Pittsburgh, PA

This is the third I Made It event and like before, should not be missed!

The market will include approximately 50 vendors, who will be selling all kinds of crafts, accessories, clothing, home decor and a whole bunch of other interesting items! I can’t wait to see what all this market has to offer; I love this sort of thing.

I Made It will be held from 12-5 Saturday at the Brewhouse at 2100 Mary Street in the South Side.

For more information on the event, check out their Myspace.

Pittsburgh, I Made It, crafts, Brew House, South Side, vendors, market, handmade, diy

This Sunday afternoon, the East End Food Co-op is having a block party style celebration of food, local art, music and more!

There will be over 30 artists selling their work, as well as musical/dance performances by J.M. Steiner, Middle Eastern Dance by Aviva, Joy Ike, Cathasaigh and Cellofourte.

This is a kid-friendly event and will feature portrait painting, raku pot decorating, silk screen printing and other activities provided by the Waldorf School and La Escuelita Acoris.

And of course, this wouldn’t be an East End Food Co-op event without the food! There will be samples provided by local suppliers, as well as from Lawrenceville’s newest Turkish Coffeehouse. The Co-op will also be serving vegetarian fare provided by their own cafe.

The party starts at noon and ends at 5pm. The East End Food Co-op is located in Point Breeze and is easy to find. (7516 Meade Street for the mapquesters)

Support local art, music, and food all in one day…who could ask for more?!

Pittsburgh, East End Food Co-op, vegetarian, local, food, Point Breeze, Art Harvest, crafts, J.M. Steiner, Aviva, Joy Ike, Cathasaigh, Cellofourte

The Candy Shop is presenting a Sexy Soiree at Modern Formations this Saturday and it sounds like a lot of fun!

There’s going to be music from the Sugar Grinders, Sharron Needles and Dirty Dancing to follow with DJ’s T & A.

There will also be a chocolate tasting booth (yum), an adult only magic show, burlesque performances (enough reason to go), vintage stag videos and more!

Desserts and cocktails are generously being provided by many of our local businesses, including Gooski’s, The French Tart, Dozen, East End Brewing Company, Crazy Mocha and others.

This fun event starts at 9pm and ends at 1am. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. They can be purchased at the Chocolate Moose in Squirrel Hill. This is also a 21 + event.

Modern Formations is located at 4919 Penn Avenue and for directions, visit their website.

Pittsburgh, Modern Formations, Sexy Soiree, the Candy Shop, Garfield, chocolate, Sugar Grinders, Sharron Needles, Crazy Mocha, East End Brewing Company, Chocolate Moose

Yes, this festival deserves the exclamation point. The NEW Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival will feature even more music, attractions, and entertainment than ever before. They are boasting a new jousting arena, a new Pirates Pub (woo hoo), a new upscale Craft’s Marketplace and much more! I have also been told by one of the crafter’s that this is true and I’ll have to take his word on it, since I dunno if I’ll be able to make it this year. Too much stuff is going on these last two weekends in September, geez louise.

There are only two more weekends left of the Festival, including this weekend, so better go while you can! Not to mention this weekend is Celtic themed and the next is Carnivale, saving the best for last.

Here’s some info:

September 22/23 & September 28/29 are the last weekends, with operating hours of 10am-630pm.

Admission: $14.95(adults), $6.00(children ages 5-12) and free admission to children under 5

The Festival features music, a crafter’s marketplace, shows, various entertainers, and much more.

Their website does a much better job than I could of listing all of the shows, attractions, etc. Go here for more information, directions to the festival, etc.

Pittsburgh, Renaissance Festival, fair, music, Pirates, crafters, guild, Celtic, Mardi Gras

I am sure if you have driven through Oakland lately you have seen a group of Anti-War protesters. They usually hold up signs that say ‘honk for peace.’ The few times I have driven past them I have seen Army Recruiters giving them a hard time. I guess they are not alone; the police seem to be causing them trouble too.

“A war protest group has filed a lawsuit against the city of Pittsburgh, claiming police officers are violating its First Amendment rights to free speech.” - PPG

I give these kids credit, because they’re standing up for what they feel is right.

“As part of the vigil, up to 30 protesters stand, walk, sit or lie down near the recruiting station to protest United States’ military involvement in Iraq.” – Read more @ Post-Gazette.com

I wish I was in a situation where I could do something like this one day. But sadly I have a job that would not like it if I took off a month. I would also probably get fired for being in a political movement. You might not know this but a lot of places have it in their policy that they can fire you if you bring unwanted attention to them with your personal life.

Thankfully that’s where college-age kids come to the rescue. They have the time and the resources to stand up for us all. Look that the war protests of the past. They have all started with young people.

