started, it was a natural fit.

“Over the course of the years, Limestone Presbyterian has provided tutors for our youth, meals for our summer interns, space to house our youth work teams, paddlers on the Christina River to raise support, summer supplies for our camps, financial resources to sustain our programs, and more,” says Lori McClain, UPW operations director, church relations. In 2018, The Church Has Left the Building project group painted rooms in one of UPW's schools.

Other nonprofit partnerships in that first year sprang from a church member’s personal passion.

“I’m an animal lover, especially animals with special needs,” says Diane Freed, church elder and member of the Mission Committee. “The morning of service gave us an opportunity to get involved at Humane Animal Partners (HAP) and get in on the ground floor to see what they do behind the scenes. It has become one of the most popular locations for the project.”

According to Miller, in 2018, the project partnered with 10 community nonprofits, including HAP, Ronald McDonald House, Sunday Breakfast Mission, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Urban Promise, among others. And the impact on the congregation was immediate.

“Everyone was just so excited to come back for lunch and share their stories from their morning of service,” says Miller. “The stories energized everyone involved and brought a lot of unity into our church because people were forming relationships by working together.”

The Church Has Left the Building saw repeated success in 2019 but paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The return of the project in 2022 was welcomed by both the church and its community partners.

“One of the reasons I was drawn to Limestone was because they were making a shift and becoming a church that embraces a missional model of service to the community,” says Pastor Tim Bostick, who joined Limestone Presbyterian in Jan. 2020. “We weren’t able to build on the project until last year.”

When the project returned in 2022, it featured an expanded offering of nonprofit partners, including Sean’s

House, and locations at which the church members could choose to volunteer.

“Paula [Cooper, of Limestone Presbyterian] reached out to our team and made a visit to discuss service opportunities,” says Zach Ryan, executive director of The SL24 UnLocke the Light Foundation, which runs Sean’s House. “A lot of times someone has known someone close to them impacted by depression, stress, anxiety, or suicide, and it prompts them to reach out to us.”

“The church did a series of outdoor projects,” says Ryan. “The biggest thing we need to communicate is a sense of welcome. The team and guests are extremely appreciative for their work to help create this welcoming environment.”

Last year, for the first time, The Church Has Left the Building also stood up an environmental clean-up team that managed to pick up “two tons of litter in four hours,” according to team captain and church elder Tom Moran.

Moran, a 33-year employee of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), knows firsthand the importance of keeping our communities

and waterways litter free. When the opportunity arose to bring new ideas for the 2022 project, he stepped up to lead.

“Because of my background, I knew things about access, where the trash was, and the best way to get it out,” says Moran. “It was an incredible effort with a huge impact.”

With plans for the 2023 project day well underway, Limestone Presbyterian’s Pastor Tim Bostick and Ann Miller are planning for the future.

“We have put together a presentation for members of the New Castle Presbytery and hope to roll this out to other churches in 2024,” says Miller. “We would love for The Church Has Left the Building to become a model for others to use.”

“I think the project is one example of many that helps to illustrate the shift that churches can make to a missional model,” says Bostick. “For me, it’s not just about Limestone. We hope other churches will see this as beneficial for their congregations and community.”

— For more information on The Church Has Left the Building, visit limestonepresbyterian.org.

Wilmington,

Opening

A Golden Salute to Hip-Hop

The Grand brings national tour to Wilmington’s Frawley Stadium Sept. 22

By Matt Morrissette

idely acknowledged as the birthday of the cultural movement that has come to be known as hip-hop, August 11, 1973, is the day Clive Campbell (better known as DJ Kool Herc) set up his infamously massive sound system at a back-to-school party in the Bronx. Having noticed enthusiastic response to the musical breakdowns of songs, Campbell mixed the funkiest segments from two records on a loop using two turntables with the modest-yet-noble goal of keeping the energy level of the party up and the kids on the dance floor.

Pictured clockwise from top left: Rick Ross, Rakim, 2 Chainz, Doug E. Fresh, EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Fat Joe.

Over the past 50 years, that spark has grown into a cultural revolution encompassing fashion, visual art, dance, and, of course, music. Though sometimes mistakenly thought of as synonyms, rap music and hip-hop are not interchangeable terms. Though rap is hip-hop’s most well-known component, rap is a musical genre (composed generally of poetry over a beat) that resides under the banner of the larger subculture of hip-hop.

The gravity of the culture can’t be overstated. Its influence can be found in sports, language, politics, industry, and technology on a global scale; it’s about much more than music. Hip-hop is also big business, generating tens of billions of dollars annually worldwide.

Among the myriad of events taking place all over the country to celebrate this 50th anniversary is a package tour with an amazing rotating lineup called “Masters of the Mic: HipHop 50 Tour.” The tour kicked off on June 30 in New Orleans with eight stops scheduled and more to be announced. One of these stops takes place on September 22 in — believe it or not — Wilmington, Delaware at Frawley Stadium on the Riverfront.

The lineup for the Wilmington date is stunningly stacked, featuring appearances from 2 Chainz, Fat Joe, Rick Ross and Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh (a star of the cult classic rap film Beat Street and co-creator of the collaborative tour along with Universal Attractions Agency’s co-owner, Jeff Epstein), EPMD, Rakim (of pioneering rap duo Eric B. & Rakim), and Slick Rick. The artists will be backed by a stellar live band for added excitement.

“This is truly unprecedented. To have such an elite group of hip-hop icons from the golden era coming together to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop music this way … it’s truly mind-blowing,” says UAA’s Epstein.

Any Wilmington live music fan will tell you that a concert of this size beyond the usual yearly festivals is a rare occurrence in town. And such a show would customarily require a jaunt to the more robust concert market that is Philadelphia. Unfortunately, due to contractual terms, bands usually can’t play another show within the vicinity for a certain amount of time; thus, Wilmington frequently finds itself missing out.

So, what did Wilmington do to beat Philadelphia to the punch on booking this big show (and the first concert at Frawley Stadium since the legendary Americana band Wilco played the venue in the summer of 2009)? According to Terry Cruz, director of technology and diversity programming at The Grand, it was all about timing and relationships.

“The Grand got out in front of Philadelphia and had this concert event scheduled before any other promoter attempted to bring the event there,” says Cruz. “Fortunately, I have an established relationship with the agent so they wouldn’t bump us for a Philadelphia play even when another promoter tried to bring it there.”

Asia Jeter-Gelibert, marketing manager for Universal Attractions Agency, reiterates the strength of the working relationship between The Grand and the agency.

“Terry Cruz approached John Moskowitz (the booking agent for the tour) with an idea for producing a larger lineup show of the Hip-Hop 50 Tour for the Grand at Frawley Stadium, and their vision and synergy matched up,” she states. As far as a show of this size and scale succeeding in a smaller market such as Wilmington, Jeter-Gelibert has total faith.

“In today’s touring and large concert market, it’s quite common to forego big-city markets like Philadelphia,” she says. “Wilmington, Delaware has the advantage of drawing from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and beyond.”

Assuming a robust turnout for the show, Cruz would like to make performances at Frawley Stadium a regular thing with hopes of bringing two major concerts to the venue next summer.

With an eye towards inclusion and local outreach, the Hip-Hop 50 Tour will have a local master of ceremonies, but the tight schedule of the national acts doesn’t allow for any local performers. However, the Grand will be hosting “Soul of the City,” a music and cultural festival also highlighting the 50th anniversary of hiphop that will feature live performances by local musicians, dance demonstrations, live painting, vendors, and various community resources. It will be held between the blocks of 7th and 8th on Market Street on September 16 from noon to 4 p.m.

The “Masters of the Mic: Hip-Hop 50 Tour” coming to Wilmington creates a unique opportunity to mark the end of summer with two reasons to celebrate: the 50th birthday of an exuberant and vital piece of the fabric of our shared culture and the return of live outdoor music to one of Wilmington’s underappreciated resources, Frawley Stadium.

— For tickets to the “Masters of the Mic: Hip-Hop 50” show, visit TheGrandWilmington.org.

TO HAVE SUCH AN ELITE GROUP OF HIP-HOP ICONS FROM THE GOLDEN ERA COMING

TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF HIP-HOP MUSIC THIS WAY… IT’S TRULY MINDBLOWING.

— Je Epstein, Universal Attractions Agency

Let The Shows Begin!

This season’s arts and culture calendar offers something for everyone

By Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald

Wilmington boasts an impressive collection of creative arts organizations — a list quite remarkable for a city its size. From the state's only professional ballet company (First State Ballet) to the century-old Wilmington Drama League (Aubrey Plaza, John Gallagher, Jr. and Keith Powell are alumni), the area scene likely has a performance to please your artistic palette. To see for yourself, here is is a quick look at what to expect in the opening months of the 2023-24 season.

