DOVER, Del. – Imagine the romance of Paris, the elegance of a star-studded evening, and a powerful purpose uniting hundreds of attendees. On Saturday, March 1, 2025, the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (DBCC) invites you to Bally’s Dover Casino Resort for the annual Lights of Life Gala: A Night in Paris. From the moment guests step through the doors, they will be enveloped in the ambiance of the City of Light. Parisian decor, a magnifique atmosphere, and the tantalizing aroma of gourmet cuisine set the vibe for an evening of enchantment. Guests dressed to the nines in glamorous evening wear will sip on fine wines and signature cocktails while savoring an exquisite Parisian-inspired menu. The vibrant beats of DJ Brian K. Hall will fill the air, creating the perfect backdrop for mingling, dancing, and celebration. This glamorous affair promises unforgettable memories while supporting breast cancer awareness and survivorship programs. A Celebration with Heart The Lights of Life Gala is more than a night of elegance; it’s a beacon of hope for those affected by breast cancer. Proceeds from the evening directly fund DBCC’s survivorship programs and educational initiatives, ensuring access to care for countless individuals in need. From empowering survivors to fostering awareness, every ticket sold and donation made contributes to this vital mission. “The entire event is a great way to meet people and witness how the proceeds directly benefit survivors,” said Okemah Strickland, owner of A Cut Above, a repeat sponsor, committee member, and breast cancer survivor. Her dedication to the cause exemplifies the community spirit that drives the event’s success. A Highlight of the Evening: The Survivor Showcase One of the gala’s most cherished moments is the Survivor Showcase. A select group of breast cancer survivors, escorted by dedicated medical professionals, takes center stage to share their inspiring stories. Their resilience and courage remind everyone of the life-changing impact of DBCC’s programs. Bid on Parisian Dreams and More The gala’s auction offers an array of enticing options for all tastes. Picture yourself bidding on exquisite jewelry, luxurious spa packages, coveted sports memorabilia, and even dream vacations. Every bid supports DBCC’s mission to empower survivors and educate the community. This year you can also bid on a “Trip of a Lifetime”.  The auction features exclusive getaways to dream destinations like the Amalfi Coast, the Greek Islands, and the Scottish Highlands. Experience the high fashion of Milan and the romance of Venice, soak in the rich culture of New Orleans and Portugal, or indulge in a grand tour of France, Belgium, and England. Wine lovers can also bid on a Parisian escape paired with vineyard tours in France. These once-in-a-lifetime trips are only available at the event—get your tickets and get ready to bid! Purchase Tickets Now and Reserve Your Parisian Escape   Don’t miss your chance to be part of this unforgettable evening. Visit https://give.debreastcancer.org/ge/lol2025 to purchase tickets, explore sponsorship opportunities, and discover more about the Lights of Life Gala: A Night in Paris.   About the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition Founded with a mission to empower communities and increase access to care, DBCC offers statewide programs addressing breast health, early detection, and support services. Through outreach and education, they ensure no one faces breast cancer alone, removing barriers to screenings and providing vital resources for survivors. Headquartered in Wilmington, with offices in Kent and Sussex counties, DBCC serves diverse communities, offering programs like the Peer Mentor Program and community health fairs. Their work ensures that individuals, regardless of economic or cultural challenges, receive the care they need.   For more information about DBCC and its programs, visit www.debreastcancer.org. Join the magic, spread hope, and celebrate the lights of life in our community of breast cancer survivors and warriors. Together, we can make a difference by raising critical funds to support DBCC’s lifesaving work.

Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals returns to the Smyrna Opera House on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 6:00 pm. Eleven student finalists from public, private, parochial, vo-tech, and charter schools will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC, from May 5-7, 2025, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. The event is FREE to the public, and seating is limited. At their school, students selected and recited works from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Their teachers or facilitators ran their school’s local Poetry Out Loud competition that then selected a winner to be moved on to the state finals. “Congratulations to the eleven talented and creative high school students who have been selected as finalists in the 2025 Delaware Poetry Out Loud competition,” says Division Division of the Arts Director Jessica Ball. “Your hard work and passion for the arts is truly inspiring. The arts play a critical role in creating well-rounded individuals, fostering imagination, creativity and critical thinking skills essential to success in all aspects of life. Keep up the great work, and we can’t wait to see where your passion for the arts takes you in the future.” The 11 Poetry Out Loud finalists are: Cale Cooper, Delaware Valley Classical School Trinity Gbolo, MOT High School Becca Hurwitz, Concord High School Brooke Kennedy, Saint Mark’s High School Carmen Mestre-Tlacuatl, Delcastle Technical High School Cathy Mosely, Paul M. Hodgson Vo-Tech High School Elias Olvera, Cape Henlopen High School Anawo (Nife) Olunifemi, Sussex Central High School Kalor Pewee, First State Military Academy Chase Reynolds, Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences Olivia Stevens, Mount Sophia Academy About Poetry Out Loud The 2024-2025 school year marks the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud®, an arts education program and dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students that lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud takes place in all 50 states, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to $50,000 in prizes and stipends awarded annually to competitors and their home communities—including a $20,000 prize for the National Champion—Poetry Out Loud provides free poetry education resources nationally, including lesson plans and other educational materials for teachers and organizers, tips on reciting, and an online anthology of more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems. Delaware high schools and organizations are encouraged to contact Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud state coordinator Dr. Traci Currie ([email protected]) to get involved in 2026’s competition.

WILMINGTON — Delaware’s Revolutionary War history will be showcased Feb. 1 as “Travels with Darley: Delaware Revolutionary Road Trip” will air at 10 a.m. on Philadelphia WHYY. Darley Newman, six-time Emmy Award-nominated host and executive producer of Travels with Darley, worked alongside the Delaware Tourism Office and Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau to create this episode. Newman is taking viewers on an extended tour of sites related to the American Revolution to honor the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026. Throughout this season of Travels with Darley, experts share history and lesser-known stories of the Revolutionary War with viewers. “We are always looking for ways to market Delaware as a premier destination to travelers around the country. Working with Travels with Darley allows us to showcase the history of our state alongside our great restaurants, beautiful scenery, and unique attractions to audiences across a range of TV stations and streaming networks,” said Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “With our nation’s 250th-anniversary celebration in 2026, the ‘Revolutionary Road Trip’ episode highlights Delaware’s important role as the First State and invites visitors to explore our storied past.” Filming for the Delaware-based episode took place in April of 2024 and included locations in all three of Delaware’s counties. “In New Castle County, Newman tasted her first glass of mead at Liquid Alchemy Beverages, learned about the Civil War hospital that once stood on the site of the Grand Opera House, walked in the footsteps of Delaware’s founders in Historic New Castle and more,” said Jen Boes, executive director of the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau. In Kent County, filming locations included Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, John Dickinson Plantation, The Old State House, and John Bell House. A visit to Sussex County included stops at Nanticoke Indian Museum and Zwaanendael Museum. Emmy Award-nominated Travels with Darley takes viewers on U.S. and international adventures, focusing on the history, food, nature, and art that reflects diverse cultures and traditions. The series is available on PBS and streaming networks around the world, including Create TV, Ovation TV’s JOURNY, Amazon Prime, and Wondrium. The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free at 866-284-7483. The Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau (visitwilmingtonde.com) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1978, chartered by the Governor of Delaware, the New Castle County Executive, and the Mayor of Wilmington. Its mission is to serve as the community’s customer-focused destination marketing organization, generating economic growth through leisure travel and meetings development.