I am glad to see protesters in Pittsburgh; it makes me feel good to know that people are not afraid to stand up and be counted. To stand up and say, “Hey I don’t agree with the status quo.”

I may not 100% agree with the protesters, but I do have the highest respect for them. Also if you don’t like the Anti-War protesters on Forbes, then you should start a Pro-War rally on 5th Ave. It’s called freedom of speech; don’t be afraid to use it.

Janus Films, a well-known foreign and classic film distributor is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and Pittsburgh Filmmakers is presenting Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films from September 21 through October 4th and is something that is not to be missed.

The films will be screened at three different theaters including Regent Square, Harris Theater and the Melwood Screening Room.

Films will include, Seven Samurai, Death of a Cyclist, Lola, Ballad of a Soldier and more.

For more information and scheduling, go to Pittsburgh Filmmaker’s website here.

I plan on catching at least one of these films, despite all of the other events happening the next two weekends. I highly suggest you do the same!

Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Janus Films, Harris Theater, Melwood Screening Room, Regent Square, movies, film, foreign, classic, Lola, Seven Samurai, Death of a Cyclist, Ballad of a Soldier

If you enjoy listening to the Blues and you want to help out a good cause, come out to Moondog’s this Sunday for the Harry McCorkle Benefit Show, which will help pay for his heart bypass surgery.

Here is just a list of the many musicians who will be performing:

Wil E. Tri and the Bluescasters w/Billy The Kid
Gary Belloma and The Blues Bombers
Jimmy Adler
Sweaty Betty
Billy The Kid & The Regulators
Mystic Knights
Annie Sutton
Donnie Hollowood
Petie Hewlett,
Eugene & The Night Crawlers
Shari Richards
Bob McKeg & Rick Kacin
Chizmo Charles & The Rhythm Aces
and more!

The show starts at 1 and ends at 10pm. Besides hosting benefit shows, Moondog’s is a well known blues/jazz/rock nightclub that hosts national talent, as well as local. Check out their website below for more details and an event calendar.
Moondog’s
378 Freeport Road
Blawnox, PA (412) 828-2040

Pittsburgh, tribute, blues, music, Moondog’s, Blawnox, Wil. E. Tri, Annie Sutton, Sweaty Betty, Mystic Knights, Nightcrawlers, Regulators, Jimmy Adler, The Blues Bomber, Shari Richards

I was looking into Pittsburgh’s Oktoberfest offerings and found two that look interesting. One is at Penn Brewery and the other is Downtown.

Penn Brewery
RAISE A GLASS IT’S TIME FOR OKTOBERFEST
September 21-23; 28-30, 2007
Friday & Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight
Sunday, 4 to 10 p.m.

For eighteen years the Penn Brewery has brought Munich to Pittsburgh with our annual Oktoberfest celebration and this year will be no exception. Held the same weekends as its German counterpart, the Penn Brewery offers the most authentic Oktoberfest celebration in Pittsburgh.

Downtown
Oktoberfest & Autumn Beers
Presented by: The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Venue: Cabaret at Theater Square
Tuesday, September 18, 2007, 6:15 PM
Tickets: $25

Craft Beer School Fall Semester 2007 series kicks off with “Oktoberfest and Autumn Beers.” Celebrate the ultimate beer lover’s festival with a fine selection of seasonal offering.

If I had to pick one I would go to Penn Brewery. I went there last year and had a great time. While you eat, you can enjoy a live polka band and everyone sings along.

A couple of years ago, the Art’s Festival on Walnut Street combined with the one on Ellsworth in an attempt to make a fun time for all! It’s this weekend and starts on Friday and ends Sunday around 5pm. It’s a lot of fun and the weather is supposed to be fantastic at least on Saturday and Sunday, so there’s no excuse not to go. Unless you’re going to Oktoberfest all three days, in which case, you are excused.

Here are the official hours/directions,etc:
Friday 12-9pm, Saturday 10am-9pm & Sunday 10am-5pm.
The Walnut Street festival stretches from S. Aiken to S. Negley and the Ellsworth one, is obviously on Ellsworth, which is close by. Just googlemap the area if you’re confused.

If you want to check out some of the artists participating in the Walnut Street one, go to their website here. (Don’t ask me how they were able to acquire such a common domain name).

Shadyside Arts Festival, Shadyside, Pittsburgh, art, music, Ellsworth, Walnut, food

The Creative Marathon is a two part event beginning with a 24 hour artistic marathon that culminates in a gallery show the following day. Beginning Friday, September 28th, at 8pm, artists will have 24 hours to create a piece of work pertaining to the theme “Lost and Found”. At 8pm the very next evening, the Creative Treehouse will feature these works in a gallery show, along with food, drinks and live music.

