Delaware

Here are 9 holiday light shows to catch this season in the Delaware, Philadelphia region

Published

12 months ago

November 23, 2024

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Here are 9 holiday light shows to catch this season in the Delaware, Philadelphia region

From walks to drive-thrus, there are plenty of opportunities to catch a holiday light show this season.

Various shows and events are taking place throughout Delaware and across the Philadelphia region this year.

Here are nine holiday light shows to check out:

Longwood Gardens

Spectators of the holiday light show at Longwood Gardens are in for a special treat this year as “A Longwood Christmas” kicks off amid the opening of “Longwood Reimagined.”

The expansion features new spaces like the West Conservatory, which will offer new areas to deck out for the holidays.

Longwood Gardens, located near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, launched its holiday light display on Friday, Nov. 22, and it will run daily through Jan. 12. To make a reservation, visit the sprawling garden’s website.

Address: 1001 Longwood Road, near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Website: longwoodgardens.org

Yuletide at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library

Holidays at the Winterthur Museum on Route 52 features twinkling lights adorning the woodlands, a large-scale gingerbread house and an 18-room dollhouse, according to the museum’s website.

The holiday display will be open to the public starting Saturday, Nov. 23, and will run through Sunday, Jan. 5.

You can purchase tickets online or by calling the museum at 800-448-3883.

Address: 5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware

Website: winterthur.org/

Holidays at Hagley

Get a glimpse of Hagley Museum and Library around the holidays with a holiday home and garden tour.

The site features a gingerbread house contest, Santa day, holiday night tours and more.

The holiday experience at Hagley runs from Sunday, Nov. 29 through Wednesday, Jan. 1. Purchase tickets online to schedule your holiday tour.

Address: 200 Hagley Creek Road, Greenville, Delaware

Website: hagley.org/

Drone show at the Riverfront

The Wilmington Riverfront during the evening hours of Friday, Dec. 6, will host a drone holiday light show.

The free holiday light show will take place on the Riverwalk. For more information about the event, visit the Riverfront’s website.

Address: Michael S Purzycki Riverwalk in Wilmington, Delaware

Website: riverfrontwilm.com/event/drone-light-show

Shady Brook Farm

If you are willing to take a drive for a holiday light display, look no further than Yardley, Pennsylvania’s Shady Brook Farm.

You can drive through the holiday show yourself or take a wagon ride through. The holiday festivities begin Saturday, Nov. 23 and run through Jan. 5, 2025. Ticket prices are per vehicle and vary depending on the day of your visit.

The farm also features Santa’s Village with gifts, treats, firepits and a Candy Cane Lane walk-through.

Address: 931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley, Pennsylvania

Website: shadybrookfarm.com

Gift of Lights Dover

The Dover Motor Speedway will once again host its drive-thru holiday light show this year.

Tickets are priced per carload at $35 per car and $60 per bus or limo.

Address: 1229 Persimmon Tree Lane, Dover, Delaware

Website: giftoflights.ticketspice.com/gift-of-lights-dover

The Brandywine Railroad

Since 1972, the Brandywine Railroad has displayed model trains, including locomotives, passenger and freight trains, and trolleys as part of its annual holiday display.

The display also features interactive options like “push buttons and foot pedals” so visitors can engage with the train setup.

The holiday display began on Saturday, Nov. 16, and runs through Jan. 5. For more information visit the Brandywine Museum of Arts’ website.

Address: 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

Website: brandywine.org/museum

Holiday Lights Express

Take a festive ride on 100-year-old heated coaches through the Red Clay Valley to see homes decorated for the holidays.

The Wilmington & Western Railroad hosts one-hour evening train rides during the month of December. To purchase train tickets, visit the venue’s website.

For a visit from Santa Claus, be sure to reserve train tickets for the Santa Claus Express.

Address: 2201 Newport Gap Pike, Prices Corner, Delaware

Website: wwrr.com/ride/events/holiday-lights

NOËL at Nemours Estate

Experience the holidays at the Nemours Estate by touring the 77-room mansion, chauffer’s garage and gardens adorned in twinkling lights.

The estate also will feature live music performances throughout the season.

The festivities at the Nemours Estate began Tuesday, Nov. 19 and will extend through Sunday, Dec. 29. Purchase tickets on the estate’s website and reserve your visit.

Address: 1600 Rockland Road, Rockland, Delaware

Website: nemoursestate.org

Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com. Follow her on X at @mandy_fries.

