IN West County Spring 2019 | Page 23

of Erie’s finest mac n’ cheese recipes! Restaurants from across the city will compete to see who has the best mac n’ cheese and you’ll be the judge. Be sure to get your tickets early for the best price. Visit the website for more information on purchasing tickets and other details. Festival of Birds at Presque Isle Dates: May 10-12 Address: 301 Peninsula Drive, Erie Contact: presqueisleaudubon.org, or events.dcnr.pa.gov A three-day festival that is timed to showcase the peak of songbird migration through Presque Isle State Park, it offers the desirable migrant species you may be looking for without the large crowds. This year’s special guest and keynote speaker is Yve Morrell, a retired landscape architect with an extreme passion for birding. She completed an American Birding Association “Big Year” in 2017, which included Hawaii for the first time. She ended the year having seen 817 species. This puts her in third place all-time for Big Year efforts. Visit the websites for registration information and other details. North East Uncorked: Wine Wars Date: May 4 Address: Downtown Northeast Contact: nechamber.org, or 814.725.4262 May the Fourth be always with you! Save the date for this fun wine tasting event that’s hosted by the North East Chamber of Commerce. Visit the website for more information on purchasing tickets and more details. 16th Annual Maple Taste and Tour Weekend Dates: March 16 & 17 Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Address: Check the website for the available locations. Contact: pamaple.org, or 814.796.3699 Free tours of working maple syrup sugarhouses! The Northwest Maple Producers Association is dedicated to helping its members meet a commitment to produce the best- quality maple syrup while promoting the industry and the product that nature has so graciously bestowed upon us. Visit the website for more information. 42nd Annual Erie St. Patrick’s Day Parade Date: March 16 Time: 2 p.m. Address: 11th and State Streets, Downtown Erie Contact: eriedowntown. com, or facebook.com/pg/ ErieDowntownPartnership Have fun with friends and family at this “Day in Ireland,” featuring all of Erie’s local community organizations, Irish step dancers, local entertainment groups, Irish-themed floats, marchers and so much more! Visit the website for more details. Wine & Cheese Weekend with an International Flair Dates: April 12-14 Addresses: Various Participating Wineries in Lake Erie Wine Country between North East and Silver Creek, New York Contact: lakeeriewinecountry.org Each of the 22 winery members will be preparing a special wine and cheese pairing—with an international flair. Visit the website for ticket information, winery locations and other details. More Outdoors Family Gardening Workshop: Grow Together! Date: April 27 Address: Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park, 1501 West 6th Street, Erie Contact: leaferie.org, or 814.453.5323 (Pre-registration is required.) Join Penn State Master Gardeners Maria Blakeslee and Patty Dicks for a fun, hands- on family gardening workshop designed to encourage both kids and adults to roll Continued on next page > WEST COUNTY ❘ SPRING 2019 21