Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on May 8, 2024.
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When it comes to enjoying music in Pittsburgh, there is no shortage of events going on from local performances, mega artists visiting on a global tour, and local festivals.
One festival stands out as being one of the very best in southwest Pennsylvania- the Millvale Music Festival.
This one, located in Millvale just outside of Pittsburgh, brings over 300 bands to more than two dozen stages all within a roughly one-mile radius over two packed days. Truly, you're never more than a few feet away from music at this one, and it is a whole lot of fun!
Let the Music Be Your Guide at the Millvale Music Festival
We have to be honest in that when planning on what to see and listen to at the Millvale Music Festival, you have your work cut out for you. With over 300 acts performing across over two dozen stages, all found within about a mile radius in central Millvale, it is pretty safe to say it is impossible to see it all.
This means there are two approaches to how you take in the Millvale Music Festival.
The first, and what we did, is simply to walk around without a plan. Head into the local breweries to listen to some music with a craft beer. Check out a business you've never been in before, especially if you hear music coming from inside. Wander around and see what unique stages you'll discover. During a recent visit, we caught a bluegrass act right in the heart of the community garden near Grist House- what a treat that was!
By walking around the main business district of Millvale, you'll likely see well over a dozen stages, take in some of the vendors, spot all the food trucks, and listen to a ton of great music simply by proximity.
The second approach would be for those who have specific bands in mind that you want to see. Here, you need to be strategic in order to make sure you can get to all of the acts you are looking to check out.
In this instance, we would recommend downloading the Millvale Music Festival app, as it is a pocket guidebook to all the performances going on in the festival, where you can even build your own schedule of bands you want to see- down to where they're performing, the time, band bios, and more. Just be sure to schedule a bit of downtime for being impulsive, as odds are good music and stages you aren't even aware of will draw you over even with a planned out schedule!
Going beyond the music, the festival also has spoken word/poetry reads, standup comedy, and numerous artist vendors setup throughout Millvale. For the latter, many of these are near a stage so you can do double duty by perusing art and listening at the same time- a nice little bonus when visiting the festival.
Likewise, there is no shortage of food from Millvale area businesses (often with special hours during the event) and many food trucks that make their way over to the borough as well (with a decent share almost always at Grist House)!
Plan for the Crowds
When it comes down to it, it is very difficult to see everything at the Millvale Music Festival unless you are able to spend both days in the borough- it is that busy.
In fact, accessing the festival itself can be a bit tricky as Millvale fills up with more people for this festival than just about any other event in the borough. Short of getting into Millvale well before the start of the first acts, odds are good that parking in and around the borough will be completely full.
As such, for those who want to have the easiest time, the best recommendations are either to Uber to Millvale or park at one of the designated parking areas on the outskirts and take the provided shuttles into Millvale proper. These parking areas tend to be published just before the event on both the music festival website and the app. While we have personally been lucky and found spots for parking in the borough, we recognize that this was very unlikely and instead recommend going the easy route if you are able.
Overall, the Millvale Music Festival is one of the best music events in southwest Pennsylvania each year, and if you are able to make it out for the two days of the festival in mid-May, you will be in for a real treat!
Have you made it to the Millvale Music Festival before? What did you think of it? Comment below to share!
The Millvale Music Festival takes place at many stages in Millvale, PA, for two days each May.
