Allegheny County Music Festival at Hartwood Acres (CP’s Sun. 9/1/13)

1) Hartwood Acres Amphitheater hosts the Allegheny County Music Festival  featuring internationally known Pittsburgh jam band Rusted Root (7:30 p.m.) and openers Corned Beef and Curry Band, Carla Bianco, Royal Teeth, and Liz Berlin’s We Rock Workshop. Opening bands start at 5 p.m. $20-per-car donation with proceeds benefiting Allegheny County Department of Human Services children and youth programs. What a great way to wrap up the summer season! Hartwood Acres Park, Hampton and Indiana townships.

2) If you’re driving on the North Shore and think you smell a really big, really early Pitt tailgate cook-out, you’re not imagining it, the Coors Light Kickoff and Rib Festival continues today. The festival features some of America’s top rib vendors reflecting the nations diverse barbecue tastes. Adding great music to tasty ribs and cold beverages makes a perfect trifecta. Tonight’s entertainment sports a country twang with Drew Baldridge (7:30 p.m., Heinz Field) and Justin Moore (9 p.m., Heinz Field). Noon – midnight. Free admission. Heinz Field, 100 Art Rooney Ave., North Shore.

3) Oh, by the way, there’s another significant event occurring on the North Shore today as well. The Pirates battle the St. Louis Cardinals again today as the last day of a three-game home stand. Every Sunday Pirates home game is Kids Day. There’s the Family Fun Zone on Federal Street from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., and then kids get a Pirate prize at the gate. After the game children are invited onto the field to run the bases. Fans 14 and younger receive kids ear buds.. 1:35 p.m. PNC Park, 115 Federal St., North Shore.

4)  “Kennywood’s open.” No, we don’t mean the local slang usage, we mean the actual amusement park. The park’s latest attraction, Black Widow, is a high spinning/swing ride that gives riders a nice vantage point of the park. For roller coaster enthusiasts, there’s  Thunderbolt, Racer, Jack Rabbit, Phantom’s Revenge, Exterminator, and Sky Rocket. If it’s a hot day and you feel like getting a little wet, check out the Log Jammer, Pittsburg(h) Plunge, and Raging Rapids. Kennywood also features thrill rides, classic rides, dark rides (snuggle up with that special someone), Kiddie Land, daily entertainment AND its famous Potato Patch French Fries. 10:30 a.m – 9 p.m. 4800 Kennywood Blvd., West Mifflin.

5)  Sandcastle’s open and featuring the new”maximum thrill” Dragon’s Den tube ride, where you slide around the rim for awhile and then enter the belly of the beast for a dark mist-filled trip. There’s also Lightning Express speed slide  where you zoom down a 60 foot high open water slide.  What a concept! A water-amusement ride, , where you combine fear of heights with fear of the water. A real two-fer. Luckily, Sandcastle has good people who look out for us “regular Joes”  and make it a fun and safe experience.  If it gets too scary, there’s always their Lazy River leisurely raft ride and Wet Willie’s Water Works, and the Tad Pool for kids Mon-Tsunami is the cleverly named, wave pool attraction. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. 1000 Sandcastle Dr., Homestead.

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