🌮 Make plans for these Pittsburgh food festivals

Is the Wilkinsburg Annexation ‘Dead?’

• In 2022, the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation attempted to annex the borough into Pittsburgh using a 1903 procedure, but an Allegheny County judge ruled last October that the procedure was no longer viable. Now, the group is appealing to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. [90.5 WESA]
• Meanwhile, Wilkinsburg residents aren’t waiting for annexation to address low tax revenue and widespread blight. Borough leaders are weighing a possible home rule charter to allow the municipality to take over some governing power from the state Capitol. A public meeting on the decision is billed for the end of August. [PublicSource]

A New Look at Downtown Data

Pittsburgh launched a new digital tool this week to track Downtown’s recovery from the pandemic. The IndexPGH dashboard provides data on safety and public health, economy, vibrancy, and cleanliness.[90.5 WESA]

• This data project comes alongside a $2 million private investment to put in permanent public bathrooms. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

What’s Going On in Local Media?

Remember “The Incline?” No, not the funicular on Mt. Washington — the online news site and daily Pittsburgh newsletter much like this one. (Full disclosure: I used to be the director.) The once small, hyperlocal newsroom has gone through many iterations, and now it is sending a newsletter without a single Pittsburgh voice behind it. The Pittsburgh Independent’s Brian Conway joined the City Cast Pittsburgh podcast to talk about his piece for Nieman Lab on the descent of The Incline, plus the end of 90.5 WESA’s local programming, The Confluence. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

🌳 Explore PA Outdoors | Saturday | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Join the Pennsylvania Game Commission for a day of outdoor recreation at Point State Park. [free, Downtown]

♻️ Household Chemical Collection | Saturday | 8:45 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Dispose of cleaners, batteries, paints, and more at Boyce Park Four Seasons Ski Lodge parking lot. [free to enter, but fees vary for waste items, Plum]

🚲 Arts & Mural Ride | Saturday | 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Join POGOH for a scenic bike ride by art installations, willow trees, and bridges. [free, Downtown]

💰 Lawrenceville Yard Crawl Sale | Saturday-Sunday | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Find secondhand treasures from neighborhood residents. [free, Lawrenceville]

🛍️ Records & Market Pop-Up | Saturday | 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Shop for records, vintage clothing, jewelry, art, treats — plus tarot readings and tattoos — at the Government Center. [free, East Allegheny]

🎨 Nafasi's Summer Art Market | Saturday | 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Shop from Black creatives, watch a live painting, attend a wellness workshop, and eat food truck grub. [free, Hill District]

☀️ Uptown Community Day | Saturday | 12-5 p.m.

Enjoy live music, art, vendors, food trucks, and activities on Van Braam Street. [free, Uptown]

🎶 Rock, Reggae & Relief | Saturday | 1 - 11 p.m.

Jam to live music at this block party-style charity festival helping first-time homeowners. [$40-$350, Downtown]

📚 Dog Days of Summer | Sunday | 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Enjoy music while you browse local artists, get a flash tattoo, and score book discounts at City of Asylum. [free, Mexican War Streets]

🚲 Shadyside Summer Sundays | Sunday | 12-5 p.m.

Bike, walk, shop, and explore on a carless Walnut Street. [free, Shadyside]

🕯️ Candles for a Cause | Sunday | 2-4 p.m.

Join Sly Fox Brewery and PGH Candle for beer flights and candle making benefiting Empowering Hope. [$45, East Allegheny]

🎷 Reservoir Jazz | Sunday | 5-7 p.m.

Lay out a blanket and groove to live jazz in Highland Park. [free, Highland Park]

How Fit is Pittsburgh? Plus Ways to Help Plum

The research is in and (surprise, surprise) Pittsburgh is not the fittest city in America; an iconic Kennywood ride is closing for preservation; and details are still trickling in about how and why a house exploded in Plum Borough — we’ve got a few ways you can help the affected families in the coming days.