Immediately after the arrival of spring people start spending more time outside. Whether they are walking, biking or inline skating, people are simply thankful for the warm weather. I love to ride my bike along Kelly Drive and Delaware Avenue. Both roads have amazing views of the different rivers that cut across Philadelphia, and there is always a pleasant "offshore" breeze to cool me off.
    One of my favorite parts of the Delaware River are the many gallant ex-battleships that now call Philadelphia and Camden, N.J. home. One of these massive ships is the Battleship New Jersey. It was redesigned into an educational museum and tribute to American sailors in October 2001. The Battleship New Jersey was built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and launched on December 7th, 1942. This was merely a year after the Pearl Harbor attack that drew the United States into WWII.
    The Battleship New Jersey Museum will host the 13th annual Garden State Craft Brewers Festival on Saturday, June 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. This will be the fifth consecutive year that the Brewers Festival will take place onboard the ship. The event will be held on the fantail of the Battleship New Jersey under large tents, providing much needed shade for the attendees. The tickets are $40 a piece and will include a self-guided tour of the ship, a commemorative tasting glass, live entertainment by the band The Cabin Dogs and beer tasting samples from 14 different regional breweries including Iron Hill, Ship Inn Triumph, Tun Tavern, Flying Fish, Cricket Hill, Basil T’s RB, JJ Bitting, and Harvest Moon. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be available, as well.
    This is the perfect way to enjoy the gorgeous weather outside and support local breweries throughout the area. To purchase tickets and for more information, please visit www.battleshipnewjersey.org.