The Inn at Penn, a Hilton Hotel, proudly announces the completion of a multi-million dollar renovation of all 238 guest rooms, 17 Executive Conference Suites, and main floor meeting and banquet facilities.

The beautifully appointed guest rooms at The Inn at Penn have been redesigned in golden hues with earth tone accents. Luxurious upgrades include the Hilton Serenity Collection^® with Suite Dreams^® plush-top mattress, down duvet and pillows for a great night’s sleep and exclusive Crabtree & Evelyn La Source^® bath amenities that indulge the senses.  Additional touches of home include overstuffed chair and ottoman and refreshment station, which features an in-room safe for laptops and other valuable items.

Keeping the comfort of the business traveler in mind, guest rooms offer accommodating work space with comfortable seating, easily accessible electrical and data ports and specially-designed lighting.  For the technologically sophisticated guest rooms feature WebTV, the Hilton clock radio with MP3 capabilities and high speed wired/wireless Internet access.

“Our entire hotel team looks forward to rewarding our loyal following of leisure and business travelers, as well as new guests, with all of our hotel’s incredible new design and service enhancements,” says David Newhart, the hotel’s General Manager.

For meetings, banquets, and entertaining, the hotel’s main floor features 10,000 sq. ft. of flexible space.  Redecorated in rich red and gold tones, and keeping with the intimate arts and crafts style, hotel ballrooms and pre-function foyer are ideal venues for meetings up to 15 people and social functions for groups up to 450.   In addition there are 17 newly-decorated Executive Suites on the guest floors to accommodate meetings from six to 15 people and receptions for groups up to 25.  A new 24 hour BusinessCenter also has been added, providing two computer stations with laptop access with copier, printer, and fax machines.

Guests at The Inn at Penn welcome the day by enjoying an extensive breakfast buffet at the University Club as well as relaxing conversation over cocktails and dinner at Penne Restaurant and Wine Bar, for guests of legal drinking age, where the award-winning menu features homemade pastas and new recipes imported from Chef Adamo’s recent trips to Italy.  The restaurant is open nightly for dinner with lunch served Monday-Friday.

About Hilton Inn at Penn

Situated in the heart of the prestigious University of Pennsylvania campus, The Hilton Inn at Penn is the recipient of the AAA Four Diamond rating. Our sophisticated hotel features 238 luxurious guest rooms, 17 Executive Conference Suites for meetings and banquet functions, the award-winning Penne Restaurant and Wine Bar, The University Club and Living Room Lounge. For recreation, our 24-hour fitness center offers a full range of cardiovascular and weight training equipment.  For a superb location and first-class accommodation, the hotel is located at 3600 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA. 

This autumn, sitting down to a chef-cooked meal in the Philadelphia region will likely mean tasting dishes inspired by and made with locally farmed ingredients. Many of Philadelphia’s restaurants take pride in cooking with local products whenever possible, and chefs frequently rotate their menus to highlight the bounty of each season’s harvest. For diners, this arrangement provides a chance to sample the local offerings prepared at a restaurant and then buy the ingredients themselves at the same farmstand or market where the restaurateur shopped.

Farm fresh cooking is so popular in Philadelphia that many restaurants across the region are joining a collaborative group - formed by the owners of White Dog Café in West Philadelphia - called Fair Food, which fosters connections between family farmers and an ever-growing network of chefs, caterers and grocers. Participating restaurants pledge to offer at least one locally grown product throughout the growing season. Here’s a look at what some restaurants will be serving up this fall and a peek at where they get their goods:

· Leading the trend toward promoting body- and earth-friendly eating choices, managers at White Dog Café only purchase from farmers who grow their crops in a sustainable fashion, and they buy local whenever possible. The fall 2006 fall menu will likely mirror past fall menus, which have included entrees like sherry cumin-glazed sirloin of lamb with smoked eggplant tomato and arugula salad and grilled delicata squash; rosemary-grilled pork loin topped by a carmelized onion marsala glaze and served with steamed broccoli and maple-mashed sweet potatoes; potato gnocchi tossed with cider braised butternut squash and complete with toasted walnuts, sage brown butter and grated locatelli. 3420 Sansom Street, (215) 386-9224, www.whitedog.com

