Western Pennsylvania businesses plan events around Taylor Swift album release

On April 19, superstar singer-songwriter Taylor Swift will add another “era” to her discography with her new album “The Tortured Poets Department.” Anticipation is building among her fans — who refer to themselves as “Swifties” — and several local businesses and groups have hopped on the Taylor Train, hosting events around the new album’s release to celebrate all things Swift.

With events all over the region that include trivia nights, crafting events, dance parties and more, there are plenty of ways to get in the spirit. All of the events are proving to be highly popular with the pop star’s many enthusiastic supporters.

Kayla Waychoff, bar manager at The Clubhouse in Gibsonia, is excited for the Taylor Swift-themed trivia night that they’re hosting this Thursday night.

“We host trivia every week, and our regulars were requesting it,” she said. “It’ll be questions about all things Taylor-related.”

The event is currently sold out.

On Friday, Spirit in Lawrenceville will host a brand-new event by The Taylor Party/TSN Parties, “Taylor Goes Emo: Taylor Vs. Emo Night Party.” The Taylor Party is a touring dance party soundtracked by the music of Taylor Swift. But this evening will be a little different.

“I think there’s a fair amount of Taylor Swift fans who, like myself, were also emo kids in high school,” said Classy Williams, DJ for TSN Parties, who will be spinning the tunes for Friday’s event.

The dance party will be a combination of Swift’s discography and “pop punk classics” from the mid-2000s on.

The Taylor Party typically holds three-hour-long dance-a-thons that feature nothing but Swift songs, so this is a change of pace.

“We’ve been doing (The Taylor Party) for close to two and a half years now, all over the U.S., all over Canada, it’s been crazy,” Williams said.

Williams has loved the experience of traveling around to play Taylor Swift music for people to dance and sing along to.

“The response that we’ve gotten from the fans has been incredible … it’s been so fun. It’s three hours of people getting dressed up, hanging out with their friends and screaming the lyrics to their favorite Taylor Swift songs all night, to the point where it drowns out the club speaker systems,” he said.

“Taylor Swift Emo Night” will take place at Spirit, with doors at 9 p.m., Friday, April 12. The event is 21 and over. More information and tickets can be found here.

Fans will flock to events being held in the days around the album’s release. Micah Whitfield of Micah Made Cookies is hosting cookie decorating classes on April 18 and April 19 to celebrate.

“I’m a Swiftie myself and I started to make some Taylor Swift cookies just by chance last Christmas, and they sold really well,” she said.

Every participant will decorate six cookies with different designs that pertain to Taylor Swift, such as snakes and disco balls. The April 18 event at Sapphire & Lace in Wexford, is 21 and up and will include champagne, but the Friday night event is for ages 8 and up and will be held at Cafe ConMigo Coffee & Tea House, also in Wexford. The cafe will even have a couple of themed drinks. Whitfield also has other fun features for the events, like friendship bracelets and giveaways.

Both events will be at 6 p.m. on their respective days, and space is limited, so tickets should be purchased in advance. To get a spot, check out this link for Thursday night and this link for Friday.

Bottlerocket Social Hall in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood will host an album listening party for “The Tortured Poets Department,” also with The Taylor Party. The event starts at 10 p.m. April 18, with music throughout Swift’s eras and some accompanying artists, and at midnight, everyone present can listen to the new release together as soon as it’s available. Bottlerocket hosted a similar event for Swift’s last release, 2022’s “Midnights,” and it was a roaring success.

“It creates a really cool, exciting time for people … a really cool energy around the album,” said Hannah Confer, bar manager at Bottlerocket Social Hall. “A lot of times people come dressed themed for the album. That’s honestly my favorite part, just seeing people go all out for an event like this.”

She also loves getting to listen to Swift’s earlier music and hearing the progression throughout the night to get ready for new music. “It’s going to be interesting. It’s crazy to see the ways she’s kind of jumped around with her discography. It’s a lot, which is cool,” she said.

Tickets and information for the listening party can be found here.

On April 19, Fever Presents will hold two performances of “Candlelight Spring: A Tribute to Taylor Swift,” candlelit orchestral concerts, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Downtown Pittsburgh. Played in the dark by candlelight, the classical instrumental arrangements of Swift’s songs will include selections like “Love Story,” “Blank Space” and “Anti-Hero.” Find out more here.

Also on April 19, Diamond Theatre of Ligonier will host an album release “Make & Take Party.” Attendees will get to paint a vinyl record to take home, make friendship bracelets (one to keep and one to share), and enjoy hair tinseling. There will also be refreshments.

“My daughter’s a big fan of Taylor Swift, and we had the movie (at the theater) when it came out. So we thought, why not, when the album drops, do something fun with the music and get together, have fun and craft?” said Leigh Ann Rice-McCulty, owner of The Diamond Theatre.

The event will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 19. General admission tickets should be purchased in advance. Purchase here.

For those still craving Taylor-themed craft and hangout time even after the album’s release, Kolor-N-Kiln Pottery Studio in The Mall at Robinson will hold a “Swiftie Soiree Paint Party” on May 19.

“A lot of our customers are Taylor Swift fans … with everyone having Taylor Swift fever, we thought it would be a cool event to do,” said Jeaniane Blackburn, co-owner of Kolor-N-Kiln.

Participants will have to reserve tickets ahead of time. At the event, everyone will get to choose between two ceramic crafts to paint, either a cat figurine or a guitar plaque (two things associated with Taylor Swift). There will also be music, a bracelet-making station, face painting and more. Reserve a spot here.