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HeartFest: A Fun, Free & Family Friendly Wellness Festival!

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HeartFest takes place at the beautiful Natural Path Meditation Center in Beavercreek, Ohio

Stressed? Seeking some peace of mind? Aren’t we all! It’s not as complicated as we tend to imagine. Self care, through movement and meditation, can dramatically improve our ability to cope with an increasingly stressful world.

Lots of folks are unaware that we have a wonderful resource nestled right here in the Miami Valley! The Natural Path Meditation Center, a non-denominational center that teaches a heart-based form of meditation called Heartfulness, is located in Beavercreek, conveniently close to both Fairfield and I-35 (directions below).

This weekend the Center is hosting their 2nd Annual HeartFest event. It’s a FREE & fun wellness festival, with workshops and vendors for all ages! Organizers hope that by offering tools for self care and inner peace, people will be able to live a more balanced life. How wonderful would that be for our community?

Curious about meditation, yoga, and wellness? Looking for ways to cope with stress? Seeking inner peace? Something to do with the kids? All of the above? Then this is sure to be a wonderful day you won’t want to miss!

HeartFest features:

  • Heartfulness Meditation sessions all day
  • Kids Tent with Activities for all ages
  • Variety of Wellness Speakers & Vendors
  • Movement Tent offering yoga, qigong, & Melt classes + Music!
  • Food Trucks (Shakery Juice Bar, Harvest Mobile Cuisine, and Bella Sorella Pizza!)
  • For the full schedule of events, click here.

How to go?

  • 10am – 5pm on Saturday August 19, 2017.
  • Free admission!
  • Parking at St. Luke’s Parking Lot. For directions click here.

Americana Festival: 5k, FOOD, Fireworks & Fox

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Pork Chops on the Grill

Run, eat and watch fireworks in the street. The Americana Festival is celebrating 41 years strong with this year’s event in downtown Centerville.  This year we have the star spangled scoop on some new Food Adventure attractions and happenings.

The Big Ragu is a lifelong Centerville guy, so this festival is close to our homes and our hearts.  We cant think of a better way to celebrate freedom and the good ole’ USA, than this event.

 

Here is a day in the life of a 4th of July Food Adventurer at the Americana  Festival:

7:30am:  5K RUN at Centerville Stadium.  Why?  So we can eat all day, guilt free, that’s why !

9:30am: Sneak between the chairs lining the streets, dart across State Route 48 and see what food vendors are open early.  Ragu actually had a 9:45am cheesesteak 2 years ago.

10:00am: Watch the AMERICANA FESTIVAL PARADE. We hope to march in he parade someday, carrying flags with cheeseburgers on them, and wearing sequin shorts…

 

Harvest Mobile Food Truck will be at the Festival

11:30am – 4:00pm:  STREET FAIR: We are excited to be checking out these MUST EATS !!

—HARVEST MOBILE:  Who else loves the healthy “Local Wrap?”

— ZOMBIE DOGZ:  The Nibbler Dog ! Heck, any hot dog they have is a true original and something you wont taste anywhere else!

— EL MESON FOOD TRUCK: Empanadas to die for !

— MOM’S HOMEMADE GOODIES: Incredible Soft Pretzels

— SANTORINI’S GREEK KITCHEN:  The Gyros are must eats.  They are grilled fresh by these guys in from Indianapolis.

— TIM HORTON’S:  You may need the coffee for some quick energy

— OLD TYME POPCORN:  Kettle Corn experts !

— LaROSA’S:  You gotta get some pizza slices from this Cincinnati icon

— CINDY LOU’S BBQ:  Any BBQ entree is delicious here !

— KONA ICE:  Cool off with a SnoCone cup with tiger’s blood sauce !

El Meson will be at the Street Fair

— CORK N BOTTLE’S AMERICAN GRILL:  Any one of their sandwiches are delicious, cheap, and a handful !

