5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: April 15-17
It is Easter weekend. Here are some ways to spend it.
Spring Flower Show
This is the final weekend for “Sunshine and Rainbows,” the spring flower show at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Oakland.
The display includes thousands of blooms, including New Guinea impatiens, kalanchoe, nemesia, muscari and lobelia.
There will be a rainbow of flowers and floating planters as well as Himalayan blue poppy, a species of rhododendron native to China, Bhutan and Tibet.
Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Timed tickets must be reserved. They are $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors and students and $11.95 for children.
Masks are recommended.
Details: phipps.conservatory.org
Enjoy our next color in the rainbow with these blue beauties! Our Himalayan blue poppies and Lobelia are among the select blooms flaunting these delicate shades of blue. Visit today to see: https://t.co/Rp8I7tL0Y7
Photo © Phil Johnson ll and Paul g. Wiegman pic.twitter.com/vRVSftv0pz— Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (@PhippsNews) April 13, 2022
Kennywood opens
Kennywood in West Mifflin opens for its 124th season on Saturday for season-pass holders and Sunday to the public. For the first time, the Easter Bunny will greet guests and you might spot him on the Jack Rabbit, one of the many attractions at the amusement park with a new look. It is part of an ongoing, multimillion-dollar project that includes the purple paint on the Phantom’s Revenge, a refurbished park entrance and a facelift for the Old Mill.
The Swing into Spring festival is also happening, featuring live music, limited-time food items and additional activities.
Tickets start at $34.99.
Details: kennywood.com
The Twenty-Sided Tavern
The Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret presents “The Twenty-Sided Tavern,” set in a tavern, at the Greer Cabaret Theater, Downtown. Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Every show is different because the audience chooses the characters and the paths they take through Gamiotics, a technology designed for audience interaction.
An “adventure casual” wardrobe for the show is welcome. Feel free to come dressed as your favorite character from the show.
The show is approximately 2 hours, with a 15-minute intermission.
Tickets start at $28.
Details: pittsburghclo.org
Chinatown celebration
What’s being called an “Historic Pittsburgh Chinatown Dedication Celebration” is from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday along Third Avenue between Grant and Ross Street, Downtown.
The Organization of Chinese Americans Pittsburgh is partnering with Asian American rappers jason chu, Alan Z and African American bilingual Mandarin rapper and Fulbright scholar MC Tingbudong and local community organizations for the event.
There will be a walking tour of Chinatown spaces at noon, food, cultural crafts and other activities. The Steel Dragon Martial Arts Lion Dance Team will perform and there will be an Asian marketplace.
They will commemorate the Chinese Americans who first came to Pittsburgh in the 1880s.
The event is free.
Details: ocapghpa.org
The Orient Express
Pittsburgh Public Theater presents “Murder on the Orient Express” at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday at the O’Reilly Theater, Downtown.
The show is directed by Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Marya Sea Kaminski. It features James FitzGerald as Pierre Michel the conductor and head waiter, Martin Giles as detective Hercule Poirot and Catherine Gowl as Mary Debenham.
Poirot is on board a luxurious train when a suspicious businessman unexpectedly turns up murdered in his cabin.
A freak snowstorm may have stopped the train in its tracks, but nothing will impede Poirot’s pursuit of the truth.
The crew of passengers aboard range from service staff to Russian royalty. All of them become suspects in this Agatha Christie tale.
Proof of covid-19 vaccination and masks are required.
Details: ppt.org
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.