Pittsburgh's Cultural District Announce LIGHTS ON! A Three-Day Celebration of Pittsburgh's Cultural District

After many long months, the streets of the Cultural District will once again be bustling, the theaters and galleries will be full, and arts lovers from around the region, state, and country will gather to share their experiences, live and in person. This occasion is too important to the organizations of the Cultural District, who have decided to not let the moment pass by without celebration.

September 9-11, 2021, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Public Theater, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra are coming together to light up the District with Lights On! A Three-Day Celebration of Pittsburgh's Cultural District. The free presentations are all set to take place across three locations: the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership's Allegheny Overlook Park on Ft. Duquesne Boulevard, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Mobile Stage at the 8th Street Parking Lot at Penn Avenue, and the Trust Oasis on 7th Street.

This special celebration of the arts in the Cultural District is the official kick-off to RADical Days, an annual thank you to the public with free admission, tours, performances, and family activities offered by the organizations and attractions that are funded by the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD). RADical Days runs September 9 - October 10 and the full schedule will be announced in August.

In addition to the presentations of the Cultural District companies, the celebration also features arts groups from throughout the region, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership events, and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council's Restart the Arts truck, which is a part of GPAC's public service campaign to safely reengage audiences. The truck will visit festivals, community fairs, youth programs, and more throughout the month of September.

The schedule for Lights On! is growing daily, as community partners come on board. In total, 30 different arts organizations are expected to participate, as we celebrate not only the organizations of the Cultural District, but the entire arts ecosystem of our region. The anchor events from the Cultural District organizations are scheduled as follows:

Thursday, September 9

Performances and events from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

5 p.m. at the Allegheny Overlook Stage

Opening remarks and performance

Presented by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and all Cultural District organizations

6 p.m. at the 8th Street Stage

Excerpts from the full-length ballet Napoli

Three - 4,6,8

Presented by the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

7 p.m. at the Allegheny Overlook Stage

The Nth Power

Presented by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center

8 p.m. at the 8th Street Stage

Pittsburgh CLO: Love, Laugh, Sing!

Presented by the Pittsburgh CLO

9 p.m. at the Allegheny Overlook Stage

Shemekia Copeland

Presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Friday, September 10

Performances and events from 2 p.m. - midnight

2 p.m. at the 8th Street Stage

Barefoot in the Park...in the Park

Presented by the Pittsburgh Public Theater

5 p.m. to midnight throughout the Cultural District

Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District and Crawl After Dark

Opening of new exhibitions in SPACE, Wood Street Galleries, 707 Penn Gallery, 820 Liberty Gallery, and 937 Gallery

Presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

8 p.m. at the 8th Street Stage

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra: A Season Preview

50th Anniversary of Heinz Hall!

Presented by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Saturday, September 11

Performances and events from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

11 a.m. at the 8th Street Stage

Baby Rave - a child-friendly dance and music event with a live DJ, particularly for children ages 0-5 and their families

Presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Arts Education Department and Supported by PNC Grow Up Great

2 p.m. at the 8th Street Stage

Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artists Concert

Presented by Pittsburgh Opera

Everyone is encouraged to check back at CulturalDistrict.org/LightsOn leading up to the event for updates on other arts organizations that will participate, added partners, and plenty of things to do in celebration of the arts that weekend. The schedule is subject to change, but all time slots within the listed hours are expected to be filled with community arts events.

Details on each Cultural District organization's specific programs can be found in attached documents, and spokespeople are available upon request to discuss the events of Lights On! A Three-Day Celebration of Pittsburgh's Cultural District. The safest way to experience these outdoor performing arts events and indoor gallery exhibitions in the Cultural District is to be vaccinated or mask up. You can also learn more about what the organizations in the District are doing to keep you safe at CulturalDistrict.org/LightsOn.

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