Tag Archives: millvale

Maxo Vanka Murals & St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale

Today’s preservation month post is inspired by the Millvale Musical Festival, which is happening on Saturday, May 13. Millvale continues to gain popularity as a destination for breweries, music, community projects and some impressive community events. If you are headed to Millvale then you need to know about the Maxo Vanka murals, which might be one of the best kept secrets in Pittsburgh.

If you are headed to Millvale for the music festival, you might want to take a little break to check these unique works of art. Even if you are not headed to the music festivals, the Maxo Vanka murals are worth an hour of your Saturday. More details on visiting the murals below.

Photo credit: St. Nicholas Church website.

From Route 28, St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic church looks like an unassuming church building that is tucked away on the bluff. Inside the church, the decor is anything but ordinary, the walls of the church are covered with 25 murals by the artist Maxo Vanka. What makes these church murals unique are the political statements found in several of the scenes. The Maxo Vanka murals have been compared to the works of Mexican muralist Diego Rivera and some of the murals of the Works Progress Administration artists.

Croatian Mother Raises Her Son for War, Maxo Vanka, 1937. Photo credit: Society to Preserve Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka.

All of the murals can be viewed online here.

The other unique thing about the murals is that they have their own nonprofit that works to preserve, restore and promote the murals to an audience outside of the congregation. The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka was founded in 1991 and has worked to put the murals on the National Register of Historic Places.

If you are interested in learning more, start with the SPMMMV website at vankomurals.org.

Pittsburgh filmmaker Kenneth Love made a documentary about the murals in 2012, “Maxo Vanka’s Masterpiece: The Murals at St. Nicholas Church”. You can purchase a DVD of the documentary from the church.

Visiting the Maxo Vanka Murals

Docent led tours are held every Saturday at 11am, Noon and 1pm. Tours last about an hour. Note that tours may be cancelled or postponed due to parish activities. It is recommended that you register in advance for tours. Private tours are available on request. If you are visiting Pittsburgh on a weekday, be sure to reach out for a tour or if the church is open, you should be able to stop by and see the murals in person.

More information on the VankaMurals.org website. The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka is also on Facebook.

WPA Murals in San Francisco’s Coit Tower

Detail of one of the murals in Coit Tower.

Last November, I had the good fortune to visit San Francisco. San Francisco has a nonprofit, SF City Guides, that offers free walking tours of a variety of places around the city. Since it was raining we opted for the indoor tour of Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill. If you enjoyed seeing the murals of Maxo Vanka, I highly recommend a visit to Coit Tower to see the fresco murals from the Works Progress Administration artists. The skill of the fresco artists is impressive and these murals also contain many political messages.

Nonprofit completes conservation of St. Nicholas murals (triblive.com)

Millvale Music Festival 2017

This free, day-long event will support and showcase local musical acts of many genres while showcasing the fun and unique Millvale venues. The festival will build on the success of other local community music festivals, but will highlight the growing cultural presence and businesses in Millvale.

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
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Bell’s Brewery – Tröegs – Dogfish Head – Oskar Blues – Victory Brewing

First National Bank – Grist House Craft Brewery – zTrip – Commonwealth Press – The River’s Edge Radio Network – Sidelick Media – Yelp – Millvale Community Development Corporation

Double L Bar – New Sun Rising – Guitar Center – Lincoln’s P&G Diner – Sidelines Bar & Grill – Hahn Funeral Home – Atkinson Beer Distributor – BOLD Pittsburgh – The Incline – Nova Cafe Millvale – Music Night on Jupiter – HEAR Corp – Green Mountain Energy

Eat’n Park – Attic Records – Salon 22 – Millvale Yoga Collective – Wokutch Auto Body – Cousins Lounge – Frank’s Pizza & Chicken – PNC Bank – Barking Shark Saloon – Representative Dom Costa – The Medicap Pharmacy – Obvious Fourth Cousin Productions – Jean-Marc Chatellier’s French Bakery

Patrons: Rattle Clack Entertainment – PGH Designs LLC – Rita Sharpley – Tess Way – Maryanne Parker – Kathleen Wallace

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PARKING & TRANSPORTATION
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There is a free shuttle service! Shuttle between venues and free parking lots!
Shuttle operates from NOON until MIDNIGHT.
Shuttle loop/stops:
–(Parking) Mt. Alvernia Convent @ 146 Hawthorne Rd
–(Parking) Millvale Athletic Association Fields @ 100 Grossman Ln
–The Good Time Bar @ 1304 Evergreen Rd
–VFW, Sidelines, & The Barking Shark @ 600 North Ave
–Intersection of North Ave. and Grant Ave.
–Intersection of Grant Ave. and Sherman St. (zTrip Taxi stand)

zTrip Taxi Stand Service: 2PM until Midnight
@ Medicap Pharmacy (225 Grant Ave)
No Need to wait for a ride! zTrip will have taxis waiting and ready to go!

If you’re driving in, we recommend you familiarize yourself with where you can park! Its always good to have a plan!

Millvale will be very busy for the fest, so please plan ahead and allow extra time to get into town!

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MUSIC SCHEDULE
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Bell’s Brewery Main Stage (Rock, Jam, Indie)
@ GAP Park
518 Grant Ave, Millvale PA 15209
-Outdoor stage-
All Ages, alcohol served
Noon to 12:40 – The Vics
1:00 to 1:40 – As Ladders
2:00 to 2:40 – The YJJs
3:00 to 3:40 – William Metheny & The Strange Constellations
4:00 to 4:40 – Working Breed
5:00 to 5:40 – Jimbo and The Soupbones
6:00 to 6:40 – Chrome Moses
7:00 to 7:40 – The Red Western
8:00 to 8:40 – The Semi-Supervillains
9:00 to 9:40 – Nox Boys
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First National Bank Stage (Rock, Indie)
@ Sidelines Bar & Grill and The Barking Shark Saloon
606 Bauerlein St, Millvale PA 15209
-Outdoor stage-
All Ages, alcohol served
12:45 to 1:30 – We Were Telepathic
2:00 to 2:45 – The Roof
3:15 to 4:00 – Paddy The Wanderer
4:30 to 5:15 – Cisco Kid
5:45 to 6:30 – Decaffeinated Grapefruit
7:00 to 7:45 – Wine and Spirit
8:15 to 9:00 – Ben Valasek and The Growlers
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Oskar Blues Stage (Singer-Songwriters)
@ Millvale VFW Post 118
605 North Ave, Millvale PA 15209
-Outdoor stage-
All Ages, alcohol served
(Music is coordinated with break times at the First National Bank Stage)
1:30 to 2:00 – Todd Knepp
2:45 to 3:15 – Ellie Lee
4:00 to 4:30 – Jenny Morgan
5:15 to 5:45 – Joe Pucciarelli
6:30 to 7:00 – Morgan Erina
7:45 to 8:15 – PM Mirror
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Tupelo Honey Teas / Millvale Library (Folk)
211 Grant Ave, Millvale, PA 15209
-Outdoor stage-
All Ages (Stage is behind building)
11:30 to 12:30 – Alma Mura
12:50 to 1:50 – The Shameless Hex
2:10 to 3:10 – Arlo Aldo
3:30 to 4:30 – The Lone Pines
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Sidekick Media Stage (Pop, Indie)
@ Element Church
205 North Ave, Millvale PA 15209
All Ages
12:30 to 1:10 – BigBlitz
1:30 to 2:10 – Tupelo & Jeremy
2:30 to 3:10 – The Arcade
3:30 to 4:10 – Chase and The Barons
4:30 to 5:10 – Victoria Morgan
5:30 to 6:10 – SleepyV
6:30 to 7:10 – Nick Barilla
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The Hive (formerly Moose Lodge 68) (Indie, Rock)
112 E. Sherman St, Millvale PA 15209
All Ages, alcohol served
2:00 to 2:40 – Ten Thousand Dollars Cash
3:00 to 3:40 – Standard Broadcast
4:00 to 4:40 – Yeti Bite
5:00 to 5:40 – Bikini Islands
6:00 to 6:40 – Hearken
7:00 to 7:40 – Blue Clutch
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Commonwealth Press Stage (Jazz + Art)
@ Panza Gallery
115 Sedgwick St, Millvale PA 15209
All Ages
Featuring the art of Mark Panza
4:20 to 5:20 – Funky Fly Project
5:40 to 6:40 – The Bleil Brothers
7:00 to 8:00 – Lee Robinson and Iska
8:20 to 9:20 – James Hovan Trio
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Grist House Metal Stage (Metal)
@ Millvale Studios
220 North Ave, Millvale PA 15209
All Ages, beer served by Grist House Craft Brewery
2:00 to 2:40 – Shadows Of Society
3:00 to 3:40 – 156/Silence
4:00 to 4:40 – Until We Have Faces
5:00 to 5:40 – Greywalker
