Thursday Night Affordable Date

Thursday nights in downtown can include dinner, movies, and entertainment for an affordable price.  Here is a great Thursday evening plan that won't cost more than 25 dollars a person.  This plan includes a movie, dinner, and a comedy show with drinks.

Once again, we are here to show you that Downtown Pittsburgh doesn’t have to be an expensive place to play. Here’s how TWO people can enjoy an entire evening Downtown every Thursday for around $40 to $50 including parking and tips. That’s just $20-$25 per person, and this gets you A LOT!

If you’re not already Downtown, you can park your car in one of the local garages after 4 pm for only $5.00. The closest to your destinations will be the Theatre Square Garage, the one at 9th Street and Penn Avenue, or the one at 9th Street and Liberty Avenue.

The first thing to do, now that you’re in the Penn-Liberty Historic District, is to head straight to the Harris Theater. On Thursdays, you can catch a movie for just 5 bucks for KQV-AM’s  5:30 Thursday. Think of it as a special “after-work matinee”.

If you didn’t have time to grab a bite before the movie, by now you’re probably famished! Well, you’re in luck, because at the corner of 9th Street and Liberty Avenue, you’ll find Sammy’s. Sammy’s is famous for their Corned Beef Special. The sandwich is HUGE: a beyond-healthy portion of corned beef topped with the traditional Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and cole slaw on rye, served with a pickle, for $5.99.

When you’re done eating, stroll on over to the Cabaret at Theater Square for their Pittsburgh Improv Jam! For only $3.00 you can enjoy improv comics from all over the ‘Burgh, or even participate if you dare! Late night happy hour begins at 9:00 at The Backstage Bar with $2.50 craft brews and $3.50 select wines, so grab a drink before you head in to have a seat. The comedy show starts at 9:30.

The complete total for your hours-long excursion? $40 to $50 for two people, including parking, movie, food, live comedy, a couple adult beverages, and tips! Enjoy!

Better yet, don’t worry about driving or parking – take the bus! There’s more routes than we can mention that put you right in the heart of the Cultural District.  Use Port Authority’s Trip Planner to get a quick, customized route. Getting there couldn’t be easier! 

For more information check out Living Pittsburgh.

Famous Haunted Houses in Pittsburgh.

 Scarehouse has been receiving tons of attention the past few years.  However, there are many haunted houses in Pittsburgh that will be sure to send you running scared.  From creepy santa's and cannibals to zombies and murder there is something that will make everyone scream.

Creepo is not a clown you want hosting your son's 7th birthday party. The disgruntled ex-entertainer, who resides in The ScareHouse attraction in Etna, is out for blood.

This year, Creepo will don a red Santa hat and warn children, "I know if you've been bad or good, but I'll kill you anyway."

While it's barely October, the Halloween season has long been under way for owners and managers of haunted house attractions. Many spend the entire year preparing for October, when it's finally time to 
put their terrors to the test.

When patrons walk through Creepo's Christmas in 3-D, The ScareHouse's newest theme, they can experience "a little bit of twisted humor," said Scott Simmons, creative director and one of three owners, who also include his wife and father.

The new section of The ScareHouse will be strung with Christmas lights, best viewed through 3-D glasses for a "trippy, surreal spin." This is where Creepo abides, seething over the premature holiday decorations.

Inspiration for this seasonal syncretism came when Mr. Simmons went shopping this month and had to walk past Christmas decorations to reach the Halloween section.

"We thought, you know, this is a little annoying to us because Halloween is our time," Mr. Simmons said.

There is a fine line between humor and fear at The ScareHouse. Whether it's a clown dressed as Santa, a bunny carrying an ax or a living doll who giggles and flirts with patrons, the goal is to combine creepy with cute to defy expectations.

This confusion of the psyche lowers one's guard, which translates into a higher level of fear, said Mr. Simmons.

In addition to the new Creepo's Christmas section, changes have been made to the two other attractions, The Forsaken and Pittsburgh Zombies -- the latter of which will be "much darker, scarier and with many more zombies," Mr. Simmons said.
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At Terror Town in the Strip District, the fright factor involves a few monsters but also real spirits said to be hovering in every corner. Preparing to open for its second year, the all-indoor basement-level attraction is "one of the most paranormal-active locations in Pennsylvania," said manager Chris Firman.

"You'll be walking through one portion and it's a normal temperature, and you turn a corner and it's freezing cold," Mr. Firman said of the unusual activity in the building, which was constructed in 1921 and used by Standard American Cable.