I was part of this the last time they had it and I ended up selling most of the art I created there. It was a lot of fun to get the chance to hangout and create with fellow artists. If you are into art, you have to come out to this. I hope to see you all there!

Location
Creative Treehouse
517 Lincoln Ave, 2nd Floor
Bellevue, PA 15202

Times and Date
24 Hour Creative Marathon
Friday, Sept. 28th 8pm - Saturday, Sept. 29th 6pm

Creative Marathon Gallery Show
Saturday, Sept. 29th
Doors Open: 8:00pm
Announcement: 8:30pm
Bands start: 9:00pm
End: 12:00am

more info @ www.24hourcreativemarathon.com

Bellevue, Creative Treehouse, 24 Hour Marathon, art, Pittsburgh, music

Yeah, I know it’s still a couple of days away, but I wanted to make sure I gave everyone ample warning in case they were interested and needed to get a costume together. I would definitely be doing this if I didn’t have to work. Boo on that, cause zombies rule!

The It’s Alive Show has posted a schedule:
7:00 PM - All Zombies report to The Tiki Lounge or The Smiling Moose on East Carson Street
Take your pick, look at their websites to help you decide. Apply make up if you haven’t already. Practice saying “Braaaiiinnnss….need braaaiiinnnnssss”.

7:30 PM - Begin Walk.
Zombies exit and shamble about for a period of one hour. Eat, drink, explore the shops, but when on the street you must stay in Zombie Mode.

8:30 PM - Zombies Disperse.
The Zombie Walk is over. But wait! There’s more…

The cast from It’s Alive, Pittsburgh’s own Horror Host TV show will be appearing at The Rex Theater (1602 E. Carson Street) after the walk.

Showtime will be 9:00 PM

Festivities at The Rex will include:
-Filming of the It’s Alive Halloween Show
-The Comedy Stylings of Stiffy The Dead Clown
-Live bands and much more!

Tickets will be $10.00 at the door

No advance ticket sales so don’t be late!
The Rex show is an over 21 event. The Zombie Walk is all ages.

For more information go to the It’s Alive Show’s website.

horror, zombies, South Side, Pittsburgh, It’s Alive Show, The Rex

The 17th annual Pittsburgh Irish Festival is this weekend! It will be held from today until Sunday and will feature so much entertainment I couldn’t quite possibly list it here.

I’m going to recommend going to their website to check out the entertainment schedule, parking info, and all that if you’re interesting in going, but here’s the jist of it (from their website):

Where: Riverplex at Sandcastle/West Homestead
When: Friday, September 7 4pm-12 midnight
Saturday September 8, 11am-12 midnight
Sunday September 9, 9am- 6 pm
Tickets:
Adult - $8 advance, $10 at the gate
Child - $3 (ages 3-12 years) Free (under 3 years old)
Military - $5 (Active/Retired with ID)
Students/Seniors (with ID)
$8 (any student ­ high school, college, graduate, community, etc.)
SPECIALS - $1.00 admission Friday - 4:00 - 6:00pm ­ ALL AGES
STUDENT SPECIALS
FRIDAY 6:00 pm ­ 8:00 pm 1/2 price (off regular admission)

for students = $5.00 admission
FRIDAY 8:00 pm ­ 12:00 am 1/2 off regular admission price

with Greek Letters = $5.00 admission
ANY DAY - Bring in Facebook.com Irish Group page -

receive $1.00 off regular student rate = $7.00 admission
GROUP - Group Rate $7 (group of 20 - 49 people) (groups over 50
people, please call 412-654-9000 for price)

You can call 412-422-1113 to buy tickets and also buy them online here.

I really, really hope I can head out this weekend to celebrate my Irish heritage and to listen to some really great music and eat some of my favorite kinds of food!

Pittsburgh, Irish festival, Irish, Sandcastle, food, music, Gaelic, Gaelic Storm, Glengarry Bhoys, The Celtic Tenors

The creators of Pop City (http://popcitymedia.com), a weekly e-magazine giving praise to businesses, people, places, and events in Pittsburgh, are hosting Pop City Live!

Pop City Live! is a free monthly series of engagingly educational events where we will showcase the creative and intellectual talent of the city, speak to its transformation and provide a networking forum for those interested in all things Pittsburgh.

More than a lecture series, Pop City Live will encompass everything from serious panel discussions to entertaining and interactive experiences. Always surprising, always thought provoking and always (hopefully) a little irreverent. Every event will provide an opportunity to network, with some refreshments to entice people to stay.

