Spirits of the Burgh Festival & more

Just because it’s the shortest month of the year doesn’t mean your calendar shouldn’t be filled with cool things to do, see and experience. Get out there and explore the city with our guide to the top 10 events in February. Groundhog not included.

1. BRIGID at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center: Feb. 3

Move over Saint Patrick, February is all about Brigid. You don’t have to wait to immerse yourself in Celtic culture because the Pittsburgh Irish Festival team is presenting this musical celebration of everything Saint Brigid of Kildare symbolizes for women, Ireland and Celtic history. Honored annually with St. Brigid’s Feast Day on Feb. 1 (also referred to as Imbolc), it marks the beginning of spring on the Emerald Isle. Don’t miss bagpiping sensation Ally the Piper and Pittsburgh’s newest Irish dance troupe, The Step Sisters. Also featured is Morgan Bullock, Riverdance’s first Black female touring dancer, plus The Brigideens and The Bow Tides. New this year is a matinee performance. Tickets.

2. Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year at Pittsburgh Playhouse and Carnegie Museum of Art: Feb. 3 & 4

Join billions worldwide to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a weekend of local festivities. To kick things off, the Pittsburgh Chinese Culture Center is teaming up with Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse to present the Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Gala. The event (tickets) starts with an exhibit of traditional Chinese arts, crafts and cuisine at 4 p.m. The night’s centerpiece performance begins at 7 p.m. On Sunday, head to the Carnegie Museum of Art for the 27th Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Celebration presented by the Chinese Association for Science and Technology. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the “Harmony in Tradition” event features a Lunar New Year Fair and Show spotlighting Chinese culture and Pittsburgh’s vibrant performing arts community. Tickets. More details: Pittsburgh welcomes the Year of the Wood Dragon

3. I Made It! Market at The Block Northway and Rockwell Park: Feb. 3 & 10

Looking for an alternative to expensive dinners and the cliché chocolate and roses combo? Selecting something handmade is the way to win the heart of any loved one. Pre-game Valentine’s Day — and find something special for yourself — at two Cupid-themed markets. First up, I Made It! Mine at The Block Northway on Feb. 3. With 100 makers, the pop-up marketplace offers a mix of high-quality handmade gifts and goodies plus a farmer’s market. The doubleheader of handmade goodness continues at I Made It! Sweet featuring 65 local artists at Rockwell Park on Saturday, Feb. 10, from noon to 5 p.m. Information.

4. “Dragon Lady” at the O’Reilly Theater: Feb. 7-25

They had us at “gangsters, murder and karaoke.” This intriguing trio of topics takes center stage when Pittsburgh Public Theater welcomes one of the most exciting voices in contemporary theater. Broadway star Sara Porkalob brings her solo cabaret musical to a Pittsburgh stage for the first time. It’s an opportunity for local audiences to experience this installment of Porkalob’s “Dragon Cycle,” chronicling her lineage — with “one play for each generation built around a central female protagonist-grandmother, mother granddaughter — and her specific hero’s journey.” Written by Porkalob — who portrays family members from three generations — the production is directed by CMU grad Andrew Russell. It’s been called LOL hysterical, moving, sordid and fearless. Tickets.

5. Black History Month at Multiple Venues: Feb. 1-29

The are so many ways to honor Black history around the region this month and all year long. The City of Pittsburgh celebrates Black History Month by honoring the first emergency medical service in the U.S. Explore the Freedom House Ambulance Service, which was founded in the Hill District in 1967 and staffed entirely by Black men and women, with a monthlong display of photographs and memorabilia in the City-County Building. The project website includes interviews, photographs and highlights through Feb. 29. Don’t miss the free opening reception on Feb. 1 at 5:30 p.m.

With a full slate of Black History Month offerings, there is so much to experience at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The Black experience in art is explored through displays, resources, playlists, workshops, concerts, talks and community events. Mark your calendar now for An Afternoon with Terrance Hayes on Feb. 10 at the main branch in Oakland. If you miss the award-winning poet since he left the Burgh for a position at NYU, don’t miss this free multi-media event with the MacArthur Genius Grant winner.

