Day Tripping – Battle The Bug Exhibit at the Zoo

Just in time for back to school (and the classrooms full of germs!), the good people at Kleenex have launched their “Battle the Bug” campaign. This weekend at the Philadelphia Zoo, you and your crew can check out the interactive exhibit, “Battle the Bug,” which will provide you with all sorts of great tips on fighting colds and flu this fall. There will also be some fun games for the kids (Max can’t wait for his chance to “Whack A Bug”) and an opportunity to get your picture taken with Achoo, mascot of the new Kleenex Anti-Viral Tissues. (Sounds like a must-have for every backpack this year.)

All this fun will be going on from 10-12, so stop by early to get in on the festivities before enjoying our nation’s oldest zoo (150 years young this year!).  If you can’t make it this weekend, you can still pick up the bug busting tips on the Kleenex’s web site.

I Scream, You Scream…Ice Cream Festival 7/3-7/5

My family looks forward to this one all year….starting at noon today, the eleventh annual Super Scooper Ice Cream Festival will be held at Penn’s Landing.  For a mere $5, you get a spoon and access to all the ice cream and water ice you could possibly want, served up by over 20 different companies including Breyers, Good Humor, Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks and Turkey Hill. Heck, Mr. Softee even shows up for this one!

And while you’re snacking on your summertime favorite, you’ll be helping lick leukemia. All net proceeds from the event will benefit the Children’s Hospital Oncolology Division and the Joshua Kahan Fund, which aims to raise awareness and funds for pediatric leukemia research.

The event isn’t just a fundraiser, or a cheap way to fill up on great ice cream. It’s also held to honor the spirit of Josh Kahan, a little boy who lost his five-month battle with AML leukemia in September 1997.  Joshua’s short life proved it takes more than courage or spirit to lick leukemia…it takes research to battle this disease, and research takes money. So why not get in on the sweetest way to make the dream of licking leukemia come true?

Hope to see you there….just remember, don’t toss your spoon!

It’s Our B-Day Party – And You’re All Invited

When most people think of Philadelphia, they think of history. The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, 1776 and the Fourth of July, right? Well, it’s that time of year again, and Philly is dressed up in red, white and blue for the holiday. So much to do….and all for so little money!

Most of the events come under the “Sunoco Welcome America” Banner.” The “Welcome America” festivities have gone on for a number of years now, and people keep coming back for more, because each year the party gets bigger and better. I’ll be covering some of the events in posts later on, but I want to focus on the showstopper event right now – that’s the Party on the Parkway held on the Fourth beginning at noon.

Okay, deep breath, ’cause there’s a lot to cover. On the Parkway there will be three stages – the Kids’ Stage (noon-6:45), the Multi-Cultural Stage (noon-7:15), and the Sound of Philadelphia stage (3-6). The names are pretty self-explanatory and the concert schedules can be found here. Let me just say that there will be a diversity of good music up and down the Parkway (and, of course, good food and other fun activities too!).

The evening closes with the largest free concert in the country – just fitting for the national birthday party. This year’s headliner at the “Life, Liberty and You” concert is pop-rock sensation Sheryl Crow, she of “All I Wanna Do” and “If It Makes You Happy” fame. And to top off the celebration, the Philly skyline will be set ablaze in sparkles, thanks to one of the best fireworks displays in the country.

Lincoln 200 Birthday Festival – free this weekend!

Okay, so as all good state workers know, Lincoln’s birthday is really in February (February 12, to be exact). But heck, we’re heavy duty celebrating in Philly this weekend, so why not some applause for honest Abe – particularly since he would have been 200 this year?

Lincoln200, Abraham Lincoln’s 200 birthday bash will be held from July 2 through the 5 on Independence Mall. Tomorrow night’s festivities, which include a grand opening party and ribbon cutting, get started at 4 and continue through 9 pm. Friday, Saturday and Sunday’s activities will run from 9 am to 6 pm, and will highlight President Lincoln’s close ties to Philadelphia, including our state’s pivotal role in preserving the union during the Civil War.

