What: The Ultimate Cook (and Camp) Out
Where: Queens Country Farm Museum, Floral Park, NY
When: Saturday, July 4th to Sunday, July 5th
Why: Fireworks are great, sure. But why fight the crowds in Manhattan when you can spend a relaxing Independence Day under the stars? You supply the tent, Tom Mylan from Marlow & Daughters supplies the pig (farm fresh, of course).
With musical guests and down home games from capture the flag to kick the can, you’ll be spending the Fourth the way it’s meant to be spent. All in the peace of the Queens Country Farm. Sweet Deliverance, Brooklyn’s healthy eats operation, will be cooking up sandwiches, salads and yummy pies, and there will be plenty of Brooklyn Brewery brews on hand. When the fifth dawns you’ll be rested and happy to have escaped the crowds. And all that country air is sure to ignite a healthy appetite, which you’ll need when they roll out the spread of fresh fruit and just-gathered eggs.
Cost: $80 per person, kids under 10 free with purchase of adult ticket
How to get there: Take the E or F Train to Kew Gardens/Union Turnpike Station or Q46 Bus (eastbound on Union Tpk.) to the Little Neck Parkway stop. Visit the farm’s website for more details on the campout. (Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, (718) 347-3276, queensfarm.org)
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