The holiday lights are coming down and Pittsburgh feels even more gray than usual. So we’ve thought up a few fun ways to ease into the new year that will have you trying new things, giving yourself grace, and moving gently into Pittsburgh’s dreariest season.
Get Crafty
Want to be a part of a creative group? All month long, the Fun A Day project is encouraging people to experiment with their art skills and create something new – culminating in an art show on February 17 in Millvale.
The Carnegie Library is hosting free knitting and crocheting events, and its Library Lounge series is free and very casual, so folks with curiosity or experience can come together and build community. Needlework not your thing? Check out their adult coloring days, “crafternoons,” or tabletop games.
City Cast Pittsburgh’s Sophia Lo is planning to attend a woodworking class with Workshop PGH to add another bookshelf to her abode. The full roster is up through February, including introductions to sewing, embroidery, and rug making.
Find a crew with whom to climb with at ASCEND. (@ascendwow)
Move Yourself
Sometimes it’s hard to exercise by yourself. Find camaraderie with running groups like Yinz Run Club, City of Bridges Run Club, Pittsburgh Rogue Runners and Walkers, Fleet Feet; Ascend climbing clubs like Women on Walls and Queer Scouts; and hiking groups like 3 Rivers Outdoor Co.’s headlamp hikes. Personally, I’m looking forward to joining some virtual, Pittsburgh-based yoga classes like InSpirit and All Bodies Welcome.
Eat (or drink) the rainbow in Pittsburgh. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
Eat Well
From Pittsburgh Restaurant Week (January 15-21) to Pittsburgh Beerfest (January 26-17), there is a lot to taste this month.
But the post-holiday “blahs” is a good time to start eating more veggies, too. Visit Vegan Pittsburgh for plant-based food recommendations and events. Some of my personal favorites are Shado Beni, Allegro Bakery, and EYV.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated, too! Get a boost with cleanses from the Pittsburgh Juice Company or Live Fresh Juicery, or sip something warm from Bantha Tea Bar, Gryphon’s Tea, or Abeille Voyante Tea.
Hear spoken word poetry at the August Wilson Center’s weekend-long event. (@augustwilsonculturalcenter)
Keep Celebrating
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on January 15, and there are many ways to celebrate his impacts on the civil rights movement and local Black excellence.
Celebrate African-American musical trailblazers at Park Place AME Church in Homestead on January 13. It starts at 10 a.m. and admission is a suggested donation of $25.
Enjoy a delicious soul food brunch alongside MLK bingo, live jazz and poetry, and a film screening at Spartan Community Center in Hazelwood from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Admission is free.
Celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Kelly Strayhorn Theater from 12 to 3 p.m. on January 15 with family-friendly activities and theater performances. Pay what moves you.
Hear the chorus of voices honoring MLK at the 17th annual concert at Kelly Strayhorn Theater. It starts at 7 p.m., and you can pay what moves you. Be sure to bring a donation to the East End Cooperative Ministry Food Pantry!
Spend January 19 to 21 at the inaugural festival celebrating Hip-Hop culture and the art of Spoken Word Poetry at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Downtown Events are at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. and tickets cost $45.
You can check out the catalog at the museum anytime, and the director, Samuel Black, is always looking for new items that speak to the preservation, dissemination, and interpretation of the life, history, and culture of Africans and African Americans in Western Pennsylvania.