Where They Get Their Goods:

o Greensgrow Farmstead, located in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, runs a nursery and farm stand on a rare urban farm. From May to November, shoppers can purchase locally grown produce, humanely raised meats and eggs, along with cheeses and breads. Open Thursday, 12:00 noon-7:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. from spring through fall. 2501 E. Cumberland Street, (215) 427-2702, www.greensgrow.org

· Eclectic Mediterranean-influenced bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) favorite Django sculpts its ever-changing menu based on what’s cookin’ down on the farm. Squashes are popular in the fall, and different varieties make their way into soup, pasta and gnocchi dishes. Past menus have included butternut squash cooked risotto-style and squash-stuffed angliotti with sage brown butter. Owner Ross Essner is also a big fan of microgreens and baby versions of fall herbs and produce, which he says are often more flavorful than their larger cousins. 526 S. 4th Street, (215) 922-7151

Where They Get Their Goods:

o Blue Moon Acres farm specializes in greens, including 45 varieties of microgreens and 10 types of field greens. The enclosed on-site market also sells edible flowers and some produce such as broccoli, cabbage and carrots. Open to the public Tuesday and Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 2287 Durham Road, Buckingham, (215) 794-3093, www.bluemoonacres.net

o At the South and Passyunk Farmers’ Market, Philadelphians from deep in the heart of the city can bring themselves closer to nature by buying farm-fresh foods. Maybe they’ll even spot local chefs buying ingredients for that night’s dinner. Open Tuesday, 2:00-7:00 p.m. from mid-May through November. 5th & South Streets

· The menu items at the homey Honey’s Sit ‘n’ Eat depend almost entirely on what’s available locally. Some comfort foods with a twist that owners expect to serve come autumn will rely heavily on squash: three-squash vegan lasagna, fairytale pumpkin and butternut squash soup and stuffed squash with cornbread stuffing covered with homemade tomato sauce. Tomatoes will also play a big role this autumn with the annual offerings of fried green tomatoes and heirloom tomato juice. 800 N. 4th Street, (215) 925-1150

Where They Get Their Goods:

o Like many Philadelphia restaurants, owners of Honey’s buy their fresh local ingredients from Fair Food Farmstead at Reading Terminal Market. Created and run by the Fair Food initiative, this farm stand emphasizes local foods from small-scale producers, with offerings like humanely raised meats, organic and specialty fruits and vegetables and raw milk and cheeses. Open Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. 12th & Arch Streets, (215) 627-2029, www.whitedogcafefoundation.orgg

· Chef-owner Alison Barshak of Alison at Blue Bell delights in constantly varying her menu to suit the season. While it’s too early to predict what she’ll be serving at her friendly suburban BYOB this fall, past autumn menus have included roasted brussel sprouts with balsamic bacon parmesan; grilled lamb moussaka-style; duck confit with pistachio curry couscous and pomegranate vinaigrette. 721 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, (215) 641-2660, www.alisonatbluebell.comm

Where They Get Their Goods:

o Pennypack Farm Education Center for Sustainable Food Systems is a charitable, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the health, economic, ecological and social issues involved in sustainable local food systems. There’s also a limited market on the premises. Open Tuesday and Friday, 7:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m. 683 Mann Road, Horsham,
(215) 646-3943, www.pennypackfarm.orgg

o Barshak buys all of her dairy products from Merrymead Farm & Country Market, a busy multi-use farm with a shop that sells seasonal produce (including locally grown apples and pumpkins), baked goods, flowers, meats and non-hormone dairy products. With 30 flavors of hand-dipped ice cream for sale, regular tours and Halloween activities like hayrides and a corn maze, this farm is a fun place to bring the kids. Open seven days a week, hours vary by season. 2222 Valley Forge Road, Lansdale, (610) 584-4410, www.merrymead.com

