Free and Affordable Pittsburgh for 3/30: Music, Art and More... for LESS!
By Rachel Booth
The trees are blooming and the birds are chirping as Pittsburgh is starting to come alive again! Music and art abound this week! In this week's Free & Affordable Pittsburgh, we're talking about a celebration featuring female music makers, a Latin & Caribbean festival, a Downtown celebration, and more. Learn a bit more about each of these below!
Sunstar Music Series
Kelly Strayhorn Theater
5941 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 363-3000
www.kelly-strayhorn.org
Date: Friday, March 30, 2012
Hours: 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Price: $10
The Sunstar Music Series is a celebration of local female artists, both emerging and established, through concerts, storytelling and parties. Their closing celebration is this Friday, and features lots of local talent. Christiane D performs songs from her new solo debut album Obliquity of the Ecliptic. Boca Chica, an orchestral twang pop band, featuring a sound that blends Niko Case with Dolly Parton, will also be performing. DJ Mary Mack will provide some 80's post-punk nostalgia. Finally, the Armadillos are a cross between Appalachia and modern rockabilly. Best of all, it's only $10 to attend the festivities!
32nd Annual Latin American & Caribbean Festival
William Pitt Union at the University of Pittsburgh
3959 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
lavst12@pitt.edu
www.ucis.pitt.edu
Date: Saturday, March 31, 2012
Hours: noon to midnight
Price: Free to Attend
A tradition since 1979, the Latin American & Caribbean Festival is a multicultural celebration featuring music, dance, food and more! You can try Venezuelan eats like hayacas, arepas and empanadas, enjoy Capoeria and Argentine tango performances, peruse crafts made by a women's cooperative in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador, or even learn to Zumba! Children's activities run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and include Spanish lessons, Flores de Papel, Ojos de Dios and more. I've only scratched the surface... the list of activities and vendors is pages and pages long! It's free to attend, although vendors will be selling their food and wares.
Project Pop Up: Downtown Pittsburgh
Various Locations Around Downtown Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
(412) 566-4190
www.downtownpittsburgh.com
Date: Friday, March 30, 2012
Hours: 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Price: Free to Attend
With all the buzz surrounding Downtown's latest development projects, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, the URA and City of Pittsburgh have teamed up to activate vacant storefronts in Downtown Pittsburgh. Enjoy a free, self guided tour of these creative storefronts, which bring activity to Downtown both day and night. From a unique book store, to art installations and performance venues, to ice cream with a purpose, handmade wares, robots, and much more - you'll get to see firsthand what all the buzz is about! The event is family-friendly as well, so bring the kids along.
CBS Local offers has great deals everyday, anywhere from 50-90% off the retail value. This week's offer is 50% off at Zoobooks. You pay $15 for a 1-year magazine subscription, which is normally $30. Zoobooks are geared for kids ages 6-12, Zooties are geared for kids ages 2-6, and Zoobies are geared for kids ages 0-3 so there's something to interest all ages. There's no advertising to distract your little ones from their reading enjoyment. You can purchase up to three subscriptions. This deal runs through Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 12:59am, and cannot be combined with other deals.
What We're Talking About In Best Of
Now is the perfect time to get out and enjoy all of the great art venues around Pittsburgh. In Arts & Culture, you'll find our April Arts Preview For Pittsburgh. In addition to Downtown's quarterly Gallery Crawl and Penn-Garfield's Unblurred event, you'll find mixed medium works at Box Heart in Bloomfield, prints at Most Wanted Fine Art in Garfield, interesting performances at Bricolage and the August Wilson Center, and more! The Gallery Crawl, Unblurred, and many of the galleries featured in this article are absolutely free to enjoy!
With spring in full bloom, this is an article you won't want to miss! This week in Travel & Outdoors you'll find our Nature Lover's Guide to Welcoming Spring In Pittsburgh. It highlights some fantastic well-known locations, along with a lesser-known find. Either way, you'll learn what makes each destination unique, like Japanese and Bonsai gardens, exotic birds, and even night hikes where you can identify nocturnal animals!
