American MusicFest kicks off at noon on Friday, and runs from noon to ten on Saturday and Sunday as well. ASIA (Oh man, her EYES ARE BURNING!) is headlining and they play at 6:30pm on Sunday. The band that I would be most interested in would probably be Virginia Coalition, which plays at 8:30pm on Friday night. Friday is also the second day of Carlisle Summerfair, but it’s the day that things really start to pick up. Friday night is the first concert in Mount Hope Estate and Winery’s July Backyard Barbeque Bash series. Shots McGee will be opening for the Green Onions. The Lititz Independence Day Parade steps off on Friday night as well. Meanwhile, the scalding lava hot Harrisburg City Islanders will be taking on Crystal Palace Baltimore. Top of the table baby. I absolutely loathe them, but duty forces me to admit that Aerosmith will be in Hershey as well. On the fireworks front, there will be a mini-display in Harrisburg and a full-fledged show in Carlisle.

Saturday there are way too many fireworks shows to mention them all. You’ll just have to look at the calendar yourself. People in the know claim that the annual Fourth of July Celebration in Lititz Springs Park is the oldest in the country. Hm. Interesting. There’s also a Fourth celebration at Hauser Estate Winery deep in the heart of Apple Country. There will be fireworks in Harrisburg for the second night in a row after the Harrisburg Senators game against Akron.

Sunday, MusicFest wraps up. Country music also tends to be under-represented at MusicFest, so if you need your fix, Julianne Hough & Jason Michael Carrol will be at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster. More Fireworks on Sunday too, so be sure to check the calendar.

Have fun kids.

Longhorn Steakhouse
Name: Justin
When: Saturday night. 6:00pm.
Been Before: No.
Ordered: I had a mammoth slab of prime rib and some mashed potatoes. Other people at the table ordered grilled shrimp, the Rocky Top Chicken, a steak and seafood gratin combination special and, if memory serves me, a New York strip.
The Food: Very tasty. I hate overcooked steak. Hate it. I know there’s a fine line when it comes to cooking steak in a restaurant. You want to cook it to the diner’s specifications but still make sure it is safe. Chain steakhouses probably don’t attract the most adventurous diners, so putting a slab of still-bleeding meat on a plate is taking a bit of a risk. Here’s what I appreciated about my meal at Longhorn; the steak that I ordered medium rare came out from the kitchen medium rare. Which is, well, rare. My mashed potatoes would have made Paula Dean blush. They were basically sitting in a pool of drawn butter and sparkling with salt. They were delicious. Absolutely delicious.
The Ambiance: The Platonic ideal of a chain steakhouse. It was nice, clean, airy and not overly crowded. I wouldn’t pattern my house around the design esthetic, but it’s a steakhouse.
Company: My family and fiancée.
Did Others Like Their Meals: Seemed to. I don’t think anyone was floored, but everyone left happy with plenty in their stomach.
Cost: I didn’t pick up the tab so I’m not really sure. I think about $20 a head.
The Service: Our waitress was friendly and attentive. Dinner was a bit slow, but it was Saturday night; these things happen.
Notes: With the dearth of viable options for steak in the area, it’s not a bad option.
Recommendation: Sure.

History:
The State of Pennsylvania purchased the land that is now Codorus State Park in 1966. The Gladfelter Paper Company originally created — and still owns — the dam that created 1,275 acre Lake Marburg, the centerpiece of the park.

Things to Do
Lake Marburg has 26 miles of shoreline and is ideal for activities on the water. It is a warm-water fishery and a great place to catch perch, bluegill, northern pike, crappie, largemouth bass, catfish, muskellunge and tiger muskellunge. The lake has seven boat ramps and boats with up to 20hp motors are permitted. Remember, to use any type of boat on a waterway in a State Park, you will need a boat registration. In the winter, ice skating is permitted on part of the lake when conditions are safe. The park also has trails for horseback riding and hiking and a large pool that is perfect for a family outing.

Something Cool
—In addition to normal camping facilities, Codorus includes two Mongolian-style Yurts. They are built on raised wooden decks and sleep five people. Each includes a stove, refrigerator, countertop, chairs, electric heat and outlets, a fire right and a picnic table and can be rented for $33 a night. Remember, there is no alcohol permitted in PA State Parks.
—Codorus features 54 holes of disc golf, and the course is rated as one of the most challenging in the state. The 2005 State Championships were held on the course.

