Feast and be Active at Little Italy Days This Weekend
There’s much more to this celebration than pasta and sauce, including a Bocce tournament.
PHOTO BY JOHN ALTDORFER
EVERYONE’S ITALIAN IN BLOOMFIELD THIS WEEKEND
Since 2002, Bloomfield has invited Pittsburgh to celebrate the neighborhood’s Italian Heritage in style via Little Italy Days. And sure, you can simply show up to the closed-down stretch of Liberty Avenue, eat until you can’t move and sip some vino until you recover. But there’s much more to this celebration than pasta and sauce, including a Bocce tournament (featuring Team Italy vs. Team Ireland, in a showdown of nations with remarkably similar flags), the annual Miss Little Italy Days pageant and a lengthy live music schedule including performances from Mia Z, Four Seasons tribute act The Jersey 4 and Renee Cole (the nation’s foremost impersonator of proud Italian-American Lady Gaga). But yes: You should definitely come hungry.
(Thu-Sun; free; click here for entertainment schedule and more info)
— Sean Collier, PM Associate Editor
HOP ON TWO WHEELS AND MAKE FRIENDS DURING BIKE PITTSBURGH’S BIKEFEST
With May’s bike-share program launch, as well as new bike lanes (and plans for more) around the city, we can safely call this the Summer of the Bike. As an unofficial nod to the city’s bicycle renaissance, this weekend will see the start of Bike Pittsburgh’s 10-day-long BikeFest fundraiser. Now in its 11th year, the celebration features a slew of two-wheel-themed events, including trail rides, bicycle-themed movie showings and another edition of the PGH Underwear Bike Ride.
BikeFest is book-ended by two huge blowouts. On Friday, Bike Pittsburgh’s bringing back the once-signature Kickoff Dance Party, a night-long affair to open BikeFest. Lawrenceville’s Spirit Lodge will hold the event and also will provide discounted beer and a raffle. PedalPGH caps off BikeFest on Aug. 30, featuring a series of group jaunts that Bike Pittsburgh says combines for the region’s largest bicycle ride.
(Various locations throughout Pittsburgh; click here for information)
— Brady Langmann, PM Editorial Intern
TAKING HINES WARD’S NEW RESTAURANT AND BAR FOR A TEST DRIVE
There’s been plenty of chatter on social media (and beyond) about Table 86 by Hines Ward, the new joint in Seven Fields owned by the Steelers legend. Hines even has said he’ll pop into the restaurant and bar unexpectedly to greet and thank customers. Naturally, After Dark felt it was appropriate to take the northern hangout for a spin. How’s the food? What’s the cocktail menu like? And was Hines Ward working at the host station? Find out in this week’s edition of After Dark!
IN THEATERS: The science is rough on these things, but we’re pretty sure the summer blockbuster season ends right about now. This weekend’s new releases are decidedly more low-profile: “American Ultra,” a stoner take on the “Bourne Identity” model starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart; dark-as-midnight horror sequel “Sinister 2”; and video-game adaptation “Hitman: Agent 47.”
Speaking of the cinema, Row House Cinema’s first-ever Surrealism Week begins tomorrow, with screenings of “Blue Velvet,” “Donnie Darko,” “Pi” and “8 1/2.” Let’s get weird in Lawrenceville! — S.C.
The second installment of the reborn alternative-rock throwdown X-Fest is set for tomorrow night, headlined by punk titans Social Distortion. — S.C.
