Sights & Sounds – Sept. 11
Steel City Tattoo Convention, Downtown Pittsburgh’s first tattoo convention, will be held Sept. 13-15 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, featuring some of the industry’s leading tattoo artists and television personalities.
Get tattooed by local and international artists, browse artwork or just have fun. Merchandise, food and alcohol will be available for purchase.
Hours are noon-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon-8 p.m. Sunday.
General admission to this family-friendly event is $20 for a one-day pass, $30 for a two-day pass and $40 for a weekend pass. Children 12 and under are free admission. Tickets can be purchased at the door any day of the event or online at www.shaneoneillproductions.com.
For more information, visit www.shaneoneillproductions.com or call 856-974-2802.
Orchestra rehearsals
The South Hills Junior Orchestra will hold free-trial rehearsals 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sept. 14 and 21 in the Upper St. Clair High School band room for students in grades 5-12.
For more information, email shjorchestra-mdirector@yahoo.com, visit www.shjo.org or call 412-854-3459.
As part of its “Get Acquainted Sessions,” The South Hills Chorale is holding auditions for all singing parts during regular rehearsal on Sept. 16 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon.
The 75-member Chorale’s repertoire includes music from popular to classical selections and performs in December and April.
For more information or to schedule an audition, contact Elaine Moore at 412-780-9336 or southhillschorale@gmail.com.
New Horizon Theater, Inc. in conjunction with The Tuskegee Airmen Memorial of the Greater Pittsburgh Region (TAM), will present “Black Angels over Tuskegee” on Sept. 14 at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh.
This award-winning, historical docudrama is a narrative of seven men embarking upon a journey to become the first African-American aviators in the United States Army Air Forces during a tumultuous era of racial segregation and Jim Crow laws in 20th century American history.
Tickets at $25-$100 can be obtained by calling 412-456-6666, online at trustarts.org or at The Box Office at Theater Square, 665 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh.
Talent showcase
The Heritage Players will hold a Summer Talent Showcase of music, dance and more at 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Seton Center on Pioneer Avenue in Brookline.
Admission is $5 at the door.
Visit www.heritageplayers.org or call 412-254-4633 for more details.
Hiram & the Walkers will perform from 2-4 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Peterswood Amphitheater.
HIRAM plays oldies, doo wop, 50’s-80’s, some classic rock, blues, Motown and older country music.
This concert was rescheduled due to a rain-out. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Community Recreation Center.
The Pink House, home of Wagner’s Chocolates, Finleyville, will hold a Chocolate and Wine Pairing Launch beginning promptly at 6:40 p.m. Sept. 19. The event will end around 8:15, but the shop will be open for chocolate and ice cream purchases until 9.
A variety of chocolates will be paired with several domestic and international wines (wine is optional and provided at no charge).
Special inaugural event price of $29 (regular price, $35) will include wine expert Jeff Harrison, a variety of specially selected milk and dark chocolates for pairing, a special wine glass to take home, an ice cream treat, 10 percent discount on all purchases made that evening, and a coupon for your next visit.
Seating is limited. Payment is required to reserve a seat. Pay by credit card by calling 724-348-2238 (fully refundable up until 24 hours in advance).
The Pink House is located at 3760 First Avenue, Finleyville (south of Trax Farms on Rt. 88). For more information, visit www.thepinkhouse.biz.
“SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody” returns to the Byham Theater Sept. 19-21.
Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with an additional matinee performance at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets start at $35.50 and can be purchased at www.TrustArts.org or through the Box Office at 412-456-6666.
This show is not associated with, nor authorized by, author E.L. James or Vintage Press.
Oktoberfest
Pennsylvania Bavarian Oktoberfest will celebrate its 15th anniversary Sept. 20-22 in Canonsburg. Two stages will provide continuous entertainment, showcasing German performers and local talent offering contemporary rock, oldies and country. German cuisine and beer, ethnic and American foods, crafts and amusement rides will be available.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will serve as the third city in the country to present an autism-friendly performance of Disney’s “The Lion King,” tailored to the needs of adults and children on the autism spectrum.
