Check out the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, the Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival, or enjoy Ballet Under the Stars at Hartwood Acres — here's what to do in Pittsburgh this weekend!
Theater
The long-running Pittsburgh New Works Festival returns with the premieres of 15 one-act plays from around the U.S. as staged by local troupes. The five weekly programs of three plays each begin by featuring works by playwrights from Evergreen, Colo., Garden Grove, Calif., and Johnstown, Pa., staged by Stray Cat Theatre Company, McKeesport Little Theater and Glass Fox Productions. This program gets five performances at Duquesne University’s Genesius Theater Thu., Aug. 22, to Sun., Aug. 25. New programs follow weekly for the next four weeks.
Crafting
The Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival returns. The three-day event focusing on knitting, crocheting and quilting features dozens of exhibitors from Pittsburgh and around the country, a fashion show, craft classes and numerous community service opportunities. The fest runs Fri., Aug. 23, through Sun., Aug. 25, at the DoubleTree by Hilton, in Green Tree
Marketplace
Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media hosts its annual yART Sale. The one-day outdoor market features art-related goods — studio supplies alongside everything from ceramics to photography and prints. Several nonprofit exhibitors and refreshment vendors join some two dozen arts vendors. The yard sale-style event runs 10 a.m-4 p.m. Sat., Aug. 24, at PCAM headquarters, 1047 Shady Ave., in Shadyside.
Dance
It’s a late-summer tradition: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre presents Ballet Under the Stars at Hartwood Acres as part of Allegheny County’s Summer Concert Series. The free evening begins at 5:30 p.m. Sun., Aug. 25, with pre-show family activities (including a mini dance class). The performance features short and excerpted classical and contemporary works by the likes of George Balanchine, Yoshiaki Nakano and Jayne Smeulders, and also excerpts from “The Rite of Spring,” PBT artistic director Adam W. McKinney’s “The Wizard of Oz,” and PBT’s “The Nutcracker Suite.”
Words
The Hemingway’s Summer Poetry Series wraps its 50th-anniversary season with a night featuring some of the top names in Pittsburgh letters. Readers include poet and fiction writer Jim Daniels; poet and memoirist Lori Jakiela; poet and novelist Dave Newman; poet, columnist and author Adriana E. Ramirez; and Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange founding member Michael Wurster. The program’s Tue., Aug. 27, at Lawrenceville’s Hop Farm Brewing, and admission is free.
Music
One of Pittsburgh’s more versatile singers closes out the Just Summer Series. Anqwenique is at home singing everything from opera and classical to soul and jazz tunes. The Chamber Music Pittsburgh series welcomes her at its season-ending outdoor show at the South Side’s Highline on Wed., Aug. 28. The rain date is Thu., Aug. 29.
