Call for artists and makers for Novo Food Hall's Lunar New Year celebration, February 1.

Novo Asian Food Hall in the Strip District is looking for artists and makers for its Lunar New Year celebration on February 1.

Are you a local artist or maker with a small business that you’d like to promote in 2025? If so, join us on Saturday, February 1 for a special Lunar New Year edition of the markets at Novo. We’re hosting a special celebration all day long to ring in the new year and we want YOU to be a part of it! 🧧🎊🏮🎇

To participate, just send an email to kaitlinnovo at gmail.com with a little info about yourself and your business or concept, and we'll get back to you!

Novo Asian Food Hall is a food court featuring eight different Asian eateries in The Terminal Building in the Strip District (map). It opened in March 2024.

2025 Squirrel Hill Lunar New Year Parade, February 16.

Pittsburgh's Lunar New Year Parade will return in 2025. From the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition:

Please come out to join us to celebrate the 2025 Lunar New Year with a parade starting at Phillips and Murray (Streets closed Phillips to Forbes on Murray Ave from 9 - 12 pm)

The relatively new annual tradition returns after taking 2024 off. The parade starts at 10:00 am, moving up Murray Ave. from Phillips Ave. to Forbes Ave. (map).

R.F. Kuang in Pittsburgh as part of Ten Evenings series, April 28.

Author R.F. Kuang will speak in Pittsburgh as part of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures' Ten Evenings series on April 28.

White lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences… Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American–in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel from R.F. Kuang.

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

When June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I. So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song–complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.

Rebecca F. Kuang is the #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, and Yellowface. Her work has won the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, and British Book Awards. A Marshall Scholar, she has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford. She is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Sinophone literature, and Asian American literature.

Copies of the book are available to purchase at White Whale Bookstore, and tickets for the event are now available online. The event takes place at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland (map) and will also be livestreamed.

Monthly Chinese & English Storytime for kids, starting January 4 at Cooper-Siegel Library in Fox Chapel.

The monthly Chinese-English Storytime will continue in 2025 at the Cooper-Siegel Library with its first session on January 4.

Explore the Chinese language through bilingual songs, books, and playful experiences. This program is designed for kids in grades preschool - 2nd grade with their caregivers. This program occurs on the first Saturday of the month. Please register for all dates you plan to attend.

The event runs from 10:30 am to 11:30 am in the Verne C. Koch Program Room. Future sessions are scheduled for February 1, March 1, April 5, and May 3. (There are also Chinese-English Storytimes scheduled for January 17, February 15, March 15, and May 17, from 10:30 to 11:30 am, at the Sharpsburg Community Library.) Registration is required and can be completed online. The Cooper-Siegel Community Library is located at 403 Fox Chapel Rd. (map).

2025 Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Gala, January 25.

The Pittsburgh Chinese Culture Center (PCCC) will hold its annual Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Gala on January 25 at the PNC Theater downtown.

Lunar New Year is the most important holiday celebrated by many international communities around the world. This year, the Pittsburgh Chinese Culture Center (PCCC) is once again partnering with the Pittsburgh Playhouse to present the annual Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Gala, celebrating the Year of the Snake.

For the first time, the Gala will feature an exciting new theme, “CivilizASIAN”, highlighting a remarkable fusion of Eastern and Western artistic elements. The event promises a spectacular gathering of top-tier talent, thanks to the visionary direction of Mr. Xiang Gao, a renowned large-scale arts event planner and producer, who has been appointed as the chief planner and director of the 2025 Lunar New Year Gala.

PCCC’s own Performing Arts Group, together with Yanlai Dance Academy, Xiaobo Waist Drum Dance Group, School of Oom Yung Doe, Carnegie Mellon University and Pittsburgh Chinese School will share the stage at the Gala as well.

Join us for FREE cultural activities starting at 1 pm, featuring street food samples, games, cultural demonstrations, and much more!

Tickets are available online. PNC Theater is the performing arts venue of Point Park University, located at 350 Forbes Ave. downtown (map).

OCA Pittsburgh Year of the Snake Banquet, February 15.

The Organization of Chinese Americans Pittsburgh will host its Year of the Snake New Year's Banquet on February 15. The event runs from 5:00 to 9:00 pm at Sichuan Spice in Pittsburgh, and tickets are now available online.

The Lunar New Year began in China more than 4,000 years ago and is widely observed in East and Southeast Asia. Over the years, the festivities have spread around the world. It is now celebrated by millions of people all over the United States, including here in Pittsburgh!

Come celebrate Lunar New Year with OCA Pittsburgh! Eat a 10 course meal, watch cultural performances and participate in a raffle!

OCA Banquet is our fundraiser that makes it possible for OCA to provide advocacy and services for Asian Americans in Pittsburgh.

If you are not currently an active member, we invite you become one. Your membership supports the important work we do as well as access to benefits. Please use this link to sign up.

Keshi performing in Pittsburgh, July 23, part of Requiem World Tour.

Vietnamese-American singer-songwriter Keshi will perform in Pittsburgh on July 23, 2025. A BuzzFeed interview this fall he touches upon his sound the directions it's taken, and the way it's been categorized:

My music has taken a lot of shapes ever since I started. I started in Lo-Fi, and then I started writing lyrics to my music that was kind of emo — very emotionally driven and bittersweet — because that's the kind of emotion that I like to write about and tap into. And then it was just "Oh yeah, this music's for the sad boys." Then, I was like, okay, well, let me make some songs where I'm a little bit more confident, that harkens back to R&B and feeling sexy. So then I came out with "Beside You" and then "Somebody" on Gabriel, and then suddenly public perception shifted to a fuckboy narrative. And I was super confused by that.

The concert will be at Stage AE on the North Shore, and tickets will go on sale November 22.

Comedian Ronny Chieng in Pittsburgh as part of The Love To Hate It Tour, November 30.

Comedian Ronny Chieng will perform in Pittsburgh on November 30.

Ronny Chieng is a stand up comedian, actor and Correspondent on "The Daily Show". In addition to two Netflix stand-up comedy specials, Ronny has starred in "Crazy Rich Asians", Marvel's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings", "M3GAN", "American Born Chinese", "Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.", "Vacation Friends 2", "Joy Ride" and will star in the upcoming Hulu series "Interior Chinatown".

The show will be held at the Byham Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) at 7:00 pm, and tickets are available online.

"Sounds Upstairs: Flying Strings Youth Ensemble," November 10 in Oakland.

The Flyinkg Strings Youth Ensemble will perform November 10 at the Carnegie Library in Oakland.

The Flying Strings Youth Ensemble is a talented group of musicians blending traditional Chinese and Western music. With members from across the U.S. playing diverse instruments, including pipa, guzheng, erhu, zhongruan, flute, violin, cello, and piano, the ensemble is committed to both musical excellence and community service. This program takes place in the South Wing Reading Room

The event runs from 2:00 to 3:00 pm and is free and open to the public. The Oakland branch of the Carneige Library of Pittsburgh is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by numerous city bus lines.

Pittsburgh Opera presents Madama Butterfly, featuring an entirely Japanese and Japanese-American creative team, March 2025.

Pittsburgh Opera will present Madama Butterfly in March 2025 with an entirely Japanese and Japanese-American creative team. PennsylvAsia readers can save 20% on tickets through an exclusive promo code.

MADAMA BUTTERFLY

Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa • MARCH 22, 25, 28, 30, 2025

His escape is her cage.

In this groundbreaking new production created by an all-Japanese and Japanese American creative team, Madama Butterfly’s story is transported to a fantastical realm where reality and dreams intersect.

Pinkerton puts on a VR headset and transports us into a vibrant virtual reality playground where he has ultimate control. As his avatar, a U.S. Navy Lieutenant, he can seduce and marry his fantasy girl and abandon her just as easily. But to Cio-Cio San, this is no game and the love and betrayal she feels is all too real.

Enveloped in Puccini’s stunning music, this visually beautiful production is the perfect match. Pittsburgh Opera is proud to partner with Cincinnati Opera, Detroit Opera, and Utah Opera to co-produce this reinvention of Puccini’s classic, uncovering new and resonant meaning for all audiences to enjoy.

 

Pennsylvasia readers can save 20% with the promo code POASIA!

Tickets are now available online. The performances are held at the Benedum Center in downtown's Cultural District (map).

Fresh International Market now eyes February 2025 opening.

Fresh International Market is eyeing a February 2025 opening for its Pittsburgh location in Point Breeze. The large Asian grocery was announced in 2023 and was initially aiming for a Summer 2024 opening. The location at 7511 Thomas Blvd (map) will also house Ineffable Cà Phê, a Vietnamese coffee shop and cafe that opened in Lawrenceville in 2017. The Fresh International Market press release from March 2023 has more details about the store:

New tenant Fresh International Market will offer authentic Asian flavors to Pittsburgh customers.

