Find the Tickets!
It’s our annual preview of the upcoming performing arts season and we hope you’re ordering tickets today. After all, you have hundreds of shows to choose from (see page 26). But in our exuberance over the great entertainment coming our way, we’ve misplaced four tickets in this issue. Please help us find them and you could win a fantastic prize — a pair of tickets to the Odessa Brewfest on Sat., Sept. 9. Three winners will be selected from those who answer correctly by midnight on Sept. 7. Congratulations to last month’s winners — Scott Rothbart, Jacqui Caine and Janet Leishman — who found the missing popcorn on pages 9, 24, 36, 42. Good luck and remember, the ticket pictured here is not among the four tickets lost.
Delaware Arts Alliance Launches Community Engagement Effort
In August, more than 60 stakeholders joined the Delaware Arts Alliance in Milford to celebrate the launch of community engagement efforts to aid the development of a Creative Economy and Cultural Tourism Recovery and Growth Plan. The initiative plans to engage hundreds of Delawareans from diverse backgrounds to produce a shared vision, advocacy tools, and actionable policy agenda for advancing Delaware’s creative economy across state, county and local governments. The effort is the first of its kind in the nation.
Artists, creatives, cultural organizations, businesses, and community members are encouraged to participate in their brief survey at Delawareartsalliance.org/survey.
“The input that we receive from Delawareans over the coming months will provide the data needed to form the actionable recommendations that we will then bring to our policymakers and decisionmakers when this plan is released by Summer of 2024,” said Neil Kirschling, Executive Director of the Delaware Arts Alliance.
Discover Blondie Mansion
Blondie Mansion — an organization headed by Wilmington fashion designer and entrepreneur Sara A. Crawford — is dedicated to empowering creatives and entrepreneurs. This month, Crawford is unveiling Blondie Mansion Weekend, hosted at The Westin Wilmington Sept. 29-30.
The event is a two-day thoughtfully curated experience that combines business, music, art, and social impact to inspire personal and professional growth. Engaging panel discussions led by industry professionals will provide business trends, cutting-edge insights, and best practices. The weekend will also offer networking and mentorship opportunities, local creators, live artistry and a Blondie Marketplace. For tickets, visit Bit.ly/Blondie2023.
Great Dames Releases New Book on Women Sharing Their Power
Great Dames, a global community of women, has released its first book, Great Dames: Women Sharing Their Power, a collection of 52 true stories written by women about powerful moments in their lives that helped them become who they are today. Proceeds from the book will fuel the dreams of young women through the Great Dames Empowerment Fund.
The book was created by members of the Great Dames community to explore the power of women’s storytelling and how it helps women connect with each other, challenge thinking, and effect change. The stories, which were collected by Sharon Kelly Hake, the founder of the organization, represent women from all walks of life, ages, and diverse cultures and backgrounds.
“By collaborating on this book, we discovered how women use stories to inspire others, promote social justice, and empower themselves and their communities,” says Kelly Hake. “I believe Great Dames: Women Sharing Their Power is a celebration of women’s resilience, strength, and creativity, and a call to action for all women to share their stories and make their voices heard.”
With more than 3000 members globally, Great Dames was founded 15 years ago to convene women so they could forge meaningful connections and form a community focused on their individual and collective power to create change. Through virtual and in-person programs, the organization comes together to support, learn, and lead through conversation. The book is currently available through on-line booksellers at GreatDamesBook.com.
Sneaker Ball to Benefit Downtown YMCAs
You can support the Downtown YMCA’s community programs by contributing to or attending the Sneaker Ball set for Friday, Sept. 29 at the Delaware Art Museum. Cocktail attire with sneakers is the dress. Music will be provided by the Vince Lardear Trio and DJ Tim Dogg with food provided by Toscana. Tickets are $75; the party starts at 6:30pm. Visit YMCA.org/locations/central-ymca.
Take Your Car Around The Monster Mile
Dover Motor Speedway is offering a rare opportunity for race car fans to drive their personal vehicles around the world’s fastest one-mile oval during Laps For Charity set for Saturday, Sept. 30 (10am-3pm). Proceeds benefit Speedway Children’s Charities. For $50 per vehicle, participants can take five laps around the track. A VIP session will be held from 10am-noon permitting drivers to take eight laps around the track. Exclusive track access is available to car clubs interested in attending and driving the track as a group. Participants are encouraged to pre-register at SpeedwayCharities.org/events.
Diamond State Black Film Festival Returns to Penn Cinema Sept. 21-24
The second Diamond State Black Film Festival (DSBFF), set for Sept. 21-24 at Penn Cinema in Wilmington, will showcase some of the most established and emerging talent in independent films that highlight and celebrate works with Black oriented themes and casts. This event is being presented by the GTL Education Foundation, Inc.
Highlights of this year include two feature films that spotlight veterans and the Black DC Comics scene. The festival will screen 24 films, offer an opening and closing reception, workshops, and discussions with directors and producers. Visit DiamondStateBFF.com.
