BY: DANI LAMORTE
DANI LAMORTE
RACHEL WILKINSON
CP PHOTO: COLIN WILLIAMS
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GORDY G
FIRMLY PLANTED
Urban farms in Pittsburgh can feed a hunger — if they’re allowed to grow
BY
Inever dreamed I would be doing this,” Liz Boxley tells me. Boxley, a retired bus driver, is swiping through photos of the 3,000-pound harvest grown at Food for the Soul Community Garden in 2023. The garden, where Boxley has volunteered since 2021, is on Fulton St. just a few blocks from Ohio River Blvd. Despite being close to a major roadway, Boxley rightly describes the garden as “so serene.”
Ebony Evans started Food for the Soul, with the help of volunteers like Boxley, because she saw a need in her community for both healthy food and a collaborative, outdoor social space. Boxley says neighbors living on Fulton stop by the garden to help mow the grass, or to ask for vegetables when bank accounts and cupboards are bare.
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Sol Patch Garden sits across the street from U.S. Steel in Braddock, Pa.
Food for the Soul was one of 15 sites featured in this year’s Pittsburgh Urban Farm Tour, organized by the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council and co-hosted by Grow Pittsburgh , Pasa Sustainable Agriculture , and the Chatham University Food Studies Program . Established in 2017, the tour supports the Urban Growers Scholarship Fund, which helps urban farmers “access professional development opportunities.” This year’s tour, on Sept. 14, “showcased some of the many people who have put Pittsburgh on the map nationally for their work in urban agriculture and helped bring attention to the value of urban agriculture,” says Chris Murakami of Chatham University’s Food Studies Program.
purchased by S&B Sofla Ventures, a Deerfield Beach LLC run by Seth and Bradley Cohen — co-founders of Insurance Care Direct and real estate moguls. When the Georgetown Ave. property went back on the market in 2022, Christine Yockel saw an opportunity. She purchased the 18th century log cabin and replaced its lawn with West View Urban Farm. The farm provides food to the West View Hub food pantry, which feeds up to 900 people per week — about 13% of the borough’s residents.
“IT’S NOT POSSIBLE TO INVEST IF THERE ISN’T STABILITY.”
Though “urban farming” might sound like a modern oxymoron, Jared Green at the American Society of Landscape Architects points out that people have been growing crops inside the built environment for ages. In the 20th century, European and American governments encouraged the building of backyard "victory gardens" during the World Wars. The hope was that everyday citizens could boost both food security and morale with a little at-home agriculture. Although urban farms cannot provide all the sustenance city dwellers need, these green spaces can mitigate the effects of heat islands, reduce carbon footprint, bring resources to food deserts, and prepare communities for disruptions to food distribution networks — like those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted something else: two Florida flippers’ plans to turn a quick buck on the historic Casper Reel house in West View. In 2018, the property was
Addressing local hunger is the mission of The Greater Valley Market Garden in Braddock, as well. Part of Greater Valley Community Services, the garden is intended to “improve food insecurity” and provide handson education for youth in the area. Although the garden is still a few years out from having a farm stand on Braddock Ave., manager Fitzhugh Shaw says that the garden already distributes food to the Free Store in Braddock and the free fridge at Braddock’s Battlefield History Center.
Urban farms address aesthetic hungers, too. At Sol Patch Garden on Braddock Ave., Collette Walsh leads a team growing celosia, dahlias, marigolds, and other flowers in the shadow of U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works. Walsh, who lives in Braddock, comes from an agriculture background but didn’t feel connected to growing crops. Pursuing her passion for flower farming, Walsh works against a long history of flowers being a middle- or upper-class luxury by making blossoms affordable for locals.
“Flowers are for the people,” Walsh says, echoing a large painted sign at the back of the farm.
Walsh has a long-term lease and
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Elizabeth Donohoe prepares the soil for a cherry tree.
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Collette Walsh walks through the Sol Patch garden in Braddock.
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Alyssa Laughner, Collette Walsh, Jonathan Fantazier and Sarah Van Hoey plant cherry trees at Sol Patch.
BEATS & EATS BEATS&
Yockel owns the West View farm, but other urban farms are more precariously placed. Ebony Evans of Food for the Soul began her farm through the City of Pittsburgh’s Adopt-A-Lot program, which aims to transform unused city property into green space. Evans had a threeyear lease from the City and Urban Redevelopment Authority (each owns half the property) and is now on a one-year lease that ends in July 2025. She’s been notified that the City will not be renewing her lease, effectively closing the farm.
“FLOWERS
ARE FOR THE PEOPLE.”
