Alright, so maybe the best festivals of the summer are behind us. The Arts Festival wrapped up almost two months ago, the Regatta and its fancy ferris wheel are gone and this weekend’s Picklesburgh is slated to be pretty epic. Besides the cornichon cornucopia, there’s still a few gems left if you’re into Batman, bluesy tunes or balloons. Check out these five festivals to round out the rest of your summer.
The Western Pennsylvania Balloon Quest
July 16-19 – Scotland Meadows Park
Sponsored by the Union Township Fire Department, the Western Pennsylvania Balloon Quest will bring in pilots from around the world for a free celebration of the multi-hued aircraft. Aside from your expected food vendors, crafts and souvenir tables, the highlight of this year’s edition will be what the event organizers call the “Hot Air Balloon Glow” on Thursday night. Around 9 p.m., eight balloons will fly around the festival grounds, lighting up when the pilots turn on their burners. For the rest of the weekend, you’ll have the chance to ride in one of the balloons yourself.
Pittsburgh Blues Festival
July 24-26 – Hartwood Acres
Taking place amidst the luxurious grounds of Hartwood Acres Park, the Pittsburgh Blues Festival has featured legends such as Johnny Winter, Taj Mahal and Robert Cray in its 20-year run. With its 21st celebration, the Blues Festival’s lineup features Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Buddy Guy, who famously influenced Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton with his incendiary style in electric blues. Aside from Guy, frequent Blues Music Award-winner Bobby Rush is expected to dazzle festival-goers, along with Louisiana-raised R&B artist Marcia Ball. The festival has raised more than $2 million for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank over the past 20 years, so you’ll have something else besides the swanky tunes to feel good about while you’re there.
ReplayFX Arcade & Gaming Festival
July 30 – Aug. 2 – David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Gamers rejoice! ReplayFX, an organization devoted to all things pinball, is coming to the rescue. It promises 2,000 retro console games, 700 arcade and pinball machines and more than 150 tabletop games for the weekend-long event. That means it won’t just be your normal arcade fare of Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Asteroids and the like. Instead, you’ll get to play every Madden back to 1993, movies-turned-video-games like “Back to the Future” and just about every Super Mario you can throw a mushroom at. Aside from the vintage fun, there’ll be live music, magicians, inflatable jousting and more for extra entertainment. Sign up forPinburgh – the world’s largest pinball tournament — if you’re feeling ballsy, for a shot at the $100,000 prize pool.
Steel City Con
August 7-9 – Monroeville, PA Convention Center
While it might not attract Marvel execs and big-budget movie previews, Steel City Con is just as zany and cosplay-friendly as its cousin, Comic-Con, in San Diego. Pittsburgh’s annual event includes 750 vendor tables, a costume contest and an artist alley, which will host celebrated animators like Tom Cook, the man behind “Scooby Doo” and “The Flintstones.” Steel City Con also brings in a star-studded celebrity lineup, with panels, meet-and-greets and Q&A’s featuring your favorite pop-culture heroes. 1960s TV icons Adam West and Burt Ward will top this year’s group, marking just about your only chance to personally plot Gotham’s retribution with Batman and Robin. Yellow Power Ranger Karan Ashley will also be at the convention, along with Ralph Macchio, the original Karate Kid. Who knows? Maybe they’ll teach you some moves.
Bloomfield Little Italy Days
August 20-23 – Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield
If you’re Italian and from Pittsburgh, chances are you have some sort of tie to Bloomfield. As a celebration of the neighborhood’s rich Italian heritage, Bloomfield packs its streets with live entertainment and vendors for a long weekend every year. This year’s event includes a bocce tournament, giveaways and activities for kids. Naples-born jazz-pop singer Simona De Rosa tops the music offerings, along with Louis Prima Jr. and the Witnesses, a swing band that typically rocks venues in Vegas. With pizza, sausage and cannoli vendors stretched across Liberty Avenue, there will plenty of food, too.