Pittsburgh's Fourth of July features music, baseball, fireworks
Thursday is America’s 248th birthday and Downtown Pittsburgh has many happenings, from Pirates baseball to fireworks.
“The Independence Day tradition in Pittsburgh is one that is enjoyed by people throughout the region,” Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said in a statement. “It brings thousands of people together to celebrate with one another.”
At the point and nearby
Fourth at the Fort starts at 11 a.m. at the Fort Pitt Museum. Museum staff, scouts and local veterans will raise a 36-foot American flag near the Pitt Block House — the oldest building in the region.
Following the flag-raising ceremony, there will be living history demonstrations and a tour of a replica of George Washington’s Revolutionary War tent, on loan from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
The Pirates host the St. Louis Cardinals at 12:35 p.m. nearby at PNC Park. Left hander Martin Perez is scheduled to start for the Pirates.
The City of Pittsburgh is hosting its annual celebration from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Point State Park. Guests are required to go through a light security screening at park entrances, which includes bag checks. The security checkpoint at the entrance to the park opens at 4 p.m. and closes at 9:30 p.m. After this time, no entry or re-entry into the park will be permitted.
Festivities in the park include a family fun zone and entertainment on the main stage that features Mr. Smalls ’90s Summer Jam and Nash.v.ill.
Brandon D’Alimonte, senior program coordinator for the office of special events for the Department of Parks and Recreation for Pittsburgh, said they are expecting 40,000 people in Point State Park from 4 to 10 p.m.
One area of the park will be set up as a veterans wellness corner sponsored by Trulieve, a provider of medical and recreational cannabis. Pennsylvania director of state operations for Trulieve Nick Rassler said having this resource is an important way to give back to those who have served to defend our freedom.
“We don’t want to forget the sacrifice these veterans have made,” D’Alimonte said. “The freedom we have is because of their service.”
Squonk Opera will perform its newest musical show, “Brouhaha,” at 5:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. The performance includes a Squonkcordion, an enormous musical instrument with towering tuba bells.
A second stage will be set up along Liberty Avenue, Downtown, where there will also be food trucks and places to purchase alcohol. The city has expanded programming on Liberty Avenue and onto the North Shore because those areas are popular viewing spots for fireworks, D’Alimonte said. The North Shore will have entertainment on the PNC North Shore great lawn, which will also be the location of the RE/MAX hot air balloon and a variety of food concessionaires. If there is wind and rain, the hot air balloon may be grounded, D’Alimonte said.
Parking/Detours
With so much going on, many parking lots and garages will fill up early. Check the Pittsburgh parking app for availability.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit will not be adding service. Several routes will be detoured and the Monongahela Incline will be free, said PRT’s deputy chief communications officer Adam Brandolph. Check rideprt.org for more information.
There will be river restrictions around the area of the fireworks barges, which will be in position early evening on Thursday. A safety perimeter check by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire will make sure the barges are a safe enough distance from spectators and buildings — they will be at least 600 feet away from land all the way around.
U.S. Coast Guard, river rescue and two safety boats will shut down river traffic during the fireworks display.
Weather
Temperatures should reach the mid to upper 80s, but be aware there is a 60% chance of precipitation, Mike Kennedy, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon, said on Monday.
On Tuesday, Jason Frazier, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon, said Tuesday the way the weather model is looking currently that the best chance for rain in Pittsburgh is in the early morning hours. He said the chance of precipitation for the day is 40-50% and the model is showing a trend that afternoon or evening rain may be more prevalent south of Pittsburgh.
“But we are continuing to figure that out,” he said. “We need a little more time. I know that is hard to hear but that is weather.”
Fireworks
It would not be the Fourth of July in Pittsburgh without a fireworks display, which begins at 9:35 p.m. Tune in to 100.1 FM KDKA for a live broadcast of the 25-minute fireworks show via a soundtrack from TJ the DJ.
D’Alimonte said he wanted to remind people in motor vehicles not to stop on bridges or roadways to view the fireworks because that is dangerous.
“Public safety is our top concern,” D’Alimonte said. “We will be monitoring the weather from now until fireworks time.”
Lisa Epps-Cuda, Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire public education fire instructor, provided an escort into the city for Starfire Corp, the company producing the fireworks show. She said she would be monitoring the weather because there is a chance of rain. Light rain is not an issue, but lightning is because fireworks can’t be set off in lightning. Wind can also be challenging, she said.
“We can wait out the lightning if we have to,” she said. “You can’t take this lightly. Safety is our top priority. We don’t want to shoot fireworks past 11 p.m. but we have done that in the past.”
Vince Terrizzi Jr., vice-president at Starfire, said the city of Pittsburgh is the perfect backdrop for a fireworks show.
“I love all the shows that we do, but this is a great stage,” Terrizzi said. “It means so much to be in the city and on the rivers with all the boats. It’s a 360-degree show.”
Details: pittsburghpa.gov
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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