PHOTO COURTESY KENNYWOOD

As a perpetually black-clad lover of all things autumnal, summer’s never really been my treat bag.

But, I’m also a thrill-seeking yinzer foodie, so Kennywood’s Bites and Pints Food & Drink Festival is one of the few things that can draw me out of my cave and into the sunshine. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from May 23 through June 29, you can sample goodies from across the globe, including new menus inspired by Cuba and Spain.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KENNYWOOD

The Steel Curtain Roller Coaster reopens to the general public the following day, so at least I can listen to blood-curdling screams while I expand my culinary horizons. If you want even more international cuisine with a slice of Kennywood nostalgia, I suggest you grab lunch in the Strip District, then hop on over to the Heinz History Center — its latest exhibition features The Vamp from Le Cachot!

I’m doing the staycation thing this year. Thankfully, a drive up 19 North feels more like going back in time.

I grew up in Cranberry, so my first exposure to “Foods From All Nations” happened at Baldinger’s, the penny candy store that spawned some of my sweetest childhood memories. I cannot write about the place without getting emotional.

(eats candy cigarette)

OK. I’m better now.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

In 2008, after 75 years in Cranberry, the business relocated to nearby Zelienople. I make a point to stop there on my way to Moraine State Park. For years, my parents had me convinced that Moraine’s man-made Lake Arthur was “the Ocean.” I now feed my child the same lie as we stock up on Swedish Fish and gummi sharks before hitting “the Beach.”

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

A newer, but just as cherished summer tradition is visiting The Snowman, a snowman-shaped shave ice stand in Portersville. There’s no better way to spend a hot July day than eating a Yeti Sundae in the shadow of a 13-foot-tall Frosty while you watch a miniature horse named Hank galloping through a green pasture. The experience is somewhere between a brain freeze and a fever dream.

PHOTO BY SARAH LOCKLIN

On my way home, I always stop in Evans City to buy a dozen ears of corn for dinner and pay my respects to the living dead. Not surprisingly, corn is a key ingredient in two of my all-time favorite menu items in the city!

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

When Driftwood Oven unleashes its limited-edition Peach and Corn Pizza, a sourdough crust topped with sweet corn, peaches, mozzarella, gouda, ricotta, Morita chili oil and cilantro, you will immediately renounce your allegiance to pepperoni and start researching ways for the Lawrenceville shop to grow fresh corn and peaches on-site year-round.

The Corn Cream Cavatelli from LeoGreta drops every August, which is around the same time I drop the no-carb diet and consume as much of this pasta as my body will allow. If I still have room, I roll myself to the eatery’s attached bakery and dessert bar. All they need now is an AirBnB so I can nap after the meal.

Now that’s what I call a vacation.