It’s finally the weekend. And it looks packed with pumpkins, circus performers, coffee, chocolate, and some “Boo-tiful Music.”
‘The Greatest Show on Earth’
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will be at PPG Paints Arena at 7 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon and 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The circus part of the company closed in 2017 — so there will be no animals at this show.
It has been reinvented but continues to be marketed as “The Greatest Show on Earth,” an immersive experience. There will be music, stunts, acrobatic displays and comedic acts. The venue is transformed into a skate park as bikes soar through the air during a high-adrenaline extreme sports act.
There will be jumping and tumbling across the show floor. Wesley Williams, the One Wheel Wonder, a Guinness World Record-setting performer, will ride 10 different unicycles.
Tickets start at $16.
Details:ppgpaintsarena.com
Monster Pumpkins
The annual Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Stacks Courtyard, part of the 3 Crossings campus development on Railroad Street between 28th and 29th Streets in the Strip District.
Ten super-sized pumpkins weighing more than 2,000 pounds and standing 5 feet tall are on display — one is 2,376 pounds.
There will be a pie-eating contest and horse-drawn carriage rides by Misty Lane Farms pulled by Percheron horses.
Brendan Conaway, known as “The Pittsburgh Pumpkin Guy,” will share his carving skills by showing how he turns pumpkins into artwork. He is one of several pumpkin carvers working to create the nearly 30-foot-long continual scene of jungle animals.
There will also be painted pumpkins by graffiti muralists.
Vessel Studio Glass will showcase hand-blown glass demos. There will be a pumpkin tractor pull.
On Sunday, the Costume Caper 5K Family Fun Run/Walk is at 8 a.m. (fee is $30-$35) and the WTAE-TV Project Bundle Up Pumpkin Drop is at 5 p.m.
Admission is free.
Details:monsterpumpkins.com
Symphony events
On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Symphony is hosting “Boo-tiful Music” at 11:15 a.m. and “Superman in Concert” at 7 p.m. Both are at Heinz Hall, Downtown.
Guests are invited to dress in a Halloween costume for “Boo-tiful Music.”
Upcoming Local Events
The morning performance will be American Sign Language interpreted. Prior at 10 a.m. there are activities such as singing the “Fiddlesticks” theme song with vocalist Katy Williams, learning about instruments of the orchestra with musicians, and dancing. Attendees will get a music-inspired craft to take home.
Tickets start at $30.
“Superman in Concert” includes a full orchestra performing John Williams’ original score live. Directed by Richard Donner, the show relays the hero’s inspiring origins, from his narrow escape as an infant from the doomed planet Krypton, to his formative years on a farm in Smallville, Kan., and to his arrival in Metropolis, where he leads dual lives as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent and as Superman.
Tickets start at $35.
Details: pittsburghsymphony.org
Scary Furnace Halloween party
The second annual Beers of the Burgh’s Scary Furnace Halloween Party begins with a beer festival from 4 to 6 p.m. and a party from 6 until 10 p.m. on Saturday at the Carrie Blast Furnaces in Rankin.
Brews from a dozen local breweries are on hand, plus pumpkin beers from across the country. Beers from Brew Gentlemen will be for sale, along with Angry Orchard cider and cocktails by Captain Morgan.
Nash.V.Ill, Tiny Wars, the Eagleburger Zombie Band, DJ Alex Rivera, and a performance by the M80s will provide the entertainment.
There will be a tarot booth and witchy-craft vendors.
Tickets start at $20.
Details: beersoftheburgh.com
Coffee & Chocolate Festival
The Pittsburgh Coffee & Chocolate Festival is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday at Rivers Casino on the North Shore. There are two sessions from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Attendees can sample a variety of coffee roasts and styles, along with a multitude of decadent chocolate-themed sweets from local and surrounding area businesses. The event will have products from local coffee shops, gourmet roasters, artisan chocolatiers, bakeries, wineries and distilleries.
Limited tickets are available, prices start at $35. This is a 21 and over event.
Details:eventbrite.com