· Restaurant Taquet chef Clark Gilbert says he’s looking forward to adding lots of locally raised lamb to the menu during his first autumn running the kitchen. Diners can expect to see dishes like braised lamb shank, lamb stew with risotto and roasted lamb shoulder, all served with regionally grown vegetables such as celery, turnips, carrots and rutabaga. Venison served with red wine sauce and a ragout of local root veggies should also make an appearance, as will homemade caramel ice cream over a warm apple tart. 139 E. Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, (610) 687-5005, www.taquet.com

Where They Get Their Goods:

o Chef Gilbert raves about Hendricks Farms & Dairy, where he buys grass-fed lamb, beef, pork and rich dairy products like yogurt, cream, milk and hand-crafted cheese. The visitor-friendly sustainable farm and dairy has a store on premises and offers custom-prepared meals and educational culinary events. Open Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
202 Green Hill Road, Telford, (267) 718-0219, www.hendricksfarmsanddairy.com

More than 140 years after it closed for business, FairmountPark’s famed Water Works—onetime home to the engine room for Philadelphia’s cutting-edge water department—reopened this summer as a chic destination lounge and restaurant. Sitting right below the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Water Works Restaurant and Lounge has an amazing view of Boathouse Row. On 24-year-old chef Adan Trinidad’s menu: grilled octopus with cilantro, duck risotto with porcini mushrooms and vanilla butter-poached lobster. Philly’s edgy Northern Liberties neighborhood recently welcomed extremely hip and colorful Bar Ferdinand, where Owen Kamihira, designer for restaurateurs Stephen Starr and Jeffrey Chodorow, serves true tapas—steamed cockles, fennel salad and saffron broth; savory crab and white asparagus flan; charred watermelon, Serrano ham and tarragon—all at reasonable prices. Spanish libations and weekly specials of $1 draft beer and $2 wines by the glass round out the offerings. Near FrenchCreekState Park in ChesterCounty, chef Martin Gagne has taken refuge in the Inn at St. Peter’s Village, where white tablecloths and French influences turn local ingredients into elegant New American fare. Adding to CenterCity’s already prolific assortment of Italian bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) restaurants is Roberto Café, owned and operated by a native of Apuglia, Italy, and serving Dover sole and mozzarella-topped gnocchi in bright tomato sauce.

BYOBs for the Non-Wine Drinker Philly’s cozy contingent of bring-your-own bottle restaurants traditionally demand diners tote along their favorite Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir. That is, until BYOB restaurateurs decided to tap non-wine-loving customers who prefer beer, tequila, rum and the like. Lolita, a hip CenterCity spot for inventive Mexican cuisine, serves fresh-squeezed seasonal juices in chic pitchers to patrons wishing to mix in their own tequila for margaritas. Both the Jamaican Jerk Hut (South Street) and Geechee Girl Rice Café (Germantown) offer homemade ginger beer that mixes with rum and lime to make island-inspired dark ‘n’ stormies. Down home joints like Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse (for the best barbecue in town) and Tacconelli’s Pizzeria (where customers call 24 hours in advance to reserve their dough) are perfect for toting along a six-pack of locally brewed Yards beer. Bryn Mawr’s Café Fresko and Lourdas Greek Taverna serve souvlaki, rack of lamb and Greek-style fish that practically cry out for ouzo.

Healthy Pizza
In the past, Philly’s pizza praise went to classic joints such as Port Richmond’s family-run Tacconelli’s, where you have to call ahead to reserve dough, or the sublimely straightforward pizza at South Philly classic Marra’s. Lately, however, there’s been a regional explosion of health-conscious (and still delicious) pizzas. Springhouse’s family-friendly BYOB Arpeggio sends wheat-crusted, artichoke or mushroom-topped marvels into its wood burning oven and serves them up with stuffed grape leaves and big, Mediterranean salads. Despite its name—and its popular curbside (and traditional) delivery—Manayunk’s Couch Tomato Café keeps it healthy by offering fresh and inventive veggie toppings and 20 different salads. Longtime favorite Philly BYOB Mama Palma guarantees its all-wheat crusts to be just as tasty as its white-flour crust. Got a wheat allergy? Still on SouthBeach? Doylestown’s Jules Thin Crust creates savory pies to suit most any diet (how about a gluten-free crust topped with broccoli, garlic, lemon and mozzarella?) and serves them with organic teas and salads.