But it’s a party, not just a history lesson, so look for some really cool interactive features, including Lincoln for Kids, Green-Linc, Lincoln Logs and iLincoln, as well as an arts and crafts marketplace. Proceeds of the festival will be donated to veterans and military families – and admission is free! – so come on down and take part in this celebration!

Fast Five for Free Friday

Hey you guys!

Since we’re now headed into the summer and good weather, I know you’ll want to be out and about more. How can you do that and keep a reign on your cash flow?

Well, let me present the OnTheCheap solution for this common dilemma – the Fast Five For Free Friday. (See, Mrs. Ackerman, I wasn’t sleeping through that lesson on alliteration!) Every Friday I’ll shoot off a quick list of things you can do that weekend for free…so just check back when you have some time on your hands, m’kay?

Without further ado, here’s the first list of Five For Free.  And according to the Weather Channel, all signals point to a beautiful weekend. Go enjoy – without busting the budget.

*Speaking of Peace: A Festival of the Arts – What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding? Find out through the photo essays, storytelling and music at this festival, presented by the Frazer Mennonite Church
in Frazer, PA. Tomorrow, 1-7 pm. Call 610-644-3397 or check the web site for details.

* Ruby’s Walk Across America – Reality star Ruby Gettinger’s anti-obesity walk kicks off in Philly (just in time for swimsuit season, eh?).  Meet Ruby and the other walkers at Lloyd Hall, One Boathouse Row, from 8 am to 2 pm.

* Lincoln High School Glory Days – Ah, nostalgia! Apparently Lincoln High School is scheduled for demolition – but not before one last blow-out celebration. Flea markets, music, tours, games and memorabilia will mark the goodbyes from 8 am to 2 pm tomorrow. 3201 Ryan Avenue; 215-335-5653.

* ARTspiration! – Billed as a free community arts festival for the whole family, this event will be held at the Fleisher Art Memorial from 10-4 on Sunday. Check out the arts and crafts, book sale, bake sale and free performances at the nation’s oldest tuition-free art school. Tip: don’t miss the “Play With Your Food” booth.

* And, for those headed to the shore – the Boardwalk Spring Family Fun Fest will be going on all weekend in Ocean City. Face painters, bands, pony rides and a juried art show are some of the featured attractions on the boards from 9-6. Call 609-457-1151 for info.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Day 11 – Philadelphia City Pass

Give mom the city – without having to gift wrap – with the City Pass.

Wouldn’t you love to wrap up the best Philly has to offer for mom this Mother’s Day? Well, this year give her the National Constitution Center, The Philadelphia Zoo and Adventure Aquarium – without the hassle of wrapping. Easy to do, with the CityPass,your ticket to the best the city has to offer.

Better yet, buy one of these ticket booklets – at $58 a book – for each of you, then share the next few days together exploring six of the most popular Philadelphia attractions, including the Franklin and the Academy of Natural Sciences. You’ll both have wonderful memories of your “staycation,” – and you’ll be saving a whopping 45% off the price of these tickets sold separately.  Passes are valid for nine days, and you’ll see savings if you just check out three of the attractions – but in a city this great, why stop at three?

So make Philly the City of Motherly Love this year by sharing it with the CityPass.

It’s Strawberry Season at Peddler’s Village

Looking for a way to enjoy the warmer weather this weekend? Look no further than Lahaska, where the 40th annual Strawberry Festival is being celebrated at Peddler’s Village.

Juried artisans will be demonstrating their skills and peddling their wares at the festival – but of course, the real stars are the strawberries, freshly-picked, juicy and delicious. Get them dipped in chocolate, served in pastries or take home some jam….or just grab yourself a sweet fistful for fresh nibbling. Umm, this tastes like summer to us!

