Pittsburgh is truly one of the best places to visit in Pennsylvania. Known as “the Steel City”, this place has been an industrial core for coal and steel production. In recent times, Pittsburgh has shifted its focus to education, health care, and tourism. Whether you are a tourist or a local, you will never get bored exploring this amazing city. Starting from the renowned Carnegie Museum of Art to the historic Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, there is no dearth of things to or do in this city. Moreover, it is also famous for its diverse festivals throughout the year. Festival goers will surely be overwhelmed with all the festivities that the city has o offer, including ones that support charity causes. Get to know more about the popular festivals In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from our list below.
1. Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (September)
Jazz enthusiast or not, this funky festival is an absolute go-to event. Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival has been an avenue for bringing people together to enjoy quality music and celebrate with the community.
Every year, this festival drives locals and tourists to Downtown Pittsburgh, which turns into a huge fun gathering featuring concerts, music jamming sessions, and delicious food and drinks. Over 140 local musicians grace the event with their spectacular performances that are enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.
Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (June)
Address: 980 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, United States
2. Rock, Reggae & Relief (August)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
We did the math, and we have exactly 420 minutes of LIVE music planned for you tomorrow at #RRRpgh21! We're bringing...
Posted by Rock, Reggae & Relief on Friday, August 27, 2021
This is a benefit festival that aims to assist underprivileged communities and provide them with a suitable environment for a healthy lifestyle, employment, and other necessities. The festival proudly raises considerable amounts of money through tickets and donations and contributes to various causes and relief programs for the betterment of society.
Being a music festival, it also offers a platform for cultural inclusion and of course, fun. Engage in dancing to soulful music and enjoy good food and beverages at the festival site.
Rock, Reggae & Relief
Address: 242 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222, US
Website: Rock, Reggae & Relief
Price: From 60 USD
3. Pittsburgh Wine Festival (May)
Pittsburgh offers one glorious day every spring for celebrating the finest and most exceptional wines worldwide. It also benefits a children’s hospital and a cancer institute with its huge earnings every year. Pittsburgh Wine Festival lets you enjoy and appreciate the artistry of wine experts around the globe, with more than 165 vendors serving various types of wine. You not only get to enjoy excellent wine but also indulge in a selection of delicious cuisine.
So be sure to attend this lively festival to enjoy some sips of reds, whites, roses, and tasty bites while enjoying live entertainment.
Pittsburgh Wine Festival
Address: 100 Art Rooney Ave · Pittsburgh, PA 15212, United States
Website: Pittsburgh Wine Festival
Price: 125 USD
4. Pittsburgh Earth Day Festival (April)
Pittsburgh Earth Day is a huge festival that’s dedicated to enlightening and educating locals and tourists about sustainability and environmental consciousness. It invites and celebrates businesses and organizations that aim for development by opting for a greener way.
Throughout the years, people have celebrated Earth Day in towns and municipalities. This citywide celebration honors the transformation of Pittsburgh from the Steel City to a home for environmental innovations that are critical in this era of climate change and global warming.
Pittsburgh Earth Day Festival
Address Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Website: Pittsburgh Earth Day Festival
5. Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival (October)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
The stage is set for tomorrow! What do you think?! FAQ:...
Posted by Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival on Friday, October 15, 2021
The month of October can sure be represented by a lot of things, but pumpkins are surely the first thing that comes to mind. In Pittsburgh, these pumpkins are giant, weighing as much as 2500 pounds (1133 kilograms). Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival is a family-friendly event that celebrates these humongous fruits. These pumpkins come from Dill’s Atlantic Giant, which distributes seeds for growing the biggest breed of cucurbits in the world.
This major fall festival features lots of fun family activities such as pumpkin carving and pie-eating.
Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival
Address: North Shore Riverfront Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Website: Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival
Price: Free
6. Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix (July)
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is an annual vintage street race presented by the Greater Pittsburgh Automobile Dealers Foundation. Continuing for 10 days, this festival is the largest vintage race featuring exciting activities such as parades, car shows, parties, and motor-sport events.
Along with all the thrilling activities, the world-renowned automotive event raises funds to help provide residential care for individuals with autism and intellectual or developmental disabilities in the city.
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
Address: Schenley Park Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Website: Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
7. Pittsburgh Fringe Festival (April)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
The Pittsburgh Fringe Festival is an annual event that celebrates multi-disciplinary performing arts. You can enjoy a variety of shows featuring different forms of art, including theater, comedy, puppetry, poetry, music, dance, and much more! The participating national and local artists are encouraged to go all-out in their artistic expression and try new forms of art.
