Description
Celebrate the spirit of Wilmington and a landmark date in the history of Delaware on Saturday, May 18th, noon to 5 p.m., when Trinity Episcopal Parish presents a free “Arts Day at Old Swedes” at Old Swedes Historic Site, located at 606 N. Church St., at E. 7th Street, Wilmington.
The afternoon of mostly outdoor performances is the first of several events marking the 325th anniversary of Old Swedes Church, which was dedicated on June 4, 1699 as Holy Trinity Church. Trinity Episcopal Parish traces its founding to Old Swedes. One of the oldest structures in Delaware, the church and burial ground became constituents of First State National Historical Park in 2013.
Performing on May 18th will be several of Delaware’s leading performing arts organizations. Festivities will begin at noon with a community drum circle, followed by special presentations by Delaware Shakespeare at 1 p.m., Opera Delaware at 2 p.m., and Pieces of a Dream contemporary dance at 3 p.m. These performances will take place in the Old Swedes outdoor amphitheater.
“Arts Day” will conclude at 4 p.m. with The Serafin Ensemble performing music by Bach, Telemann, Handel, and Rameau inside historic Old Swedes, which recently underwent restoration work. The acoustics of the space is one of its outstanding features.
“We’re delighted to open up our celebration of Old Swedes 325th to the entire community with a spotlight on the cultural vitality of our city and the beauty of the historic site. It has been called one of Wilmington’s ‘best kept secrets.’ The parish would like to have it much better known,” said David Simmons, Trinity Episcopal music director and “Arts Day” organizer.
Drum circle attendees are invited to bring their own drums or percussion items. All events are free, no tickets required. Parking is on site as well as street spaces. For more information, contact the Trinity Parish office, 302-652-8605, [email protected], or David Simmons, [email protected].