Events

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

We always have a bit of apprehension when it comes to stadium concerts in Pittsburgh, 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!

Read more

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: 2024's sunflower dates are July 22nd through August 4th with varying times by day.

Read more

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 2025 the festival runs from July 18th to 31st pending bloom and a second bloom likely in October). 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!

Read more

Dinner on the Hilltop at Birch Creek Farmery Near Burgettstown

We like to support our local businesses as best we can, and this extends not just to our area restaurants, breweries, and attractions but for our home shopping as well. 

Recently we expanded our freezer space and were able to make a bulk purchase of half of a pig from Birch Creek Farmery– located about an hour west of Pittsburgh just outside of Burgettstown. Not only were we big fans of the meat, but it was also wonderful to place a direct order from farmers who are raising their animals right. 

Naturally, when we heard that Birch Creek Farmery was starting a dinner series at the farm itself, we were in and bought tickets right away.

Read more

Catching Views on the Doors Open Antique Skyscrapers Tour

You may know of the Doors Open Pittsburgh organization from the annual event of the same name that takes place each October. During this event, dozens of normally private buildings around the city open their doors for the public and is a pretty stellar event all around.

Since the founding of this now-staple event, Doors Open has expanded to included many custom walking tours with varying themes throughout the year. These vary month-to-month, but one caught our eye- the Antique Skyscrapers: Rooftops & Views tour. As getting on top of all of the downtown skyscrapers is a goal of ours, we naturally grabbed tickets to this one right away (as they quickly sold out).

In this one, we wanted to share a bit more about what the tour was like as well as share a few of our favorite photos!

Read more

Food Truck-a-Palooza – Pittsburgh’s Largest Food Truck Rally

We're always on the lookout for the best Pittsburgh food truck rallies, and we have to admit that our options for roundups of local food trucks are few and far between.

When they happen, they're often quite small. And when they're free, they often are too crowded or the trucks sell out of food in record time.

So it was with great excitement that we went out to the Monroeville Convention Center one Saturday in winter in order to check out the annual Food Truck-a-Palooza event- the largest food truck rally we've been to yet!

Read more

CRAFT Chatham Offers Specialized Cooking Classes in Pittsburgh

CRAFT (The Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation) at Chatham University is affiliated with the school's Food Studies program and aims to transform our food systems in Western Pennsylvania through education and outreach. Some of those education opportunities include fantastic food-related workshops and classes hosted at the Eden Hall campus in Gibsonia.

The CRAFT Chatham classes have long been our list to attend, but spaces are limited and they often sell out very quickly. Classes really span the gamut of topics from whole hog butchering, to sourdough bread baking, to Indian food, to fermentation. Instructors are all extremely knowledgeable and talented experts in their field.

We were lucky enough to snag a spot in the recent Kraut, Kimchi, and Lacto-Fermented Pickles class taught by Trevor Ring. Trevor graduated from the Chatham food studies program and also studied with the famous fermentation expert Sandor Katz. Basically, he's very into fermentation and knows what he's talking about!

Read more