What’s going on this week in Pittsburgh, March 28-April 3? Find out here. Be sure to visit each organization’s website and social media for Covid safety protocols. Know of a cool event? Email us.
Monday, March 28: Phipps Virtual Native Plant Sale
1-6 p.m.
Now that the onion snow has melted, it’s time to focus on gardening. You have one more day to shop from a curated selection of 10 sustainable plants that are visually stunning and ecologically beneficial. From spotted bee balm to dense blazing star to goat’s beard, these native plants help feed bees, butterflies and birds, are disease and pest resistant and are easy to care for. Order here and pick up your plants at Phipps on April 25 and 26 from 1 to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, March 30: Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks at Threadbare Cider & Meadery
7 p.m.
What happens when a theater troupe presents all 37 plays in Shakespeare’s canon in just 97 minutes? It will be no holds Bard when PSIP opens its 18th season with “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: Abridged.” The laughter and the mead will flow as three actors courageously tackle comedies, tragedies and histories during the rapid-fire show. Buy tickets.
Wednesday, March 30: “Reaching for the Moon” with ReelQ and City of Asylum @ Home
7-9 p.m.
Set near Rio de Janeiro between 1951 and 1967, Bruno Barretto’s film dramatizes the passionate love story between the Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet Elizabeth Bishop and Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares. Written by Julie Sayres and Matthew Chapman, the film is based on Carmem Lucia de Oliveira’s book, “Flores Raras e Banalíssimas” (“Rare and Commonplace Flowers”). Register for the free virtual event.
Thursday, March 31: Sticks and Stones: A Night of Music Celebrating Jackie Shane & other Trans Trailblazers at Golden Age Beer Co.
6 p.m.
In Bed By Ten heads to Homestead to host a DJ night honoring International Trans Day of Visibility. The tribute will spotlight soul and R&B singer Jackie Shane and other musical trailblazers and trans musicians, including jazz pianist Billy Tipton, gospel singer Willmer M. “Little Axe” Broadnax and French singer Coccinelle. Donations will be accepted for Sisters PGH and the Trans Justice Funding Project.
Thursday, March 31: Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival Closing Night at Row House Cinema
6:30-9 p.m.
Popcorn is awesome but what if you could have beer delivered to you while watching a movie? Celebrate the festival‘s closing night with an interactive 21+ Brew & View event featuring Kenji Iwaisawa’s 2019 animated musical comedy, “On-Gaku: Our Sound.” The lovable buddy flick follows a group of “bored delinquent teens” with no musical experience who form their own rock band and discover the joy of creating something all their own. Buy tickets.
Friday, April 1: Unblurred Art Crawl on Penn Avenue
3-10 p.m.
Spring into new art at this roving open house-style event highlighting what’s new in Bloomfield and Garfield from 4800 to 5500 Penn Ave. Don’t miss the grand opening of Lange Studio at 5427 Penn and the Free First Friday Hot Jam at Pittsburgh Glass Center. Take yoga workshops and dance classes, pick up gifts from Workshop PGH, explore exhibitions at Silver Eye, Bunker Projects and BOOM Concepts, support local eateries, and much more.
Thursday, March 31: “Luzzu” at the CMU International Film Festival
7 p.m.
CMU’s International Film Festival continues tonight in McConomy Auditorium. With Alex Camilleri’s 2021 film, “Luzzu,” festival-goers will meet a Maltese fisherman who faces a “moral, economic and social dilemma” when his wooden fishing boat is leaking. The film captures the plight of a working-class family, and the pressures of an ever-growing economy. The event includes a post-show discussion. Running through April 9, the festival features 13 international films at venues throughout the city and the CMU campus. Buy tickets.
Friday, April 1: Yinzer Variety Show at 5020 Penn Ave.
7 p.m.
Help the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival support artists who are getting back on stage to perform live after the pandemic shutdown. Pop in during Unblurred to catch a variety of acts — from dance, comedy and circus, to magic, storytelling and theater — and learn about upcoming Fringe events. From 2 to 10 p.m., the art crawl will span the block from 4800 to 5500 to Penn Ave. to showcase the cultural and commercial corridor throughout Bloomfield and Garfield.
Friday, April 1: Plano at Bakery Square
8 p.m.
Transforming the former TechShop maker space into “a world where nothing is quite as it seems,” Quantum Theatre heads to Bakery Square to stage its latest site-specific production. Revolving around three sisters (à la Chekhov) played by Julianne Avolio, Lisa Velten Smith and Moira Quigley, Will Arbery’s play set in “astroturf-lined suburbia” melds dark comedy, domestic drama, absurdity and a provocative version of America. Directed by Adil Mansoor, “Plano” is accompanied by a series of pre-show events. Buy tickets.
Friday, April 1: “Reimagine” at the New Hazlett Theater
8 p.m.
