We always tell everyone that GWCVB members are the best hotels, restaurant, dining and services the area has to offer. The "Best of Delaware" party, hosted by Delaware Today Magazine, may be the only time we can prove it! This year, 20 of our members were deemed "Best of Delaware" in their respective category which means that 25% of winners in 2011 were members of the GWCVB! We may be biased, but that is very impressive and another testament to the quality of the tourism and hospitality industry in New Castle County. The "Best of Delaware" party has become a must-attend event on the social calendar in Wilmington over the past few years and this year Linda McKay, our Director of Membership, was on hand to take it all in and capture some great video footage of the event. Enjoy the video and we'd like to once again congratulate all of our award-winning members. Who are they you say? I'm glad you asked, here is the complete list:

BBC Tavern and Grill
The Back Burner
Brandywine Festival of the Arts
Chelsea Tavern
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
DuPont Country Club
Feby's Fishery
Harry's Seafood Grill
Harry's Savoy Grill
Hotel DuPont
Kid Shellen's
Krazy Kat's Restaurant
Lady's Image
Mikimotos Asian Grill & Sushi Bar
Public House Wilmington
Santa Fe
Soffritto Italian Grill
Walter's Steak House
Washington Street Ale House
World Café Live at the Queen

 

 Images:

     
 




 
 
 

      A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to take a ride on one the Wilmington & Western Railroad's incredible historic Pullman Parlor Car, a precursor of the Amtrak trains we ride today. It is the only one of its kind still running and it is right here in Greater Wilmington Delaware.

      A team of filmmakers from PBS were in the area from June 10^th - 12^th to get some action shots of the Wilmington and Western Railroad's fleet. You can see some of the behind-the-scenes footage of day 1 of this shoot in the video below.

      Now,  I will admit, this was my first time being on one of the railroads cars (I know, shame on me)  but, I must say it was an incredible ride and, in my experience, one of the best family attractions in Greater Wilmington, DE!  The great thing about the Wilmington and Western Railroad is that it is 100% volunteer. The entire staff is very passionate about these old locomotives and, not to get too cheesy, it really adds something special to the entire experience. David Ludlow, the current Executive Director of the Wilmington and Western Railroad embodies this passion. He saw promise in a struggling organization over a decade ago when he went to the board of directors and said, "Give me one year to turn this around." He began to add more special events for the entire family and fought hard for more grants to help restore the historic landmark and before the board could shake a gavel he had established it as one of the premier attractions in the area. It is because of David and his team's enthusiasm that I would call the Wilmington and Western Railroad the most authentic experience you can have while Wilmington. It's tough not to get nostalgic as you ride along the old railway passing by the rolling hills of the Brandywine Valley, covered bridges of Hockessin and Auburn Heights, and the streams and gristmills of DuPont Country. It is an experience that is distinctly Wilmington and one that should not be overlooked! 

Visit the Wilmington & Western Railroad online here.

Don't forget to watch for the documentary featuring the Wilmington and Western Railroad coming to PBS in the spring of 2012. We will be reminding you as we get closer I am sure!

 

   We're right in the thick of 3 weeks of festivals here in Wilmington DE. Last week, we ventured out to the Greek Festival and ran into US Senator Chris Coons who was enjoying some traditional Greek fare. He was kind enough to chat with us briefly about why he loves the Greek Festival and all of Delaware's ethnic celebrations. You can see our video from our outing featuring the Senator, President of the Festival Georgia Halakos and some festival goers below! 
   Happening now is the St. Anthony's Italian Festival, which has the distinction of being one of the largest ethnic festivals on the east coast. It is certainly a rite of passage for anyone who can say they've truly experienced Wilmington DE culture (I'm of the mind that you must also try the vodka water ice, if you are of age of course). This year's theme centers around the spirit of the Renaissance and the region of Tuscany. Also, for the first time, the festival will feature a home winemakers competition. Find out more about the competition here. The jury is still out on how you get to be a judge in this competition!
   Following the Italian Festival and rounding out this epic 3 week run is the DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, which is the largest FREE jazz festival on the east coast!  You can check out the 2011 schedule here. By the looks of it, this year is going to be pretty incredible. We will be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at preparations for the festival early next week so stay tuned to our Youtube Channel: the Greater Wilmingtube!

 

Loyal Readers!

We want to see you enjoying festivals in Wilmington. Send us your pictures from any of this year's festivals and we may use them in a recap blog and on our facebook page! Send pics to jjulia@VisitWilmingtonDE.com!

Anyone who has ventured to Downtown Newark recently will immediately notice that BIG changes have taken place. With the addition of new places of residence, shopping, dining and University of Delaware's development,  Downtown Newark is, now more than ever, a viable and worthwhile tourist destination for that traveler looking to find a place to enjoy the aesthetics of yesteryear with the comforts of modernity. You needn't walk along Newark's Main Street long to realize that it is a truly special place and it will come as no surprise to learn that Newark Delaware's Main Street has recently been named a "Great American Main Street." This award marks the beginning of a new era in Downtown Newark and parallels the exciting changes taking place in Downtown Wilmington and the Riverfront. In VisitWilmingtonDE.com's latest video Executive Director Sarah Willoughby caught up with Newark Mayor Vance Funk and Maureen Feeny-Roser of the Downtown Newark Partnership, both of whom played a large role in this renaissance,  to talk about what  gives Newark its distinct charm and why people love to visit!