Strawberry Fields may be forever, but the festival is just two days – May 2 and 3. Free admission and free parking – and all those berries – make this the sweetest deal of the weekend.

25th Philadelphia International Children’s Festival May 1-2

Q- Where can you find the Give & Take Jugglers, a hungry hungry caterpillar and some giants you can hang with?

A- Well, this weekend you can find all of them – and more! – at the Annenberg Center for Performing Arts at the 25th annual Philadelphia International Children’s Festival.

The festival, sponsored by the nonprofit arts education initiative Project Synergy, will feature a variety of indoor productions, including Hangin’ With The Giants, The Lost World and Eric Carle favorites. Admission is $10 a production, or you can get a birthday pass – three productions for $25 and a bonus free T-shirt.  And, best of all, the outdoor activities are free! Call 215-898-3900 or check the web site for details.

Free outdoors are arts and crafts projects for children provided by Project Synergy, a nonprofit arts education initiative. The Give & Take Jugglers, back by popular demand, will perform with Clowns Without Borders. On Saturday, the Clay Studio will give free lessons on creating monoprints with clay.

Indoor performances include Break! The Urban Funk Spectacular, in which dancers trace 30 years of hip-hop. Storyteller and author Antonio Sacre will entertain. Audiences can learn the history of blues music in a stage performance of Blues Journey, the children’s book by Walter Dean Myers, adapted by Jerome Hairston.

Cathy & Marcy, folk banjo artists and two-time Grammy winners, and hip-hop artist Christylez Bacon will perform and collaborate in a banjo-meets-hip-hop performance.

Other indoor productions are The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favorites, The Lost World, Hangin’ With the Giants, and more. Low-cost, kid-friendly catered cuisine from the Hinge Cafe will be available.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Day 2-Omoma Coffee

Brew up a cup of love for mom. Or win a pound for the two of you to share!

Remember the old Beverly Hillbillies TV show, where oil was referred to as “black gold”? Well, most of the moms I know would agree – coffee is the true black gold of our day. Serve your mom a mug of freshly brewed, delicious coffee this Mother’s Day, and you’ll open her eyes to your gratitude and affection.

For an affordable way to treat your mom to her favorite beverage, try a gift set from OMOMA Coffee. Gift sets range in price from a mere $14.99 to $74.99, and all include their delicious 100% Arabica gourmet estate OMOMA coffee, an OMOMA mug, absolutely yummy biscotti and a personalized gift message.  Or, if mom has enough mugs, order a pound of their medium (American), dark (French) or Espresso roast, sold in individual serving packet, by the pot or by the pound.

And, specially for PhillyOnTheCheap readers, OMOMA is offering two special ways for you to share their coffee with mom this Mother’s Day. First, you can get 20% off your order on their site. Just enter coupon code 1239922423 during checkout, and a 20% discount will be applied to one order per customer. Note this code cannot be used with Google checkout, but can be combined with other OMOMA discount offers, including the free shipping for orders over $35. The code is good until May 15.

Now the giveaway – the good folks at OMOMA are giving away a pound of their coffee to one lucky reader. Just enter a comment on this blog post with a mom memory, and you’ll be entered to win the pound. The contest closes Friday, May 8.  Winner will be chosen by our handy dandy itemizer and announced on Mother’s Day.

So head on over to OMOMA – and perk your mom’s day right up!

Last Days for Perception: Reality

Just wanted to give a shout out to the fine folks at the Projects Gallery on 2nd Street. They have different exhibitions every week, and they’re a favorite (and free) day trip of my art-loving 12 year old.
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I wanted to let you guys know that this is your last chance to catch the current exhibit, Perception: Reality, which features three simultaneous solo shows on the same theme. Our favorite: the carved phonebook artwork of Cuban artist Alex Queral.

Check them out yourself – but get there Friday or Saturday, or you’ll be too late (though I’m sure the Gallery’s next show will be just as impressive!).