One of the best things about Pittsburgh summers is free festivals and outdoor events. One of the best of the year, the Three Rivers Arts Festival, is happening this month from June 7-16, 2019. This is the ideal fair-weather event that brings together artists, musicians, families and friends. And best of all — it’s free to attend! The 10-day festival takes place in Downtown Pittsburgh across Point State Park, the Cultural District, and Gateway Center.
Live Music Performances
The Three Rivers Arts Festival kicks off with a performance by India.Arie, a GRAMMY Award-winning artist who blends together soul, pop, and R&B music. She’s performing at the Dollar Bank Main Stage at Point State Park. After that, there’s a Festival After Party at Stanwix Stage from 9-11 p.m.
Other performers throughout the festival dates include Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives, Nahko and Medicine for the People, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Kaia Kater, Lucius, Mandolin Orange and more. Concerts take place rain or shine!
Artist Market
The Artist Market features local independent artists from 12-8 p.m. Over 350 artists participate, with art ranging from ceramics and digital art to jewelry and paintings. Many of these artists highlight the city of Pittsburgh in photography, drawings and printmaking. It’s a great place to pick up local art for your home or find unique gifts for others.
Regional artists are also given an opportunity to present their art through the Emerging Artist Scholarship Program.
Artist booths are lined along Point State Park and Gateway Center. Each artist participates for a varying number of days, so plan on stopping by during a few different days to discover new artists. View the Artist Market listing.
Food & Drink
Summer means food trucks! Food trucks are at the Three Rivers Arts Festival on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Two food courts, one located at Point State Park and the other at the Gateway Center main entrance, bring together vendors offering funnel cake, lemonade and more.
The festival location is also close to some of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh. Downtown has some great happy hour spots. The Cultural District, in particular, includes well-known restaurants like Butcher and the Rye and Meat and Potatoes.
Check out the Three Rivers Arts Festival daily schedule to find the perfect day to attend!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.