Whether you’re chasing a coveted Dr. Robby bobblehead, singing along with Taylor Swift’s doppelgänger, or stretching dinner into a patio-worthy summer evening, we’ve planned out the weekend so you don’t have to.

What To Do In Pittsburgh This Weekend 

Yinzerpalooza

Friday-Sunday, July 24-26 | PNC Park

Yinzerpalooza poses a profound existential question: Can a sports team with racing pierogies become more Pittsburgh? Apparently, yes. This three-day lovefest of baseball and the Burgh kicks off Friday night and features block parties, Pirates alums, giveaways, and special activities—like base running—for the kiddos. The triple-header sees the Pirates facing off against the Cubs, but on Saturday night the fiercest competition happens before the game: The first 20,000 fans through the gates score a bobblehead of The Pitt‘s perpetually frazzled Dr. Robby.

Blank Space: The Unofficial Taylor Swift Tribute

Saturday, July 25 | The Plaza at North Shore

With Blank Space, a touring production that recreates the exact music, choreography, and costumes from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour—down to the signature sequins and shimmies—we’ve officially reached peak levels of pop-star worship. Less tribute band and more uncanny valley performance art, Blank Space hits Pittsburgh for one night while attracting its own devotees—proving that when it comes to blonde billionaire megastars, even the impersonators get fan clubs.

Arrested Development

Sunday, July 26 | Hartwood Acres

Embrace analog summer with throwback 1990s Afrocentric hip-hop when Arrested Development comes to Hartwood Acres’ main stage. The history-making group—the first rap act to win the Best New Artist Grammy in 1993—is best known for its ’90s anthems like Tennessee, but it’s hardly a legacy act coasting on nostalgia. Founding frontman Speech still helms the band, and now he’s leading a rotating roster of vocalists and musicians who continue to release independent albums and tour globally. Arrive early: Pittsburgh’s own Cam Chambers opens the show, bringing razor-sharp R&B chops to the lawn.

Open Streets

Sunday, July 26 | Downtown

This summer, the only thing Pittsburghers love more than complaining about traffic is discovering what to do once it’s gone. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Butler and Smallman streets will be completely closed to cars, transforming a three-mile stretch of Lawrenceville and the Strip into one long, pedestrian-friendly promenade for biking,  boogieing, scootering, strolling, and pogoing. You don’t have to stop for red lights, but definitely slow down for wine tastings, a free film screening, a brass band, cornhole, live music, crafts, and food vendors.

Get Out: Laid-back Dining and a Killer Mocktail

Humid July weekends call for no-worries, no-hurries dining, like the farm-to-fork seasonal dishes at Troy Hill’s easygoing gastropub Scratch & Co. (1720 Lowrie Street, Troy Hill). Owner Don Mahaney builds the menu around ingredients from Pennsylvania farms, breweries, and producers, and this week’s line-up includes Laurel Highlands trout in browned butter, buttermilk corn soup, and apple-rhubarb crisp. 

Then head to the East End for one of Pittsburgh’s best zero-proof pours. Jackworth Ginger Beer (6615 Hamilton Avenue, Larimer) is Pennsylvania’s only ginger beer brewery, and its inventive Blood in the River mocktail is the drink to order, delivering all the bright, juniper-forward character of a classic gin cocktail without the booze. Crafted with nonalcoholic gin, maraschino, and lemon, it’s crisp, pleasantly tart, and just subtly sweet. Grab a seat on the side patio—if the weather hasn’t turned the sidewalk into a skillet. 

For more happenings, check out our Pittsburgh events calendar.

Story by Kathleen Renda
Featured Image From Pittsburgh Pirates

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