Photo by Matt Dayak.

Lawrenceville
May 6, 7, 8
Various times

If you’re looking for an off-beat and 100% local alternative to Mother’s Day fun, skip the typical bouquets and long brunch lines, and instead head to eclectic Lawrenceville.

Courtesy Lawrenceville Corporation
Courtesy Lawrenceville Corporation

Rewriting the book on Mother’s Day, the arts and design hub is hosting an entire weekend packed with creative ways to celebrate all things mom. Spanning 54 local businesses lining Butler Street’s thriving commercial corridor, the three-day festivities are calling all mothers—and those honoring moms—to shop, eat, play and explore their way through Lawrenceville.

Looking to pamper that special mother or grandmother in your life?

Indulge her in wellness treatments at Metamorphosis Organic Salon, Spa and Wellness, make buttons together at Wildcard and enroll in a mom-and-me make-up class at The Gilded Girl. Treat mom to much-needed hand massages at Una Biologicals, refreshing craft beer at Atlas Bottle Works and live puppet shows at The Teddy Bear Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Next, take mom on a behind-the-scenes tour of one of Pittsburgh’s top hidden gems—The Clemente Museum—which is offering free admission to moms along with a complimentary flight of locally made Engine House 25 wines.

Photo by Matt Dayak
Photo by Matt Dayak

Be sure to head over to Paint Monkey to channel your inner artist, play rounds of bingo and sip specially crafted “mom-osas.” Moms with a green thumb can pick up a free flower and container of gardening guides at City Grows, and free seed packets at Cavacini Garden Center.

When it’s time to unwind, balance your chakras during mommy-and-me yoga sessions at Shining Light Prenatal Education and enjoy  tastings at Allegheny Wine Mixer.

And with numerous world-class food and drink destinations peppered throughout the nabe—from established restaurants like Coca Cafe and Piccolo Forno, to newbies such as The Abbey and Umami—your choices for lunch, brunch and dinner are endless.

For all of the mom-centric details, check out the Lawrenceville Corporation’s newly redesigned website.

Looking for more events? Read our 11 Pittsburgh events not to miss in May feature.

Jennifer has worked at the Mattress Factory, Brooklyn Museum of Art and Dahesh Museum of Art and is co-author of Pittsburgh Signs Project: 250 Signs of Western Pennsylvania. She also is co-coordinator of Handmade Arcade. Musically, she is in a band called The Garment District and is a founding member of Brooklyn's The Ladybug Transistor.