2021 Philadelphia Flower Show

Attend the 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show

Get your tickets NOW! The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) announced today that tickets to the 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show, June 5 – 13, are available for purchase at PHSonline.org. 

Photo Credit: Rob Cardillo Photography

Attendees are asked to select their preferred date and session at the time of purchase. To allow for social distance protocols, a limited number of tickets will be available for each day and time segment. Early purchase is highly recommended!

 
The Philadelphia Flower Show, typically held each March at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, will be held outdoors for the first time in its history this summer at the historic Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park (FDR Park) in South Philadelphia. Given the pandemic, the move will allow PHS to present the Show safely, at the height of the gardening season and with the added health benefits of the outdoors. The central location, situated adjacent to the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, is accessible to major highways and mass transit.   The Park features inspiring natural beauty and an expansive setting that also provides Show designers with an exciting new layout for creative expression and horticultural displays.  Visitors will experience the Show through three distinct “Districts” that feature all manner of Plants, Design, and Gardening created for all skill levels. 
 
The Flower Show "footprint” will span 15 acres of FDR Park’s 348 acres parallel to Pattison Avenue allowing the vast majority of FDR Park and its amenities to remain accessible to the public during the Flower Show dates. PHS is working closely with local community leaders and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation on Show planning.

 

“We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the outdoors and offer joy and beauty after a year that has been marked by so many challenges. This experience is a wonderful example of the enduring and combined power of green space, plants, and gardeners to create impact and inspiration,” 

-Sam Lemheney, PHS Chief of Shows & Events. 

 

FDR Park, a registered historical district, was built to the design of Olmsted Brothers, the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and John Charles Olmsted in the early 20th century. With walkable pathways, majestic trees and breathtaking views, FDR Park is an inspiring venue that contributes to the splendor that the Flower Show is known for.
 

2021 Philadelphia Flower Show Information

Public safety is a critical component for the upcoming Show and adherence to recommendations from the CDC and City/State health officials is paramount to Show planning. PHS will continue to work closely with health officials with updated guidance available at  PHSonline.org  

 

Ticketing:

Attendees must reserve a date and time of visit for all tickets purchased. Tickets are limited. Early purchase is recommended. 
 
Show admission, membership, special events, tours and packages are available for purchase via the PHS website and early purchase is recommended:   PHSonline.org
 
PHS members enjoy special entry privileges. Members provide needed funds to advance PHS’s impact year-round through a variety of efforts that create health and wellness throughout the region. Membership includes a variety of ticket offers, such as ticket discounts or complimentary admission during special preview hours.  

To become a PHS member, visit: https://phsonline.org/support-phs/membership
 

Location:

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park
1500 Pattison Avenue & South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145

 

Show Dates and Hours:

Saturday, June 5: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

• AM Entry: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• PM Entry: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday, June 6 through Sunday, June 13: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

• AM Entry: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• PM Entry: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Entry is prohibited within 30 minutes of Show closing each day.

 

Hotel Accommodations:

Special hotel discounts are available for The Flower Show. Please visit: Hotel Packages

 

ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), an internationally recognized nonprofit organization founded in 1827, plays an essential role in the vitality of the Philadelphia region by creating healthier living environments, increasing access to fresh food, growing economic opportunity, and building deeper social connections between people. PHS delivers this impact through comprehensive greening and engagement initiatives in more than 250 neighborhoods; an expansive network of public gardens and landscapes; year-round learning experiences; and the nation’s signature gardening event, the Philadelphia Flower Show. PHS provides everyone with opportunities to garden for the greater good as a participant, member, donor, or volunteer. For information and to support this work, please visit PHSonline.org.

 

ABOUT THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW 

The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation's largest and the world’s longest-running horticultural event and features stunning displays by some of the world’s premier floral and landscape designers. The Show has been named “Best Event” by the International Festivals and Events Association and “Best of the Best” by the American Bus Association (for the fifth consecutive year) in 2020-2021. 

 

Started in 1829 by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Show introduces diverse and sustainable plant varieties and garden and design concepts. In addition to acres of garden displays, the Flower Show hosts world-renowned competitions in horticulture and artistic floral arranging, gardening presentations and demonstrations, special events, and the citywide Bloom Philly pre-Show celebration. 

 

PHILADELPHIA PARKS & RECREATION (PPR) advances the prosperity of the city and the progress of her people through stewardship of nearly 10,200 acres of public land and waterways, and management of 500 recreation buildings, 166 miles of trail, and 250 playgrounds. PPR offers safe, enjoyable recreation, environmental and cultural programs and events throughout Philadelphia's parks and recreation system.PPR promotes the well-being and growth of the city’s residents by connecting them to the natural world, to each other and to fun, physical and social opportunities.