What People are Saying
A Yahoo Contributor
Camping at Codorus State Park was wonderful. The grounds were clean and tidy and there was always help if you needed it by the park employees. They had the summer blast going on so we were able to see fireworks on the lake as we sat on a blanket (watch out for the geese droppings) I enjoyed the music, food, crafts and events. There was a nearby bait shop where we got subs and bait to go. And back to a clean lake to fish. I can say for my family we thoroughly enjoyed our get a way to Codorus.
Average rating: Five and a half stars out of six.

CHECK OUT WHAT EVENTS ARE COMING UP AT CODORUS

Friday, Patriot Days, an event organized by the York County Heritage Trust, returns to York. The event celebrates and honors York’s role in both the Revolutionary War and Civil War, and includes demonstrations, re-enactors entertainment and more. It’s not to be confused with a Tom Clancy flick starring Harrison Ford and the event runs through Sunday. The Gettysburg Festival continues Friday and will run through Sunday as well. Shippensburg is celebrating its Civil War History this weekend as well during the annual March to Destiny Encampment. The event includes a street skirmish and a parade in addition to the encampment and runs through — you guessed it — Sunday. The Codorus Summer Blast begins Friday at Codorus State Park. I’d never heard of this event until this year, but it seems to be incredibly popular. Yep, until Sunday. Finally, York County follows up Harrisburg BrewFest with a Micro Brew Fest at the Agricultural Industrial Museum. It does not run until Sunday. Thankfully. That would be quite the marathon.

Saturday, many of the aforementioned events continue rolling along. In addition, the Great River Adventure pushes off at Fort Hunter Mansion and Park. This is the second year in a row that a prior commitment has kept me from entering. In addition, Saturday is the annual Cherry Festival in Historic Schaefferstown and a Living History Encampent weekend at the National Civil War Museum. The 44th Georgia Volunteer Infantry will be camped out on the lawn at the museum. See, lots of history this weekend. Saturday is also the first day of the Celtic Fling and Highland Games at the Mount Hope Estate & Winery and the only day of the African Family Fest at the Levitt Pavilion in Harrisburg’s Reservoir Park.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Lots more of the same stuff. Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers will be in Long’s Park in Lancaster as part of the Long’s Park Summer Music Series.

Me? I’m getting married. I’ll be kind of an absentee daddy next week. Have fun kids!

The Gettysburg Festival starts today, and it runs through June 28. It’s eleven days of visual arts, music, theatre, dance, culinary arts and family activities. Moving north but sticking with the festival theme, the annual, Newville Fountain Festival starts on Friday and continues on Saturday. In Lancaster, Thomas the Tank Engine is still hanging out at the Strasburg Railroad. Continuing our, “Where in Central Pennsylvania is Carmen San Diego” tour of the Midstate, the Cowboy Junkies will be playing at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in York. Also, the East Pennsboro Emergency Services Carnival continues through the weekend at Adams-Ricci Park in Enola.

Saturday? Jam-packed. In Shippensburg, the annual Solstice Arts Festival is going on at the township park on Britton Road. Saturday is also the Summerfest celebration on the Carlisle Barracks. The public is invited, and if you’ve never visited the base, it’s a cool thing to see. In addition to the Fountain Festival, Saturday afternoon is Harrisburg Brewers Fest 6. Meanwhile, down the road in Hershey, the Hershey Gardens is hosting a Day of Wine & Roses. How bourgeoisie. Joking, it looks like lots of fun. Saturday night, emo pop act Boys Like Girls will be at the Chameleon Club.

Sunday is Father’s Day. Switchfoot & The Jellybricks will be at the American Music Theatre and Buckwheat Zydeco will be performing as part of the Long’s Park Summer Music Series.

Have fun kids.

Here’s the thing; people can decry these places all they want, but they’re consistently full. Sawyer’s Cantina isn’t the most attractive thing to have in the heart of restaurant row. It doesn’t do anything revolutionary or original, and the best things about it are that you can sit outside and drink cheap beer. But until that office building goes in — if it ever does — people are going to go there, sit outside and get drunk. It’s not as though there are tons of outdoors bars in Harrisburg to choose from.

I supposed that living in Lemoyne, Dockside Willies is kind of my neighborhood bar. We go there a lot during the summer to sit outside, but the place is generally dead later in the evening. It’s no fun hanging out on the deck by yourself. So while I’m still bitter that Downtown After Dark put a cheesy bar in the space that used to be Carmella’s/Max’s for one night at least, I had fun at Sawyer’s Cantina.

