Here Comes Summer: The Three Rivers Arts Festival

a) How is it already June 4th?
Winter was so long and miserable and awful. Of course summer would officially start by going by in the blink of an eye. Right now I am on overdrive at work, trying to get as much done before my weeklong birthday adventure through Ontario. I look up from my work and it's 5:30 and I can't believe another day is behind me.

b) How is it already time for the Three Rivers Arts Festival??
Oh, right - because it's already June 4th. And the festival starts on Friday!

I took a walk around Point State Park at lunch today to see everything getting set-up for Friday. That's when the festivities start - AND - when the fountain at the point turns back on! It's been hibernating since 2009. So glad to see it come back to life.

Here's a sampling of the music I'm most interested in taking in over the course of the week, but make sure to check out the full listings here.

FRIDAY: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Point State Park, 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
(Sadly, I'm going to be missing this, because I would rather torture myself by watching another Pens-Bruins playoff game.)

SUNDAY: Cello Fury w/ Joy Ike and the dude from The Clarks - Point State Park, 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
(Here's another I'll probably miss due to hockey. I don't even want to think about the possibility of catching this, because it means things got REAL BAD REAL FAST for the Pens...)

MONDAY: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra - Point State Park, 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Glen Hansard - Point State Park, 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
I've seen Glen Hansard play with The Frames and Swell Season before, and he is quite the performer. I highly recommend this show. Knock on stick, but hockey best not interfere with this one.

If you come to the festival by bike, BikePGH is offering FREE bike valet right at the entrance of Point State Park. I'll be there volunteering to take your bike off your hands while you go have fun. I'll also be there taking pictures of people with their bikes in the I <3 My Bike photobooth.

This will be a totally great weekend to be a Pittsburgher (especially if the Pens figure something out). Now, if I could only squeeze in a few extra weekdays to get all this work done before I scurry north for a week of Canadian people, places and things.