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Lyn Lewis
Director of Communications
100 W. 10th Street, Suite 20
Wilmington DE, 19801
P: 302.295.2212
F: 302.295.4726
  LynLewis@VisitWilmingtonDE.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Enjoy one-time admission to ten Brandywine attractions (May 28-September 5). $35 for Individual Passport; $75 for Family 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.