In brief: Happenings in the Pine Creek Journal area

Farmers Market continues at Pine Community Park

The Farmers Market at Pine Community Park will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday through Oct. 5 by the splash pad.

Vendors include Knock About Coffee, Pittsburgh Pastures, Arsenal Cider House, Fessides Farm & Apiary, Coffee Au Lait, Gray Farms, Sarah’s Homebaked LLV, Tiny Trax Farm, Biber Family Farm, BBQ Stu’s, The Olive Tap, Hello Hummus, Gabby’s Cookie Jar, Eastman Family Farmstead, Addvery Farms, Sweetwater Farms, Keystone Cultures, La Dolce Nota, 1:11 Juice Bar, Designs Inspired by Abby, Pittsburgh Artisanal Soap and Cherish Creamery.

Live music will be provided by Everest Gray.

Farmers Market under way through September

The annual Farmers Market at The Block Northway runs through Sept. 25.

The market, produced in partnership with the I Made It! Market, offers a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and homemade treats, handcrafted goods and rotating food trucks from 3 to 7 p.m. every Thursday throughout the season.

Vendors include Jodikinos Farms, Binko’s Pepper Sauce, Couldn’t BEE Better Honey, Nedalgyro, Sweet Florence Candy Co., Glencoe Gourmet, A Sweet Morsel Co., Boyd and Blair and many more.

There will be special themed events each month:

• July 24: Christmas in July

• Aug. 14: Back to School

• Sept. 18: Pep Rally

• Sept. 25: Coffee With a Cop

The market is sponsored by Jim Shorkey Mitsubishi, SSB Bank, Key Bank, Highmark and AHN.

Sellers are added throughout the season. Interested vendors are welcome to apply at https://bit.ly/4i3rsZb.

Verizon stores to distribute free backpacks

More than 1,200 Verizon Wireless stores across the nation will be giving away hundreds of free backpacks to students at 1 p.m. July 27, including several in the North Hills region.

Round Room, a Verizon authorized retailer, is hosting its 13th annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway event.

This year, Round Room plans to give away more than $3 million worth of backpacks. Since the event’s inception, more than 1.5 million children have received a backpack.

Any leftover backpacks will be donated to local schools of each store’s choice.

Here are the local participating Verizon locations:

• 2030 Mackenzie Way, Suite 600, Cranberry

• 4678 William Flynn Highway, Unit 1, Hampton

• 9028 St. Simon Way Lowe’s Plaza, McCandless

• 12001 Perry Highway, Pine

• 948 Freeport Road, The Waterworks, Pittsburgh

• 500 Grandview Crossing Drive, Suite 80, Richland

• 12001 Perry Highway, Pine

2 shows remain for Rockin’ Rec and Food Truck Summer Concert Series

Two shows remain for the 2025 Rockin’ Rec and Food Truck Summer Concert Series, held at the new Friends of Pine Community Parks Amphitheater.

First to Eleven will perform July 24 with food truck Vaya, while performing on July 27 will be Peace, Love and Sing Sing Sing with the food truck Burrito Bunch.

Both concerts will begin at 8:30 p.m.

Drinks will be provided by Cinderlands.

Shields Asphalt Paving working in Pine this summer

Shields Asphalt Paving will be completing road work throughout Pine this summer, including repairs and resurfacing on multiple roads.

Work that will be performed includes drainage upgrades, base repair, and milling and resurfacing. Single lane restrictions will be required for most work, not beginning until 7 a.m.

Residents who have dog fences or sprinkler systems near the curbs or driveway are asked to mark them ahead of time to avoid damage.

Participants, sponsors sought for 5K/walk

The North Boroughs 5K and Walk benefiting North Hills Community Outreach and the Northgate Cross Country Team is scheduled for 8 a.m. Aug. 9 at Greenstone United Methodist Church, 939 California Ave., Avalon.

The 1-mile walk will start at 8 a.m. and runners in the 5K will start at 8:15.

The cost is $35 for the 5K and $20 for the walk, plus a small transaction fee.

Registration opens at 7 a.m. on the day of the race for those who need to sign up or pick up their bib.

Participants are encouraged to stick around after the race for door prizes and giveaways.

This is a pet friendly event.

To view and download a course map and for details on how to become a sponsor, visit nhco.org/north-boroughs-5k.

For questions, email Angie at amspess@nhco.org.

5K to raise money for Free Care Fund

St. Barnabas Charities is hosting its 34th annual Free Care 5K on Aug. 2.

Presented by CIBC Bank USA, the race will begin at 9 a.m. at the St. Barnabas Gibsonia campus on Meridian Road.

Proceeds from the event support the St. Barnabas Free Care Fund, which provides $6 million in care to patients and residents every year.

Everyone is invited to participate. Competitive and amateur runners, joggers, walkers, teams, stroller pushers and wheelchair racers of all ages will enjoy a rolling 3.1 mile out and back course.

No pets, smoking or inline skates are permitted.

The Free Care 5K will feature ChampionChip Timing, a start line corral, USA Track & Field certification, as well as medals awarded for all ages.

A post-race party will be held after the race featuring raffle prizes, food and the awards ceremony.

Registration is $30 per person before Aug. 2 and $35 per person on race day.

To register, visit FreeCare5K.com or call 724-625-3770. Volunteer opportunities also are available.

