There is an annual, family-friendly fall fest that can be found in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh right outside the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Roads close and the day-to-day rhythm of the city stops in favor of all-ages crafts and activities, costumes and games — culminating in a delightful performance meant to entertain young and old alike.
Who’s responsible for this idyllic autumn gathering? This one isn’t presented by the city — it’s a party thrown by Point Park University.
Bring the Whole Family to Pittsburgh Playhouse’s Fall Fest in Downtown
The Pittsburgh Playhouse’s third annual Fall Fest takes place on the last two weekends in October in and around the Downtown-based venue (just a few blocks from the University itself). Kiesha Lalama, the dean of the School of Theatre, Film and Animation and the executive producer of the Playhouse, says the idea was born out of a desire to add more family-friendly events to the city.
“For us, it was just another way to bring people together and celebrate art in a different way. I think a lot of people associate the Pittsburgh Playhouse with simply performing arts, but we do it all here.”
Carnival-style games — with far more frequent wins than those you might find at an amusement park — and activities including face and pumpkin painting are aimed at younger guests. For parents, students and other grown-ups visiting the festival, food trucks and vendors offer their wares.
“Fall Fest [is] a great way to celebrate not only our community but our local artists and artisans — and our local chefs,” Lalama says.
Catch a Family-Friendly Halloween Show
The main event is Boo’s Halloween House Party, an all-ages performance inside the Playhouse. Directed and choreographed by Point Park alum and Broadway performer Ahmad Simmons (a member of the original Hadestown cast), the show features a handful of recognizable songs and plenty of energy in an accessible, 45-minute format.
“Boo loses its boo, and his friends help him try to get his boo back,” explains Lalama. “It ends up in a really, really fun place.” (While admission to the festival itself is free, tickets are required for performances of Boo’s Halloween House Party.) Lalama stresses that the show is a delight regardless of age: “We’ve had toddlers, we’ve had infants in strollers, we’ve had grandparents.”
Only in its third year, Fall Fest also has a recognizable icon: A towering pumpkin with an entry through its grinning mouth. It’s a perfect social-media photo op — and has popped up on hundreds of feeds in the first two years of the festival.
Lalama says Fall Fest is focused as much on adding to Downtown’s offering as it is a part of the Playhouse’s programming. “For us, it’s so important that we focus on [bringing people Downtown] … Where could we find our fit and find a place to keep Pittsburgh alive? So fall and Halloween fell into our laps.”
What to Know Before You Go
Fall Fest takes place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for the next two weekends; Friday’s event kicks off at 6 p.m., while the fun starts at noon on Saturdays and Sundays. Ticketed performances of Boo’s Halloween House Party are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and 2 and 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Don’t let your spooky Halloween fun end here, there are plenty of other Halloween events to explore around Pittsburgh.
About the Author
Sean Collier is the editor-in-chief of Shady Ave and the arts and culture editor of TABLE Magazine. Before joining the TABLE Media team, he spent nearly 15 years as a writer, editor and columnist at Pittsburgh Magazine. As the in-house film critic for the top-rated WDVE Morning Show since 2009, he’s been Pittsburgh’s most widely heard voice on movies for nearly two decades. A Pittsburgh native, Sean has since 2020 appeared weekly on KDKA-TV’s popular Pittsburgh Today Live talk show. He’s the co-founder of Vigilance Theater Group and an active stand-up comedian and event host. He can be found on Instagram and Twitter at @seancollierpgh.
Photos From Pittsburgh Playhouse
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