Mary Pickels stories, Page 14

For more than a decade, Laurel Hill State Park has been home to the Laurel Hill Bluegrass Festival. “This is our 12th year,” park operations manager Michael Mumau says. Along with sponsor the Friends of Laurel Hill, Mumau helped start the popular festival, scheduled this year for 11 a.m.-7 p.m....

National Mustard Day has already squirted by this year — Aug. 3 — but French’s has brought new reason to celebrate. It’s still summer, and we are still screaming for ice cream, so the mustard manufacturer has obliged — French’s Mustard Ice Cream. And some taste testers give it two...

The third annual Headwaters Party will raise money to help support the Jacobs Creek Watershed Association’s growing recreation programs, including its new water trail, says Annie Quinn, executive director. Money raised at the 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 10 event at Yinzer Valley Farms, 681 Mulberry Hill Road, Mt. Pleasant,...

Ligonier Country Market will be particularly fragrant on Aug. 3, as visitors learn all about garlic and enjoy cooking demonstrations featuring vendors’ products. Owner Philip Faranda of Faranda Farm in Hollsopple, Somerset County, will attend the market with information about its 10th annual Laurel Highlands Garlic Festival, or what it...

The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Ligonier Valley exhibition, “A Celebration of Texture and Pattern: Hooked Rugs and Historic Coverlets,” features a collaboration between Ligonier resident Barb Carroll and the National Museum of the American Coverlet in Bedford. A rug-hooking enthusiast since the 1980s, Carroll creates rug patterns and writes about...

For several years, the owners of Dawson’s Orchards in Enon Valley, Lawrence County, have been hosting farm dinners during the summer months. Chefs from many well-known Pittsburgh area restaurants prepare the meals, says Karen Peterson, co-owner and office manager. “They prepare five-star dinners here at the orchard, incorporating our fresh...

Chicago native Adam Fitz will perform at the Ligonier Country Market, playing both rootsy original songs and spinning cover tunes during the 8 a.m.-noon July 27 event. His raspy voice and storytelling have earned comparisons to John Fogerty and Rod Stewart. Now living in Pittsburgh, his life experience as a...

Christian W. Klay Winery and Ridge Runner Distillery, both based in Chalk Hill, are partnering to host WineStock 2019. The neighboring Fayette County locations are describing the 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Aug. 17 event as a “modern day Woodstock,” in celebration of the iconic outdoor music festival’s 50th anniversary. Throughout the...

Jeff Jimerson and Airborne headline the latest “Concerts in the Park” series in Hempfield Park. Jimerson will perform at noon July 28 in the park’s new Hempfield Smail Auto Group Amphitheater, according to the township’s website. Jimerson is well known in the region for performing the national anthem at Pittsburgh...

The owners of a new cafe in Greensburg hope that the lure of coffee, along with the cuteness factor of cats, will help more rescue animals find permanent homes. Katelynn and Rob Jones are looking to open Cattfeinated Cat Cafe around October in the former Shalimar Bazaar at 159 E....

For the third year in a row, the Ligonier Country Market’s entry in the 2019 National Farmers Market Poster Contest is the winner of the “Fan Favorite Poster.” Created by Peyton Clark of PMC Paintings, a market vendor, the poster is a recipient of more than 1,100 votes on Facebook,...

Call it lemon, canary, sunset or honey, just make sure your wardrobe has some hues of the sunniest shade for the seventh annual Yellow Tie Gala. Slide on your dancing shoes and bring your sweet tooth as the Latrobe Art Center toasts the Great American Banana Split Celebration in style...

In celebration of new additions to its sculpture park, the Greensburg Art Center will hold a reception on its 230 Todd School Road grounds. The 1-4 p.m. Aug. 4 event is free and open to the public. Featured are several outdoor sculptures by Virgil Cantini, Josefa Filkosky, Brian McCall and...

To mark its second anniversary in Braddock, Superior Motors will host a “street food” party. The 5 to 11 p.m. July 30 celebration at 1211 Braddock Ave. will feature foods from chef Kevin Sousa’s past, according to party planners, including burgers, hot dogs, poké and tacos. Since its establishment, the...

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art has space for your special day (or special event), and will offer prospective hosts, hostesses and party-goers a tour with its “Wedding and Event Showcase.” Those attending the free event from 5-9 p.m. Aug. 11 also can enter for a chance to win a...