ALLENTOWN, Pa. -
It’s just about time to play ball at Coca-Cola Park!

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will take the field later this week but Monday we got a sneak peek at the team and new features at the park.

An expanded team store, new concession stand and a new terrace that the staff tells us fans will love.
If baseball players are called the boys of summer, then the new Red Robin Oasis and Tiki terrace will be one of the new summer destinations for Lehigh Valley Ironpigs fans.

“Once you actually see the complete 125-foot structure, the bar, the terrace all come together it’s a tremendous, huge, new aspect to Coca-Cola park,” said IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes.
Fans sitting in the Oasis will be able to have their own wait staff and people lucky enough to relax in the first row of the Tiki Terrace will actually be part of the game.

“The seats actually overhang fair territory,” said Landes. “The islands are actually behind the bullpen. It’s going to be a great spot for our fans to enjoy.”

Fans will also enjoy a new burrito establishment and they will see a new LCD screen just under the scoreboard.

It’s a secret now but on opening day fans will get introduced to someone new.

“We’ll be introducing another new mascot to the mascot family,” said Landes.

We can tell you about a fourth pork racer in the popular pork races. It will be a lady racer named Bar-B-Que .

The winning band in Red Robin’s “Road to the Stage” contest will open for the musical group UUU at a summer bash outside the restaurant in South Whitehall.

For the first time as part of its annual Summer Bash at Tilghman Square, Red Robin is sponsoring a “Road to the Stage” competition for bands who want a chance at opening for the musical group UUU.

The winning band in the battle-of-the-bands contest also will receive $500 and other prizes.

Once the summer bash planning team narrows down the entries, the community will have the opportunity to vote on the semi-finalists.

This year’s 11th annual summer bash outside the Red Robin, at 4688A Broadway, Tilghman Square, South Whitehall, will be held Aug. 24.

“We want to get the community more involved in the Red Robin Summer Bash and wanted to hear and learn…what they want to see and hear,” said Patricia Sobaru, senior marketing manager at the Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group, Inc./Red Robin, in an email.

She said the group’s senior local restaurant marketer, Rachael Minor, came up with the idea because local bands were asking how to get involved in the bash and people were making band suggestions on the Red Robin Summer Bash Facebook page.

Here’s how to enter the contest:

* Any interested bands must submit a link to a video as their “entry” into the competition. The contest began on Tuesday, April 10.

* All entries must be received by e-mail by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on May 10.

Official rules are posted on the Red Robin Summer Bash Facebook Page.

Sobaru said the Summer Bash Executive Planning Team will review the entries and narrow the selection to five semi-finalists. The semi-finalist videos will be placed on the Red Robin Summer Bash Facebook page.

Then, the community will vote.

* To vote on the semi-finalists, you will have to “like” the Summer Bash Facebook page. The band with the most votes will be recognized in marketing for the Summer Bash a month prior to the event and will open for UUU.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, a “battle of the bands” consisted of a bunch of bands getting together at the same venue to play a couple of songs in an effort to win the hearts of every music lover in attendance.

In today’s world, we have a handy little device called “the Internet.” While “the Internet” allows us to create silly memes and watch YouTube videos of little kids biting each other or tripping on sedatives after a visit to the dentist, it has also brought forth much more productive uses.

For the Tilghman Square Red Robin, it means giving bands a new way to pit their musical talents against one another. The hamburger franchise is getting ready to jump headfirst into the online waters of Internet voting to find an opening act for the annual “End of Summer Bash” happening on August 24.

“This is the first year we are trying this out,” says Patricia Sobaru, senior manager of marketing for the Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group. “It’s exciting because we are putting it in the hands of the public to see what they want. As far as what kind of band we are looking for, it’s anybody’s game.”

The voting will take place entirely online through Red Robin’s Facebook page for the Summer Bash event. Videos of the finalists will be posted for people to “Like” their favorite and the band that gets the most “Likes” will get a spot on the Summer Bash stage. Check out the three steps below to submit your band or cast a vote.

‘Like’ Red Robin Summer Bash at Tilghman Square on Facebook.

The official start of the contest will be announced on this page in mid-April. The announcement will include an email address for bands to submit their videos. If you want to get your band in the running or if you want to get in on the voting, this is the page to follow.

Photo taken by John W. Wilcheck, Jr.

Watch and vote.

A Red Robin committee will pick the top bands to battle it out on the Summer Bash page on Facebook. To vote for a favorite, just “Like” the band’s video. The band with the most “Likes” wins, so sit back and watch to see who gets the most votes.

Mark your calendar

If the beginning of summer sounds far away, then the “End of Summer Bash” probably seems like eternity. The truth is, it will be here before you know it so pencil in Friday, August 24 to catch the winning band along with DJ Cap Cee and the headlining band UUU.

Enjoy Cinco de Mayo beer specials, Clover Hill wine and a family-friendly, festive atmosphere!

RED from Red Robin will be making an appearance!

Big Raffles all day!

May 5th 8:30am- 2pm RAIN or SHINE
1151 Mosser Road, Breinigsville, PA

General admission is $8 and kids (12 and under) are free.

Skip the lines! You can buy your ticket on Friday at the Velodrome offices from 2pm -6pm

Commercial Vendors are on hand to reduce inventory, clear overstock and blow out current models. Their stock is your gain.

• High-zoot swag at clearance sale prices
• No reasonable offer refused
• Everything must go

Private Vendors from near and far make a semi-annual pilgrimage to the concrete crater for some serious iron horse trading.

• Does your car not fit in your garage?
• Do you ” squirrel away” derailleurs and brake calipers for a rainy day?
• Is your basement easily mistaken for an eBay warehouse?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, you fit the profile of a private vendor. Convert your dust collectors into CASH.

Registration opens on MARCH 1, 2012. Vendor Registration Form. Contact info@thevelodrome.com with questions.

All things velo represented:

• Road
• Track
• Cyclocross
• Mountain Bike
• BMX
• Single Speed
• Fixie
• Unicycles/High Wheelers
• Clothing
• And more

The Fall VeloFest will be Saturday, October 6th. On Sunday, October 7th, Bicycling Magazine will hold their 2nd Annual Fall Classic! More details to come….

The professional eaters who will wolf down burgers at this year’s Taste of Hamburg-er Festival will be doing so at a national eating contest.

Festival organizers have teamed with the All Pro Eating organization to orchestrate the Taste of Hamburg-er Festival National Hamburger Eating Championship, presented by Red Robin Gourmet Hamburgers. The competition is expected to draw 10-12 professional eaters who will vie for a $900 first place prize.

The first place winner will also receive a trophy, and the second and third place finishers will receive $500 and $200 respectively.

Prize money for the event will be provided through a $5,000 sponsorship from Red Robin, which also covers the event fees for All Pro Eating. Red Robin will also provide the hamburgers that the competitors will consume.

Attendees of this year's Taste of Hamburg-er Festival will have the opportunity to witness a national hamburger eating contest. Pictured is Christian Marks, who made his way from Catasauqua to enjoy the hamburger fest in 2011. - Carl Hess Photo

And the burgers cannot be consumed in odd ways, as is common in other eating competitions. According to Todd Greenwald, chairman of All Pro Eating, the contestants will have to adhere to the strict standards of “picnic style rules.”

“The rules are basically that the hamburgers need to be eaten as they’re presented to the competitive eaters,” said Greenwald. “You can’t dunk the hamburger. You can’t mash it. You can’t mush it. We don’t drink our food, we eat it. We want to eat it as Red Robin Gourmet Hamburgers present the hamburgers. There’s not going to be any dunking, any dipping, any tearing. We’re just going to enjoy the delicious flavor of that hamburger.”

Greenwald and other members of the All Pro Eating organization, which organized and ran 14 eating competitions across the country last year, will run the competition, emcee the event, and also provide marketing for the contest at the national level.