Featured Chef: Jose Garces, Amada Last year, Jose Garces debuted Amada, a stunning Spanish and New World-influenced tapas restaurant in Old City that attracted immediate crowds—and now ranks among Philly’s hardest-to-score reservations. The 33 year-old maverick trained under Douglas Rodriguez, the father of Nuevo Latino cuisine, before Garces helmed the kitchens at both Alma de Cuba and El Vez, two wildly successful Latin-influenced Stephen Starr restaurants. This fall, Garces will open a yet unnamed “pinxto” and wine bar in Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. “Pinxtos” are the Basque region’s unique Spanish- and French-influenced version of tapas. The wine list will largely consist of wines from Northern Spain and Southwestern France.

Around the World in Old City
Philadelphia’s most popular neighborhood for a night on the town holds it own when it comes to authentic, international dining. At chef Patrice Rames’ ship-shaped Patou, the largely French Mediterranean menu offers spicy shrimp pil-pil, sublime bouillabaisse, lavender-crusted halibut and St. Tropez cake. Before it gets packed with Guinness-pounding pubgoers, The Plough and the Stars is a laid back spot for authentic Irish fare such as oak-smoked salmon and pork tenderloin beneath a rasher of bacon. Diners request spots on the floor at Kabul, a vegetarian-friendly Afghan BYOB specializing in saffron-spiced dishes and dumplings. Konak Turkish Cuisine offers a literal soup-to-nuts of Turkey’s finest fare, including lamb kebobs, imam bayildi (stuffed eggplant), homemade pita and delicious sigara borek. Native Indian and just-visiting eaters put Karma on regular rotation for spicy-rich butter chicken, raisin-stuffed nan and tender lamb curry.

The Port of Philadelphia and Camden has climbed to 36 sailings this year after seeing just one cruise set sail in 2002, a year after the bankruptcy of its sole cruise line a year prior. But that steady ascent could be hampered by passport regulations scheduled to take effect next year. Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, passengers who fly or board cruises headed to Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda will have to show a passport to re-enter the United States beginning Jan. 8. The requirement will be extended to land border crossings Jan. 1, 2008. The International Council of Cruise Lines, which represents 90 percent of the North American cruise industry, is pushing to delay the implementation and wants to see a unified implementation for land, air and sea to avoid confusion and what some in the cruise industry fear will be a crippling effect. The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is accepting public comment on the issue until Sept. 25. “We do agree it’s a good idea,” Lyndsay Rossman of the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL), said. “Our problem is with the phase in and the timeline.” Port cruises have become a thriving local industry, generating $34.8 million in business revenue, $8.2 million in employment income and $1.1 million in state and local taxes this year. The Caribbean is the largest source of cruise customers, garnering 45.1 percent of all sailings in the nation, Rossman said. The cost of attaining passports could steer people away from cruise vacations. “We’ve been telling people they should go ahead and get a passport if they don’t already have one, but for a family of five that is an extra approximately $500,” Rossman said. Thirty percent to 40 percent of U.S. passengers on short cruises (two to five days) hold passports and 50 percent to 65 percent on longer cruisers have passports, according to a recent survey by ICCL. “A lot of times cruise passengers aren’t just traveling by themselves, they are traveling with their family, and if everyone has to have a passport it may be an additional expense that may deter people from taking cruises,” Danelle Hunter of the Delaware River Port Authority, the parent of the port, said. Home-ported in Philadelphia, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Crown and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Empress of the Seas, will embark on 27 and nine sailings, respectively, to Bermuda by the end of this year’s cruise season. Under the new regulations, all of those passengers would be required to have passports to re-enter the United States. Crown Dynasty made 17 trips to Bermuda in 2000, serving as the Port of Philadelphia’s sole cruise line, but was sunk the following year after its parent company, Commodore Holdings Inc., filed for bankruptcy reoganization. Other cheaper forms of identification are being considered for land border crossings, which would cost $50 as opposed to $75 to attain, Rossman said. The industry is hopeful the same will be discussed for sea border crossings, she said. The Port of Philadelphia and Camden plans to alert passengers about the new rules by e-mail and through travel agents.

