The Three Rivers Arts Festival is an annual arts festival held in downtown Pittsburgh. Sponsored by Dollar Bank, the festival has been held for the past 56years. Originally founded by the Women’s Committee of the Carnegie Museum of Art, the event is now sponsored by Dollar Bank, in connection with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

With new and returning artists, this event has grown in the recent years. Hundreds of artists will be at the artist market, throughout the 10 day event, there will be a few dozen musical acts and there is of course a few food trucks there to feed your hungry stomach. I invite everyone to drive down to the Point, for at least a day, to stroll through the various art vendors, engage in a few hands on activities and enjoy some uniquely Pittsburgh food while watching a live performance.

The festival is a reminder of just how much art matters to a community. Located in the Cultural District, it brings people together from everywhere around Pittsburgh. For ten days each year, Point State Park becomes filled with both artists and appreciators of art. The festival is just as much about the celebration of art, as it is about the creative process of making art.

With such a large variety of actives and events to attend, I’ve highlighted my top picks for the course of the festival.

Artist Market

Located at Point State Park and the Gateway Center, sponsored by People’s Natural Gas, the Artist Market features over 350 independent artists and their handcrafted wares. From 12-8 p.m. daily through the course of the festival, artists from around the country bring their craft to the city of Pittsburgh. Selected through a juried process, a wide variety of media will be available for purchase. With each artist determining how many days they will be at the festival, it is quite possible for you to discover a new artist on subsequent visits.

Juried Visual Art Exhibition

Located at the Trust Arts Education Center in the Cultural District, the 2016 Juried Visual Art Exhibition will be open throughout the course of the festival from 12-8 p.m. This year the exhibition features 58 works by 51 artists. From a pool of nearly 400 submissions, this show showcases the best of the best.

Mobile Sculpture Project

A new site specific piece of art will be completed on the Gateway Lawn of the Gateway Center throughout the course of the ten day festival. Pittsburgh, known as the City of Bridges, provides the perfect inspiration for a symbolic piece, referencing the region’s background. Open daily from 12-9 p.m., this piece will transform itself daily and I would recommend visiting early in the week and then close to the final construction of the piece.

CREATE 2016 Innovation Salon

As the arts continue to grow, there connection to the tech side of the world becomes more evident. Thursday, June 9^th, from 12-9 p.m. at the Fairmont Pittsburgh, located in the Cultural District, the innovations of the arts and tech, will highlight the most exciting projects of the year. It’s an opportunity to interact with some of the latest and greatest. Put on by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, its meant to show that once a purely industrial city, the city is constantly expanding and growing into new fields.

Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse

The Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse is sponsoring a Resuse-a-Palooza at the Giant Eagle Creativity Zone at Point State Park. From 12-6 p.m. daily, participants of all ages can create their own works of art with a variety of reclaimed materials. This is a fun opportunity for a hands on art experience at the festival. If you’re lacking inspiration, teaching assistants will be there to provide examples and encouragement.

Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts

The Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts invites festival attendees to create fiber collages at the Giant Eagle Creativity Zone at the Gateway Center. From 12 p.m.-6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, participants can use a variety of recycled yarns, threads and fabrics to create their own collage. Teaching assistants will be available to help.

Construction Junction and Project Re_

Beginning Monday June 6^th through Thursday the 9th, at the Giant Eagle Creativity Zone at Point State Park, the doors that everyone from Pittsburgh is familiar with from Light Up Nigh, Highmark First Night Pittsburgh and the Home & Garden Show will be available for viewing. From 12 p.m.-6 p.m., come take a look at the works of local artists and become involved with the interactive displays of “knock-knock” jokes with environmental themes.