Each year more than 50,000 people converge on Walnut Street from Broad to 19^th Streets, for Philadelphia’s most upscale festival. The event features food, entertainment, shopping and family fun. This is the only event where Walnut Street is closed to automotive traffic. Pedestrians stroll Walnut and 18^th Streets and explore 120 booths.  

Saturday, May 18, from noon to 5:00 p.m., rain or shine, on Walnut Street from Broad to 19^th, 18^th Street from Locust to Sansom.  

The Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival features:

Affordably priced cuisine from Rittenhouse Row’s restaurants: 500 Degrees, a. Bar, a. Kitchen, Alfa, Alma de Cuba, Applebees, Barclay Prime, Ben and Jerry’s, Butcher and Singer, Capogiro Gelato, Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse, Continental Mid-town, Corner Bakery Café,  The Corner Foodery, The Dandelion, Devon Seafood Grill, Di Bruno Bros., El Rey, Happy Rooster, Hip City Veg, Honeygrow, Il Pittore, Lacroix, Le Bec Fin, Marathon Grill, Oyster House, Parc, The Prime Rib, Pub and Kitchen, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Rotisseur, Rouge, Sbraga, Schlesinger’s, Shake Shack, Smith and Wollensky, Square 1682, Tavern 17, Termini Brothers Bakery,  Underdogs, Vernick, Village Whiskey, Wok, and XIX.

Spring fashion booths: Joan Shepp, South Moon Under, Knit Wit, Town Home, Kembrel, Hope Chest, Born Yesterday, Heads and Tails, Duke and Winston, The Children’s Boutique, Tumi, The Shops at the Bellevue and more.  

The Infiniti Lounge on the 1500 Block. Hope Cohen, author of Fast, Fresh + Simple and culinary show host will be in the Infiniti Lounge sampling one of her refreshing recipes

The Starr Culinary Demonstration Stage at 19^th and Walnut will host live food and beverage demonstrations and segments from renowned balloon twister and storyteller Allyn Gordon. Drop-off non-perishable food items or a monetary donation (10 cans, $10, or both) for Philabundance and you’ll be entered to win one of three prizes from STARR Restaurants. Drop locations are at 15th Street, between 16th and 17^th Streets, and 18th Street. Visit the Starr Smallwares Sidewalk Sale to purchase discounted china, glassware and other tabletop accessories from STARR Restaurants. (all proceeds benefit Philabundance.)

Family Fun: On 18^th Street between Walnut and Sansom, The Center City District Craft Pavilion will feature make-and-take crafts and activities led by Philadelphia’s finest cultural organizations including: Arden Theatre Company, Please Touch Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Historic Philadelphia, Philadelphia Art Alliance, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Walnut Street Theatre, and Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. KYW Newsradio will host the Kidcasting Tent, where kids can create their own mock-radio interview newscast. Also join Beneficial Bank, Capital One 360 Café and TD Bank for Family Fun stations.

Tasting areas of 20 of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s Chairman’s Selection wines with a concierge and on-site store, Peroni beer, Rex Goliath wines, Cintron and festive cocktails.  

The Whisper Outdoor Lounge on the 1700 block. Enjoy the DJ and lounge with specialty cocktails from G Lounge, Whisper and The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., and food from the Corner Foodery.

The three schools will meet again when twenty of the nation’s premier collegiate rugby teams compete at PPL Park in Chester, PA, for the USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship showdown on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2. There will be plenty of rivalries between the six local colleges: Penn, Temple, Delaware, Penn State, St. Joe’s, and Kutztown. In addition, 14 out of state teams will also be in attendance: University of Arizona, University of California, UCLA, Dartmouth, University of Florida, Life University, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, University of Texas, Army, Navy, Virginia Tech, University of Wisconsin, and Northeastern University.

Tickets for the two-day event of action packed rugby, gourmet food, interactive games and activities are on sale exclusively through ComcastTIX. One-day and two-day passes, starting at $20, can be purchased online at ComcastTIX.com, by phone at 1-800-298-4200 or in person at the PPL Park box office.

“From the day that we opened, we’ve been committed to pouring innovative, exciting cocktails as an important part of a great meal,” says proprietor and third-generation restaurateur Sam Mink. “This new list is yet another step forward in the evolution of our beverage program, keeping our offerings fresh and making sure that our guests can always count on us for great drinks, whether they’re stopping in for happy hour or indulging in a decadent multi-course meal.”