Texture Contemporary Ballet wraps up its 11th season by reinventing what the dance form can be. The evening includes a world premiere by Alan Obuzor that reinterprets excerpts from iconic ballets by combining classical and contemporary choreography. Also featured will be Kelsey Bartman’s new work set to music by Ben Folds, and the return of a Texture favorite, “Old Skin,” based on the mythical phoenix. Buy tickets.
Saturday, April 2: Car Bazaar at the Forbes & Smithfield Parking Garage
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Why drive from house to house searching for deals when you can peruse the ultimate Pittsburgh garage sale in one central location? Rebooting England’s popular tradition of selling goods from the trunk of a car, this multi-level open-air market returns with 100 makers, retailers, vendors and a dedicated vinyl area. Opening day includes live music by The Evergreens and Miss Freddye, plus brunch fare and craft cocktails. The bazaar is open Saturdays through September.
Saturday, April 2: Vintage Pittsburgh at the Heinz History Center
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Local history meets vintage charm when this retro fair returns to the Strip District museum. Joining forces with the Neighborhood Flea, the Heinz History Center is hosting dozens of local makers and vendors selling one-of-a-kind clothing, accessories, home décor, records and more. After hunting for far-out finds and groovy goods, step back in time by visiting “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” snapping a selfie with a giant ketchup bottle and touring Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation. Buy tickets.
Saturday, April 2: Celebrating Fiddlesticks at Heinz Hall
11:15 a.m.
Fiddlesticks is turning 30 years young and you’re invited to celebrate with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Music Director Manfred Honeck will share a gift from his home in Austria, vocalist Katy Williams will sing Fred Rogers’ song “There Are Many Ways to Say I Love You” and surprise guests will perform with Fiddlesticks to celebrate the power of music. Buy tickets.
Saturday, April 2: Lawrenceville Pop-Up Market at Radiant Hall
12-4 p.m.
Help usher in the season of open-air markets. Radiant Hall, Ice House Studios and Attack Theatre are teaming up with local makers Rona Chang (Otto Finn) and Kirsten Lowe-Rebel to revive this monthly marketplace highlighting sustainable wares.
Saturday, April 2: Tito-Mecca-Zizza House Pop-up Museum at the 5th Avenue & Gist Street Parklet
1-3 p.m.
What do a Pittsburgh bootlegger, a Hill District entrepreneur, the Crawford Grill, Latrobe Brewing Company and the Pittsburgh Crawfords have in common? Find out during this outdoor pop-up museum highlighting the historic Tito-Mecca-Zizza house, which has been nominated as a city-designated historic landmark in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood. Historian David Rotenstein will share fascinating stories about Pittsburghers Joe Tito and Gus Greenlee via interpretive panels, artifacts and public talks.
Saturday, April 2: Drawn Together: A Coming of Middle Age Story in 62 Portraits at UnSmoke Systems Artspace
6-9 p.m.
Every day during January, Pittsburgh artists Kirsten Ervin and Suzanne Werder drew each other. Be the first to see the results of the ambitious and intimate monthlong project when Drawn Together opens in Braddock. Featuring 31 portraits, the exhibition is “an intimate investigation into the artists’ everyday lives, and the nuances and slight changes in each person over time.” Ervin, a fiber artist and illustrator, and Werder, a multidisciplinary artist, are both observer and subject. A counterpoint to highly curated social media, the collaboration embodies a “deliberately raw and unfiltered look at everyday life” while exploring ideas about reflection, trust, identity, aging, body image, representations of women and more.
Saturday, April 2: Title Town Soul & Funk Party at Spirit
9 p.m.-2 a.m.
Dance your way into spring with three hours of up-tempo soul and funk spun on old-school wax during one of Pittsburgh’s most beloved DJ nights. Groove to everything from Motown, Stax and disco, to Latin boogaloo, Northern Soul and retro R&B culled from hand-selected vinyl 45s spanning regional scenes and bygone eras.
Sunday, April 3: “Pete the Cat” at the Byham Theater
2 p.m.
What happens when a groovy blue cat named Pete gets caught rocking out after bedtime and is sent to live with the Biddle family to learn some manners? Join Theaterworks USA — along with Jimmy and Pete — for a family adventure in a VW Bus that leads to inspiration, magic sunglasses and friendship. Buy tickets.
Sunday, April 3: Resistance Revival Chorus at Point Park University
4 p.m.
Born out of the 2017 Women’s March on Washington, the Resistance Revival Chorus uses classic and original protest songs to “breathe joy into resistance movements and explore the intersection of art and activism.” Co-presented with The Andy Warhol Museum, the event includes a post-show conversation with Pittsburgh activists and chorus members. Buy tickets.
For more events, read 10 March events not to miss in Pittsburgh, from the Humanities Festival to Immersive Frida Kahlo.
For live music, check out the 20 best concerts in Pittsburgh this March, from Ministry to Mitski.
