Put on your party pants
+ walking around Chadds Ford + book club? + more
Quick Note: We started a Chadds Ford Walking Club. We had nearly a dozen neighbors meet up for the first walk. We hope you can join us. All the deets here! 👇🏻
🥳 Put on your party pants
We’ve got four local fall events coming up this weekend and into next week, so mark your calendar.
Concord Community Day (Sept 13) | Beginning at 4 pm, an afternoon of family fun, music, and food at the Township Park on Smithbridge Road will conclude with fireworks at dusk.
Historic Chadds Ford Days (Sept 13-14) | Journey back to the 18th century this September 13th and 14th as the Chadds Ford Historical Society hosts its annual event to commemorate and reenact the September 11, 1777, Battle of Brandywine. All the details here.
Rachel Kohl Library Fundraising Dinner (Sept 16) | Details here!
Newlin Grist Mill Fall Festival (Sept 20) | All sorts of activities from demonstrations of historic skills and trades, hayrides, hands-on activities for kids, beer, wine, food, and more! Check out more information here.
📚 Hear from big-name authors!
The Rachel Kohl Library is starting a series of virtual author talk programs. Patrons can submit questions before the conversation and hear a discussion with a well-known author via a virtual presentation. There are several very popular authors who will be taking part in the series. Check out their Programs calendar for more information.
Speaking of books
Would you be interested in a Chadds Ford Book Club? I’ve had a few readers ask about a book club, book recommendations, and other book-related ideas. Answer the survey below if you’re interested!
👣 Who said Chadds Ford isn’t walkable?
Not anymore (or at least in 16 months). 🥰 I think it will be worth the wait! Construction started a few weeks ago on Walkable Chadds Ford, and I am pumped. The plan “will create a safe, scenic pedestrian route through the heart of Chadds Ford Village,” as described by the township.
The project intends to connect certain historical and business portions of Chadds Ford to make it easier to enjoy the center of town, support local businesses, increase the interconnection of Harvey Run Trail with township organizations, and more. Check out the township’s website for more information. It’s been a labor of love, a confluence of hard-earned grant money, and many years in the making. Woo hoo!
Can we incorporate Painter’s Folly into Walkable Chadds Ford?
Painter’s Folly, that gorgeous old home that’s also home to so much Chadds Ford history, is part of the historic district that Walkable Chadds Ford will tie together. It’s been sitting relatively idle for years, and everyone agrees it deserves some love and attention.
The township has explored some preservation opportunities as well as the potential to sell it through a public auction. A group of preservation advocates and experts from around the region sees opportunities to explore a few more preservation options not yet considered before coming to a final decision about the future of Painter’s Folly.
The preservation advocates and experts created a petition on Change.org to garner support for their efforts and encourage continued coordination between the township and the advocacy group. Check it out for yourself and consider signing it if it resonates with you.
If Painter’s Folly is preserved as a historical space open to the public, regardless of its ownership, it resides in a perfect location to contribute to the Walkable Chadds Ford district, which will hopefully draw more robust use and appreciation of the historical significance of Chadds Ford, as well as garner economic support for the local businesses in and around the area.
Looking ahead
Here are a few other events you might want to add to your calendar. Several require registration in advance. Double-check dates and times in case they’ve changed since I shared.
Weekend Plans
Brandywine Polo Club Fundraiser Event | Fri. Sept 12 at 4 pm at 232 Polo Rd, Toughkenamon, PA (benefits UCFSD Crew Club)
Concord Community Day & Fireworks | Sat. Sept 13 from 4 pm – dusk at Concord Township Park (note the new date!)
Chadds Ford Days | Sat. and Sun. Sept 13 – 14 at Chadds Ford Historical Society (artisans, food vendors, reenactors, demonstrators, and more)
Shred Event | Sat. Sept 13 from 9 am – 12 pm at WSFS Glem Mills Banking Office
Mark Your Calendars
A few more exciting and important events to put on your calendar now so you don’t miss this!
Bike the Brandywine | Sat. Sept 20 starts at Chadds Ford Historical Society
Fall Festival | Sat. Sept 20 from 10 am – 4 pm at Newlin Grist Mill
Girls in Aviation Day! | Sat. Sept 20 from 11 am – 3 pm at American Helicopter Museum
Kennett Arts Festival | Sat. and Sun. Sept 20-21 at 600 South Broad Street, Kennett Square
Sound Bath (meditation/relaxation) | Fri. Sept 26 from 5:30 – 7 pm at The Yoga Space
Brandywine Roadside Clean-Up & Ranger Hike | Sat. Sept 27 from 9:30 – 12:30 pm at Penns Wood Winery (check site for more specific details)
Fluid Motion: Yoga & Art | Fri. Oct 3 from 5 – 7 pm at The Yoga Space
Senior Citizen Expo | Thurs. Oct 9 (save the date, hosted by Concord Township)
The Great Pumpkin Carve | Thurs – Sat. Oct 16 – 18 at Chadds Ford Historical Society
Check out full event calendars for some of our best event hosts in the community.
Other events to add?
In the comments, feel free to share any other events happening in and around Chadds Ford that you think our neighbors will enjoy!
Me again! Lack of civics instruction in the schools is a pet peeve of mine. I have written to Sharon McMahon (GoverNerd) asking her for ideas about getting civic education back into schools, but other than thanking me for the suggestion, I have not heard anything. Even 15-30 minutes a week could teach kids the basics of civics. But there is a faction out there that likes the uneducated, so it is probably a fruitless quest.
I love Sharon’s work and have been following her for years. It’s definitely frustrating trying to figure out how to shift the culture back to believing that education is so much broader than test scores and grades. Real success, I think, comes from having those basic skills but also being able to apply them in the context of history, culture, society, creativity, and more. And we have forgotten it seems the value of needing to be part of a society that understands and values each and the collective good (which is part of the civics piece) to have any real chance of thriving.