West Windsor Renaissance Faire Held In Mercer County Park On May 15, 2011

On May 15, 2011, Mercer County Park hosted the annual West Windsor Lion's Club Renaissance Faire.



I arrived late in the afternoon, and, as you can see from the clouds, it was about to rain.






I picked up an executioner's mask from one of the vendors and thought that I would sit on some bales of hay for a photograph:




Shortly after the executioner photo was taken, it did indeed rain, and it really came down. It was a severe storm. Local authorities arrived and stated that they will keep the park open until they see lightening, and, shortly after, lightening emerged in the sky so the event was therefore closed. I was soaked by the time I made it to my car. I sat in the car to dry up and then the clouds parted. It became a sunny late afternoon. A real shame since the event was scheduled to end at 5:00 PM, and the storm ended around 4:00. I am usually late for a lot of events, and perhaps some people did show up only to find a closed faire. At the very least, the event did enjoy pleasant weather for the majority of the two days that it was scheduled.

I took a picture of this sign at 4:30 PM, and you will note the clear sky above:

The Procession Of Saints At The Italian Market Festival In Philadelphia On May, 15 2011

On May 15, 2011, the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania held its annual Italian-American/Italian Market Fest within the Italian Market area. This was my first time attending this particular Festival, and I had anticipated the day's arrival with great interest. There were a number of vendors selling food, souvenirs, toys and more.



What could have very well been the highlight of the event for many was the Procession Of Saints.

Here you see the Saint Statues being lined up and prepared for the Procession ...

























At this point, I saw another Procession following ... this time it was a group of Mexican Catholics. I did not expect to see a Mexican group in the parade since this was an Italian Fest. I suppose it was some kind of Catholic Ecumenical statement.









I passed by a bakery with some nice-looking cakes so I took a couple pictures ...





This is a seated area of the Italian Market (with the Saint Paul Parish in the background):


Approaching the Church where a Mass is about to be held:


Lining up the Statues before they are carried up the steps and into the Church:




Quite a task:


The Church's sign promoting the event:


More photographs can be found at this link: http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u213/portaltothepast/Festivals/Italian/Italian%20American%20Fest%20May%2015%202011/?start=all

Here is a video of the Procession:

Freedom For Syria Rally Held In New York City On May 7, 2011

Those of you who have been following my blog know that I have attended a number of events in support of the Protesters in Iran and Egypt. On May 7, 2011, I travelled to Manhattan, New York to stand in solidarity with the freedom fighters in the nation of Syria. The Syrian protesters have been faced with an extremely brutal crackdown. I want the Syrian Community to know that I am appalled by the regime's brazen display of brutality.

This particular rally was very, very small. The organization that posted the event on facebook is called Syrian American Society News. No one from this group bothered to show up, and, when they were asked what happened online, no one bothered to respond. In any event, I thought that the gathering was worthwhile. I was glad that I attended. I had the opportunity to speak to a few Syrian Americans and I let them know that I felt it was important to attend because this is about us as human beings.

Here is a picture from the rally:


Here is a sign that a female made:

The 2011 New Jersey State History Fair At Allaire State Park In Farmingdale, New Jersey

2011 marked the return of the New Jersey State History Fair. This year, the Fair was held at the Allaire State Park in Farmingdale, New Jersey.



In the first section of the park, a number of tables were set up allowing visitors to see military uniforms, weapons and various objects used in camp life. The following jpegs show artifacts of the Mexican War and Spanish-American War ...













You will note the old piece of hardtack in the display case:


Close-up - apparently this was from the Battle Of San Juan Hill:






A number of organizations set up tables in different areas of the Park. Unfortunately, I had to be present at another event in the afternoon so I could not look at every table. Here is what I did see ...







In the background, you can see a nineteenth-century baseball game taking place:






This is a really cool model of George Washington's Headquarters located in Morristown, NJ:














Here is a living historian portraying Abraham Lincoln:












An incredible collection of early and classic automobiles were made available for the public's viewing ...

























Here is a very early fire engine:


A stamp association was present as well:


Representatives from the Edison National Historic Site were present as well:


Here is a close-up of some of Thomas Edison's creations: