At the end of this list is a suggested 1 - 6 Day Itinerrary.

Join the Wineries of the Brandywine Valley for their annual Brandywine "Big Bang" Weekend!  July 3, 4, and 5  12 p.m. to 5:00 pm each day

From Pig Pickin' to Chickin' Lickin' - thery're planning a fun BBQ & Wine outing.  Beat the shore crowds and spend a rousing Fourth of July Weekend with great BBQ and wine at the wineries of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail.  Each winery will be hosting wine tastings, vineyard and cellar tours and many other special events ranging from live music and car shows to rousing evening concerts.

You'll find everything from pig roasts and barbeque ribs to rotisserie chicken and grilled "Meats of Independence". 

Note:  This is not a Passport event.  Each winery may have its own tasting fee and admission to evening concerts.

BRANDYWINE RIVER MUSEUM

Open daily except Christmas

9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Upcoming in 2009

For more information, please call 610-388-2700

LONGWOOD GARDENS:

Fireworks & Fountains Your favorite summer fireworks are back! Longwood's magical Fireworks & Fountains dance across the sky on these memorable evenings: On July 4: Featuring patriotic and classical music, Founders Favorites salutes Longwood's Founder, Peirre du Pont. On August 8 & September 19: Experience a first for Longwood's fireworks, using all pop vocals, ABBAcadabra: the Magic of Abba. On September 6: The folk rhythms and pulsing energy of the music of Aram Khachaturian ignites the evening in Khachaturian Cavalcade. There's no better summer eating than food cooked on the grill! Savor the Family Fireworks BBQ before the show. Bluegrass Concert featuring Blue Highway July 11 at 7:30 pm Blue Highway is one of the most esteemed and influential groups in contemporary bluegrass. The band's eight exceptional albums and compelling live performances give proof to the stellar reviews, two Grammy nominations and multiple International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. Tickets: $25/Garden Passholders $20 Celtic Concert featuring Cathie Ryan July 18 at 7:30 pm Irish American Cathie Ryan, with her crystalline vocals and insightful songwriting, is an original and distinctive voice in Celtic music. Don't miss this concert, free with Gardens admission. Fireworks and Fountains Celebrate a summer of 'oohs and aahs' at Longwood's Fireworks and Fountains on five nights throughout the summer.  Fireworks, fountains and music illuminate the night sky on May 24, July 4, August 8, September 6 and 19.  Don't miss the Family Fireworks BBQs.  There's no better summer eating than food on the grill!  Savor made-to-order burdgers and other picnic favorites before each show.  Reservations are recommended.  Garden Grooves Concerts Make it a night to remember with unforgettable performances in remarkable settings.  Seven contemporary music concerts from legendary artists such as Boz Scaggs, Rufus Wainwright, Etta James and more grace our stage throughout the summer.  Arrive early to savor summer delights, stroll through the blossoming gardens and enjoy a drink under the stars.  R&B Legend Etta James and The Roots Band August 12 at 8:00 pm With a range of material that would render most singers helpless, the truly legendary Etta James shows that when it comes to music that speaks to the soul, she is virtually peerless. Visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 215-336-2000 to purchase tickets. Garden Passholders please call Central Ticketing at 610-388-1000 to receive your discount code.   David Rogers' Flower Force See amazing giant handcrafted bugs towering over the Idea Garden beginning April 7. From a busy bee to a beautiful butterfly, to a brand new hummingbird, these enormous pollinators made from natural materials look right at home in Longwood's gorgeous garden settings. Nature's Castles The sky's the limit for this spectaular display of treehouses, back this year by popular demand.  Let your inner child come out to play in the Lookout Loft, the Canopy Cathedral, and the Birdhouse. This Summer, More is Less! Explore and enjoy the treasures you'll discover at the Brandywine River Museum, Delaware Art Museum, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Delaware Historical Society & Read House, Delaware Museum of Natural History, Hagley Museum and Library, Longwood Gardens, Rockwood Museum and Winterthur Museum & Country Estate. $35.00  per individual Good through Aug. 31, 2009 The Brandywiners present "Camelot" July 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and August 1 at 8:30 pm The Brandywiners, Ltd. continues their tradition of artistic excellence and community service through music and theater! Camelot is based on the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table--and the love triangle between King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot. For tickets call 800-338-6965. Daytime Fountain Shows The Open Air Theatre Fountains--featuring 750 jets in changing patterns--come alive with five-minute shows set to music at 10:00 and 11:00 am, and 1:00, 3:00 and 5:00 pm. The Main Fountain Garden erupts in special five-minute displays at 12:00, 2:00 and 4:00 pm. The Italian Water Garden sparkles continuously, with blue-tiled pools and fountains surrounded by a shady grove of trees. Evening Fountain Shows Longwood's legendary shows illuminate the sky and dance to classical music on most Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 9:15 pm. Experience a Longwood tradition as brilliant jets of colorful water entertain audiences during half-hour shows. Longwood Gardens Route 1, PO Box 501 Kennett Square PA 19348-0501 USA Telephone 610-388-1000 © 2009 Longwood Gardens. All rights reserved

