5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 2-4

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop
Friday, Aug. 2, 2019 6:56 a.m. | Friday, Aug. 2, 2019 6:56 a.m.

Squonk Opera’s “Hand in Hand” will go on Saturday night at PPG Plaza, despite the cancellation of the Three Rivers Regatta.

Courtesy Heinz Field

Steven Adams | Tribune-Review

Guster will perform on Sunday at Hartwood Acres.

Courtesy ReplayFX

The 5th annual Replay FX gaming expo runs through Sunday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center — esports, video games, arcade games, live music, and pinball.

Courtesy Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Enjoy “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” in high-definition while the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs.

Sadly, there’s nada Three Rivers Regatta this weekend. Still, a few surviving events will go on. Here’s what’s going on this first August weekend in Pittsburgh.

The show will go on

After the cancellation of the regatta, Squonk Opera’s Pittsburgh premiere of “Hand to Hand” will go on as planned Saturday in PPG Plaza, Downtown. The four free performances — at 5, 6:30, 8 and 9:30 p.m. — will be a part of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Saturday Night Market and Downtown Sound Music Series, which occurs weekly in Market Square.

“Hand to Hand” will reveal the grandeur and tomfoolery of size and scale: big things little and little things big, with hands the size of a house and original music that takes the roof off. The opposable thumbs that gave us such advantage will oppose each other wholeheartedly, the release said.

The giant hands are fully operable: the biggest hand puppets, or perhaps puppet hands, in the world.

Details: Squonk Opera

Here's the info you've been waiting for:
'Hand to Hand' Pittsburgh premiere

Saturday, August 3
PPG Plaza

Shows:
5:00 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
9:30 p.m.

Presented in conjunction with Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership's Saturday Night Market and Downtown Sound Music Series.

— Squonk Opera (@squonkopera) July 31, 2019

Family oriented

The first Steelers preseason game is a week away, so get fired up at the Steelers Family Fan Fest on Sunday at Heinz Field on the North Shore. Fans are invited to watch the players practice at 6:30 p.m. and also participate in activities and games as well as meet Steelers legends and win prizes. It will be the first opportunity to try the Kennywood famous Potato Patch fries, which will be sold at Steelers and Pitt games this season.

Details: Heinz Field’s website

Are you ready for #FamilyFest?!

Join us this Sunday and catch your @steelers as they prepare for the 2019 season! Autographs, activities, great food and fun are waiting on the North Shore.

?‍?‍?‍?:: https://t.co/xsLj8iXavZ pic.twitter.com/N3Snm8C3k3

— Heinz Field (@heinzfield) July 30, 2019

Game on

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center Downtown will be transformed into a gaming play area through Sunday. More than 20,000 people are expected to come by for the fifth annual Replay FX gaming expo. The event encompasses esports, video games, arcade games, live music and pinball. The world’s largest pinball tournament will take place and involves a $100,000 prize pool. There will be more than 1,000 classic arcade and pinball machines, plus hundreds of retro and modern console systems available to play.

The event will feature Super Smash Bros. and Rocket League tournaments, a cosplay contest, a mobile “gaming battle station” sponsored by the U.S. Army, an indoor ferris wheel, and the Kraken Rum - Rum Runners Hideaway Bar.

Details: ReplayFX

The world's biggest arcade is coming to Pittsburgh!

Over 1,000 pinball & arcade games, 100s of video games, esports & live music come to the Convention Center from August 1-4.

Co-produced by our friends @KnightsGG

Get your tickets: https://t.co/pZQJbPL3az pic.twitter.com/Qhm5iL2ukO

— Heinz Field (@heinzfield) July 31, 2019

Rock on

Guster, an alternative rock band from Boston, will perform a free show Sunday at Hartwood Acres as part of the Allegheny County Summer Concert Series. The group was formed in 1991 when the members met each other at a freshman orientation at Tufts University in Boston. Their first album was “Parachute,” followed by “Goldfly.” The band has several more albums. Some Pittsburghers might remember their January 2016 impromptu set behind a dumpster on the North Side (when a snowstorm detained them in Pittsburgh). Here’s their song “Satellite.”

Details: Guster’s website

Sunday! @guster will perform for free at Hartwood Acres. https://t.co/RaOSj4HoF5

— Very Local PGH (@VeryLocalPGH) July 29, 2019

Harry Potter

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is Friday through Sunday at Heinz Hall, Downtown. The show is about Potter’s second year at school and involves “talking spiders, scolding letters and giant snakes.”

Details: Pittsburgh Symphony’s website

Here is a sneak peek of rehearsal with @andresconductor conducting the @PSOMusicians to perform live, to picture, every note from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™

Opening night is tomorrow at Heinz Hall! → https://t.co/iftRWqmLzr #HarryPotterinConcert @CineConcertsLLC pic.twitter.com/YUrNftcmmH

— Pittsburgh Symphony (@pghsymphony) August 1, 2019

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.