Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival moving from the North Shore to the Strip District
Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival is carving out a new space. After three years on the North Shore, the two-day event in October has found a new home in the Strip District.
The new location will be on Railroad Street between 28th Street and 29th Street. The free event is scheduled for Oct. 16-17.
The spot is known as The Stacks at 3 Crossings. The area is described as “a 20-acre, mixed-use development that includes multiple public courtyards and open spaces.”
“It’s a nearly perfect footprint with plenty of parking abutting the venue, connections in the back with the Riverfront Trail, and unobstructed, but defined, access for crowd management,” said event producer Michael Dongilli, president of Vivid Pittsburgh.
He said he plans to make the Strip District the festival’s permanent home.
The Strip District is thrilled about that, said Pamela Austin, chair of Strip District Neighbors, an organization promoting the area. She said in a statement that the Strip District is “known for being the place where Pittsburghers get their produce and spirits, so this gathering is a great fit for our neighborhood.”
Dongilli said hosting the event on the North Shore posed additional challenges trying to coordinate with the home schedules of the Pirates, Pitt and Steelers and other organizations vying for events there.
Humongous pumpkins also have a shelf life — they are good for a few weeks before they start to rot.
He said the Strip District area can accommodate plenty of vendors and exhibits including the huge pumpkins, which each weigh between 1,000 to nearly 3,000 pounds.
Dongilli said he will closely monitor guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the covid-19 variant.
“We hope to have the festival in the format we had the first two years,” said Dongilli, who, because of the pandemic, moved the event last year to a drive-thru exhibit in which 1,000 cars drove past.
“We hope for people to be able to interact with vendors and see the pumpkins up close. There is plenty of space to social distance. We are really excited about this move. We are keeping our fingers crossed.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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