September in Pittsburgh often brings about the first signs of fall. The temperatures start to decrease below 80, fall festivals and seasonal attractions open up, school is back in session, and more.
While the looming season change may first be noticeable in this month, there are still plenty of wonderful things to do during the month, and in this one we wanted to share a few of our favorites!
So if you are looking for things to do in Pittsburgh in September, check out the following options.
We're going to be honest, the season of fall in Pittsburgh is too short. Not in the fact that the days go by fast, but rather that the ideal fall weather departs almost as quickly as it arrives.
So while this post is tailored to things to do in Pittsburgh in the months that fall between late September and late December, when we think of fall we think of the changing weather. In this instance cooling off, colorful leaves, and everything else that comes before the Pittsburgh winter freeze.
Today we want to share seven of our favorite activities to do in fall in Pittsburgh. To learn more about each spot, click the links below!
We started Discover the Burgh in 2015 as a means to get out and enjoy everything in Pittsburgh. Since then, we have been blown away by all the city has to offer, and are getting close to having personally experienced over 1,500 unique things to do in the city.
While this site is mainly an opinion blog sharing our personal views on all of these attractions, restaurants, bars/breweries, events, parks, and more, we haven't really called out any spots are our personal favorites. You can tell if you read our articles which ones we like more than others, sure, but we never had a dedicated feature to this effect.
For a while, we thought we'd unveil an awards series to highlight our favorite spots. But then we realized they are overplayed and clickbaity. Then we worried that perhaps it was always too soon to do this because we still have way more of the city to see. But as we explore more of the city, we realize that we will never, ever be “finished” and have to commit to it at some point.
So this guide to our favorite places in Pittsburgh was born
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Pittsburgh is a beer city, there is no getting around it.
No matter where you are, you are never too far away from a brewery. No matter what time of year it is, odds are good a beer festival is just around the corner, too.
But if you are into the local beer scene and want to try out something a little different, look no further than Brewing for a Cause- the annual homebrewer beer festival at Velum Fermentation that showcases amateur brewer's while raising funds for charity.
This has truly become one of our favorite beer festivals in the city!
We love a beautiful day in Pittsburgh, and when the weather decides to cooperate, our first thought is to all of the great spots we can eat and drink outside.
So in this one, we thought we'd share some great places for outdoor drinking and dining in Pittsburgh (and nearby) that we cannot get enough of. Some make this one for their epic views, others because the food or drinks are incredible. Some have proper patios with permanent infrastructure, whereas others may simply be picnic tables and chairs outside.
As such, it is worth re-iterating that we're taking a broad look at all things outdoor drinking and dining in this one and, as always, keep in mind that outdoor seating at many of these locations may only be available seasonally or during periods of good weather. So please reconfirm any outdoor options prior to visiting.
Looking for more great places to eat and drink outdoors? We discuss this topic with our friends at City Cast Pittsburgh on a podcast recording at the previous link!
Fall is a special time in western Pennsylvania. Our normally green part of the state starts to explode with vibrant colors just about everywhere you look between early-to-mid October and the start of November.
We'll be upfront in saying that nearly any Pittsburgh park could make for great fall color viewing during this time of the year. But when we get out to chase pretty leaves, we have to admit, we like to go to places that are large and give us a chance to truly explore in the beauty of nature.
Part of this is because color change may be gradual over the various tree types found in any given park- peak color is truly a relative term. But the other part is that when colors are at their peak, we simply want as much as we can get. So the parks we wanted to feature in this fall foliage guide are just that- big parks that tend to be color explosions in the fall!
We can think back to a time in the not-so-distance past when there were no distilleries in Pittsburgh at all (distilleries in the form we know and love, at least).
Yes, it seems unusual to think that the region known for the historic Whiskey Rebellion from 1791-1794 would somehow ever be devoid of distilleries outright. This all came about thanks to an arcane law that prevented distilleries from having on-site sales and as such only a few operated in the state- mostly for commercial sales direct to bars, the state store, and other indirect consumers.
It wasn't until the founders of Wigle Whiskey lobbied to get the law change that our distillery scene really started to take off with the on-site bar programs we know and love. For reference of time scale, this was only in 2012, and with the change in laws, Wigle became the first distillery to open in the city limits and only the third to open in the state at all!
As such, Pittsburgh's distillery scene can only be defined as young but growing rapidly. Distilleries, like Wigle, that were founded around the start of the rule change are only recently starting to get aged products that rival other regions that have been producing for decades, and not a year goes by that several new distilleries pop onto the scene as well.
In this one, we want to briefly share a bit about all of the distilleries we've been to so far!
We have a soft spot for all things Oktoberfest, and after getting to enjoy the celebration in Munich for its wild party, we love checking out all of the Pittsburgh Oktoberfest celebrations that take place throughout September (with some spilling into August and October).
As there are no shortage of events taking place in breweries and other public places, we thought we would share a few of the top Oktoberfest events you may want to consider. Prost!
Note: This article features a mix of Oktoberfest celebrations that have been announced in 2026 as well as celebrations that were regulars in previous years that we hope will return. These will be noted in each section and we will continue to update this article as more event dates are announced.
Summer festivities begin to wind down throughout September, and Allegheny County Parks sends the season off with a bang (or maybe it's a bark) with their annual Pooches in the Pool event!
Grab your favorite furry friend and snag tickets to this one as you and your dog have a chance to take a swim in one of three county pools on Labor Day Monday!
Note: This article was sponsored by Allegheny County Parks. All opinions are our own.
Pittsburgh really is becoming a space city, and the molecular mixology cocktail bar, Space Bar, will help everyone explore the universe- with tasty libation in hand.
Located right in the heart of Market Square (aptly referred to as the holodeck when onboard), the cocktail lounge is the resident bar of the SS Oasis ship which travels distant worlds and services locals of the various systems visited with tasty cocktails- some familiar, some simply other-worldly.
We were fortunate enough to visit this one many times since they opened in the fall of 2023, and share some updated thoughts of what you can expect in this one!
Disclaimer: We are friends with the owners of Space Bar, provided consulting during start-up, and attended a preview event at opening. We have also purchased the cocktails discussed below outside of these instances. As always, all opinions are our own.