Pittsburgh Current Staff
Published May 14, 2019
https://www.pittsburghcurrent.com
Summer in Pittsburgh can be a lot of things. Rainy. Hot. Muggy. But boring it is not. Pittsburgh is a city in motion, and there is always something going on. One of the city’s most iconic events, Three Rivers Arts Festival, is a great example. Everyone from weekend warriors to the lunch hour crowd descend upon Point State Park to sample the food vendors, stock up on art, jewelry, and more, and to listen to some amazing live music.
From national artist India.Arie to local (soon to be national) artist Brittney Chantele, the various stages at TRAF provide a fantastic soundtrack to summer. Check out our listings below to plan out a summer full of food, music, art, and fun.
Ongoing
Pittsburgh Neighborhood Festivals. More information and schedule, tinyurl.com/pittsfest
Summer at the Square. Spend your Summer at the Square. Enjoy fun and free fitness classes, live music, all-ages entertainment, and much more all summer long at Mellon Square, Downtown. For more information, visit pittsburghparks.org.
MAY
May 18
Feria Festival. The patio at Enix Brewing in Homestead is transformed into the South of Spain for Feria, a celebration of spring. All you can eat spanish tapas, all you can drink signature cocktails, live dancing and music and a salsa lesson all come with your ticket. pittsburghcurrent.com/feria-festival/
May 19
6th Annual North Hills Food Truck Festival.
This event at St. Teresa of Avila Parish in the North Hills features food trucks from all over the region, as well as indoor auditorium seating plus beer, wine, delicious homemade baked goods, small games of chance, music. and a whole lot more. For more information, please visit the St. Teresa of Avila Facebook page.
May 24-26
Greater Pittsburgh Food Truck Festival. With free admission, you’ll have plenty of money to spend sampling the fares from the more than 50 food trucks at this year’s event at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino. There are also loads of local vendors, so you can do some shopping while you eat. Pghfoodtruckfest.com
May 25
Open Streets PGH. THis is the first of three days dedicated to promote healthy living and get moving. Streets are temporarily closed to allow for free movement and to connect communities. Other dates are June 30 and July 28. openstreetspgh.org
May 28
Memorial Day Celebration. Soldiers and Sailors Hall, Oakland. soldiersandsailorshall.org
JUNE 1
Pittsburgh Taco Fest. Attendees at this Highmark Stadium event can enjoy an afternoon of live music and a cultural marketplace while exploring the flavors of tacos from the region’s best food trucks and restaurants.There is also a VIP package that includes upgrades such as a free tequila tasting and t-shirt. highmarkstadium.com
June 1-9
Pittsburgh PrideFest and Pride in the Street. Pittsburgh’s mainstream pride event that draws more than 150,000 visitors downtown. This year’s entertainment is headlined by Toni Braxton. Pittsburghpride.org.
June 8-9
People’s Pride 2K19: A Pride for the Ages. This intersectional pride event from SisTersPGH is in its third year and has grown substantially as more people come to the event that touts greater inclusivity and is produced without corporate sponsorships. Top local entertainment includes Brittney Chantele, The Bendersand Windafire. Headlining will be the Queen Diva Big Freedia, an innovator of New Orleans Bounce. tinyurl.com/pittpeoplespride
June 7-16
Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival. This year marks the 60th anniversary of this iconic arts and music festival based in Point State Park.. Artists and musicians come from all over the world to bring Pittsburgh the absolute best. This free event has been, and will continue to be, a staple of summer in the Burgh. (See Music Listings for entertainment lineup). traf.trustarts.org
June 20-23
Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival. The August Wilson African American Cultural Center. With a line up featuring Patti Labelle, Tamara Tunie, Nubya Garcia, and more, jazz lovers cannot go wrong. Jam sessions, a beer garden, and a ‘vibe is everything’ culture is sure to delight. pittsburghjazzfest.org
June 29
The All-Star Craft Beer, Wine and Cocktail Festival. PNC Park. Guests will be treated to unlimited samples of hundreds of craft beer, wine and cocktail brands from around the world, enjoy multiple live bands & DJs, a keepsake sampling glass, tons of games (giant Jenga, Connect Four, cornhole, and more), 2 tickets to a Pirates future game in 2019*, free admission to the official after party, sampling glasses, giveaways, activities, other all-star product vendors, pierogi races, and the opportunity to hang out with the Pirate’s mascot, Pirate Parrot. ballparkfestival.com/pittsburgh
June 28-July 6
The Big Butler Fair. This is the 164th year for The Big Butler Fair at the Butler Fairgrounds, and it’s bringing everything you’ve come to expect; food, music, animals, carnival rides, truck pulls and, of course, a school bus demolition derby. With days of fun and so much to do, check their website to get your schedule mapped out. bigbutlerfair.com
