5 Things to do this weekend in and around Pittsburgh
Looking for weekends plans? Here are a few fun things to do in Pittsburgh:
Fall Foliage Yoga Hike with Elevate Yoga Pittsburgh
Elevate Yoga Pittsburgh is hosting a hiking and yoga event at Settlers Cabin Park in Collier, North Fayette and Robinson at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
The Fall Foliage Yoga Hike begins with a moderate hike that treks about three and a half miles, said Monica Kessler, a yoga instructor and business manager for Elevate Yoga Pittsburgh. After the hike, the group concludes with an outdoor yoga session.
The event is geared toward adults, but children can attend with adult supervision, Kessler said. She classified the hike as “moderate” and added that no yoga experience is required.
“It gives them an opportunity to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, connect with nature, feel a sense of grounding in a world that feels a little chaotic,” Kessler said. “It’s quite a delightful way to get outside and get exercise and connect with people.”
Participants should bring a yoga mat and water and dress appropriately for the weather. Kessler also encouraged participants to wear sturdy tennis shoes or hiking boots.
To participate, register online at the Elevate Yoga Pittsburgh website.
Film Pittsburgh Fall Festival
Film Pittsburgh is hosting a virtual fall film festival, showcasing over 150 independent films.
“It’s a mash-up of a bunch of our film festivals,” Executive Director Kathryn Spitz Cohan said. “That occurred for a number of reasons, one of them being the coronavirus. We thought it would be a good idea to do one big virtual festival.”
The films range from comedies and animated films to documentaries and dramas. There’s family-friendly material, including a block of short films that are available for free on Saturday and Sunday. Another segment of films highlights people with disabilities.
“These are all independent films and most are not available anywhere else,” Spitz Cohan said. “It’s curated by a team of people here in Pittsburgh that are film lovers and we are very intentional and mindful about what we’re selecting.”
The festival runs from Nov. 11 through Nov. 22 and the majority of content is available at any time during the festival.
“Our mission is to bring people together,” Spitz Cohan said. “We realize we cannot do that in person this year, but through these films, I hope the message that we’re more alike than we are different comes through.”
Participants can purchase tickets for the online event online.
“Einstein, A Stage Portrait” with Prime Stage Theater
Pittsburgh-based Prime Stage Theater is performing “Einstein, a Stage Portrait” this weekend with a livestream performance at 8 p.m. Friday and recordings available through Nov. 20.
Director Wayne Brinda said the show, which tells the story of Albert Einstein’s life, should appeal to all audiences, and particularly students.
“What people will see is they’ll see the humor, they’ll see the passion. They’ll see how this man loved his son, how he loved ice cream, how he loved music, his passion for his work,” Brinda said. “When we think about Einstein, we don’t necessarily think of him in that way.”
The production is as authentic as possible, Brinda said. He spoke with Einstein’s great-grandson to gain insights about Einstein as a man. He also worked with professors from the University of Pittsburgh to ensure details like the physics formula on a chalk board used in the set would be accurate.
“Audiences will have a good time discovering a man that everybody reads about, but nobody really knows,” Brinda said.
Sunset at the Oasis with Arcade Comedy Theater
Sunset at the Oasis, an outdoor comedy show hosted by Arcade Comedy Theater, Downtown, will showcase improv from Select Start and Daddy New Year, as well as stand-up comedy from Ed Bailey and Samantha Bentley.
This performance will be the last outdoor show Arcade Comedy Theater hosts this year, said Director of Programming Mark Rubino.
This week: Say farewell to Arcade at the Oasis! ? check out this Sunday's last show, plus online productions, workshops and more... - https://t.co/98NdmIvQaz pic.twitter.com/YbwWUKTY9c
— ArcadeComedy (@ArcadeComedy) November 12, 2020
“The shows have been a great opportunity to reconnect with live performance, which is something that’s been pretty rare in the city since March,” Rubino said. “It encapsulates what Arcade Comedy Theater always tries to do, which is expose people to all kinds of comedy.”
There will be donation-based concessions from Bae Bae’s Kitchen.
Rubino said that the show is best suited for adults.
The performance is scheduled for Sunday at 7 p.m. and costs $15. Guests should order tickets online in advance.
Gingerbread House Display & Competition
The City of Pittsburgh is hosting its 18th annual Gingerbread House Display and Competition, though the event is moving to a virtual platform this year.
To enter, individuals or groups create their gingerbread display and upload photos to the gingerbread competition website by Sunday. Participants will need to complete an online entry form and submit photos of their creations. A panel of judges will choose winners.
Beginning on Friday, Nov. 20, an online gallery will be available for people to see all of the entries and vote for the new People’s Choice award.
“The City of Pittsburgh is proud to serve as the presenter of this popular holiday tradition, and we’re excited to design a new format that will allow the display to take place in 2020,” said Brian Katze, manager of the City of Pittsburgh Office of Special Events.
Julia Felton is a TribLive reporter covering Pittsburgh City Hall and other news in and around Pittsburgh. A La Roche University graduate, she joined the Trib in 2020. She can be reached at jfelton@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.