 

In 2017, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell, set about implementing the park system’s first strategic plan: Our Path to 2020 and Beyond. As a result, PPR is undertaking a period of historic change, setting the department on a course to become a modern, equitable and exceptional parks and recreation system. Visit us at www.phila.gov/parksandrec, and follow @philaparkandrec on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

 

FDR PARK

1500 Pattison Avenue and S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park (FDR Park) is Philadelphia’s iconic 348-acre park carved out of the tidal marshes in South Philadelphia. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1914, FDR Park’s sequence of picturesque lakes with adjacent lawns are connected by a network of carriage and foot paths. In 1926, the park hosted the national Sesquicentennial Exhibition and several grand civic buildings, including the iconic Boathouse, opened for the first time. 

 

Today, FDR Park hosts a playground, 4 baseball diamonds, a renowned skate park, a network of lakes, the Swedish American Museum, and 126 acres of woodland. In 2019, after engaging with nearly 3,000 community members and stakeholders, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy published a master plan to reimagine a historic Olmsted Park to serve 21st century Philadelphians. The plan, designed by WRT, creates an ecologically sustainable vision for FDR Park that inspires investment, meets the needs of all users today and tomorrow, and focuses on resiliency in the face of a changing climate. 
Read more at: https://myphillypark.org/what-we-do/capital-projects/fdr-park/

Information courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA 

Treat Yourself to the Griswold Inn in Essex Connecticut

Stay at the Griswold Inn!

Whether you refer to yourself as a Nutmegger, a Connecticuter, a Connecticotian, a Connecticutersian, a Connecticutian - or simply a person who lives in Connecticut - there are exclusive deals for you!

The Griswold Inn

Photo Courtesy of the Griswold Inn

You may be yearning to get on a train, a plane or take a longer road trip but don't feel comfortable venturing too far from home. If you're in need of shaking up your daily experience, this may just do the trick!

Consider a weekend getaway to the Griswold Inn, or "The Gris" as we like to call it!

Photo Courtesy of The Griswold Inn

The folks at the Griswold Inn can arrange a relatively contactless experience from start to finish if you so choose. They offer curbside check-in and many of their suites are located within historic buildings across the street from the Main Inn and have their own entrances.

Eat at the Griswold Inn

Dine in The Gris' historic dining rooms, as Executive Chef Toppin prepares classic American cuisine to perfection in simple, but imaginative ways. His menu showcases fresh seafood, aged beef, and the highest quality chops and poultry. After any meal, Chef Toppin’s house-made desserts are a “must”. 

Their historic dining rooms exude character, charm, and tradition, where one can be as comfortable in casual attire as in “black tie.” 

The dining room is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and they are now offering outdoor dining (weather permitting), dine-in and "Gris To Go" with curbside pickup, all available from 11:30 am to 8:00 pm daily. 

For Indoor Dining you are encouraged to make a reservation by phone, 860.767.1776, or online. 

Outdoor Dining is available on a first-come, first-served basis, although they do accept reservations for seven or more.

One of the oldest continuously operated inns in the country, the Griswold began business in 1776. Although the Inn exudes the charm of days gone by, they are anything but dated. From their sophisticated cuisine, extensive wine offerings, comfortable accommodations, and modern amenities, The Griswold Inn, located in the historic seaport village of Essex, Connecticut, offers the best of times. 

Read about my stroll through historic Essex Ct with the #LetsMeetCT event at Home Place Blog with the Let's Meet CT group.

The Griswold Inn

36 Main Street

Essex, CT 06426

(860) 767-1776

https://griswoldinn.com

ROIA Restaurant in New Haven

Social Media Promotion:  Feature Story:  

ROIA Restaurant Celebrates Five Years in New Haven

If you follow my Connecticut food and travel adventures regularly, you know that my number one criteria for dining out is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the experience. Eating out is an occasion to be relished and appreciated!

ROÌA Restauran
261 College Street
New Haven, CT

Breaking bread with friends, both old and new, while drinking in the sights and sounds of my surroundings is what every successful dining excursion must include. 

Chef's Sample Small Bite

And while I typically aim my camera at the beautiful sights that decorate the plate in front of me, sometimes the details and the ambiance of the decor at my location demand equal attention from the camera lens. 

Follow along with me at just such as place, as I indulge in the stately elegance found at ROÌA Restaurant - along with some exceptionally notable cuisine.

Magnificent architecture, old world charm, convenient location, delicious food, outstanding service... the ROÌA has all this, and so much more!

