Extraordinary evening of fun for all ages. The variety of things to do is astounding, and it's…read moreimpossible to do everything. Ticketed events sell out fast, so make sure you reserve your seats to those early. But there's plenty do do by attending the non-ticketed events. Although there are plenty of alcohol-related events to do on New Year's, this is one of the few family events. I've been more than a dozen times and I absolutely love it! One suggestion is that you set reasonable goals, set your sights on just 2 or 3 choices and you will find things more manageable. Parking can be tight, so I try to go early for dinner, then stay for the festivities.

First Night Pittsburgh was a cool experience. I was only disappointed by the turn out for this…read moreevent. To be fair it was cold this night. They did have a lot of attractions and events.

I have always loved pickles. I even lied to my grandmother as a toddler and told her my mom didn't…read morebuy "perkles" just to get her to buy some! Well this what perfect for a pickle lover. They had pickled everything...waffles, alcoholic and non drinks, pickles (of course), pickle pizza, fried pickles, etc. The festival stretched for miles! I went alone but it is great for family fun! If you haven't been and you love pickles, be sure to add this to your bucket list!

Picklesburgh is the BEST festival in Pittsburgh for a reason! Every year I look forward to getting…read morethe Bacon grilled cheese with maple apple bourbon jam and the Pickled Pizza. Of course I always try new things, but those are a must grab. Every year this festival grows bigger and better, so I can't wait to see what's in store for 2026! If you're traveling here specifically for Picklesburgh, make sure to look at the maps and figure out parking and your game plan ahead of time. Be sure to wear sunscreen, especially if it's on the bridges again- there was almost no shade and long lines! Stay hydrated and try as much as you can!

Ah, the Pittsburgh Irish Festival. The Irish Festival is an extremely popular event - this year in…read moreparticular it was swamped. I admit, it's a beloved tradition, but it can also be a bit of an underwhelming tradition some years. I personally know what I'm getting into every year, but I can see where first-timers would get frustrated. But still, there really is plenty to appreciate here, especially if you have a family. I love walking around with my mother every year and always look forward to the following: *Exploring the enormous Irish marketplace. *Saying hello to a friend who brings their gypsy caravan to the event as a nice cultural addition. *Trying the beers and ciders - expensive, yes, but also very, very good and worth it! *Seeing the animals that are brought out - an array of Irish dogs and ponies is not uncommon here, although it varies on the day, weather, etc. *Listening in on several workshops; there are always really wonderful musicians and storytellers here; they're wonderful additions to everything else. *Stopping in at the vendor booths along the paths; the Welsh cookie stand is one of my favorites! BUT, I do admit, the festival is not without flaws: -Food here is expensive and a lot of it reminds me more of American pub food than Irish food, although I admittedly can't comment on just how authentic the food actually is. -The marketplace, despite being an amazing place to shop, is, well, pretty Americanized. For every jeweler or wood crafter that makes their items by hand, there's two stands selling "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" shirts and other things along those lines. It's kind of sad to see so many awful commercialized items mixed in amongst the handmade ones. -Last but not least, yes: parking is a NIGHTMARE. Be prepared to deal with it. I'm sorry. It can't be helped. Well, flaws or not, I'll keep coming back, and I do recommend that everyone visit at least one time! After all, if enough people attend maybe the festival will move to a bigger location with better parking - right?

In general, this festival is disorganized and extremely overpriced. Full priced tickets are $16,…read moreand parking is an additional $6 on top of that--and that's before you even enter! Once you're inside, expect to pay steep prices for food that's really not that uniquely Irish, as well as drinks--both alcoholic and non. In order to get drinks, you have to stand in line to get tickets, and then stand in another line to use them! This process should be streamlined so that you can buy and use tickets without having to stand in two lines. The highlights of this festival are the Irish music and dancing and the handcrafted merchandise. If you're really into those, then it might be worthwhile to go (although even then, I'm not sure, given the price of admission). Otherwise, I'd give this festival a pass and head over to the Ren Fest, which charges about the same for admission, doesn't charge for parking, and has more reasonably priced food/drinks--not to mention more fun activities and varied entertainment.

