- The Downtown Boathouse’s first day of free kayaking on the Hudson River begins this Saturday. [DowntownBoathouse]
- The Lomography adventures continue on the Staten Island Ferry this Saturday afternoon. Tickets for the Hudson River camera class cruise cost $20 and can be purchased by calling 212.260.0240. [Lomo]
- Take a free tour of the Little Red Lighthouse on Saturday afternoon. (It feels like you’re off Manhattan.) [NewYorkology]
- Get a jump start on National Great Outdoors Month at the Mountain Laurel Outdoor Rec Fest on Sunday and enjoy activities like songbird watching, canoeing, geocaching, and high ropes climbing in Fahnestock Memorial State Park. Take Metro North to Cold Spring, then call 845.265.TAXI for a quick ride to the park. Adults/$2, Kids/$1 [NYSParks]
- Philadelphia’s Italian Market Festival and National Harbor’s Wine and Food Festival are this Sunday. [oM]
- Bring the kids (8+) to Maple Grove in the Hudson Valley for an astronomical adventure on Saturday night. [MapleGrove]
- The Scandinavian Museum’s Viking Fest 2011 is being held this Saturday at Owl’s Head Park in Bay Ridge and will present live music, vendors, performances, storytelling, and a Viking ship; admission is free. [ScandinavianMusem]
Photo: Courtesy of BBG
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