Downtown

Handmade Arcade – An Annual Craft Fair in Pittsburgh

Handmade Arcade is a free independent craft fair held at the David L. Lawrence Convention center every December.

If you're looking to pick up some unique presents, or just want to support independent artists from the region and the country, the Handmade Arcade is the place to be!

Note: Many of the artisans at Handmade Arcade sell their products online via Etsy storefronts. When applicable, we'll feature links to the stores directly within this article as well (may contain affiliate information).

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The Three Rivers Arts Festival – One of Pittsburgh’s Top Events

The Three Rivers Arts Festival is one of the most popular annual events in Pittsburgh.

This two-week long festival in June celebrates all things arts and includes dozens upon dozens of booths of art vendors, live performances and music, extended gallery hours, and so much more in downtown Pittsburgh.

While you may need to visit this one multiple times in order to truly experience it all, a visit during any day of the festival has enough to keep anyone busy.

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PPG Paints Arena Concerts – Is the Venue Worth It?

Everyone in Pittsburgh knows that PPG Paints Arena (formerly CONSOL Energy Center) is home of the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins. But outside of hockey season the arena does not sit empty, and is instead one of the best spots in the city to catch some of the largest bands and musicians in the world as they make a stop in Pittsburgh to perform.

One band we got to check out at PPG Paints Arena in 2017 was Red Hot Chili Peppers, and while we enjoyed the performance we wanted to take a look at PPG Paints Arena itself to see if it is truly a good spot to check out live music, what to consider before visiting, and what to avoid.

In knowing these things, you'll be better prepared for purchasing a ticket for when your favorite band comes to town!

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Pizza Fiesta Review – No Frills Pizza, Delicious Fiesta Rolls

When we write about pizza in Pittsburgh, we often write about the corner pizza shop phenomenon where most every neighborhood pizza joint tastes almost identical to each other.

If you want a quick, cheap, and often greasy pie but aren't in the mood to go out of your way for a favorite spot, they are the kind of place you would go to out of convenience more than anything else.

As much as I don't want to say it, Pizza Fiesta is one of those places.

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Banff Mountain Film Festival – An Annual Pittsburgh Stop

The Banff Mountain Film Festival is not unique to Pittsburgh. In fact, it is not even unique to the midwest or even the United States.

This film festival originates from the tiny mountain town of Banff just outside of Calgary, Canada. Aside from being a town in its own right, this part of the world is also a great spot to get out and experience all things nature.

To capitalize on this, the city has created a film festival that showcases some of the world's best videos of adventure sports and other associated topics. The main festival takes place in Banff each fall, and after that the best videos go on a world tour with an annual stop in Pittsburgh.

As adventure lovers ourselves, we've been attending this event for many years. Today, we wanted to share the experience of what the festival is like to help encourage you to get out to the next one!

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Farm to Table Food Show – Local Food and Drink at the Convention Center

If the explosive growth of the restaurant scene and the local food movement in Pittsburgh is any indication, Pittsburgh has tons of locavores and foodies. One of the most popular annual events for such individuals is perhaps the Farm to Table conference.

This event is the perfect opportunity to network with other like-minded Pittsburghers, learn about things like canning and preserving, attend demonstrations, and browse the huge exhibit hall.

We recently had the chance to attend the conference as well as the Sunday night farm to flask tasting and left with a renewed appreciation for the local food scene.

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Condado Tacos Review – Tacos Without Breaking the Bank

One of the biggest complaints we hear about taco joints in Pittsburgh is that they are, for lack of a better term, overpriced. Throw in the premium of downtown Pittsburgh and it is pretty fair to say that you have a hard time getting a decent taco in the area without breaking the bank.

So when Condado Tacos, a Columbus-based budget taco restaurant, invited us to check out their first Pittsburgh location right in the heart of downtown, you knew we had to go. Thankfully, we have to say that this one comes in to fill that void with more appealing prices, roughly $3-$4 per taco, meaning you could walk away with a full meal for under $15 per person quite easily.

When it comes to restaurant dining in downtown Pittsburgh, we'll call that a win.

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Revel and Roost Review – Two Restaurants in One

Revel + Roost in downtown Pittsburgh near Market Square is more than just a hotel restaurant.

In fact, we never even knew it was in a hotel until we dined there; we had only heard that it was a great place to hang out. Revel is located on the ground floor and has a more relaxed bar vibe while Roost on the second floor provides a more formal dining experience. We recently stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Downtown that houses the restaurants and checked out Revel during our stay.

The highlights for us were the extensive craft cocktail menu and a solid burger. We also visited Roost for breakfast as it was included for free with our Hilton Honors gold status.

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DoubleTree Pittsburgh Review – Perfect for a Penguins Game

The DoubleTree Downtown Pittsburgh is a decent mid-range hotel in downtown Pittsburgh that is located in a prime spot next to PPG Paints Arena and a short walk from the action of the city.

During our visit, we wanted to find out if this hotel had any hidden surprises beyond these obvious perks, and while we found a few under the surface, we have to be honest in that the location is the true highlight worth staying at this hotel for- and there is nothing wrong with that in the slightest.

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Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Downtown Review – An All Around Gem

The Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Pittsburgh is a newer addition to Pittsburgh's hotel scene, having just opened in March 2016.

With clean and modern rooms (many of which have views of Market Square), an adjacent parking garage, and two on-site restaurants, this hotel is a great option for those visiting the city and wanting to be at the center of all the action.

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