Arden Gild Hall offers a wide range of performances, from singer-songwriters to the Ardensingers to community dinners.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

ARDEN CONCERT GILD

Arden's season arrives with the 115th annual Arden Fair on Saturday, Sept. 2 — notable crafts, food, antiques, rides, and free music in the beer garden with Xtra Alltra and Montana Wildaxe, among others. Check out Spirit of the Beehive at Arden Concert Gild on Saturday, Sept. 9. They’re a Philly-based band that’s crazy and unique — just like Arden! Following that ARE singer-songwriting legends Dar Williams and Suzanne Vega (Oct. 6 & 7); Artemis featuring women jazz artists on Friday, Oct. 13; and the hilarious Ophira Eisenberg’s stand-up Saturday, Dec. 9, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Delaware. Find more Gild Hall events, including Ardensingers, Scholars Gild, and Community Dinners at ardenclub.org.

2126 The Highway, Arden | 302.898.9308 | ardenclub.org

Facebook: @ArdenGildHall & @ArdenConcertGild

Instagram & X: @ardenconcerts

THE CANDLELIGHT THEATRE

This historic Arden gem serves up a season of delicious theater and food. Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Tony Awardwinning Into the Woods brings favorite storybook characters together in an enchanting modern classic about family and the choices we make (Sept. 16 through Oct. 29). Act quickly and you may still grab some seats for the holiday show — an original version of the classic, It's a Wonderful Life (Nov. 18 through Dec. 23). Trivia buffs can join in the fun at Candlelight’s Monday night Quizzo with Dan Healy or check out a night of raucous laughter at the Candlelight Comedy Club.

2208 Millers Road, Wilmington | 302.475.2313

candlelighttheatredelaware.org

Facebook: @NCTStage | Instagram: @candlelighttheatrede

X: @NewCandlelight

CHAPEL STREET PLAYERS

BOOTLESS STAGEWORKS

Bootless opens this season with Night of the Living Dead! The Musical! by Jordan Wolfe. A new spoof on the George Romero cult film complete with Splatter Zone seating (Sept. 29 & 30 and Oct. 6 & 7). Eastern Elk appears in concert on Saturday, Oct. 14. The Comedy Corner at Bootless hosted by Belynda Cleare and K-Mack returns on select Saturdays (Oct. 21, Nov. 18 & Dec. 16. The audience interactive comedy Ancestry.com, performed by Lauren LoGiudice, hits the Bootless stage Saturday, Nov. 4.

1301 N. Broom Street, Wilmington | 302.887.9300 | bootless.org

Facebook: @BootlessStageworks | Instagram/X: @BootlessDE

BRANDYWINE ZOO

Join the zoo as they recognize International Red Panda Day alongside institutions across the world through the Red Panda Network. The International Red Panda Day Celebration on Sunday, Sept. 17 invites guests to learn about the conservation of red pandas and their habitats, and the impact and beauty of Chinese culture through a day of fun activities and keeper chats — highlighted by a special dance performance from the Chinese American Community Center Folk Dance Troupe.

1001 N. Park Drive, Wilmington | 302.571.7788 | brandywinezoo.org

Facebook: @BrandywineZoo | Instagram: @brandywinezoo

CSP recently broke ground for their brand-new theatre space. During the transition, they’ll bring fans an abbreviated season in the George Wilson Center in Newark with drama, comedy, and some things in between all on view this fall. First on the schedule, CSP presents An Evening of One Act Plays , eight short plays in one evening of entertainment (Sep 29 through Oct. 1 and Oct. 5-7). The holiday season wouldn’t be the same without a Chapel Street Holiday Radio Show, and this year is no exception — enter the family friendly Pooh’s Christmas Miracle in the Hundred Acre Wood , written by Chapel Street’s own Scott F. Mason (Dec. 1-3 and 7-9).

303 New London Road, Newark | 302.368.2248

chapelstreetplayers.org

Facebook: @chapelstreetplayers

Instagram: @CSPNewarkDe | X: @CSPNewarkDe

Photo provided

Photo Tisa DellaVolpe

The Candlelight Theatre opens Sept. 16.

Brandywine Zoo

Brandywine Zoo

Bootless Stageworks opens Sept. 29

CHRISTINA CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

This fall, come witness how Christina Cultural Arts Center has empowered our community through the arts for 78 years! As winter approaches, warm up with the smooth sounds of the incomparable Christine Dashiell, performing Saturday, Sept. 30. The holiday season is adorned with the stirring music, dance, and powerful narration of Carols in Color, featuring the Eleone Dance Company at The Grand on Sunday, Dec. 10. To close out the year, CCAC School of the Arts students will display their talents on the Clifford Brown Performance Center stage in the annual Holiday Showcase on Friday, Dec. 15.

705 N. Market Street, Wilmington | 302.652.0101 | ccacde.org

Facebook/Instagram/X: @CCACDE

DELAWARE ART MUSEUM

AllHipHop and the Museum present the Inaugural Hip-Hop Cultural Summit, commemorating Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 7. Exhibitions, panel discussions, DJ battles, and performances will explore the foundations of Hip-Hop, its role in highlighting inner-city struggles, and how it has empowered communities through music, dance, art, and knowledge. Next, the Korean Festival on Saturday, Oct. 14 offers a vibrant cultural extravaganza showcasing the country’s rich traditions, music, dance, and cuisine. The fourth annual Día de los Muertos: Walk Among the Ancestors on Saturday, Oct. 28, invites guests to enjoy Indigenous rituals, labyrinth walks, and to contribute to altars with photos and food. Opening with Danza Azteca Anahuac and La Catrinamia, this event welcomes all ages to honor ancestors meaningfully. Finally, join in a weekend honoring Pre-Raphaelite art. Revel in exclusive insights, music, Rossetti tours, high tea, and a magical Pre-Raphaelite Promenade (Nov. 9-12), in a nod to the Victorian era and concluding the museum’s art-filled celebration calendar.

2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington | 302.306.9799 | delart.org

Facebook/Instagram/X: @delawareartmuseum

DELAWARE CHILDREN’S THEATRE

The Delaware Children’s Theatre begins its 50th season with The Addams Family (Oct. 7-29). They then unfurl the Yellow Brick Road for The Wizard of Oz (Nov. 18-Dec. 16), with a festive Friday, Dec. 15 wine-and-cheese night performance. The theater is holding a special Gala on Saturday, Nov. 4, that includes a video retrospective, stage show, and silent auction for a nostalgic look back at five decades of DCT’s remarkable history. We’re certain it will be filled with plenty of fun surprises and delicious goodies!

1014 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington | 302.655.1014 dechildrenstheatre.org

Facebook: @DelawareChildrensTheatre

Instagram: @dechildrenstheatre

CITY THEATER COMPANY & FEARLESS IMPROV

City Theater Company celebrates its 30th anniversary this season. The First State’s off-Broadway experience kicks off at their home base in The Delaware Contemporary, where they have been artistic partners since 2021. CTC’s popular Fearless Improv offers all-ages shows for big laughs every month, beginning Saturday, Sept. 30. The Tax-Free Comedy Festival returns to the small wonder on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20 & 21, welcoming stand-up comedians and comedy acts chosen from nationwide submissions. In December, the company stages their “revival” of the cult favorite Hedwig And The Angry Inch — one of the biggest hits from CTC’s long history. The edgy musical by John Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask rocks this “Wicked Little Town” of Wilmington (Dec. 8-16).

Performance Space: 220 S. Madison Street, Wilmington 302.220.8285 | city-theater.org

Facebook: @CityTheaterCompany

Instagram/X: @CityTheaterCo

Christine Dashiell

Photo by Joe del Tufo City Theater Company

Photo Courtesy of DE Children's Theatre

Delaware Children's Theatre celebrates its golden anniversary this season.

DELAWARE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN

DCAD welcomes an incoming class of artists and designers this fall to its vibrant downtown campus. On the main floor of this iconic Market Street building is the Toni and Stuart B. Young Gallery, presenting year-round exhibitions of DCAD students and visiting artists from Delaware and beyond. Its BiAnnual Faculty & Staff Exhibition opened on Monday, Aug. 21 and will continue through Sunday, Oct. 22. Special exhibits featured are YESTERDAYNITE by visiting artist Alim Smith, which is showing Friday, Nov. 3 through Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, and a permanent selection of works in the 2nd Floor Gallery by artist Valetta.

