Lifestyles category, Page 45
Out & About: The Westmoreland’s Block Party offers summer fun
When researching the phenomenon of block parties for The Westmoreland Museum of American Art’s current exhibit of that name, chief curator Jeremiah William McCarthy learned that they originated in New York City during World War I as people pooled resources to give soldiers a send-off to war. Block parties spread...
Out & About: You Are Here gallery celebrates 5 years of art
Guests waited eagerly for a slice of cake on July 29 at You Are Here in Jeannette. The sweet treat was just one element of a fifth anniversary celebration at the gallery and art space at 406 Clay Ave. Mary Briggs and Jen Costello founded You Are Here in 2018...
Out & About: Karaoke night supports Greensburg Civic Theatre
It seems likely that folks associated with Greensburg Civic Theatre wouldn’t be shy about getting up to sing karaoke. Still, the group provided an opt-out during its July 29 musical fundraiser at Greensburg Garden & Civic Center. There was a $1 donation to sing a song and $3 to nominate...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Aug. 4-6
Bargains galore There will be bargains galore this weekend in Irwin. A flea market is planned for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St. There will be no early bird sales. For more information, call 724-367-4000 or visit lamptheatre.org. • Irwin Business...
Drag artists and LGBTQ+ advocates sue to block Texas law expanding ban on sexual performances
AUSTIN, Texas — A group of drag performers and LGBTQ+ rights advocates have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block a new Texas law that expands what is considered an illegal public performance of sexual conduct, arguing it is meant to target drag shows and could also criminalize ballet and...
TribLive Taste Test: Ginger beerVideo
You don’t usually see a lot of ginger beer with sediment — a lot of sediment — sunk down at the bottom of the bottle. But that didn’t stop the TribLive Taste Test squad from trying Uncle Waithley’s “Vincy” Brew Ginger Beer, along with several other varieties of ginger beer,...
Ban on incandescent bulb sales officially in effect under new U.S. rules
SAN FRANCISCO — Get ready to say goodbye to the once ubiquitous incandescent light bulb, pioneered by Thomas Edison more than a century ago. You can thank — or blame — new federal energy efficiency regulations that went into full effect Tuesday. Quite possibly without you even noticing. The Energy...
Cedar Point to launch Top Thrill 2 coaster in 2024Video
Cedar Point has announced the replacement for its record-setting Top Thrill Dragster coaster: Top Thrill 2. And it’s set to debut in 2024. The ride will maintain the Sandusky, Ohio, park’s iconic 420-foot-tall arching tower and add a second 420-foot-tall tower on the opposite end. The coaster will have three...
Building the Valley: Ash Taphouse fires up service at former Beermuda in New Kensington
Jenn Toney takes pizza seriously. The New Kensington businesswoman attended a three-day “boot camp” in Chicago to learn how to make dough for wood-fired pizzas. She went to Las Vegas for a class on her rectangular, thick-cut “grandma” style, similar to Sicilian. And she bought a large, Italian wood-fired oven...
From raw fiber to artistic creations, felters get to the point
A pastime that puts you at risk of poking yourself with a sharp needle doesn’t sound all that appealing — but its devotees risk the pricks to produce charming works of art. They’re practicing needle felting, a craft that turns raw fibers into matted fabric that in turn can be...
Out & About: Summer in Ligonier Block Party hosts fun for all ages
A summer Saturday is always a good time for a trip to Ligonier to do a little shopping, have a meal and see the sights. There was added incentive for visitors on July 22, as the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted a Summer in Ligonier Block Party. A block...
Out & About: Pittsburgh bands rock out at Twin Lakes concert series
Two sets of Pittsburgh rockers played the July 22 date of the Westmoreland Parks and Recreation summer concert series, to the delight of the crowd on the hillside above the Brian T. Rusnock Amphitheater. The amphitheater, at the Twin Lakes Peach Plaza Expansion Area in Hempfield, is in an acoustical...