The new list includes: Capetown, Rittenhouse Rye, Lillet, Orange Curaçao; Old Miami, Corralejo reposado tequila with Meletti amaro and cherry heering; Sunday Silence Julep, Rittenhouse rye with amari, sugar and mint; and Mink’s favorite, Blonde Redhead, Absolut Citron, strawberry rhubarb shrub and cucumber; In addition to the wealth of cocktails, the bar also specializes in quaffable punches: their famed Mother’s Ruin Punch, gin with fresh grapefruit, cinnamon tea-infused vermouth and sparkling wine; and the new Country Thyme Punch, muscadet with gin, lemon, Aperol and thyme syrup; and Brickhouse Punch, gold rum with ginger beer and lemon. Punches are available individually ($9 each) or to share ($45 each).

Oyster House also pours several signature oyster shooters, including: New Englander, horseradish vodka and tomato juice; Londoner, cucumber, lemon and dill; Serafin, Serrano pepper tequila with tarragon and pineapple; Chihuahua, hot pepper and cilantro vodka with tomato juice; and Bloody Shame, house bloody Caesar mix but no booze.

To start they have all the foundations needed for under the gown from strapless bras to shapewear. For normal strapless bras, they do well with Simone Perele. The style that brides prefer is “Celeste” because it offers a nice plunging silhouette for those sweetheart necklines.

They stock strapless bras in 30-36 bands and A-F cups, and can make special orders for the more busty brides.  All of their strapless bras come equipped with a silicone grip along the band for added support, this grip also makes it possible for the strapless bras to be scooped down about 2 inches for those dresses with lower backs.

If Simone Perele isn’t a perfect fit, they also carry Le Mystere in regular strapless bras as well as long-line bridal bustiers. Brides with a cut-out-back dress may opt for the bridal bustiers because they offer great support and scoop down the back about 10-12 inches.

The boutique currently carries two different styles of bridal bustiers. One is a shorter long-line bra that stops mid-way a bit above the belly button and the other is a full long-line bridal bustier equipped with detachable garter straps. The boning in the bustiers give great lift and support as a nice alternative to a regular strapless bra.

For under the wedding dress, many brides opt for a perfectly seamless panty. The Hope Chest carries Commando boyshort and thong, Cosabella Aire boyshort and thong, and Simone Perele Invisi’bulles in a thong, shorty, and a gainette. The gainette is nice because it is a higher rise cut and offers moderate control of the lower stomach in addition to the zero panty lines. (If panty lines aren’t an issue for the bride, they have many other beautiful panties.)

Owner Jen Sachs says that the Simone Perele Celeste strapless mentioned earlier has a matching tanga with a stunning flat lace that is “literally breath-taking.”

For brides that want complete shaping under their wedding dress they have two great brands to choose from. They carry Spanx but have been doing really well with Body Wrap, which comes in a few different styles. The most popular are the high-waisted panty, high-wasited long, and high-waisted with leg that comes about mid way down the thigh for extra shaping of the bum and legs. These three styles come right up to the bra band and will even act as your underwear. They can be worn under a bustier or paired with a strapless bra for a perfect smoothed look. And what’s best is they do not roll.

And now for the garters….

Sometimes they can be hard to come by, but they do have them, in ivory and white, Satin or lace, from Only Hearts and Cosabella.

Now for the fun stuff….

Besides your wedding gown foundations, the boutique has a selection of luxury bridal lingerie for the night of and the honeymoon. Whether you’re looking for a traditional peignoir set from Francis Smily or just a classic comfortable chemise, they have it. Their lingerie is partly comprised of fine silk chemises, teddies, camisoles, tap pants, and robes – mostly made in the USA, Italy, France, and the UK. They carry brands such as Brulee, Ari Dein, Fleur of England, Shell Belle Couture, Zinke, Jane Woolrich, and more. Some are even exclusive to the Center City location.

If traditional lingerie isn’t the bride’s forte, they also carry beautiful bra and panty sets – both molded and non-molded styles. These speciality bras are made of silk and lace like Mimi Holliday and Fleur of England.

Reservations are $150 per person and include beverage pairings. Guests of this philanthropic dinner will also have the opportunity to participate in an auction for a one-of-a-kind culinary experience.

