4th of July!

I have to say one of my favorite things about living in Philadelphia, is the week long celebration for the 4th of July.  The best way to start the week is with doughnuts, but instead I bought cronuts(from Crumbs).  I know they were invented in NYC.  But I've had a horrible time buying them at local bakeries before they run out.

So how are they?  I was actually a little disappointed.  It wasn't flaky like a croissant.  Unfortunately the deep frying process compresses the flaky croissant layers.  Though it had the sweetness of a doughnut glaze and topped with cinnamon and sugar.  Honestly I probably wouldn't buy them again.  :(  I think I'm too spoiled with the doughnuts from Bailer's down at Reading Terminal Market.

Wawa treats the city to a free hoagie day right by the Visitor's Center in Old City.  They have been doing this every year for the past 22 years.  They are extremely generous by not just providing the sandwich, but also a bag of chip, a bottle of water and a butterscotch Tasty Cake.  Honestly I think Wawa has some of the best hoagies in the city.

There were at least three of these piles when we got there at 1pm.  From what we saw they ran out of food by 1:30pm.

They have all kinds of entertainment as well.

Across the street at the Constitution Center they had a reenactment village set up all week.  As well as the Constitution Center has free admission on free hoagie day every year.  Unfortunately they don't allow photography in the We The People exhibit(where they have a copy and history of the constitution).

But of course what most people think of when they think of 4th of July in Philly is the country's largest free concert.  Which takes place in front of the Art Museum.  Here's some of the photographs that we took during the show.

We had been a bit closer to the stage.  But something happen(I'm thinking someone set off some ground fireworks) when Nicki Minaj took the stage and about a 3rd of the crowd started freaking out and ran away from the stage.  We nearly lost our camera with the minor stampede.  We ended up moving about a block and a half back because people around us kept freaking out.

Part of the finale...

I think Wawa did an amazing firework show!

I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.

-- Theodore Roosevelt