The theme of this week in Pittsburgh might be “old-fashioned fun.” Annual traditions like A Fair in the Park and the North Shore rib festival mark the beginning of autumn; Kacey Musgraves brings her thoughtful and wistful version of country to PPG Paints Arena; local icons pay tribute to Bob Dylan in a free, outdoor concert; and a new musical with vintage vibes opens at Little Lake. It’s a good week for some late-summer nostalgia.
Grab Tickets to These Pittsburgh Events September 7-13
Acrisure Stadium Kickoff & Rib Festival
Monday, September 7, Also September 3-6, Acrisure Stadium
There are many different markers that signify the end of summer and the beginning of fall: back-to-school, the arrival of Halloween decorations, the sudden invasion of Pumpkin Spice. In Pittsburgh, though, many observe the changing of the seasons by devouring ribs on the North Shore. The annual Kickoff & Rib Festival, always surrounding the first home Pitt football game of the year, brings a bevy of barbecue to Acrisure Stadium and surrounding environs, alongside family activities and live music. On Labor Day, a full day of BBQ & Blues kicks off early with a charity run/walk; sweat a bit and you’ll feel better about the food you’re about to devour.
Kacey Musgraves
Tuesday, September 8, PPG Paints Arena
Kacey Musgraves has an impressive trophy case. The singer-songwriter has won seven Country Music Association awards, four from the Academy of Country Music and an impressive eight Grammys — including an Album of the Year selection for her 2018 release Golden Hour, a rarity for a country artist. Musgraves returns to Pittsburgh for a midweek gig at PPG Paints Arena; expect to hear most of her latest album, Middle of Nowhere, and at least one surprising cover of a country classic.
Britsburgh Festival
Wednesday, September 9, Also September 7-13, Throughout Pittsburgh
The annual Britsburgh Festival brings an Anglophile flair to the Steel City — but also highlights the many ways in which Pittsburgh already has sturdy English roots. On Wednesday, a walking tour of the South Side will highlight the places and stories that link Britain and Pittsburgh; the week also features a keg tapping with East End Brewing, afternoon tea at the Mansions on Fifth, live music and comedy, a celebratory night at the pitch with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and much more.
Big Fish
Thursday, September 10, Continues Through September 27, Little Lake Theater
The musical Big Fish — based on the film of the same name by Tim Burton, which was in turn based on the novel by Daniel Wallace — is a stirring tale about the way we write and rewrite our own stories, turning life into a magical fable. It’s a perfect show for the idyllic, inviting grounds of Little Lake; arrive early to gaze at the water (yes, there’s an actual lake near the theater).
Lindsay Theater Documentary Series
Friday, September 11, Continues Through September 24, Lindsay Theater
New documentaries have all but disappeared from local cinemas in recent years; fortunately, the Lindsay Theater is here to deliver new, nonfiction features to audiences. Among the selections in this year’s Documentary Series: No Country for Mothers, about the challenges facing mothers in the United States; A Life Illuminated, a journey to the bottom of the sea; Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other, a look at life and aging; Mary Oliver: Saved By the Beauty of the World, an intimate portrait of the lauded poet; and Forever Young: A Bob Dylan Tribute, a local feature capturing the Bob Dylan tribute shows from Joe Grushecky and Billy Price. (See Sunday for more on those concerts.) That’s just a few of the films in the lineup, and all are worth a look.
A Fair in the Park
Saturday, September 12, Also September 11 & 13, Mellon Park
Find the perfect piece of decor for your home — or, in all likelihood, a thousand other great finds — at A Fair in the Park, the annual gathering of artists, crafters and vendors benefitting the Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh. It’s free to attend this daylong event, so stroll through Mellon Park whether you’re looking to buy or merely browse. A lineup of live music, presented by Calliope House, will round out the festivities.
Billy Price and Joe Grushecky
Sunday, September 13, Mellon Park
After you’ve seen Forever Young in the Lindsay’s Documentary Series, come see the songs of Bob Dylan live and in person. Pittsburgh rock icons Billy Price and Joe Grushecky will revive their tribute to Dylan for a free, outdoor concert in Allegheny Commons Park West on the North Side. Grushecky and Price are world-class musicians worth seeing anytime they’re on stage; getting the rare chance to see them play the music of Bob Dylan is a can’t-miss event. The music starts at 7 p.m.
