10 Reasons to Visit Pittsburgh in March – Spring is Coming

Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on February 29, 2024.

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Pittsburgh in March can be hit or miss depending on the weather. Some years we get an early spring and it is a beautiful time to be outside. Others, the winter dreariness continues on.

As such, if you are looking to get out and explore Pittsburgh this month you'll need to be aware of the weather before making plans.

So in this month's feature, we have a mix of indoor and outdoor options to have you covered no matter what the forecast is!

Find a Fish Fry

Bitter Ends Fish Fry

Fish Fry culture in Pittsburgh during Lent is no joke, with many restaurants, Elk and Moose lodges, and churches taking part having food throughout the season. As Lent often runs from late February to either late March or early April, this means that March is the best month of the year to get out and find a good fish fry!

In need of a good fish sandwich this season? Check out this interactive map for all of the options out there.

Fineview Lookout

Fineview Lookout

As its name suggests, the neighborhood of Fineview is home to a pretty fine view of the city (we couldn't help ourselves). The lookout on Catoma Street is a perfect place to spend an evening at sunset to appreciate an angle of the city many do not venture out to explore!

If you want another great view while in the area, head over to St. John's Cemetery in Spring Garden, and then head down to the North Side for a drink and a bite of Hungarian fare at Huszar.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

The annual St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Pittsburgh is one of the biggest celebrations in March, and in 2024 the parade will return on Saturday, March 16th at 10am. The parade typically begins at Liberty Avenue and 11th Street and then goes down Grant Street before turning right on Boulevard of the allies and ending at Commonwealth Place at Stanwix.

Be prepared to hang out with a few hundred thousand new friends at this one, and if you are up to keep the celebrations going after the parade the bars downtown and in South Side are sure to keep the festivities strong well throughout the night!

Phipps Spring Flower Show

Phipps Conservatory in Oakland

Phipps Conservatory is the premier conservatory in Western Pennsylvania and is home to nearly a dozen rooms with various themes to showcase some of the world's best flowers and plants. Each March the gardens unveil their most popular show, the Spring Flower Show, which features dozens of amazing spring flowers as well as art pieces curated to each show's unique theme.

If you only have time to visit the conservatory for one show a year, make it this one. 2024's Spring Flower Show is themed A Closer Look and runs from March 16th to April 14th.

After Phipps you can easily go explore Oakland or Squirrel Hill, so why not grab a Japanese takeaway box at Oishii Bento or a drink at the tiki bar Hidden Harbor?

Mellon Park Walled Garden

Mellon Park Memorial in Pittsburgh

Not every experience included in this guide is a happy one, and the memorial at the Mellon Park Walled Garden is most certainly a somber one. Dedicated to Ann Katharine Seamans, a Pittsburgh native who tragically passed away at a tragically young age, the memorial at the garden is special because it can only be seen at night! Hundreds of LED lights are embedded into the ground, and when visible after dark show the constellations found over Pittsburgh at the moment of Ann's birth in 1979.

After your visit to the Walled Garden, head over to Shadyside for a meal at The Yard, Casbah, or Mercurio's (and finish off there all the same for some gelato!).

Go On a Food Crawl of the Strip District

Lucy's Banh Mi

One of our favorite neighborhoods in the Pittsburgh, the Strip District, is always quite vibrant on a beautiful spring day. So why not go on a food crawl of the best street food in the neighborhood this month?

From a banh mi from Lucy's (now open year-round!) to mung bean pancakes at Sambok for street food, a beer at one of the numerous breweries, chocolate at Mon Aimee Chocolat, and many, many more, you really can get your fill at this neighborhood of food!

Page Dairy Mart Opening Day

Yinzer Sundae

While you can enjoy ice cream at many shops in Pittsburgh year-round, many are also seasonal. Page Dairy Mart is one such ice cream shop that typically is open from March through October and has a die-hard following for their soft serve, sundaes, and more. (The Yinzer Sundae is a treat any time of year, and their fall flavors like apple cider always warrant a return visit before they close).

Page Dairy Mart's opening day in 2024 is March 8th.

Trillium Trail

Trillium Trail

The Trillium flower is a rather rare flower to Western Pennsylvania, and there are only a few places around the city to spot it during its brief late-March/early-April bloom. The aptly named Trillium Trail in Fox Chapel is one of these places, and this small hiking trail becomes to go-to place for flower fans in early spring (and is a peaceful nature reserve for the rest of the year).

Keep the hiking going while exploring north of the city and check out Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve.

Shows in March

Broadway in Pittsburgh

In 2024, PNC's Broadway series will be performing The Book of Mormon through March 3rd and Mamma Mia! from the 26th to the 31st.

The Pittsburgh Opera is performing La Traviata on select dates from the 16th to 24th.

The Pittsburgh Symphony has performances of Rachmaninoff, Sound Fusion, The Princess Bride in Concert, and many more scheduled throughout the month as well!

Sports in March

Riverhounds Stadium in Pittsburgh

As a sports-crazed city, Pittsburgh has just about everything for those looking to cheer on a local team.

Our resident soccer team is the Riverhounds, and their stadium is perfectly located in Station Square- just across from the city. Check out their schedule and visit for a great game once their season kicks off in earnest in March with their first home game on March 16th!

Although hockey season is starting to wind down for the year, there are many Penguins home games for the month including on the 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 12th, 19th, 22nd, 24th, and 30th!

Want to explore before or after the game? Consider a ride on the Gateway Clipper or head down to Cilantro and Ajo a few blocks down in South Side for some amazing Venezuelan fare.

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