In brief: Pleasant Hills Community Day, concert in the park and more in the South Hills

Community Day

Pleasant Hills Community Day will take place from noon-9:45 p.m. Aug. 12 at Mowry Park. Details are still being finalized and more information can be found online at pleasanthillspa.com.

Elizabeth Township Historical Society

Living off the land and food preservation weren’t hobbies but a way of life for 18th and 19th century American colonists that will be recalled at the Greenock Log House on Aug. 12 in Elizabeth. Mysteries of native and cultivated herbs will be revealed while of the magic of vinegar as a preservative for root vegetables like beets and turnips will be divulged by members of the Elizabeth Township Historical Society. Others with interests and expertise may come to share their knowledge about gardening, salting and smoking meats, drying vegetables or sugaring fruits during the day from 1 to 5 p.m. ETHS member Jim Chatham, chairing the day, will be crafting leather and talking about the required skills.

The program is part of a summer series leading to the major event Greenock Log House Days on Sept. 23 to take place at 1235 Greenock Buena Vista Road. Crafters and vendors with period reenactors and displays will fill the yard around the log house, built in 1790 from white oak trees more 200 years. Additionally, the Greenock U. M. Church will host an Apple Fest next door from noon to 5 p.m. The 10’ by 10’ spaces are available for crafters and vendors so individuals may bring tables and canopies. Early registration for spaces for log house days is $25 and $30 after Aug. 15. Checks made payable to ETHS Log House Fund should be mailed to Debbie Gilbert, 1109 Sommerset St., McKeesport, Pa. 15135.

ETHS members will bring favorite “covered dishes” for a picnic at 6 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Coates House, the historical society’s headquarters, library and museum at 5811 Smithfield St.

For details or to participate in these events, call 412-807-8452.

The Underwater Life: A Visit from a Pittsburgh Aquarist

Whitehall Public Library will welcome Jessica Ries, a tropical marine aquarist at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium at 11 a.m. Aug. 3. She’ll talk about the daily workings of a city aquarium and what makes living an underwater life so appealing for so many kinds of creatures. This program coincides with the library’s official Whitehall Reads selection, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt. In this hopeful novel, a widow begins working at a local aquarium where she finds connection with a most unlikely ally — a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus.

The adult program is free, but registration is required by calling 412-882-6622 or visiting whitehallpubliclibrary.org.

Concert in the Park

Ruff Creek will be returning to the stage for the final concert of the 2023 Jefferson Hills Recreational Initiative Summer Concert Series. The concert will be at the Andrew E. Reilly Memorial Park Stage off of Route 885 in Jefferson Hills from 6:30-9:30 p.m. August 17. The show is free and open to the public.

Food and beverage vendors will be on site for attendees to enjoy. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets, as the majority of seating is on the lawn in front of the stage.