According to the Department of City Planning, “the ultimate goal” of the Adopt-A-Lot program “is the transfer of ownership from the city” to the tenant after the three-year lease. Evans says she was told she would have the opportunity to purchase the four Manchester lots but is now being denied that chance.
According to the Manchester Citizens Corporation, a North Sidebased community development
group, the lots occupied by Food for the Soul were slated for development until the pandemic created delays. Four years later, the MCC intends to resume its plans to build low-income housing on the site. LaShawn Burton Faulk, the MCC’s executive director and only paid employee, tells Pittsburgh City Paper the Corporation offered three alternative properties to Evans, but Evans refused them. Evans disputes that the properties were offered, and points to the difficulty of moving something like a farm that cannot be packed into boxes and shipped across town.
Evans says that Food for the Soul has spent over $20,000 on the site, installing a water line, fencing, and raised beds. Despite this monetary input, not to mention countless volunteer hours and neighborhood connections, Food for the Soul is not in the official plans for Fulton St.
“It’s not possible to invest if there isn’t stability,” Sol Patch’s Walsh explains. Prior to finding her farm’s
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Clara Kitongo with Tree Pittsburgh prepares sheets to prevent weeds at Sol Patch Garden.
current home, Walsh also had a series of short-term leases which cost her both financially and personally.
Evans contacted Daniel Lavelle, City Councilman for Manchester, hoping to find support for the farm. Lavelle’s office has not responded to Evans and did not reply to City Paper’s request for comment. Conversations with City officials are critical, according to Jodi McLaughlin of West View Urban Farm. McLaughlin says that officials are often unaware of laws or codes which impede urban farmers from making positive impacts. Urban farmers in Pennsylvania do have their champions, however. In 2023, PA. Representative Christopher M. Rabb introduced House Bill 920, which would help “small and mid-size farming operations, beginning farmers, and members of traditionally disadvantaged groups” in urban environments.
Food for the Soul is one of a small number of Black-operated farms in Pennsylvania, making its presence all the more crucial. According to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture,
there were only 92 Black agricultural producers in Pennsylvania, compared to 89,328 white producers.
As Kent Bey sees it, the low number of Black farmers is tied to gentrification. Bey, founder of Peace & Friendship Farm in the Hill District, argues that the legallyenshrined inequities which have kept Black residents from owning homes have also kept Black residents from participating equally in agriculture and environment issues.
As a result, Black residents may feel disconnected from these topics, Bey explains. Although research shows that people of color are more likely to be concerned with climate change than their white peers, Bey’s argument touches on the alienating impacts of racism and gentrification.
Peace & Friendship Farm, established by Bey in 2018 through the Adopt-A-Lot program, transformed an overgrown and "blighted" Hill District lot into an urban green space designed to welcome all, but especially veterans. Bey, a veteran himself,
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Reena Goodman walks through the Greater Valley Community Garden in Braddock, Pa.
hopes to use the gardens to provide, “healing therapy and economic opportunities for veterans.” He also hopes to foster conversation about environmental issues among the city’s Black residents.
Education is a primary mission of several urban farms, including the West Penn Hospital Healthy Food Center Garden in Friendship. Established in 2024 by Chris Kosin, creator of GaiaScale LLC and a former West Penn Hospital nurse, the garden provides a space for patients to learn about food production and preparation.
Although the garden isn’t integrated into the Healthy Food Center’s programming just yet, Megan Davis says several hospital employees have already expressed interest in volunteering in the garden. Patients, too, are anxious to access the space and learn more about how to grow healthy food at home.
Those who discover they’ve got a green thumb might find additional training at a place like Shiloh Farm in Point Breeze North, a quarteracre production site run by Grow Pittsburgh. Established in 2011, the farm produces 4,000 pounds of food
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Brenda Simpson waters peppers plants inside the Food for the Soul Community Garden.
employs students from the Braddock Youth Project to grow crops and sell produce at the stands, providing valuable work experience. The farm also functions as a demonstration garden for Master
making fresh produce available to Pittsburghers on a continual basis.
Sarah Vandermolen, a volunteer at Shiloh, wishes for something much more difficult to accomplish: “fewer groundhogs.” •
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Rainbow Swiss chard growing at Food for the Soul Community Garden.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS WERE
Fright Nights at Phipps Conservatory was a low-tech, high-impact, scary-as-hell gem
BY: RACHEL WILKINSON //
Pittsburgh has long been a mecca for haunted attractions. The boom began in the 1970s, and before the era of theme parks and big-budget Hollywood effects, “haunted” houses were mostly do-it-yourself, and for charity. Alongside the usual haunts at churches, schools, and firehouses, the region turned hockey rinks into “terror domes,” decked out trolley cars and buses, and even sailed a creepified Gateway Clipper, the U.S.S. Nightmare, replete with gory scenes and strobe lights.