Eastern State Penitentiary

PHILADELPHIA, August 4, 2006 – Ghosts and goblins are nothing new to Philadelphia and The Countryside™, an area known for historic sites, colonial-era graveyards and centuries-old buildings, some dating back to pre-Revolutionary War times. What many people don’t know is that many of the original residents of historic Philadelphia never left town. The area is among America’s most fun haunted destinations, a region rich with colorful ghostly lore. Here’s a look at Philadelphia’s scariest spots:

Haunted Hotels:

·          The charming, antiques-filled Bucksville House Bed & Breakfast has several guests who never checked out. Presences have been confirmed in at least one of the inn’s guest rooms, when a psychic felt the presence of a man pacing between the fireplace and the window. The former owner’s son saw a man wearing a string tie and a flat-tipped black hat who sometimes appeared at the foot of the bed in one of the rooms. There are marked “cold spots” in the inn, and items tend to disappear and appear in the most unexpected places. Even the Ghost Hunter’s Alliance of Philadelphia recorded voices and found “hot spots” in the inn. 4501 Durham Road, Kintnersville, (610) 847-8948

·          A ghost has been known to pay a visit to Suite 309 of The Radnor Hotel. First sighted hovering on the ceiling, the woman proceeds down the wall to the door and then vanishes into the hallway. Some guests have even seen her presence in the hallway in the early morning. 591 E. Lancaster Avenue, St. Davids, (610) 688-5800

·          Several guests at the historic Black Bass Hotel in Bucks County could be considered long-term tenants. Guests have seen a woman in white walking the halls and sometimes sitting in a guestroom with a pearl-handled revolver in her lap. Old Hans, an original innkeeper who was stabbed to death in a tavern brawl, is another restless spirit. A pool of blood appears periodically on the tavern floor as a reminder of his violent death. 3774 River Road, Lumberville (215) 297-5770

Otherworldly Restaurants:

·          At City Tavern, a historic restaurant in Old City Philadelphia, a former waiter is always on the job. Legend has it that he was the unintended victim of a bar room duel. To this day, proprietor/chef Walter Staib reports that table settings are moved and silverware clatters. A specter in a bloodied white shirt is sometimes seen falling to the floor before it disappears. 138 S. 2nd Street, (215) 413-1443

·          Cresheim Cottage Café, now a friendly neighborhood café in Chestnut Hill, was the first house built along Germantown Avenue in 1748. Through the years, a young female ghost in pink Victorian clothing with a satin bow and dark corkscrew curls has been sighted; the owners call her Emily. An attic door mysteriously opens and shuts and unexplained thumps in the halls spooked contractors when they were renovating the building several years ago. 7402 Germantown Avenue, (215) 248-4365

·          Servers at Crier in the Country, a New French mansion turned restaurant and inn in Glen Mills, love to tell ghost stories. It’s believed that two former owners, Lydia Powell and Henry Saulineer, still watch over the property, which dates back to 1740. One diner saw the reflection of Lydia in a white Victorian dress in the men’s room mirror. When the diner turned around to look at the woman, the spirit vanished. The wait staff frequently finds silverware piled in the center of the dining room tables, a prank that happens on a regular basis. Routes 1 & 261, Glen Mills, (610) 358 2411

Ghostly Attractions:

·          Eastern State Penitentiary, a grim 172-year-old former state prison, was once home to famous inmates Al Capone and Willie Sutton. Pained former prisoners are said to haunt Eastern State’s dark Gothic halls. Halloween staff regularly reports seeing the “Soap Lady” dressed in white in the last cell on the second floor. Terror Behind the Walls, a Halloween tour of the 12-acre site, is offered by candlelight, with visits to The Asylum, Cellblock of Lost Souls and a Tunnel Escape included in the “fun.” Not for the faint of heart. 20th Street & Fairmount Avenue, (215) 236-5111

·          Perhaps the city’s most haunted spot, St. Peter’s Church Cemetery has been home to ghosts for more than a century. Some spectators have seen a horse-drawn carriage charging through the center of the graveyard and through the church. Others say restless Native American chiefs roam the grounds and the spirit of a colonial African American man can sometimes be seen walking in the graveyard by moonlight. 4th & Pine Streets

·          Ghastly guide Abigail Wallace leads Once Upon A Nation’s Cobwebs & Cobblestones tour of historic Philadelphia in October, visiting sites like the Betsy Ross House, where Old Glory’s seamstress haunts her home and burial site, sometimes crying at the foot of a bed. Nearby, Carpenter’s Hall is rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of the nation’s first bank robbers, who knocked off a city bank in 1798. The tour recounts dark tales of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, and a gravedigger shares secrets entombed within Christ Church Burial Ground. 500 Arch Street, (215) 629-4026

·          Historic Waynesborough, an 18th-century mansion and home of Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne, is said to be haunted by one of his descendants, Hannah Wayne. On her way up to the attic with a candle, Hannah got caught in the trap door and accidentally set herself on fire. No one heard her screams, until she threw the candleholder and broke the window. Over the years people have reported hearing the crash of broken glass followed by screaming and crying but no broken glass is ever found. 2049 Waynesborough Road, Paoli, (610) 647-1779

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Press Release, August 1

This fall, three of Philadelphia’s major museums will give locals and visitors alike the chance to buy art of all kinds during three consecutive weekends in October and November. The art trifecta begins October 20-22, 2006, with USArtists: American Fine Art Show to benefit the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. This sale is the world’s largest exposition of American art and brings together 55 top dealers from across the nation. www.usartists.org. From October 27-29, 2006, Treasures…From the Silk Road to the Santa Fe Trail benefits the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. For sale will be a wide selection of vetted 18th- to 21st- century works of fine art, jewelry, antiques, carpets and textiles representing the native artistic traditions of Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas. www.museum.upenn.edu. Finally, from November 2-5, 2006, The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show features nearly 200American craftsmen, plus 26 artists from Finland. At the nation’s premier professionally juried show and sale of contemporary crafts, visitors will find art made from materials such as clay, fiber, metal, glass and wood. www.pmacraftshow.org

Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

Press Release, August 1

This October, Philadelphia’s well-respected Mural Arts Program (MAP), responsible for more than 2,400 public works of art throughout the city, marks Mural Arts Month by unveiling its state-of-the-art Lincoln Financial Mural Arts Center in the carriage house of the Thomas Eakins House, home base for the program. The center will provide gallery space for MAP artists to display their work. Also on tap for the month is the debut of the All Join Hands exhibition, tentatively scheduled for October 5, 2006, which will preview portions of the quarter-mile, anti-violence mural slated for the Benjamin Franklin High School in Center City. Art lovers can also enjoy dozens of tours, lectures and activities during Mural Arts Month. www.muralarts.org

Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

August 18 to 20  at Old Pool Farm

PHILADELPHIA - One of the nation’s oldest and most revered musical gatherings has set the stage a week earlier for the three-day extravaganza of traditional and contemporary folk, dance, crafts, camping, and children’s activities. For its historic 45th edition unfolding August 18-20 at the Old Pool Farm near Schwenksville, PA, the Festival continues to attract both superstars and rising stars while maintaining its successful balancing act between tradition and innovation.

Among the top attractions at the 45th annual PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL are Jackson Browne and David Lindley, Hot Tuna, Raul Malo, Shemekia Copeland, Rodney Crowell, Amos Lee, James Hunter, Huun Hur Tu, The Roches, Gandolf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Boris Garcia, Avett Brothers, The Duhks, Arrogant Worms, Natalia Zuckerman, Ronstadt Ramirez Santa Cruz River Band, David Jacobs-Strain, Antje Duvekot, Matt Duke, Hoots and Hellmouth, Angel Band, Melody Gardot, Lizanne Knott, Andrew Lipke, Guy Mendilow, Joel Rafael, and so many more. In all, more than 50 folk, blues, old-timey, bluegrass, world and roots artists will be providing more than 55 hours of music from new and innovative to traditional, including more than 22 hours of dance music in the 3,500 square foot, wooden floor dance tent.

