Category Archives: Food Festival

Its All Greek this Week

So, in Pittsburgh we have two layers of community – the neighborhoods and the ethnicity – and sometimes we have ethnic neighborhoods.  We love greek food festivals – we love any food festivals but especially Greek food festivals.  A few years ago I even met a lovely couple who met while volunteering at their churches Greek food festival.

This week it is all about the Greek.

First up the Greek Food Festival in Ambridge – get your fill of delicious greek food Wednesday – Saturday at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

Another great tradition, and I am thinking of Rick Sebak‘s Kennywood Memories as I write this, are the nationality days at Kennywood.

I don’t know if this is a bootleg YouTube or not -(Mr. Sebak, my apologies if not) but here is a clip about Nationality Days at Kennywood – start at 6:45 for Nationality Days section.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 is Greek Day at Kennywood.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POzRDo6VMyw&t=6m45s[/youtube]

more Greek Food Festival reading
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The Annual Feast of Saint Anthony – Food, Family and Bon Journey

This is one of those events that I have heard amazing stories about but have not yet been able to attend.  As I mentioned in last years post about the Feast of St. Anthony – I learned about this festival from a friend, who is not Italian – but might as well be – because he is the biggest promoter of Italian cultural events in this city.  I did get to attend a festival of the goat with him earlier this year – it was an amazing time and I can attest there was plenty of wine, homemade wine, served.

The Feast of Saint Anthony Festival
Sunday, June 12, 2011
1:30pm-Dusk
21st and Smallman in the Strip
http://www.stanthonypgh.org/

The Feast of Saint Anthony Festival has an amazing line up this year:

  • delicious Italian foods, music, and dancing all day
  • Mass in Italian at 3 PM at St. Stanislaus Church at 21st and Smallman Streets followed immediately by the
  • Procession with the Statue of St. Anthony down Penn Avenue returning on Smallman Street.
  • Zambelli fireworks
  • music by Bon Journey

Win a Trip to Italy!

As if the food and Bon Journey weren’t enough incentive to get you out of the house on Sunday.  They have an amazing raffle.  Tickets are $10 and the proceeds benefit St. Stanislaus Kotska Church in Pittsburgh’s Strip District and the festival.

2 round trip tickets to Italy (or $1,000 cash in lieu of the tickets). The second prize is a time share in Ft. Lauderdale, FL for a week. Each raffle ticket has 2 four-digit numbers on it. The winning numbers will be based on the Pennsylvania Lottery Big Four Drawings on June 13, 2011. The matching midday number will be for Second Prize. The matching evening number will win the Grand Prize of tickets to Italy. Each ticket has 4 chances to win a prize!

What about those shoes?

You could win those too.  A pair of custom-made Chuck Taylors, like those that appear in the poster – will be put up for a nationwide auction. The winner will Walk with Saints every day they wear them.

The Best Fest of All The Rest – KayaFest

With Memorial Day weekend a few days away – we are entering one of the best times of year here in Pittsburgh – summer time also means neighborhood festival time.  Pittsburgh celebrates neighborhoods and cultures like no other place – there will be weekend after weekend of amazing free activities, music and ethnic food.  The greek food festivals a few weeks ago were the sneek peek of what is to come for the next few months.

But I am going to go ahead and say that the best fest of all the rest might just be KayaFest.  First off thanks to the folks from BigBurrito for being awesome Pittsburghers.  BigBurrito is the restaurnt group that started with the Oakland MadMex many years ago and now runs many of the tastiest places in town.  They make good food, the support local farmers and they do good things for Pittsburgh. Continue reading →

Polish Festival and Lawrenceville Artists' Studio Tour

UPDATE – Artist Studio Tour is Saturday, November 13 – the Polish Fest is Sunday, November 14.

Between noon to five today SUNDAY head to the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland to check out the Polish Festival. There will also be crafts and music but who are you kidding? You know you’ll be there for the pierogi, haluski and stuffed cabbage.  Want to walk off that full belly?  Head to Lawrenceville for the sixth annual Artists’ Studio Tour. This free self guided walking tour lets you check out artists working in a variety of media.  Download a map here or pick one up at Gallery on 43rd Street (187 43rd Street).  Tour attendees can also pick up a coupon for a discount on Quantum Theatre’s production of When the Rain Stops Falling at the Iron City Brewery in Lawrenceville through November 21.  This play has been getting rave reviews so don’t miss out!

Have You Ever Had A Black Amish Apple?

Apples are an all-American success story-each ...

Image via Wikipedia

The answer is probably not – because it is a pretty rare type of apple.  But it is apple time here in western PA and you can get your fill of all kinds of apples at the 5th Annual Apple Fest.

Help put Pittsburgh on the mao as the Apple Pie Baking capital of the world!  Complete with an apple pie competition – stop by the union project to pick up some apples – including the Black Amish Apple – apple pies, pork sandwiches and more tasty fall treats.

The Black Amish Apple is a very rare – heirloom apple (so rare I can’t find anything about it on wikipedia!) Slowfood Pittsburgh is honoring the Black Amish Apple at the Apple fest on Saturday.  And the Black Amish Apple has been identified by a national initive – Renewing America’s Food Traditions – which is working to conserve and bring back heirloom apples.  You can read more about the Black Amish Apple in the Post-Gazette here.  And the Pittsburgh City Paper has  more on apples here. Continue reading →