Forget the NFL draft, there is a Shad Fest to go to

Lambertville, New Jersey will be holding their 36th annual Shad Fest which celebrates the historic migratory river herring that once swelled local rivers before dams eliminated most of the spawning grounds, and pollution and over- harvesting took their toll.

On Saturday and Sunday, the free rain or shine event which has become one of the largest in the Garden State runs 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Food choices include fried calamari, hot dogs, hamburgers, tacos, and the local favorite shad chowder.

Shad has been the "fish that fed the (American) nation's founders." George Washington's troops in Valley Forge fished for shad in the Schulykill. The fish is not listed as endangered but the numbers are considered low according to the Chesapeak Bay Program.