Find the Pints!
In honor of the 19th Newark Food & Brew Festival — and the other splashy summer sipping events we have featured this month — we’ve hidden four pints of beer on the pages of this issue. Tell us what four pages (the image on this page doesn’t count) and we might buy you lunch. Three winners will be selected from those who answer correctly by July 10. Email your answer to contact@TSNPub.com
Congratulations to last month’s winners of the Find The Hiker contest: Dolly Scarborough, Beth Roberts and Mandy Gillin. Cheers!
Mural Program Spruces Up West Wilmington Neighborhoods
The Delaware Art Museum has partnered with Wilmington City Councilperson Nathan Field on a mural project, Nature’s Palette, with images and words inspired by nature. The works will be on view throughout the Trolley Square-Highlands-Wawaset area (District 8) through the remainder of 2023.
Nature’s Palette features enlarged intricate and vibrant details of paintings and drawings from DelArt’s Pre-Raphaelite collection, combined with quotations inspired by nature and poetry penned by Victorian-era writers. The murals include Pre-Raphaelite works by artists Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon, Walter Crane, Henry Farrer, George James Howard, John Everett Millais, and William Henry Millais. Paired with these are quotations from authors Emily Brontë, George Eliot, Felicia Hemans, Christina Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and John Ruskin.
Mural locations include Gilpin Liquors, Luther Towers, BrewHaHa Trolley Square, Lincoln Towers, Southeast Kitchen, Joseph E. Johnson Jr. School, the intersection of Del. Ave. and DuPont St. and the intersection of Pa. Ave. and Greenhill Ave (outside the Marian Coffin Garden).
Throughout 2023, the Delaware Art Museum is celebrating the “Year of Pre-Raphaelites,” which began in late 2022 with the special loan exhibition, “A Marriage of Arts and Crafts: Evelyn and William De Morgan” and the collections show, “Forgotten Pre-Raphaelites.” The celebration continues in fall 2023, with DelArt hosting the only U.S. appearance of “The Rossettis,” a major international exhibition organized in partnership with Tate Britain, on view from October 21 through January 28, 2024. Visit DelArt.org.
A Steamy Night at DE Museum of Nature & Science
The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science continues its N3RD Thursdays series with A Midsummer Night’s STEAM on July 20 from 6-9pm. Prepare for a steamy evening of science, technology, engineering, art, and math as DMNS looks at the science of mating, reproduction, and sexual health. Th evening includes sex-ed talks, figure drawing, burlesque, steamy games, and a contest you must see to believe. Must be 21 or older and OK with some nudity to attend. Visit Delmns.org.
Four National Tour Productions Make Wilmington Premieres
The Playhouse on Rodney Square, which has the distinction of being the longest continuously operating Broadway touring house in the U.S., will open its 110th season in October with the North American tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical (Oct. 13-15). Another season highlight is the production of On Your Feet (March 7-10), which follows the lives of Cuban-American musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan and their rise to stardom. The smash-hit musical Come From Away is set for April 19-21, telling the inspiring true story of a small town that welcomed the world. In May, the season closes with Little Women (May 9-12), bringing Louisa May Alcott’s classic story to musical life on stage. All four shows are Wilmington premieres.
Several season specials round out the 2023-2024 Broadway season: Million Dollar Quartet Christmas kicks off the holiday season (Nov. 17-19) and family-favorite Annie opens the new year (Jan. 5-7, 2024). For a complete list of 2023-24 performances at The Playhouse on Rodney Square, visit TheGrandWilmington.org.
Macbeth Comes to Life in Rockwood Park
Shakespeare’s magical thriller Macbeth comes to life in an innovative production by Delaware Shakespeare at Rockwood Park July 21-Aug. 6. The production, outdoors and under the stars, is directed by AZ Espinoza and is part of DelShakes’ 21st Summer Festival. General admission tickets are $25 with a Wednesdays Pay What You Can program on Wednesday. Saved seats (45) and festival passes (55) are also available. Visit DelShakes.org.
WDEL Coverage Speaks Volumes at Broadcasters Conference
Wilmington’s WDEL-FM/AM earned 10 awards at last month’s Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association conference in Ocean City, Md., including Outstanding News Operation of the Year in the Radio II (non-metro) division.
“We were impressed with the broad scope of coverage the station offered to its community,” the AP judges wrote. “It is clear that they have an internal goal to provide focused news coverage of their community and their entry demonstrated that they executed on that vision.”
Delaware’s Morning News with Peter MacArthur won the award for Outstanding Newscast. MacArthur was also named Best Anchor. Other winners included Sean Greene (Outstanding Spot News Reporting), Mike Phillips (Outstanding Coverage of a Continuing Story for his coverage of the Fort DuPont redevelopment) and Rick Jensen (Outstanding Talk Show).
UnTapped App users Love First State Brewing
First State Brewing Company, a Middletown-based brewery and taproom, was among the top 25 fastest growing breweries in the U.S from 2020-22 based on user check-ins on the app Untappd. The study was conducted by the app’s parent company, Next Glass. According to the study, First State saw more than a 3,000% increase in app check-ins, making them among the top brewers in the U.S. based on check-in growth. First State beers are currently available throughout Delaware as well as Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and D.C. Visit Firststatebrewing.com.
Arden’s Shady Grove is Something to Say ‘Hurray’ (and More) About
Arden’s Shady Grove Stage promises a lot of excitement this summer — along with some serendipity.
It turns out that the Congolese Afropop band Jupiter & Okwess, which brings its international tour to Shady Grove on Saturday, July 1, inspired the song “Jupiter’s Dance” on the latest album by Hurray for the Riff Raff — who just so happens to be playing the same stage on Thursday, July 19 (with Squirrel Flower opening).
“Jupiter’s Dance” can be heard on Life on Earth, which Hurray for the Riff Raff released last year. The song was evoked by a 2006 French documentary of the same name, which focused on Jupiter & Okwess.
Hurray for the Riff Raff has released eight albums and one EP since 2007, when band-leader Alynda Segarra moved from the Bronx to New Orleans. In that time, the band has earned praise from sources as varied as Pitchfork and the Wall Street Journal.
Last year, Life on Earth was one of Stereogum’s albums of the week, an honor to which they added saying “these tracks come across earthy and alive… even at their smallest and quietest, they feel huge.”
Note: Saturday, July 15 will see Toby Leaman of Dr. Dog bring his new band, Purling Hiss, as a headliner to Shady Grove Music Fest. For details on all Arden shows, visit ArdenConcerts.com.
