Pittsburgh Offers Festivals and Fun for Families This Fall

With fall well underway, there are several fun activities for children and their caregivers in the Pittsburgh region over the next few months.

Fall Festivals

For youngsters who don’t frighten easily, Kennywood’s new Phantom Fall Fest runs on select dates through Oct. 27. The event includes food, seven haunted houses, four scare zones, and other thematic activities.

Mars Applefest, which takes place on Oct. 4, offers a variety of food, fun, shopping, games, crafts, entertainment, and more than 150 vendors.

The Confluence PumpkinFest in Laurel Highlands runs from Oct. 4 to 6. The festival features a PumpkinFest Queen Pageant, a 5K run/walk, an antique and classic auto show, a parade, and a large pumpkin contest.

Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens’ Fall Flower Show, which runs from Oct. 5 to 27, features a theme this year of Rhythm and Blooms. Every room at Phipps is inspired by a different musical genre and is accompanied by chrysanthemums in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Seven Springs Mountain Resort’s Autumnfest, which runs from Oct. 5 to 20, is a great locale for fall foliage. Visitors can ride the chairlift for an aerial view as well as shop from local artisans and crafters and listen to live music.

Zelienople’s Annual Country Fall Festival, which runs from Oct. 12 to 13, features two days of musical entertainment, three towers of paranormal ghost walks, pumpkin and costume contests, chainsaw carving, a petting zoo, free horse-drawn wagon rides, and historic encampments and demonstrations. 

CitiParks’ Track and Treat for Kids will encourage attendees to bring a bike or borrow one for this event at the Bud Harris Cycling Track. The event will include refreshments, food trucks, and more.

The Bit Bridge Halloween Showcase enables local developers to demonstrate their games in Pittsburgh. Costumes are encouraged for the event, which runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 20.

The Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkin Festival, which takes place on Oct. 19 and 20, will include a “Costume Caper” 5K run/walk, a pumpkin regatta, a pumpkin pie eating contest, and giant pumpkin sculptures. This year’s event will take place in the Strip District, at 3 Crossings Campus along 28th and 29th streets.

Buzzword will explore its latest word, GLIDE, during a bug-themed family-friendly event. Children and their caregivers will take part in interactive activities from the Carnegie Science Center.

More events can be found on Allegheny County’s website.

Local Farms and Fall-Time Produce

There are a number of opportunities to take part in fun activities or pick autumn produce at local farms.

Soergels Orchards is hosting its annual fall festivals from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 27. Apple picking is among the activities offered at the farm.

Trax Farms is hosting a pumpkin carving contest and will host its annual fall festival activities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 27. Hayrides are also available for visitors to the farm.

Bedner’s Farm and Greenhouse is offering a pumpkin decorating station every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Children can also enjoy the farm’s Storytime events on Thursdays at 10 a.m.

Triple B Farms’ Acres of Family Fun will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The farm’s apple orchards and flower fields are open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday through Sunday. Attendees can also pick pumpkins.

Other Activities

But there are numerous other activities for children and their caregivers to take part in this fall. There are numerous ways to view the beautiful fall foliage, from bike rides to guided train rides.

Hayrides and corn mazes are available during many fall festival events or at local farms. 

As Halloween approaches, children can create their own Halloween costumes with the help of an adult. Other crafts that could be fun for both children and their caregivers include decorating acorns or creating fall decorations with crafts as well as taking fall photography. 

Visit Pittsburgh is a great resource for finding fall activities in the city and region.

Carnegie Library Announces Science Programs for Children

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is launching Super Science programs for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

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Super Science programs not only teach children about science, but also show them how to actively explore, experiment, and discover answers to questions, from how fossils form to how geological forces shape mountains.

The programs pair books with hands-on STEM activities that promote scientific inquiry while igniting wonder about the world of science. 

Some of the topics covered in Super Science programs include:

• Animal Features and Adaptations

• Bugs

• Physics

• Paleontology

• Geology

• Human Anatomy

The complete lineup of the Carnegie Library’s Super Science programs is available on its website.

