Best Pittsburgh Events to Get All Dressed Up
Working from home has meant fewer opportunities to put together a great outfit. There’s nothing wrong with comfortable leggings or sweatpants — it’s just that hitting the town knowing you look good feels good. Here are some events to remind yourself that you can bravely wear hard pants in public.
PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL AVIARY
1. Night in the Tropics at the National Aviary.
This annual event allows guests to explore the largest aviary in the country after dark; food, drinks, dancing and getting up-close with some of the Aviary’s 500 birds are mainstays of the program. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the party returns July 16 with a “Vintage Vacation” theme, giving you a chance to channel a 1950s’ beach party or a bright, ’80s “Miami Vice” car chase. This year’s party celebrates the National Aviary’s 70th anniversary — indeed, a momentous occasion to dress up for.
(700 Arch St., North Side; aviary.org)
PHOTO BY JULIE GOETZ
2. A Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Concert at Heinz Hall.
There aren’t that many occasions when a long fur coat or a fabulous suit jacket is the appropriate attire. Thankfully, attending a symphony concert at Heinz Hall is a prime chance to don such pieces. Not only is the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Grammy-award winning, but sitting in Heinz Hall — a lavishly ornate venue — is a wonderful treat. No doubt the setting and the occasion are a great opportunity for you to get gussied up and pretend you are a Golden Age socialite or Henry Clay Frick’s contemporary, just for a little while.
(600 Penn Ave., Downtown; pittsburghsymphony.org)
PHOTO BY BRYAN CONLEY
3. Inside Out at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
For those looking to put together a solid casual outfit — think a maximalist combination of prints worn with your best blazer and sneakers — Inside Out at the Carnegie Museum of Art is for you. Similar to the museum’s Third Thursday concept, the summer series brings the fun to the museum’s outdoor sculpture court, featuring local fare, drinks (both alcoholic and not), Pittsburgh musicians, dancing and a chance to explore the museum during its extended Thursday hours as well as Saturdays. All of this happens under an immersive pavilion by artist Rafael Domenech, commissioned for the 58th Carnegie International.
(4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland; cmoa.org)