— BLACKJACK GRILL:  The best grilled porkchops in Dayton

—NELLY’S CHICKEN:  The rotesserie roasted, Bolivian recipe chicken is nothing short of amazing on flavor !

As you can see there are gonna be plenty of options to light your fireworks.  We didnt even mention the carnival type food, or local places within walking distance like SWEENEY’S SEAFOOD HOUSE, JOHNNY’S SLICE OF NY, BILLS DONUTS, MARION’S PIZZA, CITY BBQ, GRAETERS ICE CREAM, ROOT48, and MCDIGGERS PUB.

We will also be hanging out with Fox and Friend’s Brian Kilmeade who will be in town promoting his new book!

10:00PM: FIREWORKS AT CENTERVILLE FOOTBALL STADUM.  We usually cap off the night by attending the fireworks with family, after napping off a food coma.

 

Show your patriotism this Friday.  Whether it is chanting USA, or wearing a US Flag t-shirt, we hope you have the time of your life.  We suggest you do just that in downtown Centerville on the 4th !
Even Uncle Sam will be there, and so will The Food Adventures Crew.

Want be a good American?  Then “like” FOOD ADVENTURES on Facebook HERE.  We are often imitated, never duplicated.

Check out our Americana Food Photos below !

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100,000 People Expected at Food Filled Americana Festival

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Look down the street, hungry people as far as the eye can see !

July 4th will mark the 40th annual Americana Festival in Centerville.  Wouldn’t you know that The Big Ragu & Crew are veterans of practically every single Americana Festival over the years.   We can’t think of a better way to celebrate America’s Independence that a brisk walk through the intersection of State Route 48 and Franklin Street, sampling food selections from various vendors.  With over 100 spots to eat, this is a perfect opportunity for a summer Food Adventure.   From typical festival fare like funnel cakes and to healthier choices like salads and grilled chops, there is something for every taste bud on hand.  The food tour stretches from the center of town, down through Benham’s Grove and the Activity Center Park.   French Fries, Deep Fried Snickers, Roasted Corn, Chinese food and Gyro Vendors are just some of our favorites on the yearly hit list.  We would be amiss if we didn’t mention the various icons that will be open along the street such as Bill’s Donut Shop, City BBQ and Graeter’s Ice Cream.  You can even enjoy a Marion’s Pizza near the classic car show in their parking lot.  Ohhh Americana, how we love thee!

Hey there, Pork Chop !

If you need the scoop on one of Dayton’s largest festivals, here you go:

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— July 4th events start at 7:30am with a 5k Run/Walk – Always a nice start to a guilt free Food Adventure

— Parade starts at 10am sharp near Centerville High School and typically lasts until 11:30am

— The Street Festival runs from 11am-4pm with over 300 vendors (many of them food booths)

— Festival ends with a Fireworks Display at Centerville High School Stadium at 10pm

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Now for the rumbling stomachs that sound like a fireworks grand finale, here are your Food Adventure MUST EATS !

MUST EATS:

— Nothing says independence like a mouthful of powdered sugar and fried dough, so get yourself a damn Funnel Cake

Nothing says Independence like Powdered Sugar and Fried Dough

— Grilled Pork Chops – Various vendors are serving up these chops that weigh as much as a small dumbell

— Roasted Corn – More than knee high by the 4th of July, don’t forget the brush and buttery dip option

— Gyro’s – The Greek vendors at this event never disappoint.  Grab a Gyro with the works, which sometimes includes some Caesar’s Salad lettuce on top

— Philly Cheesesteak – A little known secret of the festival is that some vendors fire up the grills as early as 9:30am.  We took advantage of this one year.  We also should have taken a tums.  Huge, mouth watering, stuffed sandwiches.  Just look for the banner “Italian Sausages & Philly Cheesesteaks”

— Deep Fried Snickers – Ok, so admit it, you have always wanted to try one.  If you like rich foods and gooey chocolate, give it a whirl.  It is like a small, powdered corndog with chocolate inside.  Everyone should try these just once.  Put it on your July4th bucket list.

