Pittsburgh Happenings

Knit the Bridge
The Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh will be “yarn bombed,” thanks to a Knit the Bridge project, a grassroots, community-led arts project that involved 1,500 people who supplied knitted and crocheted materials to cover the iconic bridge. The large-scale fiberarts installation will cover The Andy Warhol Bridge in downtown Pittsburgh, Aug. 11- Sept. 8, 2013. Held in conjunction with Fiberart International 2013, the intention of Knit the Bridge is to celebrate the history of Pittsburgh as a city of bridges and steel as well as celebrate the region’s thriving, contemporary art scene. A Knit the Bridge Art Party takes place Aug. 25 from 3-7 p.m. on the Warhol Bridge!  

Art Lovers: Mark Your Calendar
Take a deep breath and get ready for the 2013 Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts. For four weeks, Pittsburgh will set the stage for international companies and artists premiering works never before seen in the United States. Theater, dance, music, performance, visual arts, the real and surreal merge for the wildly entertaining festival. As part of the Festival of Firsts, be among the first in the U.S. to witness a worldwide sensation: the friendly, floating, four-story high Rubber Duck makes its U.S. debut on Sept. 27 in Pittsburgh and will be floating in the river for at least two weeks. In other art happenings, Pittsburgh also welcomes the return of Carnegie International to Carnegie Museum of Art on October 5. This much-anticipated, cutting-edge contemporary art exhibition boasts works by 35 artists from 19 countries, including a series of large-scale commissions throughout the museum and beyond. It includes an ambitious reinstallation of the permanent collection of contemporary art that helped to build the museum. The Carnegie International runs Oct. 5, 2013-March 15, 2014

Pedal Power
On Sunday, Aug. 25, three great bike rides will be part of PedalPGH, which is celebrating its 20th year. From the beginner-friendly Post-Gazette Family Ride, to the 25-mile Highmark City Tour, and the 62-mile PJ Dick, Trumbull and Lindy Paving Tour ride, cyclists will be exploring Pittsburgh’s coolest neighborhoods. PedalPGH riders will have fully marked courses that show off some of Pittsburgh’s best bicycle friendly roads, scenic views and, of course, bike lanes. Riders will receive a commemorative 20th Anniversary PedalPGH T-Shirt.  

You Can Be Sure: Westinghouse Castle Tours
The Westinghouse Castle, the former headquarters for industrialist George Westinghouse and his Westinghouse Air Brake Co., is open for public tours through September, after which it will be converted into a boutique hotel. “The Castle,” which is located about 14 miles from downtown Pittsburgh, is open for tours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays through Saturday. The architecturally significant structure, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, will be transformed into a hotel, restaurant and banquet facility. George Westinghouse introduced paid vacations and half-days off on Saturdays.  

Bragging Rights
Motovo, an online real estate company, ranked Pittsburgh as the Smartest City in the United States. One hundred of the most populous cities were ranked based on universities and colleges per person, libraries per person, education levels, news media outlets, museums and public school rank… Also, Tripadvisor.com, the world’s largest travel site, ranked Pittsburgh’s PNC Park as the best ballpark in the U.S. “Perched along the Allegheny River, this renowned ballpark features spectacular sights of the Steel City skyline and the beautiful Clemente Bridge. A unique two-level ballpark that opened in 2001, PNC provides an intimate setting and spectacular views and sightlines from anywhere in the stadium.”