Pittsburgh July – Pittsburgh’s Independence Day celebration for America’s 250th begins at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4, with multiple music stages and family activities downtown and on the North Shore. Fireworks are scheduled for 9:35 p.m., preceded by a drone performance, with city
Pittsburgh’s Independence Day plans are already moving fast—starting at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4—when crowds are expected to fill Downtown and North Shore areas for music, food, and family activities tied to America’s 250th birthday.
The centerpiece is the fireworks show. It is scheduled to begin at 9:35 p.m. preceded by a drone performance. with the lights launching from six barges on the Allegheny. Ohio and Monongahela rivers and from rooftops. City officials said they will keep watching conditions alongside the fireworks contractor all day and into the festival.
Molly Onufer. press secretary for Mayor Corey O’Connor. said the city will continue monitoring weather conditions “to make sure it’s safe to proceed with the display.” If conditions are judged unsafe. she said the fireworks may be delayed until conditions improve or launched earlier than scheduled to avoid an approaching storm. “The safety of attendees, staff, and contractors remains our top priority,” Onufer wrote.
On the main stage at Point State Park. pop-rock headline act Plain White T’s are set to perform at 8 p.m. after Pittsburgh-based artists take the early slots. The event includes a separate “Celebrate the USA Stage!” near Fort Pitt Museum. plus additional performances at the Sargent Electric Solar Stage on Liberty Avenue. the PNC Great Lawn on the North Shore. and bandstands and parks including Grandview Park in Mount Washington.
The Plain White T’s, a Chicago-based quintet, have notched two Grammy nominations for “Hey There Delilah” from 2005 and received a 2018 Tony nomination for their contributions to the music and lyrics of “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical.”
A full schedule lays out when each act takes the stage. At BNY Main Stage at Point State Park, Kahone Concept performs from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Eternal Boy plays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Plain White T’s headline from 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
On the “Celebrate the USA Stage!” near Fort Pitt Museum, Cello Fury takes the stage from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., followed by the Allegheny Brass Band from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
At the Sargent Electric Solar Stage on Liberty Avenue, Louis Castle performs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and M.E.L.T. plays from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
On the North Shore, the PNC Great Lawn hosts a Fireside Events DJ set from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
At Grandview Park Bandstand in Mount Washington, Shari Richards and the Lenny Smith Project perform at 4 p.m., Nied’s Hotel Band plays at 6 p.m., and Billy Price Band is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Richards will perform with guitarist Lenny Smith with the Lenny Smith Project. Smith, born in Alabama, has performed in Pittsburgh for more than three decades, according to his website.
Organizers say the day will include more than music and fireworks. The Independence Day celebration is set to feature family-friendly activities, food vendors, a vendor marketplace, a hot air balloon, a Ferris wheel, and veterans wellness resources.
Tickets for the Ferris wheel are set to go up on the North Shore on July 1 and stay up through July 5. Those tickets can be purchased on the city’s website.
The city’s schedule is also built for flexibility. with officials preparing for weather to change while keeping safety at the center of decisions about the fireworks—because the difference between a perfect 9:35 p.m. moment and a delayed start can come down to what conditions look like right before the first burst.
Pittsburgh July 4 America’s 250th Independence Day fireworks Plain White T's Molly Onufer Corey O’Connor Point State Park North Shore drone performance Ferris wheel events schedule
9:35 fireworks? Nice. Hope they don’t get delayed again.
Wait so the drones are before the fireworks right? Kinda love that but also seems like a lot of stuff downtown at once. If it storms tho they should just cancel… people can’t drive in that chaos.
So are they launching the fireworks from the rooftops AND the rivers?? That’s like… overkill. Also I saw somewhere it’s supposed to be 9:15, not 9:35, unless they changed it. Either way it’ll probably be loud as hell and I’ll avoid Downtown like always.
Plain White T’s at 8 and drones at 9? I swear Pittsburgh always does the most for holidays and then the weather ruins it. They’ll delay them until conditions improve… or launch earlier… so like which one is it lol. And “safety” is important but I’m still worried about all those people packed by the river.