Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 50
October is a hoot at the National Aviary with special owl programs
Who-oo wants to learn more about owls? The National Aviary is offering close encounters with the nocturnal birds of prey through its annual Owl-o-Ween days and other October programming. “There is no bird better for fall than an owl, and at Owl-o-Ween at the National Aviary, families can get to...
Grab bags available for Jeannette gallery’s upcycled art contest
You Are Here art center and gallery in Jeannette is out to prove that one person’s junk is another one’s treasure, with the Upcycle Challenge ‘20, an art competition using recycled and reused materials. For a $10 entry fee, participants receive a package of miscellaneous arts and crafts materials from...
Keep trick-or-treaters safe with simple safety precautionsVideo
In a normal year, parents’ biggest worry about Halloween might be how to keep the kiddos from gorging on too much candy. This year, they have to decide whether to let them trick-or-treat at all. Some municipalities are making that decision for parents by canceling annual designated trick-or-treat times. Citing...
Western Pa. scare attractions will still bring Halloween screams despite covid
Sad to say, but Halloween might be the least-scary thing about 2020. Still, area scare attractions are doing their best to bring the heebie-jeebies to the masked masses, even in the midst of covid-19 restrictions. “Halloween seems like one of the few things you can do this year, because everyone’s...
Pittsburgh Opera productions to have small, live audiences
Pittsburgh Opera will welcome small, live audiences back to productions of its modified 2020-21 season, in addition to livestreaming all performances. First up is Mozart’s “Così fan tutte,” opening Oct. 17 for six performances in front of socially distant audiences at its headquarters in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Stage director Crystal...
Reel Q film festival includes movie with Hill District backdropVideo
This year, the Reel Q Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ Film Festival will feature 21 programs screening over 10 nights on virtual platforms, including a movie filmed almost entirely in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. In addition, the 35th annual event will offer a special closing night drive-in screening in Pittsburgh’s North Side. The festival...
Can’t find canned pumpkin? Holiday staple should return to shelves soon
Bakers hunting for canned pumpkin have found it to be a hit-or-miss proposition lately. They’ve even taken to sharing sightings on social media. The good news, according to allrecipes.com, is that there isn’t really a shortage. The bad news is that it doesn’t make the Thanksgiving pie staple any easier...
While Fort Ligonier Days goes virtual, events still planned around town
Like many other fairs and festivals, Fort Ligonier Days was canceled this year due to the pandemic — though it will be available in virtual form at fortligonierdays.com. But that doesn’t mean the streets of the picturesque borough will be empty and quiet this weekend. The Ligonier Valley Chamber of...
Final antiques sale of abbreviated season coming up at Historic Hanna’s Town
The season’s final antiques and collectibles sale is Sunday at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield. Pandemic notwithstanding, it’s been a pretty good summer for the sales, said Lisa Hays, executive director of Westmoreland Historical Society, which manages the site for Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation. While attendance by both vendors...
PSO virtual concert series opens with celebration of Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will bring a new type of front row experience to music lovers via an online concert series premiering Oct. 19. ”Front Row: The PSO Virtual Experience” will include five episodes that will traverse the region and offer classical and popular music, along with Holiday Pops and...
Spruce Flats Bog plant species include 2 insect-eaters
The soil in a bog consists largely of slowly decaying plant matter. Along with being acidic, it is oxygen- and nutrient-poor, limiting the types of plants that will thrive there. Sphagnum moss provides the living plant layer atop the waterlogged environment. Other common bog plants include reeds, sedges, cranberries, blueberries...
Spruce Flats Bog an often-overlooked natural wonderVideo
Paul Nieman of Ligonier and his yellow Lab, Lily, hike all around Forbes State Forest, but one spot they visit repeatedly is Spruce Flats Bog. On a late summer trek around Laurel Summit State Park, Nieman was going to skip it, but Lily insisted on leading him down the ¼-mile...
