Family Fun and 5K Run Coming to Mechanicsburg!

Looking for a fun family outing? How about a challenging 5K trail run? Or better yet .. want to win a new iPad?

If your answer is A, B, C, or all of the above make sure to check out the 2nd Annual Forgotten 5K run, 1 Mile Mosey walk, & Unforgettable Costume Contest coming to West Shore Evangelical Free Church in Mechanicsburg on September 8th, 2012!

New this year is the kids activity area, where you’ll find face painting, relay races, games, and beading! And anyone who wears a costume to either event is automatically entered to win a new iPad, drawn at random!

All these events are being planned by a 100% volunteer crew, and all the money will go to support children orphaned by AIDS in Africa.

The event is coming to Mechanicsburg on Sept 8th, but you can see who is planning to attend ahead of time on the facebook event page.

See you at the starting line!

Family Fun in Mechanicsburg for a Great Cause

Start your engines, or just prepare for a leisurely walk; whatever your speed it’s all for a great cause. The Forgotten 5K, 1 Mile Mosey, and Unforgettable Costume Contest is coming to Mechanicsburg September 17th! The event will take place at the West Shore Evangelical Free Church, and all proceeds benefit Forgotten Voices, a Dillsburg based nonprofit focused on helping children orphaned by AIDS in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

This is the first year of this event, so there are some fantastic incentives to participate. For one, any runner or walker who wears a costume will automatically get entered into a random drawing for a brand new iPad2 – not too shabby. And there are lots of other prizes as well, including hand carved decorative pieces from the communities that Forgotten Voices serves in Africa. The race kicks off at 9am, and any other detail you might want to know can be found at Forgotten5K.org. You can also see if you have any facebook friends attending by checking out their event page.

Personally, I plan to make an appearance with THE hottest costume possible, quite literally. Anyone have a good costume suggestion for the 5K or 1 Mile Mosey?

Food Tripping Across Bucks County

Executive trip summary: Hitched a ride with Bucks County Food Tours, I ate, I ate, I ate, I ate, I ate & I ate.

*Trip rocked.

Juicy detailed summary: We met up with our two local foodie experts, Lynn Goldman and Alan Brown at 10am on a bright and warm Saturday in July. After introductions, we piled into a rented van and began our adventure.

With Lynne at the wheel, we navigated a number of picturesque back roads around the greater Philadelphia suburbs in Bucks County. Our first stop – Birchwood Farms.

This all natural, all grass fed farm hosts a number of pigs and cows who live leisurely around 50 acres or so. We strapped on blue ‘booties’ and got up close and personal with the livestock. Being that the farm is all natural, the raw milk we tried was absolutely delicious and their passion for natural farming and farm products was over the top (in a good way!). The meats sold in their store are actually good for you, despite being red meat because of the natural lifestyle and feed of the cattle.

Fascinating tour, and wonderful local farm that I heartily recommend patronizing.

Soon after our farm tour, we landed at the Milk House Farm Market. The place was bustling with locals eager to try their immense variety of local produce. By my count, they had over 30 varieties of tomatoes alone!

Following this road side farm market, we rode the Bucks County Food Tours train (er, mini-van rather) to a long time Bucks County staple – Ely Farm. Let me just tell you, the meats at this family butchery are a cut above the rest! I’ve never had a better steak in my life than the one I bought here! They’ve got plenty of different cuts and meats, all to die for.

Now for something sweet, and what could be sweeter than local peaches in July! Manoff Market Gardens offers numerous varieties of peaches and nectarines among other fruits. Plenty of peach related products to buy as well, the cobbler was amazing!

At this point it was time for a lunch break, over to Lovin’ Oven! They were ready for our tour with a fantastic menu of sweet tea, fresh salad, tomato soup, and choice of an omelet or open faced sandwich. Let me just summarize our meal – I’ll be back! The omelet I had was laid over fresh peaches and goat cheese with arugula – outstanding combination of flavors! All ingredients were local, fresh, and creatively combined for a memorable meal.

Our final stop of the day was Stockton Farmers Market. Now I’ve been to a number of markets, and honestly this place was the most diverse indoor market I’ve ever seen! We’re talking produce, coffee, belgian waffles, bbq, olive oil, pickles, tamales, ice cream, and that’s just touching the surface! Needless to say, I left with a bag full of goodies and a huge grin on my face. This foodie got served!

