Jasmine M. Cho's The K-pop Kitchen book launch event, with Kpop dance workshop and Random Play Dance, October 9.

Join local artist and author Jasmine M. Cho for the launch of her new book The K-pop Kitchen on October 9 at Level Up Studios, followed by a Kpop dance workshop and a Random Play Dance party. The event runs from 6:00 to 9:00 pm, including a book signing from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, a Kpop Dance Workshop from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, and a Random Play Dance Kpop Dance Party from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. And, each purchase of the book, either at the event or pre-ordered, enters you into an entry for one dozen custom cookies made by Jasmine. (More details are available at her social media post.) RSVP required. Level Up Studios is a dance studio located at 4836 Penn Ave. in Bloomfield (map).

More about the book, from Jasmine's website:

Korean Recipes and Idol Fun Facts for Fans of Kpop Demon Hunters, BLACKPINK, BTS, and More

I wrote this cookbook for fans of K-pop who want to learn more about Korean culture and its food <3

Loaded with delicious Korean dishes that K-pop groups like BTS, TWICE, H.O.T., and HUNTR/X would enjoy on and off the stage, The K-pop Kitchen presents recipes for delicious Korean snacks, meals, and treats that define the most iconic elements of South Korean culture.

Slurp up some delicious preshow ramyeon, heat up some voice-soothing samgyetang, or explore the lineage of K-pop with recipes from the Joseon Dynasty. For a quick snack inspired by street food from Seoul, learn how to make gimbap, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), or Korean corn dogs. And don’t forget a treat: From hotteok (Korean sweet pancakes) to bingsu (Korean shaved ice), this book will transport you backstage as you make delicious meals at home.

Bilingual Chinese-English Story Hours at Carnegie Libraries in Squirrel Hill and Oakland this fall.

The Chinese Library for Children will present Bilingual Story Hour monthly this fall at the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill, representing a return of Chinese-English storytimes that were frequent pre-COVID.

Join us for stories, songs, movement and hands-on activities–designed to introduce children to language and culture through play and shared reading.

Story Hours are scheduled from 10:30 to 11:30 am on September 12, October 10, and November 14 at the Squirrel Hill branch at 5801 Forbes Ave. (map), and September 26, October 31, and November 28 at the Oakland (Main) branch at 4400 Forbes Ave. (map). Both branches are accessible by a number of city buses.  The Chinese Library for Children is

a community-grown nonprofit initiative that supports children’s access to Chinese-language reading through shared resources and local collaboration.

2026 Korean movie Hope (호프) in Pittsburgh, from September 9.

The 2026 Korean movie Hope (호프) will play in Pittsburgh from September 9.

A police chief, a policewoman and a group of hunters try to track down and kill a mysterious creature that's laying waste to a Korean village.

It plays locally at many area theaters, including: Squirrel Hill Manor, AMC Loews Waterfront, AMC Westmoreland in Greensburg, Chartiers Valley Luxury 14 + PTX, and the Cinemark theater in Robinson. Tickets are available online.

"We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes resume at Carnegie Library in Oakland, Saturdays from September 12.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Oakland will resume its free "We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes Saturdays from September 12 through November 14, after its current session concluded on August 29. 

2026 Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival, October 10 in Creighton.

The 2026 Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival will be held on October 10 at Pittsburgh Brewing Company in Creighton.

The 8th Annual Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival will take place on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 8:30am-3:30 pm at Pittsburgh Brewing Company in Creighton, PA. Hosted by Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel, this event helps support Breast Cancer Survivors in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. This festival brings together the exciting sport of dragon boat racing, entertainment, food, and fun family activities. The event is free for spectators and we are still registering teams, sponsors, vendors, etc.

2026 Korean film Colony (군체) in McKees Rocks, September 12.

The 2026 Korean film Colony (군체) will once again play in the Pittsburgh area on September 12, as the second installment of the Parkway Theater's Asian Movie Madness series this month.

