On the lookout for enjoyable instances? Occasions in 2026 you are positive to get pleasure from

KENNETT SQUARE — Mark the calendar and prepare for journey, celebration and custom as the most important occasions of Brandywine Valley are set to make their grand return in 2026.

And whereas there are literally thousands of noteworthy upcoming occasions forward, listed here are just some to get the ball rolling in Kennett Square, New Garden and past.

‘Lift Every Voice’

Martin Luther King Jr. Day returns Jan. 19.

Hosted by MLK CommUNITY of the Greater Kennett Area, everyone seems to be invited to the twenty fifth anniversary MLK Day celebration honoring King’s legacy. The occasion takes place at Kennett High School. Doors open at 9 a.m. The program begins 10 a.m.

The theme is “Lift Every Voice, 1776-2026.”

Eighth grade pupil Ryan Roberts of Claymont, Del., traveled alongside his grandmother Alice Roberts to attend MLK Day in 2025 at Lincoln University.

“It’s a very good celebration to honor Dr. King’s legacy and the hard work he did for us,” Roberts mentioned.

“It’s really important not to forget our heroes,” mentioned Brenda Mercomes, a former member of the Kennett Square Borough Council. Today she’s a trustee of the Kennett Library.

“All of us can make a difference,” mentioned Carol Black on MLK Day in 2023.

“You are the dream,” she mentioned.

Longwood Gardens

“A Longwood Christmas” runs by way of Jan. 11.

Next up, guests can get pleasure from “Winter Wonder” from Jan. 16 to March 22.

The exhibit options “bold blooms, textural touches and grand displays” at Longwood Gardens, positioned 3 miles northeast of Kennett Square.

Longwood Gardens is a horticultural gem that spans 1,100 acres in East Marlborough, Kennett and Pennsbury townships. The property options gardens, meadows and woodlands, fountains, a bell tower, waterways and even tree homes.

Celebrated because the world’s premiere public gardens, an estimated 1.8 million individuals go to Longwood Gardens yearly.

Willowdale Steeplechase

Willowdale Steeplechase will return on May 9 in East Marlborough Township, providing equestrian races and neighborhood celebration.

The widespread occasion brings 1000’s of attendees to look at the races from throughout the Brandywine Valley. The venue  takes place in a basic Chester County picturesque pastoral setting — comprising 160 acres — at 101 E. Street Road close to the intersection of routes 926 and 82 close to Landhope Farms.

The Willowdale Steeplechase options horse, pony and even Jack Russell terrier races. There will likely be best-hat and best-dressed competitions, too.

Mushroom Festival

Get prepared for a shroomin’ good time throughout the forty first annual Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square on Sept. 12-13. This 1-mile road honest is a contented, family-friendly fungi celebration within the Mushroom Capital of the World.

With an financial influence of $1.1. billion in Pennsylvania, the mushroom business employs roughly 10,000 individuals in Chester County.

“I keep coming back because Kennett Square is so close, yet still so hidden from the hustle and bustle of D.C. and New York,” mentioned Brian Dan-Ding of Alexandria, Va. “After 40 years, the weekend after Labor Day belongs to Kennett Square.”

Dan-Ding, a researcher for a public coverage assume tank based mostly in D.C., plans to journey to Chester County this September to attend the Mushroom Festival for the fourth consecutive 12 months.

“Eating mushrooms grown in America — fried, baked, seared, and stewed — is certainly the draw,” he mentioned.

Festival of Flight

In August, roughly 8,000 individuals traveled to New Garden from throughout the area to attend the most important, and solely, airshow in Chester County.

The annual occasion, Festival of Flight, will return this summer time on Aug. 8-9 at New Garden Flying Field, 1235 Newark Road.

The widespread air, automotive and tractor present options aerobatics, vintage vehicles, navy plane, native meals and drinks and dwell music.

New Garden Flying Field, in any other case often known as N57, affords pilots and visits a high-key degree of service in a low-key surroundings, apart from the annual two-day competition in fact.

There is a self-service gasoline pump that’s out there 24/7.

New Garden Flying Field opened on June 9, 1986.

The airport property consists of 190 acres of forest and rolling hillside.

“What inspires me the most is bringing the community together,” mentioned Aviation Director Jon Martin, who leads operations at New Garden Flying Field, “opening the channels of communication between the airport, the township, and the local community, and bringing everybody together.”