· Bring your camera to New York’s iconic waterfront and enjoy the three-day celebration of art and freedom of expression. [dumboartsfestival.com]
· The 3rd Annual New York Craft Beer Week starts today. [offManhattan.com]
· Go to PS1 Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City today or Saturday for the culinary smackdown between the east and west coasts at Le Grand Fooding 2010: New York vs. San Francisco. [legrandfooding.com]
· Bring the kids to the 28th Annual Queens County Fair this weekend. [queensfarm.org]
· The 36th Annual Atlantic Antic presents 600 merchants and vendors, pony rides, 14 live performance stages, Juniors cheesecakes, a Children’s Reading Corner, and pulled pork BBQ sandwiches. [atlanticave.org]
· Before New Jersey Restaurant Week ends this Saturday, indulge in spectacular views of Manhattan and a free dessert at Liberty House in Jersey City, or a steak at local favorite Arthur’s Tavern in Hoboken. [dineoutnj.com]
· Slow Food USA’s national volunteer workday is this Saturday, so if you haven’t gotten your hands civically dirty in a while, head to Ujima Community Garden in Brooklyn for composting, mural painting, a potluck dinner and much more. [slowfoodnyc.org]
· Go pick apples and eat cider doughnuts near NYC and without taking a car. [offManhattan.com]
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