Friendship

Rain or shine, join us on Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Baum Grove (intersection of Harriet, Fairmount and Roup) for this laid-back, family-friendly event! The event this year promises to be full of fun with folk music, fresh flowers, raffles, demonstrations and good times!

F4 is organized by Friendship residents and sponsored by the Friendship Preservation Group and Friendship Development Associates; you’ll find locally grown flowers, vegetables, herbs and perennials for sale – the proceeds of which support the maintenance of Baum Grove, Friendship’s own greenspace. Oder forms for can be found here. In addition, there are yummy food tables, raffle ticket for adults and children items and the ever -popular book sale! These proceeds support Friendship Preservation Group’s efforts to enhance the quality of life for all Friendship residents.

At this year’s festival you’ll enjoy acoustic, folk, and jazz music from Tim Ruff, Dave Arndt and many of the best local performers at the amphitheater at Baum Grove. There will be live demonstrations on sustainable practices, including from Penn Futures, Duquesne Light (who will be distributing energy saving kits with free CF bulbs) and Tree Pittsburgh! Learn more about the Friendship community and get a chance to meet and mingle with your neighbors. Kids will enjoy several activities including a moonwalk, kid’s yoga with Yoga Hive, sidewalk chalk, street space for bikes and skates.

See you there!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th from 6pm-8pm

Join Friendship Development Associates for its annual State of the Avenue meeting at Most Wanted Fine Art, located at 5015 Penn Ave.  The evening’s presentation will explore the various changes to Penn Avenue over the past year, the present state of the avenue, and future plans to further its development.  Don’t miss this opportunity to share your thoughts about Penn Avenue’s development and voice your goals for its future.

For more information please contact jason@friendship-pgh.org or call (412) 441-6147 ext 4.

On Friday, October 1^tst, the Friendship Development Associates, Inc. (FDA) and community partners will host a unique ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the multi-million dollar Glass Lofts Project.

The Pittsburgh Glass Center will join Friendship Development Associates and community partners to properly initiate the Glass Lofts into the Penn Avenue Arts District. Instead of a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony, artists from the Pittsburgh Glass Center will gather molten glass from the 2,200 degree furnace and run across Penn Avenue to the Glass Lofts with the bubbling blob. One artist on one end and another on the opposite end will pull and stretch the hot glass (similar to pulling taffy) into a ribbon of glass.  A select group of community leaders will take special glass cutting tools called “nippers” and simultaneously cut the ribbon of glass.

Following the ceremony, guests are encouraged to enjoy a reception in the Glass Lofts courtyard and to tour the newly completed units.   Guests will have the opportunity to explore the entire building, including three units that have been outfitted by local Pittsburgh designers from LeMix, ARTica Gallery, and Mox Box Consulting.

Help Pick Up Penn Ave by joining community members, neighborhood residents, and volunteers from all over Pittsburgh to help clean up Penn Avenue in this annual neighborhood clean up. For two hours, volunteers will divide into teams racing to pick up trash and recyclables to compete for various prizes donated from restaurants, stores, and galleries along the avenue. Volunteers also receive free coffee and Einstein’s bagels before the pick up begins.

If interested in volunteering please RSVP by sending an email to emily@friendship-pgh.org. Pick Up Penn will be held on Saturday, September 18th from 9:00am-11:30am. Volunteers check in at Edge Studio on 5411 Penn Ave. For any questions or concerns call Emily Parkinson at (412) 441-6147 x 1.

On Sunday September 19th, join your Friendship neighbors for the 17th Annual Friendship House Tour – Tradition and Innovation.  The tour features an eclectic mix of homes ranging from grand Victorians to lofts and townhouses.  This year’s tour showcases the diverse housing that Friendship offers with everything from traditional character to sleek modern design.  Tour guests will enjoy FREE food samples from some of the best restaurants in the East End at cafes set up at each of the homes as well as FREE trolley transportation that circulates the tour route throughout the day.

Back by popular demand, this year’s tour will once again showcase the creativity of the artists, restaurants and businesses in the Penn Avenue Arts District.  Several of our artists have featured their artwork in the homes on tour as well as showcasing their work in their spaces along the Avenue.  Numerous businesses and restaurants will also be open for tour guests to explore.

Tickets for the Friendship House Tour are ON SALE NOW and can be purchased online at www.friendshiphousetour.org. The tour begins at The Glass Lofts, on the corner Penn Avenue and N. Fairmount Street. The self-guided tour takes 3 to 4 hours to complete on foot, and trolley tours will depart from The Glass Lofts. For more info visit www.friendshiphousetour.org or 412-441-6147 x 7. We hope you will join us once again this year!

ONE DAY ONLY! Come grab a good old fashioned hot dog from the Franktuary Mobile Truck on Baum Blvd between Beatty and Highland.  More details here at www.franktuary.com or  www.twitter.com/franktuary 

Summer Lecture Series with Jeff Mack and John Kobuki. A free lecture series about studio glass art. Internationally known glass artists present slides and informal discussions on most Wednesdays. Everyone is welcome. For more information, call 412-365-2145 ext. 201.  www.pittsburghglasscenter.org.

The 17th Annual Friendship House Tour is soon approaching! On September 19, 2010, we will need volunteers to be docents, to monitor the trolleys that transport attendees and to collect tickets at the entrance. This is a great way to get out and help your community and have fun at the same time. Volunteers can choose one of two shifts: 10 am to 1:30 pm or 1:30 pm to 5 pm, saving time for volunteers to take advantage of free admission to the tour. Upon completion of the tour, there will be a celebratory party for all volunteers and homeowners. Please contact Sarah Di Leo at Friendship Development sarah@friendship-pgh.org at 412-441-6147, ext. 7 or Kathy Farrington, Chair of the House Tour Committee, kfarrington@comcast.net at 412-362-0862 if you want to join our great House Tour this year.