Make the most of summer at Linvilla Orchards annual Tomato and Pear Festival! These ripe and juicy fruits are bursting with flavor! Starting at 8am, Saturday August 18^th, fun classes and activities will run all day long, with plenty of excitement for parents and children, alike.

Kids will love seeing the Piccirillo Sciencetellers! They’ll be making slime, playing with colder than ice liquid nitrogen, and using their science and story telling skills to create a high-energy, educational performance called Potions!

Adults will get the chance to develop their green thumbs at any number of great gardening classes including: Terrarium Gardening, Basic Perennial Gardening, Herb Gardening 101, and Making Succulent Troughs!

Foodies are also provided with plenty to do. Learn to cook the sumptuous produce, pick up some new recipes, and sample delicious summertime flavors at the food classes. Or treat yourself to some great local honey after visiting Linvilla’s own Bee Keeper, Warren Graham! Join the fun, with pony rides, games and contests, hayrides, face painting, and our world-class playground

To learn more visit www.linvilla.com or call 610-876-7116.Linvilla Orchards is located at 137 West Knowlton Road, Media, PA.

What better way to cast your vote for the 2012 presidential election than by buying shortbread cookies at Night Kitchen Bakery?  The Chestnut Hill bakery is running a straw poll and it’s scheduled to run through Election Day, Tuesday, November 6^st. It’s easy to cast your vote, just select one of the specially prepared iced vanilla shortbread cookies. The cookies decorated in blue are for Obama, and the red cookies are for Romney! The cookies sell for $3.50 each!

To follow the results just look at Night Kitchen Bakery’s store front window or by signing into Night Kitchen’s Facebook page to see the results. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Night-Kitchen-Bakery/154810607886096

Get over “hump day” with Rittenhouse Square’s Summer Concert Series! The last three Wednesdays in August (15, 22, 29) Rittenhouse Park wants you to come and rock out during the 22^nd annual “Concerts in the Park” series! The concerts run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and are totally free! All you need to bring is yourself, your friends or family, a blanket, and some light snacks and refreshments of your liking! For more information and for the list of bands check out: http://www.visitphilly.com/events/philadelphia/concerts-in-the-park-rittenhouse-square-summer-concert-series/

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Out for a ballgame? Getting hungry? Forget the traditional peanuts and Crackerjacks, and get yourself a serious snack. Make Shank’s Original your first stop. The welcoming cheesesteak joint has been around for nearly 50 years and knows how to fill an empty stomach.

Shank’s is a great place to find a cross section of locals and a taste of the food that made Philly famous. With hearty cheesesteaks, chicken cutlet Italiano, roast pork sandwiches and classic hoagies it’s Philly with an Italian accent that everyone can understand. Did we mention that they always have great specials that go easy on the wallet? In fact, throughout the month of August when you bring your Phillies ticket into Shank’s and buy one sandwich, you can get one free. So root, root, root for the home team and take yourself to Shank’s. But don’t forget that ticket!

Shank’s Original at Pier 40 is located at 901 S. Columbus Boulevard. It’s open seven days a week, Sunday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Call 215.218.4000 or log onto www.shanksoriginal.com.

Although summer is half way over, the family fun has just begun! The sweet and tangy first bite of a perfectly ripened peach will make you feel like it’s the first day of summer all over again. Tomorrow, Saturday, August 4^th, Linvillais celebrating their annual Peach Festival. Besides picking delectable peaches, make sure to stop by the Farm Marketwhere the delicious aroma of freshly baked pies fills the air and sweet treats await your arrival. Afterwards, hop on Linvilla’s very own train, take a ride on a real pony, climb aboard a hayride and take part in many other exciting activities for the whole family to rave about.

For a complete list of activities happening tomorrow, go to www.Linvilla.com or call 610-876-7116. Linvilla located at 137 West Knowlton Road, in Media, PA.

Nothing to do on Sunday? Why not spice up the ordinary block party with music, food, beer gardens, art, workshops, and vendors of all kinds? Northern Liberties is hosting the fourth annual 2nd Street Festival.

Are you tired of eating hamburgers and hotdogs at every weekends barbeque? No problem! Come get your fix of variety at the many food trucks located at the festival, or try restaurants such as Standard Tap, North Bowl and El Camino Real! The seven-block stretch will include four stages for live music that will play all day!

Have young children? No problem, the 2nd Street Festival is sure to include fun for everyone! There are family friendly activities including arts and crafts, carnival games, and even kid-friendly musicians! Come and see what the fun is all about at the super-sized block party in Northern Liberties on August 5, 2012 from noon to 10pm! For more information, check out their page at http://www.2ndstfestival.org/.