All in all, my experience with Bucks County Food Tours was outstanding. I’d recommend the tours to anyone who enjoys good eats. Our guides were friendly and knowledgeable, and the trip was a relaxing and fun way to spend time with my wife and parents (the trip was a thank you gift to my parents from my wife and I).

The trip we went on was custom fit to what we wanted to do, but they’ve got a trip for any taste, and they’re just getting started. Find them on facebook to keep up the latest in Bucks County Food, or check out their website for specific tours currently available.

And remember, EAT LOCAL!

The perfect Harrisburg day trip

So recently I was married, big deal right? Well, it certainly was for me but the point is my search for the perfect thank you gift to my parents resulted in a fantastic find.

This find happens to be an awesome day trip for anyone living in the Harrisburg area, or within driving range of greater Philadelphia for that matter. The company is called Bucks County Food Tours, and the trip is foodie Shangri-la.

I’m talking a guided tour through greater Philly’s best local food gems. Including, but not limited to, small batch ice cream, pastured meats, locally roasted coffee, cheeses, baked goods and more. Oh yes there is more and I’ve already booked my tickets to tasty town.

Next weekend I’ll be taking my parents and wife (shameless gift idea really) on a 5 hours trip through numerous stops and enjoying every bite of it. I’ll make sure to post photos and notes from the trip, well, post trip of course. 

If you’d like to learn more about Bucks County Food Tours – fan their facebook page to stay in the loop.

Catch ya on the flip side!

Brian

Football Fallout in Central PA?

With so much football fandamonium and tension existing between Eagles and Steelers fans in the midstate, I for one thought that a professional indoor football team would be a sure success in Harrisburg. I was thrilled to hear that the American Indoor Football Association was adding a new team to the 2009 schedule- the Harrisburg Stampede.

Forget driving 2 or more hours and paying $100 plus for a lousy seat at an NFL game, the Stampede play at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg and tickets sell as low as $7 ! Not to mention the entertainment value of a smaller field completely walled in to ensure bigger hits, higher scores, and plenty of cheap entertainment. So these games would probably sell out right?

Well, not exactly. I attended the Stampede’s first home game and despite all the promotion and hype about Harrisburg’s first pro indoor football team, the Farm Show Complex was less that half full. Even so, I didn’t suspect anyone left the game without feeling like they got their money’s worth- it was an exciting game! Big hits, loud music, lots of free giveaways, and plenty of scrapping between the two teams. Not to mention the game was a narrow win for the Stampede that had the entire crowd hyped to the final minutes of play!

So surely, future home games for the Stampede would be packed out right?

Well I returned to Farm Show Complex last night with a few friends to cheer on the Stampede and I must sadly say that there were probably less people in attendance then the first game I went to. A real pity! I’m not sure exactly why the Stampede haven’t ‘caught on’ quite yet in Harrisburg, but I do hope it happens soon. I don’t want to see the Stampede follow the way of the Harrisburg Heat.

Perhaps there are just too many alternatives in the greater Harrisburg area for sports fans? We’ve got roller hockey, roller derby, rugby, ice hockey, baseball, basketball, woman’s football, soccer and more! There’s plenty to choose from for sure, I just hope Harrisburg gets behind the Stampede. Take the kids, take your friends, family, or your boss. Support the investment that the owners of the Stampede have made in the city of Harrisburg. For the price you’ll pay to get in it’s an easy entertainment investment that I heartily suggest looking into.

You can find their schedule and all the usual team info at HarrisburgStampede.com, and don’t forget to show them some love on their facebook page as well.

Go Stampede!

Harrisburg Launches New Pro Indoor Football Franchise

The rumors are true! The Harrisburg Stampede are the newest sports team addition to the city, set to begin their inaugural season in 2009. Part of the American Indoor Football Association, the Stampede are co-owned by the New Orleans Saints’ Marques Colston, and will play their home games inside the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center.  The AIFA regular season stretches from March to June, with currently 17 teams representing cities from across the commonwealth and the country.

The Harrisburg Stampede have announced they will hold a press conference to introduce the coaching staff and roster on September 23rd, 2008, at 4:30pm inside Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg. A team website is also in the works and can be found at:  HarrisburgStampede.com. You can show your support by becoming a Stampede fan on

Harrisburg was recentely ranked by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal as the second-best minor league sports market in the country, a sure sign that the Stampede will fit right in to the city’s diverse landscape of sports teams.