From 1984 to 1993, Phipps Conservatory also got in on the spooky fun. The glass greenhouse and botanical gardens hosted an annual haunted house called Fright Nights. For 10 seasons, thousands of visitors lined up at the
CP ILLUSTRATION: JEFF SCHRECKENGOST
Conservatory, paid a couple bucks, and traipsed through the flora to get scared.
Given Phipps’ renown for its world-class garden and seasonal flower shows, Pittsburgh City Paper had to learn more about a time when costumed teenagers popped out of the plants. We looked into the origins of Phipps Fright Nights and what terrors once lurked inside.
The Conservatory provides a brief history of its Fright Nights — originally named the Phipps Haunted House — on its website, noting the event debuted in October 1984 with “eight rooms full of haunts and spooky sights.” The one-dollar admission price (50 cents for kids) came with a treat-or-treat bag. An event listing in the Pittsburgh PostGazette promised “goblins and beasties,” a fortune teller, magician, and costume contest.
Before 1993, Phipps Conservatory was managed by the City of Pittsburgh — which eventually extended the scares into Schenley Park — and, at least in Fright Nights’ early years, it was CitiParks employees who were pressed into service as actors and set decorators. They dressed up as witches, hung prop limbs to create a “Wall of Arms,” and put together a spooky soundtrack that included “Monster Mash” and recordings of whale songs.
For Fright Nights’ second season in 1985, CitiParks employees and a staff of 40 hit their stride. They concocted a mad scientist lab, a haunted pumpkin patch with 250 lit pumpkins, and mummy catacombs. According to the Post-Gazette, the Conservatory’s Fern Room transformed into “an eerie spider’s lair” and a “collection of manacled
CP ILLUSTRATION: JEFF SCHRECKENGOST
prisoners” lay in wait among the philodendrons. Fright Nights’ inaugural year brought 2,300 people, and that number more than doubled to 5,000 in its sophomore season.
Phipps’ program coordinator told the Post-Gazette that though the event was intended to be family-friendly, “with Spanish moss dripping from above and moonlight streaking through the windows,” the Conservatory was “the perfect place to scare up a scare.”
looking to get spooked would grab the paper and some cash and hop between attractions. Some haunts stayed open until people stopped showing up, and based on its ads, Phipps Fright Nights stretched until at least 11 p.m. and sometimes after midnight.
Characters and sets also started to recur.
“Horticulture becomes ‘horror culture,’” a 1989 P-G listing reads, teasing the ever-popular mad scientists, a swamp creature, a “Garden of Ghouls,” and “the blood-thirsty
"BEFORE HIGH-TECH GIMMICKS AND COMPUTER-GENERATED ANYTHING, YOU COULD SCARE SOMEONE BY JUMPING OUT OF A PLANT, ARMED WITH NOTHING BUT FACE PAINT, FAKE BLOOD, AND SOME BAD PUNS."
Hoping to again double attendance and draw 10,000 people, the next Fright Nights in 1986 was billed with a “goblins under glass” theme. The Conservatory enticed thrillseekers with an appearance from Dracula, a “poltergeist room,” and the moss wall’s hair-raising return.
Most of what can be gleaned about Phipps Fright Nights comes from Halloween event listings in local newspapers (“an a- boo-dance of holiday activities,” one was titled). In the pre-internet era of haunted houses, those
vampire jaws of Venus d’Fly Trap.” Once a Little Shop of Horrors theme was introduced at the Conservatory, it apparently became an instant lock. The Venus flytrap stayed on as a signature character, alongside “Phippsy Moth,” a human-sized insect with a painted face and psychedelic wings that would dart among the flowerbeds, pop up, and scream.
In Fright Nights’ final years in the 1990s, the production had a fully professional air, and performing arts majors
CP ILLUSTRATION: JEFF SCHRECKENGOST
from Point Park University worked as the haunted house’s scare actors. A 1990 Pittsburgh Press article offered a look behind the scenes, detailing how actors arrived to an appointed dressing room to apply full-body makeup, blow-dry hair into place, and spray on glitter. Phippsy the Moth met its match in The Exterminator, a collegeaged actor donning a safari hat, lab coat, and a paintedon “half-deformed” face, who would squirt Phippsy and passersby with a spray bottle.
