In Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley there are some of us (Ravens Fans) that still feel the wounds delivered by Tom Brady and the rest of the Patriots are fresh. For others (Eagles & Redskins Fans) it's been a long second half of the season with highs and lows that have left us fall much shorter then our friends from Baltimore. But, at the end of the season, we all have one thing in common - we tune in to watch the Big Game!

On this special weekend it's more than just Eagles, Ravens, and Redskins fans uniting at locations across Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley. This weekend it's sports enthusiasts, commercial lovers, and kids of all ages that tune in on their big screen TV's as our neighbors from the Northeast battle it out for supreme glory.

If you are still uncertain where to watch Sunday's biggest of big contests, let us help you choose the perfect spot right here in Greater Wilmington!

- The Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitor's Bureau

Great locations to catch the Big Game!

Theatre N
Timothy's on the Riverfront
Stoney's Pub
James Street Tavern
Kid Shelleen's
Kildare's Irish Pub
Washington Street Ale House
Iron Hill
Extreme Pizza
Bella Vista Trattoria & Pizzeria

As we continue to elude our traditional winter weather an occasional bite from Mother Nature tends to kick in exactly on our days off from work! Not to worry we have a couple solutions that you may want to consider to keep warm, stay dry, and relax with your friends and family!

This year to kickoff Greater Wilmington's 2012 Theatre and Performing Arts schedule we have three shows that you don't want to miss!

Time Stands Still, performed by Delaware Theatre Company, follows a photojournalist and a foreign correspondent trying to find happiness in a world that seems to have gone crazy. Theirs is a partnership based on telling the toughest stories, and together, making a difference. But when their own story takes a sudden turn, the adventurous couple confronts the prospect of a more conventional life!

Miss Saigon, performed by New Candlelight Theatre, is one of Broadway's most spectacular musicals that is set during the Vietnam War and is filled with intense drama, impossible romance, and a historical setting!

Dead Man's Cell Phone, performed by Bootless Artworks, humorously explores technology and the disconnect people are experiencing in the digital age!

We hope you have the chance to see all three performances and that you keep your eye out for more fantastic Theatre and Performing Arts around Greater Wilmington in 2012!

- The Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitor's Bureau

As the first month of the New Year comes to a close we'd like to encourage you to set out and explore new places, try new foods, and support local communities throughout 2012! We couldn't find a better way for you to celebrate the end of January then to share with you Downtown Newark's Restaurant Week!

Coming this January 23rd through 29th, 2012 participating Newark restaurants will be offering week-long specials that include two course lunches, two and three course dinners and a family & friends dinner option for prices starting as low as $10. There are currently 20 participating restaurants.

We hope that you enjoy exploring Downtown Newark's Restaurant Week and the rest of Greater Wilmington in 2012!

- The Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau

Greater Wilmington, Delaware is heating up the cold winter months with hot weekend hotel rates and some very cool dates you will not want to miss.

Choose from eight area hotels offering up to 40% off your second night stay weekends now through March 2012.
Then, take your hot rates savings and explore some
cool dates this winter in Greater Wilmington. 

Cool Dates in Greater Wilmington

• Delaware Art Museum presents
  Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered
  Now through March 4, 2012
  
  
• Midatlantic Food + Wine Feast
  February 23 through 26, 2012
  
  
• Orchid Extravaganza at Longwood Gardens
  January 20 through March 25, 2012
  
  
• Wine & Chocolate Month
  Brandywine Valley Wine Trail
  Weekends in February

Save up to 40%.  Plan your weekend getaway now, visit GetawaytoWilmingtonDE.com. 

Let Amtrak get you here.
30% on an Amtrak Companion Fare to Wilmington, Delaware.

• View 25-foot-long skeletons of theropods Deltadromeus
  and Afrovenator
• Size yourself up against a six-foot-tall Jobaria leg bone
• Touch a plant-eater's skull and a petrified tree trunk
• Learn about Paul Sereno, Ph.D.'s paleontological adventures
• Look into the eyes of a Carcharodontosaurus head and imagine being chased by one of the largest predators ever to walk the earth

American Helicopter Museum and Education Center
Over 40 exhibits trace the past and future of rotary wing aircraft. You can climb aboard the interactive hands-on helicopters and experience a working wind tunnel. This is an exciting and fun place for the whole family to learn about helicopters and the science of their flight.

