One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. A cliché? Maybe, but it is certainly a saying that holds true for thrift store and consignment store customers. Especially in this economy, it’s not uncommon for people to go to thrift stores or consignment stores to look for gently used clothing, jewelry, shoes, and even furniture at an extremely discounted price. Many of them feel that shopping at one of these stores is like a treasure hunt, because you have to look past the old 80s dresses and find the name-brand-only-worn-once shirt that you’re looking for. Diane Kropp is the owner of Second Story High-End Thrift located in East Stroudsburg, and she agrees saying, “If you are a thrift store junkie, it is the thrill of the hunt.”

The Salvation Army is another destination for thrift store shoppers near East Stroudsburg, and as Alan Miller, the store’s supervisor explains, “It is a wonderful place to take care of all your family’s needs.” But Salvation Army is not only a great place to buy used clothes; you can also give them your used clothes, continuing the cycle of trash to treasure. It’s a win-win; you clean out your closet to make room for new clothes while also getting a tax deduction from your donation. If you plan on going to Salvation Army, try to get there on Wednesdays. Every Wednesday they have a family day where all clothing and shoes, other than incoming ticket items, are 50 perfect off!

ECHO clothing shop on Ann Street in Stroudsburg is another great place for gently-used clothing. The proceeds from ECHO’s sales benefit Women’s Resources of Monroe County, so not only is it the perfect place to find bargains, but you will also be supporting a local cause. Maggie Mae’s Now & Then Shop in Blakeslee and The Nearly New Shop in Barrett Township are other popular local thrift stores where any bargain-hunter is sure to be satisfied. For more specific needs, there is Pocono Used Furniture in Stroudsburg or Used Kids Stuff in Broadheadsville.

A little farther away, but well worth the trip is a collection of consignment stores located in Luzerne, PA. My Sister’s Closet is the women’s store, carrying high end brands at unbelievably low prices; Rumor Has It, or My Teen’s Closet, is for teenagers, carrying name brands like Hollister, True Religion, Forever 21, and more. “It’s like shopping in your rich girlfriend’s closet!”  Baby and Beyond has a huge selection of brand name children’s clothes from stores such as Gymboree, Gap, Limited Too, etc. John’s Consignment Shop is the menswear shop with brand names like Lascoste and Ralph Lauren, all at super low prices. All four stores have great merchandise, and the wide selection means you can certainly find everything you need for the whole family.

Since these days, we’re all looking for a bargain, especially when it comes to our wardrobe, join the bargain hunt, and visit one of our area’s thrift or consignment shops to find your “treasure”. And don’t forget to return the favor by cleaning out your closet and offering some of your “trash” to local consignment shops!

• Maggie Mae’s Now & Then Shop, Route 115, Blakeslee Corners, Blakeslee (570) 646-4888.
• Nearly New Shop, Route 390, Barrett Townshi, (570) 595-3622.
• Pocono Used Furniture, 927 N. Ninth St., Stroudsburg (570) 476-5399.
• Salvation Army thrift store, 285 Washington St., East Stroudsburg (570) 421-5711.
• Salvation Army thrift store, Route 940, Mount Pocono (570) 839-0914. http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/
• Second Story High End Thrift Inc., 756 Business Route 209, East Stroudsburg (570) 420-9948.
• Used Kids Stuff, Route 115, Brodheadsville (570) 992-3104.
• ECHO clothing shop, Ann Street, Stroudsburg
• My Sister’s Closet, 86 Main Street, Luzerne http://www.sistersteensandbeyond.com/
• Rumor Has It (My Teen’s Closet), 95 Main Street, Luzerne http://www.sistersteensandbeyond.com/
• Baby and Beyond, 91 Main Street, Luzerne http://www.sistersteensandbeyond.com/
• John’s Consignment Shop, 89 Main Street, Luzerne http://www.sistersteensandbeyond.com/

Local Flair Magazine in The Pocono Mountains is looking for a few great photos to feature in the upcoming Harvest issue, and we’re turning to social media to find them. Use your smartphone or your camera to capture a yummy photo, then share it with us on either Instagram (comment on your photo with hashtag #foodieflair), Facebook (post it on our timeline) or Twitter (using hashtag #foodieflair). Photos may be from local restaurants, farmers markets, coffee shops, gardens, bars, your kitchen… you get the picture! Winning photos will be vibrant enough to make our mouths water. Share your photo from now until July 11th.

Prizes
• One grand prize winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to 2 local restaurants (total $100 value) and the winning photo will be published in Local Flair Magazine.
• Several of our favorite photos will grace the cover of our August/September Food & Wine Issue

Eligibility
• Only photos of food and beverages will be accepted. (Please, nothing inappropriate.)
• Only submissions from Instagram, Facebook and Twitter will be considered. Proper credits and title for all photos is required. If you are using photos from your favorite establishment, please let us know what and where it is.

