Sara Bozich

Giveaway: Friendly Sons of St. Patrick

This Friday is the 14th Annual Friendly Sons of St. Patrick St. Patrick's Day Party.

Held in recent years at Dragonfly nightclub, this is one of the area's must-attend events. Music, food, Irish dancers, booze and good times are sure to abound. The party runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 12.

You can order tickets from a Friendly Sons member, if you know one, or simply e-mail hbgfriendlysons@gmail.com. 

However, for one lucky reader, the Friendly Sons ('friendly' is right there in the name) will give away 2 free tickets to their St. Patrick's Day Party on Friday.

To qualify, simply answer the following question in the comments section below.

What two local restaurateurs have been named FSOSP's "Irishman of the Year"?

Make your guesses below. You do not need to be correct to win. A winner will be selected at random at the end of the week.

As usual, you can ReTweet this giveaway and leave a second comment saying you've done so for an additional entry.

Don't forget to friend the Harrisburg Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on Facebook, too!

Chocolate giveaway winner

Melanie of The Sales Tax Connection is the winner of the Derry Church Artisan Chocolates!

Thanks to everyone who participated - highest number of comments yet!

Remember, if you still need a Valentine's Day idea, you can learn more about Derry Church Artisan Chocolates, complete with a wine pairing tonight and tomorrow at Zia's at Red Door. Call 920-0330 for reservations. 

Weekend roundup 2/11

Hopefully by now you've shoveled or plowed your way out of the Snowpacalypse. In some ways I miss my days of walking to the smattering of bars that open during blizzards no matter what, but I must admit there's some comfort in being snowed in your own home, cooking and catching up with the Tivo.

This weekend is Valentine's Day and of course there are tons of specials and event. We're opting for the 4-course dinner and chocolate and wine pairing at Zia's at Red Door (with Derry Church Artisan Chocolates).

Don't miss your opportunity to win free chocolates - simply comment on this post and re-tweet it for a second entry.

On Saturday, stop by The Hershey Story between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and purchase a copy of my book, Hershey: A Guide to the Town Built on Chocolate. I'll be signing copies in front of the gift shop.

There's aplenty going on this weekend, so let's get to it:

Groundhog Day: 6 More Weeks of Winter

Happy Groundhog Day!

Hope Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his shadow and springs us toward spring. In the meantime, click below for a piece I did for my college paper after I visited Punxsutawney in 2001.

You can check out coverage of Groundhog Day throughout the day at PCN.

Update: The prognosticator of all prognosticators, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow this morning. Six more weeks of winter! Boo!

Did you get a text from Phil?

Also, check out my post on Hershey's Chocolate-Covered February.

Groundhog Day 2001

 

Chocolate-Covered February

Tomorrow, we welcome in February. Historically, it's a bitterly cold month, with small highlights dotting its always-short calendar: Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, President's Day. However, if you're anywhere near Hershey, Pa. (and we are!), it's also known as "Chocolate-Covered February," with more chocolate-related events, dinners and treats than you can shake a stick at.

Hershey's Chocolate-Covered February has a variety of events, from tastings and tours, both family-friendly and adult-appropriate activities, starting tomorrow. But the month-long celebration is truly rung in on Friday, Feb. 5 with the Chocolate Dinner Extraordinaire. I dare you to read this mouth-watering menu. It breaks my heart I will not attend this year. 

Here is the link to the 2010 Chocolate-Covered February events. If you haven't been to Hershey in a while or haven't tried any of these special events, I highly recommend this opportunity to splurge and learn more about the area. My personal recommendations are after the jump.

Also, as part of the month's festivities, I will be hosting a signing for my book, Hershey: A Guide to the Town Built on Chocolate, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13 at The Hershey Story. Stop by and pick up a copy! Makes a great Valentine's Day gift for the chocolate lover on your list.

Weekend roundup - NYE Edition

Happy New Year! I hope that Santa was good to you and maybe, if you planned as I did, you spent this last week at home and not at the office. It wasn't a particularly productive week for me, but it was nice to be off.

My New Year's plans consist of a low key evening with fewer than a dozen close friends. We'll have champagne, and I'm bringing guacamole, so things look good. Rumor has it someone's bringing the Super Mario Bros for Wii, so moments may get a little competitive.

After tomorrow we'll be in 2010, and don't you worry - there will be plenty of year-ringing events that carry on into the next decade. Check 'em out after the jump.

Weekend roundup - Christmas Edition

I'll be out of town with the future in-laws for Christmas Eve and Day, but you can see what bars and restaurants are open these days by clicking here.

I'm back on the weekend for more family holiday cheer - plus oodles of relaxation and taking in both new and old favorite restaurants and bars until the new year.

We have an abbreviated schedule of weekend activity - now through Sunday - but look for most bars and restaurants to resume a normal schedule by the weekend.

In the meantime, I wish you all a very merry Christmas, good health and good times. Cheers!

Here's what's going on:

Weekend roundup - 12/17

Christmas is very quickly sneaking up on us. This weekend's activities have a hint of the holidays and just some plain old good stuff. I was hoping to finally have a weekend with the fiance in town now that hunting season is over, but it seems it's just not to be. Guess that will be my Christmas present.

Tomorrow's column previews events at Midtown Scholar and Midtown Cinema, plus the Santa Stumble.

I'll be wrapping up my Christmas shopping (just a few small things yet to get!) and assorted other pre-Christmas duties - and in potential blizzard, no less! Here's the scoop on what else is going down:

Weekend roundup 12/10

Good morning, and welcome to the Weekend Roundup. I'm busy downloading all of Amazon.com's free Christmas MP3s and figuring out the few things left on my Christmas shopping list.

This weekend, I'm attending a friend's Christmas Threw-Up Party, an annual girl-fest with too much food, wine and lots of cheer (plus a fun gift exchange). It's become a highlight of the season we all look forward to. Can't wait! Aside from that - it's the final gift purchases, Christmas cards and, of course, housecleaning. Ah, the glamorous life.

Tons going on in the area as we approach the holidays. Fear not - it's all listed below:

Open for Christmas

Wondering what bars and restaurants are open on Christmas Eve and Day in the greater Harrisburg area? Well, you've come to the right place.

As in recent years, you'll find there are a variety of options for eating and drinking on both nights.

Below is a round-up of some local taverns and eateries that are planning to have some holiday hours this year, and I'll continue to update as I know more. If you know of any additions, please e-mail me or add them in the comments. Happy Holidays!