Fall festival downtown showcases city's variety

By Lisa Angelucci
Collegian Editor
September 27, 2006

A stuffy nose, a sore throat and a hacking cough are hardly signs that it’s a great day to head downtown. Although I woke up Saturday morning with all of the above, the beautiful weather convinced me to make the best of it and venture into the city despite my better judgment.

It probably wasn’t a good decision, but spending yet another day confined to my bed was even less appealing than coughing through the streets of Philadelphia. Besides, the sun was shining, and the first full day of fall treated us to warm weather, which I feared might be the last warm day of the season.

The weather was ideal for wandering, so we decided to make our way to Robin’s Books and see where the rest of the day would lead.

Maneuvering the subway successfully while on cold medication was a small victory for me, since I conveniently forgot to check for directions before leaving. I could only guess at exactly where we were going, but I’ve been downtown a lot more this semester. After four years of living in Philly, and a lifetime of living a bridge away from the city, I am finally becoming familiar with the one-way streets of Center City.

A few educated guesses led us right into the Fall Festival at 13th and Sansom Streets.

Usually when I think of a fall festival, I am reminded of the autumn weekends of my childhood when my family would go apple picking at a farm a short distance from our home. My little brother and I competed to see who could climb to the highest branch, and after a long day we were rewarded with apple cider doughnuts and sometimes even a chocolate éclair.

This fall festival, however, happened to coincide with the Eighth Annual Oktoberfest, held at Ludwig’s Garten. Hundreds of people packed onto tiny Sansom Street under white tents and out in the open to enjoy German food and German beer.

As I arrived, the 12-piece German band was still setting up their equipment. When I returned later in the afternoon the festival was in full swing, as German music and polka dancing completed the festivities.

I was too sick to join in the festivities, and the lines were too long for us to indulge in bratwurst and sauerkraut for lunch, so we continued on our way to Robin’s Books

The bookstore celebrated 70 years in business this past weekend. To honor its success, books were being sold for $1 per pound. We picked through the bargain tables among all of the other customers looking for a good deal. There were several tables of books to choose from, but the selection was eclectic and random to say the least.

After literally weighing our options, we purchased a few books from Larry Robin himself, whose wild gray hair and friendly demeanor are reminiscent of a cool college professor.

Inside the bookstore, everything was discounted 10 percent. The shelves are close-stacked and some of the books are out of reach. The arrangement of the store makes it feel slightly cluttered, and the interior décor, or lack thereof, gives the bookstore an old-fashioned appearance. It’s a far cry from Barnes & Noble, and that’s certainly the point.

The organization of the various genres was a little confusing, and it was not easy to find what we were looking for. Fortunately, the appeal of independent bookstores is the knowledgeable staff who are readily available to locate books, as well as provide suggestions for further reading.

At this point, my cold symptoms were becoming overwhelming and I was in desperate need of a cup of coffee. We left Robin’s Books in search of a place where I could feed my caffeine addiction and take a break from all of the walking.

Almost by accident we ended up in Capogiro, a small café on 13th Street that primarily serves gelato. Twenty-seven flavors are made daily, but the selection changes based on which local fruits and products are currently available.

The gelato artisans pride themselves on using only the freshest products, most of them produced locally. Gelato is served in typical flavors, such as cappuccino and chocolate, or more unusual varieties such, as Rosemary Honey Goat Milk (the goat milk is from Lancaster County, the rosemary is from Lansdale and the honey is from New Jersey) or Cocomero Rosso, made with red watermelon.

It’s definitely not cheap, and the servings are small, but the gelato is some of the best in the area. I almost forgot about how much I needed a cup of coffee, but fortunately, Capogiro serves that, too.

The coffee wasn’t enough though, and I finally had to give up and go back to bed. It was an average day in the city, made more interesting by my illness and more creative by our lack of a plan. There’s always something to do in Philadelphia, especially on a nice day. However, when sick, I’d recommend chicken noodle soup and a nap instead.

angeluccil1@lasalle.edu