Biotechnology professor Kwon Se-jeong (Jun Ji-hyun) attends a conference at the Doongwoori Building, which spirals into chaos when a rapidly mutating virus is unleashed. Unlike traditional slow zombies, the infected individuals move with insect-like coordination, functioning similarly to a giant hive mind.

Tickets are $10 at the door. The theater is located at 644 Broadway Ave. in McKees Rocks (map).

4K restoration of 1993 Japanese animated film Ninja Scroll (獣兵衛忍風帖) in Pittsburgh, October 4 and 7.

A new 4K restoration of 1993 Japanese animated film Ninja Scroll (獣兵衛忍風帖) will play at the Row House Hollywood on October 4 and 7.

Jubei is a masterless ninja who travels the land alone, lending his services to those with gold—or a worthy cause. His fearsome abilities have served him well, but a plot to overthrow the government threatens to end his wandering ways—and possibly his life.

There are five shows in total and tickets are available online. The Row House Hollywood is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. (map), one block south of the Potomac T Station.

Documentary Always Lalisa in Pittsburgh area, October 14 and 17.

An upcoming documentary Always Lalisa, following Blackpink's Lisa, will play in the Pittsburgh area on October 14 and 17.

Always Lalisa is a feature-length documentary following global superstar LISA during a transformative year away from Blackpink, the K-pop phenomenon that made her one of the world's most recognizable performers. As the group pauses activities, LISA embarks on the first true chapter of her solo career, confronting the question of who she is beyond Blackpink. The film follows LISA as she writes, records, and releases her debut solo album, Alter Ego, makes her acting debut in the third season of The White Lotus, and prepares for her first major solo performance at the 2025 Coachella Music Festival. Born and raised in Thailand, LISA left home at fourteen to train in South Korea's demanding K-pop system, ultimately rising to global superstardom. But forging her own path, particularly in the Western music market, brings new pressures, relentless scrutiny, and the challenge of redefining herself on her own terms. Intimate, emotional, and revealing, Always Lalisa captures an artist at a crossroads, documenting a year of risk, reinvention, and self-discovery as LISA begins to define not only her next chapter, but the woman and artist she wants to become.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark theaters in McCandless and Monroeville, and tickets are available online.

2025 Japanese animated film cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood (cocoon 〜ある夏の少女たちより〜) in Pittsburgh, from September 3.

The 2025 Japanese animated film cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood (cocoon 〜ある夏の少女たちより〜) will play in Pittsburgh from September 3. A synopsis from the distributor GKIDS:

San and Mayu attend an all-girls school on a warm and tranquil island. When war reaches their shores, they are ordered to help nurse the wounded in a military hospital hidden away in a cave. Amidst escalating death and brutality, the friends struggle to find solace in their fragile lives.

Based on the manga by Machiko Kyo, cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood is the debut feature from Yukimitsu Ina and animation studio SASAYURI, founded by former Studio Ghibli animator Hitomi Tateno. The project brings together legendary veteran animators like Akihiko Yamashita and Shinji Otsuka, known for their work on PRINCESS MONONOKE and THE BOY AND THE HERON, with a new, young generation of animating talent. Featuring a stirring score from kensuke ushio (A Silent Voice, Chainsaw Man), the film is a devastating yet beautiful plea for peace.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront (tickets here) and the Row House Hollywood from the 4th, (tickets here). The Row House Hollywood is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. (map), one block south of the Potomac T Station.

2023 movie Past Lives at Northland Public Library, September 16.

The 2023 movie Past Lives will play at Northland Public Library on September 16, this month's installment of the Movie Matinee series.

After Nora and Hae-Sung meet at twelve years of age, Nora moves away. Not until twentyfour years later do they meet again. In Korea “inyeon” means destined to be together whether it’s in the now, the past or the future. He just wants to see her one last time. Can she say goodbye?

he movie will play at Northland from 1:30 pm, and the library is located off of McKnight Road and Rt. 19 in McCandless Township (map). It is free and open to the public.