6:00 to 6:40 – Arcane Haven
7:00 to 7:40 – Solarburn
8:00 to 8:40 – Klaymore
9:00 to 9:40 – Only Flesh
10:00 to 10:40 – Hericide
11:00 to 11:40 – Disobey
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Smokey’s Tavern (Punk)
139 Howard St, Millvale PA 15209
21+
Unofficial pregame spot before the Choking Victim show!
2:45 to 3:30 – Millvin and The Etnoids
3:55 to 4:40 – Murder For Girls
5:05 to 5:50 – Bottle Rat
6:15 to 7:00 – The Filthy Lowdown
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zTrip Stage (Indie, Americana, Folk)
@ Grist House Craft Brewery
10 E Sherman St, Millvale PA 15209
-Outdoor stage-
21+
2:00 to 2:40 – Some Kind Of Animal
3:00 to 3:40 – Rachel Lynne
4:00 to 4:40 – Essential Machine
5:00 to 5:40 – Devin Moses & The Saved
6:00 to 6:40 – Nameless In August
7:00 to 7:40 – Bindley Hardware Co.
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Dogfish Head Brewery Stage (Indie, Rock)
@ Double L Bar
307 Grant Ave, Millvale PA 15209
21+
1:00 to 1:40 – Brash Teeth
2:00 to 2:40 – The Incandescents
3:00 to 3:40 – Razz Newtons
4:00 to 4:40 – Mr. Fancy Pants
5:00 to 5:40 – The Mondaze
6:00 to 6:40 – The Lampshades
7:00 to 7:40 – Scott & Rosanna
8:00 to 8:40 – Jeremy Caywood
9:00 to 9:40 – Victory At The Crossroads
10:00 to 10:40 – Sun Hound
11:00 to 11:40 – The Turbosonics
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Yelp Stage (Rock, Variety)
@ Bar 3 Millvale
217 North Ave, Millvale PA 15209
21+
6:00 to 6:40 – Hedonism Bots
7:00 to 7:40 – Strange Monsters
8:00 to 8:40 – Kleptosonic
9:00 to 9:40 – The Wire Riots
10:00 to 10:50 – Weird Paul Rock Band
11:10 to Midnight – The Cheer’ly Men
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Tröegs Brewing Stage (Rock, Blues Rock)
@ Good Time Bar
1304 Walters Ave, Millvale PA 15209
21+
1:55 to 2:40 – Old Man Rob
3:05 to 3:50 – hALF wHEEL
4:15 to 5:00 – 13 Saints
5:25 to 6:10 – Post Traumatik
6:35 to 7:20 – Tilted Shadows
7:45 to 8:30 – Smokey Bellows
8:55 to 9:40 – Ugly Blondes
10:05 to 10:50 – Big Atlantic
11:15 to Midnight – Byron Nash and Plan B
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The River’s Edge Stage (Indie, Alternative)
@ The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls
400 Lincoln Ave, Millvale PA 15209
21+
7:00 to 7:40 – Drowning Clowns
8:00 to 8:40 – The Otis Wolves
9:00 to 9:40 – Swiss Army
10:00 to 10:40 – Pet Clinic
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Victory Brewing Stage (Singer-Songwriters, Solo Performers)
@ Cousins Lounge
203 Grant Ave, Millvale PA 15209
21+
11:30 to 12:30 – Alyssa Hankey
12:40 to 1:25 – Sarah Halter
1:35 to 2:35 – Johnny Wall
2:45 to 3:30 – DRU
3:40 to 4:40 – Adam Fitz
4:50 to 5:35 – Johanna Söderlund Chastek
5:45 to 6:45 – Aaron Lefebvre
6:55 to 7:40 – Vit Debacco
7:50 to 8:50 – Jude Benedict
9:00 to 9:30 – Jessica Klein
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Happy Day Lounge (Singer-Songwriters)
313 North Ave, Millvale PA 15209
21+
1:15 to 2:00 – Mark Joseph Meyers
2:10 to 2:55 – Dan Styslinger
3:05 to 3:50 – Gabe Reed
4:00 to 4:45 – Francis Fitzgerald
4:55 to 5:40 – Aris Paul
5:50 to 6:35 – August Winters
6:45 to 7:30 – Kevin Finn
7:40 to 8:10 – Shay
8:15 to 9:00 – Gary Prisby
9:10 to 9:55 – Mara Yaffee
10:05 to 10:50 – Sadie Freund
11:00 to Midnight – Jordan McLaughlin

