By AML Publisher
Photos by Brittany Ostrov Photography

A Longwood Gardens Christmas runs through January 9, 2011.

A Christmas fantasy awaits guests to Longwood Gardens near Kennett Square, PA, November 25, 2010 through January 9, 2011. Dazzling floral displays, stunning trees, holiday music, 500,000 outdoor lights, and dancing fountains under the stars are just a few of the highlights of the popular display A Longwood Gardens Christmas. Timed tickets are advised, with tickets issued for specific dates and times. Timed tickets are available now and can be purchased online at www.longwoodgardens.org, or in person at Longwood.

Inside Longwood’s 4.5-acre heated Conservatory thousands of poinsettias accented with amaryllis, Narcissus, begonias, cyclamen, lilies and hydrangea flourish. Elegantly decorated trees shimmer and sparkle with festive flair. In Longwood’s Exhibition Hall, an ornate art nouveau tapestry fashioned from live pink poinsettias and ferns surround a towering 25-foot Douglas fir adorned in raspberry and pink ornaments, preserved pink roses and gilded cones.

The Orangery’s center walkway is resplendent in pink poinsettias and blue coleus accented with paper whites, alyssum and bay laurel. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

A "must see" for visitors is the 30th Annual Gingerbread House Competition and Display, featuring more than 100 incredible creations of gingerbread and confection in the Village Gazebo.

Welcome the holidays and the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus at the annual Peddler’s Village Christmas Festival on Saturday, December 4, 2010, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (shops open until 9 p.m.), and Sunday, December 5, 2010, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is free admission and parking.

Hot mulled cider, heated in an old fashioned kettle, will be sold on the Main Green, along with complimentary marshmallows for toasting. The Village will be festively decorated for the holidays with Victorian fruit wreaths and greenery. Strolling musicians entertain visitors with holiday favorites throughout the weekend. By evening, one million twinkling lights will transform the Village into a winter wonderland.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in a horse-drawn carriage as part of an old-fashioned parade through the Village. The Central Bucks East Marching Band will lead the parade accompanied by local Girl Scout Troops. Other parade participants and live festival entertainment will include the Season’s Greetings Eagles Pep Band, Spiced Punch Singers (Victorian carolers), and Stiltwalker. Following the parade, Santa will entertain children and their holiday wish lists at his indoor workshop, located in Giggleberry Fair.

A “must see” for visitors is the 30th Annual Gingerbread House Competition and Display, featuring more than 100 incredible creations of gingerbread and confection in the Village Gazebo. The spectacular display will be open through January 2, 2010. Admission is free for the display.

Peddler’s Village is located at Routes 202 and Street Road in Lahaska. Follow the winding brick pathways of the Village throughout 42 acres of lush landscaping and charming 18th century-style architecture for a unique shopping and dining experience. Peddler’s Village has something for everyone from 70 quality specialty shops and six restaurants to the 70-room Golden Plough Inn and Giggleberry Fair family entertainment center. Enjoy free seasonal festivals and year-round family events. For more information, please visit www.peddlersvillage.com or call 215-794-4000.

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

A beloved Bucks County holiday tradition returns as Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great grandson of famed author Charles Dickens, performs his one-man show of “A Christmas Carol” at Byers’ Choice.

It will be a Dickens of a weekend at Byers’ Choice Ltd. when Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great grandson of famed author Charles Dickens, captures audiences as he performs his one-man show of “A Christmas Carol” from December 11th and December 12th.

The fast-paced performance will take place inside the Byers’ Choice workshop at in Chalfont, Pa. Playing the roles of all 26 characters, Dickens will entertain the audience will his ancestor’s beloved holiday tale. This 75-minute show brings the original story to life and reminds us all of the true meaning of Christmas.

Show times at Byers’ Choice are 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12. Tickets are $18 each and can be purchased online at www.byerschoice.com or by calling 215-822-6700. Seating is limited and previous performances have sold out. Interested guests are encouraged to reserve seats early. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photography courtesy of April Ziegler Photography

A cozy winery hidden on a hilltop in Bucks County has much to offer Main Liners looking for a pleasant daycation this summer.
Peace Valley Winery, Chalfont, PA

In 1967, Susan Gross was working as a chemist, rubbing elbows with horticulturists and thinking about her next career move. A country winery was not on her radar. But, before she knew it, Gross was a proud owner of a bare stretch of cornfield in quaint Chalfont, Pennsylvania. She had never been on a tractor in her life. As many first time entrepreneurs do, Gross went with a gut feeling-experimented with her new piece of property and planted three acres of wine grapes along with a large experimental plot of hybrids from France and Germany.

Seventeen years later, Peace Valley Winery opened (in 1984) with Robert Kolmus as a partner. Today, Peace Valley is a quaint, country winery in the heart of Bucks County farmland with over twenty acres dedicated to over two dozen varieties of grapes. “Our philosophy is one of a laidback approach. We are certainly not wine snobs out here at Peace Valley. We are a working farm and small town vineyard, and our loyal customers prefer us to the state store brands-because we have great wines and they can support a local business” Gross explained.
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Kevin E. McPherson

Grand Opening: A Capacity Crowd Filled the Bakery Anxious to Test the Gluten-Free Treats.

Christine Ruggio had suffered for twenty-five years with debilitating stomach ailments, making hundreds of visits to her doctor complaining of severe pain and digestive issues. And, for twenty-five years, Ruggio was given the same diagnosis. “’You are hyper, you are in high school, so it’s stress-related. You are about to get married, you need to calm down, it is all about stress. You have IBS, you need to calm down and relax, look what you are doing to yourself! You have children now, you are getting too wound up,’” Ruggio explains. So, Ruggio’s doctor placed her on medication for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and strictly advised her to take it easy—ensuring her the symptoms would eventually subside if she followed her prescriptions and cut back on her busy lifestyle.

But Ruggio felt that there was something more to her body’s rejection of some of the food she consumed – and finally she confronted her doctor again. “I said to him, ‘Let’s get real here. Aren’t we masking the problem and not trying to solve it? This is not going away and I’m getting worse,’” she said.

But the doctor visits continued and Ruggio’s health continued to worsen. Then, a few years ago she took a family trip to Italy, where her Italian cousin happened to be on a gluten-free diet. Everywhere they went the whole family dined on gluten-free meals, and educated Ruggio about the intolerance to wheat that had made her cousin very ill. This was the first time she had heard about a medical condition called Celiac Disease, an autoimmune intestinal disorder that affects people for life.

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Weekends are certainly the time we treasure with family and friends but finding the financial resources in this day and age to plan full blown getaways can be difficult. So, a daycation (a day trip that doesn’t exceed a full tank of gas and is a reasonable distance from your home) is a great, affordable, satisfying alternative and a travel concept steadily gaining in popularity. Since the Main Line and surrounding suburbs are so rich with activity, events and interesting people and places, I’m excited to begin what I believe will be a valuable resource for our readers, Main Line Daycations!

So, this is the first in AroundMainLine.com’s special travel series, and I hope you find it useful, interesting and educating. For those of you new to the Main Line area, welcome, and we hope that you will find some inspirational ideas here for exploring and experiencing this great area. Our travel section you should be of great help navigating around this area you now call home, welcome! And for ML vets such as myself, I hope to remind you of some great, affordable afternoon options that fill your weekends with fun and rich memories without breaking the bank—and I’m sure you’ll see some new ideas too!
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