600 N. Market Street, Wilmington | 302.622.8000 | dcad.edu

Facebook: @DCADedu | Instagram: @dcadedu

THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY

The Delaware Contemporary presents its fall season Escape opening Friday, Sept. 8. Escape can be an act of privilege or a necessary evil; provide relief and joy; or introduce unease and uncertainty. These exhibition artists explore the landscapes we cross to escape through imagination, games and entertainment, and personal journeys. Each Friday Art Loop event features On Art conversations with studio artists as well as special programming, food trucks, and a cash bar. On Friday, Sept. 29, celebrity Chef Robbie Jester (Guy’s Grocery Games, Beat Bobby Flay, Pressure Cooker) promises a one-of-a-kind menu at the Palette to Palate fundraiser. On Friday, Oct. 13, TDC introduces Freaky Friday! Halloween IS the holiday made for ESCAPE, so kick off your festivities at this eerie-sistable event featuring pumpkin carving, a costume contest, live music, and beer and cider tastings. TDC wraps up the year with its Holiday Craft Show and Art in Bloom Ikebana display on Friday, Dec. 1 during the Art Loop. This festive shopping experience is dedicated to showcasing contemporary crafts of emerging and established artists. Shop handmade products and unique gifts that are perfect for the holidays.

200 S. Madison Street, Wilmington | 302.656.6466 decontemporary.org

Facebook/Instagram: @DEContemporary

DELAWARE INSTITUTE FOR THE ARTS IN EDUCATION

On Saturday, Sept. 9, bring your top hats, feather boas, and dancing shoes to SPOTLIGHT: An Evening of the Arts — DiAE’s signature gala that celebrates its supporters and the impact they make on students and teachers. This year’s theme is “The Roaring Twenties” with venue The Blue Ball Room Dance Studio; live musical performances from Wilmington artists Jea Street and Nadjah Nicole; and a poetry performance by Christian Wills a.k.a. “Athem.” Proceeds benefit DiAE’s arts education programming.

1200 N. French Street, Wilmington | 302.660.4783 | diae.org Facebook: @diae.org | Instagram: @diae_arts

DELAWARE MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE

The museum’s next traveling exhibit, Mindbender Mansion, opens Saturday, Sept. 30. Mindbender Mansion is a wonderfully perplexing world full of puzzles, brainteasers, and interactive challenges guaranteed to test the brain power and problem-solving skills of even the most experienced puzzlers. Adults and children alike enjoy trying to master each of the 11 individual brainteasers and the three group activities in this fun, quirky new exhibit! Fall events include fundraisers geared toward adult patrons — Wine & Dinosaurs (Sunday, Sept. 24) and N3RD Thursday: End of the World Party (Thursday, Oct. 19). The Monsters, Myths & Multiverses: The Science of Imagination event invites science buffs of all ages to join in the fun on Saturday, Oct. 28. Also on the museum schedule is the World of Discovery speaker series with the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean and Environment as well as holiday-themed events, and much more.

4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington | 302.658.9111 | delmns.org

Facebook/Instagram/X: @delmnh

DELAWARE SHAKESPEARE

The Delaware Shakespeare Community Tour returns this October (Oct. 4-22) with a three-week, statewide presentation of Cymbeline, Shakespeare’s beautiful, funny, and chaotic saga. The Tour seeks to share theater with the full spectrum of humanity in our state, traveling to non-traditional venues such as homeless shelters, prisons, and community centers — including a return to Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution, Sussex Correctional Institution, and a first-time performance at New Castle County’s Hope Center. Cymbeline tells the story of Imogen, a young princess, who must deal with an evil stepmother and a deadly potion, before befriending mysterious men in a woodland cave. The plot should sound familiar to Snow White fans, and the play is often referred to as “Shakespeare’s fairy tale.” Most performances at the partner locations are open to the public as well as individuals served by the organizations. A gala performance on Saturday, Oct. 21 will both celebrate the tour and provide an opportunity to support this program, which brings high-quality theatre experiences to those with limited access to the arts.

4 S. Poplar Street, Wilmington | 302.468.4890 | delshakes.org

Facebook/Instagram: @delshakes

Mike McConnell, Queen's Garden (triptych)

DELAWARE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Delaware’s only professional orchestra announces its 118th season with the most diverse lineup of artists and repertoire to date. This year boasts five full-orchestra Classics concerts and three intimate Chamber concerts featuring DSO percussionists, holiday music in the glittering Gold Ballroom, and music of the African diaspora. Travel this season from shimmering sonic seas of Debussy’s La Mer to the vibrant Argentine sounds of Ginastera’s Estancia; the fiery passion of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol; Jessie Montgomery’s rhythmic Strum; a celebration of John Williams’ music; and Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 7 Song of the Night. Music Director Laureate David Amado will conduct the season’s opening and closing performances. In addition, the Symphony welcomes guest conductors Michelle Di Russo, André Raphel, and Scott Speck as well as the following soloists: Brazilian guitarist João Luiz, violin virtuoso Jennifer Frautschi, magnetic pianist Stewart Goodyear, and Delaware’s own, baritone Grant Youngblood. The first performance is the Classics concert, “Sky, Sea, and Rhapsody,” on Friday, Oct. 13 at The Grand.

Performance Space: 818 N. Market Street, Wilmington 302.656.7442 | DelawareSymphony.org

Facebook/Instagram: @DelawareSymphony

DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY

Delaware Theatre Company launches its 44th season with another year of toe-tapping musicals, uproarious comedies, and an inspiring drama. It continues DTC’s tradition of creating new shows for Broadway or Off-Broadway — the only theater company in Delaware to do so. First up is Noises

Off, one of the most popular comedies of all time (Sept. 20 through Oct. 8). This Tony Award–winner by Michael Frayn is full of surprises and gut-busting humor. DTC next presents Kings of Harlem by acclaimed playwright Layon Gray (Oct. 25 through Nov. 12). It’s a historical drama about the first Black-owned, allBlack professional basketball team who overcame adversity to win more than 2,000 games. In the holiday slot is Peter and the Starcatcher, written by Rick Elice and based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, with music by Wayne Barker (Dec. 6-24). Hailed as a grownup prequel to Peter Pan, this Tony Award®–winning, swashbuckling production explores the Neverland you never knew!

200 Water Street, Wilmington | 302.594.1100 | delawaretheatre.org

Facebook/Instagram: @DelawareTheatreCompany

X: @DelawareTheatre

FIRST STATE BALLET THEATRE

Join Delaware's professional ballet company this fall at The Grand for the comedic and family-friendly Coppélia (Oct. 21-22) in Copeland Hall followed by a mixed-rep sampling of classical and contemporary dance in Up Front on Market (Nov. 1820) upstairs in Studio 1, and the sparkling production of the holiday tradition, The Nutcracker (Dec. 16-23) in Copeland Hall

818. N. Market Street, Wilmington 302-656-7897 x3851 | firststateballet.org

Facebook: @Firststateballet | Instagram: @firststateballetofficial

THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE & THE PLAYHOUSE ON RODNEY SQUARE

The Grand is thrilled to open another season starting Wednesday, Sept. 6 with Byrds co-founder and guitarist Roger McQuinn. On Friday, Sept. 22, The Grand presents the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Concert featuring Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Fat Joe, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E Fresh, EPMD, Rakim and Slick Rick at Frawley Stadium on the Riverfront (see story page 22). Other highlights of this season’s current line-up include: seasoned singer-songwriters Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt (Thursday, Oct. 5); beloved Disney Junior characters and Marvel Superheroes in Disney Junior Live on Tour: Costume Palooza! (Tuesday, Sept. 26); comedian Tig Notaro (Sunday, Sept. 17); a celebration of world music and culture with the Pedrito Martinez Group (Friday, Sept. 29) and Tablao Flamenco (Saturday, Sept. 30); Broadway legend Alan Cumming (Saturday, Oct. 28) and more! The Broadway in Wilmington series at The Playhouse opens in October with the North American tour of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic story, Pretty Woman: The Musical (Oct. 13-17). The Playhouse celebrates the holidays with the heartwarming rock ‘n’ roll musical Million Dollar Quartet Christmas (Nov. 17-19) and to start the New Year, the feel good, family favorite Annie (Jan. 5-7, 2024).

818 N. Market Street, Wilmington | 302.652.5577

thegrandwilmington.org

1007 N. Market Street, Wilmington 302.888.0200 Facebook: @thegrandwilmington

Instagram/X: @thegrandwilm

Grand-Playhouse-PrettyWoman LewisBlack

Photo by Morris Mac Matze

THE SHOWS BEGIN!

Photo by Matt Urban

Photo by Tisa Della-Volpe

DTC opens 44th season Sept.20.

First State Ballets opens Oct. 21.

Pretty Woman: The Musical; Comedian Lewis Black.