The event aims to be affordable and accessible to artists and audiences. It also accepts donations for charity causes.
Pittsburgh Fringe Festival
Address: 2052 Termon Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Website: Pittsburgh Fringe Festival
Price: Free/ Donations accepted
8. Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival (June)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Posted by Three Rivers Arts Festival on Friday, June 17, 2022
One of the many music and arts festivals Pittsburgh offers is Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. This festival, held in downtown Pittsburgh, is a commemoration of multidisciplinary arts, which the audience can enjoy for free.
This festival is a safe place for an unbarred exchange of creativity and ideas, with over 400 artists and musicians entertaining locals and tourists for 10 long days. Events range from gallery exhibitions to live musical performances.
Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival
Address: 803 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, United States
Website: Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival
Price: Free
9. Pittsburgh Comedy Festival (August)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
A project of Comedy Arts Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Comedy Festival celebrates the art of live comedy and improv presented by various local and national comics. The event also provides artistic development by offering talks, workshops, and seminars about the comedy scene in the city.
While it’s a light-hearted event for locals and tourists, it also serves as a source to spread awareness about comedy and its role in the world of art.
Pittsburgh Comedy Festival
Address: 4301 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
Website: Pittsburgh Comedy Festival
10. Lawrenceville's Art All Night (April)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Posted by Art All Night: Pittsburgh on Friday, February 7, 2020
Art All Night, held in Lawrenceville, is a 22-hour-long event meant to promote performances and works of various artists, new, arising, and established. This festival is a gleeful celebration of both arts and the growing Pittsburgh community, as it features interactive activities that bring the community together.
The festival advocates artistic expression and encourages children and adults to contribute their works. This event also stands by the motto “No Fee. No Censorship. No Jury” - so anyone is free to attend or participate in it.
Lawrenceville's Art All Night
Address: 6 30th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201, United States
Website: Lawrenceville’s Art All Night
Price: Free
11. St. Patrick's Day Parade (March)
Known as the “Apostle of Ireland”, St. Patrick is widely celebrated by the Irish community. With the growing active Irish community in Pittsburgh, this event has gained much popularity. The community comes together each year in celebration of Ireland’s primary patron saint.
Pittsburgh hosts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the United States, with over 20,000 participants and several bands. The parade happens rain or shine, with other attractions such as Irish step dancers performing for the huge crowd. So, whether you’re Irish or not, put your green clothes and accessories on and attend this lovely parade!
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Address: Liberty Ave Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Website: St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Price: Free
12. Pittsburgh PrideFest and Pride in the Street (June)
Pittsburgh PrideFest aims to be a catalyst for change that gives rise to increased opportunities, and high quality of life for the LGBTQ community of Western Pennsylvania. The festova celebrates diversity and encourages inclusion. It is organized by Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh, a leading non-profit advocate for the LGBTQ movement.
Pennsylvania’s largest Pride celebration has grown over the years, filling the streets with rainbow colors and loud cheers. During this festival, the LGBTQ community of Pittsburgh celebrates their achievements and progress and honors activists throughout history who made it all possible.
Pittsburgh PrideFest and Pride in the Street
Address: Downtown, Liberty Ave. PA, USA
Price: Free
13. Feed More Festival (June)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Feed More Festival is a signature event of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. The organization aims to provide easy access to fresh produce for the people, especially children in need.
The festival also aims to mobilize the community to eliminate hunger. Along with many food trucks offering delicacies, the event also presents lovely musical performances. By attending the festival, you can support the organization’s efforts to make sure that the community has access to high-quality fresh food.
Feed More Festival
Address: Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, 1 N Linden St, Duquesne, PA, US 15110
14. BikeFest (August)
BikeFest is a multi-week celebration of all things cycling in Pittsburgh. It features three weekends of bicycle-themed rides and events organized by the locals. The festival aims to get together diverse and unique groups within Pittsburgh and promote the fun, clean, and convenient way of cycling.
Several education sessions and classes are also held to make people aware of road safety and best practices for cycling. These sessions also help turn Pittsburgh into a safer city for pedestrians and limit single-occupancy car rides.
BikeFest
Address: 188 43rd St #1, Pittsburgh, PA 15201, United States
Website: BikeFest
Price: Free
15. Pittsburgh Mac and Cheese Festival (April)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
It's About the Mac! Pittsburgh Mac and Cheese Festival 2019
Posted by Pittsburgh Mac and Cheese Festival on Saturday, March 6, 2021
This might be the cheesiest festival Pittsburgh has to offer! Head over to Pittsburgh for a scrumptious bite of America’s own cheesy dish - mac and cheese. This festival will let you taste over 30 kinds of mac and cheese, along with craft beers, wines, and ciders.