September 10, 2007 at 6:30 pm
@ the New Hazlett Theatre
Free!
rsvp@popcitymedia.com

Our moderator, Grant Oliphant, and panel of experts on cities and the talent that drives them, will engage in a lively discussion, with audience participation, on how Pittsburgh might build on our unique assets to propel Pittsburgh to become a “hot” city.

Recently, Pop City published this response to a survey question where we asked, in what ways is Pittsburgh the first, the best and the only?

Readers overwhelmingly judged their city as special in five ways:
• Loyal and proud – “Pittsburgh built America with steel and is leading America in the high tech age.”
• Great value and quality of life – “Pittsburgh has a low cost of living which means artists can buy
homes and still have money left over.”
• Accessible and friendly - “Pittsburghers wave you to turn left in front of them in traffic.”
• Leading edge – “Pittsburgh has the first ever Ph.D in robotics.”
• Unique – “Pittsburgh is the first city to put French fries on a sandwich.”

Readers had much more to say, of course, and their comments provide an inside look at our city’s strengths. One respondent summed up an aspect of Pittsburgh that some faster growing cities find hard to duplicate: “The city is at once old world and modern. We allow the future to grow on top of the past.”

Please join us and bring your ideas. Cocktails and conversation to follow.
Respond to: rsvp@popcitymedia.com

This Saturday from 8-12am, WYEP will be hosting a “Rock the Block” party and I highly suggest you don’t miss this!!

There will be live music featuring Mike Doughty (formerly of Soul Coughing), Teddy Thompson, and The Hiders with DJ Subq spinning.

There will also be a silent auction where you can grab merchandise from musicians, such as the Decemberists, Lily Allen, Patti Smith, Ray Lamontagne, Brandi Carlile, The Kooks, Aimee Mann, Barenaked Ladies, The Cat Empire, Ben Harper, Iggy Pop, Citizen Cope, John Doe, Andrew Bird, Lindsey Buckingham, Lucinda Williams, Son Volt, The Hold Steady, Peter Buck, They Might Be Giants, Ben Folds, and American Music Club.

With your admission price comes the privilege of sampling foods from restaurants, such as Abruzzi’s, big Burrito Restaurant Group, Bistro 19, Bigelow Grill and Alchemy, Café Allegro, Café Du Jour, Carson City Saloon, Ciao Baby, East End Food Co-Op, Eat n’ Park, Enrico’s Tazza D’Oro, Gypsy Café, Harris Grill, The Library, Lucca Ristorante, Mantini’s Wood Fired, Pino’s Mediterranean Bistro, Piper’s Pub, Point Brugge Café, Qdoba Mexican Grill, and UUBU 6. As well as beverages from Penn Brewery.

Who could ask for more?

Admission is $35 and if you’re willing to spend the extra cash, VIP is $100, which includes food catered by Bistro 19 and a private performance by Teddy Thompson.

The event will be taking place at their broadcasting center/Bedford Square in the South Side. For directions, google or mapquest 67 Bedford Square, 15203 or go to their website to see their map.

All of this information was taking directly from WYEP’s website. Please go there for further details, such as parking, what to wear, etc.

WYEP has always been my favorite radio station, so hopefully I’ll see ya there!

Pittsburgh, South Side, WYEP, radio, Rock the Block, Teddy Thompson, Mike Doughty, the Hiders, DJ Subq, music, Penn Brewery

Happy Labor Day everyone!

Although I am a bigger fan of May Day, this day is still an important day for workers of all backgrounds. Since I honestly don’t know many people who fit into the category of laborer (which is a shame), here’s to the rest: Happy Day out of the Cubicle to you!

Despite Labor Day being a day of rest for most people, it wasn’t always this way. We shouldn’t forget why there is such a holiday as Labor Day or the fact that the working conditions we have today are owed to our ancestors who fought for their safety and ours.

The History Channel’s website has a good summary of how Labor Day started:

As the Industrial Revolution took hold of the nation, the average American in the late 1800s worked 12-hour days, seven days a week in order to make a basic living. Children were also working, as they provided cheap labor to employers and laws against child labor were not strongly enforced.

With the long hours and terrible working conditions, American unions became more prominent and voiced their demands for a better way of life. On Tuesday September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers marched from city hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first-ever Labor Day parade. Participants took an unpaid day-off to honor the workers of America, as well as vocalize issues they had with employers. As years passed, more states began to hold these parades, but Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later.

There is some doubt over who started Labor Day, but many historians credit Peter McGuire, who was a general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and was co-founder of the American Federation of Labor. I don’t think it matters who started it, but I’m glad someone did!

For more information on Labor Day, view the rest of History.com’s excellent presentation of this holiday: its history, fun facts, prominent leaders, videos, images and more! Check it out here.

work, workers, Labor Day, History Channel, Industrial Revolution, labor, wages, protests