Events

Heinz Field Concerts – Is The Venue Worth It for a Show?

There are conventional tours at amphitheaters like Star Lake. Then there are larger stadium tours, like concerts at PNC Park. And then there are the biggest, most outrageous stadium tours for the world's most famous performers.

In Pittsburgh, only one venue is large enough for an event of this size, and Heinz Field concerts have historically attracted acts like Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Beyonce, U2, and perhaps the most legendary of them all, The Rolling Stones- who we finally got to see at Heinz Field in 2021.

So in this one, we thought we'd share a bit about what the show was like, thoughts on the seating and sound at the stadium, and other venue-specific points you may want to keep in mind!

Note: Photos in this one were taken at various focal lengths with our phone. True-to-view shots as seen from our seats will be noted in the captions. 

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The Asian Lantern Festival Celebrates Animals, Culture, and More

The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is known for putting on many events throughout the year, and in fall 2021 they put on one of the grandest yet- the Asian Lantern Festival running on Thursday to Sunday nights through October 30th!

We were fortunate enough to visit the Seoul Lantern Festival when visiting South Korea in 2019 and absolutely loved the large, ornate, and colorful paper sculptures that lined Cheonggyecheon Stream in the heart of the city (see some of our favorites over at our travel blog at the previous link).

Naturally, when we heard that the Pittsburgh Zoo was going to host their own lantern festival, we knew we had to attend.

In this one, we thought we'd share a bit more about what the Asian Lantern Festival at the zoo is like, share a few of our favorite pieces, and give some tips to help you plan your visit for this limited-time show!

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PedalPGH is a Great Event to Bike Surface Roads in Pittsburgh

PedalPGH is an annual charity bike ride taking place every August (roughly) to help raise money for BikePGH and their local biking initiatives.

For many years, we've watched this one from a distance as we started out primarily as rail-trail bikers who prefer mostly flat rides as opposed to heading out on surface roads. But after building up our experience on bikes, we signed up for PedalPGH and have to admit that this event is a whole lot of fun.

We had so much fun, in fact, that we plan on riding this one yearly!

So in this one, we thought we'd share a bit more about what you can expect from PedalPGH, things to keep in mind, and why signing up is so important outright.

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PNC Park Concerts – Is The Venue Worth It for a Show?

We always have a bit of apprehension when it comes to stadium concerts, and the Hella Mega Tour featuring Weezer, Fall Out Boy, and Green Day at PNC Park in 2021 was no different.

The reason for this is not specific to PNC Park outright (a stadium we absolutely love particularly for its views of the city), but rather that most sports stadiums are simply not the best for concerts from a viewing perspective. The stages are generally set up in the outfield and are rather far away from the bulk of the seats which inherently makes for less-than-stellar views outside of the pit.

As it turns out, we ended up really liking our experience at PNC Park and would gladly return for a future show as the vibe, sound, and views of the city more than made up for the views of the stage outright.

So in this one, we wanted to share a few things to keep in mind before buying tickets to PNC Park concerts!

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Pick Your Own Sunflowers at Renshaw Farms in Freeport

There are two things we know about sunflowers. The first is that they're Angie's favorite flower, and the second is that they only bloom for roughly 10-14 days each July in southwest Pennsylvania*.

As such, during these brief blooms we rush to get out to as many places as we can to view these gorgeous flowers.

One such farm is Renshaw Farms just outside of Freeport, PA. While the sunflower field here is not terribly large, we'll take any opportunity we can to see thousands of flowers in a field. So in this one, we wanted to share more about what you can expect with a quick visit!

*Note: Some sunflowers also bloom in late August or early September, but most of the sunflower farms in PA tend to be open publicly for July blooms. Renshaw Farms is one of the only farms we know of that is open during both blooms; however, we've only visited for the July flowers.

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Schwirian Farm Sunflower Festival is a Must Visit

Our visit to Schwirian Farm for their annual sunflower festival at their farm just outside of Elizabeth, PA, was a few years in the making. 

The reason for this is that prior to 2021, the annual festival was brief- just a day or so (the rest of the season the farm would be closed to the public). As such, it shouldn't be a surprise that we simply missed it by either being out of town or not being on top of tracking when that exact date would be.

But starting in 2021, the festival changed. Instead of being just a single day, it runs for a full week thanks to its incredible popularity (in 2021 the festival runs from July 17th-25th and a second bloom in October from the 2nd-11th). Since I had this one on my calendar for a full year to ensure I didn't miss it when it came back, we made sure to go on the very first day and were very glad we did.

In this one, we wanted to share a bit more about what you can expect when visiting the Schwirian Farm Sunflower Festival!

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7 Awesome Places to Enjoy Sunflowers Near Pittsburgh

When it comes to enjoying fields of sunflowers near Pittsburgh, we have to admit that we're quite spoiled. Between the many farms open to get photos within a field and others open for pick your own bouquets, you really have a number of options to get out and see these gorgeous flowers in southwest Pennsylvania. 

But there is one caveat- most of the fields require a bit of a drive outside of the city.

In this one, we wanted to share a few fields you can visit as well as give you an idea of costs and their respective opening dates as these flowers can have quite a limited blooming period!

Note: All prices are based on published information for the 2021 season. Please reconfirm at the farms directly via their respective links below as prices, dates, and times are liable to change. Most of the farms below are cash only.

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The Allegheny Overlook is the Beer Garden Downtown Pittsburgh Needs

We've often lamented the underutilization the rivers in Pittsburgh, and we always jump on the chance to get on or near the water whenever we can.

One thing we always hoped for was a recurring food truck rally on one of the sister bridges, which unfortunately is still a bit of a dream. But in 2021, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership launched the next best thing by converting a section of Fort Duquesne Blvd (just next to the Roberto Clemente Bridge on the Allegheny River) into an outdoor beer garden and event space aptly named The Allegheny Overlook.

When it comes to eating and drinking near the rivers, we have to admit, this one checks all the right boxes for us all the same.

The best part? This one is sticking around through the end of summer!

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Phipps Conservatory’s Summer Flower Show – Hidden Life of Trolls

There are good shows at Phipps Conservatory and then there are great shows at Phipps Conservatory.

Before checking out the 2021 Summer Flower Show, I wasn't quite sure where it would fall on the spectrum. But “The Hidden Life of Trolls” is not only one of the best summer shows that we can remember but one of the best they have ever done of any season!

Be prepared for some amazing animatronics, interactive experiences, and of course gorgeous flowers in this one!

Note: As with all of our museum posts, we do not like to give away every exhibit. In this one, we're only going to share a few of our favorite rooms and encourage you to visit to see the rest! We were guests of Phipps for this review.

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Getting Holiday Cheer with Laser Lights at North Park

We've been to all manner of holiday experiences in Pittsburgh, but in 2020 it was Allegheny County's North Park that gave us a real holiday surprise- a laser light show!

When we first heard about the laser light show, taking place between December 10th and 20th in 2020, we knew we had to buy tickets for it right away. We snapped up a spot for opening night and eagerly awaited what was in store for us.

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