We’re bringing back our monthly event guide for what’s often the biggest event month of the year. So whether you’re masking up and heading out or logging on for a night in, don’t miss these 13 things to do in September.
1. Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race (virtual): September 1-30
This year, the world-class Great Race is launching a One GREAT Challenge to encourage participants to run both the 5K and 10K distances as part of a new virtual challenge. Runners can choose from the modified traditional course, North Shore/Downtown course and Schenley Park/Oakland course, and will use Strava to track and submit their times. Participants challenging themselves to run both distances will earn three medals and two t-shirts. There’s even more reason to lace up those sneakers because an additional five dollars for every registrant will be donated to the Richard S. Caliguiri Amyloidosis Fund. Register here.
2. Contemporary Craft Opening Celebration: September 3, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
The wait is finally over for one of the city’s leading arts organizations and you can be among the first to visit Contemporary Craft’s new home in upper Lawrenceville. After bidding adieu to its longtime Strip District digs, Contemporary Craft is opening its $5.5 million project which transformed a light manufacturing building into a LEED Silver equivalency design. Designed by GBBN Architects, the 13,000-square-foot center features galleries, a retail shop and offices, and a makers’ space. To celebrate, Contemporary Craft is presenting an inaugural exhibition, The Heart Lives through The Hands, featuring work by internationally renowned artist Swoon. NEXTpittsburgh is happy to be a media sponsor. The museum is open Thursdays through Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a free timed-ticketing system.
3. Tipsy History: The Spirited Age of Suffrage (virtual): September 4 & 5, 8 p.m.
Forget Drunk History, it’s time for Tipsy History. Spirited women meet local spirits during this live virtual event co-hosted by the Heinz History Center and Wigle Whiskey. Discover the mysteries behind the “suffragette cocktail,” join a rousing suffrage singalong and honor the passage of the 19th Amendment 100 years ago. Part of the Women Forging the Way initiative, the event will also celebrate the release of Wigle’s limited-edition Suffragette Rye. Participants will receive suffragette-inspired cocktail recipes and song lyrics. Tickets are $5, with two sessions to choose from. Attendees can also buy a bottle of Suffragette Rye ($34) and a Votes for Women pin pack ($10).
4. Britsburgh Festival (virtual): September 7-13
Boasting 11 immersive events, the seven-day Britsburgh Festival is produced by British-American Connections Pittsburgh. Sip and socialize during a traditional afternoon tea and the signature Britsburgh Beer Tasting event with East End Brewery. Learn to uncover your British genealogy, examine George Orwell’s writings about dystopian theories, and get a front-row seat for Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks’ production of Cymbeline. Additional highlights include a Yorkshire Travelogue program, virtual concerts and talks about mystery books and World War II operations. All events are free and presented via Zoom.
5. Jazz Poetry Month (virtual): September 8-29, 7 p.m.
City of Asylum is moving its popular Jazz Poetry Festival from its North Side tent to the internet for audiences around the globe to experience. The monthlong festival will showcase eight concerts, four international commissions and more. Featured musicians include Waclaw Zimpel (Poland), Jaak Sooäär (Estonia), Mihaly Borbely (Hungary) and Kaja Draksler (Slovenia) — who will perform concerts from unique locations in their home countries and while collaborating with poets to create performance premieres. Additional concerts will feature Thoth Trio’s “Meditations on Quarantine,” the Off-Minor Jazz Series’ presentation of Nat King Cole music and a tribute to Geri Allen. All events are free and will be streamed via Crowdcast.
6. To the World We Dream About (virtual): September 10, 7:30 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is rallying supporters for a virtual fundraiser and a gala celebration. Leading the online festivities will be André De Shields and Eva Noblezada, stars of the hit Broadway musical Hadestown, which racked up eight wins and 14 nominations at the 2019 Tony Awards. In addition to a prolific Broadway career, De Shields has appeared in numerous television shows and received an Primetime Emmy Award for his turn in NBC’s “Ain’t Misbehavin.” An American actress and singer of Filipino and Mexican descent, Noblezada is a rising Broadway star who received a 2017 Tony nomination for her portrayal of Kim in “Miss Saigon.” Buy tickets.
7. Black Girls Equity Month (virtual): September 10-25
Join the Black Girls Equity Alliance, an initiative of Gwen’s Girls, to participate in Black Girls Equity Month. Highlighting the strength and resiliency of local Black girls and women — and the systemic barriers they face — the series kicks off with the “See the Best in Me” social media campaign and concludes with a virtual equity summit. There will be a webinar examining gender-based violence and inequities and a Town Hall Meeting about a new report illustrating local trends in how Black girls are criminalized in schools. The month culminates at the Black Girls Equity Summit & Awards Ceremony, where author Cyntoia Brown Long will discuss her experiences as a sex trafficking victim and her work on criminal justice reform.