Hamanassett always books in advance of these shows so book your room with us now. AUTUMN'S COLORS Sept. 7-Nov. 22 As sutumnal splendor descends, fall fun blooms.  Giant pumpkins, carving demonstrations, the Garden Railway and tasty seasonal treats delight.  In late October the grandeur moves indoors as Longwood's spectacular Conservatory is host to 20,000 blooming chrysanthemums displayed in amazing shapes, staggering sizes and unforgettable color comginations. A LONGWOOD CHRISTMAS Nov. 26-Jan. 10, 2010 Seasonal delights, thousands of lights and holiday magic await during Longwood's incomparable Christmas display.  Trees, concerts and ice skating shows dazzle while Longwood's newly restored 10,010 pipe organ returns to provide the sounds of the season.

Click here for more information on Longwood Gardens or dial 610-388-1000.

WINTERTHUR

Hagley Museum 2009

July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – Wednesdays – 5 to 8 p.m.
Bike and Hike
Bring your bike or walking shoes to Hagley every Wednesday evening from 5 to 8 p.m. Enjoy the riverside and wooded trails through Hagley’s scenic property and picnic along the Brandywine River. Admission is $2 per person. Free for members. Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware.

July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 – Thursdays – 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Dollar Days
Admission to Hagley is only one dollar every Thursday in July. Free for members. Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware.

August 5, 12, 19, 26 -- Wednesdays – 5 to 8 p.m.
Bike and Hike
Bring your bike or walking shoes to Hagley every Wednesday evening from 5 to 8 p.m. Enjoy the riverside and wooded trails through Hagley’s scenic property and picnic along the Brandywine River. Admission is $2 per person. Free for members. Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware.

August 6, 13, 20, 27 – Thursdays – 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Dollar Days
Admission to Hagley is only one dollar every Thursday in August. Free for members. Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware

September 20 – Sunday – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Hagley Car Show
Browse through more than 600 antique and restored cars that date from the early nineteen-hundreds to the nineteen-eighties. The show features vehicle parades, motoring music, video and go-cart racing, and a festival food court. Activities are on Hagley’s upper property. Event admission charged, free for Hagley members and children five and under.

October 17 and 18 – Saturday and Sunday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hagley Craft Fair
This artisans’ marketplace brings talented artisans from the Mid-Atlantic area to display and sell fine arts and crafts. This premier show will feature works in wood, pottery, jewelry, fibers, metal, and other media. Event admission charged, free for members and children under six years old. Use Hagley's Buck Road East entrance off Route 100 in Wilmington, Delaware.

November 27, 2009 through January 1, 2010
Christmas at Hagley
The1803 du Pont ancestral home, Eleutherian Mills, is decorated primarily in Colonial Revival style for the holidays. Dried flowers, greenery, fruits, and other natural materials create a beautiful holiday ambiance accentuated by soft lights and Christmas music. Exhibit included in regular admission. Free for members. Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware.

Other Events in or near the Brandywine Valley:

May Thru October William Brinton 1704 House & Historical Site 610-399-0913

Visit this restored house with 300 year-old furnishings to view the “Simplicity of Quaker life in early 1700’s America”.  Call for hours and further information.

6th Annual Riverfront Ramble '09 Saturday, September 19

                                    Noon to 10 PM

This year featuring a Pirate Festival plus river rides, treasure hunt, live music all day, Moonbounce games, crafts, car show, wildlife and birding exhibits, fabulous food and more!  Sites include the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Gov. Printz Park, Ridley Marina, Chester Barry Bridge Park and Marcus Hook Market Square Memorial Park.

Free Parking! Free Admission!  Free Shuttles!

Philadelphia Zoo - America's First Zoo!!!  Conveniently located in Philadelphia's historic Fairmount Park and only 17 miles from Hamanassett, the Philadelphia Zoo is home to nearly 1,300 animals.  In addition to visiting the animals you can soar 400 feet in the air on the Zooballoon, explore African Plains from a camel's back, and enjoy Bird Lake in a Swan Boat. Beat the heat with the zoo's misting stations.  Call the zoo at 215-243-5235 and tell them which animals interest you and they will design a personal tour.

