The Pittsburgh Cultural Arts Meetup Group

Jazz at the Cascades

Sun, Sep 6 · 4:45 PM EDT

South Park Cascades, 1 Stone Manse Drive, South Park, PA, US

Step into the rhythm of summer evenings with enchanting performances by Jazzmania Live! Set at the relaxing and stunning South Park Cascades, jazz concerts take place (usually twice per month during the summer) on Sunday evenings. Please note the September 6 concert will begin at 5 pm and end at 7 pm.

Visitors are encouraged to bring portable chairs, blankets, and snacks.

While these jazz concerts are free, donations are accepted.

For those not familiar with the area, South Park Cascades is located next to the historic Oliver Miller Homestead (which is open every Sunday from 1:30 – 4:30 PM) and less than a mile from South Park Ice Rink and Flora Park Creamery where visitors can enjoy 24 flavors of ice cream from Penn State Creamery, Chocolate Shoppe (Madison, WI), and other suppliers. Please note that Flora Park Creamery is open Tuesday-Sunday: 12 pm-9 pm and Monday: 4:30 pm-9 pm

Please note Jazz at the Cascades concerts are weather-permitting and in the event of inclement weather, please check the Allegheny County Parks Facebook page for updates.

Check out this South Park Cascades video. Built in 1930, the historic South Park Cascades were a manmade water feature using stratified rock quarried from the park itself. The brainchild of Paul B. Riis, the famed Swiss-born landscape architect, the Cascades were carefully composed to evoke a network of waterfalls and stone pools. Along with the cascading waterfalls, the large pools act as a water feature at which the public can soak up the sights and sounds of the park’s natural heritage and immerse themselves in nature. There are also nearby hiking trails. P

A Fair in the Park (during September 11-13)

Sat, Sep 12 · 11:30 AM EDT

Mellon Park, 6300 5th Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, US

A Fair in the Park is presented by the Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh. This annual contemporary fine art and fine craft festival takes place during September 11-13 in the lush surroundings of Pittsburgh’s Mellon Park in Shadyside on the edge of Squirrel Hill and Point Breeze at 6300 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232.

An estimated 20,000 visitors will enjoy the opportunity to interact with over 100 regional and national artists working in a variety of mediums including clay, fiber, wood, jewelry, glass, metal, mixed media, and two-dimensional art.

The festival hours are:
Friday: 1pm-7pm
Saturday: 10am-7pm
Sunday: 10am-5pm

This festival is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine.

MEETUP Considerations

With over 22 hours of activities/entertainment (during Friday/Saturday/Sunday), a large crowd is expected as people will naturally be arriving and leaving at different times depending on the weather and what else they have planned for the weekend.

One gathering location will be in front of The Pickled Chef food truck on Saturday (9/12) at 11:30 AM sharp ... unless it is raining. In case of inclement weather, an alternate gathering time will be updated in the comments section below. Stay tuned for updates.

At any given time, there could be anywhere from 0-10+ people from the Meetup group although they'll be dispersed among many hundreds of others (general public) that will also be attending. Thus, you'll generally find more people from the Meetup if you walk around as compared to staying in just a few spots.

If the weather forecast looks good, we'll try to arrange Meetup groups for various times during the weekend.

As always, it is also fine if people prefer to check out the festival on their own with family/friends or in smaller groups.

Please be mindful that most people are simply happy enough to say hi to whoever they already know -- and happen to run into -- as they walk around the festival.

It is not realistic to post comments asking where other people in the group are and expecting a timely response. Many people are there to enjoy the festival without feeling the need to constantly check their cell phones.

Please be mindful that whenever gathering times/locations are provided for Meetup events, there is always a tradeoff as to how long people that show up 'on time' should be expected to 'wait around' for others that may or may not show up at a given time.

While some may spend only an hour or two at the festival, others will stay longer or may want to check out nearby places in Shadyside, Bakery Square, East Liberty, Point Breeze, Squirrel Hill, or Oakland.

Stay tuned for updates!

Brunch at Barcelona Wine Bar, PIJF & Afternoon Options in Cultural District

Sat, Sep 19 · 12:00 PM EDT

Barcelona Wine Bar, 922 Penn Avenue,, Pittsburgh, PA, US

Please join us for brunch at Barcelona Wine Bar which has an interesting brunch menu along with a wide selection of wines from around the world.

After brunch, people can check out various downtown galleries. In addition, there are other options such as taking in a movie at Harris Theater, theatre performances in the Cultural District, etc.

People may break off into smaller groups to check out the free outdoor concerts during the 16th Annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (PIJF) taking place along Liberty Avenue near the August Wilson Center (980 Liberty Avenue).
It is recommended people bring portable chairs for the free outdoor jazz festival concerts on Saturday, September 19 from 11 AM to 10 PM.

Meetup Considerations
To assist with logistics, please RSVP now only if you're interested in brunch. Barcelona Wine Bar is a very popular restaurant and so it would be helpful to have a headcount to help ensure we have enough tables.

Please browse the brunch menu in advance to get an idea of the prices before deciding whether to RSVP or not.

Parking Here is the ParkPGH website with real-time info on downtown parking garage availability where you can also download apps, get garage availability via text messaging, etc. You can also call 412-423-8980.

16th Annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (PIJF) during September 17-20

Sat, Sep 19 · 1:30 PM EDT

August Wilson Center for African American Culture, 980 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, US

Check out the 16th Annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (PIJF) taking place along Liberty Avenue near the August Wilson Center (980 Liberty Avenue) and other venues throughout the city during September 17-20. The jazz festival includes free outdoor concerts on Liberty Avenue as well as several ticketed indoor events.

It is recommended people bring portable chairs for the free outdoor jazz festival concerts on Saturday, September 19 (from 11 AM to 10 PM) and Sunday, September 20 from 11 AM to 10 PM. Check out this PIJF Street Festival link for the bands that will be performing on September 19-20.

While at the PIJF, people can also check out various downtown galleries that will be open until 5 PM. In addition, there are other options such as taking in a movie at Harris Theater, theatre performances in the Cultural District, etc.

Other updates may be provided later on -- such as where the group may be meeting to check out jazz festival, downtown galleries, etc.

Other Thursday-Sunday Jazz Events There are ticketed performances on Friday night (9/18) at the August Wilson Center,

In addition, with so many visitors traveling to Pittsburgh for the jazz festival, there will be live jazz all over the city, including Con Alma, Eddie V's, Kingfly Spirits, and City Winery during the entire festival Thursday-Sunday.

Meetup Considerations
At any given time, there could be anywhere from 0-20+ people from Meetup although they'll be dispersed among thousands of jazz fans, general public, etc. Thus, you'll generally find more people from the Meetup if you walk around as compared to staying in just a few spots.

If the weather forecast looks good, we'll try to arrange Meetup groups for various times during the weekend.

As always, it is also fine if people prefer to check out the jazz festival on their own with family/friends or in smaller groups.

Please be mindful that most people are simply happy enough to say hi to whoever they already know -- and happen to run into -- as they walk around the festival.

Parking Here is the ParkPGH website with real-time info on downtown parking garage availability where you can also download apps, get garage availability via text messaging, etc. You can also call 412-423-8980.