How To Spend Summer 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh: the City of Champions, the Steel City, the City of Bridges (446 to be exact).

A unique city full of culture, art, and food (the best pierogies around), Pittsburgh has over ninety different neighborhoods. No matter your age and interests this city has something for everyone to do. From adventures in Oakland to spending time Downtown, we have the Pittsburgh Summer Guide for you along with our picks for a few of our favorite pieces of gear to bring along with you. Yinz aren’t ready for these awesome summer adventures.

Your Guide to Summer in Pittsburgh

A Walk in Schenley Park

Looking to spend your day enjoying the great outdoors while exercising? A walk in Schenley Park is the perfect activity for you. With over 456 acres of land to explore, you’ll find walking, hiking, and biking trails galore. Take a step back from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy some beautiful western PA scenery.

What you’ll need:

YETI Water Bottle: On a hot summer day forgetting your water bottle while taking a long walk can spell disaster. With this YETI Rambler, you get 26oz of water to quench your thirst. Your water will stay ice cold until the last sip (or whenever you get tired of walking and decide to go home).
Fanny Pack: Walk in style with this Herschel fanny pack. Functional and durable, this fanny pack guarantees you’ll keep your keys and phone close, while being the most fashionable person in Schenley Park.

Kayaking on the Allegheny River

I absolutely love kayaking on the Allegheny River, one of Pittsburgh’s three rivers. Take in views of the city skyline while floating under Pittsburgh’s notorious Aztec Gold bridges. (Contrary to popular belief, they are not yellow!)

What you’ll need:

Kayak: Obviously you’ll need a kayak. While you can rent them, there’s nothing like having your own. With this inflatable kayak set, you can easily float down the Allegheny with your best friend, significant other, or favorite family member.
Hop Culture Hat: Avoid the blazing Pittsburgh sun with a hat from Hop Culture. With its bright pink color and quirky Sam Taylor design this is our official hat of summer. No sunburns on our watch.
Waterproof Mini Speaker: Bring this waterproof mini speaker on your kayak and blast music as you take in the sights of Pittsburgh. We recommend a few of our favorite Pittsburgh artists like Mac Miller or Wiz Khalifa.

Picnic in Point State Park

Head a little bit past Downtown to the official “point” of Pittsburgh to enjoy a picnic. At the confluence of Pittsburgh’s three rivers there are beautiful views of the water. From your picnic spot, you can also see the Point State Park fountain, which shoots out over 150 feet of water.

What you’ll need:

Picnic Blanket: A comfortable blanket to sit on and enjoy the relaxing ambiance of the fountain and Mount Washington.
Picnic Basket: Something to package all the food you cooked or take-out you bought. I recommend take-out from Condado’s Tacos downtown (don’t forget the queso and guacamole).
Hop Culture Bottle Opener: Bring your favorite bottle of wine or case of beer and easily open it with our eye-catching Hop Culture Bottle Opener.

An Afternoon in Frick Park

In the wonderful neighborhood of Squirrel Hill lies Frick Park, the perfect place to spend a cool, breezy summer day. Famously home to the blue slide playground that Mac Miller pays homage to in his album Blue Slide Park, this park offers space for lounging and athletic activities.

What you’ll need:

An Outdoor Activity: Grab your group of friends and toss around this glow in the dark frisbee. You’ll never lose it when playing frisbee at night.
Hammock: Not interested in playing frisbee? Go relax in this durable, portable hammock.
YETI Hopper Flip Portable Cooler: On a hot day, there’s nothing like a refreshing drink from a cooler (alcoholic or nonalcoholic). I personally would recommend filling the cooler with Bubly (cherry of course).

Randyland Adventure

Right across from the Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh’s contemporary art museum, sits a colorful building known as Randyland. Regarded as one of America’s most colorful public art landmarks, Randyland creator folk artist Randy Gilson attracts those from all around the world to come view his art. Free to explore and the perfect place to get those Instagram worth pics.

What you’ll need:

Camera: Capture special summer moments with friends and family with this Polaroid camera.
Sketchbook: Get inspired by Randyland’s beauty and sketch some museum worthy pieces.
Sunglasses: It’s easy to get blinded by all the colors of Randyland, don’t forget to bring your favorite pair of sunglasses.

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