offManhattan

Who says you have to travel far from home to enjoy the kind of natural beauty that comes with a complete feeling of urban escape? Fortunately for New Yorkers, just to our north, Westchester encompasses 18,000 acres of verdant parkland, woods, hiking and biking trails, and a place for activities like kayaking and fishing. Add to that a new Westchester Fit & Active hotel package (click to learn more) created by the Westchester Hotel Association, and your late summer plans for an al fresco getaway just got made.

What: 100th Annual Fisherman’s Feast

Where: Boston’s North End

When: August 12-14, 2010; Thursday 7pm-10pm, Friday 8pm-10pm, Saturday 1p.m.-11p.m.

Why: You haven’t been to mass in ages. Held in Boston’s historic North End, the Fisherman’s Feast is an old Sicilian tradition that’s as much about food as it is about the Madonna del Soccorso, or Our Lady of Help. The Madonna makes her way through the streets of Boston’s North End, carried by the descendants of the Sicilian immigrants who brought the tradition to Boston. She sits in a specially made chapel during the feast of pasta, pizza, sausage and calamari. Music ranging from traditional bands to Doo-Wop groups will set the mood for food sampling, and the festival ends with a rapturous surprise.

What: Hudson Valley Ribfest

Where: New Paltz, NY

When: August 21-22, 2010; Saturday 11a.m.–10p.m., Sunday 11a.m.-5p.m.

Why: To save trees by licking your fingers instead of using napkins. Now in its sixth year, Hudson Valley Ribfest lets teams duke it out over who is really the grill master. Summer isn’t summer without barbecue and what better way to enjoy it than sampling the best of the best? In between taste testing pizza, skirt steak, shrimp (Saturday) and chicken, ribs, and brisket (Sunday), enjoy live music and the chance to see the NASCAR Show Car up close.

What: The 49^th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival

Where: Old Pool Farm, Schwenksville, PA

When: August 20-22, 2010

Why: Stop by this family-style event for some foot-tapping, finger-snapping music, professional juggling, good company and great edibles (including festival faves like fried oreos and roasted almonds plus a full bbq tent) that will delight all age groups. Musical performances will continue throughout the three days, with artist doing signings afterwards. Youngsters that sing or play an instrument can even join the Great Groove Band for the weekend, with a final main-stage performance on Sunday.

What: The 3rd annual New Haven Food & Wine Festival

Where: Pilot Pen Tennis at Yale, New Haven

When: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 from 5:00–7:30pm

Why: Mingling with tennis champions like Caroline Wozniacki and Marcos Baghdati—plus a box seat to watch them in action—while devouring delicious gourmet food. Tennis fans and foodies alike will indulge in some of the most inventive cuisine of the Northeast and see for themselves why New Haven is garnering such a stellar culinary reputation. Hosted at one location on campus, this year’s event features 20 diverse and inventive restaurants serving up a shnibble of their most famed menu items. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet one of America’s most renowned chefs, Jacques Pepin.

What: The 6th Annual Provincetown Jazz Festival

Where: 212 Commercial St., Provincetown, MA

When: August 13th-14th

Why: To celebrate and strengthen the presence of jazz music and the New Orleans culture in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Both days feature a stellar lineup of venerated jazz musicians, including saxaphonist Greg Abate, vocalist Dane Vannatter, pianist Janice Friedman, and the Berklee Rising Stars, a talented compilation of students and professors from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Whether you plan to visit all the shows or just one, a stroll through the artsy, eclectic, and classically beautiful port town is a must. For information on whale watching, boating and fishing, golf, tennis, beaches and places to stay, visit the town’s web site at provincetown.com.

On the banks of the Rappahannock River, Fredericksburg has been drawing troops of tourists in recent years for more reasons than its well-preserved Civil War battlefields. Visitors haven’t made the mistake of thinking this is a one-note town. Five hours from Manhattan by train, here in Virginia where many history lessons have been taught, there is now a lively restaurant scene, art galleries, festivals, and specialty shops, all conveniently located in the tree-shaded, 40-block National Historic District. Everywhere worth exploring on a weekend getaway is accessible on foot or by bike.

· Embrace the car-free roads of New York City on August 7, 14, 21 when the 3rd annual Summer Streets event takes over the five boroughs and features a refreshing surprise; it’s worth staying in town for. [nyc.gov]

· See “American in High Style” at the Brooklyn Museum before it ends August 1. [oM]

· Fairmont is bringing BMW cruise bikes to all its U.S. hotels for guests to rent for free. [hotelchatter.com]

· In addition to mingling with actors Kevin Klein and Kerry Washington, learn about landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s “green” life and work during a special documentary screening at Celebrate Brooklyn! in Prospect Park this Wednesday, August 4 at 8pm. [theolmstedlegacy]

· The Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival is next weekend. [harrahs.com]

· MTA will raise fares. [newyorkpost]

· Stone Barns Center presents Summer on the Farm Weekend August 7-8 with free seasonal tastings, flower workshops, egg picking, scavenger hunts, and more. [stonebarnscenter.org]

· Corinne Bailey Rae performs at the Beach at Governors Island on August 6. [thebeachconcerts.com]