Embrace our city's abundance of summer concerts by pairing them with the perfect picnic

June 7  India.Arie at Three Rivers Arts Festival  

Is there a better way to kick off summer than with a taste of the islands in Point State Park? India.Arie at the Three Rivers Arts Festival calls for Caribbean vegetarian cuisine. Hit Kaya for the Veggie Cuban Sandwich Tray, the Yucatán Bean Dip, and Tropical Guacamole. traf.trustarts.org/events/2838, kaya.menu

June 28  Zac Brown Band at Key Bank Pavilion  

Sing it with me now: A little bit of chicken fried/Cold beer on a Friday night... And with this summer anthem, we have our tailgating menu for the Zac Brown Band concert at Key Bank Pavilion. Grab your favorite summer beer (like Voodoo Brewery's Hazy Afternoon, a bright and citrus-forward New England-style ale), then pick up trays of nuggets or chicken strips from East Liberty's Bird on the Run. concerts1.livenation.com, birdontherun.com, voodoobrewery.com 

God Bless America! Three summer patriotic concerts:

June 30   Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, South Park Ampitheater

July 1  Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Hartwood Acres 

July 5   Red White, and Bluegrass, Fridays at the Frick 

Celebrate all things USA with a patriotic concert and an Americana picnic. My Goodness in Regent Square offers local meats, cheeses, and accompaniments for you to make your own charcuterie plate. We completed our picnic with a beautifully fresh strawberry pie from Oakmont Bakery, and Hop Farm's Margot Berry sour beer and Hippy Heffer Hefewiesen. (Skip the beer run: Hop Farm's beer truck with be at the concerts at South Park and Hartwood Acres) mygoodnesspgh.com, oakmontbakery.com, hopfarmbrewingco.com 

July 12  SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS, Fridays at the Frick

Celebrate the music of Mary Poppins with a very English picnic: Order Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, and Fish & Chips from Piper's Pub. Top it all off with a spoon full of sugar from the Sugar & Spice ice cream truck, parked at the Frick! thefrickpittsburgh.org, piperspub.com 

August 19  Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Hartwood Acres

A classy night of Ballet Under the Stars calls for the European cheese platter from Chantal's Cheese Shop. The plate comes with soft, creamy Fromage D'affinois, and the goat's milk Pantaleo, prosciutto and other charcuterie, and fun snacks. Pair it with a bottle of Beaujolais. pbt.org/performances/hartwood, chantalscheese.com 

Aug 9- Cake at the Bellwether Music Festival, Waynesville, OH 

He's going the distance! It's not summer without a road trip, right? Head west for the Bellwether Music Festival in Waynesville and relive the '90s with alternative band, Cake. Many feel that Prantl's carrot cake rivals their famous Burnt Almond Torte. Pick up some cans of Grist House's Space Cactus IPA for a perfect pairing: The hoppy bitterness of the IPA perfectly complements and offsets the sweet carrot and cream cheese icing. bellwetherfest.com, prantlsbakery.com, gristhouse.com

Market Square Concert Series (Every Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m.)

Pretend Market Square is an Italian piazza, and set up your own progressive dinner to accompany the live music. Start at Market St. Grocery's Wine Bar. Get their Montepulciano Rosé d’Abruzzo, and enjoy it at a table outside. Make your way across the square to Pizzaiolo Primo for your antipasti course. Last stop: Sienna on the Square. If you're still hungry enough for an entree, go for the lemon spaghetti. downtownpittsburgh.com/programs-activities/night-markets, marketstreetgrocery.com, pizzaioloprimo.com, siennaonthesquare.com

Tailgate on the Water

Save money on concert tickets, then splurge on a yacht rental for the ultimate water tailgate. Sidle up next to PNC Park or Heinz Field and listen from the Allegheny River. Feast on Brilliant is your one-stop shop for a seaworthy picnic: Start with the salmon skewers or lump crab cakes, then take your pick of their summer sides, including French potato salad, broccoli slaw, and tomato and cucumber salad. Your secret picnic weapon: Feast carries GuS Soda Mojito and Moscow Mule mixers. Just add rum or vodka for the perfect boat cocktail. feastonbrilliant.com, rushhourboatcharter.com 

story by Anne Trabandt  //  Photography by Erin Kelly

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