Things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend (virtually and safely)
Jennifer Baron, Next Pittsburgh
For the remainder of this time of social distancing, we’re focusing on ways you can explore Pittsburgh and participate in local happenings from home and virtually.
We’re updating our virtual event guide every week, so please keep reading and sharing. Know about an interesting virtual event taking place in March? Email us here.
Thursday, March 26: Virtual Open House with Tech Elevator
12 p.m.
Ready for a career in technology? At Tech Elevator’s Virtual Open House, you’ll learn all about their coding bootcamp and pathway program — and how you can acquire in-demand skills for the modern workforce. Hear a presentation led by a Tech Elevator member, get a sense of the job market in Pittsburgh, ask all of your burning questions and build career connections.
Thursday, March 26: Mastering Zippers Class with Cut & Sew Studio
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Sew your stress away with this virtual class led by Cut & Sew Studio owner Catherine Batcho. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to master the art of the zipper, now is the time. Via Zoom, you’ll learn some of the most common zipper installation methods including centered, lapped and invisible.
Thursday, March 26: PlayTime with Pittsburgh Public Theater
7 p.m.
Every Thursday night, make a standing date with Pittsburgh Public Theater Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski, who will bring iconic plays and the work of extraordinary writers right to your living room. Don’t miss this week’s edition, when Kaminski is joined by special guests to reading Oscar Wilde’s quick-witted classic, “The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.”
Thursday, March 26: Tap your toes with the Live Stream Irish Music Series
7 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Irish Festival knows that music can lift our spirits like nothing else. In partnership with the Irish Design Center, the signature local event is spotlighting classic Irish tunes and performances with live streams via the festival’s Facebook page. On tap for Thursday night are performances by Pittsburgh fiddler Katie Grennan, accordion and concertina plater John Williams and The Low Kings. Don’t miss a beat!
Friday, March 27: In Bed By Ten Virtual Dance Party
6-9 p.m.
Stay plugged in and dance this mess around when Pittsburgh’s beloved In Bed By Ten Dance Party goes virtual. It’s a great time to get up and get moving and help out, because DJMB will be streaming live via Facebook and raising money for Sisters PGH’s LGBTQIA emergency relief fund. To help make sure this party can continue, you can donate to their new Patreon page.
Friday, March 27: PlayTime with Pittsburgh Public Theater
7 p.m.
Every Friday night, make a standing date with Pittsburgh Public Theater Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski, who will bring iconic plays and the work of extraordinary writers right to your living room. Don’t miss this week’s edition, when Kaminski is joined by special guests to reading Oscar Wilde’s quick-witted classic, “The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.”
Friday, March 27: A Little Friday Night Music with Duquesne University
7:30 p.m.
Classical music is coming to a couch near you thanks to Duquesne University’s acclaimed Mary Pappert School of Music. Dubbed “A Little Friday Night Music” — in tribute to Mozart’s iconic “Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music),” the weekly series will release a previously recorded concert by student and faculty ensembles via its YouTube channel. Don’t miss the “Best of the Bluff” kick-off concert featuring members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra members and Duquesne faculty.
Friday, March 27: Watch a Brazilian allegory with Row House Cinema
Thanks to Lawrenceville movie house Row House Cinema, you can still get your fill of fantastic first-run movies via the theater’s innovative streaming portal. Ticket sales start today for the new Brazilian film, “Bacurau,” starring Sônia Braga. Audiences will be transported to a fictional remote town in the Brazilian sertão (read: backcountry), which is suddenly experiencing strange happenings and mysterious beings following the death of its 94-year-old matriarch.
Sunday, March 29: Help Bierport empty its kegs
2-9 p.m.
Beer fans, you’re in luck. This Sunday only, Bierport is opening its taps to offer growler fills for just $15. BYOG and you’ll score a 70 percent discount on more than 15 different brews — from Anderson Valley’s Tropical Haze to Spoonwood’s Cherry Streuse. After all, nobody wants to see delicious beer go to waste.
Through March: Find inner harmony with Sterling Yoga
Get moving and balance your chakras from home with the pros. South Hills-based Sterling Yoga is now offering its classes online for just $10. Sessions include introductory and advanced yoga, floor stretching, chair and back work and more. Registered attendees will also receive a recording of the workshop.
City Theatre’s Cry It Out. Photo by Kristi Jan Hoover.
Through April 5: Cry It Out with City Theatre Company
If you missed the chance to see Molly Smith Metzler’s play, “Cry It Out” before it ended its run early due to COVID-19, then don’t miss the virtual performance available through April 5. Directed by Kim Weild, the new play chronicles Metzler’s real-life experiences with maternity leave. Thanks to the theater’s organization’s Pick Your Price initiative, virtual tickets start at just $10.