ARDENTOWN – National comedian and critically-acclaimed podcast host John Poveromo is returning to the historic Candlelight Theater on Thursday, Jan. 23rd. Poveromo, who hosts “Dystopia Tonight…” and has been a comedian for 20 years, has performed in the First State a few times, including Candlelight in 2024.  “Just connecting with the people there is great,” Poveromo, the New Jersey native, said. “The theater only does comedy there once a month, so it really is a special event.” The comic has recently had icons like Jay Leno, Paul Reiser, and Tim Matheson on his show, and he’s interviewed more than 200 award winning actors, musicians, comedians, and authors. “The people that come out to see comedy at the Candlelight are true comedy fans,” he said.  He said it’s nice to see many of the same faces in the crowd every time he returns to Delaware. Admitting it’s a tad cliché, he said he wanted to become a comic because he loves making people laugh and the joy that comes with it. “But I really just have [stuff] to say, and it’s a great outlet if you believe you have a voice and want to connect with people on a different level,” he said. Especially in today’s political climate, he said comedy is as essential as ever, and even if two people disagree about something, it’s beautiful to see them join together in laughter. “You can find common ground through that,” he said. “It’s kind of a great way to explain myself too.” He said comedians always feel like they’re the bastard children of Hollywood. “We’ve got like one foot in the door, but that door could slam anytime,” he said, “so you always come back to the stage. You always go back to comedy, and it’s a great way to let people know who you are.” Comedy shows are a release for an hour, he said, where people can just sit in a room with a group of strangers and listen to somebody tell jokes, and there’s nothing better than that.  Comedy at Candlelight Once a month since 2008, the Candlelight Theater presents the Candlelight Comedy Club, where nationally and internationally, touring comedians are featured.   There are three comedians – a headliner, a feature, and an emcee – and the host, Jason Pollock, also books the talent.  “The comedians love our audiences and our space, so we’re a favorite in the comedy community,” said Betsy Conner, a spokeswoman for the venue. “Jason is a comedian himself and is well-loved in the comedy community, so with that combination, it is not surprising when a feature is also a headliner, so our audience gets a doubleheader headliner.” On Jan. 23, all three comedians appearing tour nationally as headliners. Joanne Filan and Belynda Cleare are also performing.  In addition to comedy venues, Candlelight Theater comedians have appeared in casino showrooms, on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, SiriusXM Radio, Conan O’Brian, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, America’s Got Talent, Showtime, and Netflix. “We are thrilled to welcome John and Joanne back to the Comedy Club,” Conner said.  The Candlelight Theatre is a dinner theatre open year-round and typically produces five musicals and one comedy annually.  It kicks off its 2025 season Jan. 18 with the musical comedy “Something Rotten” and other shows this year will be “Bright Star” with music by Steve Martin, Jimmy Buffet’s “Escape to Margaritaville,” “Ragtime,” and Candlelight’s own “Christmas by Candlelight.” Poveromo’s growth as a comedian Calling Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld the “best of the best,” Poveromo said Robin Williams was his guy when he started comedy.  “He was my gateway drug into comedy,” he said, “because I didn’t even know what stand-up was until I got into him.” Some others who he enjoys and have inspired him include Tim Allen, Brett Butler, Paul Reiser, Drew Carey, Richard Lewis, Jon Stewart, Lewis Black, and Drew Carey. “All those guys were f-ing huge influences on me, just because they were so present,” he said. “Everything you watched entertainment-wise had a comedian involved. Those guys were always the best. They were my heroes.” He praised comedians like Seinfeld, who are famous for their meticulous process of coming up with material, always carrying around a legal pad and reworking the same joke for hours. However, Poveromo likes to be spontaneous and off the cuff, which is a skill that also takes a lot of work and time to master. “People think a lot of comedians go up, and they improvise, and then that’s it,” he said, “but a lot of it for me is writing down notes in my notepad on my phone of s##t that happens, or stuff that I think of, or sometimes stuff that I say conversationally to friends or family that I wind up thinking is funny or could be something.” He then goes back through all his notes days or weeks later and decides what he still thinks is funny, then tries it on stage.  “A lot of my material is very conversational, so it involves me working my way through stuff, so I work out on stage most of the time,” he said.  Most comedians never open with a new bit, but that’s not a rule Poveromo subscribes to.  “I do like to open with the new, because to me, it’s fresh and exciting, and also leads me into different places, in my own set, in my own act, because I don’t want to be bored either,” he said. “I think the audience can tell if you’re bored, so it’s just the way I happen to work. It’s just the way my mind works, and it’s easier for me to perform in a way that’s kind of new each time.” He said he likes to have a mix of crowd work and material, but his goal is to make sure people are left guessing. “I think one of the things that I’m known for is I’ve had other peers and other comedians be like, ‘I don’t […]