To donate to the Free Care Fund, TEXT the word GIVE to 41444.

Wine fundraiser benefits outreach

Corks for the Community, presented by NaturaLawn of America, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 28 at Greystone Fields, 4085 Sandy Hill Road in West Deer.

The outing is the signature fundraising event for North Hills Community Outreach, and all proceeds benefit its programs and services.

The cost is $99 per person and includes, wine, appetizers and food stations, a silent auction, a wine pull, music and door prizes.

For details and to purchase tickets, visit nhco.org/corks.

Celebrate summer with a free concert

There are plenty of concerts left in Allegheny County’s 2025 summer concert series.

The free concerts, which run through Aug. 31, take place either at the Hartwood Acres Park Amphitheater in Hampton or the South Park Amphitheater.

Here is the remaining lineup:

Hartwood Acres Park Amphitheater

• July 27: Mat Kearney

• Aug. 3: Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets

• Aug. 10: KT Tunstall

• Aug. 17: Smash Mouth

• Aug. 24: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

• Aug. 31: Monty Alexander

South Park Amphitheater

• July 25: Ashley Cooke

• Aug. 1: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone

• Aug. 8: Over the Rhine

• Aug. 15: Robert Jon & the Wreck

• Aug. 22: Pittsburgh Honky-Tonk

• Aug. 29: Tamburitzans

Children invited to explore meadows

The park rangers at North Park will lead a Junior Ranger session to explore meadows from 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Den Shelter parking lot.

Children are welcome to drop by anytime between 1 and 3 p.m. to enjoy a walk through the meadow and discover more about this beautiful habitat.

The rangers will have an exploration table and an insect collection activity throughout the program. Walks will occur every 30 minutes starting at 1:30 p.m.

This program is intended for children between 5 and 12, but everyone is welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Registration is required and tends to fill up quickly.

To enroll, visit alleghenycounty.us/Parks-and-Events.

Highpointe at Rebecca announces free summer concerts

Highpointe at Rebecca recently announced the lineup of its free Summer Soundtrack Concert Series, running June through September at the retirement living community, 1871 Highpointe Lane in West Deer.

Each concert will begin at 3 p.m. with guided tours, followed by the performance and a happy hour at 3:30. Concerts will be held outdoors in Highpointe’s courtyard, weather permitting, or indoors if necessary. The concerts, refreshments and parking are free.

Here is the remaining lineup:

• Aug. 15: The Highlife Band. The band has been delivering high-energy hits from the ’60s, ’70s and beyond for over a decade, featuring favorites by The Beatles, Eagles, Rolling Stones and more.

• Sept. 12: John Patrick Heiserman. Heiserman performs a range of genres, from classical to modern hits, blending guitar, vocals and storytelling.

Registration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.

To RSVP for any of the free concerts, call admissions counselor Julie Spirnock at 724-444-1521.

Free concerts lined up at Ross Park Mall

Ross Park Mall, 1000 Ross Park Mall Drive, will host a series of Wind Down Wednesday events featuring local acoustic musicians throughout the summer.

People are invited to unwind from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on select Wednesdays near entrance No. 1 by L.L. Bean or on the patios of Wigle Whiskey, Plaza Azteca or The Cheesecake Factory. The three eateries will offer happy-hour options, and L.L. Bean will provide yard games for attendees.

In the case of inclement weather, the performance will take place inside the mall, near Starbucks.

Wind Down Wednesday kicked off June 11 with Darren Miller. Here is the remaining lineup:

• July 23: The Rust Project, Acoustic Duo

• Aug. 6: Dan Styslinger

• Aug. 20: Samantha Sears

• Aug. 27: Scott Blasey

School supplies sought to help children in need

North Hills Community Outreach is seeking donations of school supplies through Aug. 10 for its Back to School project.

Last year, supplies were distributed to nearly 890 students, an increase compared to previous years.

Donations can be dropped off at any of its three offices from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of each month at its Allison Park site at 1975 Ferguson Road, Hampton.

Other locations are NHCO Millvale on the second floor of the Millvale Community Center, 416 Lincoln Ave., and at NHCO North Boroughs at Greenstone Methodist Church, 939 California Ave., Avalon.

Items being collected include new backpacks, colored pencils, 24-pack crayons, erasers, glue sticks, highlighters and markers, loose-leaf paper, notebooks, binders, pens and pencils including mechanical ones, pencil boxes and sharpeners, pocket folders, rulers, scissors and Texas Instruments graphing calculators in working order for advanced high school science and math.

Donations also can be ordered from NHCO’s Amazon wishlist and sent directly to its office.

Workshops to offer driving tips for teens

Impact Teen Drivers, in partnership with the Northern Regional Police Department and Marshall leaders, will present free workshops for teens and their parents or guardians throughout the year.

The next workshops will be held from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Aug. 12 and Oct. 14 at the lower level of the Marshall Municipal Building, 525 Pleasant Hills Road.

The workshops will provide evidence-based strategies to keep teens safer on the road. Attendees will learn about Graduated Driver Licensing, tips and tricks to avoid distractions, the importance of seat belts, the risks of speeding and more.

The workshops are free thanks to funding by the NJM Insurance Group.

Seating is limited. To reserve a spot, email Detective Tim Hohos at thohos@nrpolice.com.

To have your news or event listed, email editor Marje Horvath at mhorvath@triblive.com.