Through May 15: Bid on a cool chair with VisitPITTSBURGH
Pull up a chair with VisitPITTSBURGH and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC) and bid on a one-of-a-kind work of art. Using everyday chairs as their canvas, Pittsburgh artists created 90-plus pieces of fab furniture that incorporate everything from paint and fur, to plant and sculpture. Bids begin at $100, and proceeds from the CHAIR-ity auction will support GPAC’s new Teaching Artist Initiative. There’s even more time to bid now, because VisitPITTSBURGH has just extended the auction through May 15.
Feed your brain with Carnegie Science Center
8 a.m. & 12 p.m. daily
Wake with science. Every morning at 8 a.m., Carnegie Science Center will share Three Things — a curated list of something to read, watch and do — via Facebook and Twitter. Then at noon, they’ll post a daily DIY science activity exploring how common household items can be transformed into functional objects. Learn to make a chromatography flower using coffee filters and a “rain cloud in a jar” keepsake with food coloring and shaving cream.
Watch the Alone Together Streaming Show
7 p.m. nightly
Created by Pete Spynda, Patrick Jordan and Alexi Morrissey, this new, nightly livestream show aims to bring our community together remotely during the COVID-19 crisis. View a nightly schedule of guests and watch the virtual show via 25 Carrick Ave’s Facebook page.
Check out the Live at 25 Series
8 p.m. nightly
Created by Hear Corp and Crafton’s 25 Carrick Ave., this virtual program series was one of the first initiatives launched locally to support working musicians with a platform to stream content live from safe, remote locations. Special guests planned for Tuesday, March 24 are Ferdinand the Bull and Phat Man Dee. Watch online via the 25 Carrick Ave’s Facebook page or their YouTube channel and check their pages regularly for each episode’s list of guests and performers.
Join a virtual scavenger hunt designed by Street Lark
Make your way all around town — and learn about the people and places of Pittsburgh — all from the safety of home. Search for the clues, use Google street view and guess the answers you’ll need to move on to the next stop. Designed by the Pittsburgh-based tour and concierge business, Street Lark, the virtual scavenger features visual, prompts, fractionating facts and more.
Time travel with Heinz History Center
The Heinz History Center is presenting a rich array of virtual offerings available through its website and digital platforms. Through its “History At Home” portal, you can read 30o fascinating blog stories, check out thousands of collection artifacts and listen to The Cornerstone podcast exploring local Jewish historical sites. You can also take a virtual tours of the site’s most popular exhibitions.
Commune with the animals at Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
Face it, some days the only thing that can lift our spirits is an adorable animal. Bring the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium right to your living room with live webcams, a podcast series and educational activities for your entire brood. Go wild watching resident penguins and cheetahs play, see Danny the rabbit get a tooth exam and download the zoo app to play games, check out 360-degree videos and collect digital stickers.
Get cultured with Carnegie Museum of Art’s Storyboard
Carnegie Museum of Art’s online journal provides a forum for thought-provoking conversations about art and ideas. Head to the Storyboard website to explore recent articles such as Reid Frazier’s “London to Pittsburgh: The Politics and Beauty of Polluted Skies,” David Oresick’s “A Brief History of Loss, Life, and Healing in an American Family” and Sarah Rafson’s “The Woman in the Glass House: Lina Bo Bardi and the Pritzker Prize.
Curl up with a good book from the CLP staff picks reading list
It’s the perfect time to browse the shelves of Carnegie Library’s (CLP) vast eBook library. The CLP staff has you covered with this week’s reading list which includes a book about Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s fitness routine, a crafty guide to creating origami using a dollar bill, ideas for cooking with young chefs and more. Plop down into a cozy chair, turn off the TV and keep your mind occupied.
Take a tranquil walk in a park
Seek solace this week outdoors. Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy suggests these “six easy ways to safely enjoy the park” while social distancing: embrace the outdoors as your classroom; walk your furry friend; hike your favorite trail; catch up on that reading list; go fly a kite; and explore the urban forest. For more ideas, check out the NEXT guide to Pittsburgh parks. Please note that the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy has closed certain facilities so follow them on social media for the most up-to-date information.
Share your love of music with WYEP’s Alone, Together
To keep its listeners connected, WYEP has created a Facebook group called Alone, Together, where fans of the station can come to share music news, both local and national; hear from our DJs, and take some seriously deep dives into our favorite albums and genres.
Discover the Secret Language of Flowers with The Frick Pittsburgh
Did you know that 100 years ago people used flowers to send secret messages? The first week of spring is the perfect time to hop online and get creative with The Frick Pittsburgh’s virtual guide, The Secret Language of Flowers. Families going stir crazy can bond with online activities exploring the beauty and the many uses of blooms. You’ll be speaking floriography — the language of flowers — in no time!