The new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in the Festival at Bel Air opened Monday

Bel Air's Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in the Festival shopping center is open. They opened yesterday at 11 a.m. Thank you to my eagle-eyed BANV reader for noticing all the cars in their parking lot yesterday and giving me a heads up!

For more information, visit their website at www.buffalowildwings.com or give them a call at 443-512-8220.

Click here for previous BANV posts on Buffalo Wild Wings.

And if anyone eats there, please let us know what you think!

Night of a Thousand Dreams charity event for Casey Cares on Dec. 10 makes a great girls' night out

The organizers of the Night of a Thousand Dreams charity event for Casey Cares asked me to mention their big event coming up at Rockfield Manor this Thursday, Dec. 10 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The $10 admission fee includes a raffle ticket, wine tasting and snacks. They say it makes a great girls' night out. For details, check out the flyer below. The Casey Cares Foundation provides on-going, uplifting programs for families with a critically ill child.


Night of a Thousand Dreams Flyer

Christopher Reda plans to have a Tex Mex/BBQ style restaurant operating at former Greene Turtle site in Bel Air by early 2010

The former Greene Turtle restaurant building on Main Street in Bel Air won't be vacant for long. Prudential Carruthers Realtor Christopher Reda, who has part ownership of the building, plans to bring a restaurant to the site by mid-January or early February of 2010. "We still have a mortgage payment," he told BANV today. He's currently in talks with two people who have expressed interest in opening a restaurant at the site at 119 S. Main Street. One represents a chain restaurant and the other is a local restaurateur. If he doesn't have a deal with either of them within the next 10 days, Reda says he's planning to move ahead with his plan to open a restaurant he plans to call Strangers Pub at the site. He's working with a local chef to develop a menu that he says will likely be a combination of Tex Mex and Carolina barbecue. He also has a partner lined up who is currently working as a general manager of a local restaurant. He says he came up with the name Strangers Pub after opening a fortune cookie that read: "Even the best of friends were once strangers." But he's curious if local people like that name. I told him I'd put a poll on the blog so you can vote. Check it out in the sidebar and vote yes or no. And, if you  have any other suggestions -- nice ones -- please leave a comment below.

Looks like something called Strangers Pub will replace The Greene Turtle in Bel Air

Phil Dirt was right. (Thanks for the tip, Phil!) It looks like Bel Air's closed Greene Turtle restaurant at 117 S. Main Street will be replaced by something called Strangers Pub by February 2010. I was driving by the restaurant -- formerly The Ropewalk -- just now and I saw paper signs in the windows that read:

I couldn't find out anything about Strangers Pub online. If anyone learns any details, please let me know. Thanks!

Watervale Road is open again to through traffic

Good news commuters. The county has finished installing the temporary bridge over Winter's Run and Watervale Road is now open again to through traffic. Here's the release from the county's website:

Press 2891

Looking for an intriguing gift for the man in your life? Tiddlywinks has Buckyballs, hottest desk toy gift of the season

Wondering what would make a great gift for a husband, father or brother-in-law this holiday season? Try Buckyballs. Rolling Stone Magazine calls the magnetic desk toy "Toy of the Year." The magnetic mass of 216 rare-earth metals resembling ball bearings provides hours of thought-provoking entertainment. Crush it in your hand and fling it on a metal surface. Construct geometric shapes and snowflake patterns. The $30 toy by Zoomdoggle was dreamed up by a 31-year-old New Yorker whose invention has been appearing in magazines from Esquire to Real Simple to Maxim this season. (The toy is recommended for people 13 and older and is not for small children who might swallow the balls.) Get yours at Tiddlywinks Toys and Books at 17 N. Main Street, Bel Air.

See it in action here:

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Tiddlywinks is open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00am – 6:00pm. Open Sunday noon to 4pm & closed Monday. For more information visit www.tiddlywinkstoys.com or call (443) 371-6420.



This post was sponsored by Tiddlywinks Toys and Books.

For more information on sponsored posts e-mail BANV at stacey@belairnewsandviews.com

Have pizza from Pat's in Bel Air Monday night and help the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Department

Don't cook on Monday night. You're entirely too busy. Instead, pick up a pizza from Pat's Pizzeria Family Restaurant, 804 Conowingo Road, Bel Air between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and bring the coupon printed below. If you do, 20% of the cost of your order will go to support the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.

PatsBAVFCFundraiser

Ladies Night tonight at Conte's Bicycle and Fitness in Bel Air

Conte's Bicycle and Fitness shop is holding a "Ladies' Night" from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. today, Dec. 4. They're offering in-store specials, free massages from The Color Lounge Salon and Spa, nutrition counseling from a Bel Air Athletic Club nutritionist, gait analysis from Charm City Run, body fat analysis from Performance Resources, and refreshments by Liberatore's Restaurant and Catering of Bel Air.