unspeak
That year, horrors included a “horde of howling zombies, grim reapers, giant insects, and other unspeakable things,” according to the Press
Paper
Phipps After Dark: House of Haunts event
But Fright Nights harks back to a golden era of haunts. Before high-tech gimmicks and computer-generated
Phipps notes on its website that, although Fright Nights remained popular after 10 seasons, the annual event was “deemed potentially harmful to the plant collections” and discontinued in 1993. The same year, the Conservatory became a privately managed, though still city-owned nonprofit, and the handover may have also impacted the event. Phipps tells City that the Conservatory still loves to celebrate Halloween and is hosting a Fright Nights-adjacent Phipps After Dark: House of Haunts event on Fri., Oct. 11. But Fright Nights harks back to a golden era of haunts. Before high-tech gimmicks and computer-generated anything, you could scare someone by jumping out of a plant, armed with nothing but face paint, fake blood, and some bad puns. •
CP ILLUSTRATION: JEFF SCHRECKENGOST
NESTED NEIGHBORHOODS
Everyone knows Pittsburgh has 90 official neighborhoods, but what if that’s an undercount?
BY: COLIN WILLIAMS // CWILLIAMS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
The fact that Pittsburgh has 90 neighborhoods has become nearly as much of a truism as our bridge boasts and sports victories. Some could argue that’s generous — why are Squirrel Hill and Lawrenceville divided up into pieces, for example? But distinct neighborhood identities play a huge role in Pittsburghers’ self-perception, and how we participate in our community. You could also argue it's a significant underestimate. That’s because nestled among our
90 official neighborhoods are numerous subneighborhoods with their own histories, cultures, and institutions.
A few are well-known. Some have been quietly doing their thing for a century or more. All have distinct identities tied to who lives there and how they came to be built. They’re also all a testament to our Appalachian-ness — isolated by steep hills, these neighborhoods-in-neighborhoods formed their own distinct vibes over two centuries of Pittsburgh's growth and contraction.
CP PHOTO: COLIN WILLIAMS Houses in the Holmes Estate sub-neighborhood
DUCK HOLLOW (Squirrel Hill)
Duck Hollow is a quintessential Pittsburgh sub-neighborhood. Nominally a part of Squirrel Hill, it surfacesperiodically in news coverage as a local curiosity. Duck Hollow sits at the foot of what was once an active slag heap. Settled by steelworkers 140 years ago due to its convenient proximity to the mills, the tiny neighborhood now anchors a rejuvenated watershed and the southern tip of Frick Park.
It’s easy to forget you’re in the heart of a densely populated area in Duck Hollow. Though the Summerset development has brought dense housing closer than ever, the former slag heaps that hug the neighborhood on all sides have become forested hillsides. Duck Hollow feels like a place out of time, even following the reconstruction of its small bridge a few years ago to make access easier for locals and emergency vehicles.
HOLMES ESTATES (Upper Lawrenceville)
Lawrenceville Shopping Center sits at the center of what was once Pittsburgh philanthropist Jane Holmes’ estate. Abutted by property owned by the Irwin family, the Holmes estate likely looked much as it does now: steep and wooded. The Ireland-born Holmeses once had a small house on the site, but Jane converted it to house terminally ill patients in 1833. Before her death in 1885, she expanded this into a large brick building, the Protestant Home for Incurables.
As Upper Lawrenceville expanded, parts of the Holmes and Irwin estates were subdivided to make way for steelworker housing. Given the sloping land, there was only room halfway up the hill for a single block, leading to what is now a tight cluster of brick rowhomes that looks as if it was dropped in the middle of a forest. The strange little extension of Duncan and Wickliff streets is connected by several sets of city steps and testifies to the creative development schemes Pittsburgh used to house its burgeoning population at the turn of the 20th century.
HUNKY HOLLOW (South Side Slopes)
Anchored by the Kollar Club, the easternmost edge of the South Side Slopes is home to a tight-knit community of Slovak immigrants who took the slur “hunky” — often deployed against Eastern European immigrants in the early 20th century — and reappropriated it for their neighborhood. Bounded by Jane and Handler St., this wedge-shaped neighborhood remains home to descendants of its original Carpathian inhabitants. Like other neighborhoods on this list, Hunky Hollow’s once industrial surroundings have become lush and overgrown, giving the neighborhood a green buffer from the rest of the South Side.
PANTHER HOLLOW (South Oakland)
Though the neighborhood technically occupies a valley known as Junction Hollow, Panther Hollow is a beautiful illustration of the way Pittsburgh’s cityscape reflects our vibrant past. This dense strip of homes between Joncaire and Boundary streets was settled by Italian immigrants from the villages of Pizzoferrato and Gamberale (4,627 and 4,629 miles east of Pittsburgh, per a signpost in the neighborhood).
