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 festival is and annual event that takes place on Labor day weekend, Thursday - Sunday. It is…read morevery well attended every year. The church runs this event incredibly well. Wonderful food, live music, folk dancing & artisans selling their wares. The Gyro tent outside has many great options & inside the churches event center are many of the Greek classic dinner options. ( you may have to wait a bit to get inside. Long lines) We dined outside, the food was good, the beer was cold and our sweet treats were yummy.

Great as always. Went with their new "Yinzer Gyro" which is the same as a regular gyro, but with…read morethe addition of French fries and feta. Honestly was amazing. Hit the spot. Would 100% recommend. Also had to snag a very large helping of the Kataifi from the pastry line. Easily one of the best (cookies???) I've ever eaten in my life. Overall, 10/10. Love this festival, I look forward to it every year.

This festival rocks! Love the food and music. Allegheny Center Alliance Church sponsored the stage…read moreand had the food vendors for the Northside Stage 1. Urban Impact also had several kids performances on the stage. Very family friendly and a great production! The food was also great! Had ribs and all the fixings. Worth stopping by every year.

I love the Deutschtown Music Festival and it just keeps getting bigger every year. So many vendors…read morewith local foods and drinks and of course the performers. Local musicians performing on street stages and all over the area inside venues from neighborhood bars to stores, the Elks, The Priory and more. This is truly a festival that reflects the culture, art and music that Pittsburgh has to offer.

On Friday evening what better activity is there than to hop in a time machine and visit decades…read morepast? I can't think of any, so attending the Pittsburgh Vintage Mixer was a must for my boyfriend and I. We love out-of-the-norm dates, and this is right up our alley. Located in the Teamsters Hall in Lawrenceville the mixer was nice and easy to find. It is a huge building and has several floors, which was great for all of the vendors to display their antiques and other vintage goodies. We bought tickets for admission on Friday for $15 and this allowed us into the presale. As part of our package, we got some nice treat bags when we first arrived that included a ticket for admission for the next day, too. The other items in our bags were coasters, pins, business cards and flyers for local vintage shops, etc. Lots of cool stuff. My boyfriend was probably the most excited about the yoyo, which undoubtedly had us both filled with nostalgia for our favorite childhood toys. The main floor was mostly clothing and accessories, but some housewares were sprinkled throughout. You could get a slice of pizza or some beer, prosecco, or wine at the refreshment table, which was nice since we came directly from work. The stage had a lot of neat art and jewelry, from which I salvaged a Rolling Rock wall piece that is going to look great in my kitchen. Aside from that my purchases included a yellow and black top, a Cordell Stewart jersey, and a daisy necklace. I could have bought more, but my willpower was somewhat stronger than normal. Downstairs you could find more housewares and more records than you could count. From the drag queens beaming with character to the knick-knacks that made me think of my grandma's house, I adored the Vintage Mixer. This year was the 10th season, and I will be looking forward to finding more of yesterday's treasures at the next one!

This is from the viewpoint of a vendor. The organizers of this show literally make this one of the…read morebest semi-annual shows that our region has to offer! Always helpful, chill, and on point when it comes to things like advertising (the all important -- making sure customers show up to buy!) and adding those little touches like treat bags for vendors (so, when you're tired and all you want to do is grab a drink, you remember you have some water and crackers waiting for you to keep you sane); They make what can be a long and exhausting day fun and worth every minute of hard work! Let's also talk about curation. These folks know their stuff! Inside a Mixer show, you're going to find some of the absolute best and true vintage the area has to offer. I'm always thrilled to see old friends and meet all the new vendors that might be the next big thing in the industry. Most of all, it's a friendly show. No mean girls/guys allowed! Come for the vintage, stay for the vintage, but also the fun - drinks, tunes, and maybe, if you're lucky, some fabulous ladies in drag!

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!