Historic Houses of Odessa
Visit the village of Odessa, Delaware and admire examples of 18th- and 19th-century architecture, and tour the Historic Odessa Foundation's five historic houses.


Click here to search all of the great attractions in Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley.

As you get older and your families grow larger and life gets a little more hectic with making sure you squeeze in all of your Holiday traditions. We sometimes don't have time to sit down and plan for that next big gathering that's right around the corner. Yes, New Years Eve! If you haven't made plans and are scrambling to find out what's going on around the Greater Wilmington and Brandywine Valley then you've landed in the right place!

Here are a few ideas for you and your friends this New Years Eve!

New Year's Eve-oloution with Ike and Friends at World Cafe Live at The Queen

New Year's Eve Celebration at Longwood Gardens

Eve 2012 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront

New Year's Eve Gala at the Hotel duPont

Noon Year's Eve Celebration at Brandywine Zoo

Sheraton New Year's Eve Party at Sheraton Wilmington South

New Year's Eve Party at Hilton Wilmington/Christiana

Ultimate Package - New Year's Eve Party at Hilton Wilmington/Christiana

Save up to 20% at the Double Tree Wilmington

- The Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitor's Bureau

All of us at the Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau join in saying thank you and wishing you and yours a happy holiday and a prosperous new year.

And for those procrastinators here are a few helpful links for those last minute holiday needs...

Sunday Brunch Hot Spots...
a brucnh gift card makes a great gift!

Find that elusive gift at one of our tax-free shops

Browse our selection of Getaway Packages -
another great gift idea!

Visit us over the holidays, we have several itineraries to chose from, including a one-day Spririt of Christmas visit.

Don't forget all that Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley has to offer this holiday season. From the the magnificent du Pont mansions to the quaint Historic Houses of Odessa you'll be sure to find something for everyone.

And to help you out we've created the following guides to help you experience a Greater Wilmington Holiday!

• All dressed up for the holidays; Hagley Museum, Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, & Nemours
  
  
• Historic Holiday Traditions
  
  
• A Brandywine Christmas
  
  
• The Spirit of Christmas: One Day Itinerary

One of my favorites is Sunday Brunch. It's breakfast, it's lunch. It's savory, it's sweet. It's the best of all your favorite foods colliding together in what often looks like an endless sea of choices and an almost certain end to that diet you've been so good at.

So, if you have family and friends in for the holidays or just want to celebrate with those closest to you, the Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley area has some of the best brunch menus around - from casual to elegant, modern to Mexican the food choices will delight all palettes.

And to help you plan your Sunday brunch outing we've gathered a list of over 15 Greater Wilmington and Brandywine Valley restaurants that are ready to server you.

View our Sunday brunch list.

Now that your family has dispersed from the dining room table on Thanksgiving Day, and have made the trek back to their respective residences after scouring Greater Wilmington's tax-free shopping for Black Friday deals, it's time to make the BIG decision - Artificial or Real?

How much thought goes into your tree selection? Is it an annual event? Does the family go over the river and through the woods in search of the perfect tree? Or do you like the Charlie Brown variety? Whatever your taste in Christmas trees is, there is no question that the search for a tree can be a tradition like no other.

And, just down the road in Middletown, DE is the perfect place to start a new tradition, or carry on with the old - Coleman's Christmas Tree Farm. You'll be sure to make memories with your family on this 300+ Acre Christmas Tree Farm that also features a Bake Shop, visits from Santa Claus, and free hayrides on Saturday & Sunday.

Coleman's is open 8am to 5pm daily and will be open on Christmas day!

- The Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitor's Bureau

Coleman's Christmas Tree Farm

550 Silver Run Road Middletown, DE 19709

Phone: 302-378-8949
Phone: 302-378-1990