The pride of that original community is evident today in the tricolored monuments to Panther Hollow’s Italian history. However, times change, and this sub-neighborhood now bears the hallmarks of Oakland’s student life, and is a frequent pass-through for cyclists using the Panther Hollow Trail. The Oakland DIY skatepark has also become a mecca for local street skaters.
PARK PLACE (Regent Square)
In a previous media role, I once got an email from someone who pointed out that there is technically a sign-designated neighborhood called Park Place occupying a small section of Pittsburgh near Fern Hollow Bridge. Sure enough, there is a small sign welcoming visitors to Park Place posted at Braddock Ave. and Forbes Ave., and the neighborhood has its own neighborhood association and active Facebook group. Park Place truly lives up to its name — visible from and connected to some of Frick Park’s most popular trails, the neighborhood’s beautiful homes blend with the park’s edge in one of the city’s most scenic corners.
THE RUN (Greenfield)
Four Mile Run, aka Ruska Dolina, aka simply “The Run” is Pittsburgh’s quintessential sub-neighborhood. Home to the golden-domed St. John Chrysostom church, which Andy Warhol’s family attended, and several Pittsburgh institutions including the inimitable Big Jim’s bar, the neighborhood provided a soft landing for Pittsburgh’s Rusyn community, a group of Slavic people from the Carpathian mountains.
The Run is named for the waterway that now flows beneath its streets. That buried creek now poses an ongoing flood risk the city is working to solve, though the Four Mile Run Stormwater Project is still in the design phases. In this way, The Run is an apt demonstration both of Pittsburgh’s history and Pittsburgh’s future, and the challenges a changing climate poses for a landslide-prone city interlaced with temperamental waterways.
SCHENLEY FARMS (North Oakland)
While every other neighborhood on this list was built for the working class, Schenley Farms was built for management. The neighborhood, wedged between the ever-expanding Pitt campus and the Upper Hill, was once a cow pasture owned by Mary Schenley that was turned into a model community designed by F.F. Nicola in the early 1900s. Like other projects built during City Beautiful Movement, Schenley Farms is indeed beautiful, with three-story brick homes and lush vegetation along its gently sloping streets.
WOODS RUN (Marshall-Shadeland/Brighton Heights)
Also named for a buried waterway, Woods Run has a character quite distinct from the Marshall-Shadeland and Brighton Heights neighborhoods on either side. Its lively commercial district contains Pittsburgh’s first state-run liquor store (there’s a small plaque inside) and a charming Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch. Multiple streets in Woods Run lead directly into the adjacent Riverview Park.
Woods Run feels somehow both urban and rural; very Pennsylvanian all around. It’s also home to a bizarre artwork, the Elusive Chicken Tender Man, whose dress changes seasonally. It’s details like these that make Pittsburgh Pittsburgh — and make our sub-neighborhoods such a delightful quirk in this city of surprises. .
LYNN CULLEN
A.M. MONDAY THRU THURSDAY AT
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church. located in the Run.
KIDS ALLOWED
Childcare at the opera, free duckpin bowling, and other perks when leaving the little ones at home isn’t an option
BY: KAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Date night for parents is a time to step away from the to-do list and have fun. However, not all families have a trusted village to call on to watch the kids for the night. Sure, we take the kids to familyfriendly restaurants or attractions, but let’s face it — not all adults find these places enjoyable or chill.
Adults with children must rethink date nights — it won’t always be getting dressed up, eating overpriced tapas, and hours of deep
conversation. Sometimes, it will look like jeans and sneakers, your child in tow, ordering off the kid’s menu. And that is OK.
There are places in Pittsburgh where you can take your kids on a date night and still feel like grownups stepping away from the daily grind. Pittsburgh City Paper compiled a list of places you can go with or without the kids, where weary parents will find free babysitting, kid-friendly deals, and more.
Pins Mechanical at
Photo: Courtesy of Museum of Illusions Museum of Illusions Pittsburgh
Pins Mechanical at SouthSide Works
407 Cinema Dr., South Side. pinsbar.com/locations/pittsburgh/events
Despite being described as an “adult playground,” Pins promises fun for the whole family while unlocking nostalgia for when you didn’t know how to change a diaper. Before 9 p.m., the SouthSide Works bar and entertainment venue provides a safe space for all ages to be playful, inviting the entire family to unwind with friendly competition over foosball, pinball, or giant Jenga.
The kids can wander around the free-play arcade while you and your partner lovingly talk trash during a game of ping-pong. There is also bocce, table soccer, and a two-story slide big enough for adults. Every Sunday, kids enjoy a complimentary soda and free duckpin bowling.
While the weather is still nice, you can enjoy the outdoor seating and life-size patio pong. You can even bring the furbaby because Pins loves dogs. Pins focuses more on beer and cocktails than food, but SouthSide Works has several family-friendly dinner options within walking distance. You may even find a food truck or two parked outside some nights.