Pittsburgh Humanities Festival brings speakers to online audience
A reboot of the Pittsburgh Humanities Festival will offer online “smart talk about stuff that matters.” Interviews available for free explore health care and policy, incarceration, technology and creating opportunities for artists of color in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Humanities Festival @ Home kicks off Friday with the first of four...
Laurel Highlands Pour Tour relaunches with added locations
Thanks to interest in the region’s thriving craft beverage industry, the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour is returning for a second year. Since the tour launched in the fall of 2019, numerous new craft beverage locations have opened in the region, allowing version 2.0 to expand from about 30 to 45...
Quantum Theatre charts 2-mile ‘odyssey’ through Schenley ParkVideo
Quantum Theatre is planning a 2-mile odyssey along the trails of Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park, through which visitors can access an interactive audio production of “OK Odysseus.” Five Greek columns will be placed throughout the park, at which Quantum Theatre artists and staff will act as guides. The journey will begin...
Carnegie Museums’ new online shop features exclusive merchandise
Exclusive items from the shops of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh are now available at patrons’ fingertips, via a new online shop. “This makes our products more available to our supporters,” said Betsy Momich, Carnegie Museums director of communications. “Obviously, online shopping itself is not new, but it is...
Banff film festival adventure shorts to screen at Carrie FurnacesVideo
Venture Outdoors is taking its name literally for this year’s presentation of the world tour of the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival, a showcase of adventure films from around the globe. In previous years, the event was held in the Byham Theater in downtown Pittsburgh. On Oct. 15, this year’s...
Lincoln Highway museum director retiring after 25-year tenure
It’s the end of the road for Olga Herbert — at least for her long stint as Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor executive director. Herbert, who has served in the position since the LHHC was created 25 years ago, is retiring at the end of October. Her successor will be Lauren...
Cool beans! Get some free perks on National Coffee DayVideo
Grab your cold press, your K-cup, your cafetiere — or hit your neighborhood cafe — it’s National Coffee Day. It’s a great time to be a coffee drinker, with the recent proliferation of coffee shops and at-home coffee- brewing equipment offering something for even the most discerning coffee palate. “Coffee...
Doors Open Pittsburgh offers inside look at iconic city buildings
Being nebby isn’t always a good thing, but Doors Open Pittsburgh encourages it. On Saturday, the annual event will give visitors an inside look at 22 iconic, historically significant or just plain interesting structures in Downtown Pittsburgh and on the North Side. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; individual...
Westmoreland Ballet takes ‘Nutcracker’ filming to LigonierVideo
Dancers with Westmoreland Ballet are getting a new kind of performance experience as they work on a video version of “The Nutcracker.” With stage performances doubtful this year, company founder Judy Rae Tubbs decided to bring the holiday favorite to audiences in a pandemic-safe way. Tubbs also envisioned a “Nutcracker”...
John Williams, Ben Folds have new Pittsburgh Symphony dates
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announced new 2021 dates for two special concerts that were postponed from the 2019-2020 season. “An Evening with Honeck & Mutter & Williams” will take place on June 9, while Ben Folds will appear with the orchestra on Oct. 15 next year. Both concerts will begin...
Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s outdoor stage opens with magic show
Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s new outdoor performance venue will do more than offer patrons a way to see live acts during ongoing covid-19 gathering restrictions. It also will be “an anchor” for community gatherings and development in the up-and-coming West End that the theater calls home, according to executive artistic director...
Here are the best spots to see fall foliage in the Pittsburgh regionVideo
There’s a nip in the air and some tint in the trees. It’s time to start planning your fall foliage viewing, and the Laurel Highlands is the perfect place to start. Don’t take our word for it, though. That’s the verdict from voters for the Best Destination for Fall Foliage...
Girl Scouts offering new virtual troop membership option
Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania opened registration for new members this fall with a new virtual troop option, along with troops meeting for in-person activities. “While in-person adventures and troop meetings continue under current local and CDC guidelines, the addition of a virtual troop option is the final piece to create...
