Celebrate with Free Admission, Tours, Concerts & More in Downtown Pittsburgh

The Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD) will be hosting their annual RADical Day events beginning Thursday, September 19 and running through Sunday, October 13.

RAD’s mission is to support and finance regional assets in the areas of libraries, parks and recreation, cultural, sports and civic facilities, and programs. This year marks the 25^th anniversary of RAD and to celebrate, they are hosting this year’s events over a span of 25 days. 

Announcing #RADicalDays2019!
Visit https://t.co/YDsLs4jR2r for details and the full schedule. Over 70 free events and performances. #RADworkshere pic.twitter.com/T6j6FfkMaP

— RAD (Allegheny Regional Asset District) (@radworkshere) August 19, 2019

Heinz History Center | Saturday, September 21 | 1212 Smallman St.

Free Admission: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Visit the Smithsonian’s home in Pittsburgh to explore six floors of exciting exhibitions, including the history of Heinz, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, and the interactive Discovery Place kids’ zone. It’s your final chance to see the museum’s groundbreaking exhibition, The Vietnam War: 1945-1975, on display through September 22.

August Wilson African American Cultural Center | Saturday, September 21 | 980 Liberty Ave.

Free Admission: 12:00 p.m. -6:00 p.m.
Highmark Heritage and Blues Festival
Enjoy free music, workshops, lectures, and concerts by local and emerging artists on outdoor stages. Visit aacc-awc.org for more information. (Note: September 20 and 22 have paid ticketed events.)

Andy Warhol Museum | Sunday, September 22 | 117 Sandusky Street

Free Admission 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Bring the whole family to the Warhol for a unique day of art and fun. While you’re here, visit The Factory to create your own work of art and don’t forget to make your own screen test while you are here to share with friends and family.

Carnegie Science Center | Sunday, September 22 | One Allegheny Ave.

Free Admission: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Get your hands on some fun! Interact with robots, visit river animals, test your bravery on a ropes course, make your skeleton dance, and see an explosive demonstration!

Pittsburgh Opera Rising Stars Concert | Sunday, September 22 | 2425 Liberty Avenue

Free admission: 6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m.
Meet Pittsburgh Opera’s 2019-20 Resident Artists in this free concert! You’ll be up close and personal in the intimate George R. White Studio at Pittsburgh Opera headquarters. Online reservations recommended.

Pittsburgh Cultural District: Gallery Crawl | Friday, September 27 | Cultural District Galleries and art spaces

Free Admission: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
The quarterly gallery crawl will feature dozens of stops throughout the Cultural District and include all open art galleries, music, and live performances.

Contemporary Craft | Saturday, September 28 | 2100 Smallman Street

Free Admission: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Celebrate our 33 years in the Produce Terminal at the “Farewell Party”! Leave your mark on the gallery walls with drawings, messages, or treasured memories of your experiences with us and look ahead to the April 2020 Grand Reopening in our new home located in Upper Lawrenceville. We will also host an artist-led, hands-on art activity for all ages from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Children’s Museum/ Museum Lab | Sunday, September 29 | 10 Children’s Way

Free Admission: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
At the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh – Play with Real Stuff! Build and tinker with old and new technologies in MAKESHOP. Pump and move water in all directions in Waterplay. Explore contemporary and traditional art practices in the Studio and much more.  At MuseumLab, a new museum for kids ages 10+, located adjacent to the Children’s Museum – cutting-edge experiences in technology, making, and art abound in the Tech Lab, Make Lab, and Studio Lab. Meet members of the Tuesday Musical Club String Ensemble for a “hands-on” musical experience.

SLB Radio | Sunday, September 29 | 10 Children’s Way

Free Admission: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Visit the new SLB Satellite Studio used to create radio programming for The Saturday Light Brigade and Youth Express. Studio is in Museum Lab at the Children’s Museum.

Pittsburgh CLO Academy of Musical Theater | Sunday, September 29 | 130 CLO Academy Way

Free Admission: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Join us for an interactive musical experience! Learn a song & dance from a Broadway musical and enjoy a performance by students of the CLO Academy. Space limited. Please reserve your spot no later than Friday, September 27:  (412) 281-2234 or email pmaloney@pittsburghclo.org. Recommended for ages 3 – 17 years old.

Arcade Comedy Theater | Sunday, September 29 | 943 Liberty Ave.

Free Admission: 7:00 p.pm – 8:30 p.m.
Get ready to laugh at Bonus Stage, dubbed “Best Comedic Tasting Menu” (Pittsburgh Magazine)! See a variety of comedy teams and improv styles with a night showcasing hilarious, Arcade-trained performers. For ages 12 and up. Space limited – visit the website for free tickets or click here to be linked directly.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra | Tuesday, October 1 | Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave.

Free admission: 7:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m.
Celebrate RADical Days with a free concert at Heinz Hall! Associate conductor Andrés Franco leads the orchestra in a program of light classics perfect for music lovers young and old. Though this is a free performance with general admission, advance reservations are recommended. Reserve your tickets at the Heinz Hall box office in person, or at (412) 392-4900.

David L. Lawrence Convention Center | Monday, October 7 | 100 Ft. Duquesne Blvd.

Free Tours: 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m.
Take a special tour of the environmentally-smart Gold/Platinum LEED-certified building, with breathtaking views and a suspended roof structure. Call (412) 565-6000 to reserve your tour time. Complimentary parking is available in the DLCC garage on 10th Street. Bring your parking ticket in and exchange it for your ticket.

Associated Artists of Pittsburgh | Tuesday, October 8 | 201 Wood Street

Free Admission: 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
A reception and artist talk for Mixed Red, an exhibition featuring the work of member Scott Hunter, at Point Park University’s Tomayko Gallery.

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust | Saturday, October 12 | All events are held at the Trust Arts Education Center (807 Liberty Ave.) unless otherwise noted

All workshops are free, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. Register at trustarts.org/education.

10:00 a.m. –10:30 a.m. (3 – 4 yr. olds) AND 11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m. (5 – 6 yr. olds): Dance Days: Afro-Caribbean Beats

Our youngest artists can dance their cares away, as they explore how to maintain a steady beat, perform call and response, and develop their own moves all inspired by Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (For all ages; participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult): Sketch Crawl in Katz Plaza (meet at the corner of Penn Ave and 7th St.)
Guided by one of the Trust’s talented teaching artists, you will go on an art-filled journey through the Cultural District, stopping and sketching in response to what you see all along the way. Bring a sketch-book, your favorite drawing medium, and a chair.

1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. (6th – 8th grade): Magnificent Mega Masks
Working with fluted cardboard, you will fold, roll, shape, and cut your way to creating an original large-scale mask inspired by global designs and iconography.

5:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m. (age 18+): Anything but Clothes Costume-Making
What does bubble wrap, duct tape, and swim noodles all have in common? They are just some of the fun, fantastic supplies you might use when you create an original costume that will most certainly be anything but clothes.

Fort Pitt Museum | Sunday, October 13 | 601 Commonwealth Place, Building B

Free Admission: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Step back in time to Pittsburgh’s birthplace at the Fort Pitt Museum in historic Point State Park. Discover the world-shaping events that occurred right here in Western Pennsylvania.

See even more free RAD events throughout Pittsburgh here.