Community Calendar of Imaginary Events - April 24, 2020

Friday, April 24

Countywide Stamp Swap

11 am - 2 pm

Stamp enthusiasts around Delaware County are encouraged to bring their collections to the first annual countywide Stamp Swap. Show off your favorites, trade for new treasures, and meet fellow collectors. Swarthmore Borough Hall, 121 Park Ave. 

Badminton in Umoja Park

6 - 7:30 pm

(Weekly.) All ages. Nets provided but BYOB (bring your own birdie). Proper badminton attire preferred but not required. 630 Yale Ave, Swarthmore.

Saturday, April 25

Small Business Saturday

10 am - 6 pm

(Weekly.) Support Swarthmore independent businesses and enjoy special events and deals. See individual businesses for more details. 

Slip ‘N Slide

10:00 - 5:30 pm

The current record for the longest Slip ‘N Slide is 2,006 feet and 10 inches, so join in the town-wide effort to set a new one. Sunscreen will be provided. Please bring your own towel, personal Slip ‘N Slide if you have one, and any engineers you know. Cancelled if bad weather. Magill Walk, Swarthmore College.

Sunday, April 26

Biannual Grapevine Day

Participate in Biannual Grapevine Day by going about your day as you normally would, except you must grapevine. No normal walking. Prizes will be awarded in Little Crum Creek Park at 11:50 p.m. to the most devoted participants who grapevined all over town. 110 Harvard Ave., Swarthmore. 

Tropical Fish Swim Meet at the Swarthmore Co-op

12:00 - 3:00 pm

If you’re tired of involuntary confinement, imagine how your fish must feel! Bring them (we suggest a large baggie filled with water from their own aquarium) to the Co-op and allow them to “meet” other fish in a large tank that once housed live lobsters. Swarthmore Co-op, 341 Darthmouth Avenue.

Monday, April 27

Kitty Play Date at Swarthmore Public Library

11:30 am - 1 pm

(Weekly.) We all know how well cats get along with other cats they’ve never met, and how relaxed they are in new environments. A library is full of shelves for climbing as well as spaces to hide in and never come out, with no risk for damage whatsoever, so bring your feline friends for a fur ball fun time. 121 Park Ave. 

Chicken Social Hour and Lunch in Thatcher Park

12 - 1 pm

(Weekly.) Bring your chickens to socialize for an hour in the fenced in safety of Thatcher Park. Pack a lunch and meet with other owners (no chicken sandwiches please). Beverages provided. Intersection of Rutgers and Cornell avenues, Swarthmore. (Cancelled if the weather is bad.)

Trebuchet Contest, Swarthmore Public Library and Thatcher Park

1 pm

Return your kitties and chickens home in style!

Tuesday, April 28

Antarctic Food Festival

10 am - 7 pm

Sample Antarctic cuisine in this festival featuring popular foods like  tuna, swordfish, halibut, snapper, flounder, sand dabs, and shellfish. Come for breakfast, stay for lunch and dinner. Swarthmore Co-op, 341 Dartmouth Ave. 

Sunset Yoga on Parrish Beach

5:30 - 6:30 pm

(Weekly.) Come observe the sunset at Swarthmore College with mindful yoga reflecting on the ending day. All skill levels welcome. Bring your own mat or practice in the grass. Magill Walk, Swarthmore College.

Wednesday, April 29

Movie Night Under the Stars

8 pm

(Weekly.) Bring blankets and snacks, and kick back to enjoy an outdoor movie night. This week’s film is “Car Wash” (1976), a comedic take on the daily life of car-wash employees. Starring Richard Pryor. Cunningham Field, Swarthmore College. 

Thursday, April 30

Renato’s Eating Contest

1 - 4 pm

Contests will include rounds for pizza, fries, and milkshakes. Contestants will have one hour to eat as much as they can. Winners will receive gift cards to Renato’s to be used at a much, much later date. 8 Park Ave., Swarthmore.

Natalie Diaz Poetry Reading

5 pm

Poet Natalie Diaz will read from her 2012 book, “When My Brother Was an Aztec,” as well as new work. Refreshments provided. Q&A and book signing to follow. Scheuer Room, Swarthmore College. 

Friday, May 1

Badminton in Umoja Park

6 - 7:30 pm

(See April 17.)

“The Importance of Showing Kindness & Respect to Extra Terrestrial Visitors”

7 pm

Following a visit with a dear friend in California, E.T. will present a lecture and discussion on “The Importance of Showing Kindness and Respect to Extra Terrestrial Visitors.” Stick around after the lecture for a Q&A about maintaining long-distance friendships. Note: those with peanut allergies should be aware that there will be Reese’s Pieces at the event. Pearson-Hall Theatre, Lang Performing Arts Center, Swarthmore College.

Exhibitions

Monique Sarkessian at Gallery on Park 

(Through April 27.) Monique Sarkessian paintings are influenced by Postimpressionism, particularly the work of Paul Cezanne. She uses his basic theories of geometric forms and the relationship of cool to warm colors to create form. She is an expressionist painter who loves vibrant color and bold brush strokes. You can see more of her work at MoniqueSarkessianArt.com. 104 Park Ave. Tues. - Sat. noon - 6 pm. 

Alan Soffer: Two Decades of Encaustics

(New. Through May 20). This exhibition brings together encaustic paintings made between 2000 and 2020 that explore myth, the life cycle, and ancient healing. Incorporating personal photos taken at demolition sites, Soffer’s paintings seek order in chaos. Swarthmore Borough Hall, 121 Park Ave.

Gerhard Richter at the List Gallery

(Through May 31.) An intimate exhibition of Richter’s richly colored works on glass. The famous German painter spent 18 months teaching in Swarthmore College’s art department in the late 1980s. When he left, he donated these works to the college under the condition that they not be displayed for 30 years, and even then, only after dark. Tues. – Sat. 8 pm - midnight. 

Note: 320 Market Cafe, the Community Calendar’s sponsor, remains open (actually — not imaginarily) and is offering more of the staple items people may be looking for: eggs, milk, sliced bread, and pre-packaged sliced lunch meats and cheeses. Check their Instagram feed and Facebook page for daily updates.

New hours: 

Swarthmore location, 713 S. Chester Road
Mon. – Sat. 9 am - 7 pm and Sun. 9 am - 3 pm

Media location, 211 W. State Street
Tues. – Sat. 10 am - 7 pm and Sun. 10 am - 3 pm 

For more information: the320marketcafe.com.

Please send your imaginary events to editor@swarthmorean.com.