Dishes include:

First Course

Chef Nicholas Elmi of Rittenhouse Tavern

Triggerfish Crudo . Rhubarb . Kohlrabi

Second Course

Chef Walter Abrams

Grilled Mushrooms . Spring Legume Croquette . Green Garlic . Sprouts

Third Course

Chef Shola Olunloyo

Sea Urchin Lumaconi Pasta . Crab . Tomato . Olive . Dill Pollen

Fourth Course

Chef Jonathan Adams of Rival Bros Coffee

Roasted Halibut . Spiced Yogurt . Coffee Cardamom Soil . Pickled Beets . Edible Flowers

Fifth Course

Chef Dave Katz of Creekstone Farms

Dry Aged Creek Stone Beef . Spring Onions . Onion Soubise . Madeira Jus

Dessert

Chef Kevin Sbraga

Cherries Jubilee . Biscuit de Savoie . Sichuan Pepper Ice Cream . Cherry Blossoms

Since 2005, No Kid Hungry dinners have raised nearly $7 million to support the No

Kid Hungry campaign, which is ending childhood hunger in this nation by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. Today, one in five children in this country struggles with hunger. When kids get the food they need, they feel better, they learn more and they grow up stronger. The good news is that, together, we can make that happen.

The dinner will be held from 5-10PM, for $150 per person, including beverage pairing.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling, 215.735.1913.

Sbraga is located at 440 South Broad Street.

Complimentary overnight valet parking and roundtrip SEPTA subway passes to Citizens Bank Park highlight the PhanaticalPhans baseball package at Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia, hotel officials announced today. The package starts from $186 per night and also includes an overnight stay and a special baseball themed amenity including popcorn, peanuts, Cracker Jacks and sodas. The PhanaticalPhans baseball package represents nearly a 25% discount off the best available rate.

“This package allows our guests and baseball fans to have the best of both worlds,” said Michele Simpson, director of sales and marketing at Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia. “You get access to Citizens Bank Park via the SEPTA to enjoy a game, but based in Center City, so you are walking distance from numerous tourist attractions.”

The hotel also cites potential demand for a baseball package based on a recent survey from Tripadvisor, the popular travel reviews website. According to the Tripadvisor Popularity Index, it ranks Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as the sixth most popular ballpark in the U.S., only trailing ballparks in Pittsburgh (PNC Park), San Francisco (AT&T Park), Baltimore (Oriole Park at Camden Yards), Boston (Fenway Park) and St. Louis (Busch Stadium).

The Sonesta Philadelphia offers 445 guest rooms and is located in downtown Philadelphia and walking distance from fine dining and shopping at Rittenhouse Square, or popular attractions such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Liberty Bell and The Franklin Institute.

The PhanaticalPhans package can be booked online, or by calling 215.561.7500.

On Monday, May 13th from 6-9PM at The Rittenhouse Hotel, get a sneak peek of the best of the 2013 Spring Festival with delectable cuisine and cocktails from: a.bar, a.kitchen, Alma de Cuba, Barclay Prime, Butcher and Singer, C19 cicheterria venezia, Capogiro, Continental Mid-town, The Corner Foodery, The Dandelion, D’Angelo’s Ristorante Italiano and Lounge, Devon, Di Bruno Bros., El Rey, Elixr, Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company, G Lounge, Lacroix, Le Bec-Fin, Le Castagne, Le Pain Quotidien, Marathon Grill, Metropolitan Bakery, Metropolitan Cafe, Parc, Ranstead Room, Ten Six Club, Termini Bros. Bakery, Rouge, Sbraga, Shake Shack, Square 1682, Village Whiskey, Whisper and Zama.

Featuring butlered hors d’oeuvres from Chef John Marinelli and the culinary team of the Banquets Department at The Rittenhouse Hotel.

Tunes will be spun by DJ Adrian Hardy and Norma Michaels Entertainment. The evening will also feature a silent auction with wonderful items and experiences from Ritt Row members and friends.

Proceeds benefit Rittenhouse Row, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood.

The Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival will be held on Saturday, May 18, from noon to 5pm, rain or shine. Held on Walnut Street from Broad to 19th, the annual event showcases Philadelphia’s finest fashions, cusine and entertainment and attracts more than 50,000 people to enjoy the best of Rittenhouse Row.

On Friday, April 26^th Gucci will bring eyewear and sunwear to the store for a one time a year event. Enjoy a free gift with all purchases as well.

Dress code: The stadium meets the dance floor.

Click here for registration information.