3 02 -47 5 -2 3 13

www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org

LIST

HAGLEY MUSEUM & LIBRARY

On Sunday, Sept. 17, the Hagley Car Show brings together hundreds of antique and restored cars. This year’s show has three “feature fields” highlighting dozens of cars celebrating the theme, A Drive Down Memory Lane — Celebrating Bygone Brands. The Car Show also includes a vehicle parade, motoring music, and a food court. Hagley Craft Fair returns (Oct. 21 & 22), welcoming artisans from the Mid-Atlantic area to display and sell works in wood, leather, pottery, jewelry, fibers, metal, and other media, and includes a specialty food market. Science Saturdays (Sept. 9 & 23, Oct.14 & 28, Nov. 11 & Dec. 9) will satisfy the curiosity of young science buffs with themes like “Creepy Chemistry,” “Robotics Roundup,” and more! For the holiday season, Hagley’s theme is “Treasures and Traditions” featuring events like the Gingerbread House Contest and Santa Days. The popular Twilight Tours have been rebranded as Holiday Nights at Hagley.

200 Hagley Creek Road, Wilmington | 302.658.2400 | hagley.org

Facebook: @HagleyMuseumandLibrary

Instagram/X: @HagleyMuseum

MARKET STREET MUSIC

Market Street Music returns with a dazzling lineup of performers for both its free half-hour Thursday Noontime Concerts and fulllength Saturday afternoon Festival Concerts. Thursday Noontime highlights include the amazing accordion player Dallas Vietty, the New York-based string duo Violalina, and the annual December performance by Cartoon Christmas Trio. Festival Concerts feature the virtuoso Pyxis Piano Trio and vocal ensemble Trio Eos, performing music of forgotten women composers. Their hugely popular post-concert parties after Saturday concerts continue at DE.CO with food and wine for all! Most programming takes place at First & Central Presbyterian Church just off Rodney Square in downtown Wilmington.

1101 N. Market Street, Wilmington | 302.654.5371 MarketStreetMusicDE.org

Facebook & Instagram: @MarketStreetMusicDE

Dallas Vietty

Photo by Kerry Harrison

Photo Courtesy of MSM

LET THE SHOWS BEGIN! continued from page 33

A Also, enjoy an amazing meal and our incredible bar!

THE MUSIC SCHOOL OF DELAWARE

The Music School of Delaware offers more than 100 concerts and events annually statewide. The Faculty & Friends series presents faculty, guest artists, and Serafin Ensemble in concert. Other season highlights feature The Studio: Rock, Jazz & Folk; Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black History celebration; monthly Bluegrass Jams; and virtual Open Mic Nights. In June, the school hosts Serafin Summer Music, a three-week chamber music festival featuring guest artists from around the world. Other professional and student performances, master classes, and workshops are offered throughout the year. Most events are free of charge; donations are appreciated.

4101 Washington Street, Wilmington | 302.762.1132 musicschoolofdelaware.org

Facebook/Instagram/X: @MusicSchoolofDE

OPERA DELAWARE

OperaDelaware's season kicks off with Verdi's sumptuous drama Rigoletto (Oct. 27 & 29) at The Grand. The dark tale of power and corruption will star Delaware's own Grant Youngblood as the titular Rigoletto; Rachel Blaustein as his guileless daughter Gilda; and Dane Suarez as the treacherous Duke of Mantua. In addition to riveting storytelling, Verdi possessed a masterful ability to compose iconic arias. In fact, the Duke's signature aria, La donna è mobile, was such an irrepressible earworm that it had to be prepared in secrecy before its debut. You'll surely be humming this legendary showstopper for weeks to come. And don't miss the Opening Night Microgala on Friday, Oct. 27 — the party before the performance complete with a red carpet runway photoshoot, professionally run games of blackjack and poker, delicious Italian food from Bachetti Bros, and plenty of champagne. The Microgala kicks off at 5:00 p.m. and the opera begins at 7:30 p.m.

4 S. Poplar Street, Wilmington | 302.442.7807 | operade.org Facebook: @OperaDelaware | Instagram: @operadelaware

PIFFARO

The Renaissance Band’s 39th Wilmington season explores rich centers of music-making in early modern Europe. The ensemble’s sound is exceptional within its two Gothic Revival venues, Christ Church Christiana Hundred, nestled along the Brandywine next to Hagley Museum, and Immanuel Church in the Highlands neighborhood. The season opens Sunday, Oct. 15 with a program provocatively titled The Year the Music Died , which features composers William Byrd, Thomas Weelkes, and Philip Rosseter, who brought the era of the English Renaissance to its apotheosis before they passed away within months of each other in 1623. Three guest vocalists and two lutenists bring beautiful madrigals and lute songs to vivid life. Germans have perfected Christmas festivities for at least 500 years. Guest soprano Clara Rottsolk joins Piffaro for Christmas in Southern Germany , on Sunday, Dec 10. with a program of Advent duets and magnificent Epiphany hymns from Nuremberg, Augsburg, and Heidelberg.

Varying locations, Wilmington | 215.235.8469 | piffaro.org

Facebook/Instagram: @PiffaroRenaissanceBand

X: @PiffaroRenBand

RESIDENT ENSEMBLE PLAYERS (THE REP)

The REP opens with Dame Eileen Atkins’s Vita & Virginia (Sept. 21 through Oct. 1). Adapted from letters and diaries to deftly weave the story of the improbable love affair and enduring friendship between aristocratic novelist and poet, Vita Sackville-West and aloof literary icon, Virginia Woolf. This was an age when people wrote profusely and frequently, though few were as adept as Vita and Virginia. The fall continues with suspense and intrigue in John Ball’s In the Heat of the Night (Nov. 2-19). Set in 1962, a white man is discovered dead in a small Alabama town. Local police arrest the only stranger in town, a black man named Virgil Tibbs. Little do they know, their suspect is a detective from California. Left with no witnesses, no motives, and no clues, Detective Tibbs becomes this racially tense community’s only hope of solving the brutal murder. Adapted for the stage by Matt Pelfrey from the book that inspired the Oscar-winning film, it’s sure to be a compelling evening of murder and mystery-filled theatre.

University of Delaware | 302.831.2202 | rep.udel.edu

Facebook: @rep.udel.edu | Instagram: @delaware_rep

Photo by Anthony Dean

OperaDelaware opens Oct. 27

Piffaro

THE ROCK ORCHESTRA

The Rock Orchestra is happy to return to The Grand Opera House for their sixth season with An Evening of David Bowie on Saturday, Nov. 11. This career-spanning tribute will take place in Copeland Hall and feature TRO regulars Joe Trainor (vocals), Matt Urban (drums), Scott Lawing (guitar) and Brian O'Sullivan (keyboards). In addition, the show will feature Dave Trum (bass), Matt Frankl (guitar), Mike Macartney (keyboards), Micelle Hover (vocals), Nancy Curry (vocals) and Matt Hetzler (sax).

Varying venues in Wilmington | 302.521.4495 | therockorchestra.net Facebook: @therockorchestra | Instagram: @rockorchestrade

THE SOLD FIRM

The gallery’s three-part Soft Girl Era , celebrated the end of its initial installment, Act I , at The Delaware Contemporary in August. This full exhibition of 17 artists’ works runs concurrent with the social movement of the same name, which aims to break culturally embedded images and historical expectations assigned to Black women. The next installment, Liberation: Soft Girl Era Act II, opens at The Sold Firm on Friday, Nov. 3, curating works of artist E. Lizé. The exhibit will be on display through February 2024, after which the final installment will be unveiled with works by Shonté Young-Williams. The Sold Firm will also collaborate with Downtown Visions for the 3rd Annual Tatnall Street Halloween Block Party in October.

Gallery location: 800-B N. Tatnall Street, Wilmington 302.686.3237 | thesoldfirm.com

Facebook/Instagram/X: @TheSoldFirm

WILMINGTON CLASSICAL GUITAR SOCIETY

Wilmington Classical Guitar invites you to experience the soulstirring magic of classical guitar in two extraordinary evenings. Kick off the season Saturday, Oct. 21 with Polish guitar virtuoso Mateusz Kowalski. Described by legendary guitarist Sergio Assad as “flawless,” Mateusz’ playing is sure to captivate you. Next, mark your calendars for Saturday, Nov. 18 to welcome back awardwinning Columbian guitarist Carlos Bedoya. Carlos’ guitar work whispers stories of passion and beauty, promising a performance to illuminate an unforgettable night. Additionally, both artists will be leading master classes on the same day as their concerts. Don’t miss your chance to learn from their mastery.