Customers at Columbia Care’s three medical dispensaries in Wilmington, Rehoboth Beach, and Smyrna have only one thing to say about today’s news: Woooo! The Cannabist Company, owners of 71 dispensaries and 20 cultivation and manufacturing facilities, has picked Delaware to launch its partnership with Ric Flair Drip. The signature cannabis brand, co-founded by the iconic wrestling World Champion Ric Flair, is part of Carma HoldCo Inc., a leading global house of brands. The Cannabist Company said it will debut the product in more markets in 2025. We’re going to resist the “styling and profiling and Nature Boy references, but the Delaware debut of the Ric Flair Drip collection features all-in-one 1-gram vapes and vape cartridges in four curated flavors, including Love Afflair, Mango Mania, Strawberry Strut, and Relaxed AG – which is available exclusively as a cart. “It’s an amazing and fun opportunity to work with legends like Ric, and we’re stoked to kick off this partnership in Delaware just ahead of the market’s launch of adult-use sales later next year. Ric is such a dynamic personality, and his brand is already generating a lot of buzz around the industry,” said Jesse Channon, president of The Cannabist Company. “The continued evolution of our brand partnership model is not only helping to bring new and unique offerings to the market, it also contributes to the expanded production capacity at our top-tier facilities.” “Let me tell you something: Bringing the Ric Flair Drip experience to Delaware is huge, baby!” Ric Flair reportedly said, but we don’t know for sure since he confined his remarks to the press release. “The Nature Boy is rolling into new markets, styling and profiling across the country. Ric Flair Drip is all about quality, individuality, and being the real deal—just like yours truly! I’m fired up to bring it to Delaware’s cannabis scene and team up with Cannabist to keep this ride going strong.  

  Delaware Shakespeare (DelShakes) will present a summer production for the first time that is a musical, partly in Spanish, and includes words written by people not named William Shakespeare. “Twelfth Night O Lo Que Quieras” was initially presented in DelShakes’ 2022 community tour. Artistic director Mariah Ghant said she was “really blown away” by the 2022 production and wanted to bring it to the larger, outdoor performance space at New Castle County’s Rockwood Park & Museum and a potentially larger audience. “I instantly had tears in my eyes with the first chords of the show,” she said. “I just found that the music was so powerful. It did exactly what we’re looking to do with Shakespeare’s text – allowing people to have another entryway into what can often feel hard to access for folks. Making it into this bilingual musical is a way to open it up for many, many people to have a way to see themselves in the story.” The comedy “combines love, confusion, mistaken identities, and joyful discovery,” the Folger Shakespeare Library explains. The main plot involves the twins Sebastian and Viola surviving a shipwreck, with neither knowing that the other is alive. DelShakes makes changes from the original Twelfth Night script Shakespeare’s original script runs almost three hours, with intermission. The 2022 bilingual musical, with additions by Liz Filios and Tanaquil Márquez, ran about 15 minutes less. The creative team is trimming more to hit two hours and 15 minutes, with intermission, for Rockwood. Ghant estimates that 20% to 30% of the words are in Spanish, but feels it’s not an issue for monoglots. “I found it incredibly easy, honestly,” said Ghant, who does not speak Spanish. “I think a lot of times people view Shakespeare as being a different language. I think it does that same kind of thing with the Spanish. It might feel like you can’t understand every word, but that’s what the acting is doing, to bring forward the emotions and put a visual to what we might typically just be reading or hearing.” There will be a new director, so the announcement of the show said it will be “revamped and reimagined.” Casting will occur in 2025, with izzy sazak returning as Violeta (the new name for Viola, a term with negative connotations in Spanish). DelShakes’ 2025 schedule “Twelfth Night O Lo Que Quieras” (the show’s subtitle translates Shakespeare’s “or what you will”) will be presented for three weekends this summer at Rockwood. In 2022, 593 people saw the show during the community tour. In contrast, the summer productions are presented to three to four times as many people. The community tour this fall features “Two Gentlemen of Verona.” The tour features “free performances at community centers, detention facilities, adult high schools, and other non-traditional locations where people may have limited access to professional arts experiences.” Delaware Shakespeare started in 2003 at Archmere Academy, moved to Rockwood in 2006 and added the community tour in 2016.

