On Tuesday, Lyn Lewis and I were lucky enough to attend the 5th Annual Grand Opera House 2011/2012 season preview. The event was all about looking forward. Not only toward the upcoming season but to the changes that have begun to take root and will continue to grow up and down Market Street and the Downtown Wilmington area in general. Steve Bailey, Executive Director of Grand Opera House, summed up this sentiment in noting that, "Revitalization is real and cooperation and collaboration are responsible for the many changes (that have taken place in the area)." Indeed, this movement has been a communal effort so it is fitting that, for the first time, various Delaware arts organizations came together for the first combined unveiling in event history. On this panel were the Delaware Symphony Orchestra represented by Lucinda Williams (who announced her retirement after years of unparalleled service to the arts community), The First State Ballet Theatre represented by Rober Grenfel, Opera Delaware represented by Leland Kimball, and of course, the Grand Opera House represented by Mark Fields who was kind enough to give our video a brief introduction!  The enthusiasm in the room was palpable as each upcoming show was announced with Lucinda Williams reminding the crowd that, "this is all about you!" and fundraiser Brian DiSabatino remarked, "this is about giving you the arts you want, the arts you deserve and the arts you need!" Without further ado, here are the acts coming to Wilmington Delaware for the 2011/2012 season at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington DE!

2011-2012 SEASON

**More acts WILL be added

TBA: KD Lang
Sept 23 & 24: Classical Series: From Superhuman to Superman
Sept 23-25: OperaDelaware Studio Series
Sept 29: George Thorogood
Oct 2: Jerry Jeff Walker
Oct 4: An Evening with the DSO Winds
Oct 4: Comas & The Paul McKenna Band
Oct 7: An Evening with Pat Metheny w/ Larry Grenadier
Oct 9: Mary Chapin Carpenter
Oct 12: Wanda Sykes
Oct 15: Don Quixote
Oct 20: Jackson Browne
Oct 21: Steven Wright
Oct 22:  Andrew Bird
Oct 23: Magic of the Night
Oct 30, Nov 4 &5: The Magic Flute
Nov 10: Miles Davis Experience
Nov 13: Beakman on the Brain
Nov 18 & 19: Classical Series: Between Friends
Nov 18, Feb 24: Up front with FSBT
Nov 22: National Acrobats of China
Nov 26: Classic Albums Live: Abbey Road
Dec 3: Midtown Men (2011 Grand Gala)
Dec 11: "A Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas"
Dec 11: Irish Christmas in America
Dec 16 & 17: The Nutcracker
Dec 31; New Years Eve Celebration: Hollywood and Vienna
Jan 10: Chamber Series The Trout Quintet
Jan 13: Sinbad
Jan 14: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Jan 21: Cinematic Titanic
Feb 2: Rhonda Vincent and the Rage
Feb 3: Bettye LaVette
Feb 7: CHember Series: The Harlem String Quartet with the DSO
Feb 8: Bruce Hornsby
Feb 10: David Lanz
Feb 11: Tschaikowski - St. Petersburg State Orchestra
Feb 12: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Feb 15-17: Late Nite Catechism
Feb 17: BeauSoleil and Marcia Ball
Feb 19: Original Tribute Band to the Blues Brothers
Feb 24 & 25: Classical Series: Sax and Romance
Feb 25: Champian Fulton
Mar 2: Gaellic Strom
Mar 9: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes
Mar 10: Robin & Linda Williams
Mar 10: Classic Albums Live: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Mar 11: Canadian Brasws
Mar 16: TAO the Art of the Drum
Mar 18: Noa
Mar 23&24: Classical Series: Struggles and Glories
Mar 24: Joe Balone Jazz Quintet
Mar 25: Koresh Dance Comp.
Apr 10: Chamber Series: The Brandenburgs
Apr 11: One Night of Queen
April 12: Stuffed and Unstrung
April 14 &15: Giselle
Apr 16: David Sedaris
Apr 18: A tribute to Bill Monroe
Apr 21: Classic Albums Live: Revolver/Rubber Soul
April 22: Adam & Anthony Live
April 27 Delaware Symphony Orchestra Family Pops
Apr 28: Elizabeth Mitchell
May 5: David Bromberg Big Band
May 6: Porgy and Bess
May 18 and 19: Classical Series: Reflections
May 20: MacHomer
June 6: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

If you were in Downtown Wilmington DE today, you may have noticed something a bit unusual: People rappelling down the side of PNC building. Yes, one by one these urban spelunkers rappelled 17 stories to an eagerly awaiting crowd below. But why? Well, it is all to benefit Special Olympics Delaware and each participant represents $1000 dollars for the organization! There were a few celebrity participants on hand including Wilmington Blue Rocks mascot Rocky Bluewinkle! So, just how unusual is this event? Jon Buzby, Director of Media Relations for Special Olympics Delaware, tells us they are the first in the Tri-State area to partner with the Over the Edge company a national organization dedicated to helping non-profit organizations fund-raise in a unique and captivating way! View our video to see Over the Edge in action!

