Morning! June is here and it’s feeling a lot like summertime! We’re starting to plan out some ideas for day trips this summer and really want to explore Appalachia a little more. We’re cryptid lovers too, so if you have any good spots you think I should check out, shoot me an email! Wherever we go, I’ll document and will be sure to shout out any ideas I get in my inbox.

Depending on who you talk to, our rivers are swimmable in certain areas or absolutely not swimmable. Well, this is good news for whatever camp you’re in. A recent ecological survey that was done by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission revealed that freshwater mussel populations are starting to come back. They were specifically found near New Kensington and some further downriver as well.

Closer to home, ALCOSAN found mussels in the Elmsworth Pool. This marks the first time that we’ve seen this level of diversity of mussels in the Ohio River since 1904. To see that mussels are coming back means great things for our rivers.

Mussels are excellent filters, but they can’t live in polluted waters. Polluted, of course, is somewhat of a relative term. Their filtering helps with sewage treatment which as we all know is a big problem with our rivers.

Them coming back is a sign that our waterways are becoming less polluted than they’ve been in a very long time. Plus, they’ll help continue to filter our water a little bit at a time. Now, I’m by no means advocating that you go jump in the river but in terms of trajectory, this is great news.

If you want to read more about it, you can here.

I know, I know, it’s two weeks in a row with a beer story. But this was another one that was just too good to not post about.

To celebrate Mancini’s 100th anniversary, they’re collabing with Velum Fermentation to do a “Liquid Bread” beer. It’s an italian pilsner-style beer that sounds like it’s going to taste pretty dang close to bread in a can. This is one of those things that feels like only Pittsburgh could pull off. I love it here.

They’re throwing a whole party around it on Saturday June 6th at Velum Fermentation from 6 to 9 pm. They’ll be handing out free pepperoni rolls, will have live music, and food trucks as well.

Even if you can’t make this event, they’ll be distributing this out to local Giant Eagles and beer distributors. Some local restaurants and bars will even be serving it on tap.

I’m by no means a beer aficionado, but as I’ve said before, I love novelty. And I’m a Mancini’s lover. So I’ll absolutely be giving this one a taste.

When did Heinz ketchup first appear on shelves throughout the US?

Last Week’s Answer: Bobbin boy

I’m not usually a midcentury modern fan but Frank Lloyd Wright gets a pass I guess😉. This house is in Squirrel Hill and is listed at a cool $1.2M. But the draw is that it was designed by Peter Berndtson and Cornelia Brierly who were both disciples of Frank Lloyd Wright. They also worked with him on Fallingwater.

Sometimes midcentury modern can feel very inorganic but this feels like it blends in with the nature around it. The windows frame the landscaping so it feels like it’s inside with you. Check it out for yourself.

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The Bass Drop Buti - Get a workout in and dance to heavy bass tunes in your own light up headphones. 7 pm at The Stacks at 3 Crossings. Sign up.

Aria412 Opera Group Presents Pride Concert - Kick off pride month at Hop Farm Brewing Company. 7 pm. More info.

Bruster’s Annual School’s Out Party - Start the summer break with live music, face painting and a free small cone for the kids. 12 pm to 5 pm at Bruster’s Robinson Township location. More details.

Tap Into June - Try their newest beer paired with a lemon caper schnitzel. 6 pm at Hofbrauhaus. See info.

Needle Felting: Bird of the Month: Eastern Bluebird with Erin Carlson - Learn how to needlefelt and leave with a cool craft. 6 pm to 9 pm at Contemporary Craft - Timmons Studios. Get tickets.

No Straight Answers - Pittsburgh’s favorite comedy therapy show where the panel tells you what you’re doing wrong and how to fix it. 7 pm at Potomac Station Coffeehouse. Tickets.

Three Rivers Arts Festival - The official grand opening of Arts Landing with live music, the artist market, dancing, and more. June 5th through the 7th and then again the 11th through the 14th. 12 pm. More info.

