Time to spring forward! It’s tough to lose that hour just for the sake of daylight savings, but you can have just as much fun this weekend as any other with what’s happening around town.
The Thaw
This new three-weekend festival from the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership will (hopefully) take us from winter to spring. The first weekend of the festival — Saturday and Sunday — celebrates the last drifts of ice and snow before they’re gone and spring shows up.
Attendees can watch ice art being made by Ice Creations, enjoy an 18-foot ice luge for kids and other chilly activities. Later on in the days, there will be musical performances featuring Billy Price on Saturday night and Beauty Slap on Sunday evening.
The festival will also feature photo ops, a Saturday drag show and a Sunday bar trivia competition, along with other fun. The festival will be held in Market Square. To learn more, visit downtownpittsburgh.com.
‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy at the Science Center
For fans of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy of films, this weekend is a golden opportunity to see the cinematic masterpieces on a REALLY big screen.
“The Fellowship of the Ring” will show Friday night at 7 p.m.; “The Two Towers” will show on Saturday at 7 p.m.; and “Return of the King” will finish out the weekend at 7 p.m. Sunday, all on the Rangos Giant Cinema screen at the Carnegie Science Center on the North Shore.
Each film is $10 for members of the Carnegie Science Center and $12 for non-members. Get tickets and learn more at carnegiesciencecenter.org.
History Uncorked
It’s time for the Heinz History Center’s annual History Uncorked event. This year’s theme is “Mirror Ball,” so make sure to show up in your shiniest, swankiest cocktail outfits for a night of dancing to the tunes spun by DJ Bonics.
The price of the ticket includes admission to the History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, along with two drink tickets (enjoy local beer, wine and signature cocktails), delicious delicacies from local eateries including Bar Marco, Cilantro & Ajo and Burgatory, a scavenger hunt, photo booth and more.
The general admission event runs from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Friday at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District. Tickets are $65. Get the details at heinzhistorycenter.org.
‘I Never Saw Another Butterfly and The Terezin Promise’
This weekend is the last chance to see this production from Prime Stage Theatre, in partnership with the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. This pair of plays follows a teenage girl in the Terezin concentration camp during the Holocaust who learns from an Austrian artist in the camp how to express emotions through art and poetry.
Shows will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The show runs 80 minutes with an intermission. All performances will be held at the New Hazlett Theater on the North Side. For tickets and more information, visit primestage.com.
Disney on Ice
This weekend at PPG Paints Arena, experience “Disney on Ice: Mickey’s Search Party.” This magical experience brings to life Mickey Mouse and other Disney and Pixar favorites including Moana, Aladdin, the “Toy Story” buddies and more. With world-class ice skating tricks, acrobatics and dazzling sets and costumes, this show will be fun for the whole family.
The magic will happen at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, and at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Character experiences before the shows are also available. Visit disneyonice.com for all the info.