Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival is 'back in business'

There’s a chance of an early morning shower on Friday in Pittsburgh, but the rest of the day should be partly sunny with a high around 80.

It’s a good portent for the return of in-person events at the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, which went all-virtual in 2020 due to the pandemic. In addition to live programming in the Cultural District, the 10-day festival will retain some virtual elements.

Festival hours will be noon-8 p.m. daily through June 13.

“(Downtown) is looking very festival-y. The tents are up, the signs are up,” said Sarah Aziz, festival director and director of festival management for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “We’re back in business, and it’s very exciting.

“I really have no idea what to expect, as far as crowds go,” she said. “Some people are chomping at the bit to come out, while others are not quite ready yet. That’s why we’re continuing with the virtual programming.”

Those venturing out will find the popular Artist Market spread out across the Cultural District, with locations at the Benedum Lot, Trust Oasis and Allegheny Overlook Pop-up Park.

About 50 artists will be present across these locations in the first session, Friday through June 8, with another 50 moving in June 9-13. The fourth Artist Market location in Point State Park will be open Fridays-Sundays, featuring about 30 artists in each session.

In addition, more that 200 artists from around the country will appear in the virtual Artist Market on the Trust website.

The Dollar Bank Main Stage in Point State Park will be rocking with live music Fridays-Sundays during the festival, beginning Friday with a performance by Celisse, a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, performer and spoken-word artist who has appeared with artists including Mariah Carey, Graham Nash, Kesha and Melissa Etheridge.

Other featured performers on opening weekend include Bassel and the Supernaturals on Saturday. Led by Bassel Almadani, a first generation Syrian-American, the band’s songs blend soul and funk with lyrics on love, loss and the war in Syria.

On Sunday, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Rayland Baxter takes the stage for a set of alternative country music.

Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Shows are free, and visitors need to bring their own seating and respect distance among other groups.

For those unable to attend, Main Stage concerts will stream on radio station WYEP 91.3 FM.

Also, two or three times daily between noon-8 p.m., top regional music and dance acts will be featured on the new Riverside Stage at Allegheny Overlook Pop-up Park on a partially closed Fort Duquesne Boulevard between Stanwix and Seventh streets.

Indoor art exhibitions will take place at these Cultural District venues: Wood Street Galleries, SPACE, 937 Liberty and 707 Penn, with open hours between noon-8 p.m. daily.

In addition to the Trust’s long-term public art installations, a number of temporary, event-specific outdoor installations will be on view during the festival run.

The festival also features a 24/7 Virtual Stage of online programming including performances, educational opportunities and creative activities; Juried Visual Art Exhibition; “Post Erotica: The Anthropology of Motherhood,” a visual diary of the experience of motherhood; and film screenings with Harris @ Home.

All virtual features are available on the Trust website, along with complete festival schedule and updates.

Details: trustarts.org