Whenever I’m not traveling over the weekend, I try to find some local festival or gathering to visit. I live near some pretty cool small towns, and there is usually something of note going on.

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Last weekend, Bristol Borough hosted the 36th annual Italian Day Festival. The town sits on the Delaware River, and the waterfront hosts events all year. As its name suggests, Italian Day celebrates Italian culture with music, food, vendors and more.

We arrived at the festival about an hour after it started. This is definitely the town’s biggest festival in terms of attendance. The local Lions Club puts on the event and always does an excellent job with the food. Italian sausages with peppers and onions are the big draw, but pizza fritas and other staples also flow freely. Add in the fact the weather on Saturday was perfect, and it all added up to a great day.

The cool thing about Bristol Borough’s waterfront is it is located right next to the town’s downtown. We extended our time by walking up and down the street, grabbing a glass of kombucha at Noble Earth and doing some light shopping in the different antique stores. Finally, we grabbed lunch at Akia, a Japanese fusion restaurant at the top of the street.

I try to get to Bristol Borough and Mill Street once or twice each month. There is more to it than what we saw Saturday, so I know next time we go back will be just as good as this time.

— Erich Martin, assistant editor