Everything in the store -- except bikes -- is 25% off tonight.


Conte's of Bel Air is in the Festival Shopping Center at 5 Bel Air South Parkway. For more information call 410.838.0866 or visit:

BelAirMD@ContesBikeStores.com
www.ContesBikeStores.com/goto/belairmd

This post was sponsored by Conte's Bicycles and Fitness Equipment.

For more information on sponsored posts e-mail BANV at stacey@belairnewsandviews.com

Get your tickets for County Parents Magazine's kid-friendly Noon Year's Eve celebration at the Bel Air Athletic Club

Harford County has one of the most family-friendly spots to celebrate New Years Eve. Bel Air Athletic Club and County Parents Magazine have teamed up again to celebrate their 4th Annual "Noon" Year's Eve Celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 31 at the Bel Air Athletic Club, 658 Boulton St. BANV & family have gone every year and found it's a great way to celebrate the new year as a family without worrying about hiring babysitters and spending a fortune. Tickets are just $5 a person (children under 2 are free) but they go fast. They've sold out early every year. This year, the entertainment is to include Caricatures by Rick Wright & Co., Magic & Illusion Show by David Breth, Face Painting & Tattoos by Lucky, Wacky Scientist Extreme Jean, Growing Smiles, Point Breeze Credit Union, St. James Academy, Bel Air Bakery, Open Door Cafe, professional DJ Frank Spears, BAACStage Dance Company and more. At the stroke of noon, hundreds of inflatable "snowballs" fall from the ceiling at the BAAC's Kids Arena. Call BAAC at 410-838-2670 to reserve your family's spots. For more information visit http://www.countyparents.com.

Where to find a Christmas tree in Harford County

One of the best things about living in Harford County is that we have plenty of fun places to select a Christmas tree nearby. I thought I'd put together a list of the places I'm aware of and I welcome readers to add any that I've missed.


Applewood Farms, Whiteford


If you want to make your Christmas tree hunt a real holiday experience, head up to Applewood Farms, 4435 Prospect Road, in Whiteford. Applewood puts on a full-fledged holiday show complete with a vintage train ride through the Christmas tree farm, games, hayrides and a petting zoo. The only thing missing is the real reindeer that used to entertain visitors. This year, they're up north busy helping Santa. Applewood offers:

Hayrides
Petting Zoo
Kiddy Maze
Lawn Bowling
Reindeer Antler Toss
Santa's Work Shop
Model Trains
1773 Log Barn
Applewood Playground

While visiting Applewood, you can pick up a fresh-cut Fraser Fir for $60 or cut your own tree. Douglas Firs are $5 per foot and Blue and Scotch pines are $4 per foot.

For $3 per ticket, you can catch a ride on Applewood's 1865 vintage wood burning steam locomotive.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Saturdays and Sundays only from November 28 through Sunday, December 20, 2009. (Entrance gate closes at 3:45 p.m.)

For more information and directions, visit Applewood's website at http://www.applewoodfarm.org/ or call

Click here for previous BANV posts about Applewood Farm.


Jarrettsville Nurseries, Jarrettsville


Jarrettsville Nurseries is open weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The nursery at 4302 St. Clair Bridge Rd. in Jarrettsville offers cut-your-own Douglas Firs, Fraser Firs, White Pine and Concolor Firs at prices starting at $25. They also feature Santa visits, hay rides, bonfires and concessions on the weekends.

For more information, visit their website at www.jntrees.com or call 410-452-8677.

Evergreen Farm, Havre de Grace

Evergreen Farm at 4219 Webster Road in Havre de Grace features a Christmas Shop, custom made wreaths and Fraser Fir Christmas trees. The farm is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. For more information, visit their website at www.evergreenfarminc.com or call 410-939-0659.

Bee Tree Farms Nursery, Bel Air


My family has been getting our Christmas trees from Bee Tree Farms Nursery for the past few years because it's right in our neighborhood. We spend a lot of time selecting our perfect tree from their modest sized lot and then the family that runs the nursery does the work of sawing it down for us, bailing it and hoisting it atop our minivan. They also sell fresh evergreen wreaths and pre-cut trees. The nursery's address is 912 Vale Road (410-838-6631). They're open weekends from 8 a.m. til dark.


Other Christmas Tree farms include: 

Deer Creek Valley Farm, 3744 Ady Rd., Street, 410-452-9793
Environmental Evergreens, 3631 Berkley Rd., Darlington, 410-457-4766
Hale Tree Farm, 4827 Norrisville Rd., White Hall, 410-557-7892
Rock Hollow Farm, 4105 Federal Hill Rd., Jarrettsville, 410-692-5575

If you know of some other fun places, please let me know at stacey@belairnewsandviews.com or leave a comment below and I'll add them to this list. Thanks!