— McDigger’s Pub – Go inside and grab a cold libation at the corner of Elm and East Franklin St.  They also grill burgers and sausages on the patio.  This is the only bar we know of where a round of drinks costs about the same as a local Moose Lodge.  Just aim your beer burps the other way, please.

Whether you grab a pretzel donut or a grilled chicken wrap with Uncle Sam on stilts, this shindig is as much a celebration of taste as a celebration of the stars and stripes.  So get yourself to the center of Centerville and see why this festival is one of the biggest in Dayton.  Are you a veteran of the event?  Then comment below and tell us your favorite bites from the Americana Festival!

Your hometown foodies Chef House, Hungry Jax and The Big Ragu wish each and every one of you a happy 4th of July.  Enjoy the local street food and more on this warm summer’s holiday.  This festival definitely shows off “America the Beautiful !”

Browse through our photos below, they will light your firecracker !  “Like” Food Adventures on Facebook HERE !

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Recap: Big Brews & Blues.. and FOOD !

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Big Brews & Blues – one terrific event

Drinking craft beers while listening to a regional blues man hum away on his harmonica.  What better way to raise money for  Diabetes Dayton?   The annual Big Brews & Blues event was held last weekend at Carrillon Park and hundreds of attendees enjoyed dozens of craft beers.  There were Big Brews, there were Blues, and of course, there was food.   We were on hand for another Food Adventure supporting a local charity.   Pouring beer in full force were the staff of  Dayton Most Metro and Lisa Grigsby with Dayton Dining.  Tickets were $30 in advance or $35 at the door.  The event went from 5pm – 9pm and each guest received a souvenir beer tasting glass.  Full pint tickets were also available for a special price.

The crowd danced and drank.   They ate and socialized.  They sipped and quipped.    So which brews were our favorites?  What food items blues.. (ahem) blew us away?  All that is coming, but first a summary.

 

If you didn’t attend Big Brews & Blues…

HERE IS WHAT YOU MISSED:

—Endless samplings of almost 50 craft beers from local and national breweries.  A detailed list of the beers may be found HERE.

—Blues acts with roots from Chicago, Tennessee, Detroit, Cincinnati and Columbus.  It was an incredible night of good blues music.  Groups included Joe and Jack Waters, Them Bones, Johnny Mack & the Heavyweights, and finally Big Joe Blues.

—Food Vendors.  This is our thing, so we enjoyed the likes of Brock Masterson Catering, Hickory River Smokehouse, Fressa Food Truck and Kaimelsky’s Food Cart.

— Breweries Represented:

Dayton Beer Company, Yellow Springs Brewery, Valley Vineyards, Weasel Boy, Listermann, Mt Carmel, Rivertown,  Christian Morlein, Hoppin Frog, Barley’s, Ohio Brewing Company, Jackie O’s, Great Lakes, Erie Brewing, Thirsty Dog, Triton, Anderson Valley, Hinterland, Fathead’s,  Revolution, Two Brothers, Stone Brewing, Brew Kettle Taproom, Bell’s, Southern Tier, Founders, Troegs,  Ommegang, Uinta, 21st Amendment, Atwater Brewery,  Elevator, Finch’s Beer Company,  Anchor Brewing, Kona, Redhook, Shocktop, Widmer Brothers, Goose Island, Boston Beer Co.,   Leinenkugel, Harpoon,  and Ace Premium Hard Ciders.

 

What goes better with beer than a Nathan’s hot Dog from Kaimelsky’s Food Cart?

There were so many good beers and decent food, that we were pressed to pick just one favorite, but here we go…

OUR FAVORITES FROM THE FESTIVAL:

HUNGRY JAX’s FAVORITE BIG BREW:   The Sam Adam’s Honey Queen Braggot was her top pick.  It is made with 3 types of honey, and had a nice hoppy flavor.   They tapped the keg right in front of her, and she was in heaven.  It was one of those “Damn, this is good!” moments.

