What’s going on this week in Pittsburgh, March 13-19? Find out here. Visit each organization’s website and social media for Covid protocols and weather-related updates. Know of a cool event? Email us.
Monday, March 13: One Big Table: An International Tasting at Stage AE
6-9 p.m.
Attend a party with a global flair while helping thousands of local residents access free literacy programs. Celebrating the region’s cultural diversity, Literacy Pittsburgh’s benefit bash features food tastings showcasing international cuisine, entertainment and activities and an artisan market. Buy tickets.
Monday, March 13: Ruth Ozeki at Carnegie Music Hall
7:30 p.m.
Next up for Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures’ Ten Evenings series is American-Canadian author, filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest Ruth Ozeki. Exploring mental illness and bereavement, Ozeki’s fourth novel “The Book of Form and Emptiness,” depicts a 13-year-old boy who hears voices from inanimate household objects following the death of his father. Buy tickets.
Tuesday, March 14: Pi Day with Pittsburgh Pie Guy at 3 Rivers Outdoor Co.
5-8 p.m.
Celebrate Pi Day as one should — with the Pittsburgh Pie Guy, Lou Butler! Gather ’round the community campfire to savor a selection of Butler’s sweet and savory pies and raise funds for the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy. Pair the baked delights with a tasty pint of Magik Session IPA from Arboretum Trail Brewing Co. Buy tickets.
Thursday, March 16: Watercolor Works from the Garden at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
5:30-8:30 p.m.
As the vernal equinox approaches, flora is blooming both indoors and outdoors at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Featuring 22 artists, the new exhibition represents the culmination of a two-year collaboration between the garden and the Pittsburgh Watercolor Society. The public can meet the artists at tonight’s free opening reception in the Welcome Center.
Thursday, March 16: CMU International Film Festival Opening Night at McConomy Auditorium
7 p.m.
Through the perspective of 12 award-winning international films from 20 different countries, this CMU festival returns in person to tackle big questions surrounding the concept of change. Don’t miss the opening night screening of Éric Gravel’s “Full Time.” The French film stars Laure Calamy as a hard-working single parent facing a new job and a national transit strike. Tonight’s festivities include a reception catered by La Gourmandine and a Q&A. Buy tickets.
Friday, March 17: Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival Opening Night at Row House Cinema
7:15 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival opens tonight with a bang. Watch the comic book-style cult classic, “Electric Dragon 80.000 V,” nab a swag bag and savor Japanese snacks. In the 2001 tokusatsu film written and directed by Gakuryū Ishii, a “violent, guitar-playing, electrically charged boxer faces off against an electronic wizard half-merged with a metallic Buddha.” We’re sold. With a focus on monster movies, the expanded two-week festival features new titles from Japan, Pittsburgh premieres, themed events and specialty concessions. View a schedule and buy tickets.
Friday, March 17: “SIX The Musical” at the Bendeum Center
8 p.m.
Forget Destiny’s Child and the Spice Girls: In this musical sensation, the six wives of Henry VIII grab the mic to “remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st-century girl power.” Watch these divas go from Tudor queens to pop icons in the Tony Award-winning musical comedy with music, book and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Tickets are going fast, so get yours today.
Friday, March 17: “In Words and Music: Honeck Conducts Mozart’s Requiem” at Heinz Hall
8 p.m.
If you loved him as Bert in “White Lotus” and Antonio Salieri in “Amadeus,” don’t miss Pittsburgh native F. Murray Abraham when he narrates this three-night production with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The “once-in-a-lifetime portrayal” of Mozart’s epic masterpiece written on the composer’s deathbed is distinctly interpreted by Manfred Honeck. The program also features the world premiere of James MacMillan’s “Her tears fell with the dews at even” and Franz Schubert’s “Unfinished” symphony. Buy tickets.
Saturday, March 18 & Sunday, March 19: Orchid Obsession at Crowne Plaza Suites Pittsburgh South
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
If you’re intrigued by orchids, make this weekend event your oasis. The Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania transforms the hotel into a blooming wonderland. Buy orchids from eastern U.S. vendors — including plants for beginners alongside rare orchids for adventurous growers — and learn pro tips on growing and maintenance during educational seminars. Be immersed in hundreds of impressive displays of blooming orchids grown locally. Stop by the popular repotting table with your own orchids for some expert techniques.
Saturday, March 18: Spring Flower Show: Five Senses of Splendor at Phipps
9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Awaken your senses and shake off hibernation at Phipps. Tens of thousands of spring blooms in a rainbow of shades — from lilies, amaryllis and petunias, to daffodils, tulips and hyacinths — will make you feel renewed. Unwind beside a bubbling serene stream, bright red footbridge and Japanese-style garden. Buy tickets.
Saturday, March 18 & Sunday, March 19: Penguin-Palooza at the National Aviary
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Waddle over to the North Side to party with your favorite flightless feathered friends. Meet the resident colony at Penguin Point, watch a feeding and talk with mingle with other bird nerds. Make penguin crafts, discover what makes these aquatic avians so unique and learn how you can help protect marine life. Buy tickets.
Saturday, March 18: Pittsburgh Zine Fair Mixer at Trace Brewing
11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Power up those copy machines, reload those staplers and head to the one-of-a-kind Zine Fair Mixer for inspiration. If you have some to share, bring your original zines for the swap table — or swing by to check out the handmade printed matter, meet local makers and learn about upcoming fairs. The event is free for all ages.
Saturday, March 18: AW Community Day at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center
12-4 p.m.
Celebrate local arts and athletics at this Downtown community festival. Participate in demonstrations with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins, Three Rivers Rowing Association, Bike Pittsburgh, Josh Gibson Foundation and more. Create your own art piece with Pittsburgh Glass Center’s mobile Hot Wheels studio, snap selfies with Steely McBeam and the Pirate Parrot, and receive a complimentary children’s book. The free festivities include performances, book readings, craft activities and an artisan market.
Saturday, March 18: Sunstar Festival at Kelly Strayhorn Theater
1 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Celebrate Women’s History Month with a spotlight on music creators. The theater teams up with The SCALE Fellowship Program to curate a night celebrating women and femmes in music across gender expressions and identities. Hosted by Diarra Imani, the showcase features performances by Toshi Reagon, Lola Cole, DJ FEMI and Casaundra. Start your Saturday with the Sunstar Roundtable at 1 p.m. for a lunch conversation about women in the music industry led by Leigh Solomon Pugliano. Buy tickets.
Saturday, March 18: Family House Spring Gala at the Duquesne Club
6:30-11 p.m.
Party for a cause to support Pittsburgh’s premiere healthcare lodging facility. Start the elegant evening with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and the peruse the fab silent auction, raffle items and wine pull. Gala-goers will be treated to a Baird Dessert Bar and live music by Jason Kendall Productions. Buy tickets.
Saturday, March 18: Rock Paper Sizzle at Attack Theatre
7:30-10:30 p.m.
Attack Theatre does not just dance for you — the company wants to dance with you. Move, groove and play the night away for a great cause when Attack’s crowd-favorite Dirty Ball transforms into Rock, Paper, Sizzle. It’s a rare opportunity to join in the creative process of dance. The one-night extravaganza includes performances, music and games, a VIP experience, and cocktails and bites from Sprezzatura. Proceeds support the nonprofit theatre’s arts education programs. Buy tickets.
Saturday, March 18: Alba Flamenco at Trust Arts Education Center
8 p.m.
Experience a thrilling night of flamenco music and dance in the heart of the Cultural District. The event features Jon Bañuelos, Erik Lawrence, Guillermo Rodriguez, Carolina Loyola-Garcia, dancers from Flamenco Pittsburgh, and guest artist Alice Blumenfeld. Presented by Flamenco Pittsburgh, it’s an exciting chance to experience the remarkable art form up close in an intimate environment. Buy tickets.
Sunday, March 19: Pittsburgh Beer Choir at Acclamation Brewing
1:30 p.m.
Hops and hymns converge when the Pittsburgh Beer Choir leads this St. Patrick’s Day weekend singalong in quaint Verona. The group is busy planning a special Irish-heavy set list and in the meantime, the public can download and print the official Beer Choir Hymnal for free.
Sunday, March 19: “Rediscover” at the New Hazlett Theater
2 p.m.
Texture Contemporary Ballet wraps up its latest season with three featured works. Artistic Director Alan Obuzor premieres a classical ballet set to Camille Saint-Saëns’s “Piano Concerto No.5.” “Unchanging Change” is a contemporary work for 11 dancers featuring music by Max Richter, Macklemore and spoken word poetry by Andrea Gibson. The night’s final piece features newly composed music by Pittsburgh-based Cello Fury. Buy tickets.
Sunday, March 19: Pitt Jazz Composers Concert at Bellefield Hall
2 p.m.
The sounds of local jazz musicians will fill Bellefield Hall during this free concert featuring compositions by nine Pitt students, faculty and alumni. Developed by A.J. Johnson — interim director of the prestigious Pitt Jazz Studies Program — the annual event gives composers the rare and valuable opportunity to hear their works, and those of their peers, performed by top professional jazz musicians.
Find more things to do in Pittsburgh, including public events, live music and family activities, here.
