This weekend in the Northside: The annual Autumn House Press fall fundraiser at Wigle Whiskey, a Star Party in Riverview Park, a meet and greet with the Pittsburgh Police K-9 Unit, and more. 

Photo of Authors Tiana Clark, S. Brook Corfman, Cameron Barnett, and Malcolm Friend courtesy of Autumn House Press

Thursday, September 12

Autumn House at the Barrelhouse

Join us for the annual Autumn House Press (AHP) fall fundraiser! This year the press is partnering with Wigle Whiskey for Bantam Nights at their Barrelhouse and Whiskey Garden. Wigle will donate 9.9% of the drink and bottle sales during the event to support the press and its mission to publish and promote poetry and fine literature. Vagabond Taco Truck will be there selling tasty treats and Metacara will provide the entertainment. There will also be a raffle and AHP books available for a special price. Stop by anytime and celebrate another great year of the press. More information available via Facebook.

Allegheny City Book Club: The Johnstown Girls

You are invited to the first meeting of the new Allegheny City Book Club! Based on Pittsburgh’s Northside, participants will be reading and discussing local history and local authors. The group’s first book will be The Johnstown Girls by local author, Kathleen George. The Allegheny City Book Club will meet on Thursday, September 12 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at Unitarian House, located at 1110 Resaca Place, behind Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church. Light refreshments will be served. The next session, with more discussion of the same book, will be on Thursday November 14. The Allegheny City Book Club is a program of Allegheny City Society. For more details, visit the Allegheny City Book Club event page. If you have questions, email Mark Tomlinson. Facebook event page is here.

1, 2, 3… Bird ID!

Join National Aviary Ornithologist Bob Mulvihill for a series of classes focusing on unique aspects of birds, from behavior to appearance. The Classes for Bird Lovers will be held from 10:00 to 11:30 am on Thursdays, September 12, 19, and 26, and include both classroom time, and time walking in and around the National Aviary. Every booking qualifies for the free bonus class on October 3! Refreshments will be served. Call 412-258-9445 to register for any of the classes. This week, Ornithologist Bob Mulvihill will share his method for bird identification, then take you on a birdwatching field trip inside and outside the National Aviary!

Friday, September 13

Sons of Margaret at Refucilo Winery

Enjoy the sounds of the Sons of Margaret at Refucilo Winery from 6 to 9 p.m. The Sons of Margaret is a 8-piece family band based out of Pittsburgh, PA. They’ve been playing music together for years and finally formalized into a group. Their music includes classic rock, blues, country, and belly-rubbing songs. Refucilo Winery is located at 907 Western Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15233.

Star Party in Riverview Park

Although they’re the brightest objects in the sky, Jupiter and Saturn are close to the horizon and are setting earlier and earlier as the year progresses. Soon they’ll set for the last time in 2019. Come to the Star Party in Riverview Park and take this opportunity to see them one last time! Use a telescope and binoculars to view various summer constellations, colorful binary star systems, and deep-space objects. The Star Party at Riverview Park will be held on from 9:00 to 10:30 pm in front of the historic Allegheny Observatory. Feel free to bring your own telescope or binoculars, snacks and drinks, and lawn chairs or blankets. Facebook event is here.

Saturday, September 14

Meet Me at the Fountain at Allegheny Commons Park

Join National Aviary Ornithologist, Bob Mulvihill, on a leisurely bird walk starting at 10 a.m. from the recently restored Northeast Fountain in Allegheny Commons to the National Aviary and back. Pittsburgh’s oldest park is home to some of the city’s oldest trees, and these provide stopover habitat for a wide variety of migratory birds like Scarlet Tanagers, Yellow Warblers, Wood Thrushes, and Red-eyed Vireos. Bring your binoculars if you have them, and keep an eye and ear out for birds as you walk along the wide Victorian-era promenade paralleling North Avenue toward Lake Elizabeth. Walk through the historic Rose Garden and around the National Aviary to its East Entrance to see a beautiful rock garden and glimpse Andean Condors and other birds that call the National Aviary’s outdoor Condor Court habitat home. More information is available here.

Some Assembly Required at The Andy Warhol Museum

Since 1995, Attack Theatre has performed Some Assembly Required in more than 30 museums and galleries around the world. Now, the ever-evolving performance heads to The Andy Warhol Museum for an interactive exploration of art, music, and dance. Blending conversation and improvisation, the performance experience expands and intensifies through audience response and interpretation of visual art. Each culminating world premiere celebrates the artist and audience, the planned and spontaneous. Some Assembly Required will be performed at The Warhol on Friday, September 13 at 6:00 pm, and on Saturday, September 14 at 11:00 am and at 2:00 pm. You can name your price to attend this performance. Advanced registration is strongly encouraged as capacity is limited. For more information, check out the Facebook event page here.

Poetry Night at City Books

Starting at 7pm at City Books on the Northside, celebrate the poetry of Alexandra Kemrer, Fred Shaw and Robert Walicki. The event is free, but seating is limited. Refreshments will be served. More information available via Facebook.

Sunday, September 15

Pittsburgh Police K-9 Unit Meet & Greet

People sometimes take for granted what Police Officers and K-9 Units do on a daily basis. To show appreciation, Wagsburg has partnered with Pittsburgh Police to help build awareness and raise money for the Officer Rocco K-9 Memorial Fund. The fund has been created to provide on-going care, training and support for the City of Pittsburgh Police Bureau – Canine Division. This week, stop by from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to meet Officer Butch & Zane (Comfort Dog). More information is listed on the Facebook event page.

Annual Barrelhouse Fig Fest

Celebrate with Wigle Whiskey and the Italian Garden Project at the Barrelhouse & Whiskey Garden for Fig Fest on Sunday, September 15 from 2-5 PM! It’s a celebration of all things fig! The $35 ticket includes one Wigle cocktail of your choice, plus access to the following vendors: strolling accordion player, Italian dances, wedding cookie table, opportunity to purchase small fig trees, and a wine making demonstration. More information and tickets available here.

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. Fill out our Google Form or 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.