If you’re planning on venturing into Downtown Pittsburgh for the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, it’s best to plan accordingly.

The festival coincides with so many happenings Downtown this weekend — from Pittsburgh Pride Revolution: NO FEAR to “The Little Mermaid” in concert at Heinz Hall to concerts from Kansas and Jackson Browne. Not to mention that the Pirates are hosting the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. And World Square is taking place in Market Square.

That all adds up to thousands of people converging on the city.

The first week of June is traditionally reserved for the arts fest, a 10-day event hosted by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. It kicks off Friday throughout the Cultural District with what organizers are calling “an adjusted footprint.”

Once again, the annual festival — now in its 64th year — will take place along Fort Duquesne Boulevard from Stanwix Street to Ninth Street. There will be several gallery spaces open on nearby Liberty Avenue.

Until last year, the festival took place mostly in and around Point State Park.

One of the biggest differences is that the space where the Allegheny Overlook Pop-Up area opened in 2021 for summer music events will be the home of the main stage and other activities. It will connect to The Backyard, an outdoor area at the corner of Eighth and Penn avenues. It has been expanded and will feature new patio furniture and landscaping that includes an eco-grass surface., public art displays and the performance of “Hand to Hand” by Squonk Opera next weekend.

The Giant Eagle Creativity Zone will be stationed at Trust Oasis on Seventh Street.

Photography by Emily O’Donnell/Three Rivers Arts Festival There will be plenty of children’s activities at the 64th annual Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival which opens June 2 in Downtown Pittsburgh.  

There will be plenty of heat and humidity and minimal chance of rain. Temperatures are expected to be in the 80s to low 90s into next week. Water bottle filling stations will be located throughout the Cultural District, as well as plenty of trees to find shade along Fort Duquesne Boulevard.

The indoor locations will be air-conditioned. SPACE Gallery on Liberty will feature the juried visual art exhibit “Taking Up Space,” which showcases regional artists. The exhibit aims to highlight ways in which artists choose to take up space within their own individual practices.

“Traveling While Black” is a virtual-reality experience at 820 Gallery on Liberty that covers the history of restriction of movement for Black Americans. Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams and Emmy Award-winning Felix & Paul Studios’ film takes viewers to historic Ben’s Chili Bowl restaurant in Washington, D.C., where several patrons reflect on their experiences of restricted movement and race relations in the U.S. It is recommended for ages 12 and older.

“Little Richard: I Am Everything,” a documentary about American pop music, is showing at the Harris Theater on Liberty.

“We invite people to stop in a gallery to cool off or take in a movie at the Harris Theater,” said Sarah Aziz, director of festival management for the Cultural Trust. “We have a lot of things for people to do indoors as well as plenty of activities for people to do outside as well.”

Aziz said the range of events will attract different audiences and diversity.

“What a fun weekend to be in Pittsburgh,” Aziz said. “There will be so much to do, and with everything that’s happening here the hotels and restaurants will be full and that means money for the city.”

Taking advantage of the beauty of Pittsburgh’s rivers is one of the reasons to have so much of the festival not far from the water and within sight of the three Sister Bridges and PNC Park on the North Shore. The Dollar Bank main stage will be relocated to Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Stanwix Street to give more access to a grassy area and nearby food and drink options, as well as the riverfront view.

The artist market will be displayed on both sides of Fort Duquesne Boulevard between 6th and 9th streets. More than 250 artists locally and across the country will be selling handmade gifts, jewelry and paintings and showcasing various art media.

Courtesy of Seth Culp-Ressler/Three Rivers Arts Festival More than 250 vendors will be set up in the Artist Market at the 64th annual Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival which opens June 2 in Downtown Pittsburgh.  

The lineup of free music begins at noon Friday when Pittsburgh-based Bindley Hardware Co. opens on the main stage with what is described as “rust-belt Americana sound.” Singer KT Tunstall, known for songs like “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See,” will perform from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Aziz said they have been working closely with city, police and fire departments and will have private security on site. There will also be a public safety tent at Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Seventh Street for anyone with questions or concerns.

“We have the best team,” Aziz said. “And we take this very seriously. Safety is so important.”

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