Ridley Creek State Park is a short 10 minute drive from Hamanassett and has many activities from which to choose.  With more than 2600 acres of woodlands and meadows, youwill want to visit many times.  Next door to the park is Tyler Arboretum. You will find cross country skiing, picnicing, bicycling, dog walking, horseback riding, trout fishing (catch and release), sledding and tobogganing. The park is recognized by the Audubon Society as a significant birding site.  Below are some of the activities you will find at the park:

Those on the move may find Ridley Creek State Park appealing. Twelve miles of walking trails pass through a variety of habitats throughout the central portion of the park. Bikes are not permitted on unpaved hiking trails, but the five-mile, paved Multi-use Trail along Sycamore Mills and Forge roads is designated for bicycles, joggers, walkers and cross-country skiers. (Park in lots #7, #11, #15 and # 17.) A 4.7-mile trail begins in Picnic Area #8.

When the snow flies, cross-country skiers may use the hiking and multi-use trails when snow cover permits (and a large grassy slope by the park office is popular for sledding). r more information call 610-566-1725

COLONIAL PENNSYLVANIA PLANTATION - RIDLEY CREEK STATE PARK  MEDIA

112 acre living history site located in the heart of Ridley Creek State Park, 10 minutes from Hamanassett.  It authentically represents life on a farm in southeastern Pa. between 1760 and 1790.  

The Plantation has been a working farm for over 300 years. It is restored to a late 18th century appearance complete with animals typical of the period and authentically clothed historical interpreters. On weekends from April to November, visitors can observe the farm family cooking over the open hearth, preserving foods, processing textiles, tending field crops and performing other chores necessary to survival in the 18th century world.

The plantation is open weekends and holidays from mid-April to mid-November.

West Chester Grower's Market - May through December 20 every Saturday from 9-1.  At the corner of Chestnut and Church Streets.

The West Chester Growers Market is a truly local market. Only handmade, or homegrown products, produced or harvested by the vendors themselves can be sold at the market. You’ll find flavorful farm produce, colorful cut flowers and bedding plants, free range meats, oven fresh bread, artisinal soap, locally produced cheese, homemade preserves & relishes and a variety of fresh baked goods to satisfy any sweet tooth.  Their producers love getting to know their customers and are happy to share details about the products they grow and make. It’s this interaction that makes the market so special.

************************************************************

  SUGGESTED ITINERARY - Courtesy of The Discerning TRAVELER
                 

Day One:  Start with a visit at the most popular attraction the the Brandywine - the magnificent gardens and conservatories at Longwood Gardens.  Note:  Brandywine Visitor Center is in front of Longwood Garden.  Have lunch at Longwood Gardens, Bistro on the Brandywine, or for some local flavor Hank's Place then go to the Brandywine River Museum to see paintings of three generations of Wyeths as well as other noted Brandywine Valley artists.  Take the tour of N. C. Wyeth's studio and/or Kuerner Farm.  (Reservations for this tour are needed in advance.)

Day Two:  At Winterthur Henry Francis du Pont's 196 room house museum with room settings representing American history from 1640 to 1840, you can take either a 1 or 2 hour (reservations needed) tour.  Visit the museum, stroll through the gardens and visit Enchanted Woods, a 3-acre fairy tale garden.  Have lunch at Winterthur or at Buckley's Tavern.    Other options are a tour and tasting at VaLa Wineries (Hamanassett has made special arrangements for our guests) or at Chaddsford Winery and a tour of the Brandywine Battlefield.  You can also purchase a Sip and Stay Passport which allows you wine tastings at seven Brandywine Valley vineyards.  Most of the vineyards are near other attractions mentioned in this itinerary so you can do a couple each day.  If you don't visit all seven, the passport is good for a year from purchase date so save it and come back.

Day Three:  For some backroading to see the idyllic Chester County countryside take a driving tour through The Brandywine Hunt Country.  When you arrive at Hamanassett we'll give you complete details.

Day Four:  Visit Nemours Mansion and Gardens, a 70-room Louis XVI-style chateau and gardens.  Reservations are needed.  If possible, arrange to visit Mt. Cuba, a former du Pont family estate with the regions' finest woodland wildflower garden.  Reservations needed.

Day Five:  Go to New Castle (45 minutes south of Hamanassett) and start with a tour of the Read House.  Visit the Amstel House and Dutch House.  Have lunch at Jessop's Tavern.  You can also visit Fort Delaware, where reenactors tell about life at this fort during the time it was used to hold Civil War prisoners.  The boat to the fort leaves from Delaware City, a few miles south of New Castle.

Day Six:  If the weather is warm, you may want to go canoeing or tubing on the Brandywine River.  Alternatively walk around West Chester or Media for some shopping therapy, hit a few of the antique shops on Route 1 near Longwood Gardens,   Other options are a tour of QVC studio, only 25 minutes from Hamanassett or the American Helicopter Museum.