The 35-minute tour of post-apocalyptic Terror Town -- which sank underground and became inhabited by cannibals and other bloodcurdling creatures -- includes a walk through an abandoned bus, a funeral home and the kitchen of a family who wants to feed visitors severed appendages and entrails.
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While the owners of many haunted houses have an affinity for the gruesome and gory, Castle Blood owner Ricky Dick takes a different approach. The Gothic theatrical attraction in Westmoreland County is suitable for children and adults alike.

"The 'blood' in Castle Blood doesn't mean carnage; it means that we're owned by vampires," Mr. Dick said. "Vampires don't need chain saws, they don't need Michael Myers and they don't need killer clowns."

Formerly based in Beallsville, then Bentleyville, the 20th anniversary of Castle Blood will be celebrated in a new location in Monessen this year.

City planners approached Mr. Dick and asked if he would move Castle Blood to Monessen to promote business and the town's revitalization efforts. He agreed, seeing the benefit of an all-indoor location that would enable Castle Blood to stay open on select dates year-round.

Plans are already in the mix for a spooky Christmas affair and a "terrifyingly bloody" Valentine's Day event.

Castle Blood is set up like a game for Halloween, and this year patrons will need to appease a phantom to reach the exit safely. "Phoenix Rising" will involve transformation, rebirth and resurrection of vampires -- a fitting theme for an anniversary celebration in a new location.

"After 19 years, a fresh start is good for the 20th," Mr. Dick said.

For more information see the Post Gazette.

Free Events in Pittsburgh

A day out in Pittsburgh with the family can be expensive for anyone.  Here are some great events throughout the week that you can do with your family for free.

There are more free admission days this weekend than you can shake a stick at! For kids, adults, and everyone in between, there’s no excuse not to do something fabulously fun and FREE this weekend!  RADical Days is a thank you to the public for its support of our regional assets, such libraries, parks, museums, cultural organizations, regional facilities and municipal services, through the RAD sales tax.

 Saturday, October 13

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Sketch Crawl
Free Tours of WQED – FM 89.3
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
South Park Hay Day
Pittsburgh Opera Brown Bag Concert

For more information see Living Pittsburgh.

STREB: Forces

Streb: Forces is a show with a little bit of everything.  Dancing, stunts, and acrobatics are just some of the performances included in this massive show.   Elizabeth Streb's choreography is called "Pop Action" as it combines circus arts with dance and stunt work.  This provides the audience with an amazing show that everyone should see at least once.

Elizabeth Streb is a mad scientist. 

How else would you describe a woman who devises diabolically dangerous-looking scenarios for her group of "action heroes" (a.k.a. "action engineers"), who dodge swinging cinder blocks, fall flat to the ground from multiple-story heights and run for their lives inside a monster-sized hamster wheel — all in the name of entertainment? 

In truth, Streb is an award-winning choreographer who has developed a unique movement form she calls "Pop Action." It combines science and human daring with elements of dance, the circus arts and Hollywood stuntwork. 

After a long absence, Streb and her self-named New York-based company return to Pittsburgh and the Byham Theater Sept. 28 and 29. Their latest "Action" spectacular, STREB: Forces, is the season-opener for the Pittsburgh Dance Council. 

The company is fresh off a stint at London's Cultural Olympiad, part of the festivities surrounding the London Olympics. There, STREB performed action events at seven London landmarks, including the Millennium Bridge and Trafalgar Square. Now, STREB brings to Pittsburgh perhaps its most theatrical multimedia production to date. 

For the all-ages STREB: Forces, the company is trucking in 15 tons of equipment, including machines designed to create artificial gravity and the illusion of flight for the performers.
Jam-packed with thrilling works and action events with names like "Crush," "Fall," "Invisible Forces" and "Roboto," STREB: Forces marries the scientific principles of motion with the adrenaline rush of a super coaster ride. 

Some elements of the show may be similar to past productions. For instance, there's "Spatial Rifts," a revamped version of Streb's popular vertical-wall piece "Run Up Walls," in which performers crash into, climb onto and throw themselves against a transparent wall. This time around, Streb says, the performers will be attached to one another in pairs to create a counterweight system: When one goes down, the other goes up. And much of show is new, including an action event that simulates moonwalking using a 30-feet-by-30-feet frictionless floor. 

 "These things burst into reality from playing around with new pieces of equipment at our Action Lab," says Streb by the phone from New York City, where the Lab is located. "They are the mad trajectories of what brings joy and action to people's lives."

For more information see The City Paper.

The Pittsburgh Great Race

The Pittsburgh Great Race is just around the corner and events will kick off this Sunday.  1000 kids will participate in the Dollar Bank Junior Great Race.  There will be face painting, activities, and a variety of races for the kids to participate in with their families.