Returning for his 45th year as host/emcee is the Godfather of Philly Folk Music, WXPN radio personality and Festival co-founder Gene Shay, whose four decades of dedication, preservation and promotion of folk music have become legendary Ð not only in Philadelphia, but around the country.

The PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL features the Grand Entrance Foyer, an outdoor lobby that welcomes festival-goers as they pass through the main entrance with an active area of dance, merchandise, crafts and, in the Philadelphia Folksong Society tent, space for members to gather and meet. A highlight of the Grand Entrance Foyer is the Dance Tent with a 3,500 square foot wooden floor where top-shelf dance bands and callers will be performing live. Learn Swing Dances with Beau Django; Contra Dance with Horse Flies or Groovemama; Waltz to Old Timey tunes or do-si-do your darling during the square dance with Beth Molaro and the Run of the Mill String Band.

The PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL is extremely attractive to families, too. There is an unparalleled selection of attractions for the kids, especially in Dulcimer Grove, the shady area between the Crafts Stage and the Camp Stage, where puppeteers, jugglers, storytellers, hands-on crafts and of course, kid-oriented musicians make it a haven for folk fans 12 and under. This year, The Mum Puppettheatre will be on hand to teach kids how to make puppets! There is also a special Kids’ Concert on Friday afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00 featuring Terri Hendrix, Dog on Fleas and Jay Smar. Another special feature for 2006 is The Great Groove Band. Children can register in advance (www.dhebert.com/greatgrooveband.html) and receive music and instructions. Then, they can join the band for the entire weekend, rehearsing intensively for three days before a Main Stage performance on Sunday. Just imagine how exciting this will be!

Older kids, 12 to 16, will again be eligible for the special “youth ticket”, allowing them into the grounds for half the regular gate price, when accompanied by an adult.

A special section of the campgrounds is designated for Family Camping as a “quieter” area of the tent camping, where campers there are asked, particularly late at night, to avoid after-hours jam sessions.

The campground at the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL is considered the Ultimate Folk Festival Experience where jamming and camaraderie is shared during the large campfire sing after each evening concert. Brand New for those with an All-Festival Camping Ticket, FREE CONCERT THURSDAY NIGHT. The Ribbon of Highway/Endless Skyway Tour is a musical event that captures the timeless heart, wit, soul and spirit of the legendary Woody Guthrie, with a stellar cast of performers that includes Jimmy LaFave, Eliza Gilkyson, Joel Rafael, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, and Terri Hendrix. The concert will take place on the Camp Stage on Thursday night, August 17.

The lineup by day is as follows:

FRIDAY AFTERNOON KIDS CONCERT (3:00 to 5:00 P.M.): Dog on Fleas, Terri Hendrix, Jay Smar
FRIDAY AFTERNOON: Arrogant Worms, Boris Garcia, Groovemama, Guy Mendilow, Jimmy LaFave, Pipeline, Natalia Zuckerman
FRIDAY EVENING: Rodney Crowell, Eliza Gilkyson, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, The Roches
SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Jackson Browne and David Lindley
SATURDAY EVENING: Avett Brothers, Horse Flies, Huun Huur Tu, Ronstadt Ramirez Santa Cruz River Band, Raul Malo
SUNDAY: The Duhks, Fiddlers’ Bid, Terri Hendrix, Hot Tuna, Amos Lee, David Jacobs- Strain, James Hunter, Shemekia Copeland

Tickets for the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL are now on sale and can be purchased on-line at www.folkfest.org. Tickets are also available at the Philadelphia Folksong Society Box Office, 7113 Emlen Street, Philadelphia. For complete information about the Festival and tickets, call the Philadelphia Folk Festival at 800-556-FOLK or visit the Festival website at www.folkfest.org.