Tickets to Pittsburgh Events August 31-September 6
BURNBABYBURN! the american dream
Monday, August 31, Also Select Dates From August 25-September 13, Outdoors at August Wilson House
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company presents this world-premiere drama from playwright a.k. payne — and it’ll happen in August Wilson’s backyard. BURNBABYBURN! is a time-traveling journey through its protagonist’s personal history, told through generations of photographs and encounters with bygone ancestors. Playwrights will stage the show, which is directed by Monteze Freeland, in the backyard performance space behind Wilson’s childhood home; it’s a resonant and surprisingly lovely space for affecting theater. (There’s one indoor performance scheduled at the nearby Madison Arts Center, too.)
The Deadline from Aria412
Tuesday, September 1, Hop Farm Brewing Co.
Aria412 has a great host venue for its evenings of music: Hop Farm Brewing Co., the excellent Butler Street brewery. That means that their shows feature not only beautiful pieces of music … but also top-notch draft beer. It’s a powerful combination. Aria412 will premiere The Deadline, a new chamber opera from company members Matt Gillespie and Kip Soteres, in a program that will also feature other iconic pieces about people running out of time. But don’t let the focus on evaporating timelines stress you out — at this show, your only responsibilities are to listen and sip.
The Sound of Music Brew & View
Wednesday, September 2, Row House Lawrenceville
Speaking of song and suds: the timeless movie musical The Sound of Music will be paired, appropriately, with beers from Von Trapp Brewing at this one-night-only Row House Lawrenceville screening. This is no mere naming coincidence: The Vermont-based Von Trapp Brewing was founded by Johannes von Trapp, youngest son of Sound of Music subjects Maria and Captain Von Trapp. Enjoy a beer or two as you hum along — and try not to get weepy to Edelweiss.
Tiger Maple String Band
Thursday, September 3, Schenley Plaza
Calliope House, Pittsburgh’s storied folk music society, presents its shows in a wide variety of spaces — large halls, basement venues and frequently under the night sky. This Thursday night, Pennsylvanian acoustic ensemble Tiger Maple String Band will perform with Calliope on the outdoor stage at Schenley Plaza in Oakland; expect fast fiddling, Appalachian melodies and sweet harmonies. No tickets are required for Calliope’s Schenley Plaza shows, though a suggested tip of $15 supports both the organization and the band; you can even make your donation online. Think of it as passing the virtual hat.
Reb Beach
Friday, September 4, South Park
Here’s another outdoor show — though it’ll be anything but acoustic. Reb Beach is one of the most virtuosic guitarists in heavy-metal history, with long stints as the lead guitarist for bands including Winger, Whitesnake and Dokken. He’s a native of Western Pennsylvania who still makes his home in Oakmont, when he’s not on the road with one of those bands or performing under his own name. Expect hits from throughout his career when he takes the stage Friday night at South Park; also expect for much more than shredding, as Beach easily transitions between genres and sounds.
Marlon Wayans
Saturday, September 5, Also Friday, September 4, Pittsburgh Improv
Marlon Wayans probably should be an Oscar nominee. His commanding, villainous turn in the 2023 horror movie Him might well have been recognized with a Best Supporting Actor nod — and yet the Academy is often reluctant to recognize performers who have been in more broad comedies, as Wayans certainly has (including a return to his own Scary Movie franchise this year, which you an read our review for). As good as Wayans is on screen, however, he’s even better as a stand-up comedian. See him take the mic for two shows on Friday and three more on Saturday.
Merry Wives of Windsor from Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks
Sunday, September 6, Also Select Dates Through October 11, Highland Park + Other Parks
In the waning days of each summer, Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks takes a looping journey through some of the city’s loveliest spots for a rousing round of comedy (or, somewhat less frequently, drama). This year’s selection is the mischievous and uproarious Merry Wives of Windsor, and the road show will begin with two weekends in Highland Park. Future stops are planned for Frick Park, Hazelwood Green, Riverview Park and Westinghouse Park.
