Party-goers can enjoy great times and vibes, along with perfect views too
After riding up an elevator to the tenth floor at the Theater Square Garage, you are greeted with smiling faces, the smell of freshly squeezed lemonade, and the sounds of laughter and live music. If any of these ring a bell then you must have been at the Downtown Rooftop Shindig.
Hosted by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, the Rooftop Shindig became a way to enlighten the night life and community of Downtown Pittsburgh as local businesses and socialites alike can come together to enjoy a night on the town. The local businesses set up booths where friends and family can come grab a bite to eat, get a drink, or learn some more information on just what the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is.
The Rooftop Shindig started in collaboration with Pittsburgh Filmmakers and as a way to make Pittsburgh even more unique of a city than it already is. The Shindig expands in size every year nearly claiming 2,000 people at their biggest event, a wide range of attendees considering the size of the rooftop. The location is everything however as the Theater Square Garage allows for easy access for the transportation of food and entertainment but also to the citizens who want to make a quick run over to the Shindig.
Come and grab a bite to eat at one of the stands set up all-around the Shindig
The Theater Square Garage allows an outstanding opportunity to have two different distinct areas of both refreshments and entertainment. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust owns the garage and while they are partners with Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership, they act together to bring some great experiences to the people of Pittsburgh.
This was my first time there and I had a blast, between grabbing a bite to eat from Meat and Potatoes, to watching Brightside play some live music, to finally seeing Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as night began to fall upon the city. Leigh White who is the VP of Marketing for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership says, “This is just one of my favorite events to attend simply because it is just so much fun.”
The Rooftop Shindig started around 6 P.M. and continued on until being finished with the featured movie, there were also games set up where people could play a mentally straining game of chess, a high-stakes game of connect-4, or test their throwing skills at a bag toss table. The Rooftop Shindig while still family friendly, seemed to be more for young adults or older teenagers.
The perfect end to the day, Ferris Bueller and a sunset over Pittsburgh
While I was able to talk to Leigh White for a few more words on the Rooftop Shindig, she also explained one of the ways that they choose the entertainment for these events and how they go about deciding on when to host them. “We have a meeting to decide the movie, then bands are chosen based on their sound and willingness to play an event like this. We have had reggae bands, rock bands, and jazz bands.” A wide variety of music and movies seem to keep the crowds coming back for more and more each time.
The next Downtown Rooftop Shindig is September 14th. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior will be the featured movie
and the featured band will be The Commonheart. More information can be found at Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership – Rooftop Shindig, or can be found on most social media. Next time you are around, make sure you go to the Shindig Downtown.
Matthew Miramontes is an incoming senior. He lives in Pittsburgh and has been with Pittsburgh Youth Media for two years. Matthew is also the Chief Editor of his school newspaper, and has now started his own music website (mattsmusicmine.wordpress.com) that acts as a key of reviewing and previewing up and coming music.
Leave a Comment