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Old-fashioned foods and fun

Admission to the Old Fashioned Picnic is free, but there are nominal charges for food and activities.

It's a Victorian good time at Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion Saturday.

By Monica Peters, For The Inquirer

Posted: June 08, 2012

From noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, families can enjoy an Old Fashioned Picnic and Victorian festivities at Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion in West Germantown.

Kids can have their faces painted, play croquet, go on a scavenger hunt, and throw a ring to win prizes. At a duck hunt game, toddlers can fish for rubber princess and pirate ducks in a small blow-up pond. Eric Geoffrey of the Give & Take Jugglers will juggle and ride a unicycle.

Foods made famous during the Victorian era such as hot dogs, root beer, and ice cream sundaes will be sold. Visitors can also try Victorian culinary skills by learning to peel apples, French-cut green beans, and grind coffee beans in an old-time gadget. Guests may dress in Victorian attire for a picture, and may tour the mansion's first floor and the gardens.

The picnic is free, but there is a pay-as-you-go nominal fee for food, games, and activities.

Old Fashioned Picnic, noon-3 p.m. Saturday at Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, 200 W. Tulpehocken St. Admission free; food and game tickets on sale, $1 or 12 for $10. Information: 215-438-1861 or www.ebenezermaxwellmansion.org

Trout Fishing in America

Medford Arts Center presents Trout Fishing in America, the four-time Grammy-nominated family folk-rock band, Friday evening at Shawnee High School Theater. The event will be hosted by Kathy O'Connell of WXPN Kids Corner.

The two-musician band of Keith Grimwood on bass and Ezra Idlet on guitar has rocked kids' music together for more than 30 years, recording 15 albums. Dubbed by Kids Corner the John Lennon and Paul McCartney of children's music, the duo will perform their songs including "16 or 17 Hours of Sleep," "Rock and Roll Roosters," "Hello, My Chicken Thinks He's a Dog," and "Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks." Kids can hear jokes and jam during the interactive concert that begins at 7 p.m.

Trout Fishing in America, 7 p.m. at Shawnee High School Theater, 600 Tabernacle Rd., Medford. Tickets are $10; $7 for kids and can be purchased at the door beginning at 6 p.m. Information: 609-654-6033 or www.artsinmedford.org.

Peco Primate Jungle Days

Enjoy a weekend-long celebration of primates at the Philadelphia Zoo's Peco Primate Jungle Days.

Activities, scheduled 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, include a Build-a-Habitat Scavenger Hunt with prizes, planting seeds to take home, and crafts at the Thank You Leaf Station. At the Primate Physical Challenge Station, you can compare gorilla strength with that of humans. At feedings a keeper will talk about the creatures, and you can see orangutans walk in the newly built trailways. Kids can also receive temporary tattoo stickers.

The weekend will feature a first-birthday celebration for jaguar cub Lucha and snow leopard cub Dian.

Peco Primate Jungle Days, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, at the Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave. Zoo hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Primate Jungle Days and birthday celebration activities are included with zoo admission of $18, $15 ages 2 to 11; free members and 1 and younger. Information: 215-243-1100 or www.philadelphiazoo.org.

Contact Monica Peters at mpeters@phillynews.com.