How to have Fun Memorial Day Weekend on a Budget

   This upcoming weekend is the official start of summer for most people. Many will be heading down to the shore, dipping their feet in the ocean water for the very first time in months and shopping on the boardwalk. Many others, myself included, will be dreading the crippling heat and rising electric bill summer promises.

   Memorial Day, however, is the perfect holiday weekend to celebrate if you’re on a tight budget. There are lots of fun activities to do that won’t leave you pan-handling on the side of the highway come next Tuesday.
    Barbecuing or having a backyard picnic is a great way to enjoy the nice weather this weekend. Have each of your friends bring over something different, including food, plates, cups, soda, or chips. You can organize a game of horseshoes or touch-football to heighten the festivities.    
    If grilling isn’t your thing, then head down to the shore for Wildwood’s annual Kite Festival, which will be running May 22 through 25. The festival will begin this Friday with the “Unlocking of the Ocean Ceremony” which is staged at the beach near the Wildwood Convention Center. There will also be nightly kite shows that features illuminated kites of every color, shape and size. For more information,  visit http://bestofnj.com/2009/04/20/wildwood-kite-festival-may-22-23-24-25/.
    On Sunday, May 24, Delaware River Front Corporation will be hosting Delaware River Day at Penn’s Landing. Delaware River Day is a free event that will include enjoyable and interactive activities for the whole family! There will be free kayaking, life jack fitting, a fashion show featuring the latest trends in water gear, live musical entertainment, face-painting and much more!  Delaware River Day will run from noon to 6 p.m. For more information on Delaware River Day, visit http://www.delawareriverwaterfrontcorp.com/index.php?module=delawareriverevents&image=49.
    What better way is there to finish your Memorial Day Weekend with a bang than a parade? The Port Richmond Parade will feature live music and hero Grand Marshal Walter Milewski, an Iraqi War Veteran and firefighter.
    So whether you decided to kayak, fly kites, or just lay around with the dog , try to enjoy yourself this weekend. You deserved it.

   One of the greatest pleasures of living in South Philadelphia is having the famous Italian Market just a couple of blocks away. I love to roam down 9th Street on a Sunday morning, indulging in all of the smells, sights and flavors the different stores and vendors have to offer. The produce and lunchmeat I buy there are always fresh and delicious, nothing like you would ever find in a supermarket.
   This weekend, the Italian Market will host its annual Italian Market Festival. The festival will run on both Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be mouthwatering food from local sponsors such as Cannuli’s Meats, DiBruno Brothers House of Cheese, Hollywood Meat Market, Lorenzo’s Pizza and Grassia’s Italian Market Spice Company.
   There will also be many family-oriented events at the festival. Rock out to classic rock bands Bughunters, Final Vinyl, Toonz and Dead Poets. Legendary sports-bar Chickee and Pete’s will host its new homerun derby event. A $10 ticket will buy you five swings and a chance to win a trip for two anywhere in the continental United States. On Sunday at noon, St. Paul Parish will have their Procession of the Saints, led by Father Gerald Carey. The Verdi Band will play the melodic “Italian Sinfonic,” as well as uplifting and enjoyable Italian parade marches at the head of the procession. The march will start at Saint Mary’s Church located at 712 Montrose St. and continue until it ends at Saint Paul Catholic Church on Hutchinson Street.
   If you have never experienced all that Philadelphia’s famous Italian Market has to offer, this weekend will be the perfect time to see what you have been missing! For more information, please visit www.9thstreetitalianmarketfestival.com.
 

The Flavors of Philly Tour
   I am a native Philadelphian. Over the years, I have come to realize that the citizens of this city have peculiar taste in food. We are obsessed with our soft pretzels, TastyKakes, and cheesesteaks "wit whiz." Many other people who aren’t familiar with the our culture would immediately turn up their noses in disgust over our less-than-desirable cravings, but that doesn’t dissuade the hundreds who flock to Geno’s or Pat's weekly to get a taste of their favorite local delicacy.
    The Flavors of Philly Tour is out to prove that there is nothing wrong with a little grease in your cheesesteak. This brand new, two-and-a-half-hour-long tour takes people across the city to sample a wide variety of famous Philadelphia flavors. Participants can indulge themselves in the city’s food, culture and history. You can try an authentic Italian Hoagie and learn why we don’t call it a sub or a hero. Learn the right way to order a Philadelphia cheesesteak and taste Philadelphia’s doughy, warm soft pretzels and find out why they take on a different shape in Philly. You can even satisfy your sugar craving with the city’s famous chocolate-covered pretzels and chocolate chip cookies!
    This delicious and entertaining tour takes place in the heart of Philadelphia and includes six stops. You can get inside information on Philly’s food history and learn some quirky and funny stories about how some of these iconic foods came into existence. Walk away with a full stomach and a much happier mood!
For more information and to purchase tickets,  visit http://www.zerve.com/CityFoods/Flavors.