The great Thanksgiving food shop is underway at Philadelphia's Italian Market and Reading Terminal Market
The Thanksgiving shopping rush is well underway. But in places like the Italian Market and Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, it's more of a crush as the Tuesday and Wednesday before the holiday are the busiest.
People waited patiently in line, picking order numbers like a lottery. Reading Terminal Market was a maze of shops and a bustling blur of humanity on Tuesday as most people were looking for a Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings.
"Every year we come down here, we get our groceries from Iovine Brothers and then we come here to Godshall's and get all of our meat, the turkey wings, chicken wings, just whatever," Bria Raynor, who lives in West Philadelphia, said.
The Reading Terminal Market is a hot spot; a destination for many in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.
"It's actually exciting because you see how everyone is coming together, you know, for the holiday," said Kenisha Wilson, a Mount Airy resident. "Everybody is still into the holiday spirit."
People were shopping and scouting. The focus of this rush was what's on the Thanksgiving dinner menu.
"I'm cooking Thursday," another shopper said. "I'm having a small group of probably about 10." As for what's on this chef's dinner menu, she said, "turkey, roast beef, collard greens, string beans, sweet potatoes."
About a mile south of the Reading Terminal, the Italian Market was buzzing.
"I'm 51 years old. I've been coming down here since I was like 12," said Norristown resident Bernon Perry.
The scene at Cappuccio's on 9th Street was nonstop.
"My mom's been going here since I was a kid. I'm going to have this roast, got some sage last week, my smoked meat last week, and my turkey last week from here," a shopper told CBS News Philadelphia.
The Crimi brothers, Harry and Domenick, keep the 104-year-old business up and running.
Domenick Crimi said Tuesday and Wednesday, the business will be slammed.
Customers were picking up all sorts of meats and sausages, including some alternatives.
Harry Crimi said they serve up different options for those who don't prefer to eat turkey on Turkey Day
"It's a goat for those — we have a lot of customers who don't eat turkey," he said.
"Happy Thanksgiving to everybody, man, everybody out there in the world," Perry said.