WILMINGTON — City Fare Meals on Wheels and the Food Bank of Delaware have each received $50,000 grants from the National Council on Aging (NCOA), which hopes to enroll 20,000 eligible older adults in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) across 13 states. The Food Bank’s strategy for the SNAP grant The Food Bank’s grant will support its ongoing SNAP outreach efforts, using the money to support its Commodity Supplemental Food Program, reaching out to seniors over 60. “We will likely do some robocalling and also send out outreach coordinators to more senior living facilities, senior centers, and other community-based senior organizations,” said Kim Turner, director of communications for the Food Bank of Delaware, which has locations in Newark and Milford. “We spend a lot of time on SNAP outreach in the community, signing people up for different state benefits, helping them navigate the system, and helping them apply for benefits.” Seniors have the largest enrollment gap for SNAP benefits in Delaware at approximately 67 percent, or an estimated 20,000 seniors, Turner said. Turner said seniors are typically under-represented in applying for SNAP for reasons that include feeling it’s not worth their while because they may get as little as $23 depending on their income, assets, and size of their households, and for pride issues after working their entire lives. “Besides their social security checks, older people living on low budgets cut their medications,” Turner said. “They need to eat, and we don’t want them to feel embarrassed about reaching out. This population gets other calls from us, and we want to build a relationship with them. Robocalls are one component, and we’re working to make sure they know it’s us calling when we use that strategy.” City Fare’s strategy for the SNAP grant City Fare Meals on Wheels will use its $50,000 to train and pay people for outreach to prospective SNAP enrollees, to conduct initial screening, and to create leave-behinds for prospects to review, said Erica Porter Brown, project director for City Fare since 2001. City Fare Meals on Wheels is a program of St. Anthony’s Community Center that has operated in Wilmington since 1986. City Fare provides hot, nourishing meals to homebound elderly and disabled persons in New Castle County who cannot prepare meals for themselves and have no one to do so for them. It also provides professional case management to every client. Brown said City Fare hopes to add 650 clients to the SNAP program over the next 16 months. Since receiving notification of the grant last month, they’ve been training people and testing their approach before the full rollout in January. “We’ve doing nutrition programs for older adults and are just getting started with SNAP outreach,” she said. “It’s a natural extension of what we’re doing with the population, one more service we can offer.” NCOA’s goals for the program NCOA is making a total of $1.3 million in grants through its SNAP Enrollment Initiative, funded by The Walmart Foundation. Grantees have 18 months to increase enrollments in their communities and enroll 20,000 older adults in SNAP nationwide. This is part of NCOA’s national effort to support community-based organizations and agencies in assisting older adults in applying for and enrolling in SNAP. In 2022, nearly 7 million older Americans were food insecure, and research shows this number could rise to 9 million by 2050. SNAP helps older adults ensure better nutrition, which improves health outcomes. Delaware is among the states where less than 12 percent of households with adults 60 and older are enrolled in SNAP. In addition to finding and enrolling older adults in SNAP, City Fare and the Food Bank will follow up with clients to ensure they received the benefits and see what barriers delayed or prevented enrollment. This will help NCOA improve the customer experience to attract, engage, and connect older adults to SNAP.    