Performance venue: Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 503 Duncan Road, Wilmington | wilmingtonguitar.org

Facebook/Instagram: @wilmingtonguitar

WILMINGTON DRAMA LEAGUE

The Drama League celebrates its 90th season with crowd-pleasing musicals, intense dramas, and plays for children. The season opens with Chess (Sept. 15-24), a cult hit using the game as a metaphor for romantic rivalries and the American-Soviet Cold War conflicts. (Some may recall its song, “One Night in Bangkok,” was a hit single during the ’80s.) Offering plenty of pre-Halloween chills, Misery (Oct. 20-29) — based on the Stephen King best-seller — focuses on an injured writer at the mercy of his No. 1 fan. J.B. (Nov. 9-12) is the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning story of a millionaire stripped of his family and wealth but refuses to turn his back on God. Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka adds to holiday festivities with its extended run (Dec. 8-28). The musical highlights the eccentric, reclusive Wonka’s magical candy factory. It is adapted from the 1964 book and 1971 movie and features songs like “Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination.” Outside the mainstage, three Pillow Plays are planned, produced by the Drama League’s Chrysalis Players for a young audience who are invited to bring a pillow or stuffed animal with them.

Varying venues in Wilmington | 302.521.4495 | therockorchestra.net Facebook: @therockorchestra | Instagram: @rockorchestrade

WINTERTHUR MUSEUM AND GARDENS

Ann Lowe’s recently emerging visibility as a designer stands in contrast to much of her career and countless unrecognized Black dressmakers and designers who contributed to American fashion. The Ann Lowe: American Couturier exhibition (Sept. 9 through Jan. 7, 2024) is the largest showing of her work to date, featuring 40 iconic gowns — many never publicly displayed — detailing her designs from the 1920s to the 1960s. The exhibition also features contemporary designers inspired by Lowe. On Saturday, Sept. 30, the free Discover Winterthur experience opens the garden and galleries to the public, including a sensory-friendly hour for guests to explore at their pace.

Winterthur’s Delaware Antiques Show (Nov. 10-12) at the Chase Center on the Riverfront is one of the nation’s highly acclaimed shows, featuring decorative arts from more than 60 distinguished dealers. Finally, celebrate the season with Yuletide at Winterthur (Nov. 18 through Jan. 7, 2024), touring Henry Francis du Pont’s former home decorated in full holiday splendor. This year’s tour includes trees inspired by the work of Ann Lowe.

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur | 800.448.3883 | winterthur.org

Facebook/Instagram/X: @winterthurmuse

Wilmington Drama League opens Sept. 15.

Ann Lowe Pink Dress

Photo by Zachary Moore

Photo Courtesy of The Sold Firm

Photo courtesy of Winterthur

Photo by Joe del Tufo

The Secret Dinner

By Ken Mammarella

Le Dîner en Blanc is a “chic picnic” returning to Wilmington for the fifth time on Sept. 16.

It’s chic because participants must dress in elegant white (“Originality is always encouraged as long as it stays stylish and tasteful,” according to Wilmington.dinerenblanc.com) and bring a table, white chairs and a white tablecloth. White dinnerware is required, too.

It’s also chic, in a popup-store-sort-of-way, because participants don’t know exactly where in the city they’re going until that night. Participants choose their departure points to the secret location, which determines where they will sit.

And an in-crowd feeling is boosted by how registration is released: first for previous participants and friends of the organization and leaders, second for others sponsored by people in the first group, and third for people on a waiting list — now 9,000 names long. ►

This annual pop-up celebration now draws thousands to a destination not announced until the day of the event.

Le Dîner en Blanc Wilmington will take place this month at ???

It’s a picnic because participants bring picnic baskets or buy one from an official caterer.

Stylists Sherell and Michael Flagg started the Wilmington edition in 2018, with 1,100 people in Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, followed by 2,000 on Market Street Mall in 2019. After a pandemic hiatus in 2020, it returned in 2021, with 1,900 in Rodney Square. In 2022, 2,300 people joined at Cool Springs Reservoir. Organizers this year are aiming for 3,000 at … a place they’ll announce on Sept. 16, the night of the dinner. The event is rain (white or clear raingear, of course) or shine.

Fees include $14.50 for participation, $50 for pedestrians, $58 for bus riders. Then there’s the cost of attire, table and chairs,

plus the cost of the picnic basket, champagne or wine. Catered refreshments are also available from Toscana, Desserts by Dana, Luxe Charcuterie and The Juice Joint.

The first FAQ on the event’s website is a jaw-dropper: Is it illegal? In Paris, where it began in 1988, it’s taken place without authorization, but the organization requires local hosts in all 80 or so cities worldwide to get permits and insurance. No worries in Wilmington: The city is an “official local partner.”

To better understand the event, we recently spoke to Sherell Flagg. (The interview was edited for clarity and space.)

O&A: Why do you orchestrate it?

Flagg: Michael wanted us to bring DEB WILM to enhance the allure of Wilmington and more importantly, we wanted to bring the people together, to celebrate life and enjoy the company of friends and friends of friends. It helps to highlight and support our local businesses, which strengthens the dollar circulation right here in our state. Le Dîner en Blanc Wilmington boasts unity, and for that reason alone, we continue to do it.

O&A: What is your personal menu this year (or, if you haven’t planned it, last year's?)

Flagg: The funny thing is, we never get to eat — duty calls. We are so busy making sure everything is running smoothly, we have missed our meals every single year. Hopefully this year we will make time to eat. I will say, we drink a lot of the ice water provided annually by the Public Works department.

Though it's a picnic, the table settings can be quite elaborate.

O&A: What are the most memorable attires and foods you have seen?

Flagg: The headpieces are always a showstopper, but I have seen people go all out with their outfits with capes and all. As far as the food is concerned, a group did a whole table row of a continuous meal, from one end of the table row to the other. That was pretty amazing.

O&A: Have you heard about any new connections made among participants?

Flagg: Oh gosh, yes! We’ve had four engagements happen at the events. The first year, two guests got engaged on stage. Not only was that amazing, it turned out she was my cousin that I had never met. Someone also connected with her sister that she had not seen since her adolescent years. By the way, the couple that got engaged — my cousin — married on the anniversary of our first event. How special is that!

O&A: “Le Dîner en Blanc has no political or ideological agendas and minimal branding. It is simply a friendly gathering whose sole purpose is to create a magical evening,” an FAQ begins. How is it magical?

Flagg: It seems almost magical how strangers become friends in such a short period of time. The secrecy, the décor, the venue, the beautiful guests, the entertainment … it all plays a part in the magic. But what tops it off are the smiles. The magic is in the smiles and in the love that is shared which becomes infectious.

Fired Up

Two long-time friends begin a unique culinary journey at Hockessin’s Stone Mill Pizza

By David Ferguson

Crackling firewood and the scent of freshly baked pizza greet customers at Stone Mill Pizza as they line up in front of a black marble countertop. Behind the counter, Tyler de Ford greets everyone with a smile as he takes their orders.

Beside him, covered in a dusting of flour, Danny Basso kneads a dough ball. He stretches the dough, twirls it, tosses it overhead and catches it lightly. Then he places it onto a peel, paints it with a coat of red sauce, arranges an assortment of toppings, and slides the pie into a glowing wood-fired oven.

“Four minutes for each pie,” he says. “That's all it takes in this oven.”

de Ford, 31, and Basso, 33, are partners in the Lancaster Pike pizzeria — Hockessin's latest culinary endeavor. It’s a partnership that is born of friendship and the shared dream of breaking from the norm. ►

Childhood friends Danny Basso (l) and Tyler de Ford now find themselves partners in the pizza business. Photos by David Ferguson

The partners’ journey began at a Chichester skatepark when Basso was 16 and de Ford was 14. Their mutual love of skateboarding quickly evolved into a tight friendship.

“Skateboarding was our bond as kids, and still is. Whatever it is now, we just click . . . even if Tyler is kind of weird,” laughs Basso.

Basso's culinary odyssey started at 15 when he went to work at Prima’s Pizza in Hockessin. That experience sparked an ambition to someday own a pizzeria.

“Prima’s Pizza taught me the ins and outs of pizza-making and cooking,” he says. “I still cross paths with the old crew now and then. They’re good dudes.”

Basso didn’t follow a straight trajectory from dough-tossing to pizzeria owner. In between were a variety of jobs, including pizza chef, plumber, car detailer, and server. But his goal never changed.

“Even with all those odd jobs, I always thought about having my own food place someday. I wasn't certain if it'd be pizza, burgers, or something else, but I knew I could whip up tasty food and make people laugh. Those jobs, though — I don't know what I was thinking," Basso chuckles.

Something of Their Own

de Ford, meanwhile, graduated from Delaware College of Art and Design in 2014 with a degree in graphic design. He held jobs that included pizza delivery driver and FedEx worker. But like Basso, he craved something different from the standard 9 to 5. He wanted something of his own.

