There are plenty of times when there’s simply nothing to do. We’ve all been there. You’re bored. You’re bummed about it. And ultimately end up staying home to binge-watch Netflix.
Other times, there’s a seemingly endless supply of awesome events on your calendar. In an instant, you went from having nothing to do, to having too much going on. You have to map out your schedule so you can hit every event worth going to.
Well, go ahead and put Netflix on hold this month. Because April in Pittsburgh is jam-packed with events that offer good food, great art, live performances, and copious amounts of booze. There’s only one thing left to do, friend. It’s time to start game planning. Good luck.
90’s Bar Crawl
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Bar hopping is fun. Well, it’s fun if you’re into that kind of thing. And if you are, this event promises to upgrade your average night out by taking you back in time. Calling all Clueless loving, pog playing, Ninja Turtle watching 90’s kids, this bar crawl is for you. Dress up in your best Spice Girl inspired outfit. Bust our your Furby. And your Tamagotchi too. It’s time to party like it’s 1999. This is your chance to hit every bar on Carson Street before Y2K arrives and the world implodes. April 9.
Pancakes & Booze Art Show
Don’t lie. You’re intrigued. With a name like that, it’s impossible not to be. There’s a lot going on here, so we’ll break it down. This art show is a platform for emerging local artists featuring live music, an all-you-can-eat pancake bar, and plenty of booze. All this and more can be yours for $5 bucks. If you’re wondering what “more” entails, prepare yourself for some live body painting (use your imagination). Afterall, Spirit is playing host to this event, so it’s guaranteed to get weird. April 2.
Alton Brown
Come one, gang. Alton Brown of Food Network fame and the host of Iron Chef America. Yeah, him. He’s in town for a performance that combines comedy, science, music, and food. The show has been called pure entertainment and features plenty of audience participation, puppets, and food experiments. If that’s not enough for you, Brown will surprise you with his vocal skills. Apparently he sings too. April 19.
Never Grown Up
Here’s your chance to heed Peter Pan’s advice and never, ever, ever grow up. Get to the Children’s Museum to eat, drink, dance, and play your way through the entire place. There’s a fun-filled, action-packed night planned, featuring DJ sets by Pandemic Pete, live-action video games by City of Play, and plenty of snacks! And who doesn’t love snacks? On the food front, The Vandal, Mercurio’s, Nakama, and many others will be serving eats to accompany 21+ beverages from Wigle Whiskey and Penn Brewery. Good times! April 15.
Speak Freely PGH w/John Fetterman
This monthly speaker series features frank conversations with notable leaders in the community. And in April, John Fetterman is taking the stage with the SpkPgh team. Fetterman is the Mayor of Braddock, Pa, and a candidate for the US Senate. His story includes having come to Pittsburgh for an AmeriCorps position, then leaving to earn his master’s degree in Public Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, before moving to Braddock where he eventually won Braddock’s mayoral election by a single vote. This is a chat you won’t want to miss. April 6.
FULLTIME PGH
This event is actually several events. FULLTIME is a unifying platform that brings a variety of events together under one awesome umbrella. Their goal is a simple one – to showcase the hard working independent artists, designers, and small businesses that make up Pittsburgh’s creative community. So, over the course of four days in April, you’ll be able to go behind the scenes at some of the city’s coolest studios (like Moop, Sapling Press, and garbella), with tons of talented makers who are creating, selling, or making art. Check out the PGH Poster Show, Designer Discard, and much more! April 20-24.
Art All Night
Lots of events are referred to as can’t miss, but most don’t live up to the hype. Art All Night is one of the few events that actually does. Thousands of artists and 10x as many viewers make their way to Lawrenceville to experience one of the largest and most unique arts events around. Plus you can submit your own work. That’s right, anyone and everyone can submit a single piece of artwork to be displayed somewhere in the neighborhood. Either way, it’s totally free to submit or attend. April 23-24.
Vintage Pittsburgh
Whether it’s shopping second-hand stores or picking one-of-a-kind pieces, we’re big fans of vintages finds. If you are too, you need to mark your calendar for Vintage Pittsburgh. More than 40 local and regional vendors will be on hand selling genuine vintage fashion, housewares, vinyl, home décor, artwork, furniture, collectibles, and more. There’s so much to see, shop, and do that you’re bound to get hungry. So it’s a good thing that Franktuary and Sticklers Ice Pops food trucks will be parked outside the Heinz History Center to meet all of your snacking needs. April 9.
Commonwealth Press Beer Barge
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Yes, this event is exactly what it sounds like. Take a bunch of bands, a DJ, and lots (and lots) of beer. Load them onto a barge, or, in this case, the Gateway Clipper. And there you have the Beer Barge. Live music and craft beer on the Three Rivers. Enough said. Just be sure to snag your tickets fast. This event will sell out. April 23.
Music this month
If the aforementioned events don’t meet your live music needs, here are just a few April concerts you can check out. Grammy nominee Elle King is at Mr. Smalls on April 4. Gregg Allman of the Allman brothers is playing the Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead on April 5. On April 7 Wolfe Alice will be at Stage AE. Fans of country music can see Steve Moakler – a Pittsburgh native – on April 16 at the Rex. Moakler was recently selected as one of Rolling Stone’s country artists you need to know. His new song, Steel Town, pays homage to the hard working-folks of Pittsburgh.
[join]Will we see you at some of these events? Let us know with a comment here on Facebook and tag your friends to let them know about these events.[button text=”Click Here to Leave a Comment” link=”https://www.facebook.com/madepgh/posts/1047699821970293″ target=”blank” width=”full” color=”black” size=”small”][/join] This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.