Kick off Hallo-weekend this Friday with the Cultural District’s Gallery Crawl, where experimental noise artists Aaron Dilloway and Beau Wanzer take over Wood Street Galleries for one night only. On Halloween night, Bricolage Production Company reimagines George A. Romero’s horror classic as a radio drama — complete with Foley work and Pittsburghese — with Night of the Living Dead N’At. On Sunday, honoring Halloween’s ancient origins with a Samhain celebration at Carrie Blast Furnaces. And if you’re still looking for more Halloween fun besides what’s below, our guide to Halloween in Pittsburgh has you covered.

For more happenings, feel free to check out our Pittsburgh events calendar, year-round Pittsburgh guide, fun things to do this week, and the best performances this week.

What To Do In Pittsburgh This Weekend

Gallery Crawl: Halloween Edition

Friday, October 30 | Wood Street Galleries, Downtown

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s quarterly Gallery Crawl gets a spooky twist this Friday from 5:30-9 p.m. throughout the Cultural District. A one-night-only Halloween show on the second floor of Wood Street Galleries is the main event. Celebrate experimental musician Aaron Dilloway’s record release, and catch a rare live set from industrial techno solo artist Beau Wanzer. Don’t forget to wander and catch Combine Harvester: Andrew W. Allison and Matthew Constant, curated by Liz Rudnick, at 820 Gallery before it closes on Sunday. You can also toast two brand-new openings: Charlie Wallace: The Stars Are Watching at 707 Gallery, and Public Utility Commission at SPACE Gallery. Finish your night by taking in the public installations at Arts Landing.

Keep the night going afterward with a stop at one of Downtown’s best bars and restaurants.

Night of the Living Dead N’At

Saturday, October 31 | The Lillie Theatre at City Theatre, South Side

Bricolage Production Company is giving George A. Romero’s 1968 horror classic the full yinzer treatment. Tami Dixon’s adaptation sends the shambling undead all over ‘tahn in a live radio drama that includes foley work and Pittsburghese. Jeffrey Carpenter directs, Deana Muro serves as musical director, and local cello-rock band Cello Fury performs as a musical guest. The performance runs for 75 minutes with no intermission, giving you plenty of time to make scary party moves. This performance is pay-what-you-want, with prices starting at $5 online. Catch the 2 p.m. Sunday matinee, or come back before the run ends on November 15 if you can’t make it Saturday.

Samhain

Sunday, November 1 | Carrie Blast Furnaces, Rankin

Samhain (pronounced SOW-in or SAH-win) is one of the most sacred festivals on the Celtic calendar and marks the final harvest and begins the turn into the darker half of the year. Many of our modern Halloween traditions, from costumes to lanterns and protective fire, are rooted in this ancient celebration honoring the dead. The Pittsburgh Irish Festival and ANAM Arts close out their Celtic Fire Festival Series with this evening of live music, storytelling, ritual performance, and visual art under the towering stacks of the historic Carrie Blast Furnaces. Fire takes center stage, as it should. The festival runs from 3 to 9 p.m.; dress warmly and stay past sunset for the full effect. Be sure to buy tickets ahead of time on Eventbrite.

What To Do In Pittsburgh October 23-25

Night of Death and Disaster

Friday, October 23 | The Andy Warhol Museum of Art, North Side

In his Death and Disaster series from 1962 to 1967, Andy Warhol repeatedly silkscreened car crashes, electric chairs, and grim headlines to explore the impact of images taken out of a journalistic context and framed as works of art. His namesake museum honors that darker side with its annual Halloween party on Friday. Dance to music by DJs Second Skin (Erica Scary and Huck Finn) before getting tarot readings from local divinators Three3Three and Pgh Astrology. Then, head up to the sixth floor to hear Ben Opie’s theremin performance. Get an on-the-spot poem from Sprouts of Consciousness before you head home, and make sure to take a moment to appreciate greenSinner’s floral arrangements and décor. Dress in your darkest finery, but leave the masks, wings, tails, and props at home to protect the art. General admission is $35, but a $75 VIP ticket gets you in an hour early and includes two drink tickets. The party sold out last year, so buy your tickets ASAP.

Othello of the End Zone

Saturday, October 24 | New Hazlett Theater, North Side

Shakespeare’s 1603 tragedy goes from Venice to the sideline at the New Hazlett Theater in the North Side. Franky D. Gonzalez’s adaptation puts Imani Othello in charge as the new head coach of America’s most beloved football franchise. As the pressure builds on and off the field, she’s undone by betrayal, just as Othello was. The dialogue is updated to everyday speech, with a plot that closely follows the source material. The magnetic Cynthia Dallas plays Othello opposite Michael Patrick Trimm; DEMASKUS Theater Collective founder Shaunda Miles McDill directs. This production is the New Hazlett’s first-ever co-production with an outside company. Catch the 3 p.m. show on Sunday if you can’t make it Saturday.

Sunday Reset

Sunday, October 25 | August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Downtown

Reset and relax after a weekend of pre-Halloween costume parties and late nights. The August Wilson African American Cultural Center’s Sunday Reset is a community wellness series that gives you a calm “third space” to unwind and get ready for the week ahead. Black-owned Thinkwell Yoga leads the 90-minute session, which starts at noon. Afterward, grab something to drink at the center’s café and take a lap through the galleries. We recommend checking out August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape, which is devoted to the playwright’s life and work. Register ahead of time to save your spot.

You can always stick around Downtown after the performance too and explore the area’s bars and restaurants.

For more happenings, check out our Pittsburgh events calendar. Or, find things to do in Pittsburgh year-round.

About the Author

Amanda Reed has written for Popular Science, Pittsburgh Magazine, Pittsburgh City Paper, Very Local Pittsburgh, GearPatrol and TheStreet. Amanda earned the 2021 Ray Sprigle Best of Show Award from the Western Pennsylvania Press Club for a story on stressed-out college counseling centers. She lives in Bloomfield with JunkJunk, a handsome, sad-looking tuxedo cat who wants only wet food and attention.

Featured Image From Pittsburgh Irish Festival

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