This was a great experience in culture from all the delicious foods, beer, and desserts to the live…read moremusic and dancing. I enjoyed the pierogies, stuffed cabbage and a few other items while here. I saw many artisans selling handmade and imported wares, from jewelry to clothing. It a short walking area as this occupies the school and its auditorium and the enclosed parking lots. So plenty of parking nearby. Even live music and band along with Ukrainian music and dancing! Definitely a very fun afternoon and evening. Great raffles and 50/50, to try your luck at and the prices were quite extensive everything ranging from mini daytrip's and weekends to high-end luggage, TV's, game systems housewares etc.Just remember to keep an eye out for this festival every year following Father's Day.

The 18th Avenue Feast, in my opinion, is the Brooklyn annual pre-game to San Genaro. Over the…read moreyears, the feast has become smaller, and seemingly shorter in duration. I've never had a bad experience, but it's not what it used to be. As I'm older now, to allow my daughter to have some fun. Some rides, a few games and some quality food. After a year off, due to Covid, it's made it's return. I'd suggest if you have small kids, it's better to go earlier in the day, before the teenagers and adults come out.

Love the Feast of Santa Rosalia. I try to go whenever it's on. sausage Sandwiches are blazing from…read morethe Lucy Carts!

It was good the year they had it. Then we went the next and it wasn't there. There was no notice…read morethat the fair was cancelled.

Great Street Fair... spread out all over downtown Westfield. So many vendors selling so many…read morethings. Lots of food to choose from and plenty of activities to keep the kids busy. Great place to spend a leisurely Sunday walking around...

Fleet Week kicks off my Memorial Day weekend into high gear! Not as many ships visited this year…read moreas in previous years (due to budget cuts) and were spread out over 3 boroughs. The big ships like the amphibious landing ships with their marines, armored vehicles, helicopters and hovercraft usually dock in Manhattan north of the Intrepid. The destroyers and cruisers usually dock in Brooklyn and sometimes in Staten Island. So I took the Friday off and hit as many locations as possible. I planned my day to hit the Manhattan upper west side cruise terminal first thing in the morning, then head to Staten Island. It's pretty simple to get to the the Stapleton Navy pier which is just 2 stops on the SIRR from the St. George ferry terminal. This year, the pier hosted 3 US Coast Guard ships and one US Navy Littoral Combat Ship, the USS Little Rock. The Little Rock was what I was here to see because it is one of the newest in the fleet and I was one of the design engineers of the class 10 years ago. I had the unfortunate timing of arriving at the same time as 4 elementary school classes and it took forever to get on for the ship tour. If I had just arrived an hour earlier or later, I would have had the ship almost to myself. I snapped a lot of pictures and I think that got me noticed. A trio of men in suits came up to me and asked if they could have "a talk". They flashed their NCIS badges and I thought, "Wow, I love your TV shows! When are you gonna do a NCIS:NY one?" (but I didn't actually say that). They asked what I did, who I worked for and basically made sure I wasn't a spy, though I think I was just profiled as one. Even though you might not notice them, security is tight at all the Fleet Week sites. I finished up the day heading to the Brooklyn cruise terminal via the S79 bus across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Hi Nadia!). After 15 segments of subways, buses and ferries, I really gave my unlimited Metro-Card a major workout and made it a Fleet Week to remember.

I love Fleet Week! It's a really fun time for kids and adults. It's a great time to show support of…read moreour military and learn a little about what they do. I've never bothered to go to the other boroughs because they do such a great job on SI every year. Parking is usually pretty easy (a little tougher now that URBY is built right there). Park on the street and walk through the security checks. Make sure you bring ID with you. When you get down the pier the crew will gather a small group and give you a free tour of their ship. Every year the ships are stationed in different places so you will probably never tour the same ship. If you're bringing small kids or seniors be aware that many of the ships have steep staircases. You can still do the tours but a crew member will bring you an alternate way to avoid these things. Bring cash. They always sell souvenirs (hats, tees& commemorative items) on the ship. Best time to go is early morning or late afternoon when the crowds are not as bad.

