Pittsburgh Events and Festivals

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - PA, USA)

With so many world-class entertainment venues and leading sports stadiums, the city of Pittsburgh is extremely proud of its culture and stages a series of seasonal festivals, often with a distinctive 'Three Rivers' flavor. Located in downtown Pittsburgh, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center lies on the Fort Duquesne Boulevard and hosts numerous quality events, local festivals, shows, conventions and celebrations.

There are usually plenty of events and things to do at the city's Mellon Arena (formerly the Civic Arena), which is the official home to the city's Pittsburgh Penguins ice-hockey team and also regularly plays host to concerts, local festivals, Disney-style ice-skating shows and wrestling contests. The city is also home to many quality theaters and music venues, such as the Ballet Theater, the Benedum Center and the Heinz Hall, where the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is often to be found performing.

Pittsburgh Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• Pittsburgh RV Show - mid-January, week-long show held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for more than 40 years and appealing to camping enthusiasts from throughout Pennsylvania and beyond

February

• World of Wheels Custom Car Show - late February, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and dating back some 50 years. This really is a must for even the slightest car enthusiast

March

• Washington Antiques Fair - late March to late October, held close by, at the Falconi Field in Washington, Pennsylvania. This popular market event takes place on the very last Sunday of each month, from March through October, just a mere 20 miles / 32 km to the south

April

• City of Pittsburgh Marathon - late April / early May, with runners taking to the streets and enjoying a routes alongside the rivers, over the bridges and through the city parks

May

• 10K - early May, another running race through downtown Pittsburgh, with crowds of spectators gathering to cheer on the athletes
• Greek Food Festival - early May, literally thousands gather to sample an array of Greek delicacies
• International Children's Festival - mid-May, one for families, with numerous children's events taking place around the city
• Pittsburgh Folk Festival - late May / Memorial Day weekend, outdoor folk music concerts

June

• Mellon Jazz Festival - mid-June, Pittsburgh stages this major event every year, attracting both local and national jazz musicians, with concerts being held all over the city, including the Mellon Bank Center. Many of these jazz concerts take place in the open air, at central parks
• Annual Pow Wow - mid-June, at the city's Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center, with a strong Native American theme, craft displays, traditional food, music, dancing and colorful costumes
• Big Butler Fair - late June to early July, at the Butler Fairgrounds in the neighboring town of Prospect, with fairground-style rides, games, exhibitions, animals, huge numbers of food stalls and concerts throughout this ten-day event
• Pittsburgh Three Rivers Arts Festival - late June / early July, one of the city's biggest and most impressive festivals, attracting crowds of literally thousands, who come to celebrate Independence Day and enjoy just over two weeks of different events, which include street parties, open-air concerts, artists markets, fireworks and more. The Three Rivers Arts Festival take place at a number of different locations, including the Commonwealth Place, Gateway Center Plaza, Liberty Avenue, PPG Plaza, Stanwix Triangle and the Market Square

July

• Fourth of July Fireworks at the Point - July 4th, a spectacular fireworks display on Independence Day, filling the skies about Point State Park with color. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra always makes an appearance at this event
• Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix - mid-July, vintage car racing, with many beautifully restored vehicles from yesteryear
• Pittsburgh Blues Festival - mid-July, a popular jazz-related event held at Hartwood Acres and lasting three days
• Dollar Bank Jamboree - late July, country and western music, fishing contests and fireworks, at the Point State Park
• Freeport Theater Festival - throughout July, theatrical performances held annually in nearby Leechburg, which lies just over 30 miles / 48 km to the northeast

August

• Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta - early August, sails are hoisted and sailing boats take to the three rivers, drawing huge crowds. Expect lots of cheering and flag waving
• Hookstown Fair - mid-August, at the Hookstown Fairgrounds in nearby Hookstown, with various competitions, dirt-bike riding, Motorcross and tractor racing, horticultural displays and fairground rides, such as Ferris wheels

September

• Summer Concerts at Mellon Park - early September, open-air concerts staged in the landscaped gardens at Mellon Park, off 5th Avenue
• Pittsburgh Irish Festival - early September, Celtic music and Irish dancing at the Station Square, along with Irish food and beer
• Mountain Craft Days - mid-September, held over a three-day period at various venues, including Somerset Historical Center on the Somerset Pike, with live music, local arts and crafts stalls, demonstrations and family fun
• Savor Pittsburgh - mid-September, a gastronomical extravaganza in the South Side, with many different restaurants participating and providing a eclectic mixture of dishes
• Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival - late September around South Side, as fall rapidly approaches, this events takes place and sees large crowds coming to enjoy the Chinese-themed celebrations, with elaborately decorated boats featuring dragons heads
• Applejamm - late September at the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve on Dorseyville Road, hosted by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. Children will always enjoy the scarecrow making, the crafts demonstrations, the entertainment and the toffee apples, while adults for find the tasty cider worth sampling
• Autumn Vettes - throughout September, large numbers of Corvettes gather in Monroeville for its contest, which is run by the Corvette Club of Western Pennsylvania
• Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race - late September, thousands of runners compete in different long-distance races around the Oakland neighborhood and 5th Avenue
• Federated Humane Agencies Conference - throughout September, held for almost an entire century and attracting those with a love of animals
• Pittsburgh New Works Festival - throughout September, various new theater productions, with many weekend performances aimed solely at children
• Hundred Acres Manor Haunted House - September to October, with lots of ghostly and ghoulish goings on at the Hundred Acres Manor in South Park, made all the more real with the help of animatronics

October

• Black Sheep Puppet Festival - late October at the Brew House on Mary Street, highly suitable for all ages and featuring a mixture of workshops, competitions and performances

November

• A Festival of Lights and Music - throughout November, the city center is illuminated and an array of outdoor entertainment takes place, along with further events at the Carnegie International Art Exhibition and the Heinz History Center

December

• Holidays at the Nationality Rooms - mid-December, seasonal festivities with an unmistakable international flavor, held each year at the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning