The countdown to spring is on and the month of renewal and rejuvenation is bursting with opportunities to experience the city in new ways. March jubilantly forward with these 10 must-do events.
Be sure to pack your mask and visit each organization’s website and social media for Covid safety protocols.
1. Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center: March 4-13
With spring around the corner, the season of gardening and remodeling is here. There’s no better place to hatch new projects than Pennsylvania’s largest home show. Spanning 10 days and 10 acres, the 40th-anniversary event features 1,900 exhibits showcasing home and garden products and services. Step into the interactive Dream Home Innovation Center to see the latest cutting-edge advances — from home entertainment and food prep to energy-saving thermostats. Think outside four walls to design your own backyard oasis, envision your ultimate kitchen while sipping vino and cuddle with pets looking for a place to call home. Don’t miss the Farm to Table Expo, Home Interior Galleries and new Garden Resource Center. See hours and buy tickets.
2. Nosferatu 100th anniversary at the Harris Theater: March 5
One hundred years ago, a vampire named Count Orlok was unleashed on the silver screen by director F. W. Murnau. To celebrate the centennial of this classic of creep, the Pittsburgh Silent Film Society is teaming up with the Harris to present a screening of the silent German Expressionist film “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.” When the flick premiered at Berlin’s zoological gardens in 1922, it became an instant cultural icon — and a subject of controversy — because the estate of “Dracula” author Bram Stoker sued Prana studio over copyright claims, and won. While some copies of the film survived, the score was lost. In the city that birthed the Nickelodeon and zombies — this is your rare chance to experience the masterpiece with live musical accompaniment by pianist Tom Roberts.
3. Working Thought at Carnegie Museum of Art: March 5
What connections exist between our region’s labor history and artistic practice? Delve into this compelling topic through the work of 35 contemporary artists when CMOA opens its newest exhibition. Spanning a diverse media, creative processes and multiple generations, Working Thought encourages viewers to examine ideas surrounding labor, the economy, social inequity, and the power of art to shape assumptions about American life. Extending beyond the galleries, the exhibit is accompanied by conversations, film screenings, performances, and artist workshops. Museum-goers will also consider the artwork within the broader historical context of the museum’s origins, the role of industrialist Andrew Carnegie and the history of Pittsburgh as an industrial center. A combination of commissions and loans will further illuminate these themes and shine a new light on the museum’s world-class collection. Buy tickets.
4. St. Patrick’s Day Parade: March 12
After being canceled twice due to the pandemic, the city held a “halfway to St. Patrick’s Day Parade” in September. Believed to be the country’s second-largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, it makes its much-anticipated return on the one day each year when the Burgh’s color palette goes from black and gold to green. According to Travel + Leisure, Niche and WalletHub, the Burgh is one of the best cities for celebrating the March holiday. Find out why when 200 groups — from marching units, festive floats and dance troops, to cultural organizations, kilted bagpipers and lively clowns — make their way through Downtown. Starting at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Liberty Ave. and 11th St., the parade will culminate at the reviewing stand on Stanwix St.
5. Sunstar Festival: Womxn & Music at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater: March 18 & 19
Black femme talent takes center stage when Sunstar returns with two nights of in-person performances. Head to East Liberty to experience the voices and vision of Black musicians and their family of allied artists. Sunstar kicks off Friday with Pittsburgh-based singer-songwriter Nairobi. A member of 1Hood Media, Nairobi’s award-winning work spans rap, acting, poetry, visual art, activism and more. Return Saturday for a performance by Pittsburgh-based singer-songwriter Najj Andrea, who will be joined by special guests. Sharing her perspective on the contemporary music scene, Andrea’s sound blends soul, R&B, melody, and raw personal lyrics. It’s one music festival that won’t set you back, because tickets are offered at a “pay what moves you” price.
6. Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at the Benedum Center: March 18-20
What do you get when you cross a jukebox with a musical? Find out when this Broadway hit rocks the Benedum. If you belt out songs like “I Feel The Earth Move,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” or “The Loco-Motion” in the shower, you have Carole King to thank. Be inspired by her remarkable life via this Tony and Grammy-winning musical from writer Douglas McGrath. It’s all there on stage — King’s Brooklyn beginnings, meteoric rise to stardom, renowned songwriting team with husband Gerry Goffin, close friendship with fellow writers Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann – and influential legacy. Buy tickets.