Enjoy one-time admission to ten Brandywine attractions (May 28-September 5). $35 for Individual Passport; $75 for Family Passport!  Click here for more information on the Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport!

The du Pont story in Delaware begins at Hagley Museum & Library where E.I. du Pont settled in 1802 and began harnessing the power of the Brandywine Creek to produce high quality gunpowder, thus laying the foundation for the DuPont Company. It continues at Winterthur, where Henry Francis du Pont amassed the world’s most impressive collection of American decorative arts. His fabulous collection is on display inside the 175-room mansion which is surrounded by the beautiful naturalistic gardens he designed.Longwood Gardens is Pierre Samuel du Pont’s horticultural extravaganza with more than 1000 acres of outdoor gardens and 4 acres of gardens under glass in the conservatory. Commissioned by Alfred I. du Pont and modeled after Le Petit Trianon, Nemours' Mansion is spectacular. The mansion is filled with fabulous paintings, antiques and tapestries, some of which date back to the 15th century. Outside, it boasts North America’s finest formal French garden and incredible sculptures.

Celebrate the season at Longwood Gardens during Spring Blooms(thru May 27). Wilmington Flower Market (May 5-7) in Rockford Park is a 91-year tradition with a full complement of plants and flowers from local growers, crafts, merchants, live entertainment and amusement rides. Take a self-guided tour of some of the area’s most distinctive homes and gardens during Wilmington Garden Day (May 7). A Day in Old New Castle(May 21) is the nation’s oldest, continuously running house and garden tour. Residents in this 350-year-old town, that is second only to Williamsburg in the number of preserved historic structures, open their homes and carefully tended gardens to the public.

Point-to-Point at Winterthur (May 8), complete with steeplechase races, an antique carriage parade, kilted bagpipers, pony rides and lavish tailgate picnics, ushers in Wilmington’s festival season. Longwood’s Wine & Jazz Festival (June 4) promises a full day of jazz greats, fine wines and fresh local foods with spectacular gardens as a back drop. Downtown Newark Nite (June 4) always draws a crowd. Enjoy live entertainment, great food, craft vendors and games on Main Street which is cordoned off from traffic for the evening. The Greek Festival (June 7-11) features five days of homemade Greek specialties, ethnic music and dance performances. Experience authentic Italian culture during St. Anthony’s Italian Festival (June 12-19). Enjoy classical and contemporary music, opera, strolling minstrels, traditional dancing, craft artisans, midway attractions, rides and an assortment of delectable pasta dishes and desserts. The DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival (June 20-26) brings some of the most exciting jazz personalities to the stage. This open-air festival is held in Downtown Wilmington, rain or shine, and all performances are free and open to the public. Spend a rousing Fourth of July at the Big Bang Barbecue (July 2-4). Eight members of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail offer a variety of wines, food, picnicking and music in honor of Independence Weekend.

Winterthur’s blockbuster exhibit, Paint, Pattern & People: Furniture of Southeastern Pennsylvania, 1725-1850 (April-January 8, 2012), explores the region’s stunning and diverse furniture and delves into the lives of the people who made, owned, inherited or collected it. The exhibit features almost 200 objects—furniture, fraktur, needlework and paintings—and is supported by an interpretive video and ipod tour.Special tours of the Pennsylvanian rooms in Henry Francis du Pont’s grand mansion are also offered. Perception/Deception: Illusion in Contemporary Art(May 21-September 25) at the Delaware Art Museum challenges our perceptions of the world around us.

Frawley Stadium in Wilmington’s revitalized Riverfront is home base for the Wilmington Blue Rocks Class-A Minor League Baseball Team(April-September 5). This professional minor league team affiliated with the Kansas City Royals provides action-packed entertainment from mid-April into September. The 8th Annual Christiana Care Health System Delaware Marathon and Running Festival (May 15)attracts over 2500 participants who compete in a Marathon, Half-Marathon or Four-Person Relay on one of the country’s most scenic courses. Listed on USA Cycling’s National Racing Calendar, Wilmington Grand Prix (May 20-22) is recognized as a premier East Coast cycling event. See this year’s field vie for over $25,000 in prize money and valuable NRC points.