Pittsburgh Public Theater at the O’Reilly Theater 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. ppt.org
Pittsburgh Public Theater (PPT) offers diverse and entertaining plays season after season. Some of these shows are family-friendly, but getting most children to sit quietly through two hours of anything can be challenging. Thankfully, PPT’s Sitter Sundays has entered the chat. During select Sunday matinees, PPT offers childcare for all ages led by Jovie of Pittsburgh, described in a news release as a “trusted care resource for the Pittsburgh region.” Enjoy the show while the little ones experience themed workshops in the O’Reilly rehearsal hall.
Sunday Sitters is available during several shows for PPT’s 2024-25 season, including the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit , the holiday hit A Christmas Story: The Play, the Pittsburgh premiere of Trouble in Mind, and Edward Albee’s intense drama Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Childcare can be reserved during checkout or as an add-on to previous ticket purchases. There are limited spots for each show, so plan ahead.
Pittsburgh Opera at the Benedum Center
Seventh St. and Penn Ave., Downtown. pittsburghopera.org
Pittsburgh Opera has launched free childcare during the Sunday matinee performances of its latest productions, Tosca, Cavalleria Rusticana , and Pagliacci, at the Benedum Center. Let the bel canto wash over you with no worries as the kids are cared for by trained, certified professionals in the Benedum’s multipurpose room.
The Pittsburgh Opera website states that the organization “worked closely with their partners at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which owns and operates the Benedum Center, and Priya Amin, the founder of on-site childcare provider Flexable, to bring this program to life.”
“For families with young children, finding and paying for a reliable babysitter can be a real barrier to attending arts and entertainment events,” Chris Cox, Pittsburgh Opera’s director of marketing and communications, said in a press release.
Space is limited, so preregistration is required for children ages 2-12. Children 6-12 are welcome to sit in the audience at a discounted ticket rate.
“We hope to offer this again at future performances later this year, and that our childcare program inspires copy-cat offerings from other arts organizations once they see how successful it can be,” said Cox.
Museum of Illusions on the North Shore
267 North Shore Dr., North Shore. moipittsburgh.com
The Museum of Illusions encourages the family to think outside the box, inside the box, and on top of it. Kids like to touch everything, so let them explore this museum, where touching the exhibits is accepted and encouraged.
The museum is self-led, so how long you engage with the interactive wonderment is up to you. Take your time — you may get lost in one of the mind-twisting installations. This can also be an excellent time to capture the family photo for this year’s holiday card, as the perspective-changing illusion rooms make for artful photo ops. •
Photo: Pittsburgh Public Theater Dance at Pittsburgh Public Theater
Photo: David Bachman Photography for Pittsburgh Opera Dress rehearsal for Tosca, presented by Pittsburgh Opera at the Benedum Center
THEATER • ROCHESTER
R-ACT Theater Productions presents The Revolutionists 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sat., Oct. 19. Segri Stage. 134 Brighton Ave., Rochester. $12. ractproductions.com
DRAG • OAKLAND
Another (Spooky) Party with Symone of RuPaul’s Drag Race. 11 p.m. Doors at 9 p.m. P Town Bar. 4740 Baum Blvd., Oakland. $25225. instagram.com/anotherpartypittsburgh
SAT., OCT. 12
FESTIVAL • LAWRENCEVILLE
IN PITTSBURGH
THU., OCT. 10
ART • BLOOMFIELD
Opening Reception: Adaptation – Local Notes 6-8 p.m. Continues through Nov. 22. Tomayko Foundation. 5173 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Free. tomayko.foundation
MUSIC • DOWNTOWN
Maria Chávez with DJ Edgar Um 7-10 p.m. Wood Street Galleries. 601 Wood St., Downtown. Free. pittsburghsoundpreserve.org
DANCE • DOWNTOWN
Fall Dance Concert with Roni Koresh, Juel Lane, and Ilian Lopez. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., Oct. 13. Pittsburgh Playhouse. 350 Forbes Ave., Downtown. $23-55. playhouse.pointpark.edu
FRI., OCT. 11
CONVENTION • DOWNTOWN
RV Fall Show. 4-9 p.m. Continues through Sun., Oct. 13. David L. Lawrence Convention
Center. 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Downtown. $5, free for kids 5 and under. pittsburghcc.com
