Things to Do in Carnot-Moon

Your Groupon works toward any of the monthly Lift Your Spirits wine or spirits tasting events. These friendly yet sophisticated shindigs highlight one of Olive Press’s greatest talents: drink and food pairings. The staff displays serious skill in choosing the perfect beverage from the extensive wine list to bring out the flavor of Olive Press's meals. Each Lift Your Spirits event features the unique flavors of a particular libation, paired with a culinary match. Events include free parking. See past offerings here. Upcoming sessions include:

Use the riding lesson at Caustelot Farms for an introduction or refresher aboard the second-oldest form of transport, the first being logs with saddles. Those opting for the private session receive 30 minutes of one-on-one attention, while the longer small-group session puts cowpersons atop temporary animal companions for an hour of dusty trail hitting and hoof trotting. The small class sizes allow both beginners and experienced horse masters alike to receive the personalized attention necessary to truly learn the secrets of horse whispering.

Pittsburgh Water Limo’s fleet of Coast Guard–certified water taxis have ushered patrons down each of Pittsburgh’s three rivers since 1999. At the helm, captains combining more than 150 years of experience oversee safe transport as guests imbibe beer, wine, or bottled water while the skyline steadily rolls past. The taxis charter regular trips to Pirates and Steelers games or ferry passengers looking to sightsee the city.

The annual Pittsburgh International Auto Show brings brand-new cars and auto enthusiasts together for four days of gazing and gear talk. An expansive layout of sparkling domestic and exotic international rides unfurls within the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, where show-goers can snap pictures with the auto industry’s latest crop of carriages. Daily events keep attendants abreast of new, innovative technologies and reveal how automakers fit live horses into today’s car engines. The Pittsburgh International Auto Show also keeps youngsters occupied with kid-focused entertainment like the SimZilla extreme racing simulator and a NASCAR racing simulator Hank the interactive robot. For those who are not-so automotively enthused, there are plenty of other forms of entertainment including a 30 ft. ultimate gaming experience trailer, spa treatments, car raffles, and tons of other giveaways and attractions. Discount parking and free shuttles from Smallman St. in The Strip are also available.

Now in its 11th year, the Pittsburgh Wine Festival gathers more than 165 vendors who pour more than 500 diverse wines inside the Heinz Field East and West Club Lounges. Though many of the featured wines hail from countries such as France, Germany, Portugal, Argentina, and New Zealand, others call California, Pennsylvania, and the Pacific Northwest their home. As attendees wander between sips of reds, whites, and rosés, they sample food pairings and watch live entertainment.

Winery representatives and winemakers pour their diverse libations during the annual Grand Tasting, but also uncork specialty reserve wines at a VIP tasting. Here, smaller crowds grant visitors more time to speak with the vendors, and ask questions about fermentation or how to determine whether a wine will get along with their other bottles. Outside the main events, industry leaders also hold seminars on how to taste wine like a sommelier or pair wines to specific occasions. Additionally, private wine dinners raise funds for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

More than 50 years ago, Mr. John E. Connelly set his sights on cleaning up Pittsburgh's polluted three rivers and returning them to their former glory as the Steel City's heart and soul. As then-treasurer of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, John was in a prime position to complete his ambition. With the belief that he could get the public engaged and committed to a cleanup, he decided to give the local people access to the rivers via boat tours, knowing the city's characteristic architecture as viewed from the rivers would engender a genuine appreciation for the region's waterways and environment.

After getting his nephew, Captain Jack Goessling, on board, John purchased a 100-passenger fishing boat they would christen the Gateway Clipper, which would later launch from Monongahela Wharf for the first of its many pleasure cruises. Today, with Gateway Clipper Fleet, his dream of engaging locals and visitors in the city's history and waterways thrives with a fleet that has grown to five boats capable of accommodating 2,500 guests. Through the years, the fleet has ferried more than 25 million passengers, treating them to dinner cruises, sightseeing tours, and entertainment jaunts along the clean, blue waters of Pittsburgh's three rivers.:m]]