“They’ll hit more of the national marketing, where we’ll still do local,” said Deena Kershner, Taste of Hamburg-er Festival organizer and executive director of Hamburg’s Our Town Foundation.

Kershner said the Hamburg festival is contracted with All Pro Eating for one year as the site of the hamburger eating championship. She is expecting this year’s festival to have an additional 5,000 attendees in accordance with the rate of growth displayed by the festival over the last eight years.

The area that the festival covers will increase this year, as well, with the festival extending down to Second Street on State Street. Last year the festival ended at Third Street.

“Everybody enjoys the festival so much that we very rarely have any negative comment,” said Kershner. “With the amount of people that come to town, everything has always run smoothly and all the comments we get have been very positive.”

“There is no better spot to hold the National Hamburger Eating Championship than right there at Taste of Hamburg-er Festival,” said Greenwald. “I think we’re going to see some fantastic hamburger action and I think it’s going to be one of those events that is just fantastic to watch. I can guarantee that there’s going to be plenty of hamburgers that are eaten.”

The “After-Winter” Classic, 24/7 for Breast Cancer is scheduled for Saturday, April 28th at 5:00 p.m. at the Klick Lewis Ice Arena in Annville. (outside of Hershey) The exhibition hockey game will feature the Red Robin Robin’s versus Team Advanced Imaging. Special guests for this year’s game include the original Hanson Brothers and goalie Denis Lemieux — from the movie Slap Shot.

The Hanson Brothers have already helped raise over $52,000 for the PBCC in prior appearances. The Hanson’s will wear their famous Charlestown Chiefs uniforms — complete with their signature black glasses. Denis Lemieux will coach and encourage – courtesy of Hockey Plus/Goalie Plus and the Batdorf Restaurant. The game will feature the use of pink pucks in a pink themed arena. At the first intermission, the Hanson’s will play in the En-Kay Sporting Goods Little Dudes Game — which will introduce area youth to old time hockey.

According to Rob Ziemba, Founder of “Play It Again” for Charity; “this year, we are adding Denny to the event to compliment the Hanson Brothers and it will be a real treat for the fans. Our mission has always been to connect the fan — with the fan favorite and this year — we went a step further. All our celebrities are great with the fans and this is a rare opportunity to see something totally unique. Our “after” winter classic theme will be just that – a classic!”

Tickets for the event are $5.00 each and are available at the door beginning at 3:30 p.m. This is a first come – first serve event. Fans that can’t make the game may support our event with a check made out the PBCC and mailed to: Play It Again for Charity, P.O. Box 272, Campbelltown, Pa. 17010.

Fans with paid admission will have the opportunity to meet and greet the Hanson Brothers and Denis Lemieux in the lobby at various times during the game. 8 x 10 photographs of all celebrities – will be available for $10.00 each and can be autographed for free.

Come join the fun on April 28th and enjoy the Hanson Brothers’ “on-and-off-ice” antics, meet the real goalie of the movie Slap Shot. There will be many hockey prize raffles, music by DJ Dave Stalnecker, food and fun. Interested fans can visit: www.slapshot2.org for more information. Come early!

More than 30 participants impressed taste-testers during Asbury United Methodist Church’s fourth annual Chili Cookoff. This year’s event benefited Athletes for Christ.

Whether partial to chicken or beef, with beans or without, sweet or spicy, the variety of chilis at the fourth annual Chili Cookoff at Asbury United Methodist Church was enough to please any crowd.

Smells of spices and warmth filled the air upon entering the church’s Wesley Center Saturday, as competitors vied for the title of “People’s Choice” — in the amateur division and among the pros.

