Pittsburgh Irish Fest; A Fair in the Park, Sketch Lab Vol. 3, Ted Nugent (Fri., 9/11/26)

PITTSBURGH IRISH FESTIVAL—September 11 -13. Carrie Blast Furnaces.

We Banjo 3 and performers from other groups jamming together at 2015 Pittsburgh Irish Festival. (photo: Rick Handler)

1) Two rules of Irishness: (1) You do not have to be Irish to enjoy Irish things. (2) You might be more Irish than you think. This year’s Pittsburgh Irish Festival is the city’s 35th annual celebration of Celtic culture—and since scholars say the ancient Celts populated lands from Austria to Portugal, this takes in everybody from Sigmund Freud to Cristiano Ronaldo. They’d both have a blast at the Festival.

Irish musical acts perform constantly through the weekend. The entertainment lineup includes The Low Kings, Screaming Orphans, Donnie Irish, The Brigideens, Abbots Cross, Corned Beef & Curry, Devilish Merry, Ladies of Longford, The Drowsy Lads, Mark Guiser and many more. Also noted Pittsburgh Irish Dance Companies, Shovlin Academy of Irish Dance and Bell School of Dance will be performing.  There’s sure to be at least three pipe bands (there is no such thing as too much bagpipes). One such performer is Ally the Piper. In addition to music and dancing, the Pittsburgh Irish Festival has storytelling, arts and crafts, experts on Irish/Celtic culture and genealogy, etc., along with Irish foods, Irish whiskey, stout, and mead. The festival is Irishness writ as large as it can be writ. Come one, come all. 4 – 11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. 801 Carrie Furnace Blvd., Rankin. (M.V.)      

A FAIR IN THE PARK—September 11 – 13, Mellon Park

Beautiful glass art are among the works that can be scene at The Fair in the Park. (Photo: Rick Handler)

2) The annual A Fair in the Park will happen again this year in Shadyside’s Mellon Park. Promoted as a contemporary fine crafts and arts show and sale, it includes art and craft demonstrations, performances, music, food, and children’s activities. The fair is presented by the Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh and Citiparks. Food trucks and local vendors will be on hand and will be announced soon. Fair hours are: Friday, 1 – 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Fifth and Shady Aves., Shadyside/Point Breeze/Squirrel Hill. (R.H.)

3) After extensive testing in the Arcade Comedy Theater laugh factory, Sketch Lab Report, Vol. 3 is ready for market. Their description states, “It’s been another year of goofing off in the laboratory, and our comedy writers are experimenting with an all-new set of madcap hypotheses. From evil twins to dog shows to Shakespearean takes on Pittsburgh lore, this sketch show blends comedic styles and subjects to deliver 14 laugh-out-loud scenes in one rigorously silly Report.” Sketch Lab presents Vol 3, features scenes written by Writers: Nick Buchheit, Caroline Cook, Hannah Doty, Joe Karbowski, Anna McAnallen, Sharief McDougle, Mercy Odhner, Max Rubinstein, Sarah Schultz, Alexa Schwartz, and Zivan Vasquez. Cast includes Michael McBurney, Jenna Chung, Plumm Dunkley, Beth Geatches, Sean Hale, Jeffrey Johnson, Jenny Malarkey, and AJ Wittman. Swing Actors: Misty Lynne Cauthen and Devin Marshall. Directed by Parag S. Gohel. Sketchlab runs through September 20. 7 p.m. Arcade Comedy Theater, 943 Liberty Ave., Cultural District.

4) Who needs the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? This year, big-game hunter Ted Nugent was named to the Michigan Outdoor Hall of Fame and the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame. Ever the conservationist, Nugent eats what he shoots, as explained in his book Kill It & Grill It (co-authored with his wife, Shemane Deziel). A pioneer of the straightedge scene, Nugent eschews the use of intoxicants, having a prodigious capacity to get wild without them. We won’t bother talking about his political views since he does plenty of that himself. And along with leaning hard right, Nugent is of course a very hard rocker. The Detroit native first made his mark as the flamboyant lead guitarist for the Amboy Dukes. In the mid-1970s he went solo, forming a self-titled band and releasing a self-titled album that won him wider notice for guitar virtuosity. Nugent has now reached the lucky-number age of 77. After 19 studio albums, the latest being 2022’s Detroit Muscle, he works hard on not mellowing out. Catch Ted Nugent reasonably close to Pittsburgh at the Timber Rock Amphitheater. 7 p.m. 3360 National Pike, Farmington. (M.V.)

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