The Pittsburgh Taco Festival is held each year and features a variety of local and some non-local…read morefood trucks. Off and on for years, my husband and I have been customers of this taco festival. It is usually held in a different location each year, but this year it was held in the Strip District's 3 Crossings, which was an excellent venue. Tickets could be purchased either online (recommended) or at the gate. I paid $15 per adult plus fees plus the cost of the foods and drinks. My husband and I arrived at opening time, and we had little to no wait times in lines at the food trucks. The event included 20-something food vendors as well as musical performers. The vendors served not only tacos but also nachos, burritos, quesadillas, choripollos, arepas, empanadas, huaraches, gorditas, Mexican street corn, yuca, tres leches, mango on a stick, and more. My husband and I enjoyed everything that we ate: al pastor and bisteck tacos from Las Palmas; steak, chicken, and al pastor tacos from Don Polo; bacon-cheese empanada and plantains from Chamo's Bite; a lamb empanada from Mi Empanada; and nachos and churros from el Rincon Oaxaqueno. In previous years of this festival, I highly rated foods from Cilantro Y Ajo, Let's Taco, La Palapa, and Tocayo.

The 12th annual Pittsburgh VegFest, hosted by the non-profit Justice For Animals, was held at…read moreAllegheny Commons Park East on the North Side on Saturday, August 1, 2026. It promoted animal welfare and featured plant-based foods, retail shops, several live bands, and activities. Admission was free, and local and regional vendors sold foods, drinks, and crafts. My husband and I attended this event for the first time. We paid to park our vehicle in a nearby garage. We thought that Allegheny Commons Park was a fantastic space for the event. It contained a beautiful water fountain, trees, and grassy areas. It was large enough to accommodate the vendors' tents and trucks, a stage for live bands, visitors, and more. I enjoyed seeing pigs, a turtle, people's dogs and cats, and a person dressed up in a carrot costume. Plenty of bins were available for compostables, trash, and recyclables. I am not a vegetarian or a vegan, but I also do not eat meats and dairy everyday. At this festival, I focused on purchasing plant-based foods from several tents and trucks. (I wrote separate Yelp reviews for each of those individual businesses.) Overall, I thought that the foods tasted good to excellent. I wanted to try food from the food truck Oh My Cod, but the line of customers was very long.

VegFest 2024 was amazing!…read more A lot of great vendors and food. The atmosphere was once again fantastic. A lot of happy people vibing and listening to music and eating. The only downfall was the beer vendor canceled last minute(due to that stupid you know what) so we walked down to Allegheny City Brewing to throw back a couple. I cannot wait until next year :) See you then!

For my first ever visit and show at the CLO, this was a great experience!…read more Walking into the theatre you immediately notice the intimate size room. Definitely big enough for a large group of tables, but close enough to the stage that you never feel like you have a bad seat in the house. The menu includes themed drinks and a range of food choices which you can order prior to showtime. The staff is friendly and attentive to the tables through the first part of the show. The show itself was exciting and tongue in cheek at times. The Altar Boyz brought energy and comedy to the room and kept everyone engaged - even bringing up an audience member for one of the numbers! Great reminder for me to never sit in the front! Haha I can't wait to come back to see another show soon! Thanks to Rachel and the CLO for another great event!

We visited the CLO for the first time this last week. I was very impressed with the facilities. I…read morereally like the set up with the tables, reminds me a little of the Improv design, except those tables were entirely too small for four people to actually eat at, so good thing we were just nibbling on the yummy Yelp snacks. I can't say enough about the show we saw, Judge Jackie Justice. I would go see this show again in the future it was that good and the CLO seemed to accommodate the backdrop for the show perfectly. The staff seemed very professional but also extremely on the slow side. We ordered some drinks right when we got there and we were 30 minutes early for the show. Well the drinks showed up about two minutes before the show and not all at the same time. I got mine while my H was still waiting for his. 30 minutes is really excessive to wait for a drink, and they weren't cheap so please don't make me wait so long to wet my whistle. Continued with the slower service the waiters waited until the end to hand out checks. I guess this was ok, but it seems like they should have handed those out 15-20 minutes before the show was over so people could square up and leave when the show was over, not wait for 15-20 minutes more to give your check with payment to the server so they can charge you. We thought we could go out to the bar and pay there. Well we were wrong. I actually ended up ordering another drink finished it and paid for that one at the bar before our waiter came to collect our tab. I think in the future my best bet maybe to just pay cash or order at the bar to begin with. Otherwise loved the place and look forward to coming back to see another great show!