A short Zumba lesson was included for those who needed a break from their chili tasting. "Red," Red Robin's bird mascot, was happy to join in. Credit: Jenae Holtzhafer

According to event coordinator Jennifer Gast, winners were:

People’s Choice – Amateur (27 participants)

First Place – Germaine Lenz, Baja Bistro Chili
Second Place – Barry and Donna Zimmerman, Deer-licious Chili
Third Place – Paul and Olivia Theisen, Wisconsin’s Wurst Chili
Fourth Place – Adam Goldner, Chris Costa, Zach Getchis, CAZ’s Chocolate Chipotle Chili
People’s Choice – Pro (four professional chefs)

First Place – Genesis Healthcare, Todd Lehman
Second Place – Red Robin, Rachael Minor

Red Robin Chef Rachael Minor, of Nazareth, serves Athletes for Christ participants Megan Navitsky, 9, of Macungie and Emma Preh, 9, of Upper Macungie. Red Robin's chili took second place for "People's Choice - Pro." Credit: Jenae Holtzhafer

A total of $2,000 in freewill donations was raised throughout the evening, benefiting Athletes for Christ. The event offered chili, cornbread, popcorn, samples of chocolate pudding and free beverages.

Some vendors such as Red Robin and Texas Roadhouse offered coupons for free meals and bags of free peanuts. Door prizes were generously distributed to lucky guests throughout the evening.

Taste-testers also had the opportunity to “Climb the Mountain” to receive a ribboned medal, if they tasted all the chili offerings.

Gast said, “We lost count after the first 30 ‘Climbed Chili Mountain’ by tasting all 31 chili offerings. I’m guessing we came close to 50, adults and children.”

The Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown is taking registrations now for the 2012 Spring Red Robin Marty Nothstein Bicycle Racing League.

 You can sign your kids up now for the opportunity to learn how to train and race their bikes at The Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown.

The program promotes healthy living through an active lifestyle and has produced countless future champions, including our Olympic gold medalist, Marty Nothstein.

The league is open to boys and girls, age 9-16, and runs from April to June. No experience necessary. We provide coaching, track bikes, and helmets (as needed).

All participants receive an official Red Robin Marty Nothstein BRL cycling jersey as well as a $25 gift card to Red Robin. Go to Bikereg.com to sign your kids up.

For more information, visit the Velodrome’s website.  

NAZARETH, Pa. -

Police made a visit to several kids’ homes Saturday morning — and the kids loved every minute of it!  It was the sixth annual “Shop with a Cop” event, where children get to shop for Christmas presents with an officer from the Colonial Regional Police.  Donations made all the gift purchases possible.

He’s making a list and checking it twice, but “he” is not Santa.  This is nine year-old Zach from Bath, Northampton County.

“I asked half of my family what they wanted, and they said it, so I put it on a list,” he said.

Zach is one a handful of lucky kids who got to “Shop with a Cop” Saturday morning.

“The officers pick the children up in the police cars,” said Chief Roy Seiple.  “We put the lights on and the sirens on.”

Then the kids shop — for themselves and for their families.

“Each child got, I believe, 450 dollars,” said Sgt. Mike Enstrom.

The money was donated by police, local businesses, and everyday citizens.

The kids each got 450 dollars; fifty bucks goes toward a toy for the Marines’ Toys for Tots program, which gives to those in need.  Many of these kids come from similar backgrounds.

“This is probably something that these people would not be able to do had it not been for these donations,” said Seiple.

Enstrom added: “It was a lot of fun, watching the kids with the smile of their face.”

Walmart donated the free wrapping and some shopping helpers; Red Robin provided the free lunch.  This whole day provided a different view of the police than  these kids may be used to.

2011 Shop With Cops Event with Red Robin and the Colonial Regional Police Department

“Nine times out of ten, when you come in contact with us, it’s because something

bad happened,” said Seiple.  “Today is something good.”

And for a good day, seven year-old Lucas has a simple reply.

“Thank you!”

The kids are excited to open presents from Red Robin that were given to each child

Steals & Deals

Hey, Jim! Hey, James! Hey, Jimbo! If you answered yes to any of those salutations, then head to Red Robin Tuesday, December 6th to get a free Sweet Jim Bean Bacon Swiss Burger. If you have photo ID verifying your name, the burger is free, with sides a la carte. Call your local Red Robin for details.