Rock Out at Hatfield’s Rocktoberfest October 3, 2015
Rockoberfest is going to be big this year. Hatfield’s residents and car enthusiasts will enjoy live entertainment and more on Saturday October 3rd at John S. Clemens Memorial Park at 500 Fairgrounds Road. Sponsored by Vinny’s Pizzarama, Rocktoberfest is a combination car show and fall fun festival for people of all ages.
Rockin’ and Revin’
This will be the 16th annual car/motorcycle show. Vintage race cars will be featured along with the Hatfield Speedway Reunion. The Hatfield American Legion Post 933 will host a wine and beer garden. Live music will be provided by Flamin’ Dick and the Hot Rods. It’s a great way to spend time with friends and neighbors and enjoy the offerings of local vendors and community groups.
Family Fun Fest
The whole family will enjoy Rocktoberfest. Events for kids include a scarecrow making station, moon bounce houses, and crafts. Local vendors will be on hand selling a variety of products.
Vehicle check in time begins at 8:30am. Judging of the cars begins at 11:30am. The awards ceremony will be held starting at 2:45pm with awards being presented for People’s Choice, Commissioner’s Choice, Parks and Rec Board Choice, Best of Show sash Plaque for the first 150 show registrants.
More information about the festival can be found at the township’s website at http://www.hatfieldtownship.org. Plenty of public parking will be available and the event will be held rain or shine.
Autumn’s Approaching and the Leaves Are Ready
Did you know that each year thousands upon thousands make their way through scenic Pennsylvania to soak up all the beauty of the season’s change? All over the state, the small hamlets and country roads offer sweeping, majestic views of the turning leaves. With fall on our doorstep, it’s time to get ready with these amazing spots.
Gettysburg National Military Park
The site of one of the country’s bloodiest days, Gettysburg Park is an essential stop for any American. During the fall, especially late October, the expansive battlefields are bordered by crimson and bright orange. Driving along the backroads, walking to the top of the battlement positions, or going on horseback all deliver magnificent views of one of America’s most important places.
Washington Crossing Historic Park
Pennsylvania is filled with history that is entwined with the growth of our nation. Washington’s crossing the Delaware is yet another example. The site of fall festivals and harvest celebrations, the park is an exquisitely preserved example of how the land looked in the 18th Century. Head to Bowman’s Hill for an especially eye-popping view.
Rothrock State Forest
Farther north, Rothrock offers views of the impressive Alleghenies, Pennsylvania’s section of the fabled Appalachian Mountain Range. A vast park, Rothrock has several different trails to follow. A driving tour can be done leisurely in a day, or, if you’re looking for total immersion, you can hike or bike into the tree cover and find yourself atop vistas that overlook the enormous valleys below.
As the authority on all things car-related, Car and Driver has spent years cultivating its reputation. Their picks are thorough and fair and look at a variety of factors, including power, performance, safety, and value. With so much on the line, it’s no wonder Toyota has found its way onto the Editors’ Picks for yet another year.
Toyota Avalon: Full-Size Sedan
With an overhauled engine and a reengineered interior, the Avalon offers a 3.5-liter V6 with 268 horsepower. The sleek new look adds to the luxury-brand inspiration that is carried throughout the seating, safety, and sound.
Toyota Prius: Hybrid Sedan
While the market has become a little crowded, the Prius is still the gold standard of hybrids. A 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine uses continuously variable transmission and advanced lithium-ion batteries to create 134 horsepower and an industry-leading 51 miles per gallon in the city.
Toyota Tacoma: Mid-Size Pickup
The mid-size pickup is a tricky class. It’s easy to be overlooked, but the Tacoma can’t be missed. Starting with a four-cylinder and 159 horsepower, you can also bump up the power to a 236-horsepower V6. Whichever engine you choose, the frame of the Tacoma can handle any job you give it.
Honorable Mention
The Toyota Sienna, according to C&D, is one to keep your eye on. In addition to a comfortable cabin and abundant power, the Sienna’s best assets are on-board entertainment. Another vehicle of interest is the Camry, which underwent some alterations for this year. The engine, the frame, the safety, and the comfort all hint at the alluring future for driving fans.
Five Incredible Wineries in Your Own Backyard
Over the last few decades, wine has been, what the experts call, “demystified.” Once, wine was for nothing but high-living connoisseurs and getting a bottle of something good meant breaking the bank. Today, with an explosion of micro-wineries around the world, you can get more for your money and not feel out of place doing it. Here are five small wineries in the Brandywine Valley to check out this fall.
