· The Figment Festival returns to Governors Island with grass couches and zany interactive exhibits June 11-13—but first the event will make a new stop in Boston on June 5. [figmentproject.org]
· If you like salsa music, free admission to cultural institutions, and mingling with local artists and authors, check out the Brooklyn Museum’s 2nd annual Eco Fair on Saturday. [BrooklynBased]
· Randall’s Island got a new 40-tree orchard this week that will be fruitful and multiply sometime in 2015. [gothamist]
· The Lucky Rice Asian Food Festival is already underway, and will be followed by its own restaurant week at 20 venues, including Zenkichi in Williamsburg. [luckyrice.com]
· The University District’s Dining Days will now stretch your prix-fixe appetite for two weeks this summer July 15-29. [philly.com]
· For the Kentucky Derby, Floyd in Brooklyn will have $5 Mint Juleps and a prize for the best hat; Union Hall will have backwards bocce and a cookout. [newyorker]
· The much anticipated Le Meridien Philly is reported to open as early as May. [hotelchatter]
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram