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Here’s Your Invite to the George’s Coney Island Block Party

Representatives Mary Keefe and Dan Donohue at Coney Island

One of Kathryn Tsandikos’ greatest challenges as the owner of George’s Coney Island has been upkeeping the iconic restaurant’s infrastructure while simultaneously remaining frozen in time for her customers. On September 30th, Tsandikos and her team will transport us back through 100 years of history with a block party in celebration of their centennial.

The party will kick off in the middle of Southbridge Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with hotdog deals, giveaways, raffles, face painting, and exclusive merchandise including pins and cups.

“We want this to feel like a time machine,” says Katie Rozenas of Discover Central Mass, who has been working with Tsandikos to plan the milestone event. Even the live music has been structured to take attendees through the decades. “We’re doing this to celebrate Worcester and how the city has changed itself,” Rozenas says.

Guests will be encouraged to contribute to an art piece to help memorialize what George’s Coney Island means to the community. “It’s not just about us, it’s about our loyal customers,” says Tsandikos, “We want to celebrate the community that has allowed Coney Island to exist for 100 years.” She hopes that everyone who has ever set foot in George’s Coney Island will join her for the celebration.

Other partners will be on hand for the festivities including Polar Seltzer, Table Talk Pies, Worcester Bravehearts, Kayem Hot Dogs, Ben and Jerry’s, Wachusett Potato Chips, and Wormtown Brewery. Admission is free.

Summer Canal Crawl — Walking Food Tour With Mass Foodies

Mass Foodies and Canal Food Tours Walking The Canal District in July

Mass Foodies is partnering with Worcester Canal Food Tours to offer a summer evening Canal food walking tour. Become a Canal District insider and let us guide you through the sights, flavors, and history of this buzzing, transforming area. In about three hours, we indulge in substantial food tastings from at least five locally-owned food stops. All in less than a mile of easy walking. We do more than eat though. First we connect through food to the hard-working people at each food stop and then your local guide helps you connect to the Canal District by walking and talking about the highlights of its history. Even learn some trivia that only a local would know.

Registration and the guided tour led by Lori, the Canal Food Tour Lady, will begin at STEAM Energy Cafe promptly at 6:00 pm:

  • STEAM Energy Cafe (Ed and his team will prepare a fresh Acai bowl)
  • BirchTree Bread Company (Rob, Avra and their team prepare a family-style board of turkey and bacon and Italiano sandwich samples, sweet bread pudding, and iced tea)
  • Table Talk Pies (Caitlin and her team help us choose some of Worcester’s favorite pie flavors and walk away with pie)
  • Bay State Shawarma and Grill (Hamad and his team prepare chicken and beef shawarma sandwich platters and a platter of hummus and Babaganoush)
  • El Patrón (Mirna and her mom, Maria, will serve chicken/pulled pork soft tacos, guacamole with chips and salsa paired with either a Sangria or Margarita)
  • The Queen’s Cups (Renee and her team end the evening with a freshly prepared cupcake paired with a glass of wine provided by 90+ Cellars)

During the walk, Lori will briefly talk about the following Worcester History topics:

  • The Blackstone Canal
  • Ash Street School and the Irish Immigrants
  • Three Decker History and the Jewish Immigrants

The fine print: Tickets must be purchased online, and will not be available at registration. Please park at the Worcester Ice Center (the location of the first stop) and plan on attending rain or shine—there is no rain date and no refunds. Any allergies (not preferences) must be submitted during ticket purchase so restaurants can be aware of any dietary restrictions. The evening will begin promptly at 6:00 pm with registration and check-in. The tour will conclude at 9pm.