There are a few things in life that are inherently good. In my opinion, those include: live music,…read morecarnival food, thrill rides, good weather, quality time with friends, and animal freak shows. The Union County Music Fest provides all of the above and more, and all at the super low price of ... well, NOTHING! Let's start with the logistics. First of all, it would be nearly impossible to get to Music Fest without a car, so I'm lucky my Jersey-dwelling pals offered to drive. Second, Music Fest is held in association with the county fair, which accounts for the rickety and slightly scary rides, the carnival food (funnel cake, anyone!?), and the Anibal freak show. Freaks on display included a zebra/donkey cross breed, sheep with five legs, and a midget bull. Awesome! Now on to the music. There was a great mix of styles on display, and the three bands I saw each provided a very different experience. First I saw The Zombies, a '60s psychedelic band that was popular with the older crowd, but still were pleasantly enjoyable. For me, the highlight of the evening was getting to see Robert Randolph and the Family Band, who were absolutely spectacular. His mix of rock, funk, rhythm and blues, and gospel is not to be missed and I was totally blown away by his incredible work on the pedal steel. In fact, I was so impressed that I weaseled my way backstage after his set so that I could tell him I was hooked and will definitely be seeing him again soon. See the attached picture for visual proof. Headlining Sunday night was Spoon, another band that I really like. They were better than when I first saw them a couple of years ago in NYC in a venue that I hate, and the crowd was very receptive. The threat of rain kept many people away, which was too bad for the bands but good for me and my friends. We were right up near the front for both Robert Randolph and Spoon. A few of my friends were there for the Saturday lineup as well, and they said it was much more crowded, which isn't a surprise since the weather was so much better. Saturday's performers included headliners Train (not my thing, but ok), OK Go, The Bravery, and several others. The festival also boasts a small stage for local bands, as well as a pop/dance area, which seemed popular with the tweens. I hear there was also a human freak show on Saturday, but unfortunately it was not open Sunday. I'm excited to see who will be back for Music Fest in 2011, but it will be hard to beat the experience I had there yesterday.

For Union County, this was a great festival. However, it was poorly put together also…read more First off, we did the smarter thing and used Uber to get to and from the event because I heard parking was a disaster. Also, there were very few signs. When you did park, you had a bit to walk but there were no signs that told you where to go. I think they need better signage and more lighting in the dark as I almost twisted my ankle walking over. The craft beer garden was $9 a drink, which was a bit high. And you didn't get to sample anything before you bought it (also note get your token beforehand) so careful how you spend it. Though, they had some great beers there. The waits weren't too long surprisingly. However, the lines for some of the food trucks were way more. Many food trucks already sold out of food when I got there Saturday night. Meh. But thankfully there were plenty that were more well prepared. The rides were a little pricey also at $1.50 a ticket and some of the rides at 5 tickets. Eek. I think I'd go again but they do need some improvement. Also, more lighting would be appreciated all around. This review doesn't include the concerts because I didn't bother with that. If you angled yourself properly in the food truck/carnival area, you got a GREAT view of the MainStage for FREE FYI.

Did you know the story of San Gennaro originated in Naples, Italy?…read more Starting in the late 1880s many Neopolitan Italian immigrants settled in lower Manhattan, on Mulberry Street, the heart of Little Italy. By the year 1926, they decided to celebrate their heritage in honor of their favorite Saint. 2025 marks the 99th year of celebration of San Gennaro who famously protects Neopolitans from fire, earthquakes, droughts, plagues and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. San Gennaro is a truly powerful champion for the people. However, this eleven day festival is all about the food and fun. So, Let's eat! Mangia! **Runs September 11th through 21st ** **It's Free! - But do bring plenty of CA$H money for food** * ** Some say it's claustrophobic and an overpriced tourist trap** ***Weekdays are bit less crowded *** You're welcome Grazie mille!! XO

If you're lucky enough to be reading this on a slow Friday at work, your next destination should be…read moreReddit, where you can enjoy "it's fake Disneyland for tourists" comments followed by counterattacks about those smug and simplistic critiques. I don't love it but I usually try to go at least twice. I liked the hot sausage at Johnny Fasullo's with a hot pepper on top. If you're into carbs try a potato croquette and rice ball combo at Caffe Napoli. I wasn't as impressed with the Ferrara cannoli this year but maybe I'm wrong. If possible, go on a weekday, but the crowds will always be abundant.

