Friday, June 21, 2013

Friday Five: Welcome back, Summer

Today is officially the first day of Summer and there is so much to celebrate - longer days, no more school and plenty of outdoor activities. I plan on spending the entire weekend outdoors with hunny and CJ. I hope you enjoy the gorgeous weather in store for the New York area. Here are my five favorite things for this week. 

1. A Midsummer Night's Dream: This is truly my favorite of Shakespeare's plays. How could it not be? There are fairies, lovers tricked by fairies and an Amazonian Queen in love with a donkey. It is brilliant and very funny. This play is the perfect way to honor the summer solstice. If you do not have time to read it this evening or even watch a decent movie version (it is harder than you think to find a "decent" version), check out Midsummer Night's Dreaming ,  a digital theater project from the the Royal Shakespeare Company. 


James Cagney as "Bottom" in the 1935 movie adaptation


2. Smorgasburg: Every Saturday and Sunday during the summer, Brooklyn Flea hosts an open air food market featuring vendors from New York City and the greater New York region. Saturday's location is on the Williamsburg waterfront and Sunday's is at the Tobacco warehouse in Brooklyn Bridge park. From doughnuts to Thai food, Smorgasburg is a foodie's dream. Not only are the offerings delicious, but everything is created by locally and purchases support the regional economy! This weekend, Smorgasburg welcomes Kelso Barrel aged wheat beer. 



Kelso Beer


3. 2013 Mermaid Parade: Saturday is the 31st Coney Island Mermaid Parade. This annual parade marks the beginning of summer and always features colorful and adventurous parade goers, floats and costumes. The event is rain or shine, but tomorrow's weather calls for warmth and sunshine. This year's King Neptune is comedian Judah Friedlander. The Queen Mermaid is Carole Radziwill - princess, author, and Real Housewives of New York City cast member. This is an all age event, but be prepared for some risqué costumes. 
photo courtesy of coneyisland.com

4.  Haagen-Dazs Gelato: If you have not already tasted this, run to your local supermarket an get a pint of Haagen-Dazs sea salt caramel gelato. It is amazing. There are seven flavors of gelato, but to be honest, I liked this one so much I did not try any others. This is not going to take the place of home made gelato, but it is not so easy to find an actual gelateria.  For those of you on diets, just remember, gelato has less fat than ice cream!



5. Monster's University: After 12 years, fans finally have the long awaited prequel to the beloved Pixar film Monster's Inc. This film takes place while the monsters are in college before Mike and Sully became friends. Even though there is no Boo in this one, I am still excited to see the monsters learn to scare!


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