'MasterChef Junior Live!' and Benny the Butcher Concert, plus more fun on tap

Benny the Butcher raps at The Queen

Fresh off his show at Firefly Music Festival last month, rapper Benny the Butcher has plans to cut up in his performance in Wilmington.

Benny is behind a number of big tunes like “Johnny P’s Caddy,” “5 to 50” and “Rubber Bands and Weight.”Fans must be age 18 or older to attend the show.

Benny the Butcher will cook up another First State gig this fall at The Queen (500 N. Market St., Wilmington) at 7 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $50 to $150. For more info, visit thequeenwilmington.com or (302) 400-7020.

Suicide-awareness play comes to Theatre N

Suicide is a challenging subject and one of the best ways to get the conversation started about it is through art.

That’s the goal of Stan Zimmerman’s suicide-awareness play “Right Before I Go.”

According to press materials, the 60-minute play “highlights the raw struggles of people in all walks of life that have died by suicide. The play brings to life the last words written in letters by individuals lost — including celebrities, veterans, children and those identifying as LGBTQ+, people who have experienced a range of mental health calamities — as well as those who have survived attempts.”

The play will be offered to First State audiences at the Theatre N at Nemours (1007 N. Orange St., Wilmington) at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $40 to $60. For more info, visit theatren.com or (302) 600-1923.

‘MasterChef Junior Live' cooks up fun in Wilmington

If you didn’t get enough of watching young chef prodigies dish up excitement on season eight of “MasterChef Junior” on Fox, this time contestants from that season will dish up more fun and drama in Delaware.

The competitive event “MasterChef Junior Live!” will feature members from Season Eight of the reality show, which was won by Liya Chu of Scarsdale, New York.

Patrons will have a chance to meet the cast, receive a signed show poster, ask questions, take photos and more – all before show time, according to The Grand’s website.

“MasterChef Junior Live!” will serve up some family fun at The Grand (818 N. Market St., Wilmington) at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $57 to $61. For more info, visit thegrandwilmington.org or (800) 37-GRAND.

Dogfish Head celebrates season with Harvest Festival

Not only is it hoodie season, it’s also that time of year for brews, food trucks and live music to be on tap at the second Harvest Festival, a free event.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Brandywine Valley SPCA. Not to mention, there will be an on-site photo booth for your pups from 1 to 3 p.m.

In collaboration with Dewey Beer Co. and Fifer Orchards, Dogfish Head is releasing Deep Delish, a new fall beer in honor of this festival.

“Brewed with apple juice fresh from Fifer Orchards, maple syrup and brown sugar, Deep Delish (9.7% ABV) radiates notes of maple and apple crisp for a fresh-from-the-oven flavor,” according to the website.

Deep Delish drinks are available only while supplies last. A six pack of 12oz cans are $14.

Music performances at the festival include Homestead Blue Grass Band and Hot Sauce. There will also be DIY artwork featuring acrylic paint “pour overs,” per the website.

Multiple booths will be operated by artisans and businesses from the Delaware area. This includes Local Waves Studio, Art by George Todd, Kent County Candles, Tall Oak Trading, Byzantium Sky Press and KAM Productions – 302 Horseshoe Crab.

A tour of the Steampunk Treehouse and more fun will be on tap at the Harvest Festival at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (6 Cannery Village Center, Milton) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. For more information, visit dogfish.com or (302) 684-1000.

‘Dracula’ the ballet is out for blood at The Grand

The Blood Bank of Delmarva couldn’t resist sinking its teeth into a collaboration with First State Ballet Theatre ahead of the launch of its ballet “Dracula.”

The production is coming to The Grand (818 N. Market St., Wilmington) at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23. Tickets are $22.99-$65.

But before those show dates, local residents have the opportunity to get a 15% discount off their entire ticket order if they donate blood at any BBD drive until Saturday, Oct. 15.

First State Ballet’s “Dracula” is a frightful production based on the popular Bram Stoker novel; it was created by choreographer and frequent FSBT collaborator Viktor Plotnikov.

Donors seeking a “Dracula” discount can book an appointment at donate.bbd.org or call (888) 8-BLOOD-8. For more info on “Dracula,” visit thegrandwilmington.org or (800) 37-GRAND.

Daydreams about Halloween Nights

Folks will get scared straight for another year, thanks to Philadelphia's acclaimed Eastern State Penitentiary hosting Halloween Nights haunt, which runs select evenings through Saturday, Nov. 12.

With Halloween Nights, victims can experience five haunted areas, live entertainment, themed bars and historic tours across Eastern State’s 10 acres. That includes two new haunted houses — Nightmares and Big Top Terror — as well as the Bizarre Bar with live entertainment, including fire dancers and knife throwers.

Are you down to get grabbed by cast members, taken away to secret passageways and temporarily separated from your friends and family? Then you can "opt in" for that experience.

Halloween Nights will await you at Eastern State Penitentiary (2027 Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia) on select nights through Saturday, Nov. 12. Tickets start at $34. For more info, visit HalloweenNights.org or (215) 236-3300.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 'MasterChef Junior Live!' comes to Delaware, plus Benny the Butcher