Free and Affordable Pittsburgh for 6/1: The "Official" Start of Summer
Strawberry Festival
Strawberry Way (the end near Smithfield Street)
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
www.downtownpittsburgh.com
Date: Friday, June 1, 2012
Hours: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Price: Free To Attend
There's a cute little alley street in Downtown Pittsburgh called Strawberry Way, which is the perfect location for this adorable annual Strawberry Festival. If you happen to work or live Downtown, it's a great little lunchtime escape focusing on all things strawberry. It's great fun for kids too! A favorite is strawberry shortcake with berry caramel sauce and ice cream - simply delicious. The food is available for purchase, but the live entertainment is all free. This year, the festival will feature the jazz sounds of the CAPA Jazz Ensemble. Proceeds benefit the missions of the Smithfield United Church of Christ.
Summer Entertainment Series at SouthSide Works
SouthSide Works Town Square
On Sidney Street between 27th Street & Cinema Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
(412) 481-1750
www.southsideworks.com
Date: Friday and Saturday evenings through August
Hours: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: Free To Attend
Music lovers - Pittsburgh is THE place to be in the summertime for free live music, and SouthSide Works is no exception...well, I guess the exception would be two shows each week instead of one! SouthSide Works offers a summer entertainment series which takes place every Friday and Saturday night throughout the summer until August. This Friday night Jason Kendall will be performing and Saturday night it's 9 Sundays. As far as parking goes, garage parking is super affordable. Evening rates are $1 per hour with a $3 maximum, so you can park all night and weekend at SouthSide Works for just $3!
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Performance
Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival
Dollar Bank Stage
Point State Park Pittsburgh, PA 15222
www.3riversartsfest.org
Date: Sunday, June 3, 2012
Hours: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Price: Free To Attend
The Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival offers 10 days of free performances, visual art, activities and so much more, so be sure to check out the Three Rivers Arts Festival Preview. We wanted to call attention to one of the free performances - the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. For those that don't know, our PSO is world-renowned, and to see them for free is a HUGE treat! Last year, the PSO performed to a crowd of 15,000 at Point State Park, and it was the orchestra's first performance at the Arts Festival since 1977! Obviously it was a huge success, because they're back this year for you to enjoy. It's a not-to-miss performance.
CBS Local offers has great deals everyday, anywhere from 50-90% off the retail value. This week is perfect for all the crafty mamas (and papas) out there - $10 for $20 worth of arts and crafts supplies at Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse. PCCR uses exclusively reusable materials, and stocks everything from fabric and paper, to lab materials and electronic parts... it really depends on what's donated. Whether you're making a set of curtains or a robot to take over the world (just kidding!) PCCR is likely to have what you need to complete your project. You can buy as many vouchers as you like, but the full value of each voucher must be redeemed in one visit and it cannot be combined with other deals. You can find all the details on CBS Local Offers.
Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? .... ARE WE THERE YET?!?! Road tripping and summertime go hand in hand, but sometimes those longer trips get a little crazy with a car full of antsy kids... and I'm talking kids of ALL ages! In Travel & Outdoors, you'll find Fun For The Road – Car Games For Your Next Road Trip. This article offers some great games you can play in the car, ranging from very inexpensive to FREE! From classics like Bingo and I Spy, to the License Plate Game (our personal favorite!), to cheap phone app games - this is a great reminder of the games you may have forgotten about, combined with great new suggestions to "shorten" that 5 hour trip!
Speaking of the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, it starts on Friday, June 1st. In Arts & Culture you'll find Three Rivers Arts Festival Preview. Produced by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Sponsored by Dollar Bank, the Three Rivers Arts Festival is 10 full days full of live music, visual arts, performances and family activities which are free and open to the public. The Artist's Market is amazing - featuring original art, sculptures, jewelry, glasswork, hand-carved wooden furniture available for purchase. Worried about parking or how to get to the festival? This article covers that as well - check it out!