With fall just around the corner, runners around the area are gearing up for the Great Race.

To kick off “Great Race Week” roughly 1,000 kids will participate in the 17th running of the Dollar Bank Junior Great Race on Sunday, Sept. 23.

“The Dollar Bank Junior Great Race is undeniably one of the most entertaining, non-competitive races for Pittsburgh’s kids,” Great Race Director Mike Radley said in a statement. “It’s a perfect family activity that combines health, fitness and fun.”

Events of the day are as follows:

10:30 a.m. – Packet pick up. Face painting and other activities will be available for the kids as well.
Noon – One-Mile Family Fun Run at Point State Park, 50-Yard Tot Trot & Diaper Dash

Registration for the Junior Great Race is $8 if done in advance and $10 on the day of the event.
Applications are online at www.RunGreatRace.com and you can also call Dollar Bank at (412)-255-2493.

A goodie bag containing a Junior Great Race and medal will be handed out to all registered kids.

For more information see CBS Local.

New Baby Rhino at the Zoo

 There is a new baby at the Pittsbugh Zoo, but at 70lbs it is not a very tiny baby.  Azizi the Rhino gave birth to a new baby last week at the Zoo.  It was her first baby in 45 years.  This baby will be a small step in the re-population of rhinos, as there are only a little less than 5000 left in the world.


Weighing in at nearly 70 pounds, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium's newest addition is sure to be the city's biggest baby of the year.

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  At nearly 70 pounds, Azizi's new calf is sure to be Pittsburgh's biggest baby of the year.
  

Channel 4 Action News visited the zoo Thursday to get a look at the female calf that was born to Azizi.




“We are so excited to welcome a big, beautiful, bouncing, female rhino,” zoo president and CEO Dr. Barbara Baker said in a news release.

Zoo officials said keepers noticed Azizi pacing and appearing uncomfortable last week before she gave birth to the first baby rhino in the city in more than 45 years.

Keepers are continually feeding Azizi and making sure she keeps her strength up, because the yet-unnamed baby nurses every hour.

Visitors can check the zoo's website for information about when the baby will be introduced to the public.

Only 4,800 black rhinoceroses remain in the wild, dropping by 96 percent between 1970 and 1992, according to a news release from the zoo.

“The birth of a black rhino is significant because they are critically endangered and Azizi’s calf will introduce new blood lines into the zoo population,” said Baker.

Read more at WTAE.

Pittsburgh Irish Festival

 Celebrate your Irish heritage this weekend at the Pittsburgh Irish Festival.  This is the festival's 21st year, and it expected to be bigger than ever.   Food, drinks, music, and dancing all await at the festival that opens tomorrow at the Waterfront.

The Pittsburgh Irish Festival is back, and proudly celebrating its 21st year! Thanks to the rich Irish heritage that is an integral part of our city, this festival enjoys enormous popularity, and this year the entertainment promises to satisfy the crowds of ‘Burghers who have made it a family tradition. The organizers, the Irish Partnership, dedicate themselves to “preserving and presenting Irish culture and heritage in the area”, and the festival is the yearly feather in their tweed cap. It can boast being the largest Irish festival in the state, and is the only Irish festival in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. The PA tourism office designated the event a “Pennsylvania Preferred Festival.”

Children can enjoy special performances and activities, including sing-a-longs and storytelling. One of our favorite attractions is the Irish Dog tent, where you can encounter the regal (and gigantic) Irish Wolfhound. A special Gaelic Mass will also be held on Sunday, September 11th at 10am.

Of course, the centerpiece every year is the music, and the lineup that is planned is sure to not disappoint. National artists including Makem and Spain Brothers and Gaelic Storm will be sharing the stages with local Pittsburgh favorites like Corned Beef and Curry and Red Hand Paddy. Irish dance is always a popular attraction at the festival, and this year performing companies include Bell School of Irish Dance, Shovlin Academy of Irish Dance and the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh. There is enough entertainment to send you reeling. To keep everything straight, check out the schedule here.

Tickets are $10 in advance for adults and $12 at the gate. Senior and students (with ID) are $8. Active and Retired Military Officers, and Public Safety Officers (with ID) are $5. Children under 12 are free. You can purchase tickets in advance by visiting the website.

Insider Tip: Special admission prices are featured on Friday from 4-6pm, when those 13 and over are admitted for $3. Also on Friday from 6-8pm, students (with ID) receive discounted admission of $5.

For more information see CBS Pittsburgh.