Allegheny County Parks Announces Fall Concert Series

Allegheny County Parks has announced four upcoming shows to be held on Saturdays in September and October for its Fall Concert series. 

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All events are free and weather permitting. The concerts run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays in September and October. Attendees should bring chairs, blankets, and snacks.

Concerts in the series include:

• Sept. 14: Jazzmania (South Park Amphitheater, 3700 Farmshow Drive, South Park Township)

• Sept. 21: Anton DeFade Quintet (Harrison Hills Park Yakaon Shelter, off Park Lane, Natrona Heights)

• Sept. 28: The Beagle Brothers (White Oak Park, Tulip Tree Shelter, off White Oak Park Extension, White Oak)

• Oct. 5: Bobby Thompson and The Chosen Few (Round Hill Park Visitors Center, 651 Round Hill Road, Elizabeth Township)

For more information, take a look at the Fall Concert Series calendar.

Virtual Sessions to Focus on Book Centered Around Wonder and Fred Rogers

Two free virtual book study sessions will be held in September and October surrounding the release of a new book on the subjects of wonder and Fred Rogers.

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The events will involve discussion of “When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids” by Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski. The authors will take part in both sessions.

The book covers the importance of wonder for children. It cites Rogers’ - of Pittsburgh-based TV show “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” - ability to spark a sense of wonder in children. The book also covers how Rogers encouraged and nurtured children’s play and helped learners to manage their feelings and try new things.

The sessions will be held on:

• Thursday, Sept. 26 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET

• Thursday, Oct. 3 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET

Registration is now open for the event. More information on the book can be found on Remake Learning’s website.

Free Events Throughout Pittsburgh During RAD Days in September and October

Pittsburgh’s Regional Asset District (RAD) is offering RAD Days from September through early October, providing numerous free activities throughout the city.

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RAD Days, which will run from Sept. 7 through Oct. 6, provides an opportunity to see Allegheny County’s top cultural attractions free of charge.

Free events are offered nearly every day during RAD Days. Some of these include:

• Science Stroll: Floria and Fungi Hike (Sept. 7)

• Free Pittsburgh museum admission (various days)

• Conversation with Holocaust survivor Solange Lebovitz (Sept. 12)

• Pittsburgh Opera’s Rising Stars Concert (Sept. 15)

• Tour of PNC Park (Sept. 17)

• Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (Sept. 22)

• Contemporary Craft Community Day (Sept. 28)

• Owl Prowl at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve (Oct. 3)

More information on events can be found on the RAD Days website. To obtain a RAD Pass, sign up with your Allegheny County library card.

About RAD

One penny from every taxable dollar spent in Allegheny County goes to support the region’s quality of life. 

Half of the proceeds are distributed by RAD to regional assets such as libraries, parks, arts organizations, and other area attractions. The other half is distributed directly to the county and its 128 municipalities to support tax relief and local government services.

Allegheny County Opens Four Low-Vision Tennis Courts

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato recently announced the opening of the county’s first Blind and Visually Impaired (BVI) tennis courts at four local parks.

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The courts debuted in July at four Allegheny County parks - Boyce, North, Settlers Cabin, and South Park. The courts are designed to accommodate athletes with low vision as well as fully-sighted players and promote inclusivity in the community.

Low-vision, or “sound ball” tennis, is played on a slightly smaller court with a slower, foam sound ball that has a rattle inside of it. Players track the ball by sound and, if they have partial vision, using the vision they have. 

The new courts enable athletes to walk on the court without bringing temporary tape lines each time.

Low-Vision Tennis

A recent study by Carlow University examined how blind or visually impaired athletes react to different sounds emitted by specialized tennis balls. Psychology professor Jennifer K. Roth, who led the study, is also involved with local and national tennis associations that are drawing attention to the sport and expanding access for low-vision players.

The United States Blind Tennis Association, which is based in Pittsburgh, is at the forefront of integrating blind and visually impaired tennis into mainstream sports. Since its inception, the association has conducted training and introduced programming across multiple states.

“When I talk about building a county for all, that means places people feel connected to their neighbors and communities and parks for everyone to enjoy, and this project really embodies that ethos,” Innamorato said.