Although cheesesteaks and Hoagies are staples of Philadelphia cuisine, more and more tourists are developing taste buds for crab cakes. The city is part of the Eastern seaboard crab cake belt, giving its crab cakes a unique flavor. Philadelphia-style crab cakes have breading on the inside and outside and are deep-fried to a mouth-watering, golden-brown color.

To read the full article on Philadelphia crab cakes, click here.

The Travel Industry of America Bestows Three of Eight Odyssey Awards to Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation; Competition Included Entries from Around the World

Philadelphia, August 8, 2006 - The Travel Industry of America (TIA) announced today that the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) has made history by winning three of eight prestigious 2006 Odyssey Awards: the Domestic SeeAmerica Marketing Award; the Publicity and Promotion Award; and The Tourism Economic Award. Never before has an organization won multiple Odyssey Awards in the same year. This year’s competition was open to destinations, attractions, hospitality and transportation (airlines, cruise lines, etc.) companies from all over the world.

TIA’s Odyssey Awards, the premiere recognition program for the $646 billion U.S. travel and tourism industry, rewards the very best organizations in the travel industry for attaining new levels of excellence. According to TIA, the Odyssey Awards are bestowed upon those that have demonstrated originality, creativity and effectiveness combined with notable, measurable results for the previous year. GPTMC President and CEO Meryl Levitz will accept the awards on October 12, 2006, at the TIA Marketing Outlook Forum.

Here’s a look at what TIA said in their press release about GPTMC’s honors:

Domestic SeeAmerica Marketing: Philadelphia-Get Your History Straight and Your Night Life Gay®.
[Competing against mainstream tourism marketing campaigns], “Philadelphia stands out because it became one of few cities worldwide to promote itself as a gay-friendly destination. The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation launched a $1 million, three-year campaign to capture its share of the $64 billion gay travel market. In partnership with the Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus, they made history when their 30-second “Penn Pals” commercial aired on national television. Philadelphia’s Gay-friendly Merchant program, (connecting tourists to gay-friendly businesses) demonstrated Philadelphia’s gay appeal and its genuine intentions to welcoming gay and lesbian travelers. Publicity coverage alone was valued at $10 million in advertising equivalency with 183 million impressions. More than 14 hotels now offer the gay-friendly Philadelphia Freedom Hotel Package.”

Tourism Economic Awareness: The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Monitor
“GPTMC needed to show legislators, business leaders and potential funders the tremendous economic impact that tourism had on the city and that funding tourism marketing was wise public policy. The GPTMC established the first in-house, full-service research department of any tourism agency in the region and created the annual Tourism Monitor. The Monitor synthesizes dozens of research studies conducted throughout the year into a single report that underscores the importance and effectiveness of tourism marketing. The result was a $500,000 increase in their annual budget and the city’s budget included a $5 million investment promoting Philadelphia.”

Publicity & Promotion: Philly’s Got BENergy!
“GPTMC transformed the one-day celebration of Benjamin Franklin’s 300th birthday into a year-long tourism-driver and image builder for Ben and Philadelphia. To increase hotel stays, ticket sales, and extended visits during their off-season, the city capitalized on the Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World exhibition to draw people into the National Constitution Center. The GPTMC created buzz by launching and sustaining their media campaign 300 days before Ben’s birthday. They created dozens of reasons why visitors should see the traveling show in Philadelphia, including Ben-centric hotel packages, walking tours, restaurant specials, kid-friendly Ben’s Traveling Trunk shows and 300 mini-parties during the birthday weekend. Their efforts yielded nearly 1,700 stories in various publications and 200,000 visitors to the exhibit, with almost half from out-of-town.”

Other 2006 Odyssey Award winners are the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Vegas.com, Travel Oregon, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau and the U.S. Tourism Promotion Program.

TIA is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $646 billion travel industry. TIA’s mission is to represent the whole of the U.S. travel industry to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) builds the region’s economy and image through destination marketing to increase the number of visitors, the number of nights they stay and the number of things they do in the five-county region. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.