We’ve made it to the weekend. There is a lot going on, including a Steelers preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore, so plan accordingly.

Here are some ways to spend it.

Little Italy Days

Little Italy Days Italian festival is happening this weekend in Bloomfield. Hours are noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Most of Liberty Avenue will be closed to traffic.

Bocce games will be played on Cedarville Street. The Miss Little Italy Pageant is at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

There will be live entertainment, food and shopping all weekend.

Details: littleitalydays.com

Rock Reggae Relief and more

Rock Reggae & Relief is a benefit music festival that brings reggae tunes to Downtown on Saturday.

The outdoor event takes place on Forbes Avenue and begins at 1 p.m. The headliner is Slightly Stoopid at 9:15 p.m. There will be an after-party starting at 11 p.m.

On Friday, a pre-party is from 7 to 11 p.m. at Roost Pgh.

Proceeds will benefit Catapult Greater Pittsburgh, an organization that “helps families improve their economic and social well-being and moves our community toward economic justice.”

Tickets start at $85.

Two other music festivals are taking place this weekend. Skull Fest Punk Festival is Friday through Sunday at various locations in the East End; tickets start at $25. Steel City Ska Fest is at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Spirit Hall in Lawrenceville; tickets are $25.

Details: rockreggaerelief.com or skullfestpunk.com or spiritpgh.com

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses, one of the biggest bands of the late ’80s, will perform at PNC Park on the North Shore on Friday. The opening act is The Pretenders.

The concert starts at 6 p.m.

The band’s 2023 World Tour kicked off June 5 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The North American leg started Aug. 5 in New Brunswick, Canada. Guns N’ Roses last performed in Pittsburgh in 2016 at Heinz Field.

The hard rock band is known for songs such as “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “Patience,” as well as “November Rain,” “Don’t Cry” and “Civil War.”

Tickets start at $39.

Details: gunsnroses.com

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Guns N' Roses (@gunsnroses)

Pickleball

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown, will be the home of the Gamma Pickleball Classic this weekend.

The indoor tournament brings in more than 1,000 people across the U.S. to compete.

Games, held on 37 courts, will be livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. The event is partnering with the Parkinsons Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, which uses pickleball as a therapeutic exercise for those diagnosed with the disease.

Men’s singles and women’s doubles are on Friday with mixed doubles on Saturday and women’s singles and men’s doubles on Sunday.

Spectators get in free.

Details: gammasports.com

Organ concert

Organist Nathan Avakian returns to Pittsburgh with a selection of modern silent shorts from the 2023 International Youth Silent Film Festival. The resident organist for the film festival will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Keystone Oaks High School auditorium in Dormont.

He will also present the music of Bruno Mars, Henry Mancini and Britney Spears on the Pittsburgh Area Theatre Organ Society Wurlitzer theatre organ. The mission of the organ society is to keep the unique sounds of theatre organ alive in Pittsburgh by presenting the instrument regularly throughout the year.

Tickets are $20, $15 in advance. Students are free with identification.

Details: pittsburghtheatreorgan.com

Courtesy of Nathan Avakian Organist Nathan Avakian returns to Pittsburgh with a selection of modern silent shorts from the 2023 International Youth Silent Film Festival. He will perform on Aug. 20 at Keystone Oaks High School auditorium.  

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---