You also get to vote for ‘Best Mac and Cheese’ and help a vendor win a cash prize. The best part? You will be indulging in this delicacy while enjoying live music and entertainment.
Pittsburgh Mac and Cheese Festival
Address: Pittsburgh, PA, US 15120
Website: Pittsburgh Mac and Cheese Festival
Price: 20 - 55 USD
16. Pittsburgh Festival Opera (Late Summer)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Posted by Pittsburgh Festival Opera on Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Formerly called Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, this company showcases unique and innovative opera performances. From new works to adaptations and reinterpretations of older works, there are a wide variety of performances in store for audiences. It also aims to uphold the relevance of opera in recent times by incorporating social issues into the acts. The viewers can expect to engage in an inspiring and captivating experience brought together by the artists.
The organization also collaborates with schools and non-profit organizations to work for the betterment of the community.
Pittsburgh Festival Opera
Address: 159 Perry Hwy Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15229, United States
Website: Pittsburgh Festival Opera
17. Head of the Ohio Boat Race (October)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Join us for 3 days of in depth coaching, nutrition tips, and strength & conditioning insights from local experts, and...
Posted by Three Rivers Rowing Association on Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Head of the Ohio, or HOTO, is a rowing race that’s held on Ohio and Allegheny River at Pittsburgh. It is one of the largest rowing races in the nation, with thousands of athletes competing. This regatta is open for rowers of all ages and qualifications, including Juniors, Masters, Adaptive, and Collegiate rowers.
The race starts upstream in downtown Pittsburgh and finishes downstream at Point State Park. This family-friendly event also features other off-water attractions and entertainment options for all ages.
Head of the Ohio Boat Race
Address: Downtown Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Website: Head of the Ohio Boat Race
18. Piratefest (December)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Posted by Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, December 12, 2015
Get a chance to celebrate and have fun with Pittsburgh’s pride, Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh Pirates is a professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) and have won five World Series championships.
This fest lets fans meet their heroes, including both former and present players. You can get the autographs of your favorite players, try out swings in batting cages, and take photos with the players. Kids can even enjoy free autograph sessions!
Piratefest
Address: PNC Park, 115 Federal St, Pittsburgh, PA
19. Highmark First Night Pittsburgh (December 31)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
There’s still time to plan your perfect New Year’s Eve! Become a Highmark #FirstNightPGH First Night Friend and for $50,...
Posted by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust on Friday, December 24, 2021
Welcome the new year with Highmark First Night Pittsburgh while watching the sky getting lit up by colorful fireworks over downtown Pittsburgh. Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and promotes welcoming the new year through art.
The six-hour-long celebration features live music, dance, theater, street shows, and all sorts of entertainment for you to enjoy. A signature new year’s eve parade can also be expected, featuring performance groups, giant puppets, and colorful banners. The grand celebration ends with a countdown to midnight and then the raising of the Future of Pittsburgh Ball.
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh
Address: 20 Fifth Avenue Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Website: Highmark First Night Pittsburgh
Price: Free
20. Light Up Night (November)
A kickoff to the holiday season, Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night is surely a fun-filled family festival to experience. It is a day-long festival in Pittsburgh that brings everyone together for holiday cheer. It features high-spirited events and activities, including fireworks displays, tree decorations, music, and other winter attractions. Stores and street vendors remain open till late to sell food, beverages, and promotional items to the festival goers.
Buy a ticket to the VIP Party that includes signature cocktails, delicious food, and more at Heinz Hall Courtyard.
Light Up Night
Address: Downtown Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Website: Light Up Night
21. A Fair in the Park (September)
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Posted by A Fair in the Park on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Presented by The Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh, A Fair in the Park is an art and craft festival. This festival is held in Pittsburgh’s Mellon Park, featuring thousands of visitors flocking the grounds to encourage various local and national artists. The exhibits are in various mediums, including, meta, clay, leather, wood, jewelry, fiber, and more. Two-dimensional art is also displayed here.
This artist-led event is held every year and is free to all!
A Fair in the Park
Address: Mellon Park, 1047 Shady Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Website: A Fair in the Park
Price: Free
A city celebrating culture and diversity
Pittsburgh is known for its art, cuisine, landmarks, and festivities. Discover Pittsburgh’s culture by taking part in the festivals it hosts. However you like to have fun, this city has surely something to offer. To find what suits you best, use this list of the most popular festivals in the city as a guide.
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