Reading Terminal Market’s 120th Anniversary

You may never have shelled out $125 for a birthday present, but would you consider it if the recipient was celebrating 120 years? Because if you would, Reading Terminal Market is throwing a major birthday party in its own honor from 8-11 pm tomorrow night, and the price of admission benefits its preservation trust.

And this is no typical senior citizen birthday affair either, where a small cluster of dazed elders sing off key and the birthday boy or girl fails to work up enough wind to blow out more than one or two candles. No, this is a black-tie optional gala with two stages for jazz music and dancing, two open bars serving specialty cocktails, food and desserts from more than 25 of the market’s vendors, and a special dark-chocolate infused stout beer brewed for the occasion by Philadelphia Brewing Co.

If you’re really devoted to keeping the market alive for another century or two (and because we think Reading Terminal is one of the city’s most unique and endearing attractions, we think you should be), you can buy it a $300 gift and attend the VIP session at 7 pm. Beyond the immense feeling of pride you’ll receive as a thank-you note, you’ll get to watch a live mystery-ingredient cook-off challenge. Celeb chefs and judges for the fast-paced competition include Erin O’Shea, Bill Beck of Beck’s Cajun Café, Michael Klein, Rick Nichols, Jim Donovan, Hadas Kuznits and, well, me.

Somehow with this crowd, I doubt we’ll be baking/judging anything as old-fashioned as a birthday cake.

Reading Terminal Market [Official website]

Photo courtesy Pompomflipflop on the Foobooz Flickr Page