HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP — Kelly Music for Life in Havertown announced the lineup this week for the eighth annual Havertown Irish Festival.
The festival is Saturday, June 13 from noon to 8 p.m. at 50 E. Eagle Road, Havertown. The celebration of Irish America 250 will have an expanded stage schedule and lineup for the free admission event.
To commemorate America’s 250 anniversary, Haverford Township, and Delaware County are hosting many special events this Summer.
The Irish America 250 Havertown Irish Festival is expected to attract 10,000 people from around the region to Havertown, also known as the “33rd County of Ireland” with its significant Irish population and heritage.
This year’s event features top international touring bands from Ireland and beyond.
Returning this year is the high energy Celtic Rock band Tan and Sober Gentlemen who played the Irish Festival three years ago. Also in the lineup are the winners of multiple Irish and international music awards, Runa of Dublin, Ireland’s John Byrne Band and Philadelphia based No Irish Need Apply.
Irish dancers from Emerald Isle Dance Academy will also perform and Brian Fox will blow bagpipes.
“With America celebrating 250 years, we will underscore the importance of Ireland’s influence on American history and its music,” said Tom Kelly, the Irish Festival organizer.
The Eagle Stage will offer a mix of bands and solos including Hooligan Jack, Kirsten Erwin and Bob Michel, Fenian Rams, Alice Marie, Shane Malloy and Conor and the Wild Hunt.
In addition to live music and Irish dancers there will be a Crafter Village featuring handmade crafts by dozens of artisans and crafters, food trucks, a beer garden, and a children’s Fun Zone.
Thanks to sponsorships and donations, especially the Levitt Family Foundation, the event is free and serves as the primary fundraiser to support the Kelly Center for Music, Arts and Community in Havertown.
For information on being a sponsor or vendor, about the performers and everything else about the festival, go to https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/kellycenter/irish-america-250-havertown-irish-festival
Delco Institute of Science lecturer to talk about naturalist’s hair collection
The Delaware County Institute of Science, 11 Veterans Square, Media, will conclude its 2025-26 Lecture Series with an illustrated lecture by author Robert McCracken Peck
The presentation, “A Close Brush With History: The Curious Collection of Peter A. Browne” is set for Monday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. and doors will open at 7 p.m.
The lecturer will discuss Peter Arrell Browne, a 19th-century naturalist and early member of the Delaware County Institute of Science, who gained international renown for his collection of human hair. Thirty years before Charles Darwin revolutionized man’s understanding of the descent of man, Browne tried to trace human origins by collecting hair from around the world.
Browne’s remarkable collection, the largest of its kind ever made, includes scores of celebrities, including Napoleon Bonaparte, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and a dozen other presidents. It is the subject of Peck’s book, “Specimens of Hair, The Curious Collection of Peter A. Browne.”
Peck is the curator of Art and Artifacts and Senior Fellow, Emeritus, at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.
Historian, naturalist, writer, and world traveler, Peck holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a Master of Arts from the Winterthur Program in American Cultural History, University of Delaware.
Widely published, Peck is the author of “Land of the Eagle: A Natural History of North America,” the companion volume to the eight‑part BBC/PBS television series of the same title. It was named one of the most notable natural history/science books of the year by the New York Times Book Review.
As Senior Fellow of Drexel University, Peck served as chronicler, historian, and photographer of many scientific research expeditions around the world. In 1988, a new species of South American frog, one of three he discovered in the Upper Amazon basin in Ecuador, was named in his honor.
The lecture series is free but donations are appreciated. Light refreshments will be provided.
This lecture will also be live-streamed on the institute’s Facebook page. For more information: www.delcoscience.org/lectures or email [email protected].
Rose Tree Pops Orchestra to perform spring concert
The Rose Tree Pops Orchestra will present its spring concert, A Celebration of American Composers on Sunday, May 17 at 3 p.m. at the Delaware County Christian School, 462 Malin Road, Newtown Square.
The theme is the celebration of American composers in honor of America’s 250th. The family friendly concert will include selections such as “American Salute,” “An American in Paris” and a tribute to John Williams, which includes several familiar show and movie tunes.
This concert will also feature the Rose Tree Pops Youth Competition Soloist winner Ruffini Tang, playing excerpts from Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 1 in E Flat Major. The concert is free, but a good will offering is appreciated.
Concerned residents gathered for Environmental Justice March
Over 120 residents from Chester and the region joined forces with Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living (CRCQL) on Saturday, May 2 to host the annual Environmental Justice March from City Hall to the Covanta, now ReWorld, trash incinerator.
The event was to generate awareness of the issue of pollution from the nation’s largest trash incinerator and other industries that have dire impacts on the health of residents in the city and across Delaware County, including newly proposed projects like a liquified natural gas export terminal on the Delaware River.