Get Tickets to the Hottest Events in Pittsburgh August 24-30
TLC with Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue
Monday, August 24, Pavilion at Star Lake
If you made a mixtape solely featuring these three acts, it’d be an irresistible collection of hits: Waterfalls, Shoop, My Lovin’, No Scrubs, Push It, Giving Him Something He Can Feel and dozens more. Expect Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue to team up on the 1993 hit Whatta Man, as they did during an electric Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction performance — and expect TLC to pay ample tribute to their bygone partner, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez, in between vocal fireworks.
Kesha
Tuesday, August 25, Pavilion at Star Lake
Pyrotechnic vocalist, soulful songwriter and fierce activist Kesha has been generating irresistible anthems for more than 15 years, from the inescapable dirty pop of Tik Tok to boisterous R&B anthems such as Woman. There’s remarkable range in her catalogue — look up her Dolly Parton collaboration, Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You), or her cover of Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright — and her concerts are joyous occasions. She’ll be joined on the Star Lake stage by Chromeo and Erika Jayne.
Black Swan
Wednesday, August 26, Also Daily August 21-27, Row House
In the past 15 years, filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s films have been … singular. You might even call them curious. And, yes, you can call some of them bad. (Let’s never reopen the Mother! debate.) But The Wrestler and Black Swan, his unofficially linked duology about performers putting their bodies and souls on the line, is unimpeachable; Black Swan, in fact, is one of the greatest films of the 2010s. Natalie Portman, who won an Oscar for the role, stars as a fragile ballerina pushed to madness by the demands of her permission, preparing for a Swan Lake that’s infecting her mind. It’ll play at Row House as part of a week dubbed “The Show Must Go On,” also featuring Phantom of the Paradise, All That Jazz, Inside Llewyn Davis and Cabaret.
The Sandlot
Thursday, August 27, North Shore Plaza
Here’s a much different movie — but one probably targeting the same audience, MPAA rating aside. The 1993 family baseball comedy The Sandlot, about a group of misfit teen ballplayers and their request to retrieve an autographed treasure from a monstrous neighborhood pooch, is a Millennial cultural touchstone. (You’re killin’ me, Smalls.) It’s also the sort of movie that would never be made for kids today, loaded with bad behavior, bad language and general mischief. Should you take the kids? Sure — it’ll make them feel like they’re getting away with something. But you’re going for your own nostalgic evening under the stars. The Sandlot will be screened outdoors at North Shore Plaza.
Music on the Lawn
Friday, August 28, South Side Works
When a big gathering fills the South Side Works, it shows what this space — removed from East Carson Street, a stone’s throw from the river, self-contained yet expansive — has the potential to be. At Music on the Lawn, live music (starting at 6:30 p.m.) will be accompanied by a cash bar from The Speckled Egg, food from area vendors and more — including giant lawn games from the folks at Pins Mechanical, the sprawling bowling/arcade complex nearby. It’s a very different (and, dare we say, better) version of a night out on the South Side. But, you can always hit up a traditional South Side night out after.
Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s Broadway at the Overlook
Saturday, August 29, Also Aug. 27, 28, 30, The Overlook
Even the best Broadway spectacular doesn’t have a backdrop this grand. Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s annual Broadway at the Overlook debut brings a musical theater revue to the city’s West End Overlook Park, with the skyline framing the performers as the sun sets. Expect tunes from the company’s upcoming season — Miss Saigon, Matilda the Musical, Million Dollar Quartet and more — from a roster of bravura performers. The shows kick off at 7 p.m.; arrive early (and bring your own chair) for the best seats in the house. Want to elevate your pre-show meal? Skip the cheese tray and get take-out from Subba Asian Restaurant on the North Side before you cross the West End Bridge.
Della Terra & JL Shorr Gallery Dinner
Sunday, August 30, Della Terra
Head to Zelienople for a one-of-a-kind dining opportunity, as chefs from Della Terra present a five-course meal inspired by the work of painter Nicole Renee Ryan. The JL Shorr Gallery, where Ryan’s work can be seen, will be on hand to talk art — and Della Terra’s chefs will introduce each course, explaining how individual works by Ryan inspired the creation of these one-night-only dishes. It’s a delicious and engaging collision of art and cuisine.
Plus, check out our calendar for other events this week and beyond. Or, view our guide for things to do in Pittsburgh anytime of the year.
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.
Story by Sean Collier
Photo Courtesy of Britsburgh
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