Morgan Wallen - He’ll be performing both Friday and Saturday night at 5:30 pm at Acrisure Stadium. Get tickets.

Allegheny County Summer Concert Series - River City Brass is performing this week at South Park Ampitheater. Food trucks available at 6 pm. Concert starts at 7:30 pm. Details.

Kitty Bingo - Support Kitty Queen Cat Rescue at this charity BINGO event. Seating starts at 7:05 pm at Kitty Queen Cat Rescue. Register.

Pittsburgh Pride Festival - Support and celebrate pride in the 412 at Allegheny Commons Park West. 11 am both Saturday and Sunday. More details.

Babesburgh Bash - Celebrate the women of Pittsburgh with live music, crafts, vendor market, food, and activities. 3 pm at Allegheny Landing Park. Get tickets.

11th Annual Mars Brew Fest - Sip brew samples from local and national breweries along with live music and food. 5 pm at Mars Flying Saucer. Tickets.

Greenfield Glide 5k - Run the 5k cross-country course through Schenley Park. 8:30 am at Schenley Park. Register.

Schenley Plaza Flea - The Neighborhood Flea’s First Sundays are back starting June 7th from 11 am to 4 pm. Details.

RCB Brass for the Memories Gala - Board the Gateway Clipper to support RCB with an afternoon of music and celebration. 11:30 am. Tickets.

Wing Fest - Starting at 12 pm at The Beacon Hotel. Info.

World Ocean Day - Enjoy an afternoon of activities learning more about our oceans. 10:30 am at Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Details.

Remember to tag us @steelcityledger on Instagram if you check out any of these events!

Friday: ⛅️ 87° Hi / 65° Lo | 💧 13% chance of rain | 💨 8 mph wind

Saturday: 🌤️ 84° Hi / 65° Lo | 💧 30% chance of rain | 💨 8 mph wind

Sunday: 🌩️ 82° Hi / 64° Lo | 💧 60% chance of rain | 💨 5 mph wind

Huge shoutout to GroganMedia for this week’s fantastic photo. You can check out his full portfolio here.

You may remember back in 2018 Mister Rogers had his own stamp as part of a special collection the USPS was doing at the time. They did a print run of 12 million but it was wildly popular and they sold out quickly. Last July the USPS announced the Stamp Encore contest where people could vote on their favorite stamp to make a comeback. Because Mister Rogers is an icon, he beat the next closest stamp design by 40,000 votes. These are now available to buy as of yesterday. You can get them at your local Post Office or buy them online.

The Strip District just got some more housing via The Stanza apartments. They have 84 total units with 24 different floor plans. The rent starts at $1,750 per month for a studio and goes up from there. It’s off of Smallman St and just a couple blocks from the heart of the strip. A great location for anyone looking to be in a really walkable area. You can check out the apartments here.

I can’t write anything like what they posted on Instagram so I’m going to let their own caption lead the way:

“It started cute and in good fun. Then we realized it was us infiltrating the Beaver County burger scene. Everyone loves an underdog. Like when the Steelers wore their away whites all postseason en route to a Super Bowl. I’m not talking to Sharpsburg or Etna or Blawnox. I’m talking ALL of Allegheny County. Help us crush Beaver on our way to Western PA burger glory. Gotta head over to Facebook to cast your vote. Ends Tuesday at noon. Much love. ❤️”

You heard the folks! Vote here!

At this point you may be noticing a trend with the cats that I post. I have a soft spot for cats who need a little extra love and who most people would probably look past. Jacked Up Jack fits that bill perfectly. He’s had a rough past and probably had a run in with a car. He has some funky features but don’t judge a book by its cover. He’s a sassy boy who loves to get pets. His foster family says that he loves to sleep on their stairs and in order to pass, they have to pay the Jack Tax (pets on the head). Because he’s FIV+, he should be an only cat. See more of him here.

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