Stone and Key
Set in Montgomeryville, Stone and Key is a relative newcomer to the business though the owners have over two decades of experience making wine. Tending toward cabernets, merlots, and syrahs, you can also get a lighter taste from their Green Apple Riesling.
Black Walnut
Just over in Sadsburyville, you’ll find the light bodies of Black Walnut’s collection of white varietals, including traditional pinot grigio and homespun inspirations like “Iridescence.” Don’t forget their port-style selections, too: perfect for autumn evenings.
Kreutz Creek
Stretching back to 1989, this West Grove winery specializes in the dryest of the dry. If you love chardonnays or cabernets that have a sultry tartness to them, Kreutz is the place for you.
Paradocx
A little farther afield, Paradocx takes up over 100 acres of Landenberg to bring you a range of flavors from sweet to a little spicy. Family-run, they’ve even been perfecting newer methods of sealing wine in metal containers, protecting it from air and sunlight.
Penns Woods
Finally, out in the scenic Chadds Ford area, Penns Woods offers not just wines inspired by French, German, and Austrian traditions, but also fine cheeses and entertainment through the high season.
Toyota and Mazda: A Beneficial Partnership
A few months back, Toyota and Mazda announced a rather unusual agreement. The two automakers are going to be working together to figure out how to get the most out of a business relationship with one another. Toyota and Mazda are long-standing rivals, so why the sudden change? Preparing for the future is more important than the competition.
The Deal
Both companies will be participating in a committee to figure out what each does better than the other. From there, they’ll enter into an arrangement where they are able to lean on each other for that expertise. For example, Toyota is doing better with making fuel cells that run on hydrogen, but Mazda has a better system for regular fuel and diesel efficiency.
The Benefits
Did Toyota and Mazda forget that they’re enemies in the market place? Not even close. The arrangement isn’t even all that strange. Toyota has already partnered with BMW to speed up the next generation of lithium batteries, Daimler has partnered with Nissan to get their hands on smaller, super-efficient engines, and GM has partnered with Peugeot to reduce their costs by billions.
The Game Changer
Here’s the real reason for the partnerships: Innovation. As the auto industry goes forward, literally no one knows what’s going to be the next big thing and all of them want to be ready. Between electric, hydrogen, and other energy alternatives, a short-term cease-fire with a rival is worth it if it turns into innovation. Also, with companies like Google and Apple sprinting to get into the auto business, current players need to step up their R&D game.
Top Four Free Things to Do in Philadelphia
As the summer months draw to a close, plenty of us are still looking for one (or two) last thrills for the season without adding to what we’ve already spent. The City of Brotherly Love has some of the best attractions in the country, and many of them are absolutely free. Here’s your go-to guide to touring Philly on the cheap.
Independence Hall
One of the most visited historic sites in the nation, Independence Hall is where it all happened: the debate, design, and signing of the Declaration of Independence as well as the United States Constitution. Tour the very seats where the founding fathers shaped a nation. While this is free, it’s extremely helpful to reserve your tickets in advance.
The Liberty Bell
Weighing in at over one ton, the Liberty Bell has become an icon of freedom throughout the United States and, due to its cracked side, one of the most recognizable objects in existence. This free tour takes you through the story of making a simple bell into the symbol of the American spirit.
The United States Mint
If you’re interested in money at all, the U.S. Mint is a must-see. When you go, you’ll be able to see how money is printed as well as a historical tour of our currency. For example, did you know that there was a time when there were dozens, even hundreds of legal currencies in circulation?
Fireman’s Hall
It’s impossible to capture just how much we all owe to firefighters throughout our nation’s history, but Fireman’s Hall museum comes pretty close. Here you’ll see countless examples of trucks and apparatus as well as gear, badges, and stories.
Pennsylvania’s two largest cities have had a rivalry like no other for decades. Both centers for state and city pride, Pittsburgh has a tremendous amount of support in education and public transportation while Philadelphia is a bit more center-stage when it comes to the national and international scene. Today we break down the real contest: which city is better in professional sports.
Football
It’s hard to bring it all down to the number of Super Bowls a team has won, but, let’s face it, it’s the biggest game in football. In its history, Pittsburgh has won six different Super Bowls over 34 years while Philadelphia has yet to win won. Still, the Eagles have made it to only four fewer post-season games than the Steelers. Still, Pittsburgh gets a point on the board.
Baseball
This is a tricky one. Similar to the gridiron, the Pittsburgh Pirates do have more World Series wins than the Philadelphia Phillies. However, the last time the Pirates were even able to claim a division title was the start of Bill Clinton’s first term. The Phillies, meanwhile, have won the World Series once and the National League twice over the last ten years. This point has to go to the city of brotherly love.
