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.

1988 Japanese animated film Akira (アキラ) in Pittsburgh, in standard format and a 4K re-release, from September 3.

The 1988 Japanese animated film Akira (アキラ) will play in Pittsburgh, in both standard format and a 4K re-release, from September 3.

In 1988 the Japanese government drops an atomic bomb on Tokyo after ESP experiments on children go awry. In 2019, 31 years after nuking the city, Kaneda, a bike gang leader, tries to save his friend Tetsuo from a secret government project. He battles against anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader until Tetsuo's supernatural power suddenly manifest. A final battle is fought in Tokyo Olympiad exposing the experiment's secrets.

The 4K re-release screens at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in Robinson, while the standard format plays at the AMC Loews Waterfront. Tickets are available online.

New Chinese computer-animated film All Wishes Come True (八仙) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) September 9.

The Chinese computer-animated film All Wishes Come True (八仙), which opened in Pittsburgh on August 28, will remain in the area through (at least) September 9.

On a wondrous island where mortals and Immortals dwell as one, a legendary vault holds a fortune beyond dreaming. Lü Dongbin and Zhongli Quan have a plan. To crack that vault, these two mortals will pull off the impossible: pose as Immortals themselves. They gather six more misfits along the way: He Xiangu, Tieguai Li, Han Xiangzi, Cao Guojiu, Lan Caihe, and Zhang Guolao. Eight ordinary souls, one extraordinary heist, and death waiting for anyone caught trying to outsmart the heavens. But something far worse is already closing in: a shadow conspiracy that could undo the balance of all things. And our eight bumbling schemers stand right in its path. Inspired by the beloved Chinese legend of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, All Wishes Come True! opens in theaters this summer.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Two performances of KPOP WARRIORS LIVE at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, September 12.

Kelly Strayhorn Theater will host two performances of KPOP WARRIORS LIVE on September 12.

Get ready for an unforgettable live experience with KPOP WARRIORS LIVE:  a high-energy, family-friendly show packed with music, dance, acrobatics, comedy, and spectacular stage performances!

Step into a colorful world inspired by the excitement of K-pop, where powerful choreography, dazzling costumes, dynamic characters, and nonstop entertainment come together in one action-packed production.

Featuring talented dancers, circus performers, interactive games, fun surprises, and audience participation, KPOP WARRIORS keeps kids and families engaged from beginning to end.

Young fans will love seeing their favorite K-pop-inspired heroes come to life on stage, while parents will enjoy a fast-paced show filled with humor, energy, and memorable moments for the whole family.

Perfect for K-pop fans, young audiences, and families looking for a unique live entertainment experience.

Don’t miss KPOP WARRIORS LIVE – music, action, comedy, and adventure all in one incredible show!

Tickets are available online. The Kelly-Strayhorn Theater's Alloy Studios is located at 5530 Penn Ave. in East Liberty (map). 

Progress slow but steady on Pittsburgh's first YangGuoFu Mala Tang, coming to Squirrel Hill.

Progress is still underway on YangGuoFu (also known as YGF Malatang), a chain of build-your-own malatang bowls, aiming to open its first Pittsburgh-area location in Squirrel Hill.

Founded in 2003 in Harbin, China, YGF Malatang began as a humble street-side stall built on one belief: great food should be fresh, flavorful, and uniquely yours. We handpicked ingredients, simmered broth daily, and let guests craft their own bowls — interactive, vibrant, and deeply personal. That founding spirit — individuality and flavor discovery — drives us today as we bring authentic Malatang to the Americas. At YGF, every bowl is crafted fresh and unmistakably yours.

It will be located at 5870 Forbes Ave. (map) in what was most recently Evelyn James Interiors. Signage first went up in November 2025, and they were initially aiming for a mid-January opening. There are over 6,000 YGF Malatang restaurants worldwide, and locations in New York, California, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Washington. (Ownership did not respond to requests for Pittsburgh-area updates.)