June Events: First Friday, St. Clair Summer Swing, Thomas the Tank Engine Exhibit, Build-A-Bike, Star Parties, Saints & Stained Glass, Little Lake in June, Great Conductors Class, Safe Sitter Class and Artillery at the Arts Festival.

FIRST FRIDAY

This year, the first First Friday is also the first day in June, so that means you will want to be the first in Uptown for the festivities! Enjoy kids’ activities, dining, desserts and free music by Grateful Dead tribute band, Fungus, in Clearview Common from 7 to 10 p.m. 

HAVANA, OOH NA NA

Spend a Night in Old Havana with St. Clair Hospital at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 20, at St. Clair Country Club. This year, their annual gala will include a Cuban quartet, salsa dancers, dinner and more. The corresponding golf outing will also be held at St. Clair Country Club on Monday, July 23. Both events sell out, so buy tickets early. 

TRAINS WITH THOMAS

Thomas and Friends is spending the summer at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh! This interactive exhibit, originally created by the Minnesota Children’s Museum, engages kids ages 2 to 7 in foundational skills that foster STEM literacy. Kids can climb into Thomas’ cab, fix Percy’s wobbly wheel, explore the Island of Sodor and much more. 

BUILD-A-BIKE

Get a team together and help United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania to build bikes for kids in need. On Thursday, June 21, at the Heinz Field UPMC Club, 150 kids will work with 150 teams of adults to build a bicycle that they will each get to take home with them at the end of the day. Registration starts at 2, bike-building from 2:30 to 5, followed by a happy hour. 

STAR PARTIES

Star gazing has never been so fun! Join the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh at the Mingo Creek County Park Observatory in Finleyville at dusk on Friday, June 8, or Saturday, June 9, for a “guided tour” of the sky, night sky displays and camaraderie with fellow star gazers. Feel free to bring telescopes, binoculars, food and folding chairs. Call 724-348-6150 to confirm sky conditions before making the drive and be sure to turn off your headlights as you approach observatory grounds.  

SAINTS & STAINED GLASS

Join The Historical Society of Mount Lebanon for a tour of two historic churches—Mt. Lebanon Evangelical Presbyterian and St. Bernard—at 6 p.m., on Monday, June 4. Register ahead of time for this 90-minute interior tour focused on the churches’ beautiful stained-glass windows. 

LOTS OF LITTLE LAKE

Little Lake Theatre in Canonsburg is offering three productions this month geared toward different audiences. Perfect for the kids, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Junior runs June 13 to 30. Arcadia, a playful love story for adults, runs through June 16, and Hay Fever, a comedy for the whole family, runs June 21 to July 7. 

GREAT CONDUCTORS

The Osher Institute’s course, Great Conductors of the 20th Century, is at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays from June 27 to July 25 at Mt. Lebanon Public Library. Instructor Jeffrey Swoger will cover Toscanini, Stokowski, Reiner, Solti, Karajan and Bernstein, using musical and video examples and reading materials. Registration required.
www.MtLebanonLibrary.org.

SAFE SITTER

Is your preteen interested in becoming a babysitter? St. Clair Hospital is offering a Safe Sitter class for $50 on Thursday, June 28, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This nationally recognized program teaches infant and child CPR, childcare basics, tips and more through interactive games and hands-on activities. Participants take home a Safe Sitter Manual, safety aids and a course completion card.
www.St.Clair.org.

ARTILLERY AT THE ARTS FESTIVAL

If you plan to visit the Three Rivers Arts Festival from June 1 to 10, head down on Saturday, June 9, to see the Fort Pitt replica British six-pounder cannon in action! The Artillery and Artificers event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting, featuring demonstrations from the cannon crew, tinners, turners, blacksmiths and other artisans whose trades contributed to 18th century artillery.
www.TRAF.TrustArts.org.