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Chester County Press

Murder mystery highlights Kennett Square Art Stroll on Aug. 1

07/30/2014 02:28PM ● By Lev

Suspicious characters will abound as members of the Kennett Amateur Theatrical Society exercise their improvisational skills.

By Steven Hoffman

Staff Writer

The popular Murder Mystery Art Stroll returns to Kennett Square on Friday, Aug. 1.

The annual event, which typically attracts hundreds of spectators, offers amateur sleuths the opportunity to match wits with a shady cast of characters as they try to solve the mystery. Members of the Kennett Amateur Theatrical Society (KATS) skillfully portray the characters while providing backstory and answering questions from the amateur detectives.

This year's presentation is titled “Mystery of Art in the Garden.” On the night before the final day of judging at the Kennett Garden Show and Expo, a variety of colorful characters from local and regional garden clubs have gathered in Kennett Square, many of them with questionable motives and mysterious backgrounds. With the restaurants, art galleries, and shops filled with people, it looks like another highly successful event for Kennett Square...but there is a cloud of rumors and innuendo hovering over the Garden Show. The scandal explodes when Reginald Foxglove, the head judge and a member of the organizing committee, is the victim of apparent foul play.

With so many suspects, it will once again be up to members of the local community to help the inspectors identify the culprit of the crime.

The mystery begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Genesis Walkway, where people can pick up a map of the businesses that are participating. The “murder” discovery takes place at 6:45 p.m. and the amateur sleuths can then begin to gather clues and question murder suspects throughout the downtown area.

As in past years, a small group of suspicious characters will be roaming the streets throughout the evening offering to sell legitimate clues to help solve the mystery.

Anyone who correctly identifies the murderer by the end of the evening will be eligible to enter a drawing for random prizes.

Participants do not need to be present at the 6:30 p.m. start in order to take part in the mystery. Participation is free and the performances are appropriate for all ages.

For more information, visit the Historic Kennett Square website at www.HistoricKennettSquare.com or call 610-444-8188.