I was unable to go to the celebration in the Giant Center on Saturday night because I had already planned to go see the City Islanders, but if anyone did, let me know how it was. It’s kind of strange that the NHL playoffs, the NBA playoffs and the AHL playoffs all wrapped up within three nights. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed following the Bears so closely this season and I’ll be ready for them to start their title defense in the fall. To me, the Bears are a franchise that treats their fans pretty well. They put a top-notch product on the ice, they play in a top-notch building and they make going to the games fun. What more can you ask out of any franchise?

Like I said, I spent Saturday night at the City Islanders game and I had fun there as well. The Isles trumped Bermuda 3-0 and it should have been at least 6-0. My new favorite Islander? Midfielder Jason Massey. He didn’t start on Saturday, but when he came on he was absolutely lethal as a playmaker. Has a great soccer mind and was pinging the ball all around the park. The Isles had a nice crowd in their own right; more than 2,000.

Harrisburg is a solid, solid team and they should certainly contend for the USL2 Championship again this year. I also wouldn’t be shocked if they made some noise in the U.S. Open Cup. Their second game in that tournament is at home on Tuesday.

Friday is the monthly second Friday Lovin’ Lititz celebration in — you guessed it — downtown Lititz. Staying in Lancaster County, Friday is also the first day of the Lancaster Liederkranz German Sommerfest in Manheim. Staying in Lancaster yet again, the Demuth Museum is hosting a Garden Party at the beautiful Conestoga House in the city. Apparently Lancaster County is the place to be this Friday, because in addition to all of that, the Fulton Opera House has Les Misérables and the Ephrata Playhouse in the Park has Steel Magnolias. Moving westward, the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg has Once Upon a Mattress and Open Stage Harrisburg continues its Flying Solo Series with Valerie Rae Smith’s “Between Two Chairs”. Also, Level 2 is celebrating its first birthday with a party featuring DJ Enferno.

Saturday features more of the same theatre options including the final weekend of the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival’s presentation of Cymbeline at Shakespeare in the Park. Earlier in the day, the congregation of Christ The Savior Church in Harrisburg is hosting a Slavic Food Festival. If you’re looking for more American fare, the Cornerstone Coffeehouse in Camp Hill is having a Deck Grilling Party. The Harrisburg City Islanders will be at home on Saturday night, and they’ll be taking on the Bermuda Hogges. Bermuda handed Harrisburg one of their two losses earlier in the season, but in actuality, the Isles should probably crush them. Saturday is also the first day of the two-day Dauphin County Music Festival at Fort Hunter Estate and Mansion.

Sunday is the 16th Annual AMBUCS Arts & Crafts Show at Lititz Springs Park in Lititz. It’s also an opportunity for the kids to hang out with Thomas the Tank Engine at the Strasburg Railroad. Sunday is also the second day of the Slavic Food Festival and Dauphin County Music Festival.

Have fun kids.

The Hershey Bears completely controlled the action for the first 40 minutes of the game. Manitoba had no answer for Hershey’s forecheck. The Bears look stronger, faster, sharper and more engaged. They ended up with a 2-0 deficit to show for it after an incredibly sloppy stretch late in the second period and ended up losing 3-2. The crowd was great in the third period and deserved to see the Bears clinch at home. Hershey has won nine Calder Cup Championships, but the last three have been clinched away from Chocolatetown. If they’re going to claim number ten, it’s going to be in Manitoba. The series resumes on Friday.

In Europe, soccer clubs play in Cup competitions in addition to playing league games. These different competitions are completely independent of one another, and if a team in the English Premier League were to have a truly exceptional season, it could conceivably win as many as five trophies (World Club Championship, UEFA Champions League, League Title, F.A. Cup and Carling Cup). In this case, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the American equivalent of the F.A. Cup; a humongous, multi-tiered tournament open to every major club in the country regardless of league standing. In England this opens the possibility of a team like Great Wakering Rovers F.C. — a club that plays in the eighth tier of English football — meeting a team like Manchester United — a club that has been named Champion of the top flight 16 times. It’s unlikely, but it could happen.

In America, The U.S. Open Cup is open to teams in Major League Soccer, USL 1st and 2nd Division, USL Premier Development League, and the United States Adult Soccer Association. The City Islande’s play in the third tier of American Soccer (the equivalent of double-A baseball), and their opponent in the first round of the Cup will be the Reading Rage who play in the fourth division. There’s a big gap between USL-2 and the PDL, but in the Cup, anything can happen.

