Yinz Asked:

“As I’m getting older, it’s getting harder and harder to find things to do to celebrate my birthday with friends. I’ll be 32 the last week of June and I have a mix of friends with a range of ages and interests. I’d like to share my day with a lot of my friends, but I have no idea what we could all do together. Any suggestions on where we could go or what we could do?” – JK

We Answered:

Celebrating a birthday is a great excuse to organize a group and take advantage of some of the great things going on about town in the summer. Here are some ideas:

1) The annual Citiparks’ “Dollar Bank Cinema in the Park” is a great option for groups of different ages and interests. Choose from Flagstaff Hill, Riverview Park, Grandview Park in Mt. Washington, Arsenal Park in Lawrenceville, Brookline Memorial Park, East Liberty or West End/Elliott Overlook. Tell your friends to grab a blanket, and have a potluck picnic dinner (don’t forget your birthday cake!). Flagstaff Hill alone has “Julie and Julia” and “Where the Wild Things Are” both playing at the end of June. It runs Sundays and Wednesdays throughout the summer. This option is casual and inexpensive and it takes advantage of a fun Pittsburgh summer tradition.

For details go the CitiPark’s website, http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks/, or call 412-422-6426.

2)  Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation has free walking tours on Fridays and Saturdays.  Why not gather your group and tour around, ending at a great restaurant?  For a small fee, you can also tailor walking tours to your likes/dislikes and get a customized tour.  See Pittsburgh from a new perspective: do the “Downtown Pittsburgh” walking tour and hit one of the many large restaurants at Station Square for a celebratory meal.

For reservations and more information call Mary Lu Denny at 412-471-5808 or check out the website at http://www.phlf.org/phlf-tours-events/

3)  Golden Triangle Bike Rental, located downtown on the Eliza Furnace trail, has group tours/rentals.  This locally owned/operated business will customize a tour for your party.  You can even stop for dinner, or a drink, all the while sightseeing the city from the bike trails.  They will work with what sounds fun to you.

Call 412-600-0675  or http://bikepittsburgh.com/guided-tours-and-groups

As you get tired of the usual birthday party ideas, think outside of the box.  Try  a group event that gets you out of the house, a gathering where you can learn something and get some fresh air.  If people have diverse interests, there will surely be something in these ideas for everyone, and the shared experience will bring the gang together.  Most importantly, find something that YOU enjoy and have a great birthday!