"Danny and I have worked the same jobs over the years, including our time at Cotti's Pizza (in Hockessin — now gone),” de Ford says. “After leaving there, we went on separate paths but stayed tight friends. Danny always toyed with the idea of opening a place. We'd talk about it each time we'd skate. Then, when this space became available, I thought about the highs and lows of running a business. But I always came back to that one idea: If I did it, it would have to involve Danny. We talked it out, and he jumped on board quickly."

For Basso, de Ford 's proposition had an easy answer. “When Tyler pitched the idea, I just said, ‘Hell yeah, dude!’”

So it was that in the spring of this year, Basso and de Ford inked the lease for Stone Mill Pizza. But delays with oven delivery, health

Basso (tossing dough) says even during all the odd jobs he has held, he figured some day he'd have his own eatery. de Ford (background) felt the same.

inspections, and ventilation pushed the opening date of July 1 back a week, then another three weeks.

"Yeah, the delays happened, but it’s all cool,” says Basso. “It gave us time to focus on things in-house. I mean, Tyler's an artist. Look at how he's transformed this place — right from the logo to the interior. Tyler’s really good at creating.”

With a venue secured, it was time to build a menu that would set them apart.

“Danny's got the magic touch when it comes to that,” de Ford says. “He was playing with dough recipes at his home and cooking using his conventional oven, trying to get some recipes down.”

Local and Seasonal

“Our menu had to be different from the standard pizza places around here,” Basso says. “We're all about infusing textures and flavors. Our cooking approach involves an open flame and a stone oven. It means that each dish requires attention to dough recipes, consistency, and ingredients that work well with the flames.”

Stone Mill menu emphasizes local and seasonal ingredients. “Our mission will always be changing the menu with what food is in season and sourcing as many ingredients from local farmers as possible,” de Ford says. “But we know regular customers will expect certain things, so our staples like the ‘Prosciutt of Happiness’ and ‘The Classic’ remain on the menu year-round.”

Their dedication to culinary excellence has meant an emphasis on quality, not quantity. “Most places are just okay at making a lot of dishes,” Basso says. “We want to be excellent at making a few dishes.”

The community seems to have taken note. On Aug. 1, nearly a month after expected, Stone Mill Pizza flung open its doors to the public. de Ford says the welcome they received was overwhelming.

“The community's backing has been great,” he says. “People supported us right away and still are. They leave honest reviews, post a lot on social media, and tell their friends. We haven’t had a slow moment since we opened.

“I think people connect with what we stand for. The fact that it's just two friends trying to make an honest living really lands with people. We're about creating great food and having fun.”

— Stone Mill Pizza is at 7313 Lancaster Pike in Hockessin. For more, visit stonemillpizza.com.

A Spirited Run

Born at the end of Prohibition, Kreston Wine & Spirits is celebrating 90 years and there’s no end in sight

By Kevin Noonan

Kreston Wine & Spirits has been at the corner of Concord Avenue and Broom Street in Wilmington for 90 years. That means they were there when Philadelphia won the World Series — the Athletics, not the Phillies. And they were there when Philadelphia joined the NFL — the Yellowjackets, not the Eagles.

They’ve also been there during the terms of 16 presidents, 17 governors and 18 mayors. And, more importantly, they’ve been there through four generations of the Kreston family.

“It’s always been a family operation and we hope it will always be a family operation,” says Jeff Kreston, who joined the business after graduating from Wesley College in 2012.

The Krestons mark 1933 as their start-up date, although it actually goes back earlier than that. It started with Samuel Kreston, Jeff’s great-grandfather. Samuel operated an Esso gas station at a location that was on the edge of civilization, at least as far as early-1930s Wilmington was concerned. What eventually turns into Concord Pike was just a two-lane road that led to,

well, nowhere. There was no I-95, there were no neighborhoods, there was no Fairfax Shopping Center, no Charcoal Pit. Once you passed Kreston’s, you were in the country.

Samuel Kreston got into the liquor business in 1933 when Prohibition ended. America was mighty thirsty by then and Samuel decided to take advantage of that thirst. He took a corner of his gas station and stocked it with alcoholic beverages and the booze business took off — and Samuel discovered he liked selling liquor more than fixing cars. Plus, at the end of the day his fingernails were a lot cleaner. So, he closed his gas station and Kreston Liquor Mart was born.

Bob (l) and Jeff Kreston say they hope to keep their family business rolling for generations to come. Photo by Jim Coarse

A Family Affair

Nine decades later, it’s known as Kreston Wine & Spirits, but one important thing hasn’t changed — the Kreston family still runs the business. Jeff and his father, Bob, oversee the day-to-day operations and Jeff’s mother, Carolyn, does the bookkeeping.

Even though it seems as if joining the family enterprise was an inevitable part of their heritage, both Jeff and Bob Kreston say they were never pressured to follow the same path.

“Not at all. I always wanted to do this,” Jeff Kreston says. “I went to Wesley as a business major because I wanted to make sure I had

the background to be able to help us in that part of the operation. Coming back here to work was always the plan.”

At the same time, he was self-conscious about jumping into the family business when many employees had been with Kreston much longer, some even decades.

“I started at the bottom, sweeping up and things like that,” Jeff says. “My father and grandfather made sure we earned everything we got and that we learned everything we needed to learn about this business. There were no shortcuts just because we were in the family.”

Samuel Kreston got into the liquor business in 1933.

Donald Kreston took the business to a higher level, says his son, Bob.

Jeff’s father has a similar story — Bob Kreston worked at the store during the summers when he was a teenager and always knew that it would end up being his career. He began full-time in 1986 after graduating from the University of Delaware with a business degree.

“I never wanted to do anything else, but that was completely my decision,” Bob Kreston says. “I always wanted to work with my father [Donald Kreston]. I watched him and the way he did business and interacted with people and I always wanted to be here with him. I enjoyed it then and I enjoy it now.”

But not all the Krestons gravitate to the family business. Bob Kreston tells the story of one female family member who was going to start working at the store.

“She came in in the morning, went to lunch and never came back,” Bob says with a laugh. “And that was fine. Everyone has to decide what their path is going to be and you have to be happy with what you do.”

He Means Business

Bob Kreston says his father, Donald, was the one who took the business to a higher level. And that’s because his grandfather, Samuel, was stuck in his ways — which, to Donald, wasn’t the way to run things.

“I credit my father with the success we’ve had, because my grandfather wasn’t a fan of change,” Bob says. “He did things a certain way and that was it, no questions, no discussion. It wasn’t until my grandfather retired that my father was able to put his vision and his ideas to work. And that’s when the business really took off.”

Says Jeff: “My great-grandfather’s philosophy was that if things were working, then why change? He was really stubborn that way.

“So, it was really my grandfather who is responsible for what we are today. He even put an extra mortgage on his home so he could add additional parking. He had a vision for this business and then he made it happen.”

Donald Kreston, who started in the business in 1956, died 16 years ago, and his son is grateful for the camaraderie the two had, especially considering the conflicts between Samuel and Donald.

Three Generations (l-r): Bob, Donald and Jeff Kreston.

Delaware Center for Horticulture

6:30-9:30PM

“We had a great relationship, on a personal and business level,” Bob says. “I don’t think we ever had an argument and I’m proud to say that Jeff and I have the same relationship. That’s what makes being in a family business special.”

It helps that each has his area of expertise — Bob is in charge of spirits and wine and he oversees Kreston’s large and diverse wine selection. Jeff is the beer ace. In fact, Jeff anticipated the boom in the craft beer industry and made sure he was up to date on the new brands and trends when he jumped into the business full-time.

That, of course, is a far cry from the old days, when the Kreston beer cooler was stocked with mostly American-brewed brands like Piels, Ballentine, Schlitz, Miller, Schmidt’s, Rheingold and Carling. Many of those brands don’t even exist anymore and their place has been taken by a flood of imported and craft beers. Jeff Kreston estimates that his store stocks more than 100 kinds of craft beers.

That’s a lot of beer to stock with limited shelf space, and Jeff Kreston makes it his business to stay on top of the craft beer industry to see what’s popular now and could be popular in the future.

“That’s the one thing that’s probably changed about this business the most, the craft beer craze, as well as things like [canned cocktails],” Jeff says. “Our customers want what they know and like, but at the same time they like discovering something new. And that can be a tough balancing act sometime when you have so many selections to choose from.”

As for the future, well, nobody knows. Jeff Kreston has a 10-month-old son, so it’s a little early to tell whether he’ll go into the family business and follow in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather.

“I would definitely welcome a child into the business if they wanted to join,” Jeff says. “But, like with me, nothing will be forced on him or any future children I might have. The opportunity will be there if he wants to, and if not, that is fine, also.”

Either way, the Krestons have had quite a run.

“You never know how long [a family business] can last, because you can’t predict the future,” Jeff says. “But we’ve made it to 90 years, and that’s not bad.”