If you have been chosen as a winner we will leave a comment on your photo, so please keep watch on your notifications soon after July 14th. This Contest will run from June 14th 2012 – July 11th 2012.

http://www.facebook.com/localflair
http://www.twitter.com/local_flair

Father’s Day is right around the corner, and everyone is scrambling to find that last-minute perfect gift or plan the perfect day for Dad this year. If you are one of these people, don’t worry. We have some ideas that are will make any Dad happy!

What man doesn’t love food, right? Treat Dad to a Sushi and Hibachi dinner on June 17th at Desaki restaurant in Swiftwater. The best part? Dads eat FREE! But if he’s more of an Italian cuisine guy, take Dad to Basso for their delicious Terra E Mare, Basso’s interpretation of the classic surf & turf; a meal he is sure to enjoy.

http://www.desakirestaurant.com/

http://www.bassoitaliana.com/

If Dad is a music lover, then Summerfest VIII and the Pocono Mountains Bluegrass Festival are the events to take him to this weekend. Summerfest VIII, hosted by Barley Creek on June 16th, is a great event for the whole family. There is live entertainment by the Maybabies, great food, a bouncy house for the kids, and beer - what more could Dad want? To end the night, there will be a great firework show for everyone! The Pocono Mountains Bluegrass Festival is Thursday June 14th- Saturday June 16th at the fairgrounds behind Wallenpaupack South Elementary School. There will be over twelve live bluegrass bands performing throughout the festival, so be sure to bring Dad for a day he won’t forget.

http://www.barleycreek.com/events.php

http://www.poconosbluegrassfestival.com

 

For the sporty Dad, there are plenty of fun places in the Poconos to take him this Father’s Day. Give him the gift of golf at one of the Poconos many great golf courses. The Buck Hill Falls Golf Course is a beautiful, scenic 27-hole course located in Buck Hill Falls. Another great golf course is the Mount Airy Golf Club by the Mount Airy Casino Resort. Why not give Dad the challenge to play Hal C. Purdy’s 18 best Championship Golf Course for Father’s day? Lastly, the Pocono Manor Golf Club is a great place for any golf-lover. A day on the 18-hole course here is definitely a great gift for Dad this year.

http://www.buckhillgolfclub.com/

http://www.mountairycasino.com/golf/index.cfm

http://www.poconomanor.com/golf

A more daring Dad may enjoy a trip to Pocono Raceway for their Stock Car Racing Experience. There, he will get the thrilling experience of taking a spin behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup Style Stock Car on the enormous 2.5 mile Super Speedway. Dad will be talking about the exhilarating ride for years!

http://www.poconoraceway.com/about/stock-car-racing-driving-school-pocono-raceway.html

And finally, if you want to help Dad update his style for the summer, head over to Dunkelberger’s on Main Street in Stroudsburg. They have tons of great clothes that he will love - and he’ll look great, too! Whether he needs a Tommy bahama Linen Breezer or a pair of Bills Khackis Summer Poplins, Dunkelberger’s has it all!

http://www.dunkelbergers.com

                    

This weekend in the Poconos is filled with excitement and events culminating with Sunday’s Pocono 400 at the Pocono Raceway. To kick off the action-packed weekend, the Sherman Theater will host a meet-and-greet autograph session with many of the ARCA drivers and the Sprint Cup girls. This will begin at 7pm, and is followed by a concert with folk musician David Bromberg at 8pm.

On Saturday, June 11th, the third annual Pocono Raceway Festival, hosted by the Sherman Theater, will take place in downtown Stroudsburg starting at noon. This event features live music, great food, show cars, rides, and games that the whole family is sure to enjoy. Even more exciting, this year, the festival has expanded. Now, the event spans from 5th street to 9th street on Main Street, and includes Carnival rides and games including the Ferris Wheel, the Scat, and the Big Slide, a Rock Climbing Wall, RC Car Races, and midway games! All along Main Street there will be vendors selling items ranging from jewelry to homemade crafts, as well as food stands where you can enjoy classic festival food treats such as funnel cake, italian ice, and sausage sandwiches.

                          

The festival features three national performers, along with local and regional bands which will appear on three stages provided by the Sherman Theater on Main Street throughout the day. The Glimmer Twins- a Rolling Stone tribute band, and Livewire- an AC/DC tribute band, will appear outside on the Main Street stages during the day’s activities after 3:30pm, and The Marshall Tucker Band will be performing inside the Sherman after the festival has ended.

            

The Raceway Festival benefits the Sherman Theater, including all of the work that the organization accomplishes with local charities like the Rotary Club of the Stroudsburgs, Daffodil Express, and others. Rich Berkowitz, Sherman Theater President & CEO, summed up why this festival is so great saying, “This festival is a great opportunity for race fans, local residents, and tourists visiting the Poconos to get acquainted with all that downtown Stroudsburg and the Pocono Mountains have to offer. Attending the Pocono Raceway Festival is also an exciting way to support a community treasure like the Sherman Theater.”