This year has been of significant importance because of the introduction of the Stop Trashing Our Air Act, a bill presented by Philadelphia Councilmember Jamie Gauthier that would ban Philadelphia from incinerating its trash. According to CRCQL, one-third of the waste burned at Reworld is from Philadelphia.
The march was led by Positive Movement drumline from Philadelphia and brought out people of all ages including many members of CRCQL’s youth leadership group CHOICES.
A dozen different organizations attended the march, including 4 Circles Beyond, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Earthquaker Action Team, Sisters of St. Francis, Climate Action PA, Good Energy Collective, Trinity House, 215 People’s Alliance, Put People First PA, Sierra Club and more. There were also students from different local colleges, including Swarthmore College, Widener University and Haverford College.
Protesters carried signs addressing the issues of pollution over people and called on leaders to prioritize residents’ health. This year’s march featured banners honoring loved ones who have lost their lives to cancer and other pollution-related health issues. With the closing of Crozer Hospital, marchers said, Chester residents have little to no local healthcare despite being exposed to the most pollutants in Delaware County.
The existing pollution and industries that are already causing unsafe environments for residents of Chester and beyond, have proposals are on the table.
“The (LNG) project would require massive infrastructure that not only would threaten the region with explosive harm and pollution, but it would also disrupt and pollute cities and towns across PA with the pipelines that it would require for LNG transport,” the marchers said in a news release this week.
To learn more about supporting clean air and healthy communities in Chester and the rest of Delaware County, visit http://ChesterPaEJ.org.
Holy Spirit Lutheran to hold Strawberry Festival
Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, 2545 Franklin Ave., Secane, will host its annual Strawberry Festival, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, rain or shine.
The event will feature food, games and music. Numerous raffle baskets have been donated. Everyone is invited to join the fun. For more information call the church office at 610-544-2707.
PennDOT’s Keystone Welcome Centers host National Travel and Tourism Week events
PennDOT says its 14 Welcome Centers will be hosting National Travel and Tourism Week events through May 9.
Among those 14 will be the Interstate 95 North, Delaware County Center, a half mile from the Delaware line in Linwood.
Tourism partners will promote their businesses in person to Welcome Center customers via displays, giveaways and information tables. Partners include privately-owned Pennsylvania tourism attractions as well as state and national parks and museums.
The 2026 Pennsylvania tourism season — including the NFL Draft, PGA Championship, FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Series and America250PA — is expected to bring more than 209 million travelers to the commonwealth. For many of them, PennDOT’s Keystone Welcome Centers will be their first stop in Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania is rolling out the red carpet for visitors from around the world,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “Our Welcome Center teams are ready to help travelers make the most of their visit to Pennsylvania.”
In 2025, Keystone Welcome Centers assisted 2.6 million visitors.
PennDOT Welcome Centers are open seven days a week, including most holidays, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with trained tourist information counselors ready to provide information about regional attractions as well as travel and accommodation assistance.
For more Pennsylvania travel and tourism information, or to request the 2026 Pennsylvania Travel Guide, go to http://visitpa.com or call 1-800-VISIT-PA (847-4872).
Lansdowne Folk Club’s next concert features Flagship Romance
Lansdowne Folk Club will present an alternative folk duo Flagship Romance on Thursday, June 4 at the Twentieth Century Club, 84 S. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne.
Doors will open at 7 p.m. and show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 when purchased in advance online or with an advanced phone reservation and $25 without an advance reservation.
For reservations, parking information, advance ticket sales and more information visit https://folkclub.org, email [email protected], or call 484-466-6213. Only cash will be accepted at the door.
Free tea and coffee will be provided and soda, water, and snacks can be purchased. Guests are permitted to bring their own food and beverages. Those who plan to eat there should email or call to reserve a table.
People may park on the side streets near the club or at the SEPTA train station lot two blocks away. Street parking is available on Lansdowne Court. Handicapped parking is behind the building.
According to Lansdowne Folk Club, “Flagship Romance is an unforgettable alternative folk duo known for their breathtaking vocal harmonies, inspired songwriting, dynamic live show, and a remarkable on and off-stage chemistry that will leave you with the feeling that you made two new best friends.”
Married singers-songwriters Shawn Fisher and Jordyn Jackson effortlessly fuse technical precision in their impeccably tight vocal blend with an invigorating sense of emotional abandon in their energetic live persona. Traveling over 300,000 miles since their musical inception, the duo has amassed an engaged grassroots following.
Currently based in Louisville, Ken., Flagship Romance has begun releasing a consistent string of singles from the double album, produced by Grammy-award winning producer Lee Miles. Find out more about them at www.flagshipromance.com.
Founded in 1993, the Lansdowne Folk Club is an all-volunteer, nonprofit corporation dedicated to presenting folk, acoustic and blues music.
Readers can send community news and photos to Peg DeGrassa at [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.delcotimes.com ’
