Artsy-Fartsy

Ever since 1979, Pittsburgh has held it's Three Rivers Arts Festival at Point State Park, downtown.  A venue for local artists to show and sell their work, people come from near and far to browse the booths to see the talent.  Over the years, they've added live bands, food booths and other talent displays, like frisbee-catching dogs... or log-rolling lumberjacks... and it's always a good time, provided it doesn't rain (which is usually does).  They've even included some of the little parks and galleries around town in the festivities, drawing people into the city streets. 

Pittsburgh always gets a bad wrap... and still fights the steel town reputation, but it has come a long way.  I'm proud of how the city looks better than it ever has... redoing city blocks, reclaiming areas for little parks, developing the cultural district, a new convention center, new baseball, football and now hockey arenas and downtown casino... it's a world-class city.

Tonight, a few of us went to the festival.  For a weeknight, it was pretty busy... and the weather was great.  I had a pulled pork sandwich and a funnel cake from among the many good (bad) food choices.  Here are a few pics of some areas on my walk through town tonight...

Pic #1  PNC sign on the side of a building made entirely out of live grasses and plants
Pic #2  Convention Center walkway with water on either side that is usually a waterfall, and it looks like the water is emptying out into the river on the other side
Pic #3  Neighborhood city park
Pic #4  Neighborhood city park trees that are made of bronze and the flowers are plastic
Pic #5  Outdoor Jazz concert in one of the little parks
Pic #6  Fish sculpture made out of recycled cans and other things
Pic #7 Benedum Center in the cultural district

(Double-click on any pic for a larger view)