KIDS • DOWNTOWN
Blippi: Join the Band Tour! 6 p.m. Byham Theater. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $55.50-71. All ages. trustarts.org
FILM • SOUTH SIDE
No Man’s Land Film Festival. 6-9:30 p.m. Velum Fermentation. 2120 Jane St., South Side. $20. nomanslandfilmfestival.org
FILM • NORTH SIDE
Fright Night Fridays: Us 7 p.m. Carnegie Science Center. One Allegheny Ave., North Side. $10-12. carnegiesciencecenter.org
PARTY • OAKLAND
Creep around the chrysanthemums when Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens presents After Dark: House of Haunts. The festive fall event invites partygoers to what’s described as a “glowing gathering under glass,” complete with “ghostfilled performances” by the Duquesne University Red Masquers theater troupe,
music by DJ Jimmy, and snacks and drinks at Café Phipps. Document your latest Halloween costume at a special photo booth, see the miniature Garden Railroad’s cinematic makeover, and marvel at the Rhythm and Blooms fall flower show. 7-10 p.m. One Schenley Park, Oakland. Included with regular admission. phipps.conservatory.org
Find live music, tattoos, wine, and more when Lawrenceville Market House presents its first-ever Market House Music Festival. Sponsored by Nine O’Clock Wines and MJ Eclectic, the event welcomes adults, kids, and even dogs for a day of shopping, sipping, and sounds from The Jiggo s, Polkamaniacs, The Turpentiners, and Boss Stingrays. Play some pinball in Kickback’s new Market House space, get spooky flash ink, sample natural vino, and more. 12-8 p.m. 4112 Butler St., Lawrenceville. Free. nineoclockwines.com
PARTY • NORTH SIDE
New Hazlett Community Day. 1-3:30 p.m. New Hazlett Theater. Six Allegheny Square East, North Side. Free. newhazletttheater.org
MUSIC • NEW KENSINGTON
Mushroomhead with Upon a Burning Body, There Is No Us, and Mind Incision 6:45 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. Preserving Underground. 1101 Fifth Ave., New Kensington. $25-30. preservingconcerts.com/shows
MUSIC • MILLVALE
The Mountain Goats: Rule of Three Tour with Tift Merritt 8 pm. Doors at 7 p.m. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $45. mrsmalls.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ROUND ROOM LIVE Blippi: Join the Band Tour! at Byham Theater
PHOTO: JACKIE LEE YOUNG The Mountain Goats at Mr. Smalls Theatre
PARTY • BLOOMFIELD
Longturn presents Shay De Castro.
9:45 p.m. Cobra. 4305 Main St., Bloomfield. $13.75-21.75. 21 and over. cobrapgh.com
SUN., OCT. 13
MUSIC • MCKEES ROCKS
COIN with Aidan Bissett 7 p.m. Roxian Theatre. 425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. Tickets start at $37. roxiantheatre.com/shows
MUSIC • NORTH SIDE
Sound Series: Jake Xerxes Fussell with special guest David Moore. 8 p.m. The Andy Warhol Museum. 117 Sandusky St., North Side. $20-25. warhol.org
TUE., OCT. 15
MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE
Kishi Bashi with Sweet Loretta. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Thunderbird Music Hall. 4053 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $27. thunderbirdmusichall.com
MUSIC • GARFIELD
JVK with My Favorite Liar and Dayz O .
8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Mr. Roboto Project. 5106 Penn Ave., Garfield. $10. therobotoproject.com
MON., OCT. 14
FILM • DOWNTOWN
Fitzcarraldo 7:30 p.m. Continues on Wed., Oct. 16. Harris Theater. 809 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $9-11. trustarts.org
WED., OCT. 16
LIT • REGENT SQUARE
If you ever wanted to meet Pittsburgh City Paper’s sex columnist, Stay Gold Books has the perfect event. Pillow Talk writer Jessie Sage will join a reading and discussion of The Holy Hour: An Anthology on Sex Work, Magic, and the Divine, described by publisher Working Girls Press as “a multimedia collection of art and writing” by 45 sex workers. Sage, who contributed an essay to The Holy Hour, will also present a live recording of her podcast When We’re Not Hustling, and guests can expect live music, swag, and more. 7-10 p.m. 1104 South Braddock Ave., Regent Square. Free. staygoldbooks.com/events
OCT. 15
MUSIC • STRIP DISTRICT
Women Who Rock presents ICONS: Tina Turner. 7:30 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. City Winery. 1627 Smallman St., Strip District. $30-40. citywinery.com
PHOTO: PAUL G. WIEGMAN
Garden Railroad: Movie Magic at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JOYFUL NOISE Kishi Bashi at Thunderbird Music Hall
MARKET PLACE
MISCELLANEOUS
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FINANCIAL
SAVE YOUR HOME!
Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowners Relief Line NOW for Help 1-855-4395853 Mon-Fri 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Sat: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm(all times Pacific) (AAN CAN)
PUBLIC NOTICE
OPEN WAITING LIST FOR SECTION 8 HUD PROPERTIES
Wesley Plaza Properties has an open waiting list to apply for the Section 8 program. For more information on how to apply please contact us at 412-626-6111
FINANCIAL
Struggling With Your Private Student Loan Payment? New relief programs can reduce your payments. Learn your options. Good credit not necessary. Call the Helpline 888-670-5631 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Eastern) (AAN CAN)
LEGAL
Need Help with Family Law? Can’t Afford a $5000 Retainer? Low Cost Legal Services- Pay As You Go- As low as $750-$1500Get Legal Help Now! Call 1-844-821-8249 Mon-Fri 7am to 4pm PCT (AAN CAN) https://www.familycourtdirect. com/?network=1
SERVICES
DIRECTV OVER INTERNET - Get your favorite live TV, sports and local channels. 99% signal reliability! CHOICE Package, $84.99/mo for 12 months. HBO Max and Premium Channels included for 3 mos (w/CHOICE Package or higher.) No annual contract, no hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-877-350-1003
SAVE BIG on HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies. Get a quote within minutes. Average savings of $444/year! Call 844712-6153! (M-F 8am-8pm Central) (AAN CAN)
YA SECTION
1. Bad mark
5. Festival entertainment
8. Some gemstones
14. Device that can use a Magic Trackpad
15. Durham sch.
16. Swerve and sway
17. Treats 18. Poke Yogi on the butt?
20. Go wrong
21. Too weird for words
22. ___ training
23. Put a Nissan compact on it’s back two tires?
26. “Something moved in the corner of the room”
27. Champagne name
28. With 64-Across, spewing invectives
30. Former leaders of 45-Across
32. Twilight heroine’s total disaster?
38. Martinez commemorated in the Yankee’s Monument Park
39. Schmear holder
40. Acronym for a stellar athlete
41. Have a floor-washing robot clean away shit?
43. Two-time
Emmy-winning actress Catherine
44. Went undercover?
45. Asian country that is roughly 55% mountains
46. Gym wear
49. What’ll clean you out out in the open?
55. Photographer Adams
57. Earns some bitcoin, perhaps 58. ___-com
59. Place where dad grows things?
61. Health-nut’s berry
62. Weather phenomenon
63. Red snapper, on sushi menus
64. See 28-Across 65. Cup holder
66. Hold onto 67. Wear away
DOWN
1. Diaper bag essential
2. Not connected
3. Stand up comedian who wrote Everything and a Kite
4. Cowboys sometimes rack them up: Abbr.
5. Respected and dignified
6. A benny
7. Sticking point
8. Lights-out pitcher
9. Dolce’s partner
10. Surrounding neighborhood
11. To the point 12. Really strange 13. Quick bite
19. No longer moving 21. Sappho’s work
24. “I know, I know! Pick me!”
25. Bread with dinner
29. Throw on the couch
30. City planning concerns: Abbr.
31. Sot’s sound
32. It’s not good
33. Self-importance
34. Fifth sign of the zodiac
35. Courtesy from some dealerships
36. Kayak pusher
37. Teacher appreciation
organizers
39. R&B singer Erykah 42. Craft for Eddie Rickenbacker 43. Valuable underground rock 45. Trapped during the cold months
46. Records from the ‘80s
47. ___ Gay
48. “College Football” channel
50. SESAC rival
51. Pull a fast one over 52. Wedding attendee
53. Disney princess who sings “How Far I’ll Go”
54. Friendship
56. Larger-than-life
60. Behind 61. Cartoon bark
Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage for their entire working life, throughemployer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to put off or even go without care.
Simply put — without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.
When you’re comparing plans ...
Look for coverage that helps pay for major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures — or pay for preventive care only.
Look for coverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.
Shop for coverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.
Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1
That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meant to cover everything. That means if you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance.
Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.
The best way to prevent large dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice a year.
Previous dental work can wear out.
Even if you’ve had quality dental work in the past, you shouldn’t take your dental health for granted. In fact, your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2
Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need.
Consider these national average costs of treatment ... $222 for a checkup ... $190 for a filling ... $1,213 for a crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.
Join Port Authority Police along with the Allegheny County Communities and Police Together for
National Coffee with a Cop Day
Thursday, October 10, 2024 6-9AM at Wilkinsburg Station (along Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway)
National Coffee with a Cop Day is an annual event that brings police officers and the community members they serve together over coffee to discuss issues and break down barriers between law enforcement and the community.
Free coffee, mugs, doughnuts and cookies will be provided while supplies last. Meet WAMO radio personality Kiki from 7-9 AM.