ROÌA is located on College Street, adjacent to New Haven's legendary Shubert Theater, in the area formerly occupied by the equally historic Taft Hotel's grand dining room.

Dining at ROIA Restaurant and Cafe

Named for the river ROÌA that begins in the French Alps and winds its way down to the Ligurian Sea to the little Italian town of Ventimigilia the menu blends a bit of both France and Italy's cuisines, highlighting seasonal harvests and fresh catches from the sea.

Executive Chef and Owner, Avi Szapiro, discovered the space while acting in a restaurant consultant capacity for the location's former owners. 

Chef Avi and Meera
Photo Source: Instagram

But Chef Avi fell in love with the space, and instead of a consultancy, acquired ownership, beginning a journey that included over a year of extensive renovations, opening the ROÌA Restaurant and Cafe in March of 2013. 

With his wife Meera at his side, Chef restored the venue to its former glory, uncovering the beautiful plaster molding and columns found within.

And while the space surrounding us as we dined was indeed beautiful, it was in the flavor of the dishes that we ordered where Chef's attention to detail would truly shine.

We started our meal with some signature cocktails, the Orange Blossom pictured below on the left and the Liqueurian to right. 

Next we ordered from the appetizer section, the Carciofi alla Judea, a citrusy artichoke dish, and the Soupe du Jour, a deliciously light butternut squash soup.

Carciofi alla Judea 

with pecorino di fossa, 

meyer lemon, parsley and pickled chilies

Soupe du Jour
Butternut Squash

View from the upper level
(Available for private parties)

Then we moved on to our main dishes, ordering one of the many specials of the evening Tajarin and Clams - with made on premise pasta. And the great thing --- Chef Avi is now including this dish on the new spring menu!

Tajarin and Clams
thin egg-yolk ribbon pasta with littleneck clams,
spring onion, ‘nduja, garlic 

I cannot begin to describe how delicious this dish was,  particularly the savory with 'just a hint of spice' sauce made with nduja sausage, a spicy, spreadable pork salumi from Italy, loosely based on the French andouille.

The cowboy, who isn't really a fan of shellfish, dug right in for a forkful and declared he was ordering this on his next visit!

Tajarin and Clams
thin egg-yolk ribbon pasta with littleneck clams, 
spring onion, ‘nduja, garlic 

For his selection, he chose the ever popular Steak Frites, a lovely grass fed beef, perfectly rested, dressed with an aromatic and flavorful tarragon shallot butter.

Steak Frites 

8 oz. grass-fed beef onglet, 

tarragon-shallot butter

(Served with arugula salad not pictured)

Chandelier at ROIA

The finale, two extraordinary desserts, a Lemon Panna Cotta and a special Pear Dessert offering.

Lemon Panna Cotta 
with poppyseed shortbread crumble

Pear Dessert
with Meringue and Pistachios

The ROÌA Restaurant is the perfect place for a romantic dinner, a special occasion, or a fun gathering with friends. The restaurant is also available for private parties and functions, both large and small.

With its location next to the Shubert Theater, it's the ideal location for dinner and a show! 

Open for brunch on Sunday - check out their Mother's Day Brunch Menu  HERE

Be sure to stop in soon and enjoy some of Chef Avi's delicious offerings!

ROIA Hours of Operation

Tuesday to Saturday
Lunch    11:30 am – 2:00 pm
Dinner   5:00 pm to close

Sunday
Brunch  10:30 am – 2:00 pm
Supper  4:30 pm – 7:30 pm

ROIA Restaurant

261 College Street
New Haven, CT
(203) 200-7045
http://roiarestaurant.com/

About Avi Szapiro

A native of Bogota, Colombia Avi Szapiro was just 13 years old when he discovered his passion for cooking in the family kitchen. In 1998, Avi enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), which led to his first experience in a Michelin-starred kitchen as the apprenticeship program took him back to France and to Lyon’s Restaurant Pierre Orsi.  The training he received there fostered the love of French techniques and classics that are elements of his cooking to this day. Chef Avi's intention and main goal is to uplift and nourish his guests with each meal they have at ROIA. 
  

About ROÌARestaurat and Cafe

ROÌA Restaurant is located in the heart of downtown New Haven next to the Shubert Theater and adjacent to Yale University campus. ROÌA is housed in what was originally the grand restaurant of the historic Taft Hotel built in 1912. The charm and grandeur of this architectural gem have been restored to create a setting where you can enjoy great food and great company. 

Pronounced ROY-ah, ROÌA showcases Avi’s seasonally informed food, inspired by French and Italian cuisines and rooted in local sourcing.  The restaurant features food that delivers maximum flavor with a minimum of ingredients; food that combines culinary restraint with dynamic creativity.   