— For more information about Kreston’s selections, new arrivals, staff picks and more, go to KrestonWines.com.

TUNEDIN

PHILLIP DOC MARTIN AND MARK MITCHELL JAM AT MOUNT PLEASANT

If the testimony of jazz guitarist George Benson means anything to music lovers (which it should), then saxophonist Phillip Doc Martin has something going for him.

“Phillip Doc Martin is someone to watch,” Benson says. His words are echoed by famed keyboardist Jeff Lorber: “Doc Martin’s music captures the energy of a live recording.”

You can decide for yourself on Saturday, Sept. 23 when Martin and saxophonist Mark Mitchell perform at the annual Delaware Loves Jazz concert at Mount Pleasant High School in Wilmington. Tickets for the show are available on Eventbrite.com.

ECHOES AND LOWER CASE BLUES HEADLINE WEEDSTOCK ‘23

Echoes, which bills itself as the “American Pink Floyd,” will perform the classic album The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety on Friday, Sept. 15. The performance kicks off Weedstock ’23, an annual event that focuses on advocacy, community and fun within the cannabis community.

The following night, Delaware’s homegrown Lower Case Blues will perform, capping a Saturday schedule of seven bands, including The Ty Mathis Experience and The Blues Reincarnation Project.

The event takes place at Fire Base Lloyd in Townsend. For tickets and more info, visit Weedstock.org.

PEOPLES FESTIVAL RETURNS TO RIVERFRONT ON SEPT 23

The 29th Annual Peoples Festival, a local tribute to Bob Marley, returns to the Riverfont’s Tubman-Garrett Park with 10 reggae, worldbeat and hip-hop performers performing including St. Croix’s Reemah. Local acts such as Spokey Speaky, Harvey Road, and Marchitect will also be on hand to provide mellow grooves.

The event also boasts an international food court, a healing garden, arts and crafts from around the world, and a beer garden.

For tickets and more info, visit PeoplesFestival.com.

RICHARD RAW HEADLINES 5TH ANNUAL SOUL OF THE CITY FESTIVAL

Acollaboration between Christina Cultural Arts Center and The Grand, the Soul of the City Festival returns for its fifth year on Saturday, Sept. 16 (noon-4pm). This year’s event, held between 7th and 9th streets on Wilmington’s Market St., celebrates the uniqueness of city arts organizations and communities while highlighting the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

Local hip-hop star Richard Raw headlines a bill of performers that includes Nadjah Nicole, Zeeky El, Nic Snow, Young Seda and Dominic Patrick.

The outdoor block-party event will also include food trucks, hip hop dance demos, street painting and arts of crafts for all ages. For more information, visit CCACde.org.

MARK FARNER AND CLUB PHRED ROCK OUT FOR VETS ON SEPT. 30

You can’t talk about rock in the ‘70s without talking about Grand Funk Railroad,” says David Fricke of Rolling Stone.

If true, music fans will have a lot to talk about when Mark Farner, formerly of Grand Funk Railroad, and local rockers Club Phred shred guitars (and more) for Vet Fest on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Town of Whitehall in Middletown.

In addition to the concert (3pm start), Vet Fest includes a parade, pep rally, a walk/run, lunch and a noon performance by the 287th Army National Guard Rock Band. The Vet Fest mission is to connect the military and civilian communities to better equip our active duty and veteran military for life. For tickets and more info, visit VetFestDelaware.com.

PAUL ZOTTER DEBUTS ‘MY CAPTAIN’

On the heels of August 26 performance at Twisted Irons Craft Brewing with his band Green Eggs and Jam, musician Paul Zotter will release his new song, “My Captain,” Sept. 1.

The song is also a follow-up single to “Justified,” which Zotter released in June — his first recorded release in more than two years.

“My Captain” is available on a variety of digital formats with more info available at PaulZotterRocks.com.

Take A Hike!

Gladly, say members of the Wilmington Trail Club, who have been pushing group outdoor endeavors for nearly a century

By Kevin Noonan

You can take a leisurely stroll or work up a serious sweat. You can wear $200 Nikes or those old Keds you found in the back of the closet. You can go long or short, fast or slow, and you don’t even have to show up if you don’t want to.

It’s also the oldest form of exercise in history — and the easiest — and that’s why the Wilmington Trail Club has thrived for more than 80 years.

That means the club has been around longer than most of its current trails have existed and longer than any of its current members have been alive, even though some have been part of the club for 50 years. The Wilmington Trail Club was formed in 1939, when Ted Darling, a hiking enthusiast who had just moved to Wilmington to work for the DuPont Co., enlisted a group of co-workers to join him. There were no suburbs around Wilmington back then, or state parks with carefully laid-out trails.

So, a lot has changed over the years, but the main reason people join the club hasn’t changed in more than eight decades — get some exercise while enjoying nature and the company of other hikers.

There have been other changes, including the addition of cycling, kayaking and even cross-country skiing, although hiking remains the most popular choice. The membership has steadily grown over the years and there are now almost 800 members in the club, and it sponsors more than 400 events a year.

Willmington Trail Club members at the Pinnacle Overlook in Holtwood Pa. Dave Boyer is front center in blue shirt. Frank Leone is fifth from right in grey shirt.

Photos courtesy Wilmington Trail Club

Sneaker Ball

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

6:30 PM

Delaware Art Museum

2301 Kentemere Parkway

Wilmington, DE 19806

Attire: Cocktail and Sneakers

Music by DJ Tim Dogg and the Vince Lardear Trio, Food by Toscana, Drinks, Art and Fun!

Sponsors:

However, the price remains a throw-back — just $18 a year. Plus, you can take part in two events for free before deciding to join.

“There’s no question about it, joining the Wilmington Trail Club was one of the best decisions I ever made,” says Dave Boyer, the club’s publicity chair. “I meet a lot of nice people and I go to a lot of cool places, and that’s a good combination and a good deal for $18.”

Those cool places include state parks in Delaware and nearby states, and there are hikes at private preserves where naturalists talk while they walk, educating members about the state’s plant and animal life. The hikes can be three miles or 30 and they can involve just a few hikers or, as in a recent hike at Winterthur, 61 of them.

Boyer retired in 2019 and joined the Wilmington Trail Club in 2020, and his story is typical, as almost all members join for the same reasons — good health and good fun.

“I hiked a lot on my own [before joining], but it was nice to hike with other people and share the experience with them,” Boyer says. “It’s not competitive. Basically, it’s a group of like-minded people and many of them become good friends. We’ve even had people who met through the club and ended up getting married.

“The one thing we really stress is that everybody is different,” Boyer adds. “Everybody has different goals and different levels of conditioning, but what they all have in common is the love of the outdoors and a desire to be physically fit.”

Aram Terzian, 71, has been a member of the club for 15 years and is the current president. He moved to Delaware after living in the New York area and was attracted to the Wilmington Trail Club because it was more than just trails — the club also sponsors cycling and kayaking and Terzian loves to do both. But it was the camaraderie that really hooked him.

WTC president Aram Terzian has been a member for 15 years and was attracted to the club because it's activities extend beyond hiking to things such as kayaking.

“There’s definitely a social aspect,” he says. “And I was looking for a social group of like-minded people who enjoy nature and are outdoor enthusiasts like me. I found it with the Wilmington Trail Club.”

The club has continued to grow, largely through word of mouth, but some people followed a different path to membership. That includes a relatively new member, Frank Leone, who was introduced to the club through a continuing education program at the University of Delaware. One of the classes offered was a hiking class, one thing led to another, and now the 57-year-old is a devoted member of the Wilmington Trail Club.

“To me, it’s the best of both worlds,” Leone says. “We have a Thursday group that we call the lunch bunch. We spend three-four hours hiking — sometimes in parks where you would not normally go on your own or may not even know exist — then you go out for lunch afterward and socialize.

“It’s a lot of fun, and I’ve lost 18 pounds since January,” Leone adds with a laugh. “And it was effortless. I didn’t start this with that as a main goal, to lose weight, and I wasn’t counting calories. It just happened as a by-product of doing something I love to do. And that’s why I call it the best of both worlds.”

— For more information on the Wilmington Trail Club, including how to join and scheduled activities, visit WilmingtonTrailClub.org.

Dave Boyer hiking above the Susquehanna River. He says joining WTC was one of the best decisions he's made.

The Delaware Saengerbund 2023

WIN A $50 GIFT CARD TO PIZZA BY ELIZABETHS!

Fill in the

You know the drill:

(1) Ask your friends to help “fill in the blanks” for the missing words needed below.

(2) Once completed, read aloud and watch hilarity ensue.

(3) Got a funny one? Take a photo and send it to us at Contact@OutAndAboutNow.com.