A major grocery store chain is set to open its seventh store in Pittsburgh's North Point Breeze neighborhood, within the Rockwell Park innovation center. Known for its unique selection of international ingredients and authentic Asian cuisine, the market's new store will occupy the entire 40,000 RSF Apollo building.

Of the new store, Rockwell Park Principal Al Lardo shares: "We are thrilled to welcome Fresh International Market to Rockwell Park and the North Point Breeze community. This new store will be a fantastic addition to the city's vibrant food scene. The store's unique selection of international ingredients and prepared meals will provide greater convenience and comfort for local residents." He noted that the arrival of Fresh International Market would also contribute to the continued growth and development of Rockwell Park: “The opening of Fresh International Market at Rockwell Park marks a significant milestone for the Rockwell Park’s growth and development as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and community engagement."

According to Fresh International Market Founder and President Bowen Kou, the store aims to become a part of the local community:

"Fresh International Market is excited to join the vibrant Rockwell Park community and offer our unique range of international brands and Asian cuisine to local residents. We are happy to become a part of this beautiful and dynamic place and look forward to contributing to its growth and development. Our goal is to be more than just a grocery store, but a destination where customers can discover new flavors and expand their culinary horizons."

The store will be located in the Apollo building on 7511 Thomas Blvd, which was built in 1906. The construction work is expected to take up to 15 months.

Taiwanese chain Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea (一芳台灣水果茶) coming soon to Pittsburgh.

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea (一芳台灣水果茶) is planning a Squirrel Hill location. The US-based Taiwanese fruit tea chain recently put up signage at 5825 Forbes Ave (map), in what has been empty for a couple years but what was most recently Classic Lines bookstore. Paperwork and planning for the new tea spot---which will join Mango Mango, Tiger Sugar, Tsaaoca, and Meetcha on the same block---started back in April. Yi Fang currently has locations throughout California, the East Coast, and elsewhere in North America.

2024 film Extremely Unique Dynamic, from Harrison Xu and Ivan Leung, in Pittsburgh October 12, part of Reel Q Pittsburgh International LGBT Film Festival.

The 2024 film Extremely Unique Dynamic, from Harrison Xu and Ivan Leung, will play in Pittsburgh on October 12 as part of Reel Q Pittsburgh International LGBT Film Festival.

Ryan and Daniel, two childhood best friends and aspiring actors, spend one final weekend together before RYAN has to move to Canada with his fiancé. Wanting to create one lasting memory, they decide to make a movie... about two guys making a movie.. about two guys making a movie. Along the way, they unpack their decades-long friendship and prepare for the next chapters of their respective lives.

It plays at 9:00 pm at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map), and tickets are available online.

"The Promise of Intimacy: Digital Lives of Queer Filipinx/a/os in Manila and Los Angeles" at Pitt, November 7.

The University of Pittsburgh's Gender, Sexuality, & Women's Studies program will present Dr. Paul Michael Leonardo Atienza and his talk "The Promise of Intimacy: Digital Lives of Queer Filipinx/a/os in Manila and Los Angeles" on November 7.

Mobile digital technologies are transforming how people communicate with one another. They offer a promise for quick and easy platonic, romantic, and/or sexual connections. With the intensification of people’s reliance on and everyday engagement with mobile digital media platforms, the study of mediated intimacies is relevant and needed more than ever before. Spanning several years of ethnographic research, both in Manila and Los Angeles, queer Filipinx/a/o men in my study complained that it was difficult to find meaningful connections through socio-sexual apps. In their pursuits of intimacies, queer Filipinx/a/o men in my study experienced frequent forms of failure, generating various affective responses that shape their actions and beliefs. In the accounts of these experiences, failure is not a totalizing experience. Nor do these experiences necessarily lead to definite endpoints. Such possibilities still create many forms of exclusions to intimacy, yet the queer Filipinx/a/o men who shared parts of their lives continue to aspire, to hope for an experience of intimacy. Some openings and possibilities inspire responses and alternative paths toward the realization of brief moments of connection, and small moments of pleasure. My study seeks to understand queer Filipinx/a/o men’s digital lives and how their experiences inform complex negotiations on and offline in the search for connection, especially when feelings are amplified and complicated by social categories of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality.

It runs from 1:00 to 2:00 pm in room 2322 Cathedral of Learning.

