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Free and Affordable Pittsburgh for 5/18: We Hope You're Hungry!

By Rachel Booth

We hope you're hungry. Hungry for free adventure? Hungry for delicious eats? Hungry for love? Hungry for culture? Have it all! On this week's Free & Affordable Pittsburgh segment on Pittsburgh Today Live, we're talking about the Venture Outdoors Festival, a Taste of Oakland, and the Pittsburgh Folk Festival. Plus, we have a great guide to Pittsburgh Farmer's Markets and ethnic grocers. Learn a bit more about each of the things mentioned on this week's show!

Free & Affordable - Venture Outdoors Festival Presented by Highmark
Photo Credit: Venture Outdoors Festival

Venture Outdoors Festival
Point State Park

Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 255-0564
www.ventureoutdoors.org

Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012
Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: Free to attend

For the love of outdoors! Get the blood pumping at the Venture Outdoors Festival Presented by Highmark, held each year at Point State Park. This event is a true celebration of the outdoors, featuring activities for the whole family. Climb Pittsburgh will be on hand with climbing walls for all ability levels. You can try your hand at fishing - rods and bait provided - and no fishing license is required. Float your boat on the Allegheny River with beginner-friendly, flat-bottomed kayaks, or you can learn Dragon Boating. Plus there's yoga, biking, and obstacle course, and way more than we can mention here. There's so much, CBS Best Of has an entire article dedicated just to this festival! Check it out here.

Free & Affordable Taste of Oakland
Photo Credit: The Oakland Business Improvement District

Taste of Oakland
Central Oakland Business District

Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 683-6243 ext. 19
atasteofoakland.wordpress.com

Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Price: $5

This annual event gives you a chance to browse the eclectic shops of Oakland while sampling the neighborhood's delicious restaurant menus. A Taste of Oakland is the Oakland Business Improvement District's signature event. Your $5 admission cost is a steal, considering in addition to sampling all sorts of delicious food, you also get FREE Carnegie Museum of Art & Natural History admission (normally $17.95 for adults) and free rides on the PNC Carousel at Schenley Plaza. Now back to the food! There are too many to list here, but some notable local 'faves include Dave & Andy's Homemade Ice Cream, the Red Oak Café and Peters Pub.

Free & Affordable Pittsburgh Folk Festival
Photo Credit: Kevin Hall

Pittsburgh Folk Festival
Monroeville Convention Center

209 Mall Boulevard
Monroeville, PA 15146
(412) 278-1267
pghfolkfest.org

Date: Friday, May 18 through Sunday, May 20, 2012
Hours: Friday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. | Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: $12 at the door, $8 in advance, Military & dependents with ID are free, Children 10 and under are free

Enjoy this weekend multicultural celebration of music, dance, food and hand-made crafts from over 30 countries and cultures. You'll find continuous live entertainment, international kitchens and marketplaces, cultural exhibits, and cooking demonstrations. On Saturday from noon until 4 p.m. you can take part in "family afternoon" with international crafts, stamp collecting, name writing, cultural exhibits and flags of nations. On Sunday at 2 p.m. is the Folk Festival's tribute to our servicemen and women of the military. The 911 TAG Honor Guard will present the colors and flag followed by the 6th Regiment Drum Corp of Pittsburgh.

CBS Local Offer
CBS Local Offer uncle buckles
Photo Credit: Uncle Buckles

CBS Local offers has great deals everyday, anywhere from 50-90% off the retail value. This week, you'll find half off at Uncle Buckles Bar & Grill. Spend $10 and get $20 worth of pub fare.  They feature a Martini Bar, 12 beers on tap, 11 flat screen televisions and a state-of-the-art jukebox. They're open for lunch and dinner, and feature favorites like wings, burgers, and tasty appetizers (a.k.a. Buckle Bites). You can purchase two for yourself and two for friends, and this deal cannot be applied towards alcohol. Find all the details on CBS Local Offers.

What We're Talking About In Best Of

If you're a vegan living in Pittsburgh, you'll love this pick! In Food & Drink you'll find the Best Options for Vegans in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has loads of restaurants, but finding fabulous vegan options can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. This article features SIX different vegan eateries - if not entirely vegan, they still feature a wonderfully large selection of vegan options. Some have great gluten-free options as well. Not a vegan? I challenge you to read this article and NOT find something you'd like to try. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and of course dessert, are all covered!

pitaland
Photo Credit: Pitaland

Our Food & Drink section is chocked full of favorites this week! In Food & Drink you'll also find Pittsburgh's Best Ethnic Grocery Stores. One of the best things about our city is our distinct neighborhoods, many with their own ethnic flair and fare. This article has a nice varied selection, including Polish, Mexican, Japanese, Middle Eastern and Italian markets. Whether you're looking for Weselna sausage, locally made tortilla chips and pita bread, Daikon radishes, or hand stuffed ravioli - we'll tell you where to find it all!

Rachel Booth & Heather Walsh are the bargainistas behind LivingPittsburgh.com, Pittsburgh's go-to bargain website for free, affordable & discounted events, activities, products & services. Visit Living Pittsburgh for even more great 'Burgh bargains! You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter!
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