The special performance is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Benedum Center. Great seats are still available and can be purchased at www.TrustArts.org/Autism. For more information, call 412-456-2670.
Penn Brewery expects another record-breaking crowd at this year’s annual Oktoberfest, which will take place over two consecutive weekends, Sept. 20-22 and 27-29, at the Brewery’s Troy Hill location.
Attractions include: Seven varieties of fresh Penn beer on draft; traditional German food including bratwurst, sauerkraut, hot German potato salad and soft pretzels, as well as some American-style such as vegetarian sloppy Joes, pulled pork sandwiches and hot apple cobbler; live entertainment; souvenir tent.
No cover charge and free parking in the gravel lot across the street from Penn, at Sara Heinz House (after 7 p.m.), Schiller Academy and North Catholic High School, and in the large lot at the end of the 16th St. Bridge, between Chestnut St. and South Canal St. (lot closes at midnight).
Hours are 5 p.m.-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays (over 21 only after 8 p.m.), and 4- 10 p.m. on Sundays. Oktoberfest events are cash only, except meals in the main dining room. No reservations will be taken on Fest days, and Penn Brewery will be closed on the Mondays following Oktoberfest weekends.
For more information, visit www.pennbrew.com, or call Linda Nyman at 412-237-9400 ext. 104.
The Western Pennsylvania Division of The Salvation Army announces its fifth annual “Most Amazing Race” on Sept. 21 to benefit youth programs in Allegheny County. Combining physical, mental and creative challenges and beginning at Station Square, contestants will compete throughout the city to win part of a $5,000 prize package.
This year, the Salvation Army is accepting only the top 50 fund-raising teams of two people that must raise a minimum of $250 in order to qualify for the race.
For more information, call 412-446-1644, or to register or volunteer for the event, visit www.mostamazingrace.org.
Horror Realm, Pittsburgh’s modern horror convention, celebrates its fifth anniversary Sept. 20-22 at the Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South, Bethel Park.
The event will include horror-themed merchandise, popular and independent horror movies, a VHS viewing room for horror films that have never been released to DVD; question and answer panels with celebrity guests and horror authors; a costume contest; entertainment and a themed party on Saturday evening.
Main convention hours are 4-10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. The film room and VHS screening room will run until 2 a.m. nightly.
Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. Weekend passes are $35; single day (Friday or Saturday) $15; two-day (Saturday/Sunday) $20 and Sunday admission is only $10. A discounted room rate of $109 plus tax per night is offered to attendees.
To kick off the convention weekend, Haunted Pittsburgh is offering a special downtown ghost tour at 7 Sept. 19 especially for attendees of Horror Realm. The tour starts at the City-County Building on Grant Street and a ghost guide will lead participants on a tour of some of Pittsburgh’s most haunted sites and regale them with tales of the strange and unusual. Tickets for the ghost tour are $15 and must be purchased in advance at http://www.hauntedpittsburghtours.com/2010/08/horror-realm-private-tour-order-here.html.
For more details on guests, tickets, hotel reservations and convention event schedule, please visit www.horrorrealmcon.com.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will kick-off its 2013-14 season at a “Once Upon a Time” gala concert at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at Heinz Hall. The concert is bookended by a Gala party and Soiree, which will be held at Heinz Hall and the Fairmont Hotel respectively.
Tickets, ranging from $40-$110 for the gala concert only, are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 412-392-4900, or by visiting www.pittsburghsymphony.org.
The Once Upon a Time Soirée includes valet parking, pre-concert cocktail hour, preferred seating for the concert, and a post-concert celebration with symphony musicians at the Fairmont, including hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, live music and more. Tickets are $175 to $225 per person and are also on sale now.
All proceeds from the Gala concert and parties support the PSO’s Education and Community Engagement programs.