Celebrating [Pittsburgh's] Chinatown, October 5 at Carnegie Science Center, helping mark the addition of Chinatown Inn to legendary model railroad display.

The Carnegie Science Center will host "Celebrating Chinatown" on October 5.

Join us as we celebrate the debut of Chinatown Inn in the Miniature Railroad & Village®. Experience the unveiling of this new model while immersing yourself in Chinese culture with vibrant Lion Dances, martial arts demonstrations, hands-on activities, dancing, music, and more – led by the Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center and Win-Win Kung Fu Culture Center. The celebration is included with general admission to the Science Center.

The event runs from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and is included with admission to the Science Center. There are a host of performers scheduled for the event, with a growing list online. The event centers around the addition of Pittsburgh's Chinatown Inn restaurant to the legendary model train display at the Center:

Chinatown was composed of a small and vibrant Chinese immigrant community between Second and Third Avenue that included markets, grocery stores, and shops from the mid–19th to early 20th centuries. Today, Chinatown Inn is the only remaining remnant of this bustling community.

The Miniature Railroad & Village® exhibit at Carnegie Science Center is a quarter-scale model train display that captures western Pennsylvania’s history, architecture, cultural heritage, and topography. The Miniature Railroad showcases the region as it was prior to the 1940s with 57 replicas of historic buildings.

Every year, a new model is added based on visitor voting. This year, visitors selected Chinatown Inn!

The Carnegie Science Center is located at 1 Allegheny Ave. on the North Shore (map).

Comedian Sheng Wang in Pittsburgh, March 6.

Comedian Sheng Wang will perform in the Pittsburgh area on March 6, 2025, at the Carnegie Library Music Hall of Homestead.

Sheng Wang is a comedian, actor and writer originally from Houston, TX. His first Netflix special, Sweet & Juicy, released in September 2023 and was produced and directed by Ali Wong. He was a featured stand-up on HBO’s “2 Dope Queens” special and also wrote for the ABC show “Fresh Off the Boat.” Sheng resides in Los Angeles and in his time off, he enjoys exploring botanical gardens and discovering new ways to snack.

Doors open at 6:30 pm and the show starts at 7:30 pm, and tickets are available online. The Carnegie Library Music Hall of Homestead is located at 510 E 10th Ave. (map).

2024 Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival, September 28.

The 2024 Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival will be held on September 28 at North Park. From its press release:

Get ready to paddle with a purpose and join the splash of excitement at North Park Lake! Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Team invites you to a day of thrilling races, vibrant entertainment, delicious food, and family fun at our Sixth Annual Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival. The event runs from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm. REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! 

Mark your calendars for a spectacular day where community spirit meets fierce competition on the beautiful waters of North Park Lake. This year’s festival features spirited races with community teams, sport teams, youth teams, para-paddlers, all cancer survivors, and dedicated breast cancer survivor teams battling it out for glory. Whether you’re a seasoned paddler or a curious newbie, everyone is welcome to join in the fun. 

2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once at Row House Lawrenceville, from September 27.

The 2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once will play at the Row House Lawrenceville from September 27 through October 3, part of the MTV Generation film series.

We are still not fully over this amazing and wholey unique movie. Plus it looks and sounds SO good in theaters. Michelle Yeoh as an aging Chinese immigrant who can’t seem to finish her taxes… until she is swept up in an insane adventure.

Tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

2024 film Extremely Unique Dynamic, from Harrison Xu and Ivan Leung, in Pittsburgh October 12, part of Reel Q Pittsburgh International LGBT Film Festival.

The 2024 film Extremely Unique Dynamic, from Harrison Xu and Ivan Leung, will play in Pittsburgh on October 12 as part of Reel Q Pittsburgh International LGBT Film Festival.

Ryan and Daniel, two childhood best friends and aspiring actors, spend one final weekend together before RYAN has to move to Canada with his fiancé. Wanting to create one lasting memory, they decide to make a movie... about two guys making a movie.. about two guys making a movie. Along the way, they unpack their decades-long friendship and prepare for the next chapters of their respective lives.

It plays at 9:00 pm at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map), and tickets are available online.

eaJ concert postponed: Korean-American singer originally scheduled to perform in Pittsburgh, November 7.

The Argentinia-born Korean-American singer-songwriter eaJ was originally scheduled to perform in Pittsburgh on November 7, but the show has recently been postponed. A make-up date has not yet been announced.