JULY
July 7-21
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. This event is the largest vintage car street race in the country and was a favorite of late-Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O’Connor. The event brings cars you may have never seen i your life to Schenley Park and it also raises funds for various area charities. pvgp.org
July 12-13
Deutschtown Music Festival. This award-winning, free two-day music festival features outdoor stages, in door venues, a beer garden, family-friendly programming and hundreds of musicians. There are also shuttles to help festival-goers venue hop. deutschtownmusicfestival.com
Duetshtown Music Festival Photo by Jake Mysliwczyk
July 13
Pittsburgh Summer Beerfest. Stage AE. This 21 + beerfest won’t let you go thirsty. Or hungry. Or bored. Loads of food vendors and musical acts will keep you happy as you try local and national beer samples. promowestlive.com
July 25
Fayette County Fair. Fayette County Fairgrounds. Food, music, vendors, tractor pulls, 4-H, and a whole lotta livestock make this one of the regions most enduring Fairs. fayettefair.com
July 26-28
Picklesburgh. You literally can’t miss it. Let’s be clear, you do not have to like pickles to love Picklesburgh. This is a celebration of Pittsburgh, and has plenty for everyone to enjoy. It’s also the best food festival in the country, according to USA Today’s Ten Best list. picklesburgh.com
Picklesburgh Photo by Jake Mysliwczyk
July 25-28
MountainFest Motorcycle Rally. Just a short drive down the highway and you can be at MountainFest Motorcycle Rally. Over 50,000 motorcycle enthusiasts gather at Mylan Park in Morgantown to listen to national music acts, such as Cheap Trick and Jackyl. Based on that sentence alone, this is worth the trip. wvmountainfest.com
AUGUST
Aug. 2-4
EQT Three Rivers Regatta. Point State Park. The EQT Three Rivers Regatta combines music, boating, food, family and fun, all in the name of preserving and protecting the rivers we call home. Check their website as 2019 events are announced. yougottaregatta.org
Three Rivers Regatta Photo by Jake Mysliwczyk
Aug. 10
Fresh Fest. The nation’s only Black beer festival, and the second-best beer festival in the country, according to USA Today’s 10 Best, is back for it second year, Fresh Fest returns with another amazing line-up of black-owned breweries as well as breweries collaborating with Black artists and entrepreneurs from Pennsylvania and beyond. Freshfestbeerfest.com
Aug. 10
Vegfest. This annual festival celebrates veganism in Pittsburgh while raising funds for Justice for Animals. pittsburghvegfest.org
Aug. 12-18
Pittsburgh Restaurant Week. It’s the summer iteration of this twice yearly event, where you can sample the best cuisine in the city at bargain prices. Pittsburghrestaurantweek.com
Aug. 15-18
Little Italy Days. Bloomfield. Little Italy Days kicks off Thursday with Celebrity Bocce and The Italian Granati Brothers. The fun goes on all weekend with live music, games, art and of course, food. littleitalydays.com
Aug. 17-18
Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival. West Newton. Also, Aug. 24-25, 31; Sept. 1-2, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22. Transport yourself back in time to the 16th Century as you wonder down lanes full of artisans, roasted turkey legs, and costumed merrymakers. Music, entertainment and fun take center stage as you channel your inner jouster. pittsburghrenfest.com
Aug. 24-25
Shadyside Art Festival. This weekend art show hosts over 140 artists that create original hand-made artwork. We’ll have painters, potters, jewelers, photographers and much more. Here is your chance to speak directly with the artist and understand the inspiration behind each unique piece of art. artfestival.com
Aug. 25-26
Corks and Kegs Festival. Meadows Racetrack. This is one of Washington PA’s most popular summer events, and it quickly becoming one of the bigger craft beer events in the region. Entry is free, and attendees can enjoy food vendors, music, a car cruise, and more. corksandkegsfestival.com
Aug. 29-Sept. 2
Heinz Field Kickoff and Rib Fest. Visit the Heinz Field ‘midway’, filled with bbq vendors, festival foods, beverages, games, and more. National musical acts also stop in, so make sure to check their events page to see who you can expect. Heinzfield.com/ribfest
September
Sept. 6-8
Pittsburgh Irish Festival. Pittsburgh Irish Festival is celebrating its 29th year, and it’s bringing you all of your favorites. The event is still at Sand Castle, but they’ve moved to higher ground after suffering some flooding issues last year, ensuring that your favorite Irish food, music and beer will be there waiting for you. pghirishfest.org
A Fair in the Park. Our festival guide stops here with this fine arts festival in Mellon Park sponsored by the Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh. afairinthepark.org