10 Reasons to Visit Pittsburgh in April

Vintage Pittsburgh

Love retro and vintage products? The Vintage Pittsburgh event at the Heinz History Center is not to be missed with dozens of vendors selling their wares right inside the museum (which you can also explore with your ticket!).

In 2022, the Vintage Pittsburgh event runs on April 2nd from 10 am to 3 pm. 

Kennywood Opens for the Season

Pittsburgh’s historic theme park, Kennywood, returns for another season in 2022 starting on weekends on April 16th for pass holders and April 17th for general admission. So go ride the Jack Rabbit as many times as you can and finish it out with an order of potato patch fries!

Visit Lucy in the Strip District

It doesn’t feel like spring in Pittsburgh until Lucy makes her way back to the Strip District once again. Her Vietnamese banh mi have a cult-like following behind them and within just a few bites you’ll quickly understand why that is. Perfectly grilled pork with a sweet and tangy pop sauce topped with pickled vegetables and, for the adventurous, jalapeno, all for less than $10? You know we’re in for that!

We have seen Lucy back for 2022 and set up right next to Bar Marco for lunch shifts in the Strip. But as always, make sure you take cash!

CMU Spring Carnival and Buggy Race

CMU hosts many great events during the year, but their annual Spring Carnival is often a crowd favorite for the rides, food trucks, music, and more. But to us, the most impressive part of this particular event is the 100+-year-old tradition of the buggy race.

In its original design, the buggy races were exactly what you would imagine- carts with a driver would race around campus to try and achieve the best time. Today, the race looks a little different with the engineers of CMU designing some of the most aerodynamic racers piloted by some of the lightest students they can find on campus. This one really needs to be seen to be believed, and you can in 2022 during Carnival from April 7th to 10th.

Downtown Gallery Crawl

Downtown Pittsburgh’s quarterly gallery crawls are always a fun experience as many museums and exhibits are open late with special hours for the event. The spring gallery crawl downtown is on April 22nd from 5:30 to 10 pm and is a great way to check out some art installations you may otherwise miss!

Pirates Opening Day at PNC Park 

We all know the track record of the Pirates in recent years, and if you’ve ever walked by the stadium on game days you sometimes can’t even tell that a game is going on.

But there is one day where PNC Park is always guaranteed to be full of energy, and that is the home opener- the one day of the year where every team has a blank slate and everyone is excited about baseball once again. In 2022, the home opener falls on April 12th and is sure to provide yet another packed house.

Or, if you’re looking for something different, head to the park on April 14th for their famous Dollar Dog Night for cheap hot dogs too (another surprisingly popular event at the start of the season)!

Go Find a Beer Garden

In April we just want to be outside as best as possible, and nothing beats being out in the rising temperatures with a nice cold beer at a beer garden. So not only go track out some gems like Strange Roots and Grist House but find some smaller outdoor drinking slots at the likes of Trace, Two Frays, Helltown in the Strip District, and even the Roundabout pop-up* on the North Shore River Trail to name a few!

*Yes, even though Roundabout’s Lawrenceville location is no longer operating, they are still maintaining the seasonal popup!

Art All Night

Art All Night is one of our favorite shows of the year for a number of reasons. First, true to its name this one runs overnight for a 22 hour, non-stop show. Want to see the show at midnight? You can. Five AM? That too. 

The second is that this monster show is without a jury and without censorship. Thousands of artists submit a piece of work that adorn a massive warehouse, and the event makes a great way to check out many styles of art all in a single stop. 

Note: This event typically takes place in April each year, but the exact date has not been announced for 2022 yet. We are hopeful for more information soon.

Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve

Our final two activities to recommend for April require the caveat that you need to time it right for the best experience, and we cannot predict that too well. The reason for this is because they are the spring wildflower blooms!

Towards the end of April, the parks around Pittsburgh come to life with gorgeous wildflowers, and one of the best places to check them out is the wildflower reserve at Raccoon Creek State Park (to the west of the airport). This massive reserve is often thought to have the most diverse collection of wildflowers in the state and is truly a must-see at its peak! 

Note: While Raccoon Creek State Park is pet friendly, the wildflower reserve is not. So leave your furry friends at home when visiting this one.

Trillium Trail

One other gorgeous trail of note to check out during the wildflower bloom is the Trillium Trail near Fox Chapel. This particular trail is on the smaller side and can be visited in about a half-hour, but if you time your visit right towards the end of April odds are good you’ll see what we think is one of the largest amounts of trillium in southwest Pennsylvania!

And if you want some more hiking while you’re in the area, head over to Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve for more.

Note: Much like the wildflower reserve at Raccoon Creek, these trials are not pet-friendly.

Do you have a favorite activity to enjoy in Pittsburgh in April? Comment below to share!