Out & About: Westmoreland Walks event gives cancer the boot
What do you wear to Give Breast Cancer the Boot? Boots, obviously — and cowboy boots, specifically. Westmoreland Walks hosted its annual country-and-western-themed event on July 21 at Yinzer Valley Farms in East Huntingdon, and attendees took the dress code seriously. There were boots, hats, neckerchiefs, jeans, prairie dresses and...
Do you believe in angels? About 7 in 10 U.S. adults do, a new AP-NORC poll shows
Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America. Angels even get more credence than, well, hell. More than astrology, reincarnation, and the belief that physical things can have spiritual energies. In fact, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll...
Paying it forward: ‘The Give Back Kid’ spreads positivity
Jamal Woodson recalled a time he had $2 for the week for food. “I bought a $1 loaf of bread and a $1 bottle of hot sauce and made sandwiches for the week,” the Murrysville resident said. “I added water and toasted the bread. It was a feeling I don’t...
Peters home will be built upon purchase for $674,900
There is a house on the market projected to be a four bedroom, and two and one half bathrooms with a two-car garage — but it won’t be built until there’s a buyer. “The buyer has the opportunity to make changes to the floor plan if they desire,” said Renee...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: July 28-30
On stage Stage Right of Greensburg will present two summer camp musicals this weekend at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St., Irwin: • Chicago: Teen Edition, presented by the teen group at 2 and 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. • We Will Rock You, with the music of Queen, presented...
Elon Musk wants to turn tweets into X’s — but changing language is not quite so simple
SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk may want to send “tweet” back to the birds, but the ubiquitous term for posting on the site he now calls X is here to stay — at least for now. For one, the word is still plastered all over the site formerly known as...
Pittsburgh woman searches for wedding dress lost when dry cleaner closed
A Squirrel Hill woman wants her wedding dress back. Nicole Vera Delgado, a Louisiana native who moved to Pittsburgh five years ago, ignored the horror stories she’d heard about dry cleaners losing or mangling wedding dresses. Last August, she gave her strapless, A-line wedding dress, complete with beading and lace...
Mustard Skittles are a thing that’s happening
Mustard + Skittles = uhhhh, yeah. Yes, the snack treat that no one asked for has arrived. Mustard-flavored Skittles are now a thing — thanks to the candy brand and French’s. It’s all a way to help promote the brands on National Mustard Day, which we all celebrate on Aug....
Poetry academy announces more than $1M in grants for U.S. laureates
NEW YORK — A digital poetry archive in Utah, slam poetry workshops in South Carolina and creative writing programs in New Mexico are among the initiatives being supported by more than $1 million in grants from the Academy of American Poets. On Tuesday, the academy announced its 2023 Fellowships, contributions...
Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar opening this fall at former Atria’s location in O’Hara
In Maya folklore, it is believed that hummingbirds connect the earthly and heavenly realms. When the new Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar in O’Hara opens this fall on Freeport Road, hummingbirds will be featured prominently throughout the space. “We are building a bridge between Mexico and Pittsburgh,” said Kayla Welch,...
Tips and tricks for keeping garden critters at bay
As she browsed the outdoor aisles of 380 Auction in Murrysville, Plum resident Marilyn Covert lamented the loss of her homegrown tomatoes to a deer. “They’re terrible,” she said of the deer, as she pushed her cart stacked with gardening supplies. “There’s nothing like a homegrown tomato.” Covert uses deer...
‘Bake’ sweet summer icebox cakes in the fridge
Hear the word “cake” and an image comes to mind. It’s usually a round, layer cake filled and coated with thick frosting and maybe finished with sprinkles. Cut a big, triangular wedge and you have an absolute textbook illustration of a piece of cake. Delicious to eat anytime — but...
Out & About: Compass Inn midsummer revel harks back to 1812
They were partying like it was 1812 on July 15 on the grounds of the Compass Inn Museum in Laughlintown. The event was the annual Midsummer’s Night Ball, a highlight of a living history weekend featuring reenactors from Ship’s Company, an organization dedicated to preserving America’s maritime heritage. The group...