Hockey
Take that same issue and apply it to one of the best rivalries in the NHL. On paper, the Flyers have won two Stanley Cups, eight conference titles, and a whopping 16 division titles. However, only a handful of those are more recent than the heyday of the Flyers in the 70s and 80s. The Penguins have three Cups, but only four times on top of their conference and eight division championships. These are all more recent, though. Point: a draw.
Basketball
The tie-breaker? Well, the 76ers put Philadelphia over the top since Pittsburgh has no NBA team.
As the summer rolls onto its conclusion, many of us are still looking for things to do. The hope is to make the most of the high season before we endure yet another Pennsylvania winter. If you’re still looking for another incredible day to end your summer, head over to the legendary Hersheypark in Derry Township.
The Story Behind the Park
One of the Nation’s oldest amusement parks, Hersheypark was first built in 1906. The Hershey chocolate and candy company planned the park as a getaway for their employees to relax and unwind, but it wasn’t long before it was open to the public, too.
The Rides
Over the decades, from The Wild Cat, the park’s first wooden coaster in the 1920s, to its most recently added Laff Trakk coaster, Hersheypark has accumulated more than a 130 rides. No matter if you’re looking for a thrill for your five year-old or for your 18 year-old basketball star, there’s more than enough to choose from.
The Attractions
The park features fifteen different musical shows throughout the day and throughout the park that cover a wide range of musical tastes and genres. There’s also a full calendar of must-see shows that happen throughout the season.
The Waterpark
Because some days are just plain hot, there’s also Hersheypark’s Boardwalk. With a whole host of different water slides and pools, the Boardwalk also features a wave pool, a lazy river ride, and a newly installed “spray ground” for kids of all ages.
We all scream for ice cream. In fact, the average American eats 48 pints of ice cream each year. That may seem like a lot, but we all know the feeling of finishing a cone or a bowl and thinking: “Is that all?” Well, Pennsylvania is known for some of the country’s best frozen favorite and these gems in and around Philadelphia will have your mouth watering.
Weckerly’s Ice Cream
A self-proclaimed “micro-creamery,” Weckerly’s began back in 2012 with the idea of bringing customers organic ice cream. This means everything from the cows to the eggs to the sugar are all developed with responsible and natural methods. Zagat’s and Philadelphia Magazine have singled Weckerly’s out as the area’s best.
Bassetts’ Ice Cream
Bassetts’ claim to fame is that it was started all the way back in 1861, making it the nation’s oldest ice creamery. While you can buy it in stores as well as nearby ice cream stands, you can also visit the spot in Philadelphia that’s been there for over 100 years and has been visited by Presidents and celebrities.
Franklin Fountain
Franklin Fountain is another spot deeply rooted in history. If you visit, you’ll be thrown back to an older century with a full ice cream parlor and vintage soda fountain. They may be best known for their blueberry ice cream soda, made with house-made syrup. Meanwhile, you can also enjoy scoops of classic flavors and seasonal favorites.
Little Baby’s Ice Cream
If you like a bit more adventure in your ice cream, then Little Baby’s is for you. A veritable chemistry lab for flavors, Little Baby’s combines flavors you never thought about, but will find you can’t now do without. Try out Chipotle Chocolate, Smoked Cinnamon, Coffee Toffee, or, if you’re more daring, Everything Bagel.
If you’ve ever bought a car, you know it can be tough to know whether you’re getting the best deal you can get. If you’ve never bought a car before, 
then you’re probably dreading the whole experience. It’s not as mysterious as you might think and we’ll review a few different ways to ensure you’re getting the most for your money.
Some Basics
These tips assume that you’ve already done your research and figured out what car (or at least what type of car) you want to buy. It’s true that if you have flexibility here, you can get a pretty good deal on a model that isn’t super popular in your area.
The Lay of the Land
When you’re doing research, you want to be sure to price check what the car’s been selling for both in and outside your area. Getting averages is easier than ever with websites from Kelley Blue Book and Truecar.
Tricks and Tips
There are a few things to keep in mind when you go into the dealer. Firstly, there is a better time to buy. Often, going to buy in the fall or early winter can help you out since a lot of lots need to be cleared out for newer models. Likewise, going toward the end of the month can work in your favor if the dealership is running shy of their quotas.
The Essentials
Remember to stay respectful when talking with your salesperson. It’s not war and it’s not personal. Their job is to help you out and keep a solid reputation at the same time. Still, don’t be afraid to call or visit other dealerships to make sure you’re getting the best price you can get.
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