What: T Pittsburgh Irish Festival
Where: 1000 Sandcastle Drive, West Homestead, PA 15120
When: September 10-12; Friday 4pm-12pm, Saturday 11am-12pm, and Sunday 9am-6pm.
Why: To do the traditional step dance to some authentic Gaelic music, taste some Shepherd’s Pie and Limerick Limeade, and trace the roots of your Irish family tree. This three-day festival, drawing nearly 25,000 each year, is part of the Irish Education Outreach Program, a non-profit organization that was developed to spread an awareness of Irish history and culture. The Cultural Area will boast weavers, lace makers, storytellers, harpists and Irish whistlers (you will have to see it to figure that one out) while the Children’s Area will provide interactive activities to keep kids entertained. Green your experience with the event’s reusable pint glasses and bags for shopping.
Cost: Admission for adults is $12 advance/$15 at the gate, $10 for senior citizens and $10 for veterans. Children under 12 attend for free. Volunteer with some friends and get some Irish goodies in return.
How to Get There: Take an Amtrak train or a Greyhound bus from Port Authority and then either the 53, 55B, 56E, 57, 59, 61D, or 64 bus from the Pittsburgh Port Authority straight to the Riverplex/Waterfront.
(Pittsburgh Irish Festival, PO Box 81173, Pittsburgh, 412.422.1113, pghirishfest.org)
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram