Around Phoenixville

On Tuesday, April 10th and the second Tuesday of each month, Pepperoncini (184 Bridge Street; 484-924-8429) will continue their Italian Wine Dinner Series. Each wine dinner will focus on a different region of Italy and will be hosted by David Greenstein from The Wine Merchant. "This month, we will focus on the Piedmont region. I love to do this region for it's grape and stylistic diversity," explains The Wine Merchant's David Greenstein. "You have sparkling, sweet frizzante, juicy red and whites and very bold and tannic red wines." At 7:00pm on Tuesday, April 10th premium Barolo and Piedmont wines will be paired with Chef Paul DiBona's classic 5-course Italian menu. The cost is $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call 484-924-8429 for reservations. A limited number of seats are available for these private dinners.

Beginning April 21st, the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown will provide art lovers with the chance to view a selection of 45 paintings and tapestries from the famed Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. The works from the Uffizi, which until this tour have never left Europe, embody the diversity, stylistic evolution, scale and technical mastery of art from Italy and Northern Europe over nearly 400 years, and represent a survey of European art at an important moment in its history. The exhibit features works by such Renaissance and Baroque masters as Sandro Botticelli, Il Parmigianino, Lorenzo Monaco, Il Guercino and Cristofano Allori. The gallery will be on display from April 21st through August 10th, 2012. The museum’s hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free for members and children under six years of age. Non-member admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors $11 f...

Courtesy of Bob Hakun, local Pottstown artist and first place winner of the SRHA’s Schuylkill River Art Show, 2009 The various organizations involved with promoting the industrial history and heritage of the Schuylkill River in the greater Phoenixville area will be once again working together to present the 2nd annual Schuylkill River Shad Festival, scheduled for Saturday, April 28, 2012, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at two locations in Mont Clare and Phoenixville, PA. The Schuylkill Canal Association , the Phoenix Iron Canal & Trails Association , the Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area , the Phoenixville Green Team and Chester County Parks invite the general public to participate in the festival that will include history, education, recreation and overall fun on both sides of the Schuylkill River in the Phoenixville area. The festival will highlight the historic significance of the role the American Shad fishery played in the growth of the river communities up and dow...

Wilmington, Delaware based New Sweden , on tour in support of their first full-length album, The Mountain , will play an intimate performance Saturday, April 14th at Steel City Coffeehouse in Phoenixville, PA. Opening will be The Dave Spencer Trio, house band at Steel City. The all-ages show, which begins at 8pm, is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Reserved Seating is also available for $17 or Reserved Seating w/ Dinner Entrée for $23. Showcased at the 2011 NON-COMMvention alongside artists like Ben Harper, Bright Eyes, and The Head and The Heart, New Sweden's unique flavor of Americana, Folk and Indie Rock had people talking with WXPN's Program Director, Dan Reed, hailing them a "major discovery". The 5-piece outfit recognized for their energetic live performances mold their sound using a blend of traditional folk instruments (viola, banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, pump organ, bass, percussion) with a distinctly modern twist. The lyrics are sincere and powerf...

This Wednesday, blues rock artist Aaron Wood comes to town, headlining a concert at Steel City . From his press release: Aaron Wood Rocks Out with The Ends Blues infused "rock n' roll troubadour, (Dan Reed, WXPN-FM)” Aaron Wood announces a collaborative tour with funk-rock band, The Ends. Wood typically tours as a solo or duo, however teaming up with The Ends allows fans to see Wood’s music performed with a full band and greater depth. They will also play original songs by The Ends. "His voice is not only incredibly solid, forceful and wise, but contains a powerful amount of soul (usually only heard in funk, gospel, R&B and of course, soul) that seems to come effortlessly," comments Bold Life Magazine about Wood. Wood, also known by fans as “Woody”, is an Asheville, NC resident and native of the Piedmont of North Carolina. Aaron Wood grew up steeped in the traditions of blues and folk music of North Carolina. Wood performs at music festivals locally and ...

For March, the Phoenixville Green Team is featuring three gardening presentations during their March forum. The New American Garden Donald Pell - Owner, Donald Pell Gardens The New American Garden, New Perennials Movement, New Wave Planting, the Four‐Season Garden, call it what you will, it's new methodology based on old ideas. These innovative and exciting nature herbaceous plants are coming to our local landscape gardens. Donald will discuss new natural garden designs and the new (and old varieties) that can create needed habitat in your garden for birds, bees and butterflies. Phoenixville Community Gardens Jessica Sanchez and the Seventh Wonder Seventh Wonder is a volunteer group committed to working toward a better world. Their newest project is developing a community garden in the Boro of Phoenixville. Come out and hear about this startup garden’s progress, and see if you are interested in being a part of this first year effort. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seventh‐W...

PHOENIXVILLE TOWN WATCH PARTNERS WITH AREA GROUPS FOR SPRING COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP DAYS Clear skies and warm air mark spring’s arrival in Phoenixville; so too will the perennial act of sprucing up the town. In mythology, April is the month of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, and in keeping with that theme, the Phoenixville Town Watch will be cleaning up, with the public’s help. Phoenixville Town Watch is excited to announce Spring Community Cleanups Days will take place on Wednesday, April 18th and Saturday, April 28th and is encouraging area residents to get involved. Picking up trash, sweeping sidewalks, and raking debris from the curbside areas may require some sweat equity, but it’s well worth the effort. These projects will not only improve the landscape of Phoenixville, they will create a great foundation for working together moving forward. Many local organizations will also be joining together for this worthy event, including the Phoenixville Business Association (PABA),...