Events will entertain downtown West Chester

The summer that Keith Kurowski is helping to plan "brings a harmony together," he says, "of old-town West Chester and the new and upcoming West Chester."

"It promotes hometown spirit."

As the borough's assistant director of parks and recreation, Kurowski has scheduled borough events from June through September.

Downtown West Chester will be entertained one Wednesday noontime each month, one Thursday evening a month, and one Sunday each month. There will also be an outdoor Shakespearean play and the Turks Head Music Festival in July.

Though the borough recreation department runs all those events, the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce will also sponsor Friday-evening displays of artwork throughout downtown.

Here are the happenings:

June 5, Swingin' Summer Thursday.

From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., clowns, artists, magicians and jugglers will be on Gay Street, where music will be offered from two stages, one at Gay and High Streets, one at Gay and Matlack Streets.

Melissa Martin & the Night Rhythm Kings and Steve Barbone & the Barbone Street Jazz Band will entertain.

June 6, West Chester Gallery Walk.

From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., 16 locations will host works of local artists.

John Hannafin will be showing a series of his paintings entitled The Spirit of West Chester at the Chester County Historical Society at High and Chestnut Streets.

Lisa Probst will show her photographs at the Three Little Pigs, on High between Gay and Chestnut Streets. Chris McKinney will be offering his silk screen work at Starbucks, at Gay and High Streets.

There will also be entertainment, but Jeanie McCuskey, spokeswoman for the chamber, said a list of performers was not available as of late last week.

June 8, Super Sunday:

"It's a downtown family style street festival," Kurowski said, on Gay Street between Matlack and Darlington Streets and on High Street between Market and Chestnut Streets, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"There will be anywhere between 75 and 100 different crafters, information booths and food vendors," he said.

From a stage at Gay and Matlack Streets, and another at Gay and Darlington Streets, entertainers will perform at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.

At Matlack, the performers will be True Mode, JD Malone and the Experts and Mad Sweet Pangs; at Darlington, Fooling April, Liz Longley and Hank's Cadillac.

June 11, Lunchtime Concert at the Court House.

From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Paul Green School of Rock plays jazz in the monthly series of Wednesday concerts.

July 3, Swingin' Summer Thursday.

On stages on Gay Street, between High and Darlington Streets, Big G and the Cool Cats will perform swing music, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

July 11, "Taming of the Shrew."

Commonwealth Classic Theatre of Media, Delaware County, will present Shakespeare's comedy at 7 p.m. in Everhart Park, between Miner and Union Streets at the west end of the borough.

July 16, Lunchtime Concert at the Court House.

From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Rob Dickinson Trio.

July 20, Turk's Head Music Festival.

From noon to 8 p.m., 11 performers are scheduled at Everhart Park, between Miner and Union Streets at the west end of the borough. "We're thinking of tethered hot air balloon rides," Kurowski said, "or possibly some stilt walkers."

The 11 performers are Fooling April, Indifferent Arts, JD Malone and the Experts, Jeffery Washington Band, Liz Longley, Mad Sweet Pangs, One Step Closer, Spinning Lucy, Steve Liberace, the Hit the Bottle Boys and Three Legged Fox.

August 7, Swingin' Summer Thursday.

R&B and Soul night will feature the Philly Horn Band and the Red Alert Band on Gay Street between High and Matlack Streets. 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

August 13, Lunchtime Concert at the Court House.

From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a return appearance by the Paul Green band.

August 20, Touch a Truck Day.

"We try to bring out between 25 and 40 . . . earthmovers, emergency vehicles, construction equipment," Kurowski said. This is mainly for kids. There is a $2 per-car cost for parking at the event site, on the grounds of the Chester County government offices, on Westtown Road just north of Route 202. Noon to 4 p.m.

Sept. 4, Swingin' Summer Thursday.

Irish rock will be performed by Scythian and by the Barley Boys on Gay Street between High and Darlington Streets, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Sept. 21, Chester County Restaurant Festival.

From noon to 5:30 p.m. on the last day of summer, "between 50 and 75 restaurants from Chester County and the surrounding area" will sell food on the streets of West Chester.

The vendors will be along four streets: Gay Street between Matlack and New Streets; Church, High and Walnut Streets between Market and Chestnut Streets.

Music stages will be at Gay and Matlack, Gay and Darlington and Market and Church.

A beer garden will be on Church Street between Market and Gay Streets. Kurowski said a portion of the $3 per person entrance fee goes to the Recreation Department's Send a Kid to Camp Fund.