Wall Street Theater in Norwalk - One Year Anniversary

Wall Street Theater Company

Celebrates Their One-Year Anniversary
with
Connecticut’s Got Talent 

The Winners Show

This historic 'next generation' theater continues to develop an unbelievable entertainment schedule! Historical Next-Gen Theater Continues to Develop a Robust Entertainment Schedule  

 This past winter, eighty eager and talented performers took to the stage of Norwalk’s newly revitalized Wall Street Theater, embarking on a showbiz journey, called Connecticut’s Got Talent. 

The riveting month-long production had audience members and judges laughing, foot-stomping, and cheering on contestants as they left it all on that stage. The March 2nd finale not only set the winners on an upwards career trajectory, it solidified the Wall Street Theater’s standing as a premiere and ground-breaking entertainment venue.

On Friday, May 18, the first place winner, singer-songwriter Riki Stevens headlines Connecticut’s Got Talent – The Winners Show, along with runners-up, magician TJ Salta, and songwriter-rapper Khalil Williams.

Artistic Director, Billy Blanks, Jr. says :

“Working with the talent for CGT gave me such a sense of pride. Each contestant was individual with their talents but what they had in common was their excitement to represent their state,” It was so touching to see that moment where it all clicked - Riki the exquisite soul folk singer, TJ Salta the teenage magician with a stage presence to rival today’s biggest stars, and Khalil the diamond in the rough young rapper that stole everyone’s hearts. You won’t want to miss this show. It will be them in their truest form, no audition jitters, just them as winners doing what they love!”

 Also special on the agenda this year, on May 20th the Wall Street Theater has the honor of hosting Dance-A-Thon for Wigs & Wishes®, a three-hour dance-a-thon and flagship event led by dance studio professionals from around the world. 

Wigs & Wishes® is powered by Friends Are By Your Side®, a non-profit organization founded by Martino Cartier, which enlists salons and stylists throughout the world who empower women and children by providing them with complimentary services that allow them for a brief moment to forget about their fight. 

The fundraiser celebrates the life of a local young boy who lost his battle with cancer.

Wall Street Theater

71 Wall Street
Norwalk, CT
877.987.6487
www.wallstreettheater.com

Follow them on Instagram at @WallStreetTheater

Upcoming Wall Street Theater (WST) productions include:

April 20, 2018 – The Garcia Project is based on actual set lists performed by The Jerry Garcia Band from 1976 to 1995. Perfect for anyone that never had a chance to experience the Jerry Garcia Band or for fans that want to relive a classic show!

April 27, 2018 - Norwalk's own Tim Currie & the Motown Band - A performance fundraiser for Al's Angels, an organization that provides support to children and families battling cancer, rare blood diseases, natural disasters and  severe financial hardship in our communities.

April 28, 2018 - New York City Gay Men's Chorus, The Big Gay Sing, a world-class, world-renowned New York institution and a pioneering voice for the LGBTQ community with a vibrant sound and energy that audiences can feel and connect with. 

May 4, 2018 – Goose, The Heavy Pets, a Norwalk based group deeply rooted in an organic and easy-to-love mix of funk and contemporary folk, with touches of reggae, jazz, blues, and rock.

May 19, 2018 - Milo Z with Special Guests Chapell and American Nomads, “Razzamofunk”, a combination of rock, rap, jazz, blues and funk with indie rock by Alan Chapell and pure Americana with the American Nomads.

June 8, 2018 – Back by popular demand, Australia's Hottest Import! Thunder from Down Under, the world’s most sought after male revue! The perfect girls' night outback!

June 15, 2018 - Norwalk Band & Brew Night, featuring performances by Hosemen, Atomic Unknown and Fingersleeve!

About the Wall Street Theater

The Wall Street Theater is the first, next-generation performance space in Connecticut showcasing professional music, comedic, dance, and stage performances from nationally recognized names as well as local talent and organizations. The 700-seat theater underwent a $10 million-dollar renovation to restore this national historic landmark to its original glory. Originally known as The Regent when the location opened in 1915 featuring Vaudeville performances, future incarnations included The Norwalk and The Roxy. During its tenure as The Globe in the 90s, the stage featured many up-and-coming performers until it shuttered in the late 90s. 71 Wall Street remained dark until it reopened as The Wall Street Theater in the summer of 2017.

Under the direction of president Suzanne Cahill, artistic director Billy Blanks, Jr., concert director Gene Morell, and an advisory board, the theater offers arts education for families, mentoring programs for youth in the arts, summer camp programming, and private space rentals for parties and events.