Marquerite Westinghouse hosted elaborate dinners and soirees at her and her husband George’s estate on what is now the grounds of Westinghouse Park.
There are photographs of her wearing fancy headpieces.
So the site became a fitting space for another big-time party Saturday — the annual PNC Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Spring Hat Luncheon.
The 10-acre green space in Pittsburgh’s North Point Breeze neighborhood was the backdrop to the sold-out event of nearly 600 guests dressed in their finest.
A sea of creative toppers were on display, from fancy fascinators to colorful cloche styles to bold bucket hats and those with wide brims in bright hues. A few fedoras and cowboy hats created a festive spring scene despite the raindrops.
Outfits were complemented with fun prints, striking colors and patterned rain boots to navigate soggy terrain.
It was the first time in the event’s 27 years it was held at Westinghouse Park.
The hat luncheon has been rotating through Frick, Schenley, Riverview, Allegheny Commons and Highland parks.
“We love the neighborhood feel of this park,” said Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy president and CEO Catherine Qureshi, as she greeted guests. “George and Marquerite Westinghouse were beloved. Marquerite was known for her elaborate parties and George revolutionized the world. He realized his employees needed time off and created weekends off from work at his company.”
Westinghouse Park was chosen as a way to celebrate the rich history of the Westinghouses and to preserve their legacy, Qureshi said.
Westinghouse invented the air brake and other railroad inventions, which were credited with saving thousands of lives. He also helped develop the use of alternating current electrical power distribution and invented devices to allow for the safe use of natural gas in industry and residences. He was awarded 360 patents used in a wide spectrum of industries.
The year’s event raised a record $650,000 “and counting,” Qureshi said.
The hat luncheon has raised more than $12 million over the 27 years of its existence to keep Pittsburgh parks fresh and new.
“I love the support for this event,” Qureshi said. “I think it has been successful because it is the first big social event of the season, and people love their parks.”
Qureshi said Westinghouse Park was unscathed despite Tuesday’s “unprecedented” storm that left other parks and neighborhoods left with uprooted trees.
“We really want to thank the City of Pittsburgh Forestry, Public Works and Public Safety for keeping everyone safe this week,” Qureshi said.
The importance of donating and supporting parks and green spaces is even more important after this week’s storms, said Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey.
“Parks are places for me to relax and enjoy nature and for my dog to walk me,” Gainey said. “When I come home from a long day I can find peace in a park. No matter the weather, all of you always show up for this event. That means so much.”
They do show up because parks are beloved in this city, said Mary Starusko of Mt. Lebanon, who was representing Highmark. She fashioned an oversized hat by adorning it with flowers, bird nests and bird houses.
“I love everything about this event because I love our parks,” Starusko said. “They are more than beautiful green spaces. They are a huge part of the fabric of the city.”
One of the current projects for Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is Baxter Park in Homewood. Gainey said investing in city parks such as the Baxter project creates an atmosphere for children to be able to play and enjoy outdoors.
The hat luncheon is about more than fashion and philanthropy, said Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County executive. They are beautiful backdrops and places to play and walk with your neighbor and find peace, she said.
“The hat luncheon is about our commitment to our parks and the importance of our green spaces,” Innamorato said. “Parks are so important to our region for recreation as well as for public health and community identity.”
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It is definitely about community identity for Pittsburgh City Councilman Khari Mosley, who walked to the event because he has lived in the neighborhood since 2012.
“This park means a lot to me,” said Mosley, who read a city proclamation declaring May 3 PNC Parks Conservancy Hat Luncheon Day. “My children have played here. I am training for the (Sunday’s Dick’s Sporting Goods) half-marathon and I’ve run in this park. What is cool about this park is there has been everything from Shakespeare plays to football here.”
Mosley has not had power since the storm — and it was not lost on him that he was standing on the ground where George Westinghouse helped invent devices for the generation, application and transmission of alternating current of electricity. That’s all part of The Westinghouse Legacy, a project that advocates to recognize, archive and honor Westinghouse’s life and accomplishments.
“Tuesday was a storm like we have never seen before, and we need to invest in our parks more than ever to protect them,” Gainey said. “We don’t know what the future holds, or what future storms will bring. But if we protect our parks, we will have the serenity of what parks bring to this city.”
Each table was adorned with floral centerpieces created by Aspinwall’s Fox and the Fleur, which were available for purchase. Big Burrito Catering provided the lunch of focaccia rolls with rosemary-sea salt butter, Scottish salmon with grilled artichokes, and carrot cake with cream cheese mousse and brown butter streusel.
Co-chairing the event were Maris Dauer, Danica Griffith, Geovette Washington, Latasha Wilson-Batch and Melanie Crockard.
Alexis James Steals, who recently moved to Conway, Beaver County, from Ohio Township, was a guest of Washington’s. It was her first time attending the hat luncheon.
“This is an event to support parks and the community of Pittsburgh,” James Steals said. “You can just feel the energy.”
Each guest was given a gift — fitting for this week: a green umbrella.