That’s why two years ago, the City Islanders knocked out Major League Soccer’s D.C. United with a stunning 1-0 result. Due to the size of the crowd, the game was played at Hempfield High School instead of on City Island. There’s no way of knowing if the City Islander’s will play at home again in the tournament if they advance. If they get past Reading, the Isles will play either the Western Mass Pioneers of USL 2 or the Emigrantes das Ilhas of the USASA next week.

Even though this kind of competition is commonplace elsewhere in the world, it’s almost unheard of in this country. If you haven’t checked out a City Islander’s game yet, this is the perfect time to get on board. We’ll keep you posted on Harrisburg’s progress. By the way, if you’re wondering, Harrisburg would absolutely wipe the floor with Great Wakering Rovers. Manchester United? Not so much…

–The Patriot-News’ Tim Leone writes about the festive atmosphere in the Giant Center after the Game 4 win.
–The Patriot-News’ Bob Flounders writes about the all-important play of Hershey grinder Steve Pinizzotto.
–The Lancaster Intelligencer Journal’s Kevin Freeman talks about Hershey’s dynamic first line pair of Alexandre Giroux and Keith Aucoin.
–The York Daily Record’s Dan Sernoffsky relives the frenetic 5-on-3 penalty kill that that closed out the game for Hershey.
–John Walton, voice of the Bears and anchor of “The Old Barn Hockey Show,” talks about the possibility of clinching at home.
–Tim Campbell of the Winnipeg Free Press writes about the too many men penalty that sunk the Moose in Game 4.
–Winnipeg Free press columnist Gary Lawless calls out the Bears for premature celebration.
–Zanstorm, of the blog Nucks Misconduct believes that Manitoba is finished.
–The Canadian Press Game story from Game 4.

Tomorrow is the first Friday in June, so all of the standard First Friday celebrations are ready to rock and roll. If Blue Öyster Cult isn’t your kettle of fish, violinist Odin Rathnam will be playing a solo concert in support of the Harrisburg Symphony Society as well. All three of Central Pennsylvania’s baseball teams will be at home on Friday night, so whether you’re in York, Lancaster or Harrisburg, you can spend an evening at the ballpark. This is a big weekend in local theatre too. The Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival, is putting on Cymbeline as its annual Shakespeare in the Park show at the Levitt Pavilion in Harrisburg. In addition to the Bard, Open Stage of Harrisburg kicks off the Flying Solo Series with New York funnyman Seth Rudetsky, the Ephrata Playhouse in the Park has Steel Magnolias, the Whitaker Center will present Ounce Upon a Mattress and the Oyster Mill Playhouse will stage The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. What if Blue Öyster Cult played at the Oyster Mill Playhouse? While eating Oyster Crackers. I just blew my mind.

Saturday is Foundry Day! We covered my thoughts on that ad nauseam last year. Saturday is also one of the two annual Open House and Craft Fairs at Hunter’s Valley Winery in Liverpool. The Hershey Bears dropped Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals, and Game 3 — the first of three games in Hershey — is on Saturday night. Game Four is Sunday evening. Also on Saturday night, songstress Diana Krall will be a the Strand-Capitol Theatre in York.

In addition to Game 4, Sunday is the 300 Block Festival on North Queen Street in Lancaster. Local favorites Perkasie will be playing. Sunday is also the first show in the Long’s Park Summer Music Series. Many of the theatre-related events I referenced for Friday run through the weekend, so be sure to check Spotobe for a full picture of everything that’s going on. It’s a busy weekend.

Have fun kids.

Cafe di Luna has been open for about two months and Ambreen – the owner – is incredibly helpful, informative and sweet. I stopped in with a co-worker and she started chatting with us the second we walked in the door. She walked us through the different kids of coffee that she had in stock, and helped us pick a bean that would suit our tastes. My co-worker Pete likes a dark, French Roast and ended up with a cup from Papua New Guinea. I generally like my coffee dark as well, but I went with a bean from Kenya. It wasn’t as dark a roast as the coffee I usually prefer, but the layered flavors were outstanding. An email I got from Ambreen’s roaster said that the coffee was, “A gorgeous bean that opens up like a fine wine in the cup. Layers of fruit come through: black currant and raspberries are clearest.” My palette isn’t anywhere close to that refined, but the coffee was superb.

In addition to talking to us about the beans she had on hand, Ambreen broke apart a bean to show us where the caffeine in coffee comes from, told us why Starbucks uses such dark roasts and gave us a lesson on the history of espresso. A few more co-workers stopped in while we were talking and we ended up spending a little while just drinking our coffee and relaxing. Amazingly enough, my coffee cost next to nothing. If my memory serves me, both my coffee and Pete’s came to less than three dollars and I left the rest of a five as a tip. Another co-worker told Cafe di Luna’s espresso drinks are awesome and also very affordable.

If you go to Cafe di Luna you won’t get in and out as fast as you will ad Dunkin Donuts but you’re guaranteed to get a great cup of coffee. I’m looking forward to learning more about it.

Saturday, those of you are in great shape can enter the Red Rose Run in Lancaster. Those of you who are in marginal shape can be a part of the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community on City Island. Those of you who don’t care what shape you are in can watch Coraline for free, compliments of the Harrisburg Mall. Also on Saturday, the fine people of Steelton are inviting you to another Hot & Spicy International Festival. Meanwhile, the Taste of Pennsylvania Wine & Music Festival will be going on at the York Fairgrounds. Also, the Harrisburg Stampede are playing their next-to-last home game of their inaugural season.

Sunday the Wine & Music Festival continues in York. Ooh! Ooh! Billy Ray Cyrus will be at the American Music Theatre.

Have fun kids.

1. Dauphin County Music Festival: June 13–14 at Fort Hunter Park, Harrisburg
2. Friday on the Susquehanna: May 29 at Wildwood Park, Harrisburg
3. Codorus Summer Blast: June 26–28 at Codorus State Park, Hanover
4. Red Rose Run: May 30 in Downtown Lancaster
5. Pasta Run 5K: June 10 on City Island, Harrisburg
6. Taste of Pennsylvania Wine & Music Festival: May 30–31 at the York Fairgrounds, York
7. Dinner and a Movie: Stranger Than Fiction: June 4 at Binns Park, Lancaster
8. A Day of Wine & Roses: June 20 at Hershey Gardens, Hershey
9. Jazzin’ on the Pride: June 4 at the East Shore Docks, Harrisburg
10. DeMuth Garden Tour: June 13–14 at the DeMuth Museum, Lancaster

CHECK OUT JUSTIN’S PICTURES FROM PATRIOT-NEWS ARTSFEST ON FLICKR OR FACEBOOK

1. Before Friday, the changes promised at Metro Bank Park hadn’t really materialized. There was so much optimism heading into the 2009 Harrisburg Senators season, but it waned quickly when it turned out that the team was wretched and that — while it should be a gem by Opening Day 2010 — the Park looked about he same at the beginning of 2009 as it did at the end of 2008. I’m not sure what caused construction to be delayed, but the finished boardwalk that rims the outfield opened on Friday night and it is wonderful. It’s stunning how much it improves the fan experience.

The seats in left field and swivel chairs that line the railing in center and right really tie the whole park together. Before, with the whole crowd funneled between the foul poles, there was no buzz. All of the open space in the park was behind the main grandstand, and the latest wave of stadium construction in the NFL, MLB and MLS has proven that the easiest way to make the fan experience a more vibrant one is to tie the experience of watching the game to the experience of interacting with stadium. We sat in the seats behind the the left field fence and had a fantastic evening. The new seats are an immeasurable improvement over the bleachers and they provide plenty of leg room. I can’t wait to see the work continue and more concessions options to be added along the Boardwalk. It’s been a tough season for the Senators so far, but they deserve a pat on the back for the stadium renovation. Also, they fixed the problems with the scoreboard that I mentioned after opening night.

2. There really isn’t too much to say about Patriot-News Artsfest. It is what it is. It showcased the same food vendors, the same artists and the same entertainment that it does almost every year, but as always, it was a solid community event. I’ve heard grumbling about Artsfest from a few people in the area, but I think it’s the best of the three major summer festivals in Harrisburg. I think that maybe there were a few too many craft and specialty stands and too few fine artists this year, but as usual, I enjoyed the sun, the food and the crowd in Riverfront Park.

Did you check out the Boardwalk? Visit Artsfest? Go to Coldplay of Flavorfest? If so, let us know what you thought. 

For those of you who enjoy fishing but can’t justify spending money on a license you might use twice all summer, you don’t need one on Saturday. The Fish and Boat Commission will allow anyone to legally fish for in-season species like trout, walleye and certain others at no cost all day. There’s another fish for free day on June 6 as well. Normal rules and regulations apply.

Enjoy the weekend everybody, see you next week.