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Delaware

Indian River returns to Delaware state championship with overtime victory over Lake Forest – 47abc

Published

23 minutes ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

Indian River returns to Delaware state championship with overtime victory over Lake Forest – 47abc

17 minutes ago

Chris Brunk,

DAGSBORO, Del. – Indian River football outlasted Lake Forest 14-7 in overtime on Friday night in Dagsboro in the DIAA 2A Semifinal.

They will play the winner of Howard and Red Lion on Saturday, November 29th at noon at Delaware State University.

Categories: High School, Sports, Sports Insider, Video Locker

Tags: delaware high school football, DIAA 2A quarterfinals, football, high school football, indian river, Indian river football, lake forest, lake forest football

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Delaware

Delmarva’s legal power forces 2 villages to vacate laws banning new electricity towers

Published

18 hours ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Delmarva’s legal power forces 2 villages to vacate laws banning new electricity towers

What are journalists missing from the state of Delaware? What would you most like WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

Efforts by two tiny bucolic villages in northern Delaware to thwart Delmarva Power’s plan to replace high-voltage transmission lines have crumbled under a lawsuit filed by the state’s dominant electricity provider.

Ardentown and Ardencroft, whose roughly 500 residents live in a self-proclaimed
“forest ecosystem” of mature woodlands and open spaces known as “greens,” object to the looming replacement of seven tall metal towers, one more than 100 feet high, that were built a century ago on what was then farmland.

The existing towers traverse about a half-mile of mostly hilly terrain through the two towns, with some located between the backyard of homes in a Delmarva right-of-way. Their replacement with galvanized steel structures designed to withstand hurricane-force winds is part of Delmarva’s 4.5-mile upgrade that’s aimed at improving reliability service for 13,000 customers while reducing the frequency and duration of outages.

But the village’s governing assemblies contend the project will tarnish the lush enclave by clear-cutting trees and disrupting lead-contaminated soil beneath the towers. They want the project rerouted about a quarter-mile away, near railroad tracks where Delmarva already has some towers. WHYY News detailed the controversy in January.

The yellow line shows the current stretch of towers and electric cables, and the blue line shows the railroad tracks where Arden leaders want them moved. (Courtesy of Ben Gruswitz)

In a bid to stymie Delmarva, Ardencroft banned new transmission lines and towers last year, and approved an annual impact fee for existing transmission infrastructure. In March, the town sent Delmarva a $12,833.17 impact fee bill for 2025.

Earlier this year, Ardentown formally entered the fray, prohibiting transmission towers and poles from exceeding 100 feet in height, with fines of $1,000 per day for violations. Ardentown also banned new transmission lines or tower infrastructure of 60 kilovolts or more within 100 feet of any home, with fines of $1,500 per day for violations.

Delmarva’s existing lines and towers, both Ardentown ordinances said, have “caused almost 100 years of unnecessary harm and avoidable risk to our village.”

In response to the villages’ laws and fees, Delmarva fired back on Oct. 31 against Ardentown — but not Ardencroft — in Delaware’s Chancery Court, which is recognized internationally for its ability to resolve business and corporate disputes.

Delmarva’s suit asked the court to invalidate Ardentown’s new laws and order the town to pay its legal bills. The 27-page filing accused the town of exceeding its legislative authority by violating the village’s 1926 contract with predecessor American Power Company that allows the lines, the Delaware Public Service Commission’s authority to regulate utilities and Delmarva’s constitutional property rights.

“The 1926 Ardentown Easement does not limit the height of the towers/poles located in the Ardentown Easement Area, nor does it limit the voltage carried by the transmission lines,” the lawsuit said.

three photos of transmission towers — The century-old transmission towers Delmarva Power wants to replace are up to 95 feet high, and a weathered “danger” sign warning of “high voltage” is attached to a century-old transmission tower. (Cris Barrish/WHYY)

The lawsuit added that the easement “gives Delmarva Power, among other things, the right to ‘repair and renew said poles, towers, structures, fixtures, and wires.’”

None of the current towers are higher than 100 feet, according to the lawsuit, but all of the proposed ones are, and the law was only enacted after Delmarva shared details of its “long-planned improvements” with town leaders.

“At their core, the ordinances are nothing more than a ‘not in my backyard’ attempt to force Delmarva Power to re-route its existing transmission line away from Ardentown and through other communities,” the lawsuit said.

Noting that the project’s completion deadline is the end of 2026, the lawsuit said that failing to finish by then “risks real-time operational reliability problems, including outages to a large number of customers or higher energy costs to customers.”

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