Photo by Alyse Horn

By Alyse Horn

Bakers, movers, shakers; all are welcome at the Tripoli Street Bakeyard, located at the intersection of Tripoli Street and Chestnut Street.

The bakeyard started as an innovative project out of Neu Kirche Contemporary Art Center in part with their Fallow Grounds for Sculpture project and was implemented by Michelle Illuminato.

Fallow Grounds for Sculpture “is an annual summer arts initiative that activates vacant sites located in East Deutschtown with innovative projects that re-imagine and re-purpose Pittsburgh’s vacant lots,” according to the Neu Kirche website.

Although Monique Redmond and Layne Waerea have taken over for the month of July with Northside Civil Encounters, the bakeyard will be open until October for locals to use the outdoor cob oven whenever they please, as long as they have the proper training.

Aisha White, program and events manager at Neu Kirche, said residents can contact the staff to get training so he or she knows how to use the oven. After that, White said trained locals can let the staff know a few days in advance when they would like to use the oven and employees at Neu Kirche can make sure the oven is ready to go and provide the necessary equipment to bake.

There are also monthly happy hours and open bake days the last Sunday of every month. The next happy hour will take place on Tuesday, July 19 from 6-8 p.m. and the theme is Italian night. The next open bake day is Sunday, July 31 beginning at 1:30 p.m. White said anyone in the community can come out during these Sunday’s to bake and learn how to use the oven.

To join the Tripoli Street Bake Club Facebook group, click here.