HUNGRY JAX’S FAVORITE FOOD OFFERING: What goes better with beer than a Nathan’s hot dog from Kaimelsky’s Food Cart?  This hot dog was topped with spicy mustard, onions and Sriracha sauce.   It was worth it.

THE BIG RAGU’s FAVORITE BIG BREW:  Whippet Wheat from Thirsty Dog Brewery gets his vote for its crisp taste with touch of banana flavor.  It was the first time we had a Thirsty Dog beer on tap since the mid 1990’s.  It was like a flashback, so we put on some MC Hammer pants and danced in the tent until security showed up.

THE BIG RAGU’s FAVORITE FOOD OFFERING:  Hickory River’s Pulled Pork Sandwich is Ragu’s pick.  The slow cooked pork was great, but the real secret was the incredible BBQ sauce.  Choices of topping were Sweet, Hot or Mixed sauce on your sandwich.  We chose mixed, and that made all the difference.

This was a fun filled night.  We poured a few beers for MostMetro.  We had delicious crab cakes from Brock Masterson’s catering, and some tasty buffalo chips with blue cheese dip from Fressa Food Truck.   We talked at length with the owners and managers of  Star City Brewery, which will be opening in the former Peerless Mill site before the end of 2013.   Event photographer Sarah Browning, also chatted with us, while snapping  a few pics of  The Big Ragu.

We even had an ‘America’s Got Talent’ moment, when we were getting our groove on near the stage with the blues band.  We even snapped a photo of the lead singer during one of the blues sets.   You won’t see that anywhere else,  unless they copy our soulful dance moves.

Here’s to not having to hear about hiking and heartburn anymore ! Brews & Blues is a blast

The best part of this event is that it benefits Diabetes Dayton each year.  Proceeds from the Big Brews & Blues help uninsured local residents with diabetes.  Funds pay for desperately needed supplies.  Diabetes Dayton also educates people in the Miami Valley who are suffering from diabetes, as well as paying for summer camp for diabetic children who just want to lead a normal, active life.  Thank you to Diabetes Dayton Executive Director Susan McGovern for welcoming us as special guests to this benefit.  Canned Soft Drinks and  Bottled Water were for sale benefiting the Dougie Apple Tree Memorial Scholarship Fund.   Dougie was a local resident, who passed away from diabetes at just 26 years old.

If you missed Big Brews & Blues, make sure you catch it this time next year.  Stay tuned to Dayton Most Metro for info!   The Big Ragu will be there in 2014, at this Food Adventure for a good cause.  It will be another ‘blast in a glass.’   We promise not spill any beer or BBQ sauce on you.

BROWSE THROUGH THE PHOTO ALBUM BELOW FOR ALL THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS of BIG BREWS & BLUES !!

BREWERIES REPRESENTED INCLUDED:

Dayton Beer Company, Yellow Springs Brewery, Valley Vineyards, Weasel Boy, Listermann, Mt Carmel, Rivertown,  Christian Morlein, Hoppin Frog, Barley’s, Ohio Brewing Company, Jackie O’s, Great Lakes, Erie Brewing, Thirsty Dog, Triton, Anderson Valley, Hinterland, Fathead’s,  Revolution, Two Brothers, Stone Brewing, Brew Kettle Taproom, Bell’s, Southern Tier, Founders, Troegs,  Ommegang, Uinta, 21st Amendment, Atwater Brewery,  Elevator, Finch’s Beer Company,  Anchor Brewing, Kona, Redhook, Shocktop, Widmer Brothers, Goose Island, Boston Beer Co.,   Leinenkugel, Harpoon,  and Ace Premium Hard Ciders.

Want more Food Adventures?  “Like” us on Facebook by clicking HERE !

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