Art, history and culture are at your fingertips in the Northside this weekend. Doors Open Pittsburgh unveils their new Black history tour, Ride with the King, Northside Common Ministries hosts a Bollywood-themed brunch and Penn Brewery celebrates National Cheese Lover’s Day with specials on cheesy snacks and brews. 

Photo by Clifton Loosier

Thursday, Jan. 17

Cafe Innovation at Innovation Works

The kick-off Cafe Innovation program of 2019. Dawnita Wilson, Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Sodexo, will lead a morning conversation that goes deep on increasing awareness of unconscious bias, interrupting unconscious bias and demonstrating inclusive leadership. Coffee and light breakfast at 8 a.m.; Panel begins at 8:30 a.m. For more information and to register, visit this website.

Northside Jams with Sweaty Already String Band at Scratch

Come to a night of Northside revelry with Sweaty Already String Band, an acoustic quartet playing traditional and modern bluegrass, along with some unexpected covers. Featuring $9 cocktails made with Wigle Whiskey and Threadbare Cider and Mead and a new tasty bar menu. More information here.

Friday, Jan. 18

Twin Peaks Weekend Kick Off at Spring Hill Brewing

DJs SARI & RICKY (Jellyfish/Restless Legs), live taproom entertainment, Instagram costume contest (check in to enter), new brews, themed decor, Twin Peaks on the tube. DAMN FINE COFFEE & CHERRY PIE BEER RELEASES. Event is from 7 to 11 p.m. BYO logs. Free to attend. Click here for details.

Single Out LGBT Social Group January Event at The Warhol

LGBTQ singles: Come out and make new friends and connections in an easygoing, friendly environment. This month the group will explore The Andy Warhol Museum on the Northside of Pittsburgh. At 8 p.m. the group plans to head over to the Local Brewhouse at 120 Federal Street, Pittsburgh, 15212, for salad, pizza and ham & turkey sliders. More information including event cost here.

Saturday, Jan. 19

Food Pantry Brunch Challenge 2019

Enjoy a delightful brunch prepared by local top chefs and some fantastic local Bollywood-themed entertainment all while you help Northside Common Ministries provide help to the hungry and homeless in our city. Henna artists will be painting beautiful Henna tattoos. Students of Nandini Mandal will be leading the dances. This is an event not to be missed! More information available here.

Ride With the King: Black History Tour

Doors Open Pittsburgh and Brown Chapel AME Church present this tour, where visitors will hear first-hand stories from the leaders in Pittsburgh’s African American church community, dating back from the 1800s to present, offered in two formats: Bus Tour and Self-Guided Tour. Churches include St. James African Church, in East Liberty; Bethel AME Church, in Uptown; Brown Chapel AME Church, in Central Northside. For more information, check out the Facebook event page.

Poster Making Workshop with Artist Lizania Cruz at City of Asylum @ Alphabet City

In partnership with the August Wilson Cultural Center’s “Familiar Boundaries, Infinite Possibilities” exhibition, Brooklyn-based artist Lizania Cruz will lead a 60-minute workshop including a reading of two zines and a hands-on poster making activity reflecting the themes and stories from her project “We the News.” Event is from 2 to 3 p.m. For more information and a free ticket, visit the City of Asylum website.

Sunday, Jan. 20

Special Lunar Eclipse SkyWatch

Mark your calendars for the total lunar eclipse at the Buhl Planetarium and Observatory on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. SkyWatch happens rain or shine. Price is $4 for non-members and $2 for members as an add-on to general admission. More information on the Carnegie Science Center website.

National Cheese Lover’s Day at Penn Brewery

Do you love cheese? If so, you’ll want to stop out on Sunday, Jan. 20 for #NationalCheeseLoversDay at Penn Brewery from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.! Whether you love your cheese pungent, sharp, creamy, mellow or just ooey-gooey, they’ve got a dish to satisfy you! For speacials and more information, visit the Facebook event page.

Have an event you’d like us to feature online in the Northside Happenings? Every week on our website, we announce free or almost-free events happening in the Northside on Thursdays through Sundays. Email a paragraph detailing the name of the event, location, specifics and a website or contact information to editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com. Deadline is 4 p.m. on the Wednesday before the weekend.