Love the museum and all that they have to offer. There's exhibits, events, and workshops. It's so…read morenice to have this in our own backyard. Not to mention the gardens and scenery is just magical and amazing. I highly recommend going and at any age.

I visited the Ligonier branch of SAMA on free museum day. It was my first visit and I will be sure…read moreto go back! Dedicated to regional artists, the museum has about 4 exhibitions per year. Check the website to see what is currently being shown at each location. There's always a display of paperweights to view and there's local art for sale in the hallway gallery. I've been wanting to get here for a long time. I'm sorry I waited so long!

A hidden gem full of hidden gems!! The Westmoreland Museum…read moreof American Art is nestled perfectly in Greensburg with stunning views inside and out. We stumbled upon their Putt-A-Palooza: Art Inspired Mini Golf Exhibit and... of course... had to give it a try, but the golf only helped to showcase the stunning layout and amazing Pittsburgh exhibits. The mini golf had 9 holes that were all inspired by a piece of art on the premise. With point systems similar to Putt Shack and even a battle hole where all four players tee off at once to put it in the hole first. But... then you could receive bonus points by finding the matching art piece in the museum and answering trivia. With the gold exhibit only open til the end of summer, go now!! I can't wait to see what new exhibits and fun events that they host in this space. With discounts for members, we may have to consider joining.

Art in Bloom 2026 was another AMAZING exhibit. I truly do not understand why more people are not…read moretalking about this! This exhibit blends art + nature in the most beautiful way, challenging local floral designers to reimagine pieces from the gallery through stunning arrangements. It's colorful, creative, and exactly the kind of spring energy us Pittsburghers all need during the transition between grey winter and spring!

I learned about this museum complex thanks to the library program that allows patrons to check out…read morepasses to a variety of local museums. I came to the museum not really knowing anything about it, so I didn't have any real expectations going in. Turns out it blew me away with how interesting it is! The museum is part of a complex of what was a fully functioning and busy town centered around the production of whisky, grist mill and farm. The house is also the birthplace of Henry Clay Frick. I know he is a complicated historical figure, but he is relevant and important to Pittsburgh area history, so it is interesting to learn about that portion of his history. When you visit the museum, you first check in to the museum portion of the experience (which is in the old distillery building). There are exhibits on the first floor and the second floor focuses on whiskey. Your tour guide will take you through the first floor of the homestead where you see recreated historical rooms. You also see the kitchen building on the tour. On the grounds is also a wonderful distillery that actively makes whiskey. You can sample their products along with other PA spirits and can also order a mixed drink. In addition to the museum portions, they also have a huge barn that is used for an events space. It is an interesting place to visit packed with history. A perfect place for anyone interested in learning more about local history.

Attended this annual arts and heritage festival today. Very well organized event. Lots of vendors…read morewith exceptional works of art. Many delicious food booths with plenty of seating in the shade. Live musical performances and children's activities. Very enjoyable for all ages. The grounds and lake are beautiful with a walking trail that goes along the water. They do have a Facebook page. No animals allowed in the park.

Well, I find that the last review for this festival is 5 years old; so I think I have an obligation…read moreto update it. The Westmoreland Arts & Crafts Heritage Festival is in its 42nd year and is always scheduled around the 4th of July weekend. It is located in Twin Lakes Park. This year, it runs from June 20 through July 3. Over the years, it has expanded and attracted artisans from all over the country. The items for sale range from wood crafts, jewelry, pottery, art prints and paintings, plants and other specialties. Also, one can wander through the park and find great food to purchase. Popular choices for many are the fresh raspberries and ice cream, fried vegetables, and wood fired pizza. I tried steak fajitas ($7 for two) and French beignets ($4 for about 8) from one food booth. I was very pleased with both. There are several stages that offer different musical genres. A schedule for performers can be found on the web site. The Island Stage is the main performance area, but check out the stage located a short distance from the boat house. Around that stage are several craft and food booths. If you feel like walking, there are reenactors located on the upper lake. So, there is plenty to see, music to listen to, food to eat and beautiful items for purchase. There is also an area for kids to make crafts and play. CONS: Although, things are spaced throughout, this festival draws a big crowd. Sometimes a little patience and a smile is needed when waiting in food lines. No alcohol is served, but there are water, cola, Gatorade booths. The thing is you have to purchase tickets to buy your beverage. I don't know, why not use cash for beverages, too? Parking is sometimes at a premium but some people let you park on their property for a price. There are shuttle buses available, but riding in a hot school bus isn't something I care to do. They seem to have a good system though, by dropping passengers off at an entrance area of the park and picking riders up at the other end. No dogs are allowed in the festival area. I think this is a very nice way to spend time over the holiday and has something for everyone. More information can be found on their web site.

