This past weekend I visited Philadelphia’s Italian Market neighborhood for the annual Italian Market Festival. Held rain or shine, the festival celebrates all things Italian with activities, events, crafts and — of course — food. Sunday was the better weather day of the weekend, so we arrived shortly after the festival started for the day. To say it was crowded is an understatement. Certain parts of the street were so congested with festivalgoers, it was hard to walk more than a few steps at a time. Events took place all day including a procession of saints, live music and a greased pole competition. With dozens of food options available, we selected a slice of prosciutto pizza bread and later a pizzelle ice cream sandwich. We stopped at the beer garden for a brew to enjoy while walking the rest of the festival. To end the day, we escaped the crowds in the East Passyunk neighborhood and grabbed dinner at Birra. Specializing in inventive pizza and updated Italian dishes, it was the perfect way to end the day. — Katie Skrzek, vice president/digital director