This morning I was reading the Inquirer's article about how, after briefly defecting to New Jersey, the 2010 Dad Vail Regatta is going to be in Philadelphia after all. This is good news for Philadelphia, but the more surprising news for me came in the fourth paragraph of the article (emphasis mine):

Mayor Nutter, U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, Dad Vail president Jim Hanna, and Herb Lotman, a local businessman who helped bring the world the Chicken McNugget, said at a City Hall news conference that they were confident they would find the money to keep the regatta here for several more years.

Uh...the McNugget? That's right. I wasn't familiar with this, but two of McDonald's biggest successes - Chicken McNuggets and individually frozen hamburger patties - were both created by Keystone Foods, a West Conshohocken company founded by Lotman. Check out this brief profile of Keystone Foods if you're interested in learning more about the company.

Photo: Chris Hondros / Getty Images

"What's the sound of 100 tubas?" doesn't quite have the same ring as "What's the sound of one hand clapping?" I can't help you with the second question, but this weekend, I've got you covered for the first, plus chances to see art by city employees and buy some awesome handmade and secondhand goods.

Friday: City Employees Art Exhibition
Part of the year-round Art in City Hall program, this annual exhibition showcases the talents of city employees and their families. The exhibit space is only open when City Hall is open - that's 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays - but if you work in Center City, head on over during your lunch break.

Saturday: TubaChristmas
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the aforementioned tubas. Visit the Kimmel Center at noon on Saturday to check out this free concert of tubariffic Christmas tunes. Or, if you're a tuba, euphonium or sousaphone player, read about how you can sign up to participate.

Sunday: Punk Rock Flea Market
"Punk rock" is in the name, but don't think that all you'll find here is old CDs and used Doc Martens. The Punk Rock Flea Market features a variety of people selling everything from gorgeous handmade art and ceramics to secondhand clothes to baked goods, and it's a great place to find unique gifts. There is a $3 fee to enter the flea market, which goes to support local show promotions agency R5 Productions.

For more things to do, take a look at the December events calendar.

To eat or not to eat? Where is the question. If you've been looking for somewhere new to eat, take a look at these recent restaurant reviews:

Fond
PYT
The Adobe Cafe

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesswebb/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

This weekend, three annual events provide some basic necessities: food, warmth and laughter.

Friday: This is the Week That Is
Check out 1812 Productions' annual show, which serves up political satire with new jokes every single night.

Saturday: Firebird Festival
Lighting a giant wooden phoenix sculpture on fire is certainly one way to beat the winter chill. Go enjoy the bonfire and associated entertainment out in Phoenixville.

Sunday: Latkepalooza
Celebrate Hanukkah and enjoy latkes from some of Philadelphia's most awesome restaurants like Sabrina's Cafe and Zahav. Mmmm. Latkes.