Great a bite or some brine at Pickleburgh, check out the cars at the Vintage Grand Prix or celebrate the river at Glitterbox’s “Mystery on the Mon” \u2014 here’s what to do in Pittsburgh this weekend. <\/p>\n
Visual Art Festival Cars Festival Burlesque
Veteran Pittsburgh-based fiber artist Louise Silk opens a solo show of new work<\/a> at Brew House Arts. \u201cDayenu: It Would Have Been Enough\u201d is the follow-up to her big 2024 career retrospective at Heinz History Center. It features hand-sewn works from art quilts and scrap quilts to flags, portraits and pillows, all crafted from repurposed fabrics and reflecting on her spiritual practices, with themes drawn from Buddhism and Judaism. The opening reception is Thursday, July 16, and the show runs through Sept. 5.<\/p>\n
Like some kind of crazy brined experiment from outer space, Picklesburgh just keeps getting bigger. In this, its 11th year, the annual Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership event for all things pickled is annexing the recently renovated Market Square and the brand-new Arts Landing. More than 200,000 are expected to visit this year\u2019s free, four-day line-up<\/a> of vendors, live music and attractions like the Dill-Cathlon Games (pickle juice drinking, pickle eating, pickle bobbing). Also new: tourneys, clinics and demos at Arts Landing\u2019s just-added pickleball courts. Picklesburgh runs Thursday, July 16, through Sunday, July 19.<\/p>\n
The nation\u2019s only vintage-auto race on city streets has gotten all its streets back. This year\u2019s Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix<\/a> coincides with the reopening of the Panther Hollow Bridge. That allows the nine-day festival\u2019s climactic Schenley Park Races, on Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, to again roar across the iconic span. Organizers expect more than 100,000 spectators to watch the race, and some 3,000 collector vehicles to be displayed on the park\u2019s golf course in two dozen distinct categories. Admission donations ($15 online, $20 at the gate) support individuals with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n
Live music you expect at any sort of festival, but how about puppetry, clowns, \u201ccrankies,\u201d line dancing and live wrestling, all on the same bill? Mystery on the Mon<\/a> is Glitterbox Theater\u2019s free celebration of the Monongahela River (and crankies are hand-crafted, manually cranked story scrolls). The family-friendly afternoon and evening of events takes place both inside and outside the West Homestead theater on Saturday, July 18. The program includes a Rock Paper Scissors Theatrical Tournament, the Howie Alexander jazz trio, and live wrestling courtesy of 880 wrestling.<\/p>\n
The burlesque revival, which added a punkish sensibility and gender-expansiveness to the traditional art of the tease, hit Pittsburgh in the 2000s. The longest-running troupe here today is the Smokin\u2019 Betties, who formed in 2015 and this weekend bring their Villainous Betties show<\/a> to Club Cafe. Troupe members Amoxie Villain, DemDare Eyes and more are joined by Lilith Deville and special guests the Villainous Vices Burlesque from Columbus, Ohio. The sauciness goes onstage Saturday, July 18.<\/p>\n