Decadent cupcakes by ICED by Betsy

Named one of the best cupcakeries in Philadelphia on the Philly Hot List in 2010, ICED by Betsy bakes up indulgent, gourmet cupcakes in traditional and not-so-traditional flavors.

We tried the Pieces of Reeses, a peanut butter cupcake, filled with chocolate mousse, frosted with chocolate buttercream and loaded to the brim with chunks peanut butter cups.

The cake was moist itself, but the mousse and icing made this cupcake amazingly delicious. This was my first time tasting an ICED by Betsy cupcake, and now I am looking forward to trying more and more!

ICED by Betsy can be found at the Phoenixville Farmers’ Market, the Kennet Square Farmers’ Market and the Skippack Farmers’ Market, as well as at Artisan’s Gallery and Café in Phoenixville and the New York Bagel Café and Deli in West Chester.

For all the up to date information on flavors and where to find ICED by Betsy cupcakes, find them on Facebook or on Twitter.

Family Fun Fair to be held in Phoenixville

Stepping Stone Education Center will hold their annual Family Fun Fair on Feb. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at their Franklin Commons location in Phoenixville, PA.

The Family Fun Fair is a great chance for families to spend time together playing games and learning about science. Janet Hunter, Stepping Stone Education Center Director, described the day as a fun affordable day for families in the middle of winter.

There will be games for children include pick a duck, treasure chest and fishing, and children will win a prize for every game played. Touch the Stars will also be at the fair performing hands-on science experiments with children such as making goop and they will be bringing their electricity ball, the one that makes your hand stand up. There will also be face painting, temporary tattoos and spin art.

A silent auction will also be going on throughout the day with items such as sports memorabilia, tickets to Dutch Wonderland, tickets to Adventure Aquarium, a family membership to the Phoenixville YMCA, and baskets full of fun.

Tickets for the games will be very inexpensive and the science experiments will be free.

The Family Fun Fair is free to the community and all are welcome to the event.

For more information, visit www.SteppingStoneEducation.org or call 610-933-7710.

VIDEO: Phoenixville's 7th annual Firebird Festival

Phoenixville's 7th annual Firebird Festival was held in downtown Phoenixville on Dec. 11. This was the largest bird ever in the history of the festival, standing at 28 ft. high.

Taste of Phoenixville fulfills Phoenixville foodies dreams

Good Samaritan Shelter Director Nate Hoffer; Dan Lamson Committee member for Taste of Phoenixville; Chair of the Committee, Reverend Frank Lamson; Director of Public Relations at Franklin Commons, Teri Eide; and Bob Ryan of Robert Ryan Catering. 

Philly ‘burb foodies, rejoice! One of the premier non-profit events, held on Jan. 20, will feature signature from approximately 30 Phoenixville area restaurants. At Franklin Commons, at 400 Franklin St. in Phoenixville, Taste of Phoenixville will benefit Good Samaritan Shelter. It’s their biggest fundraiser of the year.

Tickets to the event include sampling from the restaurants, as well as an open bar, dancing and live bands. There will also be a silent and a live auction.

Silent auction items include: gift certificates to local restaurants, local salons and spas, a membership to the Phoenixville YMCA, gift certificate for a personal chef, handmade scarves and blankets and more. The live auction will begin around 8 p.m. with items including: a week at a vacation home in the Poconos and a week at a vacation home in the Outer Banks.

Taste of Phoenixville will be held on Jan. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Franklin Commons in Phoenixville. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased from www.TasteofPhoenixville.com or by calling the shelter office at 610-933-9305.

Participating restaurants include (as of Dec. 7):
Robert Ryan Catering
Columbia Bar and Grille
Iron Hill Brewery
Montesano Bros.
Molly Maguire’s
The Sly Fox
Full Circle Flavors
Cornucopia Catering
Tony’s Family Restaurant
Becca’s
Hills Quality Seafood
Sugartown Smoked Specialties
Chester Springs Bakery
Food Muse
Daddy Mim’s
Marley’s
Andrew Deery’s Majolica
Artisan’s Gallery and Café
Drexelbrook
Cream Valley Catering
Titus Inn

Firebird Festival in Downtown Phoenixville slated for Dec. 11

 (image courtesy http://firebirdfestival.com/)

December 11 marks downtown Phoenixville’s seventh annual Firebird Festival, which draws thousands of people to downtown for the entertainment, dining and the main event – the burning of the Phoenix bird.

This year’s bird is the biggest ever – reaching heights of 28 ft. at the head of the bird and 20 ft. at both wings. There are also seven towers, one for each year of the festival.

Entertainment throughout the downtown, including musicians, dancers and even fire breathers and eaters, starts at 4 p.m. The lighting of the bird is at 8 p.m.

A parade, beginning at 7:15 p.m. at Starr St. and winding its way down Bridge St. and ending at the Firebird site on the 300 block of Bridge street marks the beginning of the lighting of the bird.

The Phoenixville Arts and Entertainment Committee dreamed up the event as a way to bring people into downtown Phoenixville. It is based on the mythology of the Phoenix, who rises from the ashes of the one before it, symbolizing resurrection and renewal.

It is also representative of the town of Phoenixville, who has risen from the ashes, after the steel company was shut down in 1986; the town fell on hard times. Today, it is a bright, vibrant community that has gone through quite a renaissance.

One note, parking in downtown is already atrocious, even on the best of days. Public transit is the way to go if possible. SEPTA bus route 99 from King of Prussia and 139 that runs between Limerick and King of Prussia make stops in downtown Phoenixville. (Route 139 stops at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets – lots of free parking there, and you can do some shopping before you catch the bus!)

For more information on the festival and a schedule of the downtown entertainment, visit firebirdfestival.com.

Blob Fest 2010

Every summer in the town of Phoenixville, they hold a celebration called Blob Fest. They shut down a portion of Bridge Street right outside the Colonial Theater, which is where the famous scene of people fleeing a movie theater was shot for the original 1958 version of The Blob.

For the weekend celebration, they have multiple showings of the movie in the theater. In addition to this, on Friday night a re-enactment of the "running out" scene is held and you can participate in it as well for a small fee! If you're a fan of the movie, it's definitely something worth experiencing.

If you have interest, make sure you keep your eyes out for the 2011 celebration next summer!

Canal Day 2010 - Joust Championship

Check out the Joust Championship collage video from Canal Day 2010



Credit:
Canal Day National Canal Joust via The Phoenix

Canal Day 2010

Every year, the last Sunday in June, the Schuylkill Canal Association (SCA), based in Montgomery County's Mont Clare, hold's Canal Day - a day to honor and enjoy the Schuylkill Canal with music, tours and games.

The highlight of the day is the National Canal Joust Championship - where opponents face off with Q-tip-like jousts along a one-foot board over the Canal.

Unfortunately for you, reader, Canal Day was June 27. However, keep it in mind next year.

This was their 28th Canal Day - which featured music by local bands and tours of the Locktenders House. Throughout the day, the SCA also opens Lock 60 - the actual canal.

There are also kayak and canoe demos as well as a used kayak and stuff sale.

New this year, SCA set up a flea market and business expo at St. Micahel's Picnic Ground in Mont Clare.

Each year, the Mont Clare Fire Company, if not pre-occupied with firemen duties, do a demo and water spray.

For more on the Schuylkill Canal Association: http://www.schuylkillcanal.org/

For more about The Schuylkill Canal: http://bit.ly/cJd1nF

For more about The Locktenders House: http://bit.ly/dDk8Bz

There's lots and lots to do along the Schuylkill River - including the Schuylkill River Trail, which follows along the Schuylkill River from Schuylkill County to Berks County.