Randomly drawn winner will get a $50 Gift Card to Pizza By Elizabeths

(One entry per person; must be 21+ to enter; due by the 21st of each month.). Have fun!

OPENING GAME OF THE SEASON

“Hello, football fans! Welcome to the opening day of the official NFL season. My name is ( full name of friend ) and I’m here live with my co-host, ( full name of second friend ), to bring you the much-awaited game between the ( U.S. city ) ( animal plural ) and the home team, the ( U.S. city ) ( plural noun )!

“As you may remember, the home team had some ( adjective ) moments last year, with rookie QB ( full name of third friend ) throwing ( number > 1 ) touchdowns all while ( verb ending in -ing ) ( number > 1 ) ( plural noun ). It was a truly ( adjective ) feat from the rising star!

“But of course, the offseason brought some shake-ups with longtime veteran ( full name of fourth friend ) retiring after a record-breaking career with ( number > 1 ) ( plural noun ). Those will certainly be some big shoes to fill — literally!

“The stadium here is starting to fill up with plenty of ( adjective ) ( plural noun ) who look ready for the big game. And the team mascot, ( nonsense name ) the ( animal ) is running wild on the field, trying to ( verb ) the fans!

“And here comes the ( plural noun ) onto the field… And we’re all set for another season of ( adjective ) football action… ( exclamation )!”

THE CITY

CONCERTS CONTINUE AT UAE AMPHITHEATER

Mayor Mike Purzycki and Cultural Affairs Dir. Tina Betz encourage you to experience the unifying power of live music as the inaugural season of FREE summer concerts from the Levitt AMP Wilmington Music Series continues at the new Urban Artist Exchange (UAE) Amphitheater, at 16th & N. Walnut St. in Wilmington’s East Side Historic District. The concerts are held each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Upcoming September shows include Shayna Steel on Sept. 6 and Caro Pierotto on Sept. 13. Also, the UAE’s Fall Concert Series kicks off Weds., Sept. 20 with Fostina Dixon & Winds of Change, followed by the Clifford Brown Festival Orchestra on Weds., Sept. 27.

Bring picnics, blankets, and lawn chairs to the shows, which will have an open lawn setting. Visit www.cityfestwilm.com for more information.

MAYOR WELCOMES NEW MERENGUE HOUSE NIGHTCLUB

Mayor Mike Purzycki joined Merengue House Bar & Restaurant owner Yosmaira Ramos, members of City Council, representatives of West Side Grows Together and Cornerstone West CDC, other invited guests and members of the public in August for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 837 N. Union St. to officially welcome the newly expanded business to Wilmington’s west side community. Merengue House Bar & Restaurant, which has been serving delicious Dominican food and drinks for several years on the corner of 9th & Union streets, is expanding its offerings with the opening of a new nightclub on the 2nd floor, making the popular establishment a first-rate evening destination on the Union Street corridor.

“I am deeply grateful to those folks in our community who believe in our City and invest in our City,” said Mayor Purzycki. “And this is a great example of somebody who looks at a corner that has had issues over the years but still says ‘I can do this.’ And we appreciate Yosmaira’s enthusiasm and energy and welcome her and her team to the growing family of eating and drinking establishments along Union Street. We wish them continued success.”

The Olatuja Project entertains the crowd at the new Urban Artist Exchange (UAE) Amphitheater.

Mayor Purzycki (left) is joined by owner Yosmaira Ramos and Council Members Maria Cabrera, Chris Johnson, and Yolanda McCoy to celebrate the expanded Merengue House Bar & Restaurant on Union Street

CITY, WHA AWARDED $50M HUD GRANT

Mayor Mike Purzycki is pleased announce the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s recent decision to award the City of Wilmington and the Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA) a $50M Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Award. The grant will support the ongoing multi-year community revitalization of Northeast Wilmington in collaboration with the City of Wilmington, the WHA, REACH Riverside Development Corp. (REACH), Kingswood Community Center, and Pennrose LLC. The Choice Award marks one of the largest investments in Wilmington housing and infrastructure in decades and will help to transform the Northeast area into an economically thriving community.

Once complete, the comprehensive revitalization will include the over 600 high-quality, mixed-income rental and for sale homes in the Imani Village community, transforming vacant properties into suitable homes for residents, and neighborhood beautification efforts, such as public art and signage, to further enhance the thriving community.

“A decade ago, Charlie McDowell, Rob Buccini, former WHA Executive Director Fred Purnell, and I visited the country’s first Purpose Built Community in Atlanta and marveled at this unique initiative’s impact,” said Mayor Mike Purzycki. “We were determined to bring this program, encompassing housing, education, community wellness and community leadership, here to Wilmington to help build strong, economically diverse communities that provide the means to prosper. What our multiparty public-private partnership has achieved so far in Riverside in just a few years is nothing short of remarkable, and this is only the beginning. We are immensely grateful to HUD for recognizing our early successes and for giving Wilmington the means to build on those successes to continue to reimagine communities and transform lives.”

PARKING TICKET APPEALS NOW REVIEWED BY JP COURT

• Individuals who do not have internet access can request a court appeal by mailing their appeal in writing to the City of Wilmington, P.O. Box 2308, Wilmington, DE 19899.

• Individuals can also drop off their written appeal at the 1st floor Dept. of Finance Customer Service Office at the Redding Government Building, 800 N. French St.

Like other cities and towns in Delaware, the City of Wilmington has returned to the practice of sending parking ticket appeals to the State Justice of the Peace Court. Wilmington no longer provides courtesy administrative ticket reviews. Instead, a state court will review the legitimacy of a ticket and determine the outcome of an appeal.

“Ticket appeals should be heard and decided in a court of law, not in the offices of City Hall,” said Mayor Mike Purzycki. “Moving appeals to the court is a fair process for constituents and less taxing on City staff who are regularly pulled from their assigned duties to review an appeal request. We have taken many steps over the past year to provide a better parking enforcement system, and now we’ll continue that effort by having all appeals go directly to the court. This is a change for the better for both constituents and City government.”

Ticket recipients who wish to appeal their ticket should complete the online appeal form found at the City’s website, and the City will submit the appeal to the Justice of the Peace Court. The court will select a hearing date and notify the ticket recipient.

Celebrating the $50 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Award at Imani Village in Northeast Wilmington.

Restaurants and Beer Garden

Banks’ Seafood Kitchen & Raw Bar

Big Fish Grill

Ciro Food & Drink

Constitution Yards Beer Garden

Delaware Duck Café and Catering

Del Pez

Docklands

Drop Squad Kitchen

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Riverfront Bakery

River Rock Kitchen

Starbucks

Taco Grande

Timothy’s on the Riverfront

Ubon Thai

RIVERFRONT MARKET

OPEN

MON-FRI: 9AM-6PM

SAT: 9AM-4PM

Stop in and enjoy fresh produce, salads, sandwiches, pizza, sushi, Mexican, Thai cuisine, Peruvian Rotisserie, Soulfood and much more!

Dine-in or carry out

DuPont Environmental Education Center

The DuPont Environmental Education Center provides a 13,000 square foot facility along the 212-acre Peterson Wildlife Refuge, where guests can explore the marshes and look for various species of amphibians, birds and fish.

They offer guided tours, weekly drop-in classes, and have easy access to the Jack A. Markell Bike Trail.

Delawarenaturesociety.org/centers/dupont-environmental-education-center

Tour the Riverfront with Fin Outdoor! Download the app and rent a bike to travel the Riverwalk. Bike rentals are available near Public Dock, on the riverwalk near Riverwalk

Mini Golf and the Delaware Children’s Museum.

SCAN. UNLOCK. EXPLORE.

Historic Odessa Brewfest

Historic Odessa Brewfest

All Proceeds Benefit Historic Odessa Foundation

All Proceeds Benefit Historic Odessa Foundation

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Saturday, September 9, 2023

202 Main Street I Odessa, DE

Craft Beer from over 50 Breweries • Live music by Spokey Speaky, Magical Mystery, Bruce Anthony , and Sheehan Brothers .

202 Main Street I Odessa, DE Craft Beer from over 50 Breweries • Live music by Spokey Speaky, Magical Mystery, Bruce Anthony , and Sheehan Brothers .

Locally Sourced Food Selections and Themed Stations / Boutique Wines / Artisan Vendors / And much more...!

Locally Sourced Food Selections and Themed Stations / Boutique Wines / Artisan Vendors / And much more...!

Tickets available online: www.odessabrewfest.com

Tickets available online: www.odessabrewfest.com

VIP Hour Sold Out / General Admission: $60

VIP Hour Sold Out / General Admission: $60

Designated Driver Tickets Available at Gate: $15

Designated Driver Tickets Available at Gate: $15