My first visit to this annual event…read more Pros: Loved the multiple stages in close proximity to one another so that you could go from stage to stage for the next show lining up Loved that there were food trucks available near the stages Loved the music Loved easy access -- parked in 1st ave garage and took the "T" from there to Wood Street for free. Garage parking was a flat 5.00 fee. Easy to get in and out and plenty of parking available. Also, restrooms available in the garage. Cons: I didn't stay as long as I would have liked because maneuvering from one stage to the next was claustrophobic and dangerous because the sidewalks were nearly impassible. There were people's chairs on them plus venues had their tables and chairs on them, as well. Two way foot traffic was nearly impossible. So, I cried "Uncle" and we ended up at the Harris Theater to watch a wonderful foreign film.

What's better than a weekend full of upcoming and legendary Jazz musicians??? A FREE weekend full…read moreof upcoming and legendary Jazz musicians!!! Every June (or early July) for the last four years, Pittsburgh Jazz Live Fest has descended upon the 'Burgh. And, this year was the best so far! I was only able to make the second day this year. And, it was an awesome experience! My day began with a tribute to Dorothy Ashby concert, "Afro Harping", by the talented jazz harpist Brandee Younger. Moving on to a performance by the Messenger Legacy. Followed by an AMAZING concert by Gregory Porter. And, the last performance that I was able to catch was The Joe Locke Group - which was my favorite show of the day. Along with the awesome jazz performances came some pretty awesome food trucks and vendors! TGIFridays was there giving out free "samples" all day - like huge burger sliders and thirst quenching fruity drinks. Basically, if you hung around their truck, you could gorge yourself on free food all day. There were some really great area small businesses too, like Franktuary and BRGR, as well as the lesser known tea/popsicle vendors Healcrest Farms. That, and all of the regular area bars and restaurants like Seviche and Nine on Nine, etc, were hoppin'! I wish I would have been able to make Friday and Sunday, for events like the Jazz Bar Crawl (Friday) and a performance by multiple grammy award winner Dianne Reeves (Sunday)! Thankfully, there's always next year!

Attended this annual arts and heritage festival today. Very well organized event. Lots of vendors…read morewith exceptional works of art. Many delicious food booths with plenty of seating in the shade. Live musical performances and children's activities. Very enjoyable for all ages. The grounds and lake are beautiful with a walking trail that goes along the water. They do have a Facebook page. No animals allowed in the park.

Well, I find that the last review for this festival is 5 years old; so I think I have an obligation…read moreto update it. The Westmoreland Arts & Crafts Heritage Festival is in its 42nd year and is always scheduled around the 4th of July weekend. It is located in Twin Lakes Park. This year, it runs from June 20 through July 3. Over the years, it has expanded and attracted artisans from all over the country. The items for sale range from wood crafts, jewelry, pottery, art prints and paintings, plants and other specialties. Also, one can wander through the park and find great food to purchase. Popular choices for many are the fresh raspberries and ice cream, fried vegetables, and wood fired pizza. I tried steak fajitas ($7 for two) and French beignets ($4 for about 8) from one food booth. I was very pleased with both. There are several stages that offer different musical genres. A schedule for performers can be found on the web site. The Island Stage is the main performance area, but check out the stage located a short distance from the boat house. Around that stage are several craft and food booths. If you feel like walking, there are reenactors located on the upper lake. So, there is plenty to see, music to listen to, food to eat and beautiful items for purchase. There is also an area for kids to make crafts and play. CONS: Although, things are spaced throughout, this festival draws a big crowd. Sometimes a little patience and a smile is needed when waiting in food lines. No alcohol is served, but there are water, cola, Gatorade booths. The thing is you have to purchase tickets to buy your beverage. I don't know, why not use cash for beverages, too? Parking is sometimes at a premium but some people let you park on their property for a price. There are shuttle buses available, but riding in a hot school bus isn't something I care to do. They seem to have a good system though, by dropping passengers off at an entrance area of the park and picking riders up at the other end. No dogs are allowed in the festival area. I think this is a very nice way to spend time over the holiday and has something for everyone. More information can be found on their web site.

Chocolate overload...I cannot wait until next year. The food, and the Entertainment was great so…read moremany options.