I love the vibe. The music the food was awesome I am back today to enjoy the music....read more

If you really want to know the whole story, it's all laid out on their website but reading a bunch…read moreof bullet points on a screen about some big neighborhood spectacle is about the most depressing thing you can do, so I'll explain. ​Basically, the Giglio Feast is a historic 12-day Italian-American festival that happens every July at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It's been going on since 1887 when immigrants brought it over from Nola, Italy, to honor Saint Paulinus commemorating when he returned from captivity after sacrificing himself for his people and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. That part actually sounds pretty decent, if you want to know the truth, but the way spectators in attendance make a huge circus out of it just drives me crazy. Then participants are amazing. ​The main event is this thing called the "Dancing of the Giglio," where they take a giant 70-foot tower made of wood and steel weighing four whole tons and covered in lilies, angels, and religious figures and hoist it up. They've got a live brass band and a singer literally sitting right on top of the timber frame while roughly 120 guys lift, spin, and "dance" this enormous four-ton thing down North 8th Street on their bare shoulders. ​Guys in matching outfits blowing saxophones and yelling on the platform, and crowds of people crammed together in the street taking photos and cheering. There's even a statue of a saint perched at the very top against the blue sky, looking down at all these phonies sweating and carrying on in the heat. It's supposed to be this grand, sacred tradition, but looking at a hundred guys breaking their backs to carry a four-ton tower with a band riding on it just makes you feel sort of tired and thirsty. It really does.

Stopped by the fair on a very warm Sunday afternoon. I decided to take the train instead of driving…read moreand it is very conveniently located basically across the street from the train station. There were many vendors to check out and they had a nice selection of items. They also had a specific area set aside for the food vendors but there wasn't much seating. I only saw a few tables and chairs set up. As far as food they had a nice selection to choose from. I had a great empanada from Empanada Monster, some boardwalk fries, and your traditional twist soft ice cream cone. They also had the Cousins Maine Lobster Truck, and the Thai Food Addict Truck. I thought the prices were very reasonable. They were even selling cans of soda and water for $1.00 They also had a DJ to provide some entertainment and a bouncy house for the kids as well as some games to play. Very nice street fair...

Ever since I was little, my parents would take me out to the fairs, particularly the ones in…read moreCranford and Westfield since we obviously lived close-by to these areas. We go to these events every year to see what was being exhibited. The bigger size of the fair, the better, since there would be a lot on display for the visitors to see and possibly buy. We were always fond of the fairs in Cranford and Westfield because of it's sizes, and this year, this fair is still big, thus giving me the chance to see a lot on display. This fair was located in the heart of downtown Cranford. Various food vendors were available, selling different kinds of meals and snacks, particularly fried foods. Other vendors were selling crafts that they made, like candles and tiny picnic tables which were meant to hold salt and pepper shakers. More vendors also sold classic toys and sports memorabilia. There were also different organizations and companies onsite for distribution of various services (like Vivint and FIOS). Some of the tables from those organizations had little "Wheel Of Fortune" games for the kids. I certainly remember playing those games when I was a little boy in the 90s at the fairs. Overall, I'd say all of that was interesting. If that wasn't enough, there were some classic cars on display on one little side street. There actually wasn't that much, but it was enough for me to look and enjoy what was being shown. Who doesn't like looking at old, classic cars? If I had a favorite out of what I saw, I'd say it was the Porsche. I didn't recall seeing those cars at the Garwood event a few months ago. As I walked around, I got overwhelmed by the smell of the oil that was used for the fried foods. I wasn't amused by that. That also left me wondering whether or not the oil was replaced recently prior to the actual frying procedures. The smells were obviously not too far from the booths where the actual frying was taking place. The big size of the fairs in Cranford will always make me a fan! :D