Get in the Groove at the Deutschtown Music Festival on Pittsburgh’s North Side

by Janet Jonus

Music, food, and FamilyFun at the Deutschtown Music Festival

The Sixth Annual Deutschtown Music Festival takes over the North Side for two days of music, food, and Fun Things to Do with Kids in Pittsburgh July 13th and 14th.

The focus of the Festival is on music as 350 musical acts take the stage at 40 venues spread out around Pittsburgh’s North Side. There are performances by jazz, folk, blues, rock, bluegrass, and electronic music artists performing on outdoor stages and at indoor venues but there is so much more FamilyFun.

On Saturday July 14th, Allegheny Commons East Park hosts FamilyFun activities for children of all ages. The family area opens at noon with activities ending around 600PM. There is plenty of grassy space for kids to run around and play or for families to relax and listen to the music on the Park Stage. The best part is all of the Family Activities at the Festival are free!

The Festival offers up activities for children of all ages. From noon until six the Tropical Obstacle Course and Slide, an inflatable obstacle course suitable for preschoolers and younger kids, is open. A balloon artist will be on hand from 1200PM-330PM. The activities kick into high gear at 100PM. A Moon Bounce for preschoolers and younger kids is open from 100PM – 300PM. A face painter will be decorating faces from 100PM – 600PM. Older kids, tweens, and teens will want to try out the Outdoor Climbing Wall from Venture Outdoors from 100PM – 600PM. Kids get to harness up and top rope the wall. Can you make it to the top?

The Nutty Science Professor brings his interactive science show Science Rocks to the Festival from 100PM – 400PM.

The Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, a FamilyFunPittsburgh favorite, will have a booth open from 200PM – 600PM. This unique, hands-on art activity is for everyone young and old. Guests are given bins and sent through a “buffet” of donated items collecting whatever strikes their fancy. They take their treasures to assembly tables where they can make anything they want, creating upcycled art. The theme for the Festival is “musical instruments” but you can make anything you want. Volunteers from the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse are on hand to assist. FamilyFunPittsburgh participated in this activity at other places and we highly recommend it. Parents are encouraged to create alongside their youngsters. Don’t miss out on this FamilyFun activity!

The Citiparks Roving Art Cart is open from 200PM-500PM. The Art Cart is a Pittsburgh Citiparks staple with art activities for toddlers through tweens. Everyone can participate. A Giant Puppet Stroll takes place from 200PM – 500PM.

Preschoolers, kids, tweens, and teens can take on the 3WS Sports Challenge – an inflatable, interactive sports game. It is open from 200PM – 400PM.

Ice Creations shows off their amazing ice carving skills during demonstrations from 200PM-300PM and again from 400PM -500PM.

When hunger strikes head on over to the Food Trucks set up at the Park and on Foreland Street. From tacos to pizza, Chinese food to hot dogs, burgers to BBQ, there is something for everyone. Twenty-five trucks serving up savory food will be open on Saturday July 14th during the Festival. When your sweet tooth kicks in, there are eight trucks serving up ice cream, sweets, and desserts.

The Park Stage, closest to the Family Activity area, will have musical acts all day long. Starting at 1100AM with the Tim Vitullo Band the stage will be home to musical acts through 800PM. Nightly Standard takes the Stage at 1200PM followed by little good bad at 100PM. Dori Cameron & the Invisible Monsters plays at 200PM, Coexist Music Group is on at 300PM, and the Emily Rodgers Band takes the stage 400PM. The Chad Sipes Stereo is on at 500PM and Working Breed plays at 600PM. Late Hit Jam finishes out the day at 700PM. Hundreds more acts play throughout the Festival. For a full schedule check here: http://deutschtownmusicfestival.com/2018-saturday-schedule/

Bathrooms are Portable Toilets (Port-a-pots) located across from the park on Foreland Street. The closest Baby Changing Stations are at Arnold’s Tea on E. Ohio Street or at Max’s Allegheny Tavern on Susimon St. There is a crossing guard at Cedar Avenue to Foreland Street. Two blocks of Foreland Street are closed to traffic during the Festival.

The Festival is expecting over 20,000 people to attend during the two-day event. (Food trucks and Family Activities are only available on Saturday July 14th.) Parking will be a difficult but there is on-street parking and several lots on the North Side. The Pirates are playing a double-header starting at 1235PM on the 14th. The Festival runs two free shuttle buses all day on Saturday July 14th. There are stops throughout the Festival area and parking lots on the North Side and the North Shore. There is a stop at the Allegheny Commons East Park at Cedar Avenue and Foreland Street. The shuttles also stop at or near the T stations on the North Shore. The Festival is served by the T and several Port Authority buses. For more information on parking and transportation options, check here: http://deutschtownmusicfestival.com/parkingshuttle-bus/

The Deutschtown Music Festival runs from July 13th – July 14th. The Festival hours on the 13th are 300PM-1200AM with musical acts at all of the venues. The family activities and food trucks are not available on July 13th. Festival hours on July 14th are 1100AM-100AM with Family Park activities from 1200PM-600PM. Festival information can be found here: http://deutschtownmusicfestival.com/