Shad About You

Fishtown celebrates its eponymous animal.

by Andrew Thompson

[ fishy fest ]

Before Penn Praxis' schematic for the Delaware River waterfront, before plans for casinos, before business associations and community development corporations — for Fishtown, there was shad.

Until the early 20th century, the fish was Fishtown's eponymous livelihood, coming up the river around this time of year to spawn. And while Fishtown may now be known more for its gentrification and proposed casino than its fisheries, the Fishtown Area Business Association (FABA) will honor the fatty gray fish in its first-ever Fishtown Shad Festival.

The Fishtown Beer Runners will sponsor a 5K run up the Delaware (participants are encouraged to dress as fish); educational groups will discuss just how important the shad was to the area; and, of course, there will be plenty of freshly cooked shad.

But that's just the fishy stuff. Philly bands Hoots & Hellmouth, Iron, Gildon Works, and the Lara and Joe Show — a for-kids duo who complement the children's activities happening at the nearby playground — will play sets as more than 50 arts-and-crafts vendors show off their wares. Attendees will be able to experience the Delaware by kayak for free, and you can finish off a bike ride on the currently proposed East Coast Greenway Path with complimentary valet bike parking.

The festival goes down at Penn Treaty Park, which FABA president and Johnny Brenda's owner Paul Kimport hopes will become less of a "well-kept secret" after the event.

"I want the city to realize what a fantastic park we have along the river," Kimport says. "So if the city's more aware of what's there, they'll come to the park more."

Kimport doesn't want Penn Treaty Park to be written off as a neighborhood park and thus kept out of sight from city planners who might improve it. If it's frequented more, he hopes, the park would get what he thinks are some welcome amenities, like a new pier — to replace the one that was torn down decades ago — and better lighting. Revenue from the 5K run will go toward park improvements.

This may be Philly's first shad party, but Lambertville, N.J. — another riverside locale once dependent on shad for its economic means — has been celebrating the fish for 28 years at its own annual two-day Shad Fest. But Kimport, whose bar, along with other local food vendors, will be serving up various incarnations of the fish all day, says Fishtown's fest will have a bit more "shad cookery than they do up there in Lambertville." On the menu: Shad in ground caper sauce and eggs served with champagne, hot smoked fillets, and plain old fried shad sandwiches — all on a grill custom-made for the event.

(andrew.thompson@citypaper.net)

Fishtown Shad Fest | Sat., April 25, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., free, Penn Treaty Park, 1199 N. Delaware Ave., fishtownshadfest.org.