Nationality Days Brings Three Days of Cultural Entertainment

The three-day cultural festival begins at 11 a.m. today.

Jenifer Watkins is getting a crash course with the 48th annual Ambridge Nationality Days.  "Talk about trial by fire," she said with a laugh.  As the new executive director of the Ambridge Chamber of Commerce, this is Watkins' first year coordinating the three-day heritage festival that begins today. Watkins credits the volunteers, whom she said have largely helped to pull off the big event.  "We have this great group of volunteers that come together as a team and are realy working well together. I think almost everybody is a volunteer so that's phenomenal. We couldn't do it without the support of the community." This year is a first for the Art Mart, a display of artists in the 400 block of Merchant Street, and for Beaver County's Got …

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Quaker Valley Musical 'Anything Goes' Receives Eight Gene Kelly Award Nominations

Nominations include best actress, best supporting actor and best supporting actress.

Quaker Valley High School's Anything Goes is nominated for eight Gene Kelly Awards. Senior Rachael Houser is nominated for the role of Reno Sweeney. Rachael was also nominated for Best Actress last year for her role of Sarah in “Guys and Dolls.”  Also nominated is Peter Heres, sophomore, as Best Supporting Actor for his role of Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Katie Manuel, junior, is nominated as Best Supporting Actress for the role of Erma. The Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater recognizes and encourages musical theater and arts education, according to the CLO website. The organization gives out the annual awards in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh. Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards and held at the …

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Did Yinz See This? Pittsburgh: The Movie

A Mt Lebanon man compiled clips from 29 films shot in Pittsburgh and turned them into a music video.

From "Silence of the Lambs" to "Dark Knight Rises" to "Jack Reacher," Pittsburgh has been the backdrop to more than two dozen Hollywood films. Mt. Lebanon native Aron Zelkonwicz, who grew up watching many of those films, decided to take it one step further by gathering iconic Pittsburgh scenes from 29 films shot in Pittsburgh and compiling them into a music video. “I thought it would be fun,” he told KDKA'S John Shumway. “I had seen all these movies filmed in Pittsburgh and thought why not take the parts everyone wants to see, the shots of Pittsburgh, and put those together.” His labor of love took weeks, in between rehearsals and performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony where he plays the cello. The music is a piece from the “Pirates of …

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It's Free Comic Day in Sewickley

Big Bang Comics has a bunch of free comics to celebrate this Saturday, May 4. Find other related deals throughout the business district on this day devoted to comic book heroes--and villains.

Quaker Valley Flutist Awarded Scholarship

Rebecca Silverstein was one of six area high school seniors awarded a scholarship from the Blackwood Theater Organ Society.

Rebecca Silverstein, who plays the flute at Quaker Valley High School, has been awarded a scholarship from the Blackwood Theatre Organ Society, the group said in a statement.  Silverstein was one of six area high school seniors awarded a 2013 scholarship.  The Blackwood Theater Organ Society is a not-for-profit organization created to encourage students to pursue instrumental music performance careers. Over the past 13 years, the society has awarded more than $201,000 in scholarships to high school seniors planning to pursue an instrumental music performance degree in college. This year’s scholarships totaled $22,500.  Silverstein performed on both flute and bassoon with the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra tour of France and Italy …

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Sewickley 2013 Spring Gallery Walk: Paintings, Photography, Sculptures and More

Opening receptions are from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, followed by an extended opening to galleries from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Sewickley's annual 2013 Spring Gallery Walk is on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 with opening receptions from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. The gallery openings extend from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. St. James Parish —200 Walnut St. "St. James Frames" presents more than 10 artists' works on display including paintings, photographs and sculpture in the St. James Gathering Space. Included are works by an artist in physical rehabilitation and several young artists of the parish. Available for sale will be a 2014 calendar and stationary representing the artistic efforts of the children of St. James School. Opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. in the church’s gathering space on Walnut Street.  Refreshments will be served. Art will be open for …

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St. James Handbell Choir Performs at RMU

The event drew about 180 ringers from various churches and communities.

The St. James Parish Handbell Choir recently took part in the 13th Annual Western Pennsylvania Handbell Festival, which took place on Saturday, April 13, at Robert Morris University.  About 180 ringers from various churches and communities attended, and together they presented a final concert.   The WPA Festival is produced by Three Rivers Ringers and was conducted by one of today’s leading handbell composers and conductors, Timothy H. Waugh. Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter Check out some of today's other top stories here.

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Nature's Magic: Building Fairy Houses with Author Tracy Kane at Mary Roberts Rinehart Nature Park

Author and illustrator Tracy Kane stops by Mary Roberts Rinehart Nature Park in Glen Osborne for "Fairy Fun," an event connecting families with the magic of nature and imagination.

Alexis Thompson, 8, and Paige Frank, 7, carefully added white sea shells and blue flowers to complete their fairy house. "Girls, I'm impressed. That looks magical," author and illustrator Tracy Kane said, complimenting the Sewickley friends on their creation. And there was something magical happening at the "Fairy Fun" event on Saturday at the Mary Roberts Rinehart Nature Park, a day organized by the Osborne Trail and Park Association and sponsored by the Edgeworth Garden Club.  Organizers estimate about 240 people took part in the day of building and learning about fairy houses—little habitats created using natural materials. "It's great family fun," said Kane, the author and illustrator of a series of books on Fairy Houses. Before the …

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Village Theater Company Plans Upcoming Fundraiser

Tickets are available now.

Village Theater Company is hosting a fundraiser on Saturday, April 27 to help raise support for a local family movie theater. The fundraiser begins at 7 p.m. at the BarN on the corner of Scaife and Glen Mitchell roads in Sewickley Heights. Patty Jones of Village Theater said about $500,000 has been raised to date. In the next few months, there will be a big push to reach the total funding goal. Jones said the non-profit group seeks to raise $1.5 million by end of June 2013 in order to break ground and take advantage of "no land acquisition costs" being offered by the Thorn-Walnut development company. The company owns the parcel of land in downtown Sewickley where the theater could be built.   Tickets are available on the website at http://…

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'Iron Chef' Winner to Cook at Settlers Ridge

Chef and Food Network personality Alexandra Guarnashchelli will take part in a cooking demonstration in Robinson Township. Tickets are now available.

Chef Alexandra Guarnashchelli will make a guest appearance the Robinson Township Market District Giant Eagle.  Guarnashchelli is the season five winner of the popular cooking competition show The Next Iron Chef. She also serves as a judge on the Food Network series Chopped and has appeared on Good Morning America and the CBS Morning Show.  She now serves as the executive chef of eateries The Darby and Butter, located in New York City.  Guarnaschelli will appear at 11 a.m. May 18 at the Robinson Township Market District location for a cooking demonstration. The appearance is free to attendd, but tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Find more information on attending on the Market District's website. 

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