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FOOD: BUSINESSES
Nova Cafe (224 Grant Ave)
Jean-Marc Chatellier’s French Bakery (213 North Ave)

FOOD: VENDORS
Speals on Wheels (Element Church: 205 North Ave)
Onion Maiden (Millvale Studios: 220 North Ave)
The Flame BBQ (Millvale Studios: 220 North Ave)
Frank’s Pizza & Chicken (GAP Park: 518 Grant Ave)
Rita’s Italian Ice (GAP Park: 518 Grant Ave)
Health-a-licious (Panza Gallery: 115 Sedgwick St)
ManBeast BBQ (Medicap Pharmacy: 225 Grant Ave)
Stickler’s Ice Pops (Medicap Pharmacy: 225 Grant Ave)

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The Millvale Music Festival is a standing committee of the Millvale Community Developement Corporation.

Urban Hike Heads to Millvale – Macaroons, Murals and More

Maxo Vanka Murals, Millvale – 1 (Photo credit: the justified sinner)

Urban Hike is one of the best ways to check out the city and meet some new folks. The Urban Hike organizers have mapped out a route, found the best places to eat and lined up some local experts to share some local history. This hike to Millvale will make a stop to see one of the best kept secrets in Western PA – the Maxo Vanka Murals.

Urban Hike Millvale

Saturday, July 19, 2014

10am – meet at Jean-March Chatellier’s French Bakery, 212 North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15209

Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/1439057913021684/

Join us for a 4-mile walk in Millvale this Saturday, July 19th. The hike begins at 10:00 a.m., but we suggest you arrive early to grab a treat from the highly-regarded Jean-Marc Chatellier’s French Bakery. As we hike, we’ll catch a couple of highlights in the business district, peak in on the Max Vanko murals, speak to some Franciscan nuns about their peaceful and eco-friendly Millvale home, and, as always, walk on residential streets to get the real feel of the neighborhood.

This hike is a bit flatter than most, but it’s still Pittsburgh, so there will be some hills and city steps. Come prepared with your walking shoes, a bottle of water and, if needed, an umbrella. We hike rain or shine.

Don’t let the parking meters on North and Grant Avenues fool you, they are free on weekends. Park wherever you can find a spot near the bakery.

If you have time after the hike, stick around for lunch at Sidelines Bar and Grill with the Urban Hike crew or brunch on your own at the original Pamela’s — the P&G Diner — which is within a block of our starting spot at Jean-Marc’s.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

[fb_embed_post href=”https://www.facebook.com/events/1439057913021684//” width=”550″/]

View of Millvale (Photo Credit: Millvale Bogough Facebook Page)

Urban Hike Links

Urban Hike Heads to Garfield (iheartpgh.com)
Urban Hike Scavenger Hunt – Be There or Be Square (iheartpgh.com)
Urban Hike Heads to Ambridge (iheartpgh.com)
Local Photo: This is Fineview (bloglocal.net)

Best of the Fests – Beer, Music, Pgh Restaurants Week & More

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. A little late – but still lots of time to enjoy these weekend activities.

Millvale Beer Fest

I wrote a similar statement yesterday, but August in Pittsburgh is awesome. Those who have headed for the shore are missing out on some of the best the burgh has to offer.The weekend forecast is in the 70s and the fun cast is outstanding – check out these events – beer festivals, music festivals, a pool party and a free concert with Sharon Jones at Hartwood Acres.

http://storify.com/iheartpgh/august-is-awesome-pittsburgh-events-for-august-10

5 Reasons to Attend the Millvale Brewfest

Image via Wikipedia

Just across the river from Lawrenceville, Millvale has got a ton of cool stuff going on:

New Sun Rising – a non profit organization that is supporting and funding more community projects in Millvale
The Saxifrage School – an innovative project that is getting started in a Millvale storefront to rethink college educations
Millvale Community Library – Millvale doesn’t have a library so the community is working to set one up.

You can drink beer and support Millvale this weeked at their annual Brew Fest. The Millvale Brew Fest celebrates their 5th annual festival Saturday, August 13, 2011. The Millvale brewfest is almost as old as IheartPGH and we can’t believe it has been 5 years since we blogged about the first festival. We have attended some of the past festivals and it is a lovely way to spend an August afternoon. One of the great things about this festival is that many members of the community come out to volunteer to make sure it is a success. In the past the atmosphere of this festival has been super laid back, lots of nice people supporting Millvale.

In honor of the 5th anniversay here are 5 reasons why we think this is a great way to spend your Saturday:

1. Waterfront Refreshment

This is the only beer fest we know about that is held right next to the river. The Millvale Brew Fest takes place at the Millvale riverfront park

2. Affordable Beer Festival Fun

Tickets for the Millvale Brew Fest are just $30 and available online here. Designated Driver tickets are $12. $30 is a steal compared to the price of some other popular Pittsburgh fall beer festivals.

3. Awesome Brew Festival Poster

We are about to hunt down one of these for the wall. Designed by Millvale resident Tom Walker (who is also known as the guy who kayaks to his office in the Strip District). Tom has been designing the brew fest posters for a few years.

4. It’s for a Good Cause.

The proceeds from the Millvale Brew Fest go to support the Nonprofit Millvale Borough Development Corporation and Millvale Main Street stabilize, revitalize and rejuvenate Millvale’s neighborhoods, through the development of housing, and businesses (and support the awesome projects listed above too).

5. Local Beer

While there are ton of breweries who will be at the fest or will have their beers served by a local distributor. There are also a number of local brewers who will be there too – East End Brewing, Church Brew Works, Full Pint Brewing are just a few of the confirmed breweries.

The Important Details:

Millvale Brew Fest
Saturday, August 13, 2011
1-4pm $30 Advance/$35
5-8pm SOLD OUT
http://www.millvalepa.com/BrewFest.aspx