By Pam George Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library is the elegant receptacle for Henry Francis du Pont’s internationally famous American furniture and decorative arts collection. For instance, the mansion’s wood-paneled Marlboro Room has 18th-century furniture, Colonial-era portraits, and a tea service given to the H.F. du Pont’s parents in 1874. But one object is not like the others. At the room’s entrance is a Christmas tree covered in lime green, electric orange, and shocking pink silkscreens. While the images depict items found in the room, including a teapot, the presentation is a nod to the mod. “Pop! Goes the Collection” by Mack Truax and Bob Trent is one of seven holiday trees inspired by the current exhibit, “Transformations: Contemporary Artists at Winterthur,” highlighting the museum’s Maker-Creator Fellows. Consequently, this year’s “Yuletide at Winterthur” is a collision between the classic and the contemporary. The result might shock some attendees, but it is provocative. Yuletide at Winterthur is a 30+ year tradition The annual event, which opened Nov. 23 and runs until Jan. 5, is a 30+-year tradition. The approach to the seasonal displays has changed over the years, said Reggie Lynch, director of interpretation and engagement, who oversees the originality of the Yuletide display. “In years past, entire rooms have been emptied for displays, only to see the following year emphasize American winter traditions throughout history,” he explained. More recently, organizers have linked the current exhibit with the seasonal event. For instance, during the exhibit “Jacqueline Kennedy and Henry Francis du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House,” the trees highlighted the First Ladies and their White House Christmas traditions. Last year, to celebrate the “Ann Lowe: American Couturier” exhibit, Winterthur commissioned Delaware-based couturiers Asata Maisé Beeks and Shawn Baron Pinckney to create fashions inspired by Ann Lowe and Winterthur. The contemporary twist The current exhibit, “Transformations: Contemporary Artists at Winterthur,” features the work of more than 30 nationally recognized contemporary artists inspired by Winterthur’s collections, grounds, and history. “We wanted to highlight that same spirit in the [Yuletide] display,” Lynch said. Contemporary is not a stretch. It bears noting that du Pont was on the board of trustees for the Museum of Modern Art, and many of his homes—yes, plural—featured Mid-Century Modern pieces. “Contemporary art actually fits well within what our founder, H. F. du Pont, was doing as he designed Winterthur,” Lynch explained. “In each room and garden at Winterthur, he was playing with line, color, and shape in very modern ways,” he continued. “Our staff did an amazing job pulling that modern, out-of-the-box thinking through to the displays. We like to say you can see a beautiful Christmas tree anywhere this time of year, but at Winterthur, you’ll get that extra artistic flare that makes us unique.” On opening day, a pianist performed on the grand piano in the breathtakingly beautiful Chinese Parlor, whose walls are covered in hand-painted 18th-century Chinese wallpaper. (To accommodate the paper, he combined three rooms from the home’s original section, built in 1839.) The tree in this room is a gorgeous explosion of cobalt blue, midnight blue, musical notes and instruments and gold flora. One of the more unusual trees demonstrates du Pont’s love of green—some 48 shades. The tree is adorned with paint samples of the hues. A whimsical tree in a cozy room inspired by Aesop’s Fables celebrates Wintethur’s collaboration with Forgotten Cats, which humanely traps, vaccinates, sterilizes and rehomes feral cats. The tree’s photos are of adopted cats. It’s only been a few days, so Winterthur’s team is still collecting attendee feedback. But last year’s mix of old and new was met with “excitement—even awe,” he said. A preview of the 2025 approach Next year,  expect a return to more traditional displays, he said. However, there will be “no shortage of beauty, creativity, and awe-inspiring moments,” he added. “We hope that people leave Winterthur inspired to create beauty in their own homes and gardens,” he concluded. For inspiration, Winterthur has a series of talks, workshops and guided discussions. Additionally, the museum will have a Santa Clause Meet and Greet on Dec. 4, a live performance of “A Christmas Carol” on Dec. 12, and an OperaDelaware candlelight concert on Dec. 14. There is also a brunch with Santa on Dec. 14 For information on events, visit https://www.winterthur.org/ IF YOU GO Yuletide at Winterthur Through Jan. 5 (Closed Christmas Day) General admission tickets start at $8 for children 3-12 and go to $29 for adults 1-800-448-3883