    Finally, the main event festivities begin early Sunday morning. The parking lots open at 5am, and the gates will be opened at 8am. The pre-race activities begin at noon, with the race itself starting at 1pm. The drivers race for 160 laps, 400 miles, to see who will take home the win. This is the first year that the Race is only 400 miles. From the creation of this race in 1982 until 2011, the race was a 500 miles event. However, on August 10, 2011, it was announced that the race would be shortened. This is surely one of the most exciting weekends of the summer in the Poconos, and one you surely want to take part in! So, as they say in the business, “start your engines”, and get ready for an action-packed Poconos weekend.                                                      

For more information on the Pocono Raceway Festival visit www.shermantheater.com, and for more information on the Pocono 400, visit www.poconoraceway.com

If you thought the Poconos were all about cheesy heart-shaped hot tubs, and suitable only for honeymoons, think again. The Poconos is the perfect destination for a family getaway this summer! Whether you’re itching to do some shopping, rearing to embrace the outdoors, or just looking for some good old summer fun, the Poconos offer something for each member of your family. While the kids are racing down the Checkered Flag Challenge at Camelbeach waterpark, Mom can stop by the Crossings Premium Outlets to visit the 100 great stores including Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, and Coach, and Dad can hit the golf course at the Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort.

http://www.camelbeach.com/

http://www.premiumoutlets.com

http://shawneeinn.com/

      For more waterpark fun the whole family can enjoy, a very popular destination is Great Wolf Lodge. This huge indoor waterpark is perfect for kids of all ages, and has amenities to appeal to the grown-ups, too! With waterslides, an arcade, and woodland themed lodging, this Adirondack playground it’s the perfect place to stay with your family on your Pocono getaway.

http://www.greatwolf.com

   

Oh, and what kid doesn’t love animals, right? Be sure to take your kids to Claws ‘N’ Paws Animal Park to visit the petting zoo, try feeding giraffes, or even see the live animal shows where they get  a chance to pet an alligator (Don’t worry, it’s safe!). Another great place for the animal lovers is the Pocono Snake & Animal farm, which is perfect for your kids’ first time to the zoo! Here, they can bottle-feed deer, goats, and pot-bellied pigs, feed the monkeys, and pet the bunnies.

http://www.clawsnpaws.com/

http://poconosnakeandanimalfarm.com/

For the older and more adventurous kids, try taking them on an unforgettable white water rafting trip down the Lehigh River. Pocono Whitewater offers a full range of paces “from Mild to Wild”, so it is perfect for all skill levels, and all members of the family. For an even more thrilling experience, head over to CBK Adventures and race down the 4000’ long tandem Zip-Flyer, the longest & fastest in North America, where you’ll reach speeds of over 60 mph!

http://www.poconowhitewater.com/

http://www.cbkmountainadventures.com/

    After that exhilarating ride, you’ll surely want to head over to the Laurel Spa at the Inn at Pocono Manor for one of their great massages including a Swedish massage or Deep Tissue Massage,  or even treat you and your husband to a Couples massage. To continue the couple’s time, take a night to yourselves and visit the Mount Airy Casino for a night of gaming, dancing, and dining. There are tons of great restaurants in the Casino that are sure to satisfy whatever you’re in the mood for. There’s Betty’s diner, with 1950s inspired decor and All-American food for a more casual and fun atmosphere, or Le Sorelle Cucina, with Mediterranean cuisine and a wide wine selection for a more intimate experience. After dinner, hit Gypsies Lounge and Nightclub for live music, dancing, and cocktails, or hit the game tables or slot machines for a little gambling.

http://www.laurelspaatpoconomanor.com/

http://www.mountairycasino.com/

After your night out, spend a day with the whole family. The Poconos are the perfect place for family fun, especially this summer. Whether you want to go rollerskating at Big Wheel, bowling at Summit Lanes, or horseback riding at Mountain Creek Riding stables, the Poconos have it all. Another Poconos must-see is the demonstrations at Callie’s Candy Kitchen. Here, you will get to see Mr. Callie make his famous delicious treats, and then you will even get to taste some!

http://www.bigwheelskating.com/

http://summitlanesbowling.com/

http://www.mtcreekstable.com

www.calliescandy.com

Lastly, if you happen to be in the Poconos August 3rd-11th, you have to get to the Wayne County fair. There you’ll find games, food, rides, and live entertainment to complete your perfect Poconos vacation. But don’t worry, if you miss the Wayne County fair, there’s another fantastic fair August 28th-September 3rd. The Greene Dreher Sterling, or GDS Fair, is an end-of-the-summer must! There’s nothing like the Poconos in the summertime, so plan your family vacation now!

http://www.waynecountyfair.com/

http://www.gdsfair.com/