Bube’s Brewery- A Must Experience

If you’re into unique dining experiences, themed feasts, quality beer, or pirates, you need to put a visit to Bube’s Brewery on your to do list. Located in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, this 19th century brewery and museum contains 4 extraordinary restaurants, live events, an unusual store, and an art gallery displaying works from local artists. Bube’s, (interestingly enough pronounced “boo bees”) has a very rustic, vintage atmosphere, as everything has been preserved as it existed years ago.

My experience with Bube’s was in the Catacombs, an incredible restaurant located 43 feet underground in the old stone cellars where enormous wooden casks used to be full of aging beer. The atmosphere is beyond unique, as the quiet stone caverns are lighted only by candlelight atop a number of dinner tables. What an experience! Not to mention that the food was great and the service superb. They even provided a free dessert to help us celebrate a birthday in our dining party. I tried a few of the house brewed beers- an IPA that really threw me off because of it’s unique maltiness and a red ale that was just perfect. My date tried a caramel apple martini that was equally delicious, and the prices for everything on the menu were very reasonable. Both the swordfish and the seafood mornay were wonderful.

All in all, dining in the Catacombs was an experience I will not soon forget, and I am already planning a return visit to try the other dining establishments at Bube’s Brewery. Those include the original bar called Alois, the Bottling Works, and the outdoor Biergarten. Themed dinners also include Murder Mysteries, Roman Feasts, Medieval Feasts, Pirate Feasts, Halloween and Christmas Feasts.

Bube’s is truly a must, try it for a romantic dinner, a fun themed evening, or just for something altogether different.

You can check out their upcoming events, menus and more at: BubesBrewery.com

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Harrisburg Young Professionals Open Registrations for Coed Flag Football

You can now sign yourself or a team of 12 up for HYP’s first ever Coed Flag Football League. Games are scheduled for Tuesday evenings at 6:30 or 7:30 and will take place at Twin Ponds off Union Deposit Road. $20 will get you into the league or $240 to register a team of 12. There is one caveat however, each team must have at least 5 ladies on it.  More details to follow, but games will begin Tuesday, September 30th, so don’t delay- grab a couple of friends or 12 if you have that many and get signed up for some serious good times. You can register on the Harrisburg Young Professionals website.

The flag football league is following HYP’s first ever kickball league, a huge success and well participated as there were 14 teams in total. You can check out pictures and final standings at the HYP Kickball League website.

(FYI the HYP flag football league will most likely resemble something similar to these fun loving youngsters minus the guy with the pony tail.)

Upcoming Event – Carlisle Bike Fest, July 25th-27th, 2008

Try to picture for a minute over 50,000 motorcycle enthusiasts along with some enthusiast wannabes and a number of regular curious citizens descending upon the little town of Carlisle, Pennsylvania for a weekend of food, music, stunts, super charged trials, vendors, and the usual festival revelry. Did a strange look of befuddlement just appear on your face? I certainly had a hard time imaging such an enormous event taking place in nearby Carlisle, a peaceful little town with a nice variety of restaurant choices and eclectic shops. Images of the final scenes from the movie Wild Hogs began dancing around my head as soon as I learned about this annual festival. 

But regardless of what imagery comes to mind, this is the seventh year Carlisle has hosted this event so Bike Fest must not be as crazy as I am envisioning. And even though I don’t own a bike anymore I’m still planning on attending, maybe I’ll even win the motorcyle giveaway. More information about the event can be found on the Carlisle Events Website. If you’re just in town for the weekend, make sure to check out the Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau, and Spotobe.com for other great events taking place in the area. It’s going to be a wild weekend in Carlisle, see you there!

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Annual Blues Festival Promises Big Eats and Guaranteed Entertainment

Saturday, August 2nd 2008 starting at 1:30pm one of Harrisburg’s best annual blues concerts is set to kickoff in grand fashion with a lineup of performances including the Krypton City Blues Revue, Zora Young, Gary Belloma & The Blue Bombers, Nate Myers & The Aces, The New Experience Variety Band, and Tomm Dunn Delta Blues Soloist. 6th annual “The Lost, The Found & The Dearly Departed” will take place at the Harrisburg Postal Employees Picnic Grounds, 1500 Roberts Valley Road, Harrisburg. Attendees are encouraged to come hungry, as the $20 entry fee ($25 at the door) not only provides your ticket to incredible entertainment all day, but also access to as much pork BBQ, fried catfish, chicken, fresh cut fries, baked beans and salad you can stomach! The event is totally BYOB which is mainly the reason so many attendees bring camping equipment and stay the night, as the party continues long after the music has stopped playing. While this annual festival remains for the most part under the radar, trust me you won’t want to miss out on the revelry.