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Tune Into the Sounds of the Season at Fairmount Park’s Historic Houses
“Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart … filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.” – Bess Streeter Aldrich Story, photos by Sharon Kozden They came. They toured. They listened. On December 2, in what was part of a 16-day seasonal presentation called A Very Philly Christmas, Fairmount Park’s Historic Houses came alive with the sounds of music during The Sounds of the Season. Philadelphia was well represented by its diverse musical culture and community, which included Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, Choral Arts Philadelphia, Clef Club of Jazz, Opera Philadelphia and PlayOnPhilly.…
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Cultivating Leadership: Union League of Philadelpia Hosts The Germination Project’s 2017 Draft Day Gala
“People always say that I have all of these projects, but I really only have one project, and that’s our region.” – Ajay Raju Story, photos by Sharon Kozden The Union League‘s Lincoln Hall was the place to be, where The Germination Project‘s 3rd Annual Draft Day Gala was held. The assemblage included an impressive roster of notable community members as well as an equally diverse lineup of awards, inductions, presentations, performances and more. The gala, chaired by Executive VP and Provost JoAnne Epps of Temple University, introduced (in athletic-draft fashion) the 17 most recent inductees to 2017’s Germination Project’s Fellowship Class as well as the presentation (by Craig Snyder, President and CEO, World Affairs…
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CiderFest Rules Fairmount Park’s Historic Houses in Philadelphia
Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “The older I get, the more I become an apple pie, sparkling cider kind of guy.” – Scott Foley What was Fairmount Park Conservancy thinking on the perfect autumnal afternoon in late September when introducing CiderFest, featuring cider samples from over 20 Pennsylvania cideries, self-guided tours of the six historic houses at Fairmount Park, free house-to-house transportation, live music and pay-as-you-go food trucks? I’d say they had their thinking caps spot-on with the aforementioned perfect confab of fall delights. Proceeds from the event benefitted the “ongoing stewardship, maintenance and promotion of the Historic Houses of Fairmount Park.” That alone was more than enough for this itsy bitsy spider to drink from the…
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An Apple a Day Doesn’t Keep the Judges Away: Best In Pomme at Manayunk’s StrEAT Food Festival
Chowing in the StrEAT (sorry, not sorry to Bruce Springsteen’s “Racing in the Street”). Kicking off Restaurant Week is the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits.” – Henry David Thoreau Autumn and apples “pear” well together. What can I say about this pun but that I’m fruity? Separating fall from those crisp, pomaceous and antioxidant-laden fruits would be akin to depriving myself of post-meal desserts. So when I was pegged (along with Explore-Philly team member Dana Prophet and Dana’s friend Amy) to spend two hours judging the best apple-themed desserts at Manayunk’s StrEAT Food Festival on the evening of September 14th, I was all in. Arriving at a…
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Crawlin’ with the Undead in Northern Libertie’s Zombie Invasion
Professional make-up artist Sonja Century complies with Sharon Kozden’s request to be transformed into a “pretty goth.” Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “It’s so hard to be careful, so easy to be led Somewhere beyond the pavement You’ll find the living dead.” – Tom Petty, “Zombie Zoo” What better way to spend a Friday the 13th evening than in the company of creepy and grotesquely incorporeal beings intent on feeding on my brain? Ironing my underwear? Navel-gazing? Nope and nope: I was out to get me some “organs that serve as the center of the nervous system.” I didn’t have to travel far to find them! The Piazza at The Schmidt’s Commons in Northern Libertie’s…
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Twinkle, Twinkle: Era Contemporary Showcases Stargarden Exhibit at Da Vinci Art Alliance
Era Contemporary announces exhibit with beautifully rendered photograph. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden When Jessica Libor, artist, graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and director of Era Contemporary, “a pop-up art gallery that showcases artwork by living artists who display a unique vision and a focus on magical realism,” recently called for submissions, artists delivered. The exhibit, entitled StarGarden was held Friday, September 1st at Philadelphia’s Da Vinci Art Alliance. Curated by Libor, it fused the sublime mystery of the celestial night sky’s cosmos with the tangible beauty of floral and fauna on magical terra firma. So when Cassie Hepler called for a writer and photographer to cover the event, my shooting star-swift affirmative response confirmed my presence at…
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Philly’s Real Life ‘Rocky’ Bantamweight Christian Carto, a SugarHouse Sweet Boxing Treat
Story by Kelly Kusumoto, photos by Colleen Cahill On a hot, sweaty August night, Bantamweight Christian Carto TKO’d Phillip Adyaka to remain perfect at 11-0 with 11 KOs and proved he was SugarHouse Casino’s sweetest treat of the night. On the banks of the Delaware River, SugarHouse Casino in Fishtown was bustling with action. Cars filled each parking lot, people were walking to and fro, dining outside and playing inside. The weather was perfect and the mood was right. But no one’s stars were more aligned for a win than the incredibly talented, Philly native, Christian Carto, who at 20 years young is carving out a boxing career he hopes…
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Meltdown at Ruby’s Diner with Debut of 35th Anniversary Burger
Photos, story by Sharon Kozden Celebrating 35 years of all-American classics, Ruby’s Diner has introduced a new, aptly named 35th Anniversary Burger. As a kid, a burger dine-out the Kozden way meant a meal comprised of single patty, small order of fries and an equally small-sized cola. No frills, no deviation from the spare. Little Sharon, a minimalist before her time. My father had four hungry mouths to feed on a humble meter reader’s salary, which ensured that I lived for years in ignorance of the vast and varied manners in which foodstuffs could be prepared. Descendant on both sides from Anthracite coal miners (as far from to-the-manor-born as one can get), imagine my bugged-out eyes when I discovered such grub-stuffs as toppings,…
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Get Licked at Ritz-Carlton’s Aqimero ‘Yappy Hour’ Benefit During Dog Days of Summer
Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Welcome to the dog days of summer. The Ritz-Carlton’s Aqimero Lounge hosted their inaugural Yappy Hour to benefit Hemlock Edge Rescue, a non-profit organization “dedicated to rescuing homeless, abandoned and abused animals”. As I made my way to the iconic hotel on one of the hottest days to date, I pondered the dog days of summer phrase. Its perception as we know it – one of listless and seemingly catatonic canines stilled by heat so sultry and oppressive – allowed me to feel at one with man’s best friend. I ascended the Ritz-Carlton’s steps, panting and tugging my dress loose from sticky skin as sweat rivulets collected…
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Wine Loving Tria Taproom Adds Cocktails to the Boozy Menu
Story by Tiffany DuBois, photos by Eric Morales On a beautiful and warm afternoon, local Philly favorite Tria Taproom launched a new series of cocktails that will leave you feeling really good. The trio of Tria restaurants have always been known for their incredible selection of wine and craft beers but now they have thrown their hat into the cocktail ring with four new cocktails and all four were delicious. Your hardest decision will be which one to try first. I recommend you try them all but make sure you have a safe way to get home afterwards! Tria has always been in the forefront of being environmentally conscience. There…