I wanted to love this event. Especially since my friend and I decided to get the full chocolate…read moreexperience and purchase the VIP tickets. For $75 we didn't know what to expect, but we expected our experience to be at least double what those who purchased general admission received. Not quite. When we arrived we received a wrist band that gave us access to the VIP lounge where there were supposed to be savory "heavy" appetizers. While the cheese plates were beautiful, the cheese was very standard, lots of yellow and white cubes, and the occasional wedge of brie. There were 2-3 other bite sized apps, but we were left underwhelmed. Not to worry though...we didn't come there for the apps anyway, we came for the CHOCOLATE! Well...that's when it all went awry. There were lines. Not just a few. There were lines everywhere. And they were long, and they didn't move. As we looked over the balcony we could see huge crowds in the grand lobby so we opted to get in line on the 3rd floor. After 45 minutes, we made it to the chocolate beer station and picked up one biscotti from Enrico Biscotti. While the biscotti was delicious, 45 minutes is a little crazy. We ended up passing up the chocolate beer and grabbed a toothpick with a delicious bite from Senti before making our way down to the second floor. This is when it all went from bad to worse. We waited in line for another hour. This time for a few chocolate truffles and a shot of wigle whiskey. By this time everyone around us was so equally frustrated it wasn't even fun anymore. With about 20 minutes to spare we made our way down to the grand lobby and thank goodness for Cioppinos and the Milkshake Factory!! These people were running a well oiled machine and pumping out hearty portions of flourless chocolate cake, milkshakes, and chocolate candy by the bowlful. And the line was only about 10 minutes. Several of the other stations by other restaurants were already empty by the time we made it out of the lines, so I cannot comment on what I missed...but for a $75 ticket it was a definite disappointment that I spent 75% of my time standing in line. I hope if this event continues next year they either restrict the ticket sales, or move to a different venue that can accommodate such a big crowd.

Kaya can really put on a block party! I have seen this "Kick off to Summer" party advertised years…read morepast and seemed like I always had plans over Memorial Day weekend that kept me away. This year we made a point to be in the area early and come see what the hype is all about. It truly is a block party. Though the entertainment is free the food and beverages are fairly pricey. They were selling Miller Lite drafts (in plastic solo cups) for $7.00! Say WHAT?! The mixed concoctions were priced upward of $10.00, but after trying a rum runner, I had to pass on anymore over sugary drinks. Since they were selling in mass quantities, the drinks did not have a well-crafted flavor. I am only guessing but it tasted like a sugary pre-made mix. Aside from the pricey refreshments, the entertainment and vibe was excellent! We most especially enjoyed the Timbeleza which is a Brazilian drumline who rocked out some kicking beats. The beautiful lady dancers of the Pittsburgh Samba Group, were a lovely compliment to the drumline as they shimmied and shook to the drum beats. The rhythmic atmosphere was contagiously impacting the crowd. At one point we were in a conga line and I was like what am I doing? I just had knee surgery two days ago! HA! It was fun. They had different bands on all afternoon and into the evening with the closing act, DJ Logic. We didn't end up staying the whole time but we really had a blast and definitely recommend checking it out next year. We certainly will be back.

We had a lot of fun at Kaya Fest this year. We had brunch before and then walked over. The Strip…read morewas really busy and this was on a Sunday right before Memorial Day. Walking into Kayafest we saw a dog adoption agency that had their adoptable dogs out. They looked so cute and it really got our minds thinking about adding to our family. We didn't go with this organization but we are now fostering a dog because this organization at Kayafest got us thinking. Anyways we walked in on Smallman street and a band was already playing. There were a lot of people and long lines to get drinks. Eh It wasn't too long. The drinks were expensive but I guess you can't blame them. Kayafest is free and they have to get you somehow. We got a seat towards the front of the stage and listened to a few bands. They were ok but they did get our heads bobbing and we got to enjoy the nice weather and each other here. Next time I think we will just bring a backpack and smuggle some drinks in here LoL. By far the most exciting time at Kayafest was when the Brazilian drumline performed. They performed two times when we were here and they were great. It brought everybody together and we were dancing and having a good time. They were really good. It was funny seeing some people you wouldn't expect dancing out there busting some moves. It entertained us. Anyways this was a great event to start off the summer and I'm sure we will come back next year!

This is a great event. Not only is it a fundraiser for Construction Junction, but it is an…read moreincredible event for beer lovers and foodies. Your ticket entitles you to a three hour session of all the beers you can drink and all the food you can eat. They have breweries there from all over the country (including some cider and mead vendors too), and restaurants from all over the city. It's a huge party, and there are people there from all over, so you a guaranteed to see someone you know. This year was the 12th annual, and I look forward to coming back again next year . . . Cheers!

Beers were pretty good, atmosphere was OK, awful food situation was unacceptable. We paid a lot of…read moremoney ($335.00) under the pretense that all that comes with your ticket price but we feel lucky that we each got a little chunk of pretzel and half a cookie. Forget about it.