 

 

 

We sure hope that your appetites are primed and your dancing shoes are polished because ladies and gentlemen...festival season is upon us! Yes it is that glorious time of year when boredom is never an issue and it all starts with an epic three week run on festivals. First, it's the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church's Annual Greek Festival,  from June 7 -11.  Next, it's the legendary Saint Anthony's Italian Festival  - the largest ethnic festival on east coast from June 12 - 19. You can purchase your 8-day pass to the festival for just $12 right now by going here! Last, but certainly not least it is the FREE DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival from June 20 - 26! Catch some of jazz's hottest acts in Rodney Square -

the heart of downtown Wilmington. Check out the video to the left of Junior Mance who will be headlining the opening night of the festival. This will be as good a time as any to take a stroll over to World Café Live at the renovated Queen Theatre if you haven't done so already and, while you're at it, enjoy great food and drink at Public House Wilmington, Chelsea Tavern, Deep Blue Bar and Grill and more all within a short walk from the festival! Hopefully you aren't too tuckered out after this three week run of festivals because the fun continues! We are also looking forward to the Big Bang Barbeque to celebrate Independence Day Weekend on the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail July 2 - 4, the annual Shakespeare Festival in Rockwood Mansion Park July 15 - 30, the Riverfront Blues Festival  August 5-7 and of course the August Quarterly Festival which has the high honor of being the oldest continually celebrated African-American festival in the country.

 

To stay up to date on everything that is happening in Greater Wilmington (and there's a lot) "like" us on facebook, follow us on twitter and sign up for our e-news!

We'll be shooting video of these upcoming festivals to share with all of you so if you see us out and about please say hi! We'll put you on camera! 

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.

We've talked many times about how important the du Pont family was in influencing the culture and politics of Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley, but did you know how important the family was during the American Civil War?  On April 12^th we celebrated the 150^thAnniversary of the attack on Fort Sumter, the official beginning to one the most important wars in both American and world history. It is fitting then that Hagley Museum and Library's new exhibit "Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: the du Ponts and the Civil War" tomorrow Saturday April 30^th. I was lucky enough to take a guided tour of the exhibit on Thursday and to put it simply, I was blown away. 
The team at Hagley has done an incredible job mixing the old (personal wartime possessions of the du Pont family including the uniform of Admiral Samuel F. Du Pont) with the new (3D video displays of important local figures during the war). The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic when talking with guests and do an exceptional job of illustrating just how important the Du Pont Company was to the Union war efforts. In fact, the company produced almost half of the gunpowder purchased for use by the Union forces during the War. I was also surprised to learn that Lammot du Pont was also responsible for negotiating the end of an embargo on military exports to the United States by England, allowing the DuPont Company to acquire the raw materials necessary to make the powder. You'll learn plenty of similar factoids while chatting with the curator of the exhibit Lucas Clawson. Lucas is extraordinarily knowledgeable about the time period and he is an entertaining and engaging speaker.  He did a great job of presenting facts and an even better job of conveying the feelings and emotions of the Brandywine Valley citizenry during this time. I highly recommend taking a curator-led tour of the exhibit to experience Lucas' knowledge for yourself. Talks are thirty minutes and cost just $3 per person. (In the meantime you can see an additional interview with Lucas here).These tours are available Monday through Friday, May,3 2011 through July 22nd, 2012.The exhibit will run through Sunday, July 22, 2012 but don't wait to see this exhibit it will certainly be an experience you will never forget.  As always, admission to an exhibit at Hagley gets you admission to the entire 235-acre museum. Hmmm...even more incentive to buy that passport for the summer season! 

 

 

 

As you know, we love promoting local blogs! Even in a small destination such as ours there seems to be a blog for just about everything, but it is undeniable that the most popular and thriving genre seems to be the arts. Today, we introduce a new blog to our readers called "Aisle Say" by Greer Firestone. He certainly has his finger on the pulse of the performing arts in Greater Wilmington and he was kind enough to guest blog about this year's "Nutcracker" performed annually by the First State Ballet Theatre. However, this year's performance will be much different than years preceding as the Grammy-winning Delaware Symphony Orchestra will lend live music to the production for the first time! Without further ado, Mr. Firestone takes us inside this historic performance:

   Delaware's only professional ballet company keeps throwing their creative net around the state.  Longtime (and passionate) President of the Board Robert Grenfell and Artistic Director Pasha Kambalov hauled in a leviathan for this year's performances; The Delaware Symphony.

 
   Heretofore, Tchaikovsky's music was pre-recored. Having our live symphony in attendance will energize not only the dancers but also the audience.

   David Amado has shown a propensity in the last two years to broaden DSO's reach. He is making his troupe more accessible and the rewards are plentiful. Aisle Say attended a recent concert by Natalie Merchant. I felt the symphony was many times more exciting than this one note artist.

    Just this past weekend DSO backed up Gary Brooker of Procul Harem, in concert for the Grand Gala; a spectacularly great party. And, the orchestra was recently nominated for their first Grammy, a Latin dominated CD entitled Interchange. On a podcast by the DE Division of Arts, Exec Director Lucinda Williams pointed out that their label is from the most prestigious producing company of their genre.
  
   Says Amado,"Collaborating with FSBT is thrilling for us. Normally we partner with other musicians. This new 'conversation', i.e. between the dancers and the orchestra is totally different. Both sides are energized and we become a living breathing organism. I think the audience senses this as well."

   Adding to the coup of partnering with DSO, First State Ballet is adding to this embarrassment of riches by inviting the Wilmington's Childrens Chorus to sit on either balcony sides and sing at appropriate times during the ballet. As Grenfell quips,"the music will be surround sound stereo!"

At The Grand Opera House  Dec 17 @ 7pm; Dec 18 @ 2pm and 7pm; Dec 19 @ 2p            

FirstStateBallet.com  Tix: 302.652.5577