By Barry Coughlan
It’s not the biggest Pennsylvania city which is Philadelphia, nor is it the capital, the much smaller central city of Harrisburg, but Pittsburgh’s attraction from this side of the world is growing, and now a direct seasonal flight has been added by Icelandair to operate until late October.
There are already services from Dublin via Iceland (Keflavik) and further services to the tidy Pensylvania city ex Manchester, Glasgow and, of course, London Heathrow.
For decades Pittsburgh has been forging a thrilling cultural scene that offers avid USA fans an edgy, urban alternative city break.
It’s a location where cutting edge artists meet rich history and verdant landscapes, while is also has a thriving sports, culinary and craft beverage scene, Pittsburgh is a city of contrasts.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of The Andy Warhol Museum.
It houses beloved collection of work dedicated to one of the most famous artists in history, and it is the largest museum dedicated to a single artist in North America. With seven floors to explore, pop art fans can learn about the Pittsburgh-born artist through exhibitions, displays, interactive and informative tours.
There is of course more, including Picklesburgh (19-21 July) a 3-day festival celebrating the humble fruit accompanied by live music performances and other popular culinary activities such as Pickle Cocktails, Pickle Beer, Pickle Juice Drinking Contest, and an abundance of pickle-themed merch to purchase.
The Barrel and Flow Fest (10 August) is the nation’s first black beer festival which showcases the country’s most talented Black brewers, along with breweries from across the globe in collaboration with Black artists, entrepreneurs, politicians, and business owners.
A huge feature of the year is The International Jazz Festival (19-22 September), a soulful weekend of performances with more than 140 jazz musicians taking part and offering many free gigs.
There are music performances throughout the year from international artists, including Bruce Springsteen (18 August), Greenday (1 September) and Iron Maiden (8 November). Performances will take place at the iconic PPG Paints Arena that serves as the home of the ice hockey legends, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
A newly opened culinary hub, Lawrence Hall, is located in a 6,000 sq ft repurposed warehouse. The 170-seat space features five restaurant concepts and an ice cream shop. All of them are all centered upon “Dear James”, a communal bar which will be a great spot for big groups.
The award winning Pittsburgh brewery Trace Brewing, opened a second taproom in the city’s Uptown neighborhood. The new watering hole named Trace Echo, features a cosy bar, a handful of indoor tables, and a large, three-season outdoor space.
These are all just little teasers. Much more information is available at www.visitpittsburgh.com.