4.5 stars. The Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival is set up to look like a 16th-century Medieval…read moreamusement park. In 2026, the festival is being held for several weeks in the late summer and early fall. Tickets are for a specific single day and cost $27 per adult and $12 per child at the gate and slightly less online. Some weekends are themed: Celtic, children's, mead and whiskey, pirate, and wine revelry and romance. For about 12 years, I have been a customer of the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival. In 2026, through the website, I purchased tickets for my husband and me for opening day. Unfortunately, the weather had been rainy in previous days, so we drove one hour to the festival, and an employee at the gate told the visitors that the festival was too muddy and unsafe and thus would open one week later! I had looked at the website on the previous day, but apparently it had not yet been updated about the delayed opening date. So we returned the following weekend, and thankfully the festival was open. At the entrance an employee promptly scanned our tickets and admitted us. As we walked around, we saw employees and many visitors wearing costumes. Entertainment included knight jousting, washing-well wenches, music and singing, witch trial, flame-throwing, sword swallowing, juggling, archery, axe throwing, and more. Several dozen shops sold a variety of clothing, accessories, paintings, armor, pottery, soaps, leather goods, swords and shields, candles, incense, etcetera. I felt most interested in eating the foods. Many restaurants and drink stations sold turkey drumstick, steak on a stake, sausage on a stick, sausage knave sandwich, smoked bratwurst, scotch egg, pretzel, soup in bread bowl, kettle corn, fruit cobbler a la mode, roasted nuts, root-beer float, beer, etcetera. I bought several of these, and I thought that the flavors were OK to very good.

I last reviewed the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival twelve years ago (!!!), when I was still a…read moreregular and went every year. Now though? Well...now I'm not a regular and I don't go every year. I actually took a long break and skipped attending the Fair for many years. I reached a point where I couldn't justify paying the entrance fee to hear the same jokes as the year prior, or to spend more money shopping for trinkets I didn't need. So once one of their regular performers retired, I took it as a sign and I stepped away. That was until that regular came out of retirement - that was enough reason for me to come back; so I figure now is as good a time as any to update my review of the Ren Fair overall. On a positive note: there are now multiple new performers at this Ren Fair. I was very happy to spend a full day walking around hearing new music, watching new acts, and so forth. (I especially appreciated the new additions after walking by a returning comedy act and hearing the exact same jokes that I remembered from "BC"...you know, "Before COVID"...) Something else has changed in the years since I last visited the Fair. There's a relatively new app on the block now called TikTok - you might have heard of it. Well let me tell you, nerds like me love it. And we post about the shenanigans we get into, such as going to the local Ren Fair. Well videos of the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival took off this year, and they definitely got the attention of some new attendees. So for the first time that I can remember, when I drove out this year, traffic to get into the Fair was backed up not just onto the road...but onto I-70 itself. (I'll interrupt my own story time now to admit there might have been other factors too...but I vividly remember seeing NUMEROUS TikTok videos about the Ren Fair, way more than usual. Make of this anecdote what you will.) The additional foot traffic was good for the Fair I'm sure, but there's really not that much this Fair can do in the way of expanding to accommodate said foot traffic. The crowds being what they were, I didn't even attempt to watch the jousts. I also made sure I planned my day and got to other shows super early so I could find a seat for them. Final thoughts: it was good to see some updates to the Fair lineup this year. But generally speaking, my visit felt like 'same Ren Fair, different year'...yet was simultaneously the busiest weekend I can remember. Go figure. I'm most likely to come back to this Ren Fair if: 1) My favorite performer continues to come back. 2) My friends want to go. Otherwise, I'm probably skipping. It's not that the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival itself is bad; it's that after being a regular for literal decades, I'm OK with no longer being an annual patron. (And my wallet is OK with that decision, too!)

The staff at this wonderful historical center made our visit memorable! We explored the grounds and…read morelearned about farming practices from the past. The volunteer docents gave us a history of the area, told captivating stories about some of the artifacts on display, and sold us the most delicious apple butter we've ever had!

This is an excellent historical museum, staffed by friendly and knowledgeable people. Even my young…read morechildren enjoyed the exhibits, and the historical buildings. Top notch institution, and I can't wait to go to Mountain Craft Days for the first time!

Many thanks to my friend Matt B. who has a penchant for finding small and unusual museums across…read morethe American countryside. This year he brought me to the Guild of American Papercutters which has set up shop within the Laurel Arts building. While there are paper cuttings in the downstairs galleries, really it's the upstairs which is dedicated to the form. And it's more than just silhouettes. There are some very old pieces in the collection, and some more modern ones. What I was hoping to see was some kind of display of the paper cutting tools used to get such elaborate and detailed works. Hopefully, that's on the way, because when I spoke to someone at the guild, they were very receptive to the idea. While this may not be the kind of place one might drive out of their way to visit, if you're in the area it's well worth a stop. Admission is free, although there are donation boxes scattered through the building. I just wish I could have taken some pictures to share some of the more remarkable works, but photos are forbidden. It's a shame, especially in today's modern photo sharing world, where some museums are actively encouraging photo taking to take advantage of the Instagramification of our culture.

Came back this year and it's even better. Everything in my prior review is the same. Still great…read morefood, still great churches, and still a great community festival. The one noticeable addition to the festival is that more ethnicities are now involved. I missed last year, so this may have happened last year, but I was unaware. It's a great mix of multicultural awareness. And oh my god, it's a great mix of food to get. The food selection has expanded and you can get food from the churches, from street vendors, and now from food trucks from around the area. I left here this year so full of so many different foods that I could have had the UN in my stomach. My stomach was at harmony. Too bad that this only happens once a year and not every single weekend.