On Feb. 21, head to Heinz History Center to examine “how art provides imprisoned people with a voice.” As part of the 10th Annual Black History Month Lecture (tickets), Nicole R. Fleetwood will discuss how “art can heal and humanize in the age of mass incarceration.” The curator, art critic and award-winning author will lead a Q&A and book signing following her lecture.

6. The Spirits of the Burgh Festival at The Pennsylvanian: Feb. 17

After 10 frothy years, the Beers of the Burgh crew is filling its glass with spirits. Showcasing Pittsburgh’s “diverse community of distilleries, spirit-makers, mixologists and other fine libations,” the new festival is turning The Pennsylvanian into a libations landmark. Sample local spirits and craft cocktails with 20 of the area’s top purveyors, from Lucky Sign Spirits, Goodlander Cocktail Brewery and Country Hammer Moonshine to Kingfly Spirits, Noire Expedition and Maggie’s Farm Rum. Beer, wine, cider and NA options also will be available. In between tastings, dance it off with tunes from DJ Samuel Andres. A portion of the proceeds benefit the work of Irreverent Warriors to support veterans. Tickets.

7. Cupid’s Undie Run at McFadden’s: Feb. 17

Over the holidays, joggers traded leggings for shorts (I even saw one dude running without a shirt — really?) as the temps felt like spring. No matter the conditions, thousands of brave Burghers will take to the streets in stripped-down attire to fight neurofibromatosis and raise money for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to run through the city in your undies (without getting arrested), this pantless party is the perfect excuse. The judgment-free vibes kick off at noon with drinking and dancing, followed by a “brief” mile(ish) fun run. Reheat at the epic post-run dance party and costume contest. Register.

For more do-good running, register for the Cupid’s Chase 5K on Feb. 10 at PNC Park to support people with disabilities.

8. Good Wood Fest at East End Brewing: Feb. 17

Sure, February is for hibernating … but not at home, inside a brewery! Your winter warmer awaits at this festival showcasing barrel-aged beverages. Savor three hours of tastings from regional breweries, sink your teeth into East End Chewing pizza and get a keepsake glass. Several new breweries are joining the fun, including Acrospire Brewing, Lolev Beer and Erie Brewing. Along with the classic high ABV barleywines and stouts, the event is offering sours, wild ales, ciders and beers that are not traditionally barrel-aged, including the popular Hefe Weizen German Wheat Ale. Tickets.

9. “The Life and Music of George Michael” at the Byham Theater: Feb. 21


If you’re still riding a high note after watching the new documentary, Wham! — which takes viewers on a whirlwind tour of the English duo’s meteoric career — then this is just the ticket. This concert-style show stops in Pittsburgh for just one night chronicling “the amazing journey George Michael had with music and fans.” Via music, staging and lighting, the production documents the Wham! cofounder’s prowess for creative songwriting, powerhouse vocals and visual presentation. Née Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, the two-time Grammy winner passed away at age 53 in 2016. You’ll be dancing in the aisles to blockbuster hits like “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “Freedom,” “Faith,” “Careless Whisper” and “Father Figure.” Tickets.

10. Q Ball at the Union Trust Building: Feb. 24

For 30 years, Quantum Theatre has invited audiences to think way beyond the stage when it comes to experiencing live theater — situating site-specific plays in evocative settings from abandoned pools to urban cemeteries to sacred sites and even a former porn theater. How fitting that the company is asking fans to “take a quantum leap” into its next benefit bash. Pittsburgh’s Union Trust Building — erected by industrialist Henry Clay Frick and designed by Frederick J. Osterling in 1915-16 — is the illustrious backdrop for the “Quantum Multiverse.” Journey through “different realities,” such as the World of The Mystics, the World of Magic and the World of Sweet Indulgence. Get your passport stamped at three or more of the worlds to vie for the evening’s grand prize. Dance with DJ Selecta, see magic by Jon Tai and enjoy entertainment by treasure treasure & The Quintessance. Tickets

Find more things to do in Pittsburgh, including outdoor recreation, live music, shopping, festivals and family activities.