City Cast Pittsburgh
🚲 Bike lane drama in the Strip
September 19, 2025 · — Natalia Aldana
Hiya! City Cast editor Natalia Aldana here, filling in for Francesca.
This week’s news has been nonstop. On today’s City Cast Pittsburgh podcast, we’re catching up on big local stories, from proposed vape shop regulations to threats over SNAP benefits 🎧
What's CITY Talking About?
Pgh Moves Forward With Controversial Campus
City Council preliminarily approved spending $1.8 million on a master plan for a public safety training facility in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar. Responding to concerns about police militarization, Council added an amendment that bars the site from simulating urban warfare and coordinating with federal law enforcement, among other things. A final vote is expected next week. [Public Source]
- Here’s why Pittsburgh's divided over the facility. [City Cast Pittsburgh 🎧]
PA Joins Northeastern Health Coalition
Amid CDC turmoil and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of federal health agencies, PA joined seven other states to develop their own public health guidelines. The state’s Board of Pharmacy also revised its rules so that PA residents wouldn’t face new federal limitations on COVID-19 vaccines. [WESA]
Strip District Group Sues Over Proposed Bike Lane
The Strip District Business Association is suing the city over plans to convert one of the traffic lanes on Penn Avenue between 22nd and 31st streets into a bike lane. Business owners and some residents say it could cause congestion and hinder emergency vehicles, while city officials argue the project will increase safety. [TribLive]
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Pop Quiz, Pittsburgh!
💥 Pop quiz, Pittsburgh!
On Oct. 20, 10 famous Pittsburghers will be the first to be honored with bronze stars on the new Walk of Fame on Smallman Street in the Strip District.
Test your knowledge on these famous locals.
What To Do
Friday, Sep. 19
- 🎺 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival — Sept. 21 (Downtown)
- 🌟 Glow in the Park at Schenley Plaza (Oakland)
- 🎶 WYEP Neighborhood Concert at Oaks Theater (Oakmont)
- 👻 Haunted Walking Tour with Dark History Pgh (Carnegie)
- 🍺 Summer Friday with Trace Brewing (Aspinwall)
- 🎨 Biota Exhibit at Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media (Shadyside)
- 🎉 1 Year of Pgh Social Club at Field Day (Lawrenceville)
- 🥂 Taste of Jazz Party at August Wilson Center (Downtown)
- 🖼️ Paul Mez Exhibit at Ketchup City Creative (Sharpsburg)
- 🥨 PA Bavarian Oktoberfest — Sept. 21 (Canonsburg)
- 🍻 Penn Brewery Oktoberfest — Sept. 20 (Troy Hill)
- 🎃 Cheeseman Pumpkin Fest — Sept. 20 (Portersville)
- 📖 Feminist Book Club at Whisker Wonderland (Bellevue)
Saturday, Sep. 20
- 📖 Pittsburgh Art Book Fair at CMOA — Sept. 21 (Oakland)
- 🐽 Pigtober Fest on Lowrie Street (Troy Hill)
- 🪙 Neighborhood Yard Sale (Point Breeze)
- 🍂 Fall Festival at Trax Farms — Sept. 21 (Finleyville)
- 🎃 Harvest Night Market at Armful of Flowers (Mt. Washington)
- 🌻 Blooms Market at Sweetwater (Sewickley)
- 🌉 Covered Bridge Fest — Sept. 21 (Washington / Green County)
- 🏺 Pittsburgh Potters Tour — Sept. 21 (multiple locations)
- 👻 Steel City Spooky Market at Frankie Pace Park (Lower Hill)
- ♻️ Community Cleanup on N. Pacific Avenue (Garfield)
- 🛍️ Burgh Bazaar at the Benedum Lot (Downtown)
- 🎶 Live Music at Switch & Signal Skatepark (Swissvale)
- ⛺ Camping Trip with WMN Bike Pgh (GAP Trail)
- 🖌️ Latin American Arts Fest at Atithi Studios (Sharpsburg)
- 💿 Fall Pop-Up at the Government Center (East Allegheny)
- 🎨 Slammin’ Cans in Color Park (South Side)
- 👖 Pop-Up Vintage Market on Butler Street (Lawrenceville)
- 🎭 Another Kind of Silence with City Theatre — Oct. 12 (South Side)
- 🍕 Slices & Spirits at Penn Forest Cemetery (Verona)
- 🛞 Car Cruise in Allegheny Commons (North Side)
- ☕ Thrifting at KLVN Coffee Lab (Larimer)
- ✨ Weekly Wellness on the Green (Hazelwood)
- 🌳 Trail Care with Three Rivers Waterkeeper (Sharpsburg)
- 🌮 Party on the Mount on Shiloh Street (Mt. Washington)
- 🎉 Iconic Pgh Block Party at Coop de Ville (Strip District)
- 🍄 Funghi Foray at Beechwood Farms (Fox Chapel)
- 🧈 Erntedankfest at Old Economy Village (Ambridge)
- 🎈 Hay Days at Harwood Acres (Allison Park)
- 🌈 Multi Media Mania Drag at Harold’s Haunt (Millvale)
- ♿ Disability Pride in Schenley Plaza (Oakland)
Sunday, Sep. 21
- 🍿 Movie Night on the Lawn in Bakery Square (Larimer)
- ☀️ Yoga on the Clemente Bridge (North Shore)
- ⛪ Stained Glass Window Tour at St. Stanislaus Kostka (Strip District)
- 🍂 Autumn Equinox at Helltown Brewing (Strip District)
- 👻 Boo-tanical Painting Workshop at Ruby Flora (Bethel Park)
- 🐦 Fall Migration Festival with Wild Bird Recovery (Valencia)
- 🍼 Baby Shower with the Auto Body Shop (Lawrenceville)
- 🏈 Stillers Sunday at Bottlerocket (Allentown)
- 🎃 Pumpkin Paint & Sip with the Urban Tap (Shadyside)
- 🪩 Disco Sunday Disco at Trace Brewing (Bloomfield)
- ♻️ Clean Up along Penn Avenue (Bloomfield / Garfield)
- 🍅 Farmers Market at Beacon Bartlett Lot (Squirrel Hill)
- 🥬 Farm Market on Brookline Boulevard (Brookline)
- 🌊 Autumn Mini Retreat at Shore Thing (North Shore)
- 🎲 Game Night at Commonplace Coffee (Mexican War Streets)
- 🛍️ Fall Vendor Market at The Highline (South Side)
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"An essential part of every Pittsburgher’s civic education" – PGH Mag
Peer beneath the glimmering surface of the Gilded Age on the Frick's national award-winning mansion tour, Gilded, Not Golden. Explore the lives and legacies of Pittsburghers past, from workers who made steel to magnates who made fortunes.
🩺 The doctor is back in town! Recent Emmy winner Noah Wyle stopped by UPMC Children's Hospital to meet with the emergency health care team and thank them for their service to the community. He also spoke about the importance of “The Pitt” being “Pittsburgh specific.” The show's second season is currently filming here.
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